Mariael offered Persephone a genial smile and a small, thankful nod of her head. “I appreciate it.” More than she could say, in fact. This was the first time Mariael had ever touched Luthien, having been warned again and again to never travel there during her youth. Her eyes drew toward the eruption of forest at Persephone’s back and she twitched her ears, soaking in the song of birds chirping. She soaked in the tranquility for only a moment before her attention returned to her fellow queen.
“Your home is beautiful, Persephone. This is the first time I’ve ever traveled to Luthien.” The colors here were so vivid in comparison to the subtle color palette Tinuvel offered. The greens were so rich and in so many shades. “I’ll be sure to take you up on your offer in the future.”
She smiled a little wider, thinking of a planned trip with her siblings. The three of them had never traveled off Tinuvel together. It’d be nice… they could come together and tell Zevulun the stories Nephilim had told them of his first few months in the Forest. For the most part they weren’t nice memories, most of their father’s foalhood memories weren’t, but they were what his children had of him… so they’d do.
Shifting in place, Mariael moved and felt the soft, sore beginnings of an ache in her limbs from her prior swims. Tinuvel to Salem, Salem to Luthien. It’d be good to rest for a while, eat, drink, and then head home to the Bay. If she were even smarter, Mariael might rest overnight before beginning her journey – but the Bay called to her. Only once in her life had she spent nights away from it and every evening when she’d slept it was Tinuvel she dreamed of returning to.
“I’ll only be awhile,” Mariael said, knowing Persephone was off to handle her own plans and not wanting to delay her longer. “Just a small rest before the long swim home.”
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