Though she had both willingly provided them with solitude and also snickered speculatively with Faolain about what sort of activities might follow the golden pair’s race down the beach, Çiçek’s news was met with no less surprise. And though both Iscariot and the spotted mare were now standing far enough away that she might have raced away, the silver bay remained paralyzed where she stood. Joy for her friend warred with fear for the possibility of losing her, no matter how remote - and it certainly had to be a dim possibility, right? Because the dunalino had always seemed so happy here, basking in the warmth provided by both the sun and her Guardians’ company. Blooming like the flowers that she favored - a bright jewel amidst the mundane. It was no wonder that Solomon had come to her, or that Rivaini had felt herself opening up to the mare’s affections as well - reluctantly at first, but with increasing enthusiasm as they shared laughters and light-hearted words.
Çiçek wouldn’t leave. She couldn’t.
Iscariot sensed more than saw the turmoil of emotions that pulsed just beneath the red mare’s quivering skin. They had always been close, and over time he had come to know, intuitively, when she needed him - sometimes even when they were far enough apart that she evaded his tangible senses. And so the perlino stepped in smoothly, the gentle brush of his tail flicking on her thigh striving to both comfort and encourage. “From what I understand, you won’t be alone,” he said wryly, his ears twitching briefly in the direction of the jungle clearing that he’d shared with Akadi and Roison for an afternoon. “Sio’s girls mentioned that they might have a brother or sister in the spring.” Iscariot’s voice was slightly wistful when he spoke; considering what it might have been like to have the ability to play with foals his own age when he was younger. Before he and Rivaini had become so close, he’d simply watched the others’ joy in mournful silence.
Animation returned to Rivaini’s features at this pronouncement, and she turned her head slightly to glance at her brother and frown. Not at the pale stallion, but at her own lack of knowledge. She had seen Siobhan and her family in passing, of course, but the taciturn Guardian didn’t truly know them. It was too easy to lose herself in the jungle, evading all but those most determined to share her company - such as Çiçek. Solitude had been in the silver bay’s nature for so long that she struggled to change it, and had left Faolain to shoulder the brunt of any diplomacy or charisma their assumed roles required. Which wasn’t fair to the dark mare, of course. “Knowing Sio, it’ll be at least two before the spring is over,” Rivaini proclaimed, referring of course to the mare’s habit of taking in those who had been abandoned or displaced. It was a testament to Siobhan’s kindness - and the muscular mare felt even more ashamed for her recent selfishness. If anything, she should be out there extending the offer to any who needed refuge. Seclusion would not bring life to the Ridge.
In any case, she managed to recapture her earlier smile with some effort - and the aid of a little teasing, of course. “Had I known my touch was going to have such an effect on you, I might’ve thought twice about leaving you two alone,” Rivaini chuckled, tossing her pale mane and eyeing the feathers Çiçek had been investigating warily. Perhaps, if she managed to steer the conversation in a direction that distracted the golden mare, she could prolong the inevitable long enough to avoid it entirely. “But you haven’t shared any details, Çi. Who did all the wooing? And was he any good?” Despite her leading questions, the only flicker of interest that the Andalusian mare felt was when she edged close enough to her spotted companion to feel the warmth of her skin. Solomon was handsome enough, she supposed, but he just didn’t call to her in the same way that Faolain or Çiçek did. Her heart wasn’t his, and at the moment she couldn’t imagine space for anything beyond what she shared with the two mares - and, in a different way, her brother.
Unlike Çiçek’s, her heart was not boundless. But those whom she loved, she loved so powerfully that it was a frightening thing. Rivaini hated to be as vulnerable as she was to the moods and whims of those dearest to her - so it was a fortunate thing that she could live in certainty that none of them would ever harm her.
ISCARIOT & RIVAINI
i can see your light |