08-23-2019, 12:50 PM
Their previous classroom has shifted, morphed by the magic of their teacher and so the chestnut finds herself standing among her classmates as she glances apprehensively to the creek before them and the buckets. Tir speaks in what seems like rhymes and riddles, things that send her mind spiraling and spinning as she tries to understand what exactly it is that he asks.
The numbered trails, the crevices that wind and become obscured from view, the buckets they must carry and the time they must do it in.. she blinks again and her blue eyes look for her cousin. It doesn’t take long for the girls to seek each other out.
The reunion between the two is brief but enough – bringing the assurance the chestnut mare is needing. Their foreheads press in greeting and Lilli smiles at her cousin, her mind already thinking of possible teammates to join them. She turns her crimson head to observe her classmates, sorting through the faces that have become familiar throughout the course of their classes and her blue eyes come to rest on the dark form of Cassian. Lilli ponders the thought for a moment and then turns her attention back to Elaina, <b>”Ask Cassian. He can be.. thoughtful.”</b> (Of course his thoughts had been of another sort entirely during their last assignment together but something is endearing about him.)
Her cousin doesn’t question Lilli’s suggestion and calls him over. As their class starts to split amongst themselves, Jackie joins them and together the group of four discuss the possibilities of an answer. A bucket with four hours of water and a five journey. Lilliana’s head has never been one for math or probabilities but still, she tries to imagine the journey, to gauge what her thirst would be. She can see the concentration on Elaina’s golden brow as the two contemplate and turn the riddle over in their minds. But as much as Lilli searches, she can’t find an answer. An inquiring glance over to Cassian shows his gaze looking to the trees, to the clouds, to anything but the task at hand. <b>”What if,”</b> Lilli starts and looks to the buckets.
But her sentence stops there, the thought ended before it has already begun. The two continue to run ideas by each other, looking to Jackie for advice or input. And then the answer comes from the most unlikely of sources - Cassian.
Returning from his daydreams, the stallion offers a simple solution. The quartet will all go together for the first hour and then pour an hours’ worth of water into the buckets of the first pair. The second pair will then return to the creek, fill up their buckets and journey for four hours. The first pair will retrieve water from the pool at the other side and meet the second pair at the four-hour mark. Blue eyes round with surprise and then her smile beams, dazzling for Cassian. The discussion moves to what path they will take and since they will be in pairs, they decide to take the trail marked one. Two groups of two, a helper each. Lilli finds herself in the second group with Jackie.
An air of trepidation fills around the slender mare as she reaches down for her bucket, dips into the creek for her fill of water and then follows behind Elaina as they make their way down into the craggy nooks and rising cliff faces. The wall of stone rises higher and hides the sunlight from the sky above. It slinks them down below, winding them in a way that makes Lilli think of slithering snake. The two pairs continue for an hour, eventually coming to the point where they must part. Elaina places her bucket down and out of instinct, Lilli starts to go to her. They have always done everything together. Why wouldn’t they now? But the black stallion sets his heart on Elaina (Lilli’s own heart flutters at this, wishing, wondering maybe and reveling in possibilities for her golden cousin.) She smiles to Elaina and a firm nod to Cassian - which means should anything happen to Elaina, it will be the black stallion who Lilli comes to interrogate.
Lilli and Jackie fill the buckets of Cassian and Elaina and turn back for the creek, back through the narrow path and through the shadowy corners that Lilli does not like. They trek the hour back, fill their buckets and then start the journey again.
The beginning is familiar but it is when they reach the cliff edges, the places where the path narrows to a point where only a single horse can fit that Lilli balks. A misplaced step sends smaller pieces of gravel tumbling below without an echo to signify that they’ve reached the ground. Lilli wants to gulp for air but is hindered by her bucket. But with Elaina waiting for her, she manages to follow Jackie through the trail. She is mindful of each step, of the balance and position of her crimson body as the pair make their way to the plains. The fear of falling is real, almost paralyzing so for the young mare.
When they finally start making their way down the pass, when the heights no longer seem so extreme and ledges so dangerous, they find themselves emerging to the open plain. But here waits the most devious thing of all: scorpions. In Lilli’s mind, they appear in the thousands, seem much bigger and menacing than the small arachnid they are. But Jackie and Lilli are careful, moving slowly past the rocks where the scorpions sunbathe.
