Amidst the ghastly trees, caressed by shadow and an odd purple glow, stands a dark pillar webbed with veins. It goes unnoticed by the sandy hued yearling for quite some time: her focus has been consumed by her confusion at her father's sudden disappearance and her newly found companion's unconscious state. The Fennec kit had been nestled on her back before she fell through the portal and perhaps he would have been fine if she'd known how to fly. Much of her first year had been spent alone, wandering the wilds of Helovia in search of mamae after the amber mare disappeared into the sea; only catching brief moments and glimpses of both the sea soul and the golden prince. Yet even now, alone in a strange world she knew nothing about with a young companion to care for, she cannot bring herself to hate them. Instead she merely craves their attention, their presence.
The eerie quiet that had been blanketing the area is suddenly interrupted by the thundering, crashing sounds of a creature exploding through the dark forest. It was far enough away that her gaze remained trained on Elgar'nan, a single pale ear swiveling towards the source of the commotion. But then things are quiet again, except for the pitter patter of rain on the leaves, and the girl turns her full attention back to her young companion. Elgar'nan stirs every now and again but nothing is so steady and consistent as the expansion and contraction of his chest and belly with each breath. It seems like ages have passed with nary a flutter of his eyes. Ages she'd rather not spend in a foreign place such as this by herself.
Goodness only knows what's lurking amongst those shadows.
Rustling noises reach her ears again, only this time their softer and more deliberate instead of the panicked mess she'd heard moments ago. This particular change
does pull her attention away from the Fennec kit, her heart thundering in her chest, uncertainty tainting her thoughts until the dark mare slips into view. Survival urges her to remain cautious, to not let her guard down, but her naivety and optimism shove the negativity aside - temporarily ignoring reality and logic. The starlit mare seems friendly enough. There is no aggression in her approach and she calls out, announcing her presence. Surely she wouldn't have done so if she'd meant to harm Bella or Elgar'nan? Fully embracing the mare's arrival as though she were an old friend, she merely watches with complete trust as the other lowers her muzzle to investigate Elgar'nan.
Bella nearly expected the friendly gesture of the mare's smile but what she didn't expect was the absurd loudness of her voice. 'HE'S ALIVE. IT'S OKAY.' the starry mare shouts, causing the yearling to jolt and gaze wide-eyed at the mare. Yet as unexpected as it was, she calms quickly; recovering her easy, friendly demeanor rather quickly. The girl nods lightly in response to her explanation. For several moments, the girl is quiet. She's never interacted with someone that couldn't hear before, her lack of experience leaves her without the knowledge of how to interact.
Maybe, the yearling thinks,
she can read lips since she can't hear sounds.' So with a bit of determination, she lifts her head to gaze squarely at the star speckled mare.
"He fell." she admits.
"He's just a baby. Hatched just before going through the portal."
It hadn't even crossed her mind that the mare could be from anywhere except Helovia (not her brightest moment to be sure) but it certainly helped her to relax even more.
"Bella. From Helovia." the tawny filly introduces herself, taking care to use as few words as possible and enunciate as best she can. Everything seemed to be okay, at least for now.
BELLANARIS
The Portal
