Things were tense in the Prairie. Too tense, if you asked Miriella. Not that anyone did.
First it had been Darshan dying that set a mournful hush across the Prairie, then the next season it had been their father losing a fight and her brother Ramiel being taken to the Dunes, which made Raziel extremely unhappy with their father, then at the beginning of winter their father had been beaten again by a different Salem lead, Claret plucked away and causing an even greater fuss. Miriella was bitter, remembering how Claret’s mother had screamed in rage and gone for the ocean after her daughter and captor, thinking there was no one in the Prairie to do the same for her. If it had been Miriella that the beastly creature had come to snatch, she wondered how long it would be before anyone bothered to show up.
She rolled her eyes and shook out her long, thick pale mane. If she had to guess, it would have been at least a couple of weeks before her father might have come for her.
“Leliel,” she called her sister’s name as she came across the paler, slightly smaller mare who was her same-age sister, their births just days apart.
Leleil looked up at Miriella, her blue eyes troubled. She was likely worried about Claret and about father and about Riesling, wondering when they’d come back from Salem and hoping Claret would be with them. Miriella ignored that and stated, “Come on, I want to see Atlantis.”
“Are you… you can’t be serious right now Miriella,” Leliel said, shock rippling across her gentle features.
“I wouldn’t say it if I wasn’t serious.” Miriella stated as if Leliel was silly for being so taken aback. “Now come on, right now is the perfect time to go. You’re always saying how badly you wanted to see it! We talk about it all the time!” They were both practically mares grown, or so Miriella thought. Three in the spring, though one could argue Miriella tried to grow up even faster than she should, hardened by the absence of her mother.
Miriella flicked out her tail and turned, starting to walk a few steps toward the direction of the ocean, noticed Leliel was still standing in place, and stopped to throw an annoyed expression back over her haunches. “Are you coming or not?”
“No, and you shouldn’t be going either. Dad wants us to stay here, he’s trying to go get Claret back! What are you thinking, Miriella?” Leliel’s voice rose, somewhat panicked.
Miriella felt shame, and then felt angry that she felt ashamed. She rolled her eyes. “Stop being so overdramatic Leliel. You sound as whiny as Jasper.”
Leliel’s ears turned back and she stomped a wide, frustrated hoof. “Miriella, don’t do this.”
“Whatever, Leliel. You lost your chance to come along. I’m going to Atlantis whether you’re with me or not.”
Her mood was further soured that Leliel didn’t want to ignore the troubles and find some fun for herself. They weren’t babies like Vernonia or Sidra. When spring came they’d be three, which was plenty old enough to no longer live at home with their parents. The panic that had overcome the herd at Claret’s taking was ridiculous.
(Or maybe Miriella was just upset that everyone was so worried about Claret, already assuming there wouldn’t have been the same fuss over her.)
When she moved away from Leliel this time, Miriella picked her hooves up quickly and put more energy into gaining her gait. She heard her sister cry her name back at her, but the more she stretched her lean legs and ate up the ground under her, the further behind it put Leliel and her concerned cries. She didn’t doubt Leliel would go looking for someone to tell, so Miriella didn’t bother pulling up, only throwing more of her weight into her run and picking up more and more speed.
When her pale hooves hit the water, the cold spray stung her skin at the force of the impact. Still Miriella did not falter. She attacked the winter waves with renewed vigor, letting the shock of the cold numb away the emotions and the overwhelming panic of needing to keep her head above water fill her mind to crowd the rest out. The physical exertion was heavenly. By the time Miriella struck land she was exhausted, but forced her tired hooves to keep moving, trailing down the shoreline of Crossing Isle, making for the direction her father had once said would get her closest to Atlantis.
Just before she walked across the line into the Lagoon, exhaustion overcame Miriella and she tucked herself away between rocks and bare-twig shrubs, promptly falling asleep with no hope to remain somewhat aware. She was lucky she awoke alone, even though she did so sharply, sucking in a panicked breath as her brain came to the realization that she’d fallen asleep as deeply as she had. The sun was just starting to sink toward the horizon, and Miriella stayed still in the makeshift hiding place she’d tucked herself away in. Her chest felt heavy, as if she’d been crying too much, but Miriella knew she hadn’t she’d a tear. Her muscles ached, cramped from being locked still after such forced movement. Guilt settled a little harder on her heart, thinking of how dismissive and mean she’d been to Leliel, who deserved it least of all.
Still, it wasn’t as if she could turn around and go back the way she’d come. She was closer now to Atlantis than she’d been before.
Twigs cracked and broke as she stepped free of where she’d slept, giving a watchful glance at her surroundings before dropping her muzzle to the ground and trailing the path that seemed to have been used least. The scent of bachelors was stale here on the fringes of the Lagoon and, as soon as she could see the shape of Atlantis against the brilliant gold of the setting sun, Miriella jumped back into the ocean and made herself swim. By the time she pulled herself ashore, the sun had fallen just out of sight, but the sky was filled with color. Miriella stopped on the shore with the turquoise waters still lapping over her hooves, dished white face pointing up toward the sky as she admired the sight above her. From warm yellow-orange the sky bled in a soft gradient to lavender and then periwinkle, with streaks of pink catching the under-glow.
It wasn’t the sunset Miriella had wanted to see most on Atlantis, but she found herself speechless anyway, staring wide and bright-eyed at its colors as the sun sank lower and they slowly faded away to a darker, deeper purple-blue. Her chin dipped down and tears filled her eyes. Miriella clamped her eyelids tightly shut, jaw pressed tight as she willed them away before they could fall.
But the truth - Leliel should be here to see this with me - struck her and Miriella sucked in a sharp breath and dropped her head further down toward the slowly rising tide, warm tears starting to streak down her pale face.
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