Desert

Lilija watched her daughter slip off into the ocean waters and sighed, glancing down at the speckled rump of her young son. Luekos was curled in the summer grasses of the Prairie, napping soundly, which was mostly why Lilija hadn’t called out after Iona when she watched her leave. She flicked her multi-colored tail at her hind and, from her vantage point, could see her daughter’s head bob through the waves as the girl swam through them, cutting a figure after whoever it was that’d come to speak with Zevulun.

She felt herself torn. Iona was plenty old enough to be on her own, but Lilija was protective, maybe even overly so. Iona was far too bold for her own good and was bound to get herself in some trouble. Mentally she tried to assure herself it was up to Iona to make and ultimately learn from those mistakes and not Lilija’s business to get involved…

But when two days passed and Iona had yet to return, Lilija couldn’t take it any longer. Her father offered to look after Luekos and asked her to visit Ramiel. His parting words rang in her ears as she took to swimming through the shallow channels toward the Peak where she could walk down Crossing Isle and make her way to Salem. Things may, on the surface, seem well between ourselves and Salem, but be careful. I think things are far from over. Lilija frowned. Despite having been born of the isles, she had never truly felt like a native here. The island politics were beyond her. Lilija was happy in her little place of peace with the things she never had when she was young… she didn’t really ever look beyond it. Romantic love evaded her but, ultimately, she let that go - she loved her children, and that was enough for her.

As Lilija pulled herself from the far warmer waters that lapped at Salem’s shores, she shook herself off and glanced curiously down the beach. She was fairly certain if she found the young stallion who’d visited her father she would find her daughter, but Lilija wasn’t entirely sure where to start. She faltered momentarily on the beach, little droplets of water dappling the sand underneath her, and then noticed a shape moving closer.

Her ears swiveled forward and her head lifted, immediately alert. She did not know the silver haired figure approaching, though she did know it was a silver-haired mare who’d fought her father and taken her brother away. Was there a relation there? Should she try and bolt now while she was far enough and he seemed more pointed toward the shore than her?

No, there was no reason to run. She didn’t need to bolt away in a panic, that was silly. Even if he aimed to make for the ocean and swim to Crossing, perhaps he would be kind enough to offer her directions. Her mind made up, Lilija whinnied out to him as he drew closer, picking up her hooves and trotting to close some distance. “Would you mind helping me with some directions?” She called out when they were near enough that he could hear her.

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