Meadow

Rivaini

Scarcely a year had passed since Rivaini’s arrival, but in that time she had been so profoundly altered that she could scarcely recognize herself. Before, she would never have imagined extending the sphere of her comfort beyond the special connection she’d always shared with her brother. But now, the silver bay shared an affectionate friendship with Faolain - a bond that was different from the blood ties she shared with Iscariot, and yet just as deep and cherished. And while she couldn’t hope for that sort of fulfillment from everyone she encountered, the pale-maned mare was also learning that that didn’t detract from the value of their company. She had known Bondurant only briefly, but the spotted stallion had helped to define the values she now held. In the same manner, Rivaini knew that the memory of Zarya would also have a profound impact on her.

She had never before been accepted at face value, and offered the same in turn. No questions, no doubts, no reluctance. Rivaini gave of her true self, and in return she was given not the rejection she feared, but the acceptance that she longed for. Not as Iscariot’s sibling or the Ridge’s ruler or even a woman whose heart was yet untethered, but as the individual whom she was.

“You’re right,” Rivaini acknowledged ruefully, tossing the silver strands of her forelock out of one blue eye. “But it feels like you can lose yourself in the journey. It’s good to know that some things will always be as they are - a beacon in the darkness of your uncertainties. Much like the stars.” The blue roan had given her a new appreciation for a sight that she could never tire of, but Rivaini only had eyes for her companion now that their hearts and minds stand open between them. She was just considering the truths such a candid conversation with Faolain might reveal when Zarya’s gentle prompt filled her ears.

On the surface, it was an easy question. But the auburn mare contemplated it for a long moment, breathing deeply of the crisp night air. How could she describe the beauty that Atlantis had offered to a stranger who might never have seen its like before? “It’s like another world. Being there makes you feel as if there aren’t nearly enough words for the shades of green, though there are other colors as well - all of them so bright that at times, they don’t seem real.” She glanced around at the open space that surrounded them, and continued. “If you prefer open spaces, it might not be for you,” she admitted, working hard to conceal the note of regret that sought to creep into her voice. She would have loved to show Zarya her home, but was not about to impose on her companion’s free will. “In some places, the trees grow so closely together that you cannot see the sky. But where I live, you can climb the spine of the mountain, and once you are there you can see everything. On a clear day, you can see all the way to the Lagoon just south of here. And on a clear night, I expect you could count every star in the sky.”

Rivaini reoriented herself, edging closer and aligning her body so that they - the Arabian and the Andalusian - now stood side by side. “I have never gone up there at night before - you can’t see the land below you when it’s dark. But it didn’t occur to me that there is more than one perspective, more to see than the places you’ve already been. I think I know what my plans for tomorrow night will be.” The only question that remained was whether she would ask Faolain or Iscariot to join her. But when she considered it, the russet mare suspected that she would save that for the future. For the first time that she looked upon the stars from the spine of Atlantis, she wanted her thoughts to be filled with the friend that she had made here tonight. She wanted Zarya to be there with her, if only in spirit.

Perhaps if she could learn the names of the stars, their memory would be forever tied to the blue roan. Perhaps she would be able to close her eyes, and remember how it had felt to bask in the warm glow of the starlit woman’s acceptance, and feel her gentle touch. “Tell me more about the stars,” she murmured. “I don’t think I could ever name them as well as you, but perhaps you could show me your favorites.”

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