Common

Golden light spills across the Commons, catching and refracting off the beads of dew that cling to the autumn-dried grass. A thin veil of mist blankets the clearing, a glowing gossamer shroud that curls lazily around the twins' slender legs as they walk. Their hoofbeats reverberate against the damp earth in a slow and steady rhythm through the empty meadow. Above them, a cheerful choir of birds sing to herald morning's arrival, and in the distance the dull roar of the ocean can be heard.

It is an idyllic scene, but even for all its serenity it does little to calm Faeline's frayed nerves.

"Sister," the palomino mare murmurs, her tone uneasy. Her blue eyes flick anxiously from one end of the clearing to the other as she asks, "do you think it is safe for us to be here?"

Faeline is all too aware of the danger that can befall unsuspecting mares wandering through the Commons, especially at this time of year. Autumn always seems to stir something deep and dark and primal within the minds of stallions, hormones running high and the air thick with pheromones. Like moths drawn to a flame, they flock to the Commons to lay their claim on unguarded mares. And though the meadow appears empty and quiet, it does little to alleviate her anxieties.

At Faeline's side, Fauna is far more at ease, each step taken in confidence. "As long as we remain together we'll be fine," she reassures her twin. There is an enviable confidence to her words, a gleam of assurance in her green eyes, that the golden mare wishes she felt herself. But all she feels is anxiety, coiling around her heart and constricting her lungs. Faeline tucks herself closer to her sister's side, as though she might be protected through mere proximity.

She wants to believe Fauna, wants to believe that they will remain side by side just as they always have, even when this little adventure of theirs has come to its conclusion. She wants to believe that some kind, reasonable stallion will offer them a home to share. That their lives will remain intertwined.

But doubt, dark and insidious, whispers in her mind. What if they are separated? What if one of them is chosen and the other is not? What if they are each approached by their own suitors who are intent on taking them home, their pleas to remain together falling on deaf ears? The thought settles heavily in her stomach. They have never been apart, not truly, and the idea of navigating the world without Fauna at her side is almost unthinkable to Faeline. How would they ever fare without one another?

Swallowing down the worry that rises like bile in the back of her throat, Faeline follows her sister's lead, allowing herself to be guided to the center of the Commons. Faeline's ears tip back against her crest, the only outward sign of the anxiety that churns beneath her otherwise calm exterior.

"Now we wait," Fauna says with a reassuring smile that does nothing to put Faeline at ease. The golden mare draws in a quiet breath, her gaze tearing from her sister's face to scan the empty meadow.