Suddenly, she is no longer alone.

The voice that rises above the distant cries of the gulls is gentle and almost comforting. Where before, Rivka found herself tensing at the faintest rustle of leaves, now she draws comfort in the crack of broken sticks as the creature’s hooves drew nearer. Dark eyes blink as she turns her head to watch the pale woman slide from beneath the dappled shadow of the thick jungle foliage. Small ears perk forward amid the dancing black tresses of her mane as the young girl follows the stranger’s figure as she approaches and halts at her side. There is no threat in her voice, nor is there any sign of anger of fury behind the startling blue of her eyes. Instead, like Rivka herself, she gazes beyond the sea-carved cliffs to the floating birds below.

She speaks again, her strange lyrics hypnotic in the way it draws her gaze once more to the crumbling rocks below and the white capped sea that ate away at it. She inhaled a sharp breath. She did feel like she was on top of the world. Never in her life had she seen such great heights. Sure she had seen the fog hazed Ridge from the distant beaches of Paradise and dreamed of what it might be like to stand high on the top and watch the world below. Never did she imagine she might actually find herself standing here, much less in the company of another not hellbent on running her off like mama (opps, she hates it when I call her that) Vanya liked to warn. She always said Rivka should stay hidden in the jungle lest some wild, half-crazed mare or stallion try to steal her away. Were she still here, no doubt Rivka would find herself at the receiving end of her vicious nips.

’It’s a long way to fall.’ the words cause her to take an involuntary step backwards. Her small ears lowering submissively. ”I…I did not mean to intrude….” she murmurs, glancing down at her striped hooves for a moment to retrieve what self assurance she could muster. When finally she does glance up again, the white and red woman is staring at her with startling intensity. She tries her best to hold her head high, to remember that she is a princess of Paradise even if she is misplaced and no longer with family to back her up. The pale woman speaks again. ’You smell of Paradise and loneliness.’ the words like a dagger to her heart. Sullenly, she drops her head, fighting back the tears that threaten to create unbidden streams down the contours of her cheeks. Without even thinking, she finds her hooves drawing her nearer to the woman, near enough that she could bury her muzzle into the comfort of her elbow and inhale the sharp scent of the jungle and life. ”Yes…” she whispers, choking the sobs that threaten to cast her words away into the sea. There was no one left in Paradise. Not father. Not mama Vanya. Not even the crazy (according to Vanya) woman that looked so much like Rivka herself. All of them were gone and one by one, the others with them until the small mare found herself alone with only the sandpipers and pelicans for company as she kept watch on the beach.

She squeezes closed her eyes. ”Da left and they all followed. Vanya said stay so I stayed.” she breathes, releasing the words she had held in for so long. She had stayed. She had been a good girl and listened to Vanya and believed what the painted woman said when she promised to be right back. She had been so vigilant. So why was it that she was alone? ”Why?” she whispers, inhaling a deep breath of the pale woman’s salty skin. She was not sure that there was any answers that the strange woman might be able to give her but still there is a sliver of hope burning like a cooling ember in her soul. Waiting for the right one to nurture life back into it.