Meadow

The meadows had been chosen so that Nereid could not be distracted by water and to risk no chance of being taken by another stallion. It was an unspoken rule that the meadow was neutral territory and no harm could be done here. Not all equines were honourable and could breach the code of conduct but Nereid trusted in the land enough to visit.

Shaking the last remnants of water from her coat, the gray mare gazed across the mostly empty field. She had chosen an early enough time of day where few equines had awoken from Hypnos grasp. It was her intent to be gone before Apollo reached the apex of the sky and when most equine were about doing their daily business. She wanted a moment away from the Dunes but did not want to be bombarded with company. Two was a company and three was a crowd in her books.

Gliding in the direction of an empty patch of grass, Nereid allowed herself a moment to graze. Tensions within the herd had left her unable to properly eat and it was reflected in the way she hungrily munched on new shoots. If she could see herself, her cheeks would be flushed with heat and her orbs hidden behind the long locks of her forelock. As it was, she ignored those around her to simply gorge on fresh subsistence.

It was only when her ravenous hunger was sated that Nereid looked up from the ground. Her auds swivelled and laid back when she noted a few equines gazing in her direction. Had they never seen a hungry mare before? She refused to eat a few bites just because it was proper. "May I help you? I see nothing wrong with enjoying Demeter's bountiful harvest or the last of Persephone's offering." Nereid would not be cowed by the judgement reflected in some of their orbs. She had been hungry and thus she had ate -- the god's would not want her to waste their precious gifts.

"I do not understand the social constraints of women eating barely enough to get through a day." she grumbled, turning so that her back was to the other equines. So much for keeping under the radar she thought.

SPEECH
[ code © TAG ]