Common

"Brynhild," she said, directing her gaze toward her lively red-haired daughter, a smile gracing her lips as she gave her a gentle nudge. "I won't be long," she promised, her striking icy blue eyes scanning her daughter’s face, offering silent reassurance that she would return soon. It had been months since Skadi had ventured onto different shores, and she needed this moment to herself. "I’ll be back before tomorrow's night falls,"she assured her as she stepped away from her daughter and waded into the frothy waves.

The cool water enveloped her sleek, two-toned skin, offering a refreshing embrace. With each stroke, she felt herself drifting away from familiar land—beyond the blooming cacti and the deep coulees etched into the sandstone. Thrill surged through her, whispering of the new and different that awaited. Her powerful legs propelled her through the water, only tiring as the ocean floor began to rise to meet her hooves. Bright-eyed and exhilarated, the woman from the hills emerged from the sea. The warm breeze was a welcome change from Salem - who's breeze tended to be sweltering this time of year - wrapping around her like the embrace of an old friend.

As salty water cascaded off her sides, she stepped onto the firm sands and ventured deeper into the crossing. Her ears flicked atop her head while her keen eyes lingered on groups of horses—some engaged in lively conversation, others peacefully grazing side by side. It had been a while since she’d seen so many, and the sight nearly overwhelmed her. Taking a steady breath through her whiskered lips, she held it before swiveling her bone-white skull to the right. There, she spotted a pair: one tall and sleek, his onyx coat shimmering in the sunlight, and the other, had been contentedly dozing on the ground. It seemed, he had interrupted something, judging by the scowling glance that the two toned mare now shot the stallion who stood over her.

She stepped closer, her hooves making a gentle rustling sound in the grasses until she found a comfortable distance. "A home perhaps?" she chimed in before the onyx stallion could voice a response. Her striking blue eyes met his, a question lingering in her gaze, a smile blooming on her lips. Then she turned her attention to the disgruntled mare at his feet. "Maybe both of you?"she queried, her head tilting slightly with curiosity. A strand of her dark forelock fell across one of her brilliant blue eyes. "That is, if you’re interested," she added, laughter bubbling out a bit too loudly. "I am Skadi, of the Hills; it’s a quiet place, and peaceful," she continued, as if persuading them to consider life in Salem.