Faith of Wings

"Michael!"

The mare's head jerked up, sweat clung to her body and dripped from her short mane. Her sides heaved as though she'd been running a race. Her pupils dilated slowly, her legs trembling with terror. Slowly she got her body under control. Her head lowered and she let out a heavy sigh.

Always the same dream. For the past six years, always the same. Michael's torn body was the last thing she saw before her eyes snapped open. Six years of night terrors - Sasstiel couldn't bear to call them dreams or nightmares - and every morning she was left emotionally drained. Her body came under her control at last and she lifted her head. She nodded to the other horses, who had stuck their heads out of their stalls - curious as to what the screaming was about at such an hour.

Some even pinned their ears and snorted. You could hear the word 'rude' echoing even though no one had said it.

Sasstiel pinned her own ears and showed more hoof than necessary to the inn mates. They quickly returned to their rest as Sasstiel pushed her way out of the stall. She passed a way mare with a charming star, the mare whiskered at her quietly. Her pale cream coat nearly glittered with health as she stepped out into the sun. Her pale hide was the ency of many a horse. She shook herself, her rich, fiery mane was broken by a single section of white high on her neck. Her fetlock and wither mane was tipped with an unnatural gold color - had any horse asked she would have claimed it was died. Her face was mostly the pale cream, but her white ears were tipped with an opaque chestnut, which extended from her forehead to the top of her delicate muzzle.

She was a tall horse, of mysterious thin build. She walked with the confidence of a warrior. She had a striking blue right eye and a brilliant golden left eye. She had iron gray hooves, from her knees down was also the same burnt brown color as on her face. There was odd discoloration on her left shoulder, but it couldn't be made out easily. She was a perlino, an uncommon coloration.

But that was just what everyday horses saw.

What they didn't see was the bright green marking over her left eye - it looked like a seven with a curved tail. It was actually an 'S' - in Sasstiel's language. On her right cheek was a golden marking. It was difficult to describe, but basically it looked like a circle with a triangular line drawn from it and ended in a flat line that matched the bottom of her jaw.

Oh yes, and her wings.

Sasstiel bore a pair of huge angelic wings that had banded primary feathers. It was a shame that normal horses and creatures could not see her wings or birth marks. It was a shame that most of them didn't believe in her kind anymore.

Before her thoughts took the familiar turn of depression, a scuffle caught her sensitive ears. They flicked backwards as she listened in on it. Her head turned, and a sudden, savage grin pulled at her lips. "Sounds like a fight," she chuckled. "And no one invited me."

Since the sounds weren't totally worrisome, she took her time walking. She might even have said she was swaggering. Off to save yet another equine from the clutches of villainy. As she turned the corner she came upon a scene not unlike what she'd imagined.

There were three horses, a chocolate colored mare with large slash scars on her hips and dull orange hair. Sasstiel got the barest look at a blaze and a gray muzzle. Sasstiel took in the grullo stallion rearing up with a wild white mare running jaggedly down his face.

Behind him there was a liver chestnut liberally splashed with white markings seemed to be the master mind behind this mugging - if you could call it that. The chestnut seemed to be the ringleader. He was shouting things that would have offended Sasstiel's parents up in heaven.

Sasstiel took a second to take in the scene, judge whether or not she needed to step in. With interest she looked down at the rangy mare who half stood on her trembling front legs, blood leaking from her mouth and don her legs. She wore a simple black chain necklace, a large chain bracelet on her front leg leg alongside two bracelets - one spiked, higher on her forearm and the other lower.

Sass nearly walked away when she noticed the beads of platinum hanging from the mare's left ear - an unusual location. But it was the mark of the Church, the silver cross that hung there that caused Sasstiel to pause. Then her lips pulled down into a frown. Her mind was racing - why was this mare here, in the city dumps. Why was she fighting? The Church was not known to promote violence. In fact, they'd been the most calming effect. Clearly, it was time to step in.

A blinding white light filled the alley, all the horses looked up - the chocolate mare didn't turn, she seemed oblivious to the light. However, the other two horses stared in object horror at the sudden vision of the brilliant cream mare. Her large wings visible, the green mark on her eye shown brightly and a halo gleamed from around her ears.

"Stop this! Thou hast committed a most heinous crime against the most humble of the church! Leave now whilst my mercy is still strong!" Sasstiel's voice was magnified in the alley. The blinding white light dissipated as the two stallions bolted out the back of the alley.

