The heat burst that had struck in the Cove and then feathered out to the rest of Tinuvel had set the red girl's heart to aching. It reminded her so poignantly of home that it was all that she could think about over the next few days, occupying every thought, dream and nightmare. She did not speak of it to her mother, who seemed to consider her time on Salem as only an imprisonment (Amalia and Ivo's births the only bright spots, according to Kohelet). In truth, she did not speak to her mother of much anymore. Now that her half-brother was running the Bay, her dam had occupied herself with taking care of her grandchildren, leaving Amalia once more on the outskirts of the herd, never truly belonging to her black-coated kin.
A week or so after the heat had abated, she finally gave in. There was nothing tying her to Tinuvel other than her mother and baby brother, and they were both perfectly fine without her. She was the only one struggling to adjust to their current life. And so she said her goodbyes to her tearful mother and stoic-faced little brother, and then swam toward the Crossing in the hopes that tomorrow would bring a better future for her.
She made her way to the Commons a few hours after landfall, having paused in the Falls to straighten her mane and tail and rub the salt from her coat. She wasn't certain how much a first impression would really matter here, but she didn't want to look slovenly either. Her hope was to find someone who was interested in a partner; someone that wanted to get to know her, rather than pad their ranks with another number. But if Amalia was really and truly honest with herself?
She really just wanted something new.
The red girl made her way to a small, sloped clearing where the sun was warm on her back and the summer grasses beckoned sweetly, and then lowered her head to graze while she waited. She had to hope for the best because the thought of going back home to the Bay felt like a different kind of prison.
Young Mare - Red Roan Tobiano - 15.3h - Evrain x Kohelet