03-18-2021, 04:36 PM
The light that meets the dark
Reave’s legs disturbed the water so much that Cheri couldn’t see her reflection in the aqua-blue surface anymore. She looked up to see that he’d moved closer and smiled, offering him a shrug.
“I’d miss mother and father a lot. Probably Rey and Mem, too.” Cheri tacked her siblings on at the end as a joke; of course she would miss them, her twin especially. That went without mentioning all of their other family: Uncle Nash and his reclusive mate Noel, whom Cheri had never really seen. Their children, her cousins, and all the other extended roots that created a strong network of family throughout the North.
Even Reave’s absence would be felt. Now that she knew him better, Cheri could see herself going off on adventures with him all the time. He was bold without much reservation, which was a character trait she admired in the way that children admire atypical heroes.
“Wouldn’t you miss Lilliana?” She asked him, nearly following the question with another one about his father, but she stopped herself. At the last second Cheri realized she had no idea who Reave’s sire was, and that it would probably be kind of rude to just ask him a personal question. Lilliana had lots of children and so did her Pappa Yan; where they came from didn’t matter much to Cheri.
She pushed one hoof out into the water and let it trail gently back and forth, enjoying how lightweight it felt against the resistant tug. Light played across the surface, sparkling and casting little specks of dancing flames over the rocks surrounding the warm spring, and Cheri sighed contentedly. There was something to be said about sun exposure, how it felt like a friendly embrace or an emblazoned lover. Cheri’s black fur was probably as hot as molten lava to the touch.
They would have to go back soon. She would have to, even if Reave wanted to stay out and look at the stars. The dawning hour crept forward but Cheri stayed put, listening to Reave and his musings with a lazy, half-asleep smile. I’ll convince him to do this again, she told herself. The fun shouldn’t be over just because the day ended. She determined that she’d beg Reave to take her out on another adventure, or hopefully several, so that when the time came for her to finally leave home for good, Cheri would look forward to the goodbyes.
It would’ve almost been ironic, considering what adventures their world had in store for them all soon enough.
“I’d miss mother and father a lot. Probably Rey and Mem, too.” Cheri tacked her siblings on at the end as a joke; of course she would miss them, her twin especially. That went without mentioning all of their other family: Uncle Nash and his reclusive mate Noel, whom Cheri had never really seen. Their children, her cousins, and all the other extended roots that created a strong network of family throughout the North.
Even Reave’s absence would be felt. Now that she knew him better, Cheri could see herself going off on adventures with him all the time. He was bold without much reservation, which was a character trait she admired in the way that children admire atypical heroes.
“Wouldn’t you miss Lilliana?” She asked him, nearly following the question with another one about his father, but she stopped herself. At the last second Cheri realized she had no idea who Reave’s sire was, and that it would probably be kind of rude to just ask him a personal question. Lilliana had lots of children and so did her Pappa Yan; where they came from didn’t matter much to Cheri.
She pushed one hoof out into the water and let it trail gently back and forth, enjoying how lightweight it felt against the resistant tug. Light played across the surface, sparkling and casting little specks of dancing flames over the rocks surrounding the warm spring, and Cheri sighed contentedly. There was something to be said about sun exposure, how it felt like a friendly embrace or an emblazoned lover. Cheri’s black fur was probably as hot as molten lava to the touch.
They would have to go back soon. She would have to, even if Reave wanted to stay out and look at the stars. The dawning hour crept forward but Cheri stayed put, listening to Reave and his musings with a lazy, half-asleep smile. I’ll convince him to do this again, she told herself. The fun shouldn’t be over just because the day ended. She determined that she’d beg Reave to take her out on another adventure, or hopefully several, so that when the time came for her to finally leave home for good, Cheri would look forward to the goodbyes.
It would’ve almost been ironic, considering what adventures their world had in store for them all soon enough.
@[Reave]