BE MY FRIEND, HOLD ME
WRAP ME UP, UNFOLD ME

Priya had been withdrawn. Even when she first joined the Dunes herd she had been quiet and somewhat shy, but now she hung even further on the fringes of the herd, usually just close enough to keep someone in sight so she wouldn’t lose them. Occasionally she thought about talking to one of them, but the prospect always seemed so tiring after consideration – and Priya was already so tired.

She stood there in the darkness, staring into the nothingness in the distance. It was peaceful at night, when she couldn’t feel the sad stares from the other mares burning into the back of her head. She sighed as the cool air of the night washed over her like water.

A sound made her stir. Curved ears flicking, Priya turned her head: footsteps – hooves pressing into the soft sand. A prick of fear made her stomach twinge, and she squinted in the darkness to locate whoever approached her. She stiffened, ready to run, but to her surprise it was not a stranger that emerged from the shadows.

“Aadhira?” she said quietly, taking a step towards him as he wandered further into the Dunes.

But he was not alone. Priya froze again at the sight of the companion at his side. A mare who looked a lot like him, save for their colouring – was this the sister he had mentioned? Her dark eyes went wide in both apprehension and interest – she had never seen twins in the flesh before. But it was Aadhira who her gaze went back to, and for the first time since she had said goodbye to her daughter, the smallest of smiles crawled across her lips.

“Aadhira,” she repeated, a little louder this time, ensuring she had got his attention. “You came.”

priya
marwari . blue roan . 13.2hh