Like a flower waiting to bloom.
She had dared to hope that her family had come back. After returning to Ischia Kylin had searched the island, but none of her family’s scents had been fresh. None of them had recently been home. Basically it was only Kylin and Ea, their old-new queen, who called Ischia home. Not only was it too silent, but neither did the lavender tobiano girl – now woman – someone familiar around.

Not that she disliked Ea, the queen had been noting but kind to her. Perhaps a bit reserved, but Kylin herself hadn’t been to open either. The loneliness ate her, but she had kept hope. Hope was all she had, but in the end, it turned out that her hope had been idle. Father, Mother, uncle Reilly, Kharon, Kali and Badden. None of them had returned home.

To Kylin, home had always been enlaced with family, well, until they had one by one disappeared of course. Ischia was still her home, but at the same time it wasn’t. And after having spent so much time on the island waiting, she’s now desperate to leave. At least for a short while. She hadn’t told Ea, figuring that she was an adult now, and that she should be able to come and go wherever and whenever she pleased.

Her destination? Loess. Not because of the land per say, but because of one of its residents. Kylin had thought that she and Kharon would always be one. Even after father had not so nicely told her that it was wrong. She simply didn’t care, but, she hadn’t had a chance to tell Kharon either. Apparently he did think it was wrong too. It left her not only alone, but also heartbroken. She’d loved her brother dearly.

Anyway. Today wasn’t a day of sadness, to mourn the past, or think about losses. Today she would visit a dear friend. Enjoy his company and possibly – probably – the water. After all, they both had a special connection to it. Her trip had been across water too. First she’d crossed the sea that separated Ischia from the other Beqannan lands, then she had followed the river. They had been there before, that time when Ivar had shown her the baby turtles finding – fighting – their way across the beach to the sea.

She had simply followed his directions, all the way to his new home. Kylin would’ve loved to see Sylva, she was sure she would love the place, based on his stories. But that was a visit for another time, as she stood at Loess’ border. Or what she thought was the border. With Ischia, it was clear, the island surrounded by water, but here, not so much. Not to Kylin at least. With a loud whinny she calls out to him.

Like a flower waiting to bloom.
It’s not diplomatic knowledge that has her pausing at the border. Nor is it the feeling that she has to. There wasn’t anybody here to stop her and it wasn’t as if it was a clear bother. No wall, no line, nothing. Ischia was far easier to read. Kylin remembers how Father had disliked someone just walking onto their lands, Kharon hadn’t been a fan of that either, and thus she waits. However, somewhat restless.

The longer it takes for an answer to come her direction, the more restless she grows. Was Loess so big he wouldn’t have heard her? Or perhaps he wasn’t even home. Would that mean someone else would come to her to say hello, or would they just ignore her presence? Kylin would’ve gone to check it out, but she was always eager to meet new people. There had never been much habitants in Ischia.

As she waits, she’s torn between just crossing the border into Loess, and to simply turn back home. Kylin could count the times she had left Ischia on four hooves, the times she had ventured out alone were even more rare. At home she at least knew what to expect. But before she has time to either cross the border or leave, her name is carried towards her by a breeze. Ivar!

With a wide grin the tobiano girl lifts her head, both her lavender ears now pinned forward. ”Ivar!” she calls out in return. She doesn’t know if his arrival is permission to enter, but she decides it has to be enough. It more than thrills her that he had come to her, that he recognizes her. Both taller now, mature and filled out into the right places. ”Of course I came” she replies with a grin. Eager to be close to someone familiar again, Kylin steps even closer to the point that she finds herself invading his personal space.

Within moments the velvet of her nose is pressed up against his shoulder. As she breaths in his scent, her eyes fall closed. It had been too long. And she has been so so lonely. Her emotions hit her like a bomb, overwhelming her before she’s able to push them away. Kylin does pull back a little, but refuses to move far from his side. ”And, does Loess hold as many adventures as Ischia and the river?” she asks, gently bumping her shoulder into his as if she’s challenging him to defend his home.

Like a flower waiting to bloom.
The definition of being friends wasn’t as set for Kylin as it was for others. Nor is she aware of borders that she should not cross. She happily presses herself up at Ivar’s side, content to feel his scaled form touching hers. Too long had she gone without this close proximity and the lavender tobiano girl desperately longs for more. All the same it had been with Kharon. She’d felt more for him than siblings should – according to father. So no, ‘being friends’ wouldn’t rule anything out according to Kylin herself.

She laughs softly, gently nipping at his neck just behind his ear, but she doesn’t pull back nor break the hug. It was like she once again learned how to smile and how to enjoy life, even if it would only be for a while. Kylin is just as hesitant to let go of him, and since Ivar doesn’t pull away, she happily settles as close to his side as she can. He might not have wings like Kharon to pull her close, his side feels just as comfortable. She grins innocently at him, her dished head slightly titled to the side. ”Oh, is that so? It’s better than Ischia?” she teases him, but still hoping for Ivar to continue. She’d always been slightly jealous of his adventures.

