Just like The Before, they come.
Here, in this new land, there are still established herds and when confronted, they always come to meet. It gives Nayl a sense of familiarity even as her eyes grope hungrily for the new sights surrounding her. The deciduous trees stand sentinel and provide cover for the earthly children roaming their miles of land. Fascinated by the bright greens and golds, the whites and browns. It’s a cacophony of colors that bombards Nayl, but she drinks it in sweetly until she hears a nearby rustle that breaks her attention away from the surrounding forest.
To see a child among the trees, for some reason, is unexpected. Curious, their fiery eyes meet in introduction. ”Hello,” she returns curtly though not unkindly while slowly blinking. She just realizes how she has never considered children before. They’ve never crossed her mind until looking at the filly in front of her. Perhaps she has always considered them an unnecessary distraction, but she sees that they, like stallions, can prove a purpose. Eventually, Nayl knows, she will have to continue a legacy of strong women.
Just as she readies herself to respond to the girl, they are met by a much older mare who more eagerly introduces herself as well as her place here in the forest. A peaceful land, Nayl muses, as she deciphers the extraordinary kindness slipping from Reagan’s tongue. It reminds her briefly of the Falls or even the Gates where they only wanted to provide a neutral sanctuary for all. Unable to fathom that type of mindset she withdraws from her thoughts and focuses on the conversation at hand. ”Nayl,” her voice bears the qualities of a soldier – strong, confident, focused – and it contrasts greatly with the warmth and amiability of Reagan. A smile is rare, but a shadow of one tries to briefly slip across her lips as her head just barely nods. ”I come from Nerine which is northwest of here,” she maps out her journey to herself and realizes how far she has traveled alone. Being submerged in her thoughts she had hardly noticed the distance she placed between her and the coast, but now she notices that there isn’t a hint of salty air here. It’s clean, but at the same time stagnant. ”I’m just reaching out to see what lies outside of our borders. Tell me more of this Taiga, if you would.”
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