The storm had passed almost as quickly as it had come. Together with Uhtred, Kara and the newcomer, the small group had shaken off the worst of the sand and slowly begun to mull around what had been an oasis of clear, fresh drinking water. The water was no more, at least for now anyway. It would take several days before the underground reservoir managed to soak through the new layer of sand and refill the pond. Until that time came, it was up to her to find them a new source of water to drink.

She knew that if push came to shove, she could use her connections with Rafe or Marceline to gain access to drinking water from their herd lands, if other parts of Salem had been untouched by the storm that is. Mentally, she made a note to investigate that further. It would be interesting to see if they suffered like the Dunes had. Regardless, as the new queen, it was her duty to not just make sure that her borders had been clearly marked, but to find a sustainable water supply that would last during this rough patch. A task that she could relinquish to Kara but considering all that the gray mare had done so far, it was only fitting that she give her rest.

As she tops another rising dune, the gentle zephyr winds blow to her the refreshing scent that she had been searching for. Water. A grin spreads across her lips as her finely chiseled head turns in the direction of the breeze and follows it across the sandy dune top. The scent of water strengthens as she goes, reassuring her that she was indeed on the right track. Dry tongue presses against the roof of her mouth as Nyimara quickens her pace, moving effortlessly down the gully between dunes and cresting the rise of the next. Small dark ears perk amid the tangled web of her pale mane as she lets her roaming gaze travel over the serene landscape before her. A river, glistening golden in the afternoon sunlight, glitterings like a fiery diamond on the horizon, its winding trail broken here and there by tall acacia trees and skeletal mesquite brush. Dark green grass and tall pampas feathers wave against the sturdy stalks that hold it in place. So far, this place alone seemed untouched by the passing storm.

However what draws her attention away from the joyous find is the scent of strangers. Eyes narrow against the sunlight as she turns away from the distant promiseland and settles firmly on the shadows that the two strangers cast in the sand. With a resounding bugle she charges down the slope towards them, spraying sand and pebbles in the wake of her passing. Finely dished head dips, pressing her ashen maw against the concave of her breast as she comes to a prancing halt opposite of them. For a moment there is only silence between them. Dark eyes roam over their lean figures, noting the fine layer of sand that peppers their mane. No doubt they too had been caught in the same storm that she had found herself in. This meant that they had been roaming the dunes. Her dunes. ”come searching for water?” she asks, her lilted tones carefully guarded as again she lets her gaze travel back and forth between the duo, trying to decipher which among them was the leader be it mare or stallion...