Meadow

While Cerosi could appreciate her brother’s determination to find a new home, she did not share his enthusiasm. Romulus was itching to get his family off the Crossing and away from the Lagoon, and Cerosi could understand why, but she had second thoughts about joining them. It wasn’t that she had any particular connection to the Crossing, but she felt slightly more at home among the drifters and loners here than in the visions of Romulus’s future home. Cerosi had never belonged anywhere, but the Desert had come close, and she could not imagine finding that rare comfort anywhere else. The loneliness of wandering was better in Cerosi’s mind than the discomfort of trying to fit in a herd. That life would never be for her. Beside her in the pre-dawn shadows, Romulus huddled close to his small family, and a hesitant smile tugged at Cerosi’s dark lips. She was happy for him. She hoped her children would have the opportunity for the kind of happiness Romulus had found.

As the sun began to rise, Cerosi left the little clearing and parted from her brother before he woke. She had no destination, just a sense of where the Common was and the knowledge to stay away from it. Wandering onto the claiming grounds was a faster ticket off the central isle than just staying with Romulus and leaving when he found a home, and would no doubt restrict her freedom far more than her brother ever would. She steered clear of the Common border, and drifted aimlessly through the pale morning mist. The woods around her smelled of dead leaves from last fall and damp earth, but also of new growth and flowers. She lifted her muzzle to the floral scent, and began to follow it.

The trees opened before her and the milky light spilled across the open Meadow. This was where the flower scent was coming from, she could see; the gently rolling field of grass was scattered with them, still grey as the trees hugging the clearing draped the Meadow in shadow, but slowly gaining color as the ambient light of dawn grew stronger. Cerosi lowered her muzzle to the bright green of young grass and pulled up a few clumps to chew on thoughtfully. It was peaceful here. It was nice to be alone.