The silver bay had spent the past two days on the Ridge’s thin strip of beach, standing in the same spot for so long that she’d become as much a part of the landscape as the shells that littered the sand. Save for the quiver of her nostrils, the twitch of a copper ear, or the searching sweep of eyes whose shade almost matched the deep blue of the sky, she might have been turned to stone. Yet the horizon remained unbroken, and the dim spark of hope that she held in her chest began to fade and die. When Çiçek had informed the Ridge’s guardians that she was leaving for Tinuvel, Rivaini had not truly believed that her friend would remain gone. Desperate not to lose the piece of her heart that would go with the golden mare, she had clung to the belief that Çiçek would miss her, and return.
As long as it had taken to sink in, the truth hurt worse - a dagger driven into her chest. Raw edges of an aching, bleeding heart.
Iscariot emerged from the Ridge’s dense jungle like a ghost from shadow, his delicate head giving an exasperated shake at the anticipated sight that greeted him. It was easy to understand his sister’s pain, but harder to figure out how to fix it. So far, no amount of coaxing, pleading, or even cursing had convinced the bay mare to abandon her vigil. And just as she refused to hear any suggestions that involved anything but her self-imposed solitude, so Rivaini also turned her ears deaf to her brother’s attempts to talk to her about her feelings for Çiçek. Sighing heavily, Iscariot moved to approach the more muscular figure of his sibling, his pale ears lacing backwards in agitation. Though she possessed her share of admirable qualities, stubbornness was not one that made the list. And frankly, the perlino was growing weary enough of her emotional constipation that he was prepared to stoop to petty tricks in order to snap her out of it.
Rivaini, of course, gave no outward sign that she saw or recognized his brother. And so Iscariot continued past her still figure with a barely-concealed smirk, appearing to take as little notice of her. With steady and unwavering strides, he strode down to the wave’s edge - and then paused, laughter crinkling his eyes, when the mare’s agitated voice broke the silence. “And just where is it that you think you’re going?” Rivaini snapped, breaking her motionless trance to stomp a couple strides closer to the pale figure of her brother. “A swim is dangerous enough on your best days, and don’t think I didn’t notice the limp. Get back here, idiot.”
Glancing back, the pale stallion was relieved to see that the curious emptiness in her eyes had been replaced by a hard, blazing anger. And the relief was heady enough that he was able to do something he would have never dared otherwise. Defiantly, Iscariot poked the tip of his pink tongue out at the furious mare, then turned and continued jauntily along his way, his slender legs striking out in measured strokes when they finally departed from the sandy floor of the ocean. Behind him, he could hear the splash that signaled her pursuit, and a burst of nervous laughter punctuated the silence. He was for sure in trouble when they arrived at the Crossing, but it was worth whatever consequences would come to have his sibling back with him in spirit as well as body.
Together they pulled their streaming figures up on the gravelly shore just beyond the Commons, shaking saltwater from their coats in a vigorous motion. Some of the tension that had existed between them had ebbed over the course of the exerting swim, but Rivaini still managed a half-hearted scowl when her brother chanced to glance her way. “Well? Whatever was worth dragging me out here for, go on then and get it over with.” She groused, the tone of her voice contradicted by the way her red body stood - no longer rigid, but relaxed and comfortable. And though her sky-blue eyes were still narrowed, there was unmistakeable pleasure in their depths when she glanced up the familiar patch of shore to the spot where their pair had been increased to a trio.
No matter what else had happened, at least she still had Faolain. And Faolain, in turn, would always have them both.
Iscariot chose to save his breath from the endless argument a retort would draw him into, stepping forward instead until stone and bare earth yielded to soft, grass-covered soil. Before they had arrived here, he’d had no particular goal or destination in mind - but the memories that had surfaced coaxed him toward a pair of strangers who seemed as strongly contrasted as he and Rivaini. “Hello!” He called out in a confident voice that disguised the uncertainty he inevitably felt when meeting strangers. Of course, once he’d drawn their attention, much of Iscariot’s focus was occupied in concealing the heavy limp that had developed in the wake of his exertions. For that reason, he didn’t speak again until he’d drawn near enough to exchange a breath with either stranger if they were so inclined. “I’m Iscariot, and this grouchy creature is my sister Rivaini.”
The silver bay glowered forebodingly at her sibling, a harsh snort blown through her nostrils in response to his words. But Iscariot - seeming to take no notice of her hostility, whether feigned or otherwise - continued. “I hope you can forgive my intrusion. I was hoping to find more pleasant company than hers, you see.”
Rivaini snapped her tail at the pale stallion’s flanks, and added with a sly smile. “What Iscariot means is that I got tired of him, so he’s hoping to plague one or both of you with his presence. But like any annoying fly, if you swat him enough he’ll go away.” She sidestepped the blunt teeth that sought to pinch the loose fold of skin at her withers, laughing in the carefree way she did. The sound of it warmed Iscariot enough that his own expression softened too. Perhaps he had been right, and this was just what his sister needed.
ISCARIOT & RIVAINI
i can see your light |