Meadow

Ramiel quite enjoyed the company of his young sisters and was excited as they trotted up the shore from their swim that he got to be the one to witness their excitement at seeing Crossing Isle for the first time. He knew it was a big responsibility, but Ramiel had only confidence in himself and his ability to protect his sisters. Nothing bad would happen to them.

“C’mon!” Miriella threw her head, wet white hair slapping her gold and pale skin, she danced on her nimble limbs and put her nose to the ground, tail flagged as she smelled the multitude of strange horses that’d already crossed through that day. She started south, leaving the looming presence of the Peak behind them and making for where the scents grew thicker. Miriella was clearly interested in meeting someone new today, a little socialite deciding she was tired of the same old faces she’d seen in the Prairie every day since her birth.

Leliel was more interested in seeing Crossing Isle itself. She’d needled her father into sharing countless stories of his trips to various places, but it was the way he’d talked about the beauty of the Meadow in the spring or the Falls year round and Crossing Isle’s promise of opportunity that excited her most. It was just so foreign from what she’d known her entire life. As she watched her sister trot down the shore to head further into the island she felt a little ripple of nervous fear reach through her belly. This was a strange place she did not know and all the instincts she had were telling her that she needed her mother or her father. Her worried blue eyes darted back and forth over the trees ahead and she shifted on her hooves, squishing into the soft sand underfoot.

Ramiel gently tapped his muzzle against her shoulder and snapped her out of it. She looked worriedly at him and he smiled, then ruffled her pale forelock. “Don’t worry sis, you’ll be okay. Promise. Any time you want to go back, you just tell me okay?” He whispered it to her so the words wouldn’t reach Miriella where she was already poking her nose into foliage and snagging twigs and weeds and flowers here and there to test their edibility. Leliel smiled back and nodded, feeling a little less nervous, and decided she would rather stick closer to Ramiel than her quiet bold sister.

The trio traveled down the shoreline, not having an exact location in mind to end at. Instead they stopped when they came across a grazing patch or a freshwater stream, they jumped over fallen trees in the forest and made up fun games amongst themselves. Eventually their aimless wanders brought them to the Meadows.

“Ohh, look!” Miriella gasped softly and, when Ramiel and Leliel glanced to see what she’d found, noticed a young pale filly playing in the openness of the meadow grasses. Miriella’s blue eyes swung back to him and without her needing to ask, Ramiel declined his head in an invitation for her to go on. “Just stay where I can see you, okay?” He said and Miriella nodded affirmatively before grinning at her sister.

“Leliel let’s go say hi!” Miriella encouraged, reaching out to bump Leliel on the shoulder, then turned about and trotted forward. Leliel looked up at Ramiel and he gave her an encouraging smile, then an affectionate bump of his nose to her shoulder.

Leliel smiled and turned to follow in her sister’s steps.

Ramiel noticed beneath the shade of a nearby oak there was a stallion grazing. He couldn’t see another adult here to accompany the young filly and wondered if the dark stallion was her guardian. He rumbled a whicker behind closed lips, nostrils vibrating as he moved for the shadows and hoped his company might be accepted by the stranger. It wasn’t terribly hot, but grazing on the lush grass beneath the tree seemed like a great idea.

“Ramiel,” he introduced himself first once he’d walked up close enough to be overheard. “Mind if I join you?” Then, in case the stallion didn’t understand why or if Ramiel had assumed wrongly, he clarified with a gesture at the two young fillies behind him. “Those are my sisters, they wanted to go say hi to… well, I assume you’re watching over the other filly?” He asked, then looked over at her and back at this stallion, hoping he hadn’t been completely wrong.

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Meanwhile, oblivious to their big brother off to make friends, Miriella and Leliel made a path cut diagonal across the meadow to meet the lone filly. Miriella was the one who trotted right up to her, bold and sticking out her nose to exchange breaths the way adults had shown her. As she tucked her dainty chin back, blue eyes bright, she offered, “Hi! I’m Miriella, this is my sister Leliel,” she gestured at the slightly smaller, somewhat thicker, paler gold and white sister beside her. Leliel offered a shy smile.

“We’re from Luthien,” Miriella continued. “Where are you from?”

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