Rivaini

Time passed more slowly without the light of her sun - but it did pass.

It was difficult for the Rivaini to admit the fragility of her heart following Çiçek’s departure - to acknowledge the hairline fissure that had formed in its wake. For that reason, the silver bay was unable to express to Iscariot how grateful she was for not only standing by her in the darkness, but dragging her out from it. Following their journey to the Crossing, the perlino stallion had watched his sibling closely, certain that she would regress once they returned to the Ridge and its wealth of memories. But as the days passed and Rivaini continued to dig in her heels against the weight of her sorrow, her brother eased his vigil, and allowed the auburn mare the solitude that she seemed to crave.

In truth, it wasn’t the absence of company that the Guardian craved so much as change. The faces that surrounded her were too familiar, the patterns of their behavior too established. Only Çiçek had shaken the foundation of Rivaini’s seclusive world, and the silver bay longed to experience again the thrills she’d felt in the golden mare’s company. However, the grief and pain that she felt were still too fresh to permit her to risk her heart again - and so Rivaini indulged in adventures of a different sort.

From atop the Ridge’s highest vantages, she had always admired the way that Atlantis unfurled beneath her. Now, she endeavored to explore every inch of it with a curiosity that seemed as boundless as her energy. In many ways, this tropical paradise was similar to the place that she’d grown up - but there were more than enough differences to hold her interest. For all that Antilla had been as green and beautiful, it had also been a lonely place; all but devoid of life outside her own kind. On the other hand, Atlantis was practically bursting with life - as if its creators had tried to condense an entire world’s worth of creatures down to a single island. Colorful parrots, shadowcats, tree-dwelling serpents, and countless other beings shared the Ridge with its equine residents - so that even when Rivaini was alone, it was difficult to feel truly lonely.

Isolation did inevitably catch up with the Andalusian mare, however. As pleasant as they might be to look upon, the Ridge’s numerous birds could not fill the aching void in its Guardian’s heart. And as summer descended - or rather, ascended, its suppressive heat creeping slowly upwards until even the higher elevations offered minimal relief - upon her home, Rivaini noted that the movements of the herd were altered, too. Familiar scents - sometimes intertwined with her brother’s - had begun to cross over her own, the freshest of them leading in the direction of the little valley that she and Faolain had found the first day that they had arrived here.

Perhaps the change that she sought could be found in something as simple as strengthening the bonds of their herds - assuming it wasn’t too late to bridge the chasm her aloof behavior had created.

Rivaini turned abruptly in the midst of her stride to follow the strongest of these scent-paths. Coated as she was in a sticky film of sweat and dirt, it would be a welcome respite to immerse herself in the pool and converse with one of her own kind. And afterwards - if it wasn’t too warm - she would bask in the sun’s warmth until her copper coat dried, and appeared to glow from within like an ember. Perhaps if Iscariot was there, he would consent to straighten the tangled mess of her mane, and pluck the bits of debris that had accumulated in its pale length.

All save the single golden feather that still clung steadfastly to her forelock. As tattered as it looked, that single piece of plumage held in its delicate tufts a piece of the silver bay’s heart that she still hoped might return to her - someday.

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