Their trip to the Dunes had been unexciting. She had followed him - Bloodmane - obediently, like the good girl she knew she should be. She stayed close to him, afraid that they might become separated and she would be left abandoned once more. The mere thought was enough to fill her with terror; but she steeled herself against the intruding wave of fear and smothers it, forcing it into the back of her mind. Now was not the time for fear, she told herself, over and over again until she managed to convince herself the words were true.

When they had breached the shores of the Dunes, she had stuck by his side for a short while, but of course, he soon dismissed himself to attend to other duties, leaving her alone. She wandered around the oasis for awhile, not daring to venture into the endless sea of golden sands that surrounded her. She smelled several others on the wind; at least half a dozen mares and another, strange stallion. However, since her arrival, she had not seen any. The grulla had caught passing glimpses of other horses, but never interacted with any of them. Of course, she knows she will be forced to socialize with her new family sooner or later, but she finds herself in no particular rush to get to know them. Even now, as she lays beneath the shade of a lonely palm, she can feel the first tendrils of loneliness and despair creeping in, caressing the back of her mind, a silent reminder that she is alone and she always will be. She may surround herself with others, may take a modicum of comfort, basking in their presence, but deep down, she knows she will never truly be one with this herd. Someone, something, will sweep her away, or an invisible pursuer will send her running for those distant mountaintops. It is only a matter of time.

Pushing away the creeping feeling of unease, she rises to her feet, shaking off particles of sand that stubbornly cling to her coat. A thin layer of sweat, it seems, has made itself perpetually at home upon her skin. Ever since her arrival, she has been unable to stop perspiring. She wonders if it will always be this way. Perhaps, someday, she will become used to the glaring sun and the nearly unbearable heat. For now, she tolerates it as best she can.

A piercing whinny on the opposite side of the oasis catches her attention. It is not a call she has heard before, but the scent that comes her way on a gentle breeze is one she has become familiar with, despite the fact she has never met its owner. Now is your chance, she thinks, swallowing back the lump that forms in her throat. She ventures around the perimeter, bringing herself closer to the source of the beckoning call. Coming round a small group of trees and shrubs, she lays her dark eyes upon a magnificently spotted mare. She has an air of dominance and superiority about her. Sensing this, the grulla lowers her head, muzzle outstretched as she approaches. Their noses barely meet in a brief greeting, a silent hello, the grulla exchanging breaths with the herd's dominant mare. "Hello," she states as she backs up a few paces, "I'm Winchester."

three. warlander. female. grulla.
the dunes. childless, loverless. pippa.