It felt like much more time had passed since she met Shamwari on the Crossing. A lot had happened in the short few months since she arrived at the islands, and she felt as though she had begun an entirely new life from the one she left on the mainland. In many ways, she had, but the passage of time still caught her off guard every time she realized it had not actually been several years since she made the swim.

Even since coming to the Ridge, time moved differently. It felt like she had been here for weeks, but it had only been two days. She had slept and recovered since arriving, and now she explored the territory, starting from the lake in the valley and fanning outward. She was following a narrow trail along the top of one of the spines of the Ridge when she heard Shamwari’s call somewhere below her, and her ears swiveled forward to pinpoint his location. She had not been that far down yet, so the black mare was careful as she picked her way down the steep incline. She slipped through the dense trees, bouncing over fallen branches or tangles of vines too thick to step through that she just didn’t feel like walking around. Soon the ocean glittered through the trees, and Faolain saw a stretch of beach she had not known was there. Shamwari’s chestnut frame stood at the edge of the trees, waiting, and Faolain spilled gracefully out of the flora in front of him with a friendly nicker.

"Shamwari," she said. "Welcome." She bobbed her head to him in greeting. Faolain was not one for small talk, and though her lack of pleasantries might have seemed rude, her body language was relaxed and friendly. She was glad he had responded to her message by coming to speak in person; Faolain was very new to the business of defending a territory in a herd, and was inexperienced as a leader. Shamwari had struck her as a good example of a leader, though she hardly knew him, and even if they did not come to an agreement for an alliance, Faolain knew this meeting would be valuable. She wanted to learn more than anything.

"Thank you for making the swim to meet with me," she said, turning toward the shade of the trees. Not far away, a narrow stream babbled down the hillside to feed into the sea, and she made sure Shamwari had the opportunity to drink if he wanted to. "I am, unfortunately, very new to politics. In truth, I would still like to discuss an alliance, but I know that even if we are not successful in that endeavor I will still learn from this discussion." She hoped her honesty did not turn him off to the possibility of working together, but she preferred that he know the extent of her intentions. She had always favored transparency, and especially now with so many changes in her life, it felt good to stick to something familiar.