Meadow

Coty’s infectious cheerfulness drew a natural smile on Leiliel’s lips, her eyes brightening as she shuffled a bit closer to stand more side-by-side to Miriella and pay attention to the other girl. Plus the way she talked about her sisters made Leliel think of the way she and Miriella might talk of each other. Leliel almost looked around them to see if any of her sisters were here too, but was too interested in keeping focus on Coty to look away. The pale girl was sweet and personable, warming Leliel up to her in just moments.

“Well, where we live is called the Prairie and it’s just a big, wide open space full of hills. So it only has a few trees here and there,” Miriella was all too happy to explain and Leliel was happy to let her, “But a lot of Luthien is forests and stuff, so there’s more trees away from our home. We haven’t seen any of it outside of the Prairie, though.”

At the mention of Atlantis, both girl’s eyes lit up.

“Oohh!” Miriella tossed her dainty head, sending her now dry mane to the other side of her neck. It pulled her white forelock from her eyes and their blue shone with excitement as she studied Coty as though seeing her in a new light. “Atlantis! I always wanted to see Atlantis. My father says it’s one of the prettiest islands he’s ever been to.”

“He said there’s little furry creatures in the trees that scream at you, too.” Leliel said, and giggled.

“Is it really different from here?” Miriella asked curiously, looking around them and then back at Coty. Maybe just like them this was Coty’s first time away from her island and this was all she would have to compare it to.

- - - - - - - - - -

Akela and his daughter, Cotygna. Ramiel smiled and nodded, briefly glancing toward the young girl standing with his sisters and then back at the stallion whose company he was now keeping. He could see their faint resemblances, knowing what blood tied them.

Ramiel’s ears flicked as Akela asked after him and his sisters. “Ah, the girls were dying to see something different than the Prairie.” He explained, grinning as he gave them another glance, watching them giggle and talk and seem to otherwise get along quite well with the young filly. “I thought maybe if I didn’t offer to take them soon they might have tried something silly and rebellious, like traveling here alone.” His tone was light and conversational as he said it, but it was still a potentially frightening thought. He would not want his darling young sisters out here alone the first time they came to this island.

“What about you and your daughter?” He asked, returning the question to Akela. “Was she itching for some exploring of her own?”

— ☼ —