Lost Soul Found At last? ~*~Ravenna~*~

[Flutterby]

Tired and disheartened, she stepped into the clearing and gazed cautiously about. Her ears pricked forward and delicate nostrils flared at the sound and scent of other equine. Ah, it had been so long since she experienced such company. A few more hesitant steps brought her further into the lush valley, where she now spied the source of the sounds and scents that had drawn her to this place.

Was it possible? After an endless, wearying journey - had she found a place to call home at last?

[Sappie]

Valentino thought he was doing quite well for himself. There was already one other mare that called the Glades home. It wasn't big enough to count as a herd, but it was still something. And, considering Aria and Valentino were possibly the only wild horses for miles it definitely made Valentino the top dog...scratch that, top equine.

Valentino had been lazing around in the shade near a clearing at the front of the Glades. He hadn't even been grazing, just standing there, eyes half closed. The stallion wasn't as cautious as he had been when he first came to call this place home, not now that he knew how uninhabited his home was. That was why, when he caught the scent of a foreign horse, he bolted from his half-asleep state, cantering quickly over to the mare, snorting anxiously.

"Who are you?" Valentino demanded angrily before taking a second to look over the new horse. On closer inspection, she was rather similar to Valentino. Roughly the same height, same black coat. Where Valentino had a blaze, she had a star and while Valentino only had two socks, this mare had four. However, while Valentino was shagyy, with the look of a pony about him, the mare was sleek. She looked like a showhorse. She couldn't be too big of a threat, Valentino reasoned. The stallion's features softened and he took half a step back.

"I'm Valentino, lead stallion of these lands. What brings you to my home?"

[Flutterby]

Ravenna



The ebony vixen stepped back quickly, tossing her mane and rolling her eyes as the other equine raced up to her. When he relaxed his posture a moment later and offered a more gentle greeting, Ravenna calmed somewhat, though was still wary. The beast before her looked as if he had lived off the land all his days, unlike her gentle and loving beginning to life. Surely he was wise in the ways of the land by instinct, whereas she had had to learn how to survive on her own quickly, and was still quite unsure about the ways of the native wild horses.

She nickered softly in response to the brute before her, answering his inquiry. I am called Ravenna, though I have not heard it spoken to me in many moons. I have been traveling for many months, without a home nor fellow companionship. I happened upon your home by chance, not being familiar with these lands. Please forgive me, sir, I shall remove myself at once.

[Sappie]

Ravenna. It was hard to tell if that was an odd name or not, considering that Valentino had met very few other horses in him life. He decided that it could be no worse than Valentino, and her coat did remind him of the ravens he saw sometimes. Ravenna's story sounded similar to Valentino's anyhow - a horse, travelling on their own for months meeting no others and then stumbling upon the Glades by pure chance.

"Ravenna, there is no need to leave," Valentino begun. "You're welcome to stay here, live here if you want. I found this home after travelling for a long time, there is no reason for you to have to leave." He paused for a few moments, unsure of how to continue. "There is another mare who lives here, Aria. I'm not sure where she is now, but I'm sure she'd like to meet you."

In all honest, he'd basically ignored Aria. He wasn't that sure of exactly what a lead stallion was supposed to do, he was still so new at it. "I will show you around the Glades later, perhaps we will run into her."

[Flutterby]

Ravenna's entire being - body, mind, and soul - was flooded with an immense sense of relief. It seemed that, perhaps, her days of traveling aimlessly, searching for a land to call home, had come to an end at last. She bowed her head deeply to the steed that stood before her.

I thank you, sir. Truly, I am very grateful to your hospitality. I cannot even begin to explain what your offer means to me. To have a place to finally call home...

The ebony fae let her words trail off, emotion and exhaustion suddenly overtaking her. Her ears swiveled toward him again at his next words.

I should like to meet this other mare. I have been without companionship for so long, it is a great blessing to stumble upon this place where other equine reside.