The autumn morning was chilly, a low haze of nearly translucent fog lingering over dew-ridden grass. The sun was still low in the sky, climbing lazily. Three young mares grazed in the forest, their body builds the same and their colors vastly different. They had a synchronized comfort about them, a small unit that seemed to want to linger together, tearing mouthfuls of grass for breakfast. For quite some time it was silence until, at last, with a belly somewhat full, the black and white filly lifted her skull and looked curiously at the others.
“Do you remember that island we first swam to?” She asked with her soft voice. Both girls lifted their faces from the grass as well though the pale, pinkish cream said nothing but watched with ice-blue eyes.
“Uh, yeah, of course I do.” Answered the smoky gray and black grullo as if the one who’d asked was silly to assume they wouldn’t remember. “Why?” Her curiosity piqued, her ears flicked forward and her eyes were bright on the face of the other.
“I heard there’s a herd there where mares rule the terrain.” She whispered it and even looked at the forest around them as though it was forbidden to speak of such a subject. Perhaps here, on this chain of islands, it wasn’t so strange… home, the oak grove, such talk would have been frowned upon.
“Really?” Said the grullo and then her lips pressed together. “Well that’s stupid.” She decreed, rolling her eyes. “Who doesn’t want to live with a stallion? What do they do when wolves attack, or when stallions come?” Surely stallions came there, after all!
“I heard the mares can capture the stallions.” The first whispered, eyes bright.
The grullo snorted and broke into laughter. “That’s ridiculous.” She couldn’t imagine a world that was different than what she had been raised in. She couldn’t fathom the thought that a mare would rule a territory and not depend on a stallion for protection from others.
The first to speak also giggled shortly after. While she accepted the idea and was intrigued it wasn’t for her and it wasn’t something she’d dwell on. She stepped forward to playfully bump the grullo’s rump. “Come on, let’s run!”
Their soft giggles carried in the morning air as they picked up their hooves and started to trot forward as if preparing to break into a run. The black and white only made it a few steps before she came to an ungraceful, stumbling halt, twisting her neck and peering at the cremello who hadn’t moved. “Dock?” She said, a lingering concern on her tongue. “Aren’t you coming?”
Dock blinked and then shook her head slowly, turning and walking off into the shadows where the forest grew thick.
“Leave her to mope,” she heard Hickere say at her back. “Come on, I bet I can outrun you!” There was a pause and Dock knew Dickere was fighting with the idea of coming after her. Half of her wanted Dickere to come walk with her through the forest and the other wished she’d just go away, wished they’d all just go away. She didn’t know why she was so upset with them for settling so comfortably into this new life, but she was. She didn’t understand how they couldn’t long for the familiar comfort of home. She didn’t understand why she couldn’t seem to settle and see this as her new home.
As her mind spiraled in thoughts and her tail snapped angrily at her haunches, Dock continued walking. Before long she was standing at the beach they’d swam up on just a few days prior, glaring at the water as it lapped mockingly at her hooves. It was that anger, the pent up rage for all she couldn’t understand, which drove Dock to storm into the cool saltwater and swim away. Away…away…away…
Then she was on that island, that one they’d met the two stallions on, and Dock paused with her breathing labored. What was she doing here? Where was she going? She’d feel foolish to turn about and swim back to the island, and she hadn’t told anyone where she was going, breaking the one rule Lyden had given them. Guilt assaulted her, images of her sisters worrying popping into her mind. Dock turned her head to look back over the ocean and she hesitated…
But then she remembered how happy Hickere and Dickere were in the forest. Their giggles from earlier that morning lingered in her head and, in spite, she flattened her ears. Let them be happy together, they’d be better off without her. Hickere hated her anyways.
Dock turned forward and started walking across the grounds, tracking curious scents to try and find one in particular – mares. Perhaps it was because Dickere had been talking about it just that morning but, for whatever reason, Dock wanted to find this place with its herd of empowered mares. Eventually she found it, but only the base before a giant peak, craning her head back to look up the slope… Even here she was too nervous to actually intrude.
of the forest
cremello [Aa ee CrCr], fifteen.one hands, half-arabian filly, two years old, played by pirate |