I'm your Queen, you're my Ruler.
Once again she is lost in thoughts, as she has been a lot lately. It is without frustration now, she is content with the home and position she was given temporary. Or at least, that was how Esileif thought of it. That Fynnegan had a whole other idea about the whole ordeal was completely unknown to her. Echo Trails would be her home for now, where she could reign over as alpha mare. The title and position were a sort of achievement, that Fynn had just given it to her without her having to prove herself didn’t change anything about the fact. It wasn’t really what the bay and faint orangey white mare desired, but it was good enough for now. And meanwhile she had all the time of the world to figure out how to go further from now.
It are the pro’s and con’s from joining a kingdom that keep her mind busy. Not just any kingdom, because the Spanish influenced girl is sure she wants to join one, it was more the question if it would be the Gates or the Valley. The silence makes it easy to think and Esileif doesn’t pay any attention to the faint noises in the distance. Well, that is until she realises that the soft sound – that only gets louder little by little – is a strange one, unfamiliar to her. But once she tries to focus her attention to it, it is as the sound has gone away. Shrugging a little she pushes the thought away, banning the thought out of her head and brushing it off as her own imagination. The Gates or the Valley. That was the question she needed to answer.
But then her view flickers and the two toned mare blinks her eyes as her body freezes. Her hooves dig into the ground, almost like she is trying to steady herself. Yet it isn’t the ground that shakes. Her view flickers once again and then it’s silent. Dead silent. Well, that is if you don’t count the nervous snorting sound that Esileif herself makes. ”What the fuck is that?” she mutters underneath her breath, voicing out the one thought that has now completely taken over her thoughts. Then she groans, mentally slapping herself and cursing at herself for using such language. ”What a queen you would make, learn how to control your tongue.”
Esileif is only remembered about the strange situation when the bells get more prominent, inviting her to follow the sound, almost like it’s urging her to come and hurry up. Her own struggles, her insecurities and everything else, are long forgotten as she moves to answer the call. Without giving it a second thought she crosses the border that signals the Echo Trail’s territory and with each step she takes she leaves the lands that are caressed by the harmonious singing of an angel and fairy combined behind.
She crosses the lands of Beqanna, passing through kingdoms and other territories as she follows the invisible path that guides her. She knows that she walks on the lands that she had known all her life, but at the other side she is fairly sure that it isn’t the Beqanna that she knows. Things are different. The silent is the most prominent one. There is nobody around. No scents, no sounds, not the view of others, just simply nothing. It is the same silence that drives her forward and instead of a comfortable walk she’s eagerly trotting, legs carrying her forward faster and faster.
Suddenly the Spanish girl becomes aware of others. She can smell them, see them and hear them. Hesitant to move closer to them she falls back into a calm walk again, before she even stops completely. Her formerly racing heart calms and Esileif forces herself to take a deep breath, urging herself to calm down and get things straight again. ”They will take you as an incompetent child if you rush in like this, no, you’ll have to look calm and secure” she reprimands herself as she makes herself big, before nearing the unfamiliar group of gathered horses.
It is then that she sees the creature. Instantly Esileif comes to a halt again, blinking her two toned eyes a few times as she turns her head a little to the side to look at the odd thing. A lamb, young, small and innocent. But instead of two eyes that look back at you there are seven of them. A lump forms in her throat and the tobiano’s mares eyes widen slightly, lips parting in a silent gasp. Sadly enough – or maybe it’s a good thing? – the creature disappears just as quickly as it came. Yet the bells still sound, louder and more prominent than ever. She can feel them in her stomach, trembling in such a way that gets to you. ”Compose yourself Esi.” With that she pushes herself to move forward, now near to the group of horses. Eyeing them quickly she decides to come to a halt not too far away from them, just before the voice reaches out to them all.
She flinches. The end of the world is nigh. That is all that she hears for a moment long and she can already feel the blood draining away from her face. This can’t be true, it’s impossible that this is true. This must be a complot, somebody must want to punish her. The little girl deep inside her starts trembling again and it’s only the mask and appearance that Esileif has worked so hard on that keeps the bay and orangey white tobiano mare together. She stays silent as other’s vow that they are willing to accept their fate, her eyes looking at them. She hesitates. Partly because of the fearful child that she secretly still is, but also because of the ‘noble’ masks he had created. Why would she bother with the fate of others. Yet at the same time it would be hers to.
”I do.” That is all she says, committing herself to whatever might be coming. Mentally she is scolding herself, while she at the same time cannot help but to let the fearful doom scenarios take over her thoughts. But it’s too late to pull back now, and she wouldn’t be the coward. No. She had to prove herself. Now a small smile pulls on the corners of her dark lips and as she straights her shoulders she moves forward a few steps. ‘Yes, I accept’ is the more secure thought in her mind now. She had been willing to prove herself, having de dire need to prove herself to the world, and this would be a perfect opportunity to do so. She could be a hero. Maybe, maybe then her father would finally give her his approval. The one thing Esileif so desperately longs for.
Esileif