"The... hells?" The mare's voice was tangy, low pitched. It was bored, but had that hard edge of victory. "I don't even- what? I wasn't that scary...?" she commented mostly to herself. She flipped her head into the air and snorted. "Should'a known they was a bunch of cowards."

"They ran from me." Sasstiel commented with a laugh. "And it's 'they were', not was." The angel was back in her mask of humanity. She lifted her head up as the mare turned to look at her. Sasstiel's pleasure grew as the mare's pale green eyes traced her lanky frame up and down.

"I says what I wants ta' say." her face was a mixture of angry confusion. The chocolate mare seemed to size up the taller horse - with vague disinterest she noticed that Sasstiel's ears were about twice the size of her own. She'd heard of mules, but hadn't even seen one before this moment. "Why would they run from the likes of you?" she asked crossly, finding nothing spectacular about the equine.

Sasstiel smiled indulgently. "I can have that effect on people, those not pure of heart fear me." She smiled, enjoying - what she thought - was little word games. "But that's besides the point, I'm much more interested in you. I have a great deal of questions and since I did save yo--"

The mare rudely cut in, "You dinna save me from anything! I had those two baddies in my pocket. Just 'bout to let 'em have it when you so rudely interrupted me." The mare pinned her ears flat into her dull orange mane. The silver chair bearing her cross jingling faintly. her pale green eyes narrowed before relaxing slightly.

The angel looked at the mare, a familiar smile wanted to pull itself onto her face. She allowed a cheeky grin instead, "Ah, everything well in hand, eh? From where I was standing, you seemed to be the only one with blood. In fact- you've got some.... right there." Sass informed her. "I would like to know your name however, and I would very much like to know when the Church started allowing their Sisters to fight like common street rats."

The mare turned her head to the side. She mumbled something that Sasstiel didn't catch. "What was that?" she pressed.

"I said," the mare lifted her head and cleared her throat. She stared directly into Sass's eyes, "Why does those who work in the church gotta hole themselves up where they's doing no good to the lesser folk."

Sasstiel took a step back.

The mare took a commanding step forward, "My name is Tibirass, and I aim to be a member of the Church that actually helps da' lesser folk. I willna stand by and watch their possessions be taken from them, watch them cry in the streets wit' hunger in their bellies. What makes me, better than them."

Sasstiel's ears flicked backward and she took another step back. The conviction hit her so hard, she almost recoiled. Hadn't someone told her that many years ago? Didn't his tone have that touch of condescending, that force of justice? In a flash, Sasstiel knew she had to know more about this mare. Tibirass. What an archaic name. Her mouth opened to ask more questions when a fuzzy brown horse slipped into the alley front. Her and Tibirass's head's whirled to look at the intruder and Sasstiel stared openly at him.

He stood no more than four feet at the shoulder. His limbs were shabby, with long fur. His tail was short, black. It resembled more of a bob than anything else. Though Sasstiel had seen many a long coated horse before; she knew he wasn't just a horse. The orange slitted cat pupils, the tuffs of fur on the tips of his ears, his short, erect mane - more of a ruff than a mane - the long trailing jowl hair. his coat was a mix of spots, black, a warm beige and gray. She stared at him. He too, had the mark of the church. But this hung around his face and behind his ears.

"Klaus!" Tibirass exclaimed, "Am I late already?" the mare's attitude change in a heart beat and she exploded by Sasstiel in a ungainly canter. The furred horse seemed glad to see her, but his gaze trailed to Sasstiel in suspicion. "Ach, don't worry about that nag. She thought she save me." Tibirass explained to him.

That snapped Sasstiel's attention away from the lynx-horse hybrid. "'Nag'? Excuse me, I am no older than you or your... friend... there." Sasstiel took a step forward, but Tibirass nudge Klaus back a step.

"Anyways, best we got home, the Cardinal will have been looking all day for the likes of me. Ja!" Tibirass gave the colt a rough shove and they took off down the street - nearly crashing into a cart seller.

"Wait! I--!" Sasstiel's words fell on deaf ears. She shook her head as she watch them retreat down the street. She would find them later. Right now she had a great many things to think of. After all, she thought with a savage grin, It's not like I'm not good friends with Cardinal Aabram.