It isn’t often that Trell demands she give him space, but every time he does it feels like a shard of shale is driven into her heart.
The bay dun finds herself on another island —already noticeably different from the first she and her brother discovered— and sets out to explore it, as she has been asked to do. She gives the crescent moon beach one wide sweep with her eyes (sand, shells, driftwood, detritus) then leaves it, striding up to where the sand mingles with grass and on to something different. She sees trees. Various kinds of pines, mostly. Fine.
Kikka doesn’t need space from Trell. He is her brother, her twin; womb-kin. They’re closer than anyone. Home is at his side. She feels very lonely when they are parted, and even though it grieves her to be away from him, she understands the necessity of it. At times.
Though why they couldn’t explore these new lands together, as they have everywhere else they’ve ever gone, is beyond her. Still. She gives her small head a toss and shakes out her mane. She will do this for him. She will do it swiftly, not thoroughly, even though he will be exasperated with her when she returns, and then he will bring her back here with him while he explores this island himself. His way.
Kikka doesn’t care. She’ll follow him anywhere.
She hums to herself as she hurries between the trees. If this island is anywhere near the size of the first one, it will take her more than a day to traverse it even if she runs. She tries not to dwell on her disappointment. It’s hard. Every part of her yearns to go back, go back through the ocean and back to the shore of the island where she was last with her brother. Her chest aches to think of him without her. It’s like this every time.
Water burbling off to her left catches her ear, then her eyes as she sees it winking through the skinny trunks of the pine forest, and she abandons her initial course to go investigate, and drink. Beach, pine trees, brook, she thinks as she dunks her muzzle in the cold, cold water. The shock of it makes her jerk her head out with a startled snort before she dips her nose back toward the surface and touches her lips delicately to the frothing surface. Very cold. Kikka flips her ears outwards and braces herself to drink. |