| Mare | 16.3hh | Solomon x Silvana | Smoky Grullo Tobiano Splash | Of The Wilds |
Hope can still remember the look on Serenity's face as Silvana had ushered her into the sea. They were to follow father to Salem, their new home. Or at least their home for a time. The hurt and sadness on her sister's face was something she wished she had never had to see and something she wished Serenity had never had to feel. It was clear, even when Hope was very small, that she was favored over her older sister. And she supposed in that moment, Serenity saw it too. The salt-water had hidden her tears on the swim and in the weeks that followed, Silvana attributed Hope's sullen behavior to missing their home. What of Serenity? She didn't have the courage to ask her mother what had happened.
When Solomon got the Cove back, Silvana had been eager to follow him. Hope had watched horse after horse chase her father into the sea. She didn't blame them, she loved her father. He had never been anything but kind to her, even when the stress of the territory had weighed so heavily upon him. But she was not eager to follow her family, even if the thought punctured her heart.
Silvana's pleading voice finally brought her down the shore numbly, but when her mother was distracted, Hope veered off. She'd never been to the mainland before. It was similar to Tinuvel but not covered in snow, she supposed. It was certainly nothing like Salem, but Hope wagered it was nothing like Salem.
She wanted to find her sister. Wanted to bury her face in her sister's mane and tell her how much she missed her. Serenity had never been what one would consider generous or thoughtful. She had picked on Hope endlessly, but that didn't change anything. In the moments when Serenity nuzzled her when she thought she was sleeping or how she watched her like a hawk as she chased butterflies even though she had refused to babysit it was clear that they had a sisterly bond that could not be broken. Even when Serenity would run off with Mazikeen, the sister she actually wanted she would say, Hope knew she would return as the stars dotted the sky and curl up next to her.
With the scent of the sea doing it's best to cover the Salem on her coat, Hope wandered deeper into the mainland. She had hoped she might catch her sister's scent and follow it to a tearful reunion. Unfortunately for her, the smell of other horses was terribly strong. Overwhelming, even. And each time she thought she caught an inkling of Serenity, it was dashed by an onslaught of other mares on her senses. Determined, Hope wandered deeper, into where the smell of other horses was the thickest. After all, maybe someone had seen her. Serenity had a presence about her that was difficult to forget, she was sure this was a good idea. And maybe it was. But it probably wasn't.
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