Dawn throws herself into a gallop, her beautiful, powerful body charging forward with grace and suspension. Valek waits a moment to watch her move and then he leaps after her, to fly toward the snow-capped peaks on the horizon. His head snakes to nip at the air above her shapely rump and then a few more strides put him practically in step with her. Their heavy feet make a thunderous sound over the flat emptiness of Pangea where it abuts Hyaline. Stride after stride he remains with her, never pushing past, timing his footfalls, finding her rhythm so that they are a team. Not because he cannot out pace her, he is strong and swift over distance like his mother but there is a thrill in hearing her breath in time with his, to the sound and motion of their flight.
Instead of continuing through the main thoroughfare into his home Valek turns guiding Dawn instead into a narrow canyon that splits off between two of the mountains. They can still run abreast of one another but once or twice he falls back to let her continue ahead of him back rock tumbledowns or fallen trees their path weaving through the shaded twisting places where the mountains come together until the way opens to the lake itself. From the main valley this bank is invisible, sheltered by the way the mountains come together around it a wall of gray stone hiding a beach of tiny pebbles. From here one could take a path up into the trees around the lake and back down again into the valley but only those very familiar with Hyaline would know the way. From the shore the view is only of a great distance of water and trees, the snow and granite peaks reflected in the lake’s mirror surface.
Valek does not stop to gauge her reaction to the place or try to take advantage of the setting to woo her in some way but splashes out into the water (very cold from snowmelt) only turning back when the water laps midway up his sides. Dropping his head he tosses it to splash water in the Queen’s direction with another rakish grin. “How’s this? A private swimming hole just for you.” Tossing his head again to put his black forelock out of his eyes. “Except for me, of course.”
@[Dawn]