The bright sun hung over the east as it climbed higher across the sky. Spring was in full flight, with the weather gradually warming each day in a silent promise that summer was soon to come. Thunderstorms tore across the landscape every so often, leaving the earth rain soaked and bringing forth fresh life. The knee high grass and other vegetation glistening a verdant green with the abundance of water they had been receiving during the season of growth.
The weather on the Hills was usually comfortable, never too chilly or to hot, to much rain or to little. This of course was all thanks to the Red Mare. Jah-lila, the magicker and queen's dam. She had charmed the weather for the unicorns for some many years, making it favorable for them to dwell in so that neither bitter cold nor blistering heat plagued the herd.
A halfgrown mare stood placidly on a hill crest, idly watched a few wisps of white clouds roll across the horizon, none threatening a rain or even shade from the sun. Her pale coat glistened like cream, offset by the mahogany of her mane, and a few scattered spots in the areas around her eyes and on her shoulders – they were few in number, not true dappling.
Her umber eyes roamed the hillsides, and stretched to what she knew to be the plains beyond. She was young, barely able to be considered a halfgrown and just freshly initiated into the ranks of warrior a scant handful of days before. She was of slight build, muscular and with broad shoulders and large hindquarters for one her size, but still petite and lacking the heft many possessed.
Shaking her forelock from her eyes with a toss of her head and a soft snort, she turned her gaze to the gathering of unicorns below her. While the Hallow Hills were large, the herd still stayed relatively close with each other. She was quick to pick up the familiar sienna of her dam, and the form of her older sib, whose coat was similar to her own besides having a much rich chocolate mane and with more dark spots than her, his running scattered mainly along his back and haunches though.
She also noted the near unmistakable snowy pelt of the unicorn's prince, Dhatter, who stood side by side with his also unmistakable silver and black twin, the princess Aiony. There to was the jet and rose of Queen Tek, and the striking black of her mate, Prince Jan.
Others to rolled across her vision, the blues and reds that belonged to friends, acquaintances and those that she only knew by glance to belong to the herd because she had seen them at frequent gatherings and from just mingling with the large mass of unicorns.
The young halfgrown released a soft sigh as she turned her gaze away from her fellows, her eyes growing distant. "He pledged he would return after my initiation." She whispered faintly, her words swept silently away on the breeze. Distress well hidden but still present on her features. "So where is he?" Her eyes searching, but not finding what she sought.
Worry seized her, tightening its grasp and making her muscles tense. Perhaps it had all been some coltish game he had been playing with her, leading her own like her sib had tried to convince her he was doing. Perhaps something had happened to him… or worse yet that after all this time they had spent apart he had changed his mind about her.
Nay, she shook her head harshly to scatter her thoughts, sending her mahogany mane into an uproar of knotted hair. She didn't need to convince herself of such things, for she knew them to be untrue. So where he is he then, if something had not befallen upon him?
She knew what was occurring; she was behaving still like a filly. Forever scaring herself and convincing herself of the worst and most foolish things. Somewhere deep in her heart she knew that he would return, she simply had not given him enough time before jumping to devastating conclusions. Stamping a hoof harshly against the earth, she began to pick at the sod with a cloven heel.
"Sooth, calm yourself." She whispered again, swatting at a biting fly that hovered to close to her haunch with her tasseled tail. All is hale. Or, it will be if you give it enough time.
Hoof beats caught the young mare off guard, and she wheeled swiftly in their direction, tossing her head high as she caught sight of a lavender and smoky grey filly.
"Ho, Cia!" The younger unicorn gasped as she reached the top of the rise, reaching out to place a friendly nip on her shoulder friend's neck. While a year younger than the cream and mahogany halfgrown and still counted well amongst the herd's colts, she stood taller and had a slightly bigger build. "What has caused you to stray so from the herd?"
The companion shied from her teeth and snorted softly, thoughtfully, her actions speaking the words for her. A grin flashed on the filly's face for a brief moment, before disappearing into concern and understanding. "Still waiting for Ry?'
"Aye," Cia allowed the word to fall softly from her lips as her chestnut eyes searched her fellow.
"How does your dam feel of this?" Came the quiet question, even though the lavender and gray already knew the answer, as did most of Cia's companions.
"Truth, she does not approve," came the saddened response. "Calls him a renegade, though he clearly is not so." There was underlying anger as she spoke those words. "But I am a warrior now, not some witless foal." She gave her companion an apologetic expression, not meaning it to come out as an insult. Yet the other did not seem to mind. "By law she cannot make my mind for me anymore, and I think it frightens her."
The filly nodded at the other's words. "Aye," was her only response before she changed the subject, "are you planning on coming down anytime soon?" She already knew the answer before the other shook her head. "Suit yourself," she mumbled with a toss of her head, before she raced back down the hillside to her fellows.
The young halfgrown watched her shoulderfreind depart, one tufted ear swiveling forward while the other flickered backwards. Cia knew better than to waste her time waiting, but she couldn't help herself. She was restless, nervous, and it only grew with each passing moment.
Shaking her rich mane again, the young mare lowered her umber eyes to the earth she had been quietly picking at and dipped her still beardless chin to snatch a few mouthfuls of the wild grasses that grew on her homeland. She munched with a great deal of malcontent, the movements of her jaws moving mechanically.
Yet for as much as it seemed Cia was not interested in her meal, she was caught up enough in it that she did not notice the approach of another. Moving at a brisk trot, hoof beats falling silent and undetected, a cerulean stallion approached the Hallow Hills from the Plains he called his homeland.
His bright, blue eyes had long caught sight of the particular coloration of the young halfgrown. He knew her well, for while she was colored so close to both her sire and older brother, there was still distinctness to her that he was able to discern her from any other that he saw.
He was older than Cia, a young stallion rather than halfgrown. His coat was as bright the summer sky above with gold hairs intermingling almost undetected on his shoulders, and a mane of rich tawny color like dying grasses in late autumn. What he lacked in height at the shoulder, he made up for in bulk. He possessed a broad chest, deep girth, and a well muscled build. A handful of feathers were woven skillfully into his mane, showing him clearly as a Plainsdweller rather than one of the Warriors that inhabited the Hills.
Reaching the bottom of the rolling hill that the mare stood upon, he tossed back the wild hairs that made up his tawny mane and released a soft whistle. Halting he shifted onto each of his solid built limbs in turn as he waited to catch Cia's eye.
The familiar call brought the young halfgrown's head shooting straight upwards, her ears shifting upright into attention as her umber eyes dropped down the steep hillside to where the stallion stood placidly waiting.
A smile crossing her lips as she loped easily down the hillside towards him. She said not a word as she slowed her pace as she reached the bottom of the rise and drew within inches from the cerulean stallion. The muscles of her shoulders twitched under her gently speckled pelt, and Cia champed her teeth and tried to keep herself collected and pulled together as she shifted her weight in place.
Shifting a handful of steps forward the young stallion stretched out his thick neck and nuzzled the halfgrown, blowing softly on her pale cheek. Cia's stiff body relaxed instantly and she leaned towards him, lipping softly at his tufted ears before allowing her muzzle to slide down the slope of his neck.
"I missed you, Ry." She spoke in a hushed voice.
"Aye, so I reck." Was the laughing response from the stallion as he nuzzled her again and drew closer still so that their shoulders rested against one another, his head tossed so that it rested at the base of her neck, bearded chin on her withers. "I missed you as well," came the response after a moments pause.
Leaning her weight against Ry, the cream and mahogany halfgrown continued to lip at his tawny mane, content with the silence that followed and happy to just be with him once more.