Keeper-
Keeper-the-bear had curled up for a nap not far from the lake.
She had gone for a swim in the transparent waters and even managed to snag a fishy snack or two, the bones of which still lay in the grass next to her and a few scales still glimmered on her lips. Keeper-the-bear is a heavy sleeper, a snoring sleeper unlike Keeper-the-horse who does not snore and wakes at the slightest sound because that is what horses do. The bear though, fears nothing here. Considers herself the top predator in this land and thus, sleeps with an ease that Keeper-the-horse will never know unless in this shape of shaggy brown fur and great hulking muscle.
Keeper as a dreamer, thought she dreamt someone shouting from the lakeshore about being able to see all the fish, silver and darting, in their watery environment. But she slept and that shout gave way to the things that only bears dream about - cubs, full bellies, hibernation, salmon and good fresh meat. Sleep though, is not meant to last forever and the bear roused at last for a drink. So Keeper-the-bear lumbered down to the shoreline and paused to eye the clusters of horses that gravitated to it, and noticed two in particular not far from where the bear had lain down for her nap. It recognized one as the little queen, and the other seemed to bear a striking resemblance to her.
Curious, the bear did not realize when it had begun the subtle but painful shift back to horse until Keeper stood there, suddenly aware that she was staring at the beautiful pair of painted horses in the lake. There was something intimate about the way the two stood together but it was the intimacy of siblings not lovers that she recognized and it made her heart constrict briefly as she thought back to how she used to sidle up to the side of her half-brother and promptly tuck herself beneath his proffered wing. She loved that cocoon of feathers that held her in tight and found that in the midst of the memory, her hooves had carried her forward towards them though she had no inclination to intrude.
But there she was nonetheless, looking sheepish as she eyed the pair of them in the lake and called out to them, “Hello Solace and friend!” because she assumed at least, that he was friend indeed to the little queen if not a brother or more.
not knowing how deep the woods are and lightless
@[Svedka] @[Solace]