A Special Mission (Patreon)

It was like a dream come true for Esanna. She had been one of the few chosen for a dangerous mission and the excitement almost had her giddy. Sure, she’d been on dangerous operations before; such was the life of a centurion, but never had she been hand-picked by one of the ‘Praetorian Guard’.

Esanna was a noble from a minor house; House Tavas. Her lineage afforded her the coin and the prestige to study under warriors of great repute. Becoming one of the rising stars within the Imperial Military. But as the young mare grew up, she learned that a nobles name could be both a blessing and a curse.

Years ago her grandmother had married a mule of House Varus. A very rich kinling, but one whose mule bloodline was seen as a shortcoming at the assembly. Though none would dare insult the senator publically, the doors closed and the prestige loss for the matter of his birth had always been apparent.

Esanna’s mother, of course, was of House Varus and as such carried her father's genes. Though considered a beautiful filly in her day, she still suffered much for her lineage. Those of the greater houses shunned her, though she was always the prettiest mare at the ball. The girls called her Lady Jenny and made fun of her slightly shorter than average muzzle and bulkier stature. They teased her for her voice, her larger brown eyes and accused her of having less grace than the other mares at court.

It was all just bullying though. Esanna knew her mother had more grace and poise in her little hoof than most mares in all the land. Mules tended to have more strength and stamina than horses, though objectively they weren’t seen to be as beautiful. Esanna’s mother had both, but prejudice still held her back. So as youthful filly, she decided to pursue a different path.

Where she had failed as a debutant, she more than succeeded as a warrior. ‘Lady Jenny’ had paid her dues on the battlefield and was now known as Commander Tavas, a decorated soldier of many battles and commander of the ‘Second-Third’. She was responsible for three legions, almost 3000 soldiers. No one would dare call her ‘Lady Jenny’ now. Esanna thought that she should be proud of her mother’s accomplishment, especially having married into a patrician family like the Tavas’. She should have been, but Esanna wasn’t.

Her mother commanded the respect of her soldiers, but not the noble houses of the patrician. Time and again she’d been denied promotion to General, while lesser Stallosi gained success and promise from ‘her’ accomplishments. Her father, both a merchant and a senator, had no ambition to be anything but. He knew the day he married her mother that he’d never be anything more. Jealous families with very strong views on the matter would never allow it. He already had enough grief from his political rivals. Esanna wanted a different life for herself. She refused to be tied down as her family was. Luckily, her parents understood.

Esanna had not grown up under the same scrutiny as her mother. She was seen as pure; distant from the ill effects of her mule lineage. Though some had teased her as a girl, she’d been quick to put them in there place.

Joining the Imperial Military, she further distanced herself from her mother and father by enlisting as a common soldier. She’d fought hard during the civil war and served with distinction in border skirmishes with Schwinehold and Arysha. Her real climb to prominence, however, came during the pacification, where Esanna had taken command of what was left of her battered centuria after they’d been ambushed in the wildering. After her commanders had died for their arrogance in underestimating the moorland tribes, it was Esanna who lead her fellow soldiers from the brink of death. She was awarded the title of Centurion and given command of the century of her own upon their return to Stallios. Yes, Esanna had already had a storied career to that point; but to be asked to be on a secret mission for the Praetorian Guard, that was the honor of a lifetime.

She’d agreed of course. Got her people together and met with an honored warrior, a guardswoman named Viatrix Pollo. Viatrix was the very definition of a Stallosi mare. Tall, beautiful and strong looking. She was a sarcidano. A big, beautiful, bay mare; with vibrant red hair, that was thick and voluminous. Like her hair and her tail, she had intense red eyes that could stare daggers into you; and despite a beautiful, freckled face with a cute, cream, blaze, facial marking; Viatrix seemed almost manish in her stature, posture, and physicality. She was as sturdily built a mare as you’d have seen.

Esanna had taken an instant liking to her straightforward demeanor and unwillingness to engage in formalities. Viatrix sat with Esanna and her team, addressing them as equals.

The mission was a simple one. Elk from Amarok were traveling and camping in the northwest fields. Far off from any settlement, but still on the Imperators lands. A legate had been sent to demand payment for the resources consumed by the Amaroki, but the savages refused to respect the authority of Stallios.

As these things tended to go, the talking heads in the senate were outraged and the consul put their grievances to a vote. A call to action was agreed upon and the consul took this request to the Imperator, who in his great wisdom, ordered his Praetor to make an example out of the interlopers. Viatrix was given the assignment.

