Sometimes Wayra thought she must inconstant, for as quickly as she slipped towards anxiety and fear, she flipped to happiness and joy. It was like that upon seeing Michaelis. A flood of relief washed through her, and not just because his company took the edge off a place that felt vaguely foreboding, if not outright predatory. She had been alone, and that had been been enough. She could have been standing on heaven’s own clouds, and if she were alone, she may as well be standing beneath this rather morbid, burning tree. In her case, the devil was not in the details. He was in the center of every empty room and crowd of unfamiliar faces. ”Oh, Dad!” She cried, unable to remember that she was quite grown up, and no longer a child. His dear blue form, so like her own, was enough to make her feel home again. She giggled as he tugged at her forelock.
“Daaad." She complained, with no real bite to her words.
“You’ll mess it up.”
She hardly needed to be told that ship had sailed. But, she shook her head anyways, trying to make the silky strands lay as they should. Greetings done, she watched him, a happy smile on her face. That smile quickly disappeared when he mentioned Nebibi.
When they met again Wayra would have some terse, shrill words to say to her sister. What on earth had possessed her? The Field? Really? Hadn’t Nebibi been the one who told her all those stories about what some unprincipled stallions would do to unsuspecting mares? Had she just been trying to scare her? Wayra couldn’t be sure. Fillies had a way of talking. Stories got passed around then exaggerated grotesquely. Wayra couldn’t alway remember what had been Meadow gossip and what had been heartfelt warning. She sighed, and hoped Nebibi knew what she was doing.
“I don’t know, Dad. The field? I tried to go with her, really I did, but when I got there I just couldn’t.”
Wayra tried not to worry. She, herself, had no idea what she was doing, but that didn’t necessarily mean Nebibi was as lost. No, her sister had always had a determined air about her. She knew her own mind. Wayra was still trying to figure hers out. She had been scowling for longer than she should have, but at least she wasn’t staring at the tree any longer.
“I wouldn’t know what to do with myself in the Field. I’ve never been any good at that sort of thing.”
She paused, stumbling over her words.
“You know, introductions and the like.”
She trailed off again, and was struck by a horrible thought.
“You’re not mad, are you? That I followed you here? I don’t want to intrude…”
Wayra had to get a grip, she knew that. But, nothing had prepared her for this moment. One minute she was attached at the hip to her mother and sister and the next she was supposed to go confidently into the world.
Who does that?
Wayra
not all who wander are lost