”To the river?” she asks. For a moment she’s feels slightly like intruding, as he now stays in Loess with her for her sake, but at the same time Kylin cannot be more flattered. All of him made her stomach flutter pleasantly and she instantly regrets not visiting sooner. ”Kangaroos?” she repeats once again, pausing for only a few seconds but with an enthusiastic twinkle in her eyes. ”What are kangaroos? Are they just as fascinating as the babies on the riverbeach?” She never heard of such thing. Ischia only knew parrots and horses. And from the latter there weren’t much around lately.

A pang in her chest. That’s how it feels when he steps away. It confuses Kylin for a moment, as the expression on his features – rather handsome features – never changes. Her smile had fallen, the thought of rejection opening the deep wounds she already carried. She knows he intends to lead her, to show her, but couldn’t they walk side to side?

Her internal struggle last for only a couple of moments, and the lavender girl – no, she was a woman now – tries to shake feeling away. While she forces a smile out she nods, as if to tell Ivar to lead the way. But not without taking a step in his direction, and press the velvet of her muzzle up to his shoulder. Kylin shudders, hazel eyes closing for a moment. The simple touch was reassuring to her, even though she was the one touching Ivar. This time her smile is genuine. ”Where to?”

Like a flower waiting to bloom.
The moment Ivar draws near again, she realises that she’s not meant to be alone. His touch pulls a relieved sigh from her lips and she revels in their close proximity. During the first couple of years of her life Kylin had never been alone. Her twinbrother had always been around and if not, there was either Badden, Kali, uncle Reilly or one of her parents around. And now? Now Ischia was just her and queen Ea.

It all makes her desperate for Ivar’s attention and touch. She allows him to touch her, even sighing softly in approval. She is not alone, Ivar was still here with her. And they were ready to go on a new adventure. This time it was Ivar showing her around Loess. It excites her and she doesn’t need Ivar’s gift to induce her.

When he leads the way she’s not far behind him, making sure to keep up and her muzzle bumping into his shoulder from time to time. Just to reassure her he’s still there. And she just likes to touch him. A lot. ”What are they like?” she asks, her hazel eyes on his face as they walk. Kylin gives him a soft hum, to indicate she had heard him, following him up the hill. One hoof is place before the other and without realising she’s holding her breath. The lavender girl is very aware of the excited beating of her heart, both ears perked forward.

Once she’s able to look over the hill, she’s amazed by what she sees. There is a twinkle in her hazel eyes and slowly her lips curl up, until she’s grinning widely. ”Oh” she sighs softly, taking another small step forward as her eyes move over the figures. Their build is so strange, as they stand upright on two strange formed but strong hind legs. Unlike horses they don’t walk, just like the baby turtles on the beach or Ischia’s parrots. They hop, and secretly Kylin wants to explore how far they could jump with those legs of them. ”Just look at how they move, like, on two legs only!” she excitedly whispers to Ivar, turning to look at him only a short moment before her eyes move back to the kangaroos.

”Do they live in groups like this? Will they run if we near them?” Oh, how much she longed to see one up close, like she had been able to study the turtles while they fought their way down the beach towards the sea. That has her looking back to Ivar again, almost pleading him if she can go see them. She’s practically bouncing on her place, eager to move foreward.

Like a flower waiting to bloom.
The sight of the kangaroos – and the presence of a friend at her side – has her forgetting about her reasons for leaving Ischia completely. Right now she isn’t alone and thus the feeling of loneliness isn’t holding her down. And honestly, who wouldn’t forget about his or her problems when looking at a wonderful sight?

Her excitement courses through her body like electric pulses, keeping her on a high. This time it’s not artificial, not caused by Ivar’s touch. Last time it wasn’t entirely his doing, she hád been thrilled by his visit and stories, but this time it’s all her own doing. Perhaps a little fuelled by her own desire to get distracted. It would be a lie to say that Ivar’s approval didn’t add a little extra too. Kylin’s head drops a little towards the ground as she takes a step forward, careful not to spook them, but eager to get closer.

Ivar’s voice makes her ear flick in his direction, but she doesn’t glance back. Her hazel eyes are glued to the hopping animals down the hill. Well, until he tells her he has seen one of them kill. ”They’re that strong?” she whispers under her breath, eyes widening ever so slightly. By the time she looks back at the kangaroos it’s with a whole new level of amazement in her eyes.

She’s unaware of the small step she has taken back Ivar’s revealing, but by the time her eyes seek his again, she’s pressed up at his side. And with his guidance, she takes a little step forward again. ”Oh yes! Can we?” she replies, almost bouncing in place from the thought only. Before they can start their way down the hill, Ivar causes Kylin to giggle softly. With a grin she looks up to him, playfully nipping his shoulder. ”Is that so? And how would you do that?” she teases him back.

Kylin doesn’t wait for him to continue – either defend his pride or guide the way down – and instead bounces forwards. Only two or three steps, before she slows down to carefully approach the kangaroos. Both her ears are pinned forward and her nose dips towards the ground. What would they do?