Together they had made their way to the Amaroki camp and in the dead of night attacked. Their orders were simple; drive those bastards back to their cold little country. If any resisted, Esanna and her men were not to hesitate to kill them, save women and children of course. They weren’t barbarians.

Esanna didn’t believe it would come to too much bloodshed. The lower hill tribes of Amarok were nothing like the wolf tribes or the Noverians in the north. They were simple folk who traveled about, following the food. They would certainly not put up much of a defense and they didn’t. The whole thing went off without much of a hitch. Sure there was the little matter of Esanna almost getting skewered by some random, little, fawn; but Viatrix had stepped in and saved her.

At first, Esanna thought that she’d messed up. Let her guard down and looked a fool in front of the Guardswoman. She’d seen the fawn not to be a threat and disregarded her. When the fawn picked up a fishing spear and charged her... she hesitated. Viatrix had handled the situation with as much grace as one could. She’d cut the spear in half and backhanded the brat unconscious. Despite feeling a bit ashamed of needing the red-headed mares assistance, Esanna was happy to hear Viatrix say,

‘Sorry to step in. Was worried you were gonna kill the kid.’ Thankfully, she had misread the whole situation.

Esanna had worried about that little misstep for a time after the encounter. As she harried those Amaroki in her sight, she could hear the signs of combat all around her. Most of the northerners fled for their lives, but others, too bold for their britches, wished to fight. Her fellows made short work of the defenders. Those who seemed like a threat were killed. Those who didn’t were summarily disarmed and physically accosted. Any not deceased was not injured too grievously; they wanted them to be able to leave after all.

Things were going well though. The defenders were few and the loss of life was acceptable. The savages were allowed to grab their dead and injured while they fled and eventually most took the hint. Sure, they’d had to put the torch to most of their tents and ill-gotten supplies in order to break the Amaroki’s spirits, but the sortie seemed to be a resounding success. Everything appeared to be running smoothly, that was until Esanna was stopped in her tracks by a giant, hulking, bear.

The centurion found herself facing off against a 7’4” Amaroki berserker. The kinling was a stout, male, kodiak bear. He was all muscle and fur, with fierce blue eyes and a rage that would not be contained. He shrugged off glancing blows and his primitive bone armor was as strong as steel. He swung a huge bone blade around like a cleaver. Two of her fellow soldiers were hacked in two by the raging beast whilst trying to aid Esanna; she was thus honor bound to gain vengeance.

Gripping her sword tightly she rushed forward. Though her gladius was sturdy and strong, she knew it would not survive a clash with the berserker's crude blade. Instead, she would rely on her shield for defense and forego any attempts to parry. She pushed her speed advantage, galloping forward quickly and closing distance. She gracefully leapt just before meeting the bear and spun under his swing. Her hair flew as she twirled, gaining momentum for her attack.

In one fluid movement, she rose her shield arm up and slammed into the bear's bicep, before sinking her gladius into his side. The thick, leathery hide of his under armor was a tougher material than she’d expected. The blade of would go in no more than six inches. Not enough to kill outright, but a wound that should have definitely done something; yet the fearsome berserker shrugged it off.

With a massive howl, the brute kneed Esanna in the chest, denting her armor and knocking the wind out of her. She staggered back and raised her shield just in time to feel the impact of the heavy blade as it brought her to her knees. The pain in her shield arm was intense. Though she’d successfully defended herself, the blow had cracked through her shield and injured her arm. She bled everywhere. It wasn’t looking good for the brave centurion, but those were the moments a warrior lived for.

With a cry of her own Esanna fought back, deftly throwing her shield at the bear in an attempt to distract him. Luckily, her strategy worked. A shot to the face with a metal disc will do that to you. The berserker reeled from the impact and was unable to react in time to the mares killing blow. Pouncing on the ursa with both hands raised, the centurion plunged her blade into bear’s collar and bowled him over. Blood gushed up like a fountain, staining her hands and armor. Still, the bear persisted.

With a gurgled growl, the ursa learched and fought. It was unnatural how much power he had, even with a sword in his neck. He flailed about, knocking Esanna from atop him. She fell down hard, smashing her head into the ground and rolling to the dirt. Pain shoot through her as she landed awkwardly. Spital and blood shot from her mouth as she struggled to recover.

Dazed and disoriented, the determined mare rose to finish the fight. She could see the shadow of the berserker bear looming over her, but for some reason, he did not advance. Her vision took a while to clear, so she saw only shapes and shadows. It seemed the berserker was being restrained. Had her companions managed to stop the beast? No, not at all. As her vision returned she could tell that those restraining the monster kinling were not Stallosi, they were... wolves!

