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Engrossed in her solitary game, the roan filly's world shrank to the sandy shore and the seamless blue of sea and sky, stretching further than her eyes could see. Rogue had never felt this light before, with the warmth of the sun caressing her skin, and only the soft whispers of the wind and waves to break the silence. Having spent much of her childhood in the crowded confines of the Falls, Rogue's experience with solitude had consisted of a few precious moments snatched in the pink of predawn one day, when those who frequented the Falls were still asleep. The young girl had never truly been alone before, and found that she enjoyed the freedom.

Or at least, she had been, until the red boy arrived.

To say this his greeting startled her would have been a gross understatement; Rogue's heart leapt into her throat when the shout reached her black-tipped ears, blocking the air that sought to enter her lungs. Twisting toward the sound, the filly saw a red coat dusted with white, and a messy mane with a forelock that fell carelessly over a pair of yellow eyes. The stiffness drained from her limbs. Though the boy before her was a stranger, the threat of the unknown was infinitely preferable to the certainty of the scolding she was in for when Fatale found out she'd wandered off.

"Hello," Rogue replied, turning the black half of her face towards the boy to stare at him with one golden eye. "Wasn't here before," the child said with a figurative shrug. "We lived in the Falls before, but Mother said the Lagoon is our home now."

There was a wistful edge to her words; though she didn't miss the crowds, Rogue did miss the other foals. And the excitement. Things seemed too quiet here, considering how many others called it their home.


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