as I wandered the forest, the green leaves among, i heard a wild flower singing a song

the mild winter had been fairly pleasant on the prairie, the grass remaining in good condition beneath the thin layers of snow that would fall every so often and the spirit of the herd generally happy and content. while she did not interact often with anyone but shamwari, she hadn’t tried to avoid anyone either. she knew most of their names, the young ones, though they are not much younger than she in reality, ostara and paradiso, and then bri, the quiet mare that seemed friendly but shy. from a distance they were like books that lay unread, familiar and comforting on the shelf but full of new things and surprises once opened. she had always been nervous interacting with others, scared of being shunned by other mares and desperate not to be objectified by males. it sometimes made her come off as aloof and unapproachable but she had tried her best to seem humble and friendly despite these worries. she was growing desperate for some excitement, the cold dullness of winter wearing on her nerves. she had decided that, come spring, she would depart her home and venture around the islands, not sure what to look for but excited for a change.

she was particularly eager for a stir that morning, having spent the night shivering alone in her usual spot, where she could blend in among the tall grasses and reeds bordering the shore. she set out to the more lush area of the prairie, further in, to search for her days meal. it was overcast and soggy, the chill heavy enough in the air that she felt stifled as she moved quietly toward tender forage. from this spot she grazed, circling here and there, her lips plucking delicately at the tufts of grass that still smelled promising. she spent most of the morning this way, halfway content to fill her stomach and stare longingly toward the sea. she noticed a familiar form grazing in the distance and after some time it had grown considerably closer. she recognized the pale thin mare easily but she couldn’t tell, due the nonchalant manner in which she had covered the distance between them, whether she intended to approach her or not. a wash of nervousness flooded over her, unsure of what to do or say and so she dropped her head to the ground, pretending not to have seen, and continued eating. soon however, she noticed the mare drawing even closer, nearly within reach, and she could hear the blood thumping wildly in her ears. as a child, she would have run away, disappearing in the woods for hours until her mother could draw her back out, but that was no way to behave now. she was grateful, truly, that she would finally get to meet another member of the herd, but she can’t help but wonder if this mare would come to despise her as everyone else had in her young life other than shamwari.

she notices the mare smile, soft and inviting and she can’t help but return the gesture. she doesn’t move closer but lifts her head from the grass and clears her throat, unsure of what to say. finally, her own icy blue eyes drifting down to the ground, she speaks softly, her voice almost a whisper.

hello, i’m petal…and, and i suppose you’re bri? it seems silly we’ve been here together for so long and still haven’t crossed paths.

she feels strange for talking so much all at once, and even stranger still when she realizes that she wouldn’t get a true answer in return… she had heard that bri wasn’t able to speak so she wasn’t sure what exactly to do next. she dreaded appearing rude or cold so she just kept a gentle and attentive expression and lifted her eyes toward the mare, unsure how to proceed.

p e t a l

mare : 3 : perlino dun : arabian mustang mutt : 13.3 : kafkaesque
s t o c k ~ l u m b e - s t o c k @ d e v i a n t a r t