Meadow

Rivaini

So much had changed in such a short period of time that it left Rivaini feeling disoriented - and a little lost. It didn’t help that she had scarcely seen Iscariot since escorting the pale stallion safely to Atlantis. Her brother had always been the foundation of the silver bay’s world, but she sensed that the order of things was shifting; changed by the presence of the dark mare who had turned their twosome into a triangle. Not that Faolain’s presence was unwelcome, or her company unappreciated - on the contrary, Rivaini had come to develop strong feelings for the Akhal-Teke mare. Too strong. It was overwhelming for the Andalusian-blooded mare who had always sought to keep a careful distance from strangers, both physically and emotionally. Suddenly - though she was alone atop one of the Ridge’s various spines, watching the slow descent of the sun - Rivaini needed space. She needed to breathe, and put the crumbling infrastructure of her world back in order.

In a sudden transition from stillness to motion, Rivaini flowed down the mountainside like a stream of water, her pale mane and tail fanning out behind her. And though the terrain was treacherous, not once did the henna-colored mare break stride, even when the waves rose to claw at her limbs. Rivaini surrendered to their embrace willingly, rejoicing in the sudden weightlessness of her body when her hooves left the sandy bottom and began to strike out in sure and powerful strokes. As much as she loved her new home - and those who shared it with her - this was true freedom. And rocked by the gentle arms of the sea, the white-touched mare knew what it was that she sought. One night beneath the stars in the meadow. One more sunrise as a stranger with no duties, no burdens.

Then she would return to embrace in earnest the mantle that Faolain had asked for her to share.

Rivaini did not pause to catch her breath when she arrived on the Crossing’s eastern shore, though neither did the silver bay press herself to go any quicker than a steady walk. After feeling so harried by the constant changes in her life, it was nice to travel slowly, enjoying the sights and smells that surrounded her on this cool summer’s evening as she emerged into the open span of grass that formed the Meadow. With great delight, Rivaini noted that the sky overhead was clear for once, and finally stopped to enjoy the sight of the brilliant pinpoints of light that twinkled overhead. She was just contemplating where the stars hid during the day when a soft voice was carried to her ears by the gentle breeze. Adib, the wolf. Aldebaran, the follower… The mare’s blue eyes probed the darkness, and finally located the source of the words by the dots of white scattered across her body - as if she was a reflection of the heavens above.

Without making a conscious decision, Rivaini found herself approaching the mare, a gentle nicker offered to warn the other of her proximity. The silver bay stopped while there was still the length of another horse’s body between them, her head listing slightly to one side as she regarded the stranger with genuine curiosity. “Forgive my interruption,” she began with a wry smile and a respectful dip of her head. “But I heard what you were saying, and I had to come and ask. Those names - are they the names of stars?” Rivaini’s voice was quiet, scarcely louder than a gentle murmur - softened by the wonder that she felt deep within herself.

But after a brief pause, she remembered the formalities she’d forgotten in her eagerness, and felt the warm flush of blood pooling in her cheeks as she hastened to correct the oversight. “Oh, I’m Rivaini. Are you new to the islands?” From what Rivani had come to stand, most of those who lingered on the Crossing were. But the feminine creature beside her was easily pretty enough to be a trinket of the Lagoon, and also appeared strong and self-assured enough to be a Vulcan of the Peak. And though the silver bay hoped to remain apart from the politics that had entangled most of the isles, it was always best to know what she might be getting herself into when facing the unknown.

mare / five / silver bay tobiano / andalusian mix / 15.3hh