A small shiver of fear went through her body as she realized what she was now up against. These wolves had infiltrated the battlefield and descended upon her position without being noticed. They were obviously members of the famed ‘Imakandi’, warriors and hunters whose skills and prowess we feared and respected throughout the land. She could see three easily restraining the berserker as a fourth faced her. A tall, grey wolf, with braided white hair and intense orange eyes. He said nothing as he observed her with a blank expression.

Esanna meant to speak. To shout out her challenge. Her pride and honor would not see her shrink away from the danger or show weakness in the face of her enemy, but as she moved to speak the wolf rose his hand to silence her.

“Enough, this night of violence is over.” He said in a stern voice. He was short and matter of fact. He had no intention of making quarrel unless Esanna pressed the issue. Weighing her options, she decided it would be best to allow the Amaroki to retreat. That had been her mission after all.

“Very well, take your people and go!’ she shouted. The wolf nodded and signaled his people to leave.

“Next time I will not be so generous ” warned Esanna, gathering up her sword. The Imakandi smiled at her and shrugged.

“No, I expect you won’t.” he replied. His tone suggested he found Esanna’s threat amusing. He certainly wasn’t bothered by it. With a polite bow, he and his went off into the night; leaving Esanna to contemplate just what she and her band had accomplished. Had her performance been enough to impress the Praetorian Guard?

The question bothered the centurion for the entire trip back. She watched as Praetorian Viatrix walked ahead, speaking quietly with the standard barrier. The red-headed mare looked back many times as if she were speaking about the soldiers in the small company. Esanna worried what misgivings she may be harboring about her performance. Despite her worries, she would not get the chance to hear the woman’s opinions while they were on the march; leaving Esanna with hours of uneasy contemplation.

Around her, Esanna’s fellows did not share her concern. They were in high spirits. None were quite as critical of themselves as she was. The young centurion strived for perfection and analyzed everything. It wasn’t the best quality to have, she knew. Sometimes she told herself to just put such things out of her mind; but try as she might she could not shake the idea that she’d performed poorly. And what of those Imakandi? They’d arrived without notice and left without quarrel. Should she have engaged them or would that have been foley? Would letting them leave without challenge be seen as weakness?

“No, of course not.” she assured herself. Getting them all to leave was the mission.

Esanna’s nagging doubts stayed with her for quite some time. It followed her back to the settled lands and into the city of Pompey. She and her band had settled into a large inn for the night. All the rooms had been sequestered for her group and they spent the first part of the night making a ruckus in the first floors tavern. As her fellows sat around the tavern drinking, she was preoccupied. It was hard to enjoy the mirthful atmosphere and feeling of triumph with the nagging doubts weighing her down. She was so preoccupied that she didn’t notice the first time she was tapped on the shoulder or the second.

‘Excuse me, Centurion.’ a voice called through her mental haze. Esanna blinked a bit to clear her head and turned slowly to see who was trying to speak through the ruckus of celebrating soldiers.

‘Do you mind, centurion?’ a familiar voice asked. Esanna looked dumbfounded as she locked eyes on Viatrix gesturing to the seat next to her. It took an embarrassing moment to figure out just what was happening.

“Oh, I’m sorry ma’am.’ she blurted quickly. Fumbling with her hands she tried desperately to clear her things and make room for the veteran warrior.

“It’d be my honor ma’am, truly.” Esanna assured.

Amused, Viatrix giggled a bit at Esanna. It was an odd thing to hear. It was throaty and strong. Definitely not girlish, but womanly in its way. It was odd to hear the hardened Praetorian laugh in such a way, but it was calming as well. She seemed friendly and relaxed. She certainly didn’t sound as if she was ready to give Esanna a hard critique.

“You were magnificent today.” Viatrix stated plainly. Esanna almost choked on a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. Coughing, she tried desperately to recover.

“I was?” asked the confused jenny. Viatrix smiled brightly as she took a large swig of the ale she was carrying.

“You were, so relax. I never thought the daughter of Commander Tavas would be so self-conscious.” Viatrix teased. Looking down and away, Esanna sighed. She’d worked herself up for nothing and now felt more embarrassed than anything else. She had fretted and fussed like a filly on her fourteenth nameday. Far to worried about the opinions of other people. She thought to explain herself, but if Viatrix knew of her parentage, then there wasn’t much to say. Of course, just because Esanna was at a loss for words didn’t mean Viatrix was. She leaned in on the younger horse and whispered;

“We’re not due back in the capitol til the morning; why don’t you join me in my room? I’m sure I can help you deal with some of your... ‘stress’.”

