She leads the mare in relative silence back to the Chamber, adding a few details about the place. Nothing much, because the mare hadn’t asked, and Straia didn’t get the impression she much cared what she served. So long as she had something to do, something that wasn’t necessarily going to keep her hands clean. As she usually does, she describes the Chamber as determined. They were not hell bent on killing or causing chaos, but they certainly weren’t against it either. They lived for the betterment of the Chamber, whatever that meant, exactly.
The trip is longer on foot then flying, but in the end, it is not terribly long. The Chamber is somewhat conveniently located near enough to the field. The tall pines rise up in the distance, growing larger with each step. They are still small, in truth, compared to what they will become. But no longer is the Chamber made of ash, the pine forest charred and broken. The kingdom has healed, and everything is growing back.
She slips through the pine forests easily, slower than normal to let the other mare follow, but she doesn’t look back. She expects that the mare will follow, and if she chooses otherwise, it’s not Straia’s problem. Soon enough, the drumming of the heartbeat beneath their feet becomes noticeable, and the trees begin to thin. She turns to face the scaled mare finally with a slight quirk of her lips. “Welcome to the Chamber.”
She gives the mare a moment, before adding, “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” She lets out a call for the resident ghost, expecting that he’s lurking not far off. She’d been thinking more about the mare and her desire to serve, and Straia isn’t sure she’s the right master. Straia adopts pets, the kind that wander away and come home when called. She’s never had a complete puppet, and perhaps will not have the time. After all, she is Queen of a kingdom, and rather busy. But she knows someone who might make a very good master indeed, if that is truly what this mare wants.
straia
the raven queen of the chamber