anyone;

[Ea]

now you're staring at a queen.

It’s quiet; she knows. It’s a different quiet from the Dale, though -- the Dale had always had a strong presence, which was usually enough to fend off any who wanted to take over the kingdom, but Ischia had no reputation. Although Ea knew how strong they all were, they were truthfully still reeling from the destruction of their old Beqanna. Some mourned their old lives longer than others. Ea seemed to take the longest, though she tried to keep her mourning to herself, to not make it so obvious to the residents that their leader was a bit distracted.

She is making her way through the forest, exploring by herself, when she sees a group of three coming from the beach. She recognizes Ashley immediately, of course, but not the other two mares -- two similar-looking smoky pintos. Only one of them is soaked from the swim to the island.

Ea approaches them -- Scorch taught her that queens (or leaders, now, though she preferred to be called queen) should always approach and greet newcomers, whether they were visitors or someone planning to stay. The silver mare exudes confidence with every step; not an obnoxious, in-your-face confidence but more quiet and subtle. She stops in front of them with a soft smile. “Hello, I’m Ea,” she says, looking first to Ashley, then between the two mares. “Always good to see you, Ashley. Welcome to Ischia. What can we do for you?”