"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
She lingered by the shore, hesitant to travel too far inland. What would she do if she got stuck someplace dry and hot, without the water to retreat to? The very thought made her skin quake. So she stayed where she could hear the waves lapping at the sand, or in the saltwater, and she was okay with it.
The few horses she'd met so far had been very kind, and she'd enjoyed the encounters. There was so much variety within her own species! Feathered, flighty individuals who saw the world so differently. With all of the new interactions, she'd spoken more in the last few days than she had in the last few years. Really, it was amazing that such a social mare had lasted so long in isolation before choosing to surface.
Now that she was here, she wanted to meet everyone, see everything. Her homesickness had been fading, except for in quiet moments like this. The water today was a clear, steely blue. A wind was coming up from the sea, throwing white caps up and rattling the dry palm fronds. A late summer storm seemed to be coming in, and it was days like this she missed the serenity of the deep. It was tempting to dive below and wait out the weather, but she would have to swim quite a ways out before the currents settled down. And besides, she was here to experience life on the surface. That meant the storms as well as fine days.
So she stood on the beach, gazing at the far away horizon and the bruise dark clouds gathering there. She was a gregarious girl who often couldn't hold still. This was a rare moment where her father's stoic personality shone through, instead.
breaking like the waves down on the coastline breaking like the wine-stained glass that held my drink
Eva remembers the depth of the ocean. The top from the bottom had always seemed so far away. She loved exploring the open-wide spaces of the waters. It was always her and the ocean. There was no one else—no rules or principles of life that held you down.
The memory of living alone feels like almost many lifetimes ago now. Eva doesn’t know what her life would be like if she had not met Adria. Meeting her adoptive mother had changed every aspect of the life she knew and was living. Learning that there was more of nereids like her, shocked her, but she was more than ever excited.
Looking back now, Eva isn’t certain what she would do if she found out later there was others like her. When she was younger it had been easier to follow Adria to the tropical island she has now. If she hadn’t met Adria, then she would not be calling Ischia her home. Aeolus wouldn’t have even been born perhaps. The idea of not being a mother now was rather startling to her. She loved looking after and loving her little sea serpent boy.
Her life was simple still, and for that she continues to be grateful for. Every day she gets to wake up in a beautiful place, see her precious little boy’s smile, and someone who loves her as much as her birth mother might have loved her if she had not died on the bone-bleached beach.
Eva follows along the familiar path of the beach. She regards the dark clouds on the horizon. If the wind blew in the right direction the nereid knew the day would be a bit more usual. Storms often came and gone in Ischia, but often they were rare during this time of year. Eva, however, wouldn’t have mind a little storm today.
Continuing along the path of the beach, her warm orange-gold gaze lands upon the horse with a fin mane and tai. A curious gleam sparkles in her eye as she studies the stranger for a moment. She had never met this resident before, or perhaps a visiting stranger. Intrigued by the fin mare, Eva closes the distance between them.
“Looks like we might have a storm today,” she greets with the stranger with a warm and welcoming tone. “I’m Eva. I don’t think we have met.” A soft smile touches her lips gently. “Welcome to Ischia. Are you new or just visiting?” She asks with a gentle tilt of her purple head to the right.
The slender petals of her ears tipped to follow the newcomer's approach along the shoreline, the soft crunch of sand underfoot mingling with the sounds of wind and growing waves slapping on the beach. Her satin-sheen tail fin fluttered in the breeze, wrapping around her hip as she turned to face the mare walking towards her.
Her own rich purple eyes met the vibrant amber of the violet hued woman. Mollusk shells adorned her flowing mane and tail, glossy in the greying light. Aquaria nodded mildly, smiling in greeting. "Certainly feels that way. I'm happy to meet you, Eva! I'm Aquaria." Her voice lilted over the words musically, her feet dancing a pattern in the sand as she closed the distance between them.
She was in her more equid form today, pale and golden dappled. It made little difference to her nature, however. Any horse with eyes could see that the finned mare was a being of the water. Really, it was mostly the difference of hair or scales that distinguished her forms, the presence or lack of her gills. Her color stayed more or less static, with her scales being tinted like rosey gold pearls. The sea had blessed her in many ways.
Looking at this otherworldly female, it seemed like she had been similarly blessed. The ocean touched her in similar ways, from her looks to the way the salty brine seemed engrained in her scent. The paler girl tipped her head curiously to the side as she grinned, mimicking Eva's posture. "Thank you much. I'm staying, I think. Can't leave big sister all on her own, now can I?" Her gold dipped nose wrinkled in amusement. Adria seemed to be doing very well for herself, but family helped family. And it had been far too long since she'd been by her elder sister's side.
