Every piece of information Gabbar gave her concerning the Dunes was processed with her complete attention. Where he glanced and pointed to Avangeline looked to and studied the landscape as he explained the various areas she would be of most use. This place was very different than the valley she had been born into, but somehow it felt right. Whether it was the topography itself or the inclusion in something and the promise of a herd structure Avangeline could not say. The reason behind the sensation was not focused on as much as the fulfilment which swelled inside her with each step she took. She felt as if she was traveling light, stepping on clouds rather than through hot, sun-soaked sand.
In the evening when the sun set, Avangeline would have to take time to pray to her goddess and thank her for delivering her to these sands. This endless place of light was surely the closest she could hope to be to the blessed deity who she served (regardless of whether or not she feared her origins were lies and there was something severely wrong within her which could not decode the truth).
Avangeline’s ear flicked as Gabbar mentioned the location of the smaller oasis, a second location the herd could gather, and collecting Evaline; the other mare of their trio herd, who Avangeline was excited to meet. She had spent years avoiding everyone if she was not alongside Al-Hattaal and now she found she could not wait to strike out and be a proper member of the Dunes; Avangeline did not want Gabbar to regret deciding to offer her shelter and safety among his sands.
The mention of the shore closest Crossing Isle drew her gaze toward it, thinking how she’d climbed onto the sand with saltwater dribbling from her coat without expecting Salem to yield anything new. A smile quirked the corner of her lips and she swept her gaze toward the sky, skirting around from starting directly into the sun but still glancing a few rays. Her goddess worked in mysterious ways.
Back to Gabbar her attention returned and she nodded (as she had been doing) at his explanations while mentally filing it away to continuously drill into her head to be certain she remembered it all. Their eyes met when he looked her way at last and Avangeline found herself smiling, which was a good feeling to have after all this time of uncertainty and loneliness.
“I’m…” How could she put it into words? Avangeline trailed off, clearly thinking of what she wanted to say before she exhaled in a happy breath, “fulfilled.” Her eyes glittered almost the same as her coat shone, a changed horse from the one who’d come onto the beach before they’d met. “I’ve been at these islands for four years now,” though her smile was lost (as her story was not a completely joyous one), her voice didn’t particularly waver and sadness did not steal her gleam as she explained why his offer of home and sentry meant as much to her as it did. “I have only left Crossing Isle once and it was to see a friend who soon vanished. When I came to the islands it was not of my own free will; I washed ashore and when I awoke, I was lost and could not remember traveling here. The only friends I’ve ever had are gone. I never knew this was exactly what I needed until you offered it to me. A purpose.”
She watched Gabbar with gentility in her expression. Her smile shifted in that hopeful way; as if she worried she may be rejected for saying what needed said. “A new friend.”
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