 As soon as he stepped into the freezing water, Argento regretted his decision. The young stallion shivered violently for a good portion of his swim, and even when his muscles warmed from exertion and his tremors subsided, exhaustion began to weigh him down. The journey was longer than he'd expected, and it was not often he worked the muscles needed to keep himself afloat. They burned and cramped as though begging for him to stop, and his body began to feel as though it weighed a ton. Just as Argento was beginning to wonder whether he would die out here in the middle of the ocean, he spied a misty rise of land between the waves and began swimming with renewed vigor.
He arrived on the beach shaken and spent, but no longer regretting his decision. Luthien sprawled out before him like an eerie labyrinth, with naked trees clawing the misty grey sky as far as the eye could see. It looked haunted, as though it was inhabited by nothing by the ghosts of the dead, and Argento's blood sang with adrenaline as he made his way up the rocky beach. To keep himself warm while his coat dried, the young stallion wandered along the edge of the treeline in search of fresh water, snatching tufts of yellowed grass as he went. Soon enough he found what he was looking for: a tiny stream trickling over mossy rocks, which collected in a small pool and spilled over onto the sand, where it became one with the sea. Argento drank from the pool until his thirst was slaked, then wandered some more.
He spent an hour or so travelling the border of the territory, but found no recent trace of equine life. The day was waning, and he knew that soon he would need to retreat into the trees to find shelter, but he was in no rush to do that. If he was going to meet the guardian of this land, he would rather do it out here on the open beach, where he could retreat back into the water if need be. He reasoned that if this place was still inhabited, one of its residents would be passing through this region before dusk, to check for intruders like himself on their last patrol of the day. And if not, at the very least his scent would reach them and lure them out of hiding.
After enjoying a good roll, Argento splayed out on the sand to rest his weary body, completely at ease. The uncertainty of his situation was oddly liberating. He lived for adventure, after all.
ARGENTO
2; EE Aa nLP nSpl nPATN2; friesian mix; 16.1hh |