Meadow

as she explains herself, dahlia feels a hot flush of stupid embarrassment… she is irritated she had forced herself down the path toward him, knowing she would likely only earn his scowl. it is why, when he turns to see her, she takes a timid step back only expecting a look of stinging reproach and irritated speech. instead his eyes rise to meet her openly and without the look of judgement she had expected. her heart gives an uncertain lurch and she chides herself…. why does he have this affect on her?

only a moment later he scoffs, though quietly, and she sees a flash of something in his blue eyes… it is not anger, she doesn’t think… irritation? confusion? she does not know him well enough to guess but can only assume it would be followed by a dismissal of her apology… or by him leaving altogether. he had not been blatantly rude to her yet, truly, but perhaps it is because she feels some quiet desperate yearning for his approval that she braces herself for the worst.

dahlia is truly surprised then, when only silence hangs on the air between them and he makes no move at all. she tips her head, ever slightly, in his direction, warm dark eyes regarding him with a vulnerable curiosity. her ears rise cautiously from their position of confusion, half rested in the crown of soft white mane between them, and focus their attention fully on the sound of his voice. she shivers, but not from the soft chill of the night air, as he blows out a breath… though her heart has shielded itself, expecting his rebuke, she takes a timid step forward, encouraged.

the small golden mare listens intently as he finally is able to put into words an explanation she hadn’t anticipated… she lets her soft brown eyes drift away from his face, though they seem inexplicably drawn to the paleness of his eyes and the way his lips part and close searching for words, wishing to relieve any pressure he might feel from them. her body is frozen in a pleasant quiet eternity, relishing the way for the first time all day he speaks to her with a soft sense of kindness. she feels a bashful smile tug at her lips, though she fights it, as he refers to the friendship of his brother and their adventure, and when she finally succumbs she turns her head away, wishing for the moment that she had the easy beauty of her twin.

dahlia lets the smile slip away, and it is easy, as she thinks of her disfigurement. though it is only a slight deformation, she cannot help thinking it is worse than it is. she tries to think of something, anything, to say that would not end the fragile conversation they teetered on the edge of but she, like raziel, was not usually the one doing the talking… she dips her golden head, nodding in quiet agreement, though somewhat sadly. it would be a nice memory, and that was likely all. she mourned for a moment, the prospect of their future friendship. ”you are a good brother.” when her own dark lips part again, some moments later, she can only think of the warmth she sees shining in his blue eyes as he regards her…she forgets ramiel then, remembering all her stolen glances back the pale and “prickly” brother who stands before her now. with an even quieter voice, she offers gently,”i will remember this too… speaking to you here.”