Midday

“Ní mór go mbeadh aon marthanóirí” said someone at the leader’s back. “Ní mór dúinn iad a mharú go dtí an ceann deireanach!”

     The other ones chorused their agreement, but the leader just seemed to ignore them. She just stared into Windsong, narrowing her eyes as if she’d be looking for something… To refute herself.

“Fan!!!” suddenly exclaimed another one. “Ná Gortaítear di, máthair! Le do thoil!”

     The crowd opened to let the one that had spoken jump to the fore. She was like the rest of them, but in her neck, the stone that shone wasn’t a ruby, but a diamond, that bright shiny like the stars.

“Veesha” the leader let down Windsong, who finally was able to breathe, and turned to the pleader, not any less vexed. “Cad é an bhrí atá leis an?”

The alluded one took a step forward, but she doubted before speaking. As if she weren’t so sure of what to say.

“Bhuel… I-”

“Beidh mé insint duit cad atá ag tarlú, máthair” interceded Brisselle. “Do curadh feall ar tú” she glared at Veesha. “Tá do iníon chúpláilte leis an namhaid!” she pointed at her with her spear, accusingly.

     A generalized wave of gasps and whispers rose from that gesture. The rest of the pack began to whisper among themselves, surely out of surprise of Brisselle’s action. Brisselle herself let out a sufficiency smile but the joy wouldn’t last her long, for as soon as she ended her phrase, the eyes of Veesha had lit themselves with fire again.

“Soith tú!” she shrieked as she leaped for Brisselle, reaching her before she could do anything and beginning to struggle. “Cén chaoi a dare a rá leat rud éigin mar sin?” she continued shouting while trying to reach her neck. “Ó do dheirfiúr féin!”

     Both of them rolled over the floor. Bristle seemed to gain the upper hand at first, but Veesha soon turned out to be too strong for her, and with the help of a mouth that she showed full of fangs she pinned her down, and subdued her opponent. Brisselle, seeing herself caught, began to exclaim something that Windsong couldn’t understand. Probably asking the others for help. Either way, she wouldn’t have to wait much. As soon as Veesha showed her superiority, the powerful claws of the leader broke them apart.

“An dá de tú, stop a chur air seo an toirt!” she roared so loud that, Windsong was sure, she could be heard from an island apart. “Brisselle, ar shiúl ó dom!” she yelled at her.

     Brisselle looked as if she had punched her in the face.

“Ach mháthair-”

“Anois!” she bombed again. “Agus ná teacht ar ais go dtí go thoghairm mé tú!”

     Brisselle left the place in the act, but not with a scolded face, as Windsong had expected her, but with one of pure terror drawn across her features. When she turned back at the scene, the leader was already facing Veesha.

“Agus tú, Veesha” she said, her look as furious as if she could set her ablaze right where she was standing. “An bhfuil sé seo fíor?”

     The alluded one looked as if she were about to speak, but then seemed to doubt, and looked as if she would object against it, but when her eyes set on Windsong’s her face dropped completely.

“Tá sé, máthair” she said, lowering her head not to show a tear that only seemed to caught Windsong’s sight. “Bealtaine Eion logh mo laige.”

     Windsong could’t make a word out of it, but by the reaction of the rest of the presents, of general repulse and disgust, she instinctually knew it wasn’t good.

“Sin an méid a bhí eagla mé” she muttered, then turned to the others. “Tá ag gach duine, ag éisteacht!" she called with a booming voice. "Beidh tú in ann a ithe cad mharaigh tú… Ach amháin le haghaidh Veesha” she turned to her. “Beidh sí ag ithe dó" she sentenced as she nodded at the place where Windsong’s father lied, under the beam. Here eyes then fixed on the alluded one, still with rage. “Agus má leomh leat chun cónaí i ndiaidh an chatha…” she walked to her, and with her claw ripped her necklace from her. “Ansin, beidh muid ag freastal ar ár claimhte” she stared directly into her eyes. Veesha refused her gaze. “Tá tú aon iníon a thuilleadh de mo.”

     Veesha stepped backwards, the shame showing so bright in her face that even Windsong felt sorry for her… Nevertheless, for the creature the torment had ended for now, and hers was just about resume.

“Agus cad mar gheall ar an leath-cine?” asked another one as she grabbed her by the neck again.

     The leader didn’t respond, but looked at Windsong again. In her eyes there wasn’t anything but contempt for her to be found. That kind of hatred that can end a life in a matter of seconds. Windsong would have wrestled her captors claw to break free, but in that moment the fire had returned. Well, if she was gonna give her life, it wouldn’t be the easy way.

“Bring it on!” she dared her, with as much courage as she pretended to have. “I-I’m not afraid of you!”

“Cad é atá tú ag dul a dhéanamh, máthair?” asked her captor again. “Cad ba cheart dúinn a dhéanamh léi?”

     Again she didn’t spoke. Windsong couldn’t see anything in her face save for that anger, that hatred towards her as she snatched her again, and with that firm grasp dragged her along as she moved inside the town. The grasp on her mane made her squeal and tear, but the leader didn’t let her go until she herself had walked a few houses away, followed by her kin for what she could see, and reached the center of the town. Once there she stopped, but her grip didn’t loose. If anything it became fastener.

“Claíomh” she stood in her two rear legs and extended her other claw.

     One of the others that were following put a sword in it, a piece that judging by its design was pegasus-made, and retreated back. Windsong would like to know what was happening with the others, but she was graved in order to look to the front. She could barely see the solemn, yet disdaining expression by which the leader was staring at her.