Dawn broke on the horizon, turning the tip of the mountain gold. A peace lingered upon the slopes of the Peak, but one young bright soul was already wide awake. For a time, the amber-eyed palomino girl stood entranced by the way the soft morning light illuminated the jagged outcroppings of stone, softening them for these few beautiful minutes. In time, though, Calfuray turned her gaze away from the Peak, and turned to the sister that slumbered beside her in the sheltered valley.
“Hey Kalanthia, wake up, I gotta tell you something.”
The paler gold girl stirred, sleepy protests rising to her lips. At first, she didn’t answer properly, but when Calfuray showed no sign of relenting (and indeed, became increasingly persistent in waking her), Kalanthia huffed and blinked her tired green eyes, grumpily shoving her sister out of her space. “Go ‘way, Ray,” she mumbled. “I was dreaming.” And she groaned when Calfuray pressed in close to her side again, but didn’t have the willpower to push her away again.
The palomino bobbed beside her, nodding vehemently, her enthusiasm not dimmed in the slightest by her sister’s evident desire to remain at rest. “Yeah that’s what I’m saying! I had a dream about the mountain. You gotta come with me!” And she tugged insistently at the ivory strands of mane settled at the base of the tobiano filly’s neck. The result was just as she’d hoped it’d be, and she pranced away with a stifled squeal as Kalanthia was spurred into movement, deftly pirouetting to avoid the pinch of the other filly’s teeth.
“Why don’t you bother Faline?” Kalanthia grumbled, (and before Calfuray had a chance to explain that she would have preferred to explore with the blanketed bay filly because she as much less moody in the mornings, but that their mama had fallen asleep beside Faline and Calfuray didn’t want Kolfinna to wake), -- “Faline!” came the strained hiss, a hoarse whisper issued loud enough that it would carry down the grassy slope to where the bay and white filly slept.
There was a sudden emptiness beside her, and the cool morning air rushed in, so that Kalanthia shivered.
Calfuray had already drifted away, hastily putting distance between herself and the others, just in case the cry had woken Kolfinna. Half-tucked behind a boulder, there was purpose to her poor attempt at hiding - she stood there and waited, silently moping and yet certain of her expectation. It couldn’t have been more than a minute, but it felt like forever for the bright-eyed filly. As she sensed Kalanthia drawing near behind, she felt the disappointment melt away like the snow, but she stubbornly remained silent a few moments longer, just to make sure Kalanthia felt sorry for almost ruining everything.
“Tell me ‘bout your dream… Please Ray, I wanna know!”
The palomino was quick to relent, turning and pressing her muzzle gently to her sister’s, a smile stretching across her lips. “There’s wildflowers growing at the very top of the mountain, Thia, and they’re the most beautiful ones on the whole of the Peak!” Neither of them had ever been up so far before, so Calfuray couldn’t really be sure there were any flowers growing there, but the dream had felt so real. “I wanna get some for Mama so she’s not so sad,” she explained, knowing that such reasoning would be more than enough to get Kalanthia to come with her.
As it was, the cream champagne filly was already stealing a glance back over her shoulder, just to make sure that the grey figure of their mother hadn’t been disturbed. They both worried about her - saw right through the smiles she always wore for them and Faline and the other mares - but still didn’t understand what it was that weighed upon her precious heart. She was going to have another baby soon, so she couldn’t come up the mountain with them right now to see the flowers for herself. The only option was that which Calfuray had already voiced.
Without hesitation, Kalanthia took the lead in scampering farther up the valley into the foothills, Calfuray right on her heels, huffing in displeasure - she should be first, because it was her idea, and it was she who’d dreamed of wildflowers. But Kalanthia’s legs were just as long as hers were, and the palomino girl couldn’t quite catch up. It was only when the white patched filly just ahead staggered to a halt, her sides heaving from the exertion of the uphill sprint, that Calfuray managed to overtake her, but the sense of victory was short lived.
The rocky path ahead of them forked, offering two paths that wound further up the steep sides of the Peak.
Frantically, Calfuray sifted through the memories of the many explorations she and her sisters had shared down the jagged mountain tracks under the watchful eye of Kolfinna, trying to remember, to discern whether it was the left path, or the right, that would take them closest to the mountain’s highest peak. She doggedly ignored Kalanthia’s snicker of amusement.
But when the white patched filly circled around to stand in front of her with a smug gleam in her soft green eyes, they stared one another down, common goal momentarily cast aside in favour of an opportunity to engage in sibling rivalry. “Didn’t see this in your dream?” Kalanthia asked, feigning sincerity.
Calfuray didn’t dignify the question with a response. Instead, scuffling a hoof that sent a pebble clattering down the gentle slope behind her, the palomino filly made a face, and stuck out her tongue.
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