Falls

Kore had let her feelings consume her only a few times in her short life. As the daughter of nobility, certain things were expected of her: propriety, etiquette, and maintaining a pristine reputation, for starters, not to mention the constant work of supporting the group. Demeter was revered amongst the locals of their herd, having found solace in Nysa amongst the common folk instead of hiding away in the gilded expanses of Olympus, and her daughter would be the same. If her dam had had her way, Kore would still be back at home, alongside her, doing the same boring things and living the same boring, quiet life. It wasn’t a bad fate, on its face, but at the time, it seemed like the worst fate for her. The heaviness of the expectations placed upon her smothered her like a thick down blanket.

It was allowing herself to feel that had gotten her into this mess. Had she not snuck out alone to brood by the water’s edge, she might not have been swept away. The power of it - of feeling, fully and deeply, and her whole life irrevocably changing because of it - terrified the small mare, and yet… something about it made her blood run hot and her heart soar.

Ember’s soft laughter broke her once more out of her reverie. At first, she was disappointed - the bay knew about as much as she did, answering none of her questions with anything to help her get her bearings, but the cadence of her voice, the way she spoke of spirits, of belonging, didn’t frustrate her as it normally would. The sincerity in the way she spoke, the quiet certainty… it felt nothing like the all-knowing haughtiness of the Fates, more palatable. At Ember’s suggestion, Kore laughed; her high voice chimed like bells on the breeze, and she felt lighter. “I think I’d like that. I am not so used to being alone, just yet, and I could use a friend.” It was hard for her to go from constant monitoring and surveillance to… absolute freedom. Not even a day alone and it felt, to her, like a lifetime. She needed a distraction from her thoughts.

Her eyes lifted, scanning the horizon. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen an oasis this big, and so cold this time of year.” It was true: everywhere she looked, tender new growth rose from the remnants of winter, laced with the remainders of early morning frost. Back home, by Springtime, the rains would have ceased and the frost would have changed to dew, and the landscape of the oasis would have turned impossibly lush, trying to beat the ever-encroaching heat of summer. “I wonder how long it stretches for.” Her delicate head turned back towards her companion’s, eyes glittering to match the smirk dancing upon her lips.

“Shall we find out?”