Meadow

She’s not actually breaking any rules. She isn’t sneaking off on her own, she’s with her father. He just may not know it. Izizel isn’t sure that they would have let her leave Tinuvel so close to winter, but her new friend Io that she and her mother had met in the falls is still very much on her mind. She wants to see if she can find the mare again and find out whether Io is going to visit the Bay this winter.

She swims to the Crossing in her father’s wake, not drawing attention to herself in case he would prefer she stay with her mother. She lets the sounds of his body moving cover her own, though she’s small enough that the noise she makes may still not be noticeable. Her heart races, both at the thought of getting caught and the prospect of having a day with her father, who is one of her idols.

Zevulun doesn’t go into the falls, which presents a predicament for Izizel. Does she head off on her own and risk getting in real trouble or stick with her father and resort to hoping that Io will make her way to Tinuvel? Because her father is moving so fast, she only has a second to make her decision, and it turns out to not be as hard as she’d feared. She’s not quite brave enough to be by herself, whether or not her parents would be mad at her for it.

She only remembers to shake herself off when she sees drops flying off her as she trots after her father. Her blue eyes are wide as she looks around the meadow; she’s never been here before. Sunrises are certainly nicer here than at home, where the sun is either blocked by trees or bounces off rocks. She’s so focused on taking everything in that she misses the figure that draws Zevulun’s attention.

She startles slightly when she hears his voice, afraid that he’s talking to her and that she’s busted. There aren’t any places to hide here, so she is sure to stay back once she spots the stranger. This isn’t like the situation with Io, where she and her mother had been in the falls and all parties had been known from the start. She still isn’t sure if her father knows she’s tailed him and she’s equally unsure whether he would send her home if he were to become aware of her. For now, she’s willing to be an observer until she can be sure her presence would be welcomed.