Destrier’s child was a near spitting image of the man and while she resembled her mother in appearance as well, I hoped that she was more privy to her father. I’d had my reservations about Tor since meeting her so long ago when she had considered the Edge home. Part of me hoped that she did not see it as such now. That’s not to say that I felt ill of the mare, but there were things that made me question the girl and their intentions. She obviously felt no connection to this family or she would have stayed, but the better part of me questioned whether or not I could blame her? Perhaps if I had stumbled upon her on another night, another day entirely, this conversation would not have taken a turn for the worst. But as I stared down into the wide eyes of her filly, I could not help but feel responsible for her pain. She was now mine to lead, to encourage, to nourish in any way I could… If Tor did not value my inception merely in the child’s name, then I would have to make her understand.

However, I knew that I had to tread lightly for her daughter’s sake and so nodded softly to her in exchange for her reverence. “Do you have a name darling? I should hope to see those shining eyes free of tears; you are amongst family who will stand beside you without question here. Perhaps I can even introduce you to my own daughter if it is ever of interest to you.” I smiled down at the girl now, positively delighted to find that a bit of her child-like charm had rubbed off on me. I had grown to inhabit something of a soft spot for the young ever since the arrival of Essetia and at times like this I found that I missed her dearly when she was not at my side. The thought of leaving her made my heart clench and quiet in my chest which fueled an unannounced anger in the pit of my stomach. How could one leave their children and their mate, let alone the place that they called home? What secrets were hidden within the dark spaces of Tor’s mind that had encouraged her heart to wander?

I felt that it was my job to find out before I willingly blessed her with my good graces.

Mirage had told her that she was welcome here and perhaps she was as I had no quarrels with her returning to her twins, but to be able to declare herself anything other than a mere resident of my home, she had to do much more than insult my authority. She had undermined my rank by assuming Mirage’s word to be my own which was something that did not sit right with me since she and I were separate beings entirely. The Dragonheart was truly an equal leader but I did not think that she meant for Tor’s endeavors to be entirely simple and I would see to it that this lesson was as valuable as the mare herself. “Tor, do you believe that I speak only of your emotions? Have the wilds allowed you to grow so selfish and dense? I speak for your child Nurse; has she not endured the cruelest treatment of all, waiting for your return that was given no explanation? I’ve no interest in your feelings on the matter because I am not the one you should be apologizing to. Your daughter is the one who will resent you for this Tor and I suggest you start explaining yourself before she does.”

I pause for a moment, cringing at the edge in the Nurse’s voice. It appeared that she was planning to wage a war that she could not win. Whatever guilt resided in her heart would have to be confronted before I gave her my blessing. She would have to do much more than put herself and her emotions before anything or anyone else. I wanted to comfort her and tell her things would only look up, but there is a road for everyone and one must travel upon it to reach self-satisfaction. The sorrow in her gaze was enough to tell me that there was much that she needed to deal with before embarking on a journey through our ranks. “Tor, you cannot expect this family to respect you for what you have done until you have been able to commit to someone other than yourself. I am fully aware of the task that Mirage has set to you and I plan to make good on her word. You are welcome here Tor because I feel that you can change, but you will not receive my blessing to move forward until you have seen to it that your own daughter trusts you. The tiers hold no importance to your gain if you cannot successfully prove yourself to your own family. I am sorry to have upset your Nurse, for you are highly regarded in my eyes, but this road that you have chosen was not made to be easy. The lessons of life and change will follow after you’ve completed my task and then and only then will I allow you my acceptance.”

I gazed upon the gypsy for a while, hoping that she would see my sincerity. I did not want to be brash or make her feel unwelcome, but this was something that not only would prove her self-worth to me but something that would allow her to settle the oppositions within herself. When I felt that I had said all that was on my mind, I looked down into the careful eyes of the filly and smiled warmly. “You must remember that you are welcome to call upon Essetia or myself whenever the need is present. We are also part of your family and I would hope that you would acknowledge us as such.” Glancing back to the painted draft, I nodded. She would become something one day and I would see her to it, but I hoped that she would be able to find forgiveness for me by then even if it felt as though I had not given her such today.

Thor