i felt no pain 'til i was down and i was told that i was bleeding
and even then, i knew i wasn't done
'I like your spots!' Sleia's face lit up with a grin as she curled her body around to shield the moonwashed mare as best she could from the wind. She did not know much about first aid, seeing as she was a horse and had no thumbs, tools, or manual, but she'd seen enough winters on the great path to know at least how to share heat. Besides, sometimes it takes a while to get to know a person, and sometimes you recognize a member of your flock the moment your eyes first meet.
As Sleia huddled close, Talya described this Nobody in what would probably have been sufficient detail for anyone in the know to catch a spark of recognition. Needless to say, the copper mare was
not in the know.
She grimaced apologetically. "I only just arrived from the mainland a few days ago." With a shrug, she added, "If it helps, I never met anyone like that over there, either. Maybe she's still around." Ever the optimist - but then, there's no harm in hoping for the best as long as you've got contingency plans for when everything goes to shit.
Their combined body heat formed a pocket of thick, humid air between them. It drummed up countless memories of winter nights on the mainland, huddled close with her family against the frigid darkness beyond. There was a comfortable hum that floated about a dozen clustered bodies that she still missed even after traveling this far. When Sleia had first expressed her desire to leave, her mother had issued a scathing rebuke about her unwillingness to make sacrifices for the good of the group.
Losing that was a sacrifice, though, wasn't it? Not to mention leaving behind everyone she'd ever known. Maybe she was just waiting for something worth the hardship.
"And if she's not, I'm sure you'll make lots of new friends while you look."
Sleia*
hope is a butterfly, no net its captor