carried by the current of the morning
miles below the surface of the dawn
Larke is not sure what she expects to find when Eva begins talking, but she is pleased when the mare is warm and pleasant. She instantly relaxes, trusting the mare the color of deep sunsets with an innate trust that comes easily to her kind heart. Larke has no reason to believe that another would try to trick her or would be deceptive in anyway and so she eases into the conversation, her face unguarded and warm.
“I look forward to meeting everyone,” she says softly, enthusiasm buried in the layers of shy and quiet. “Eva, it is so nice to meet you,” her smile tips the edges of her lips up as the flowers cascade down her shoulders and she rolls them, releasing the tension that has continued to buil up between them.
She listens as the mare tells her of her life story, finding herself imagining what it would be like to grow up on the island. Would it have been different than Tephra—especially the land so ravaged by war? “She sounds lovely,” it’s an honest statement and Larke finds that she wishes she could have gotten to know the mare better. If only the circumstances were not what they were. If only—
But Larke has never been one to become trapped by such statements and she lets it slide into the air with her next exhale, refocusing on the mare’s face once more. “It is beautiful,” she brightens at the thought of her childhood home. “It was charred for so long but my mother and her friend Isilya have been working so hard to regrow it and they have become…enthusiastic.” She laughs, lightly, the sound like chimes.
“Eva, I have a favor to ask of you,” she frowns slightly, feeling a rush of embarrassment swell in her chest. “I’ve never lead anything before, and I’m just now getting to know Ischia more.” She drops her head a little before glancing back up again. “Would you—would you mind co-leading with me?”
this is not the place that I was born in
but it doesn't mean it's not the place where I belong
@[Eva]