Rivaini

As pleasant as their reunion had been, Rivaini was determined not to be separated from her friend for so long again. The afternoon they’d spent basking in the shallows of the Ridge’s pool, grooming one another, and trading good-natured jibes had reminded the silver bay of just how much joy the dark mare’s company had brought her. And even beyond the simple joys of the laughter and intimacy that they shared, Faolain had altered the Andalusian in ways that she found more difficult to express. When they were together, life’s burdens felt lighter, and a part of Rivaini that she had previously been unaware of felt fulfilled. It was both similar to and different from the contentment she felt in Iscariot’s presence.

The jungle was almost cool today as Rivaini climbed steadily upward, pausing now and then to appreciate the beauty that surrounded her. It was present in the way the sunlight filtered through the canopy, casting dapples on the dark ground. And in the colorful birds that could sometimes be glimpsed flitting overhead, leaving only song in their wake. Iscariot would have appreciated such simple pleasures too, she knew, and she had always enjoyed watching the pale stallion move through the jungle - a ghost among the shadows. Ravaini had intended to bring her perlino brother along to find Faolain, but when she’d glimpsed him with one of Siobhan’s daughters, the bay mare had melted back into the foliage without drawing his attention. It was good that he was gaining the bravery and confidence needed to step outside his sphere of comfort. And it brought Rivaini joy to think of him running and playing with the children of the Ridge, whom he would be able to follow without straining his painful limbs.

So the silver bay was left alone to seek out the black ‘Teke - without any clue at all where she might be. She had already searched the other mare’s favorite haunts - and while Faolain’s scent still clung to some, it was old and faded. Only the trail she’d found on the beach had been fresh, but Rivaini had been unable to determine where her friend had returned into the jungle from there. The thought that Faolain might have left Atlantis had never occurred to her - let alone the possibility that she might return with a companion. And so when the copper-colored Andalusian heard a feminine voice ahead, she stalked forward as quietly as she could, leaping suddenly out onto the well-worn trail with a, “Hah! Found you!”

...and found herself almost face-to-face not with Faolain, but with a gold-coated stranger.

“Oh,” Rivaini said stupidly, backpedaling to a more respectful distance. Invisible beneath russet fur and dark skin, warmth pooled in her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I was trying to sneak up on Fae here - I didn’t realize she had company.” Her blue eyes glanced penitently between both mares, noting the similarities of their builds. Like Faolain, the stranger was slender and doe-like - a beautiful creature who seemed to belong here amidst the fragrant blossoms of the Ridge. That said, she did find it strange that the dunalino mare held a blossom in her lips; she had learned from experience that they didn’t taste particularly good. But then, thinking back on the words she’d heard and reading the unspoken language of her body, she understood what the yet-nameless woman’s intention was, and felt the last of her reservations melt away. A smile curled her lips upward and warmed her sky-blue eyes.

“That looks as if it was made for her,” Rivaini approved. “But here - let me help you.” The taller mare stepped forward, then reached down to smooth the tangles out of the Teke’s inky-black mane. In the process, her whiskered muzzle brushed against Faolain’s ear in a gentle touch that sent an inexplicable shudder down her spine. Once the first part of her task was accomplished, the silver bay grasped the frontmost section delicately in her teeth and shifted it forward to give the blanketed mare easier access. She’d once done the same to Iscariot when he slept as a joke, entangling a few budding wildflowers into the base of his mane, and understood the concept. It had not been a task easily accomplished alone.

Of course, they were even harder to get out once thoroughly interwoven, and seeing the perlino stallion toss his head and roll on the ground in an attempt to dislodge them had made it well worth her trouble.

mare / five / silver bay tobiano / andalusian mix / 15.3hh