Meadow

The silence he offered might have been concerning, if not for his gentle grooming. He worked on warming her, and he was succeeding in more ways than just that. Everything she had wanted to ask him for, he was giving freely, and without mockery. The warmth was only the first thing as it seeped into her skin, but he also chased away the darkness of loneliness and hopelessness. The sensation of safety caused a heavy sigh of contentment to pass through her lips, and the exhaustion that had made her fall finally lay claim to the mare and she fully succumbs to sleep.


Eriana isn’t aware of how long they remain that way, or how deeply she sleeps. Only that when her eyes eventually open, the overwhelming darkness of night has consumed them and the snow has stopped falling. But not without leaving a thick blanket of powder on them first.


Slowly, reluctantly, Eriana pulls herself upright from where she had been resting against Alioth. Immediately the warmth he had given her feels as if its freezing. She wants to return to her place pressed against him desperately, but they had been laying in the snow on the cold ground long enough. If not for his warmth, she probably would have froze to death.


“Alioth?” She says softly, reaching over to gently nuzzle against his cheek. “You need to get up….” Would the cold snatch away his life if they stayed here too long? Would her legs work more properly now that she had gotten rest? Moving them a bit, it felt as if some strength had returned, but not all. Hopefully she could at least get up now, but she would wait, not wanting to stumble and fall on top of him if she failed.