She couldn’t take it any longer. In just two seasons she would be two years old and her curiosity was only growing greater. Each day that passed that didn’t bring her the harm she’d been warned against; Idelle began to think it must have been a lie. She was an adolescent, but she wanted to think herself fully grown. Wandering the Crossing wasn’t as wondrous when it had been her home this whole time (even if it was the shadows which had been where she’d lived with mother); Idelle craved something more.

She wanted to know why the horses swam away to those looming, shadowed shapes lurking on the line of the horizon. Those who came and left, came and left, day after day after day. Eavesdropping on conversations taught her the names, though not much else; Tinuvel, Atlantis, Salem, and Luthien. Crossing Isle. What else could those islands hold that she knew not of? Surely mother must be lying concerning the evils of this world…

The desire to know grew too great. Instead of striking up a conversation with a stranger she watched come from the surf, Idelle decided she would learn of the world’s mysteries herself. She wanted to be bold, to explore, to return home to mother and tell her all of what she saw and how nothing terrible had befallen her while she was gone. Idelle didn’t realize that a trip to one of the islands would encompass at least an entire day, nor did she understand the strain of swimming such a distance would have on her. She envisioned she’d be gone for an hour or two, mother would worry, but then Idelle would find her and tell her all of the wonderful things she’d seen and how nothing terrible had happened.

She swam, not knowing where she was going, only kicking her legs out and trying to keep her head above water as she did. It was scary to not have solid ground underneath her; her heart pounded hard in her chest, nostrils flared and lips clamped tightly shut. She was shaky when she finally climbed onto the beach, the heat of the bright midday sun soaking into her dark, wet coat. Her sides heaved, her neck turned and she cast a curious look back where she had come. Now it was Crossing Isle which was a far, far distant shadow that she could hardly even see… and she stood on… Idelle looked forward, seeing rolling sand as though the beach stretched for miles upon miles ahead.

She had no idea where she was.

Nervousness trickled down her spine, but Idelle became determined. She was far too tired to swim again and she wouldn’t dare swim back to Crossing Isle without a story. Plus, she was thirsty and could not very well drink the ocean water. There had to be a freshwater source somewhere nearby… right?

Idelle began to walk, the white star on her forehead and her four white socks bright against the black of her coat; of course her socks and hooves were soon coated in gold-brown sand, but the star stayed ever-bright. Thirty minutes passed without her finding any source of freshwater. She was hungry now and still very, very thirsty. She felt as though she was draining slowly, the sun shining so bright and unforgivingly down on her body. Her head hung, tail flat against her haunches, and ears splayed out to either side.

Surely… surely soon she would find sustenance…

idelle
demons born of past wrongs that hound and harrass him
one and a half year old filly. black. half-blind. sandman x cam