Meadow

Jusket slept fitfully. Jola watched him twitch to half-consciousness, then relax back into his nightmares before he truly woke. The pink mare sighed, flicking her pale tail against her side. She worried for him, and for herself. Was this how she would sleep? She had only slept once so far at these islands, after the swim. Exhaustion chased away whatever nightmares might have haunted her. Now it seemed certain she would never sleep as well as that first night. Jola hummed softly to herself.

They stood under one of the few trees dotted around the meadow of flowers. Late autumn had turned all of the leaves red or orange, but many of them were trampled underfoot now. The leaves that remained on the tree blocked the sun just enough for Jusket to doze. The dappling of sun over his speckled coat almost made him look purple. As the pale mare examined his coat, the stallion jerked again and finally left the confines of sleep. His brown eyes swung to meet hers. "Why didn't you wake me?" he asked gruffly, moving to press closer against her. As if that would rid himself of whatever world he had just been in.

"The more rest we get, the better," she answered matter-of-factly. Then she sighed and turned to bump muzzles with him. "Sorry. I thought it would be best." She truly didn't mean any harm, and he knew that. He muttered, "it's ok," and blinked against the daylight as he stretched his neck. This was their life now. They stood in companionably silence, watching other horses and the dying flowers.