Green Labyrinth
|
R I X E N
Savoring the moment, I briefly closed my eyes and focused on the cold water soothing my legs, sinking into my coat and making my skin tingle underneath. My ears swiveled slowly back and forth listening to the babbling of the stream, the subtle rustling of leaves, the sounds of our splashing and breathing. The Rift, as daunting and dark a place as it was, seemed to also harbor the enjoyable things - even simple instances of them, such as right now. The birds had begun to chatter from the treetops overhead, emerging from the protection of their nests as the fog thinned and the sunshine's golden fingers reached down through the bamboo branches. They too wanted to share in the comforting warmth of the sunlight, not that sunlight was rare in the Rift. It wasn't. But from what I'd experienced thus far, with the Rift's sickness Kiada spoke of and all, moments that were truly enjoyable were few and far between. As such, it was all the more important to make the most of them. When my eyelids fluttered open again, my emerald orbs graced the stream's surface once more, admiring it. In the soft light of the autumnal afternoon the surface was like a semi-molten mirror. I could feel its coolness running far deeper than my skin; it coursed through my bones. The water's depth was deceptive, mostly because it was as clear as a mountain spring even as it went through the motions of flowing steadily downstream. Every rounded stone on the bottom, every tiny fish darting around my ankles, was rendered in perfect clarity. Even after taking several steps in the direction of the grassy, sun-warmed bank I was still immersed in water knee deep, the liquid flowing around my four tiger-striped limbs, drinking away my body heat. I wanted to stand here all day but I knew that doing so was not feasible or practical in the least, and that there was somewhere more sheltered, where I might even be able to lie down and sleep awaiting me. The mere thought was enough to coax me from my tranquil state. Kiada was right. Time and time again, there always proved to be good in change. And even now, I was beginning to think that maybe the Rift wasn't such a bad place after all. Kiada was here, after all, and being in her presence seemed to lessen the heavy, tedious burden of carving my path this strange new world. I was glad to have met the golden girl in the Mangrove Tidepools, for her company was warming in itself, and I hoped that we would share in many more adventures together. "It is interesting." I agreed about the water, tacking the faint murmur to the end of her description of its potential to be torrential and terrible. Continuing to gaze at the ripples in front of my chest, I continued to muse, "Nothing, not you nor I, can be protected from change. Then again, some things simply need to be changed… even if the reason why cannot presently be understood." Though not sure what the words might allude to, my pinkish lips curled up slightly, accompanied by a lighthearted exhalation of breath that was not quite enough to be a snort. "For a time, I used to wish that the Rift had never dragged me in. My initial and only thoughts were of my homeland - what was left of it, that is. But now - now I'm not so sure that I'd ever want to go back. This place isn't half bad. I might even be keen to see what it offers me next." How did I really feel about my new life? It was certainly growing on me. "Go ahead. I won't be far behind." I gestured in the direction of the bank with my muzzle, allowing her to pass before stepping across the stones in giant motions. My limbs were no longer as stiff, especially as I followed the mare and they began to warm again, my eyes trained keenly on the bamboo-carved path a short distance in front of Kiada. It was odd for me to make a connection so fast, to give my trust so easily, tentative though it was. There was something in the way the spotted mare smiled, a burst of energy, a genuineness, a softness of spirit I found I just couldn't pass up. Kiada wasn't the fire, yet she brought a warmth that was new to me. Over the course of our conversation, she'd listened like she was absorbing my words and found them to be interested, rather than simply getting my turn to speak over and done with so she could return to some other topic. Despite having just met her, the more time I spent with Kiada the more my spirit lifted, and the presence of such a feeling got me thinking that perhaps she was a part of the change I'd needed for so long, found only upon first setting hoof in the Rift. "Talk." they heard me singing and they told me to stop quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock |
@Kiada It's been fun <3 Archiving the thread after this post!
