ariana ----- by spartan out of samara Her eyes stay focused on the horizon, head still pointed toward the Cove. A sad smile lingers on her dark lips as she thinks of her parents, of siblings she surely has but has never seen. She has always felt guilty about not going to see them after they’d all escaped Cimarron’s destruction. At first she’d told herself that she wanted to establish her independence, prove that she could be on her own without having to run home every night like she’d done while they lived in the Quarry. She doesn’t regret her decision because it had allowed her to meet Tarrant and Wonka, and without them, where would she be now? Certainly not here, about to announce the biggest news she will ever harbor. She turns to him when he expresses his enthusiasm about the prospect of her parents as his neighbors. She’s only a little surprised that he remembers that little nugget that she had revealed during their first conversation. Her smile is still sad and more than a little uncertain as she answers. ”I think so. I only hear whispers and rumors like everybody else, and I haven’t heard anything new about Tinuvel.” Ariana is ashamed that she can’t say for certain what her family’s status is. I don’t know anyone my age; how am I supposed to know if it’s normal to not visit your family when you leave home? Her eyes drop to the ground as the beginnings of tears prick at their corners. She’s not entirely sure why she feels so much worse about it now, but she supposes it has something to do with actually being on Tinuvel, having set foot in the Cove briefly, and actually hearing it spoken aloud. She swallows and looks up at the stallion, lips trembling. ”No,” she says, her voice a little shaky, ” I actually haven’t seen my family since we escaped from Cimarron. I’m as homeless now as I was the day I met you.” It’s painful to admit, and she has to lower her gaze again out of shame. She continues in her mind, But maybe that will change after you hear what I have to tell you. If I get a chance to, at least. Having this secret burning in her chest is slowly becoming unbearable, and she doesn’t know how long it will be before she can’t contain it anymore. As wonderful as it feels to catch up with Tarrant, she feels the pressure to just get it out there weighing on her like the tons of rock that had once made up Cimarron. four - red roan - mustang x quarab mix - 14.2hh |