The girls stood together, soaked in their shared warmth and their ears filled with the steady ebb and pull of the sea’s tide. Maziel brushed her nose idly along Mariael’s hair, stirring her mane and gently tugging little knots clean from it here and there. Her sister put too much pressure on herself, Maziel thought, but quickly recognized this was a very common thought she had about Mariael. This had been the way of their life since they were little, spindly-legged and unsure. Though only days apart in birth, Mariael had quickly taken it upon herself to be Maziel’s protector and advocate, making herself responsible for any harm that came to Maziel. She couldn’t convince her sister then to stop worrying, she doubted she ever would.
Still, a part of her knew what Mariael meant. Their life had been filled by sorrows and tragedy since their birth – the same with Zevulun’s, too. If Maziel was one to think poorly, she might have wondered if their father’s children were meant for lives of sorrow – for he’d been a child of the same. But as Maziel often preferred to look on the lighter side of things, the only thing she could take from it was that all the sorrows they faced brought them closer together. That was something good, wasn’t it?
The approach of someone brought both girls from their position of leaning on one another, though not in a startled way – both Maziel and Mariael lifted and turned their heads toward the approach. Maziel could not help but smile as the familiar scent of Paradiso filled her nostrils. It seemed such a natural thing for her to smile these days any time he was near…
Mariael looked briefly from Maziel’s smile to Paradiso’s expression and fought away a natural urge to smile herself. Though she’d yet to have experienced romance – only sharing fleeting moments of attraction for stallions – she knew enough to understand what emotions might be shared between her sister and Paradiso.
“You’re not interrupting at all.” Mariael replied, stepping away from Maziel and looking more fully at Paradiso. “In fact, I needed to speak with you. I visited the Inlet twice, first in the beginning of spring to find it completely abandoned and then again to find a new stallion had settled there. Your sister appears to have left, perhaps when
Orkaan was no longer around.” Mariael paused briefly. “I need to visit Salem soon to seek alliance and was thinking of traveling to the territory your mother lives in… the Dunes, was it?” Mariael paused briefly. “If you’d like to accompany me when I go, you’re more than welcome… although I also need to make a trip to Luthien to tell your brother of Vita Nova.”
An idea occurred, just then, as Mariael spoke. “What if…” her voice was soft and gentle and she trailed off just briefly, almost worried she would be turned down. Still, the warmth of Paradiso nearby intermingled with his scent was such a comfort, she pushed forward. “What if Paradiso and I go on one of these journeys? Together…” Her cheeks felt warm and she smiled just briefly before tucking her head down, brown hair tumbling over her milky eyes. “If he’d want to… that is.”
Mariael looked at her sister – who often didn’t volunteer to travel as she still held a slight fear of the sea from the time it swept her away – and then at Paradiso. “That would be immensely helpful.” Mariael admitted. “Would you be willing, Paradiso? I’d hate to put you out in any way. You could decide where you and Maziel travel to.” A touch of mischievousness brightened Mariael’s gaze, but she did everything she could to stand and remain impassive, as if she were completely clueless of their attraction toward one another and only needed them to help run political errands for her.
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