Common

She has come.

There is no standing ovation or recognition in the eyes of the onlookers as she emerges from the cold ocean surf and yet still she moves with the grace and poise of a reigning monarch. Small fluted ears twist back and forth as dark eyes gaze upon the new world around her with feigned indifference. Mangrove and palm trees dot the beach of white sand, broken only by the divots left behind by a passersby. Despite the raging storm that had darkened the skies to near black mere days ago, the sun shines brightly overhead, its autumn warmth drying the salt water from her mahogany cloak. Paper thin nostrils flare as the nomad woman drinks in the scents both familiar and foreign and exhales a strong breath of her own. An island. Of course the gods would let her wash up on an island. No more would she find herself racing the winds with nothing to stop her headlong revelry except exhaustion itself. Now the ocean itself was her cage, hiding behind a thick veil of freedom. Dark ears fall beneath the curling mantle of obsidian mane as dark lips press together firmly, the only outward show of disgust that she dares show. An island it may be, but at least it was better than drowning to death in the vile salt water.

Long dark tail snaps audibly against her flanks as the slender woman draws herself further from the reach of the pressing tides and further into the unknown island. A mixture of ocean gulls and song birds not yet departed for warmer climates greet her ears with curious chirps and trills but she does not notice them. Sweet summer grasses and hints of the last sprigs of clover catch her attention. It has been days or even weeks since last she has eaten more than a mouthful of seaweed caught between porous rocks and she was not about to pass up the opportunity to taste something with less salt clinging to it.

Her slender legs sashay through the dense woodlands, gracefully twisting her figure around large tree trunks and effortlessly crossing even the most hidden dip in the terrain. The path she finds herself on is well worn, even for a game trail. The briefest moments of confusion fills her with expectations for some massive herd of deer or other herbivore unculled by predators. To both her surprise and relief however, this appears to not be entirely true. As the veil of spanish moss and low hanging branches begins to thin, a wide open pasture appears in her path. She half expected to find the lea uninhabited save for the occasional rabbit or mouse that dove for cover the moment her black hooves touched the sun warmed grass. What she did not expect to see was a number of horses grazing in mostly companionable comfort. Like a bouquet of wild flowers, the diversity in coats and appearance is astonishing. There were bright nearly white creatures with pink skin and blue eyes, there were tall horses, much broader in shoulder and muscle than any she has ever encountered, there are even horses similar to her in build with finely dished heads and proudly arching necks.

For a moment, Abstract is almost dumbstruck, standing with her dark eyes wide and raven tipped ears pressed forward and alert. Some of the horses gathered together, sharing intimate conversations meant for only those involved. Some still, mingled amongst the others, pausing here and there to share greetings and continue on into the shadows of the forest beyond. Anticipation prickles her skin as the dark woman lifts her thick tail high across her hips and arched the long curve of her neck. A cheshire smile tugs at the corners of her ashen lips as she steps confidently from her place on the sidelines and into full view of the bright sunlight. Dark lashes blink slowly as she angles her head first one direction and then another, letting her sweeping gaze cast itself over the meadow as a whole before dismissing it and those around entirely. Let them come. she thinks to herself, for as exciting as this new development was, she was not about to seem overly eager or desperate in the eyes of strangers. Instead she gives a final audible huff before dropping her muzzle to the yellowing grass to graze.