“Ours too.” He says, when Ea reports that it is her first time in the meadow. Ramiel looks pointedly at Joscelin then, as if reprimanding her (and also questioning if it indeed is her first time here). But his grey lips curve into a crooked smile when he turns back to the young Amazon. “We’re from the Dale – supposed to be there now, really.” Nervous energy streaks through his veins, freezing them when he remembers that they have broken the rules. But it’s only a brief lap through his system, and in the next moment, he’s grinning again. Sometimes, opportunities simply must be seized. Sometimes it’s better to dive in head-first, no bars. “But they can’t keep us down forever, right?”
The other girl smells far different than anything his nostrils have ever encountered. For the first time, Ramiel really realizes how vast their land is. That one girl could come from such a faraway place with exotic, pungent smells while the next foal could come from an entirely different land astounds him. There is so much to learn, so much to explore. He feels like an insignificant ant emerging from the safety of its burrow, surfacing in a world he will never fully know. He realizes, for the first time, that he is just a boy who still has a lot of growing up to do.
It’s a twofold revelation. On one hand, it makes him feel powerful; the world is his for the taking. But on the other, he wishes his childhood was already past. Girr tempts them with sticks and games. And where it had seemed irresistible only minutes ago, now he thinks he is over such silliness. There is work to be done.
But the black and gold colt is ever-polite, and the mare is both innocent and earnest in her attempts. So instead of drawing her into a game, he answers her question. “We like looking under logs, which are basically big sticks.” He indicates Joscelin with a turn of his head. He wonders if she’ll take the bait to play. If she does, he’ll reluctantly join in (if only not to miss out on anything). Fortunately, Girr turns the question on Ea, and the boy is eager to hear her answer. Learning is power, and he wants to know everything.
r a m i e l
what a day to begin again