Where had the seasons gone?
Nadine found herself on the Crossing isle once again, her wanderlust sated for now. The curvy little mare was tired of wandering, and though she had made many friends across the islands - some of them quite enchanting - she was growing lonely in a deeper sense. She missed her childhood friend, and had given up hope that Sæunn would follow her to this fantastical place, and some part of her wanted very much to return home.
But she wasn’t ready for that quite yet. Nadine still considered this adventure unfinished, despite her weariness. She would not give up just yet, not when there were still places to explore and people to meet. A quick rest, maybe a few days spent gathering herself by the waterfall, and she would be ready to set off once again for the islands she had not yet seen.
She thought of it as a kind of vacation from her nomadic lifestyle. The Falls were lovely, especially in the autumn when the air was still warm and fire-colored leaves still clung to the trees. Nadine spent the better part of the daylight exploring the area before finding quite a nice little spot within the trees, close to the rushing water but not so close that she would be under the wandering eyes of strangers. She didn’t mind mingling with the others who passed through, and before the sun was fully set she waited at the edge of the water. She was not quite ready to be alone.
As she lingered, Nadine folded her feathered legs beneath her and curled up at the edge of the water. The evening air was quite warm, and the cool mist from the Falls felt delicious on her skin - especially after the sun had so warmed her jet black coat and thick mane. She grazed lazily until she saw a shape shifting through the rays of the setting sun, just beyond the opposite edge of the pool.
”Hello!” she chirped, happy to see another soul, excited by the prospect of someone with whom to chat before she retired to bed. Her accent was thick from a lifetime speaking a different tongue, though her English had smoothed out considerably since her arrival to the Islands. She still occasionally slipped in a French word or two, but almost always on purpose; people seemed to like the sound of them, and she always got a smile when she did it. “I do not bite,” she said cheerily to the stranger silhouetted by the light. She remained curled on the ground until she could see them more clearly. “Will you come and enjoy the sunset with me, étranger?”