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Ai was currently away from the herd, out in the grassy parts of the world where the only fine sand tended to be found near beaches. She was far enough away from home that she couldn't see the high mountains that marked the burial ground of her ancestors and would mark the burial grounds of her herdmates. Grave robbers were aware of the location, but her mother, Nefertari, was cooking up something in that brainless head of hers to put a stop to any more robbing. What it was Ai couldn't be sure. She had little interest in the politics and brainstorming parts of being in the royal family. She lacked the patience to lay on the balcony of the stone palace they called home as Nefertari could, doing nothing but thinking. Sometimes Ai wondered if the Elder mare had finally dried completely in place when she was so still like that. Ai figured it was only a matter of time before Nefertari did, no matter the amount of lotion she had placed on her body. Either that or she would finally crack into a pile of bandages and bones.

Ai silently admitted she would gladly witness that day. Nefertari cracking into dust and bones was the better of the options, but the thought of the Pharaoh frozen in place on the balcony like some grotesque statue was more amusing. Of course, with that option she could thaw back out with a bit of water, seeking her vengeance on those who left her. As a pile of dust, however, she was gone. Forever. The second generation Undead mare couldn't bring herself to like Nefertari. Morrigan, her other mother, was fine. Something about the Pharaoh, aside the fact Ai was named after her as if Nefertari had some big, secret plans for her daughter, rubbed Ai the wrong way. Her mother did too much thinking and not enough action. What was she waiting for? A whole army of children to sacrifice against one stallion who probably wasn't doing anything?

Ai bent her neck towards the bush, snapping off a leaf to put into the saddle bags sitting at her hooves. Nefertari required herbs that wouldn't grow inside the Hieratic's lands for her lotion. Most of the ingredients came from outside the herd, the Pharaoh believing the past plants to use were those who got regular water. Ai didn't think it made much of a difference. In her opinion, they should be using cactus'. But whatever. She did what mother said. And mother wanted herbs from the greener parts of the world.

Ai was about to pick another leaf off the bush when it suddenly spoke, causing her to jump back in fright. Fright over a voice that should not have been there, that was. Not over a stranger scaring her. Nothing scared her. She was a daughter of the dead, nothing was allowed to scare her. And if it ever did, she wasn't to let it get away without paying for making her show any weakness.

At least some of Nefertari's teachings had stuck with the young mare.

Pushing the saddlebags away with her foot in case a fight broke out-her mother would not forgive the destroying of an important item-Ai moved in closer, bending her neck to try to see through the foliage. She would need these leaves later and didn't want to strip the branches to make her line of vision clearer. Whoever it was hiding in there would have to come out.

A giggle escaped from between the Princess's lips, a more high pitched one for someone of her lineage. Ai's voice had always been more pitched than most. Not to the point of being annoying to the ears, but pitched in a way that gave others a different impression of her until they seen her. It only enhanced her girl appearance, dripping with jewelry and the golden laurels she never went anywhere without. Until one looked down on the spear as it lay underneath their chin.

"You are free to try," she said, keeping her voice sweet and inviting while silently pulling the spear closer to her. "I have been bored of late. I could use a bit of excitement."

Ai merely smiled, tilting her head slightly to one side in an innocent gesture. Though she was far from innocent. The spear by her side confirmed that. She held it close with her hoof as one might a child, touching it ever so slightly in case it was needed. Her leg did not tremble at the feel of it as one who was not used to battle might be prone to. Her voice was steady. Full of confidence. She blinked her eyes at him once before answering just as sweetly as before. This was all just a game for her.

"I am sorry to hear I have been an inconvenience," came her reply, no trace of remorse in her voice. He had yet to come out of the bush. This made her think more than wonder that he was all talk and no bite. Someone hurt and trying to scare her, perhaps. Or he just didn't like the sun. Not that she blamed him. For a mummy, the sun was awful. It left one feeling much more dry than they already were.

Either way, Ai was not leaving that easily. Mother barely let her interact with those in the herd. Messing with her siblings had grown stale.

"Unless you have a weapon tucked away," the mare continued, moving around the bush to try to get a better look at the hidden stranger, "I doubt I have much to fear?" From what she could see, by his appearance he didn't seem like much of a fighter. At least not one she had ever seen. Of what she could see, his clothes looked too fancy. "Why don't you come out?"

Definitely didn't look much like a fighter at all, was the first thought to Ai's head as he stood up. He looked soft. Pampered. Like he hadn't done much fighting in his life, if at all. Like he probably had others to do the fighting for him. Tch. Back home something like that was likely to get you thrown directly into the fighting ring. If you were lucky, not against any of the more experienced fighters. If you were lucky, they were too busy to knock some sense into you. One of the few opinions about life that she shared with the more royal of her mothers. There was no place for weakness.

At least he had a good bite on him, provided he knew how to use it. Hard to say at this point. She knew he was threatening her, but for all she knew about him, it could be a bluff. And if it was a bluff, he was more stupid than she would have guessed at first. If you planned to scare off a mummy, you'd best have a good backup if-and a big if-it didn't work. It might on some of her brothers. Certainly not on her.

"Nice set of whites," Ai complimented him, genuinely impressed with them. Her snide tone of voice was slightly, just slightly, put aside to show her intrigue. That was one thing wrong with being a mummy: Bad teeth. At least she had a sound voice box. Unlike her mother, left with that scratchy voice for the rest of her long-or short-life. "That all you got to scare me?"

Oh, were they going to fight? Those sounded like fighting words. Or at least more bluffing to get her to go away. Which certainly wouldn't happen, not when she'd found someone fun and new to pick at. As well as interesting. To think she'd find an equine with sharp teeth like a predator. Not even those wearing wolf pelts had canine teeth as an equine. Or most of them didn't. Not that she'd seen any for herself. Those passing through on their way to the herd further out in the desert liked to sometimes tell tales of "half wolf Stars."

"Certainly seems like you do," came her smirk in reply. Ai went to move her spear closer for pickup when she was made aware that it lay on the other side of the bush. No matter. Hooves were sharp if it came down to that. Only if he got really serious about it.

Which apparently he did.

Her arrogance must have gotten in the way. She should have expected someone with sharp teeth to go in for a bite, first. Or maybe she was just too curious to see what someone without an apparent weapon and looking so pampered would do. Either way, she allowed the contact to happen without so much as a widening of the eyes. She felt the dry skin cracking, but that's all it was: A sensation, a feeling. For her body was dead already.

Ai snorted. "One little bite can hardly do any damage. And my skin is dry and cracked enough as is without you adding more holes."