[private] you could be the light in my dark night; neverwhere

[lilliana]

Neverwhere shakes her head and Lilli looks curiously back at her traveling partner. Her brow raises with mild surprise at the silver mare’s indifference to being left behind. But then, Neverwhere has made it this far on her own and she surely doesn’t need someone with Lilli’s navigational.. capabilities to lead her to water (or anywhere really). But the russet mare refuses to give in to her indulgences. She quells the urge to move quickly and instead steadies herself, allowing each football to find a regular tandem.

Neverwhere might not need Lilliana to lead her any further but the chestnut is determined to get her to the River. Once they reach their destination, she will let her dappled companion decide if she needs any further assistance and if so, to what degree.

The look she gives to Neverwhere is lighthearted and could perhaps be regarded as mischievous. ”And be denied your lovely company?” The mare gives her head a slight shake and beams at her friend, ”Never.” Lilli turns her attention back to traveling the remainder of their trek, walking along the path laid before her. The trees continue to grow sparse as the sound of running water becomes louder in her delicately-tipped ears which remain fixed forward, still eager to reach their destination. The trees eventually fall away and even the shrubs and brush seem to vanish as the pair finally reach the bank of the River.

Lilliana takes her first steps down the sloping back and calls back to Nevewhere, ”It’s a little steep. Watch your steps.” Even as she says this, Lilli misplaces one of her own hooves. The ground gives beneath her as her front leg slides forward and her three stockings become covered in mud and mire. It takes her a moment but she finds her balance and reaches the edge of the water without any further incidents.

Her front two hooves send ripples outwards as she takes a tentative step and then a second one into the refreshing current. The moon is rising and casts a silver allure on the moving current. The beauty of it isn’t missed by Lilli and she takes a moment to observe it, to lose herself in the simplicity and silvery light that radiates from the water's surface. Neverwhere speaks again and it doesn’t settle right with Lilliana. The corners of her mouth pull downward as she reaches down and satisfies her thirst while still contemplating Nevewhere’s words.

The moonrise settles around them and ear flicks to Neverwhere while Lilli stands silent, thinking. ”Somebody misses you, Neverwhere.” She says softly, unsure of where the answer came from. Maybe it’s just her thinking out loud – she knows she will come to miss the silver mare when their time here ends.

But Nevewhere’s next question suddenly makes her throat dry.

”No,” Lilli says, a gentle sound that comes out hollow. She shakes her head again, trying to banish the tightness she feels starting to burn in her chest. ”Nobody is looking for me.” Her eyes come away from the illuminated river and seek out the silver shadow standing next to her. ”We had magic. And war. And turmoil.”

And loss, she thinks. But Lilli can’t summon those words, can’t get them to leave the echoes of her mind.

”But my family was moving on and I couldn’t..” she struggles here, searching and losing, choking on her failure to find the words she needs. ”It seemed like a chance to start over.”

She exhales, pushing away all of it. It comes too close, makes too many demands on her aching heart and Lilli withstands it like waves washing over rocks. She pushes it out again, further and further away until she can no longer feel the demanding pull of the events, the actions, and consequences, that have led her to Beqanna.

The night comes in dark strokes now. Twilight falls further away, letting the depth of darkness surround them.

Enough, she thinks. It has been enough about her. Escaping her inner demons, she turns the conversation back to Neverwhere. ”Do you still think you will do nothing here? Or in all your wandering, are you looking for something?”

@[neverwhere] sorry this took so long and it's wierd.