The world seemed so old
Careless and cold
“Dro!” Tigerlily stumbled ashore, exhausted from fighting the currents, and her call seemed to echo across the still and silent beach, and beyond. The slight mare, hardly more than a filly, really, turned back and scrutinised the waves, searching. But she knew she wouldn’t see her brothers. They had been ahead of her. With a snort, she turned back to the empty beach, and her aching muscles and racing heart made it easy to ignore the worry that had begun to gnaw at her in the pit of her stomach.
She had been born on the mainland, so everything here was foreign, though this didn’t bother her much. Her emotions were still raw from the parting of ways with her mother, and with Dances. He hadn’t even looked back at her when she’d said her goodbye. It was like she meant nothing to him; there was always someone or something more important than her. At least she wasn’t alone, though – she knew her brothers would never abandon her.
However, presently, it seemed they must have come ashore further to the east. There were no recent hoofprints or churned up sand that indicated recent arrivals. And no answering call had come back to her. Suddenly very much aware of how vulnerable she was, Tigerlily darted forwards, using up wat little energy she had regained, and she cried out again, her voice a little more ragged, a little more desperate. “Jude!” No sound come back to her, except for the crashing of the waves, and soon that got to be too much for her. Slowly, she crept further inland, her head raised high, pale face alert despite the slump of her shoulders. Tired as she was, she was ready to run, though she’d not make it far in her condition. After several minutes she came to a halt, a heavy sigh escaping her. Glancing around, she murmured under her breath, and while her blue eyes shone hopefully, her words were touched with anxiety. “Anyone?”
T I G E R L I L Y
We did what we were told.
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