Merla dozed quietly in her stable, her eyes half closed. The mare flicked an ear occasionally. The night suddenly turned eerily quiet. Merla opened her eyes, nickering softly to the old stallion next door. No one replied. Merlas pulled herself up onto her hooves, poking her head out over her half-door. All her eyes saw was mist. She nickered again softly.
Merla, the night has chosen you. Go on and seek your destiny at the House of Night.
Merla's forehead seemed to burn for a moment. She let out a shrill whinny, shaking her head. Although she couldn't see it, a crescent moon had been drawn in white hair on her black forehead. Abnormal power surged through the great mare's muscles as she reared up, smashing her front hooves into the wooden door over and over again until she could escape. With splinters lodged in her hooves and tiny rivulets of blood running down her flanks, Merla thundered off into the night.
Lenobia was in the middle of a class when she sensed the rapid approach of another horse. Leaving Zoey Redbird in charge, she rushed out to the gates to let in a sorry looking mare. Her eyes wandered briefly to the outline of the crescent moon on the horse's forehead before gently grasping a handful of the mare's mane and leading her towards the stables.
"Zoey, I want the poultices and bandages from the tack room, and get me some hot water," Lenobia said calmly, grabbing a halter and slipping it over Merla's nose. The mare looked sorry for herself. Her black coat was matted with blood, she leant heavily on her back hooves to relieve the pain in her front hooves.
Lenobia spend an hour pulling every single splinter from Merla's hooves and carefully wiping the blood from her coat before cleaning the shallow cuts. Cool poultices were applied to her hooves, bandaged in place. She found herself in a cozy stable, lying on a bed of fresh straw. Zoey leant on the half-door of the stable, gazing at the mare.
"Lenobia, why did she come here?"
The Horse Mistress said nothing for a moment. "She is the first of a new race, and will not be the last."
"You mean, Nyx is Marking horses?"
"It would seem so…"