Finally, finally, the reach the fourth hour. And when their water runs low, Lilli sees the form of Elaina and Cassian emerging, coming for them. Hope dawns and the water flows into their buckets that they have filled from the pool. Together, they all trek to the final hour to where they hope Tir waits.
The numbered trails, the crevices that wind and become obscured from view, the buckets they must carry and the time they must do it in.. she blinks again and her blue eyes look for her cousin. It doesn’t take long for the girls to seek each other out.
The reunion between the two is brief but enough – bringing the assurance the chestnut mare is needing. Their foreheads press in greeting and Lilli smiles at her cousin, her mind already thinking of possible teammates to join them. She turns her crimson head to observe her classmates, sorting through the faces that have become familiar throughout the course of their classes and her blue eyes come to rest on the dark form of Cassian. Lilli ponders the thought for a moment and then turns her attention back to Elaina, <b>”Ask Cassian. He can be.. thoughtful.”</b> (Of course his thoughts had been of another sort entirely during their last assignment together but something is endearing about him.)
Her cousin doesn’t question Lilli’s suggestion and calls him over. As their class starts to split amongst themselves, Jackie joins them and together the group of four discuss the possibilities of an answer. A bucket with four hours of water and a five journey. Lilliana’s head has never been one for math or probabilities but still, she tries to imagine the journey, to gauge what her thirst would be. She can see the concentration on Elaina’s golden brow as the two contemplate and turn the riddle over in their minds. But as much as Lilli searches, she can’t find an answer. An inquiring glance over to Cassian shows his gaze looking to the trees, to the clouds, to anything but the task at hand. <b>”What if,”</b> Lilli starts and looks to the buckets.
But her sentence stops there, the thought ended before it has already begun. The two continue to run ideas by each other, looking to Jackie for advice or input. And then the answer comes from the most unlikely of sources - Cassian.
Returning from his daydreams, the stallion offers a simple solution. The quartet will all go together for the first hour and then pour an hours’ worth of water into the buckets of the first pair. The second pair will then return to the creek, fill up their buckets and journey for four hours. The first pair will retrieve water from the pool at the other side and meet the second pair at the four-hour mark. Blue eyes round with surprise and then her smile beams, dazzling for Cassian. The discussion moves to what path they will take and since they will be in pairs, they decide to take the trail marked one. Two groups of two, a helper each. Lilli finds herself in the second group with Jackie.
An air of trepidation fills around the slender mare as she reaches down for her bucket, dips into the creek for her fill of water and then follows behind Elaina as they make their way down into the craggy nooks and rising cliff faces. The wall of stone rises higher and hides the sunlight from the sky above. It slinks them down below, winding them in a way that makes Lilli think of slithering snake. The two pairs continue for an hour, eventually coming to the point where they must part. Elaina places her bucket down and out of instinct, Lilli starts to go to her. They have always done everything together. Why wouldn’t they now? But the black stallion sets his heart on Elaina (Lilli’s own heart flutters at this, wishing, wondering maybe and reveling in possibilities for her golden cousin.) She smiles to Elaina and a firm nod to Cassian - which means should anything happen to Elaina, it will be the black stallion who Lilli comes to interrogate.
Lilli and Jackie fill the buckets of Cassian and Elaina and turn back for the creek, back through the narrow path and through the shadowy corners that Lilli does not like. They trek the hour back, fill their buckets and then start the journey again.
The beginning is familiar but it is when they reach the cliff edges, the places where the path narrows to a point where only a single horse can fit that Lilli balks. A misplaced step sends smaller pieces of gravel tumbling below without an echo to signify that they’ve reached the ground. Lilli wants to gulp for air but is hindered by her bucket. But with Elaina waiting for her, she manages to follow Jackie through the trail. She is mindful of each step, of the balance and position of her crimson body as the pair make their way to the plains. The fear of falling is real, almost paralyzing so for the young mare.
When they finally start making their way down the pass, when the heights no longer seem so extreme and ledges so dangerous, they find themselves emerging to the open plain. But here waits the most devious thing of all: scorpions. In Lilli’s mind, they appear in the thousands, seem much bigger and menacing than the small arachnid they are. But Jackie and Lilli are careful, moving slowly past the rocks where the scorpions sunbathe.
Finally, finally, the reach the fourth hour. And when their water runs low, Lilli sees the form of Elaina and Cassian emerging, coming for them. Hope dawns and the water flows into their buckets that they have filled from the pool. Together, they all trek to the final hour to where they hope Tir waits.
but it's all in the past, love
it's all gone with the wind