VALKA

    A crack: the sound of foliage underfoot, dry twigs betraying something large out in the forest. Quivering muscles bunched beneath dark hair. Flanks foamed with dry sweat drew taut, as Valka twisted to scour the trees with mismatched eyes. Something is here, she knew, and the buzz of fear roared suddenly to life in the back of her mind. Run - a nameless urge now shivered in her legs. She flexed back the dark points of her ears instead, and drew her lean frame to its full height.

    ”Is anything the matter, miss?” A voice slipped between the trees – unexpectedly just to the left. The edge to it was sweet, concerned. Still Valka startled, whirling dramatically to face the noise head on and thrusting her poll toward the cluster of scaled branches just above. The long spike of her single horn caught for just a moment – long enough that a soft rain of dead pine needles scattered over the mare’s back. Mouth agape, she hopped sideways, neck twisting as she wrestled her horn back from the tree. Trembling visibly, she hesitated and then turned to blink wide eyes in the direction of the voice. Yes, she thought bitterly. Everything is wrong.

    ”I am unharmed,” she called back. The longer she focused on the dance of light and shadows between the trunks, the more clearly the shape of a sooty mare appeared before her: quite a ways ahead, and waiting patiently. Valka paused to reiterate the stranger’s words to herself: stand still and I will come to you. At last, Valka nodded. ”I see you now. I was only… surprised.” Scared stupid, she thought, expression souring for just a moment. Even from a distance, the mare was clearly small – little bigger than a pony. The sound of her footsteps ought to have communicated that. I am a fool, thought Valka, sour now. A child lost in the woods.

    As she waited for the mare to come within speaking distance, Valka cast a furtive glance around and sighed. Her body still shivered with exertion, but her pulse at least slowed so that the little noises of the forest reached her ears again. It was a vast, damp, lively place when she wasn’t careening through it at top speed. One ear tilted back in a frown, Valka cocked her head to examine the shallow wounds on her chest and shoulder. Considering her actions thus far, she supposed it might be wise to ride this child’s act until its end. ”I was in mortal danger,” she announced. ”An awful beast had concealed itself within the foothills, and tried to devour me. It seems I have escaped it, though.” She struggled to keep the pride from her voice – such a thing was certainly uncalled for now.