Meadow

It’s been a long time since feray had ventured beyond the boundaries of the cove, spare for the time rougaru stole her and her son away, discarded among the jungle until ysabel came for them. She was wary to show her face again after that, hiding away with her newest child, who’d chosen to be birthed there on the beach upon their arrival home, the stress of the situation proving to be both exhausting for the pair that feray needed time to recover. The severity of the experience even made her avoid the attention of solomon during the fall, unable to risk another child until she felt secure again. It wasn’t his fault though, just unfortunate circumstances, which she’d let him know as soon as she and their daughter got back from their little outing.

“Lulana”, her daughter’s name leaves her on a frosty breath, the bite of winter still strong but not as cold here in the meadow as it was in the cove; the downward drafts coming from the mountains were enough to frost the hairs along her body. The young girl’s head swivels around from where she’d been digging down into the snow to reveal some grass, a potential snack for later, blue eyes twinkling with mischief as they meet her mother’s mismatched gaze. She recognizes her mother’s tone as one that says not to wander far, giving her a firm nod as Feray pushes past the filly to continue her walk through the barren meadow on her own.

Winter was beautiful and yet deadly at the same time, so it is not a surprise that only a few meager souls linger here and there. She’d promised her daughter that she would show her more of the islands which is why they are here in the dead of winter and lulana was big enough to survive the swim as well. Feray wasn’t comfortable trying to explore the surrounding territories of home just yet, but that was something she’d speak with solomon about when they got home.

’ I’m getting cold! ’

The call was short and sounded young, urging the buckskin mare to break into a brisk trot in the direction of the calling; a child in distress never something to fool around about. It doesn't take much time to cut through the snow and find the stumbling child looking lost, dark skin peppered with what looked as though the snow itself had fallen and been sewn in along her skin with how it speckled across her coat. The filly reminded feray of a dark night she’d once witnessed in her desert birth home, a night so dark but the sky itself was alight with falling stars.

“Quiet now love,” feray is gentle with her approach, lowering her head to lhe level of the filly to appear more welcoming, a small sad smile on her lips when it’s clear that she is clearly alone but feray squashes any questions that threaten to arise, knowing it would do more harm than good in this situation.

She offers her nose to the girl, creeping closer to offer the warmth of her own body and move where the wind would hit her and not the filly. “It’s alright, i'm here to help,” soft words to soothe whatever heartbreak the girl was surely feeling. While feray may not have wanted another foal so soon after the ordeal with Lulana, this little filly with her star speckled body made her second guess that decision and made her think of her adopted daughter daughter/niece aysu, but she was starting to get ahead of herself before the girl even had a chance to speak.

One step at a time.