Author: DT Maxwell
Rating: G
Warning(s): Potential spoilers for The Son of Summer Stars. Don't read further until you've read the book.
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to the Firebringer Trilogy. It is the copyrighted and intellectual property of Meredith Ann Pierce, may she continue to write beautiful fiction. This little fan piece, however, is all mine.
Notes: This... This came out nowhere. I suddenly had the urge to do something in which Jah-lila could drop the mysterious mantle of Jah-lila the Red Mare and simply be Jah-lila the unicorn. It's certainly not the best piece out there, but I like this. I like it a lot.
It's raining again, but the marrow red mare doesn't mind. Rain is soothing, cleansing, washing away the old and bringing with it a sense of newness. Rain has always given her a sense of giddiness, an urge to move and dance and play and be the filly she never got to be in the city of the two-foots.
She opens her black-green eyes and smiles softly as the warm droplets coarse over her back and down her legs, sliding off featherless hocks and round hooves. It is late spring - the new-made warriors are back from pilgrimage, the gryphon raids are winding to an end and all the mares of the herd have given birth. Soon a small band of unicorns will travel to the Summer Sea, to either search out a mate or renew vows with their beloveds.
This year her daughter will be one of those in the band, her beautiful pied pale rose-and-black daughter. Tek is a warrior now, a proud warrior who will defend her people to her last breath if she so needs to. She's young to be initiated though, having only seen four winters - was it because of Tek's fierce determination? Her strong will to be the very best she can? Or is this Korr's subtle way of acknowledging his eldest born?
No matter. Now isn't the time to dwell on such thoughts, thoughts that will eventually lead to memories she rather wouldn't recall right now. It's spring, it's raining, and for this moment in time Jah-lila the seer, the singer, the traveler, the midwife and the magicker will enjoy the sweetness of it all and dance under the dark leaves like a weanling filly until she drops from weariness and contentment.