Marlena pulled herself up another steep incline and emerged beside a narrow river that trickled slowly down the mountainside. She paused for a moment to catch her breath and toss her thick, creamy forelock out of her face when a flash of movement caught her attention and she locked eyes with another horse just a short way downstream.

There was a moment of awkward hesitation as they both observed each other uncertainly for a few seconds before the stranger drew herself up and made her way towards Marlena. She was a beautiful thing, strong yet slender in comparison to Marlena’s own thick build, and it was strangely comforting to meet someone else almost her own height on these islands for a change.

Thankfully, her words were as kind as her pretty face.

“Hello,” Marlena returned with a warm smile, bobbing her own heavy head. “No, I’ve never been here before.”

She gestured to the land around her with her pink-edged muzzle. It was a pretty place, the Peak, from what she had seen so far on her climb up the steep ground. There was nothing particularly unusual about its climate or its foliage, but there was beauty in its simplicity. It reminded her of Luthien, too, and she thought about that place a lot.

“I’m Marlena,” she continued, introducing herself as her bright blue eyes settled on her companion once again. “Do you live here?”

CLYDESDALE MIX / SMOKY CREAM & BIRDCATCHER SPOTS / 18.0HH