The Dark Herd, ii

[Horsegirl]

<sub>I watched, uncertain, as the young mare--Mirela--started to back up, away from the rest of her family. One brow twitched, going higher than its mate. I heard Desire speak, "Vlad, Mirela..." Then two and two clicked in my brain: Vlad's strange teeth, the fact that there was something wrong with Mirela. The two were directly related. A cold chill came over me as I realized what that meant. Danger.

"Kayala, shhh." I tried to get her to be quiet as I forced Risque behind me. My head lowered and I started to move in front of Kayala. But before I could block her, Mirela had dashed by, in hot pursuit of my mate. On her way past she shoved right by me, knocking the wind out of me and giving me a good scratch. I retreated quickly, trying to protect my daughter from the murderous family. I could only watch as Kayala, my love, my first mate, was brought down, her blood drunk by the horrible creature. A shocked cry escaped me, and with a simple word to Risque to stay, I galloped to my mate's side.

I stopped opposite of Mirela, my body posed over Kayala's head. My heart beat quickly, and I was helpless to slow it, afraid of what it would make the monster equine do. But I would not leave Kayala. "What are you?" I whispered, my gaze rising from Kayala's even more reddened hide and locking on her slayer's eyes. "What are you?!" I snarled, louder this time. "What is your problem? You kill your own kind? For blood? Why do you even come among them? What if you attacked your own mother? What would you think then? Why don't you just go away?!" My outburst surprised me, but when your love is dead, it's hard to help it. My mouth opened in another snarl. Then I reached down and nuzzled Kayala for the last time, tears running down my face. My eyes closed, then opened again as I looked into Kayala's dull ones. I turned and trotted back to my daughter, horror-struck where I left her.

I turned to the others. "I don't know what you're harboring here," I growled, "but I don't want to be a part of it any longer. You've killed my mate, my life, and I don't want my daughter or I to be next. I'm leaving, and you'd better not try to stop me." Then I turned, pushing Risque in front of me, and walked away, my child stumbling with grief. I had no idea where we'd go, only that I had to leave here. Maybe forever. I didn't know, and I didn't really care anymore.

{~ Awww....reminds me of Poseidon and Olympus when Freefall left. ~}</sub>

[sassaboo]

Through my blinded fury, I hadn't even realized that Chance had tried to stop me, not until my gaze was met with his. I was surprised by his outrage, in all honosty this was not the reaction I would have expected from the brute, not over Kayala at least. But it didn't make my situation any easier as he snarled at me, his words sharp and painful. "What are you?!" The words echoed through my mind, and I looked to the ground with more shame than before. As if I didn't realize that I could kill my own family, as if I didn't understand that I was a threat to the entire herd. As he left me to announce his departure from the herd, I glanced up once more, watching as Risque was nudged away protectively.

My crown was lowered towards the ground, my ears flicked back in annoyance with myself. What was I? I was the daughter of Vladimir, that's what I was. I was the daughter of a cursed creature, and in that chance I was a cursed creature myself. My twin brother was spared, but why was I forced into this life as I monstrous danger? I didn't ask to be born, I didn't ask for Vladimir to be my father, I didn't ask for that one specific gene to be passed down to me. I didn't want to be who I was, but nothing could change that. The past was the past, and my future was unpredictable. If anything, the herd had now recieved a great warning to any who decided to try something against myself or my father. Damn it, how could he have made it through all this? How could he have learned to control himself? I tried, really I did, but Krimzen Kayala couldn't take a hint. I had been in a state where I was not to be tested, but she pushed on. But it was still my fault directly...

After thinking all of this through, I glared up at my parents from where I stood, my muzzle still towards the ground. No...None of this was my fault. My angered glare focused on the both of them, but more specifically my father. It was theirs. It was his fault I was like this. It was mother's fault for falling for him, mother's fault for giving birth to me. It was father's fault for passing on his genes, it was my ancestors fault for their history and curses...Everyone from Desire and Vladimir, to whomever my father's sire was, to Falcon's Glare on my mother's side...Damn them all for leading up to me...