Meadow

All this time I was Searching; Not knowing I needed to be Found

The moon still hung heavy in the star dotted sky as Ra made his way to the lapping waves upon the shore. As he reached the water’s edge, he looked out across the dark waves and to the silhouette of the Crossing. It had been quite some time since he had visited a greener island, and with the growing change of the Hills herd, the buckskin felt like he should change with it. The Crossing was always filled with opportunity, and there was nothing like the present to try and take it. So, without a glance back, the stallion slipped off into the cool embrace of the sea and swam for the distant land some called home.


When Ra emerged from the water and climbed up onto the beach, he paused there to take in the sights and scents around him. By now, the sun was beginning to rise, and the moon disappeared behind the horizon. Pastel colors painted the sky, and long shadows stretched across the ground around him. The Lagoon loomed ahead of him, and the reek of other stallions filled his nose. The faint scent of mare reached him too, which was strange, but Ra wasn’t interested in the brotherhood. Their shore was simply the closest to Salem. So, turning, he skirted along the beach until he was well passed their territory line before he turned inland which brought him to the Commons.


Mares and stallions alike dotted the lands, but never for very long. It always seemed like someone was rushing in on them, claiming them, then driving them away from their freedom. A few that tried to approach him was given pinned ears and glaring golden eyes, threatening them to keep away, which they did. This wasn’t a place for him, so Ra moved on, finding no reason to stay.


By the time the buckskin reached the meadow, he was completely dry. Only a few streaks of white along his back suggesting the salt that still clung to his golden hide. It was still morning, and a lingering crisp feel hung in the air. Winter was on its way, and for a Salem born desert stallion, it was already too cold as it was.


When Ra first looked out across the meadow, he didn’t see anyone at all. It wasn’t nearly as busy as the Commons had been. But then, off to the side by herself, he spotted the golden and white mare standing alone. She was pretty; her coloring enhanced by the bright morning sun. The stallion perked his ears towards her, considering, but then looked away. She was not lithe like the desert made bloodlines he was accustomed to looking for, and he did not know if she would be able to handle the heat of his home, if she even considered going with the likes of a stranger such as him. It was then that the words he’d said to Faelyn popped into his head. About finding out how wrong he was, how he had been taught as a colt was misguided, and he looked back to the palomino mare. Letting out a deep rumbling nicker of greeting, he started to walk over to her, wondering how long it was going to take him to screw this up.

Ee Aa nCr – 15.1 – Desert Breed – Of the Hills