Esanna’s ears stood up and her eyes grew large.

“Come again, ma’am?” she asked in disbelief. Viatrix got up and handed a small golden key to the confused centurion.

“Agan and again if we’re lucky.” Viatrix teased, taking her hand and brushing it against Esanna’s muzzle.

“There’s no pressure. If you want to join me then do so. If not, I will sleep alone.’ she said in a singsong voice. Again Esanna was at a loss for words. As she fumbled with her thoughts, Viatrix leaned down and gave her a small kiss on the lips, before slowly moving away, leaving Esanna breathless. Before she could react Viatrix was gone and Esanna was left with butterflies in her stomach.

Certainly, it was an indecent proposal. Though it was not unwelcome, it was unexpected. The higher up in the ranks of the Imperial Army you were, the less likely you were to fraternize with those lower than you in rank. There wasn’t a rule about it or anything. It just was politically unwise. Still, it wasn’t an invitation that she wanted to decline. It wasn’t everyday a beautiful and fit filly like Viatrix Pollo just came out and asked if you wanted a romp. Grinning luridly to herself, Esanna grabbed he drink in hand and swallowed its contents in one big gulp.

“We’ll have to see how I stack up against a Praetorian.” she mused, leaving a silver kelling for the barkeep as she left.

With her heart thumping and her mouth dry, Esanna stood at the door of Viatrix’ room. For a moment, she contemplated knocking; but that would be silly. She wasn’t given a key so that she could knock. She tried swallowing the breath she was holding and marshaling her courage. Be as confident in this as she wanted to be in battle. It wasn’t a big deal, was it?

“No, I’ve got this.” she told herself. Viatrix was strong, beautiful and talented; but so was she. Esanna refused to feel inadequate in her presence.

“I’ve got this!” she said to herself aloud, pushing the key into the hole.

Like a swimmer in the cold water, Esanna decided to go in head deep all at once. She turned the lock and opened the door quickly. Entering quietly, she turned closing the door behind her in one fluid motion.

“Sorry for the delay my lady,” she started with her head bowed.

“Think nothing of it. I’m glad you’ve decided to come,” answered Viatrix’ voice from the other side of the room. When Esanna head rose to meet the equine’s eyes, she was greeted with the beautiful visage of Viatrix; stark naked, sitting on the edge of the rooms large table.

Viatrix sat there, resting a hand on her knee as she drank from her wineskin. She left nothing to modesty. She sat with her legs open enough to see her womanhood. Her breast were uncovered and bounced slightly as she moved. Esanna couldn’t tell if her rock hard nipples were due to arousal or the slight chill in the air.

Casually, Viatrix pushed a mug of ale toward the pretty mare with her foot.

“Come now, girl. You haven’t lost your nerve now, have you?” she asked with a laugh. Esanna had not, but she had certainly been taken aback. Viatrix had shown to always have a certain disdain for subterfuge and preamble, so perhaps Esanna should have expected the handsome praetorian to get straight to the point.

Viatrix was indeed a handsome mare. Beautiful, but not in the girliest of sense. She did not look manish, but she looked strong. Her muscles were evident under her fur and her perfectly toned belly moved and curved in as she drank from her flask. With her naked, Esanna could see the scars that adorned the guards body. Two prominent ones above her perfect breast, with there chocolate nipples. They somehow gave Viatrix’ body character and made her more appealing. She was a hard mare and the lines on her body showed it.

“Why don’t you stop gawking and put that mouth to better use!” the sexy filly teased scooting up to the edge of the table.

“And what use would that be?” Esanna asked, feigning innocence. Stepping forward, the centurion took the drink in her hand. She gave Viatrix a wink before taking a swig. The elder guardswoman just smiled, shifting on the table. Reaching down she parted the folds of her pussy with two fingers.

‘Why don’t you come put that mouth to good use, centurion?” she beckoned. Esanna intended to do just that.

Placing her drink down on the table, Esanna moved forward; kneeling between Viatrix toned legs. She leaned up getting a mighty whiff of Viatrix intoxicating love stink. The aroma of her moistening pussy was erotic and womanly. Esanna could hardly help herself from moving in and having a little taste.

