Meadow

How long had it been? If Viveka had to guess, it felt like ages since she had last seen Rafe or even Vela. She couldn't pinpoint when the change occurred, but she presumed it happened during one of Rafe's moments of reclusiveness, when someone new had taken over the Badlands. Without Rafe, Viveka couldn't find the strength to stay. He had been her anchor to a place she had once despised.


It was strange to reflect on their relationship in this way. Despite all she had endured under his care and how her mental state had often been fragile, time had a way of mending wounds. As days faded into months and months into years, her mind had gradually pieced itself back together.


Her babies had grown and moved on. Raising them to know love and to understand that the world wasn't all darkness was one of the few things she had strived to do well. She had done her best given the circumstances. As the season changed to Fall, Viveka seized the chance to leave the Badlands. The bluish-grey mare waded into the chilled waters of the channel that connected Salem in a constant circle to the mainland of the Lost Islands.

The water had once been a place of fear for the dark mare, nearly leading to her demise. However, now it offered solace as her lean legs cut through the surf and her muzzle rose above the choppy waters. The weather in Salem was breezy, and the heat was milder. With winter soon to arrive, Viveka knew that in embarking on this journey to the mainland, she wouldn't be returning anytime soon.

She didn't know what she was searching for, but as her hooves found purchase on the sandy bed of the sea and she heaved herself from the brackish water, her eyes studied the fall-colored trees of an unfamiliar part of the mainland. Viveka had explored few places since arriving at the Islands and settling in the Badlands. After the initial year in the bleak, red, rocky terrain, she hadn't found it in herself to leave. She became co-dependent on the very stallion she had vowed to hate.

Now, as she stood on the unfamiliar shore, Viveka felt a strange mix of trepidation and hope. The vibrant hues of autumn surrounded her, and she took a tentative step forward, feeling the soft earth beneath her hooves. Little did she know, she had stumbled upon the Meadow, a peaceful place where other horses often gathered. As she looked around, the possibility of encountering someone new lingered in her mind, offering a glimmer of potential connection and a fresh start.