It was dusk, and the sun was behind her as she flew above the land. It felt good to be carried by her wings once again. Lost among the clouds her mind had quieted and she felt as peace with the world. She’d set off with no direction, leaving Kiwi to the care of Nerine. She trusted them to look after her while she enjoyed a much-needed moment of solitude. The only mark of the time she’d spent traveling was the drifting of the sun across the sky.
Sudden fatigue washed over her, and she exhaled heavily into the space around her. She knew it was probably time that she turned around and headed back, but a quick rest and bite to eat would do her good.
Deftly she lowered herself back towards the ground, her feet catching her weight in one effortless motion. The ground was soft here, with the snow bordering the path and collecting at the base of trees. She knew these woods by their tell-tale autumn colored leaves. Sylva.
It wasn’t too long ago that a stranger had suggested that she’d pay a visit to this corner of Beqanna and she wondered if she hadn’t inadvertently brought herself to this place on purpose. Glancing around her all seemed quiet. She hoped that it would stay that way long enough for her to be on her way.
Sprigs of grass littered the path, clinging for life amongst the frost. Quietly she ambled closer, tucking her wings up to create a blanket of warmth upon her back. Nerine was notably warmer, the coastal breeze kept the colder winds at bay.
It’d been too long since she’d left the safety of Nerine and it felt odd to be parted from the familiar crashing of the waves. The salty scent and coarse touch of seagrass had grown to be a comfort to her. Sand and rocks and caves had become such a normal part of her day to day life that the earth beneath her hooves felt foreign to her. As she walked the solid ground beneath her was strange. She’d grown accustomed to the give of sand with every step.
The birds sang their song, filling her ears with their pleasantly pitched crooning. It was nice to take a break from the barking of the seabirds. There was no melody to their conversations and it did become admittedly irksome at times.
However comforting the familiarity of Nerine had become, Nymf could not distract herself from the aching loneliness that grew inside of her. For the first time in her life she found herself alone. Except for Kiwi, she had no family to call her own. Her whole life she had been surrounded by family and, until the moment it’d been stolen from her, she’d never quite realized how important her dynamic had been. Their love had defined her and molded her into the person she’d become. Now she found herself beginning to change once more and she wasn’t entirely convinced that it was a change that she was enjoying.
Eros. That was the name of the stallion who had beckoned for her to travel this way. She remembered him from his last visit. Her reaction to his simple inquiry had left her filled with shame and Kiwi had barely stopped speaking of him since he’d left not too long ago. The little filly loved new people and Nymf could hardly blame her. She was one of the only foals in Nerine and she was undoubtedly lonely. But, that was not something that she was able to remedy quite so easily. She’d adopted Kiwi and was barely able to keep up with her energetic antics. She couldn’t imagine the exhaustion another foal might bring upon her.
Lowering her head, she nibbled on the stale grass. She yearned for spring and wished for it with every passing day. Spring would bring new life and, with it, new hope.
@[Eros]