Common

Isolde stood at the edge of the Commons, tucked just within the treeline, her breath caught in her throat and her heart fluttering against her chest. The crisp autumn wind tugged at the pale strands of her mane and whistled through the thinning branches which swayed beneath an overcast sky. Her frost-white coat gleamed in the dim light, contrasting against the warm hues of the forest around her. The scent of impending rain was heavy in the air and Isolde could hear the low rumble of thunder in the distance. Bright emerald eyes scanned the meadow that sprawled out before her, an anxious gleam in her gaze. She had not meant to stop in the Commons, but the impending storm had stalled her journey north.

It was the first time in her life Isolde had wandered beyond the borders of Luthien. She missed the safety of the Thicket, and the family that had once lived there. Yet the home she had once known was no more - it belonged to another now, and with each passing season it seemed less and less likely that Sephiroth would regain his hold on the Thicket. The Savanna was lovely, but Isolde had grown weary of its open plains, of always looking over her shoulder and seeing nothing but rolling grasslands for miles on end. It felt odd to always be so exposed. Isolde was and always would be a creature of the forest.

And as the months passed, Isolde had grown increasingly restless. Soon the call for adventure had grown stronger than her desire to stay close to her family. She wanted to see the islands, to experience everything they had to offer, to meet a whole host of interesting characters and, if she was very lucky, to discover love for the first time. Though she was not covetous by nature, she had always admired - and somewhat envied - what her mother and father shared, and wanted that for herself. She wanted to be known by another in a way no one else had known her before. She wanted someone to share an adventure with, who would stick by her through good times and bad alike.

She hoped she would find that someone on her adventures, though she was hesitant to get those hopes up too high. Life was complicated, and love even moreso - or so she had heard. Still, her dreamer's heart could hope.

Ensconced securely within the embrace of the forest, Isolde let her eyes wander over the throngs of horses that milled about the clearing. Another roll of thunder rumbled across the meadow, the sky over the sea darkening incrementally as the storm drew closer. Isolde closed her eyes for a moment and breathed in the crisp, storm-laden air, content to wait out the squall before she moved on.