‘Mmmnnn...” Viatrix moaned as she felt Esanna’s long, wet, tongue along the chocolate folds of her vagina. Her body heaved and her legs trembled as Esanna worked slowly around the outer rim before slowly settling inside and tracing a slow circle.

‘Damn!’ the mare cooed. It certainly wasn’t Esanna’s first time with her mouth on another woman’s muff. Her experience was evident by her skill and confidence. Qualities Viatrix greatly admired in a someone licking her twat.

‘Do you like that?’ Esanna asked. Her voice was sultry and playful. She looked up at the older mare with lust in her eyes. Viatrix could only bite her knuckle and whimper through her clenched teeth as Esanna’s fingers continued the assault her tongue had begun. Running her fingers up the sides of Viatrix’ box, she settled two fingers on her clit and licked. The mare nayed loudly as her foot kicked forward.

‘I’ll take that as a yes!’ Esanna laughed. Viatrix just rolled her eyes.

‘You think that’s funny?’ she asked. Esanna made the mistake of nodding, which put a sparkle in Viatrix’ eye.

‘If you got time to laugh then your not doing it right, maybe I should help you!” she offered, reaching out grabbing the back of Esanna’s head. Forcefully she pushed Esanna’s muzzled down into her snatch.

“Go on girl, get that tongue all in there!”

Despite the startling show of force, Esanna did her best to comply. Her thick long tongue darted inside of Viatrix and she began to lick and lap deep down into her love canal. She felt Viatrix tremble as she did so. Taking a grip of her own, the filly grasped Viatrix’ thighs to brace herself, as she pleasured the officer. The sounds of her smacking lips and lapping tongue echoed in the room, just beneath the moans and cries of the guardswoman.

Esanna continued on like that for a while. Enjoying the delicious nectar of Viatrix sex well. She gulped down the considerable juices without hesitation and would have gladly kept going for quite some time; but the praetorian had other plans.

Offering her hand to Esanna, Viatrix invited her up on the sturdy table and laid the soldier on her back. Leaning over her she whispered;

‘Time for me to get a taste of you.”, as she relieved Esanna of her bottom and panties. Peeling back that individual strips of her pteruges and exposing the centurions dripping heat. Viatrix wasted little time moving positions and straddling herself above Esanna. With both women facing each other's pussy, it didn’t need to be said what would come next; only wondered, ‘who’ would cum first.

Viatrix was surprisingly talented at pleasing another woman. Her long, thick tongue massaged folds and crevasses that made Esanna shudder with pleasure. The warm feel of her saliva as it trickled down between Esanna’s leg was a sensation she’d enjoyed. Viatrix was aggressive. She liked to drive her large tongue deep into the pretty filly’s aching sex. Probing around as if she were looking for something. Whenever Esanna moaned louder, Viatiax would pursue that area with vigor. Vibrating her tongue and rolling it up and down like she wished to pronounce a particularly rolling ‘r’.

Esanna tried her best to keep up but was losing this battle completely. She had gripped the praetorian’s tot buttocks in an attempt to gain leverage. Though she had her muzzle shoved down into Viatrix dripping sex, she could not match the other woman's pace. Waves of sensation threatened to overtake her as she could do little more than kiss and murmur as she tried to stifle an; ‘Okay... okay... okay!’, that escaped muffled from where her mouth tickled Viatrix’ twat.

Viatrix was unrelenting. While her tongue pushed deeper, as she licked back and forth. Her fingers rubbed and brushed against Esanna’s swollen clit. The young mare could barely stop herself from screaming as the volcano of erotic sensations bubbled up from her center. It was all that she could bear to try to ride on the waves of elation. She panted heavily now, trying between breaths to visit the same satisfaction to Viatrix. Though her efforts garnered a reaction, it was clear who would lose this round.

Crying out in ecstasy, Esanna gripped Viatrix buttocks tighter and shove her sex deep into her mouth. She hoped to muffle her uncontrollable screams of enjoyment, but could barely them, let alone silence herself. Her back arched as she tried desperately to regain a measure of self-control, but it had been longer for her than she cared to admit and the power of lust had to strong a hold on her. She let out a loud neigh as her body twitched and convulsed in the throes of desire.

Despite her apparent victory, Viatrix was not finished. Before Esanna could regain her wits and come down from her sexual high, the crimson-haired mare turned over and manoeuvered herself into a new position. Her grace was astounding. You could barely feel her weight shift on the table and it did not wobble. She reached down and took Esann in some sort of leg hold, pressing her dripping sex to the centurions. Esanna reaction was instant.

“Oh shades, I’m not ready!” she cried out.

