"The Warstones." Gelvin's head shot up. She stared at the man. "After their son disappeared, likely at the hands of rebels, they joined the Royalist fight. They have agreed to house and train any Witch's Ponies we bring their way." The man patted Gelvin's mate. "This one will no doubt make an excellent warhorse."
"How far are the Warstones?" asked Valens.
"On Witch's Ponies? Not too far. We should reach them before nightfall. Only if we start now, however." The commander rallied his men, directing them to set off for their new destination, all the while keeping the herd with them. As they headed for the Warstone horse farm, Gelvin could feel her mind clearing for the first time in weeks. The mention of her surname and family had finally brought her out of the blissful haze of being a herd leader's mate. She had to keep her head, now that she had found it again.
Thankfully, Gelvin's magic stores were so full they were practically bursting, thanks to how long she had been around horses. It was easy to cast a mental clarification charm upon herself. It wouldn't clear her mind fully, but would protect her from the mental fuzziness she experienced at the hooves of her mate. She had known being mated would make her follow the stallion, but hadn't been aware of just how severe the mental effects would be over time.
"I sense a flare-up of magic from this one," one of the men said, pointing to Gelvin. Valens looked over.
"Oh, I think I see the problem. She is a former tamed mare. She has lingering charms upon her from when she was in captivity. Because she is using her magic to speed her run, it is making the old charms surge again with power." Gelvin stifled a laugh. If that was truly what Valens thought, he was incredibly incompetent.
As the commander said, they arrived at the Warstone farm before nightfall. Upon arrival, Gelvin's charm became proven to be needed, as her mate mounted the moment they stopped. The men, helped by Warstone farm staff, quickly pulled him off, separating the stallions and mares. Gelvin wouldn't lie, her heart broke as Valens led her away from her beloved mate. That sadness turned to confusion, however, as she realized Valens was leading her somewhere different from the other mares. What was going on?