If Solomon disapproved of Faolain’s position, he did a fair job hiding it. The black mare couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but there was something that felt a bit chilly in the way the painted stallion acted after that. Maybe it was how abruptly he left them, or maybe it was a combination of things. He had seemed very deliberate in his actions up until this point, but now he seemed calculated. Faolain’s eyes did not leave him as he extended an invitation of his own to Çiçek, should she not wish to stay on Atlantis. Part of Faolain appreciated the offer on Çiçek’s behalf. It was always good to have options, and she did not want the golden mare to feel trapped in the jungle if the time came for her to move on. She only hoped Solomon was as sweet and attentive at home as he was on the Crossing.

When he made to leave, the black mare extended her nose for a parting exchange of breaths, then sat back and watched his muscular form exit their little social bubble. She felt… uncomfortable, for lack of a better word. As though she had pushed him away. She took a deep breath, silently assuring herself that telling the truth had not been the incorrect move; some people were going to be unhappy with her on a fundamental level, and she had to be okay with that.

It was somewhat comforting to know she hadn’t been the only one to notice Solomon’s behavioral change. She felt the coolness in Çiçek’s energy as the other mare bid Solomon farewell, and for a long moment the pair stood in silence, watching him disappear. Could it be that Çiçek, too, disapproved of Faolain?

If she did, she had better luck hiding it than Solomon. The golden mare turned back to Faolain and there was warmth in her face and voice still. I’ve always preferred warmer climates, anyway, she said, and Faolain smiled. ”I thought I preferred the cold, until I found the Ridge,” she said. ”It has opened my eyes.”

It was with excitement and pride that Faolain led Çiçek to the sandy shores of the Crossing, happy to take the time to look at the flowers on the way. She had not really been one to appreciate flowers, but now she saw them in a different light; they made her think of the odd but overall enjoyable time she spent in the meadow with Çiçek and Solomon, and she would probably think of flowers if she ever saw Solomon again. She chuckled at that thought, assuming he would not be terribly pleased to be associated with flowers after today.

The swim was uneventful and brief, the weather on their side even as the sun began to sink low when they reached the narrow white beach of Atlantis. ”The other territories have much nicer shores,” Faolain said, turning to Çiçek after shaking herself off and stepping out of the surf. ”But we have everyone beat when it comes to lovely views.” She gestured with her head up the Ridge’s lush green incline. Walking paths spiderwebbed the dense mountainside, but the canopy was too thick to see really anything on the ground until you were right on top of it. As promised, flowers accented the verdant landscape with spatters of color, and beneath the sound of the waves one could hear the gentle cacophony of birds.

”The climb is not as bad as it looks,” she promised, watching for Çiçek’s reaction, and to gauge whether or not they should rest before continuing. ”If you are thirsty, there is a river that runs down the mountain and feeds into the ocean not far from here. At the top there is a shallow valley where the land is much flatter and easier to navigate, and a small freshwater lake.” She flicked her water-heavy tail against her spindly legs and waited, leaving it up to Çiçek how to proceed from here.