“It’s still sensitive.” she announced in the form of a plea. Viatrix paid her no mind. Instead, she began to grind her pussy into Esanna’s and pressing their clits together and enjoying the excitement. Gripping the table firmly, Esanna decided to try to fight the amazing feeling growing in her loins and instead focus on trying to keep up. She’d come once already; a big one. She refused to come again. Not before she’d gotten Viatrix to.

The two women grunted determinedly as their pussies played a game of push and slap that lasted quite some time. Both women were determined not to give in to the ravenous lust growing inside of them. It was like a dance, a battle. Both vigorously attacking the other for dominance and control.

Viatrix was the first to crack. She had began to whimper rather loudly as her past slowed down. Her body was rebelling against her and wanted to cum badly. Esanna was likewise in a similar state. She had held out as long as she physically could, but that didn’t seem to help. Every time her moistened pussy pushed against Viatrix dark flesh, it shot lightning through her body. She had tried to gyrate and massage her clit against her partner in all this, but it seemed Viatrix had more discipline than a simple soldier and she would not be beaten.

With all of her stamina gone, Viatrix relied on technique and enthusiasm to carry her through. It was evident that Esanna could not hold out any longer, but neither could she. Though Esanna came first, Viatrix was not far behind her. There they lay, legs clasped together, panting and crying out their sexual adulation of one another. No words, no phrases, just the satisfying language of ecstasy as their bodies heaved with the strain of heavy breathing and spent energy.
A chorus of nays and whines that slowly subsided into satisfied murmurs, before petering out into silence.

Oddly enough, it was Esanna who reclaimed her wits first this time.

“That was... great,” she managed to get out through her ragged breathing. Her companion had to agree. She had thoroughly enjoyed their little romp and didn’t mind telling Esanna so.

“So, what now?” She asked; reaching out to Viatrix. The praetorian met her gesture and the two clasped hands, pulling each other up.

Sitting now, they looked into each other's eyes. Despite themselves, they laughed and giggled at the situation. It was a little out of character for them both.

“You can stay the night here. My rooms much more comfy than the shared rooms you guys have.” Viatrix offered. Esanna smiled and brushed a hand through Viatrix’ hair.

“And maybe have another go before the sun rises?” she asked. Viatrix smiled, but did not answer. Instead, she gave Esanna a passionate kiss and swung her legs over the side of the table. She took a moment to center herself and fix her hair before standing. The silence grew so long that Esanna started to feel self-conscious again.

Slowly, Viatrix walked over to the bed before turning her head back toward Esanna.

“If you think you’ve got it in you,” she teased. Esanna could not hide her enthusiasm as she grinned from ear to ear, before popping up and following. The two would have their second bout. Enjoying each other's bodies and company up past the demon hour. The sun would find them the next morning in each other embrace; spent, happy and rested.

The march home was uneventful. Viatrix acted as if nothing had happened and Esanna did the same. Most of the other soldiers in her unit were too drunk or busy trying to find their own creature comforts to have noticed what had happened last night. If any suspected, they weren’t talking about it. It wasn’t the kind of thing that soldiers wouldn’t gossip about.

The return to the capital was uneventful and the Praetor did not say much when they reported their success. After a sharp salute, Esanna and her men were dismissed, without praise or thanks. Such was the life of a soldier. After writing her records and reporting to her own superiors, Esanna retired to her estate. After a mission like this, she and those chosen would be allowed a brief reprieve to recuperate. Such was the benefit of times of peace. When she arrived, one of her servants greeted her at the door. A spindly, little thing. He was a donkey with bucked teeth and a woman's form. Freckled face, brown furred, blue-eyed, with sandy blonde hair; he’d be almost pretty if he wasn’t so gangly.

“My lady, there is...” he seemed slightly disturbed as he looked about behind him to see if he was being listened to. Esanna’s patience held as she waited for him to continue.

“There is a is a large mare here to see you. I told her you were not in, but she invited herself in!” he proclaimed.

“And you just let her?” she asked incredulously. The servant lowered his head.

“My apologies Lady, but I had no choice. She bears the sigil of the Praetorian Guard. I dare not defy her!” he explained worriedly. Esanna smiled. Seems she would get her praise after all. With a wistful look on her face, she dropped her pack and began to walk forward.

“Do not worry,” she started, staring at Viatrix who had now walked into view.

“I will be a while, see that we are not disturbed.” she ordered. With a bow and a nod, he complied; and Viatrix went off to see whom would win a third round.