dark side of the morning; Kylin

[Ivar]

i'll use you as a makeshift gauge
of how much to give and how much to take

He’s not used to water without fish. It feels oddly empty, but as he looks back over his shoulder at Kylin wading in, he knows it won’t remain that way for long. She tells him that it’s the biggest one and he grins - “The best one for swimming then.”

(don’t leave her alone.)

The lavender and white filly has stopped, so Ivar moves closer. His taller height means the water doesn’t quite cover his back at the depth, but he watches it pool over her back with a look that is almost hungry. Her groaning at the sensation eliminates the almost of it.

(now.)(No.)

For a moment he doesn’t reply to her question. He is staring at nothing, but with a shake of his dark mane he seems to reorient himself. Offering her a charmingly apologetic smile, the colt turns himself so that they are side by side. The water in front of them is clear, and the white sand at the bottom of the pool is smooth and slopes down gently. There are no unseen drops, no dangerous currents, this might be the best place to learn to swim, he thinks.

“Just keep walking until you can’t feel the bottom,” He tells her. “You’ll float, I promise.”

He takes a step forward to demonstrate. He bends his legs more than necessary to make up for the difference in their heights, knowing that doing so will make him lose footing at the same time she does. “Don’t be afraid.” Says the pied colt, “I won’t let you sink.”

IVAR