I discovered this the other day looking for another writing snippet. This was an experimental snippet that I wrote to develop Lightflame, the tritagonist and third POV in The Call of the King. Originally, this was how she found out that Ruby was her sister and Kestrel was her mother. While this is no longer canon to the story, I thought I would share this since this is where most of Lightflame’s personality was developed.
Note: This was written a year ago and is not edited. I already know it’s a rough snippet.
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“Do it again! You’re not trying hard enough!”
Lightflame rolled her eyes and dived back down to the ground. She landed in front of her father and groaned. “What was wrong with that? That barrel roll was perfect!”
“Your wings weren’t tucked in enough. If you were being chased your opponent could strike your wings and then break them.” Darkwind looked over her with his cold blue eyes. “Again. Do it again.”
“But I’m tired. I’ve gone through the exercise hundreds of times.”
Darkwind glared at her. “If you want to become a Warrior of the herd, there is no room for mistakes. War is at hand with the Equinox pegasi. Do you wish to be slaughtered?”
“You’ve been saying that since the day I was born,” Lightflame snapped. “And I have never seen any of these scary Equinox pegasi you keep talking about.”
“Don’t sass me young lady! If you weren’t my daughter, I could have you executed for that!”
“Just like you executed Periwinkle?” Lightflame stamped her hoof. “No, I’m done. Go ask Hollystar do your stupid drills. She’s desperate to please you. I’m sick of this.” She turned and glided back to the herd before her father could say anything. She looked over at her mother Fireheart and her sister Hollystar, grazing in the shade of the only tree in the field. Being the chief stallion and lead mare’s daughter was great… but the expectations that came with it were heavy.
Her father had no colts. His mate, Fireheart, had only managed to give him two twin fillies. Hollystar was sickly and small, with a twisted wing. Lightflame was tall and had the beginnings of a build for a battlemare, even as a yearling. Being the stronger of the two, her father pushed her beyond her limits, trying to shape her into the colt he’d wanted.
What made her sick inside was her father’s cruelty. Periwinkle had been in the same position as Hollystar but her heart was so kind and good that she and Lightflame became best friends. Then one day her father saw them hanging out together and said that a filly of her blood shouldn’t be hanging out with the weaklings. The next day she learned that Periwinkle had been executed, “for the good of the herd”.
“Lightflame dear, your face is stormy.” Her mother called out to her from the tree.
“I hate my father.” Lightflame spat. “I hate this herd. I hate everything.”
“Now, now, dear, please be reasonable. Your father only wants what’s best for you.” Fireheart said, her voice oily and smooth.
“Killing my best friend is good for me? Forcing me to be something I’m not is good for me?” She huffed. “Forget it. I’m leaving.”
“What do you mean?” Mother sputtered.
“I am going to go somewhere where you’ll never find me. I’m not going to be someone’s robot!” And without another word, Lightflame took off, flying high into the sky, ignoring her mother’s commands to come back.
She was never going back.
She flew until she came to Hot Water Flats, where the geysers shot boiling water into the air. You had to walk between the giant holes to go through that area.
The day was hot, and the open flat area made the heat worse. She wondered what she was actually going to do, but she couldn’t think of anything except getting through the flats.
She remembered that in the side of the white cliff bordering the flats there was a hole to the Land Horse’s field. Maybe she could hide there until she figured out what to do next.
She came to the cave and looked back and her blue and white feathered wings. They would scare the Land Horses. She inhaled and said, “Invisibous!” and they melted away, invisible to the naked eye.
She smiled and crept through the cave.
On the other side she blinked at the bright sunlight. Land Horses spread out before her, grazing peacefully. She decided the best way to blend in was to graze with them.
She had just lowered her head to eat when she knocked heads with another mare, a chocolate flaxen with a four-point star and four socks. “I’m sorry,” The mare said. “I didn’t see you there—” she stopped, her mouth agape. She blinked hard. “Lightflame?”
“How do you know my name?” Lightflame sputtered.
The mare blinked slowly. “Of course.” She whispered, almost to herself. “Of course they wouldn’t tell you.”
“Tell me what?” She squeaked.
She inhaled. “Lightflame, my name is Kestrel, and I’m your biological mother.”
Lightflame reeled with this sudden new information. “You’re not my mom. Fireheart is!”
“Let me explain,” Kestrel said. “A long time ago, I was lead mare of Darkwind’s herd. We ruled over our herd well, making sure not to repeat the mistakes our parents made that cost the life of many. And then…” She sighed. “Fireheart came. One of the Dark Pegasi, with full magic and a deceitful heart. She wanted power and cast a spell over Darkwind so that he would fall in love with her and banish me, and my yearling son Shade.” She lowered her head. “He was so blinded with the magic, he removed my wings himself.”
“But what has this got to do with me?” Lightflame asked.
“I fled to a Land Horse herd, and they accepted me. Not long after I found that I was pregnant.” Her eyes were full of tears. “But I knew it was Darkwind’s foal.”
Lightflame relayed all this information in her mind, trying to absorb it. She looked up at Kestrel. “I have a brother?”
“He’s right over there.” She pointed to a black two year old colt, playing with a red filly in the field. “He wanted to try and protect me, but Darkwind just banished him as well.”
“Who’s that filly that he’s playing with? She looks about my age.”
“That’s your twin sister, Ruby.”
“I have a sister too?”
“Born not long after you were captured.”
Lightflame stepped back. “Captured?”
“Right before you and Ruby were born, I was trying to help a group of grounded Equinox pegasi your father imprisoned. I don’t really know why… they’re supposed to be our enemies. But there was a mare among them that was very pregnant and weak from their travels, and I felt a sort of sympathy for her… the stallion beat her very bad, and I still don’t know if she lived.” Kestrel shook her mane. “But then your father came for them right after you were born. They took you instead… Fireheart had just foaled and he was disappointed with his sickly daughter. So he took you.”
“Why wasn’t your secret revealed? I would have been born with wings, wouldn’t I?”
“You were born wingless, and I will never know why. Ruby had wings, but I burned them off to keep her safe.”
Lightflame blinked hard. She had a mother, sister, and brother she never knew about…
“What should I do?” She asked. “Can I stay here?”
“Your markings are too unique. Even without your wings you’re too noticeable. Go back to Darkwind’s herd, but don’t breathe a word about this conversation to anybody.”
“But I want to help you!”
“There isn’t anything you can do… yet.” Kestrel sighed. “Just stay quiet and stay low. If this gets out, he might come for Ruby.”
Lightflame looked over at the black colt and red filly again, playing. They looked happy.
“We will be fine.” The older mare said. “We’ll see each other again.”
She stepped back and gazed at Lightflame from hoof to head. “You’re so beautiful.” She nickered. “I’m glad I got to see you, even if it was only briefly. You’ve grown so much, and if I’m not mistaken you’ll grow more.” She huffed softly into her nose, and Lightflame memorized the scent. “Goodbye.” she whispered.
She left the field with a heavier heart than before. When she was safely out of the field she whispered, “Appearios.” And her wings returned. She had an idea. She wasn’t able to save Periwinkle, but there were others she could save. She would try to protect the weaker foals, the ones her father thought the herd was better off without.
She flew back home, wondering whether she would see her mother again.