She shivered lightly in the rising breeze, and noted the white caps frothing the waves. There'd be rain soon, her nose told her. It was sort of exciting, watching the weather change from up here. The clouds made for a menacing picture as they crowed the blue from the sky, filling the air with their pregnant weight.
"Where do you go, when it gets like this? Or are you new or a guest here, and don't know?" She asked, gesturing to the darkening sea. She didn't quite knowwhat distinguished the difference between sea scent and Ischia scent yet, so wasn't able to place the other girl's home just by being near her.
breaking like the waves down on the coastline breaking like the wine-stained glass that held my drink
“A pleasure to meet you @[Aquaria],” she addresses warmly back in greeting.
Eva considers the pale and gold dappled mare for a moment. It was not every day that Eva met another on their little island. Her warm gaze traces along the edges and crevices of the mare. It is the fin mane and tail that keeps her attention most as she studies the mare during the short time. Eva has met all sorts of different sea creatures since she came to Ischia. It would certainly not be out of place for her to find something new and unique about this new sea horse named Aquaria.
She was similar in some ways as the other sea horse. Eva had been blessed by the ocean when she was pulled in by the current near the bone-stained beach. It was that day that had changed everything for her. Perhaps forever altering the very life she should have had. But Eva doesn’t think much of that day she was birthed. It was simply a blur and hidden in the very black crevices of her mind. She only recalls warm days and the ocean being her domain before meeting Adria and coming to Ischia.
Her curiosity deepens as the pale and golden nereid mentions helping her big sister. “You must be Adria’s sister then!” Quick excitement fills the tone of her voice. She recalls Adria telling her that she was not the only nereid. In fact, some of her own family were nereids too. “She told me many moons ago that she had a family.” Her eyes grow warmer as she holds the gaze of Aquaria.
The gentle breeze is no longer warm, but rather colder than before. Eva notes that the storm was being directed towards their way as she glances towards horizon where the grey clouds were. Slowly the storm was rolling in. The smell of rain was just on the tip of her nose as she inhaled the air around her.
Eva focuses back onto the mare when she asks where she goes when storms like this come. “I’ve lived here for some time now. Adria found me when I was about a year old and invited me to come to Ischia.” She smiles thoughtfully at recalling the memory. “She has become my mother in many ways if not.”
Her attentions move to the darkening sea that Aquaria mentioned. “I usually go inland if the storm gets too bad. However, it usually rains a bit here every few days. Mostly the morning time it is like this, but we do have a few tropical storms in the springtime.” Eva didn’t mind the rain at all. She liked watching the storm from the shoreline. It reminded her more of the open ocean. If it gotten too bad out there, she ended up staying under the water. But it was harsh storms that taught her how to swim and manipulate the water.
The paler mare smiled as the purple toned mare seemed to relax at the mention of Adria. Her sister seemed to have developed a very good reputation here on the island. Everyone who knew her seemed to love her, which certainly fit Aquaria's knowledge of her sibling. Adria had always had that sweetness to her that made others instantly at ease, and it wasn't a trait she abused. She'd left a lot to live up to.
"She has more family than just me. But they're seafaring folk, no surprise. Wanderers. Adria has always been the most stalwart of us, so it hasn't been a shock to see her so successful here." The cream nereid shrugged ruefully. "Dad says I've run wild long enough, and that it'd do me well to learn a bit of responsibly. So here I am." Her golden lips turned upward into a good humored smile. It was probably a fair assessment.
She shivered a bit in the breeze, fins quivering like palm fronds. The sky was definitely darkening, heavy clouds moving quickly over the water. At the far edge though, a strip of bright blue sky already peeked through. It would not be a long storm, at least.
Her eyes went back to the other mare as she started to speak again. It was bittersweet, hearing Eva's tale on her relationship with the elder nereid. Aquaria couldn't help but be proud of her sister for building such a fulfilling life here. She only wished she'd been part of it sooner. "Adria has a talent for making others feel at home. I'm glad she found you." She bumped her nose into the colorful mare's neck lightly. "I hope in time you and I will be close as well. Any family of 'Ria's is family of mine." She asserted with a toss of her head.
She listened to Eva's description of the local weather, pleased with the tropical nature of the place. "It's wonderful, having so much water. Makes me miss the deep a little less." She would always belong to the water, but here it seemed like less of a sacrifice to walk on land.
