As Mariposa Voorhees Blackcape assessed the deep forest, she wondered at the majestic tall trees and the temperature difference between the forest and the grassland. Before entering the forest, she had felt the sweltering heat and humidity. The kind of heat that sticks to your coat and physically tires you. Yet everything in the forest felt cool and alive, and she felt her energy from the long journey slowly returning. Yet Mariposa knew that a relaxed body and mind were dangerous. When one was comfortable, they tended to let their guard down, which could lead to death in her line of work. Mercenary always remained on guard. Losing your life could originate from one mistake, one moment of inaction, or delayed thought. She had seen a comrade’s death because of a moment of distraction. Mariposa seldom felt warmth for her mother as her mother rarely treated her kindly. However, Mariposa’s mother had taught her the skills she needed to protect herself. A lifetime of physical training and mental conditioning meant she was more prepared to face danger than most. She did expect her body to react first out of muscle memory if there was danger. In the dense woodland, danger could appear around any bend, but for now, the woods seemed peaceful. Mariposa tilted her head her keen ears listening to the sound of the birds that assembled throughout the forest. The forest was alive with a symphony of bird voices as the Robins sang to the Jays.
For a moment, she enjoyed the birds’ song and wondered what life would have been like if she had been born into a different herd. What kind of mare would she have been if she had been loved and not treated as a disposable tool? How bright the world would be if she had been taught to show emotion and have gained the freedom to pursue her passion. Yet, in her moment of whimsy, she had allowed herself to become distracted. She could slightly hear a muted conversation and knew she was not alone. Up ahead she could see a large stallion and a small rabbit. She was no longer fond of rabbits. She readied herself in case there was danger. After all, danger could be found in small packages. Last year she had seen a legendary rabbit, from a distance. Although she hadn’t fought it, she had seen the blood beast decimate a group of soq. It always discomforted Mariposa to see destruction and death, but she was too far away to help them. Despite seeing the horrific bloodbath left behind by the monster rabbit she seldom thought on that day as death was often her companion. Though she would never look at a rabbit the same way again.
Still, the birds continued to sing, which caused her to pause. If there were danger, birds would have been silent to avoid drawing attention to themselves. She trusted their instincts and her own instincts, as they had never let her down. Slowly, she lowered her tail, which had a knife strapped to it. Mariposa was used to scare those around her, and she didn’t want to scare the stallion. However, due to the rabbit, she wasn’t going to put her weapon out of a ready position in case she needed to fight. She didn’t want to signal to the rabbit that she was physically ready to fight if need be. She used to have a soft spot for small creatures, although she had never been able to keep one by her side. Her mother did not encourage weakness and perceived small creatures as a liability. Mariposa also wanted to avoid creating bonds as tiny animals were vulnerable to the world's dangers. She had continued to perceive small creatures as vulnerable until she stumbled upon the bloody rabbit. Now she knew danger came in small packages. Still, rabbits were sometimes just rabbits. She decided to approach the duo as she didn't smell blood on either of them.
“Hello,” the rabbit-eared stallion said to her in a friendly manner.
The rabbit remained pressed near the leg of the stallion, twitching its nose back and forth.
“Hello,” Mariposa responded back to the Stallion. She was a mare that seldom spoke more than a few words to anyone, and her voice was a touch rusty.
The stallion stepped towards her with a smile on his face, as if he had expected to meet a new friend.
Unfortunately for him, Mariposa was not a mare who made friends easily. While his friendly manner could have swayed many mares, her heart remained untouched.
She was on a mission, and she was not in the woods to make friends. Of course, there was the rabbit. Even if the rabbit wasn't dangerous, she now had an aversion to rabbits. The rabbit didn’t smell like blood, which is why she had gotten closer to the duo. The rabbit was likely simply a rabbit, not a monster. Mariposa had no desire to speak any longer to the duo. She nodded in greeting as she turned onto another path, her head slightly turned to see the pair in her sightline. She didn’t want to leave her back open to attack since she knew that small creatures could be monsters in disguise.
[878]
