| Water. As soon as she sees the stream, the mare dips her head to the bubbling current. Gulping down a mouthful, she is relieved to find that at least the water here doesn’t taste funny. It is cool and fresh, and though it has never seen the light of day, the babble of the little brook is soothing. If she closes her eyes and ignores the echo of the water on the cave walls and the damp smell of the darkness, she can almost pretend that she is outside on a drizzly day. Almost.
She is brought back to the caves by a query from Mermaid. “Where did you live before you were forced into the caves, Nasreen? I would love to hear of it. I was brought to these caves directly upon my own arrival in Helovia, and I fear I will be quite lost when it is finally safe to leave them again.” Upon hearing this, Nasreen smiles sadly. “It’s a long story, I’m afraid,” she replies. “To answer your question though, I met a mare named Kahlua, and she invited me to join her herd at…” here, she falters, trying to remember. “There was a glass wall,” she muses, thinking aloud. “…at the earth’s edge? World’s edge?” she finally guesses, a little embarrassed. “I can’t remember the name exactly,” Nasreen apologizes, explaining her hesitation. “I’m new to Helovia too. I grew up in the kingdom of Th’orqui. It is far from here, but it’s beautiful.” Talking about her homeland, she begins to perk up. “There are thousands upon thousands of trees—oh, and there are godswoods, with special trees, where a different god or goddess inhabits each one—oh! and the palace! If only you could see the palace. You could see the sky from nearly every room…” her voice trails off, leaving only the gurgle of the water to fill the silence. “I miss it,” she finishes, voice breaking. “I came to Helovia with my nurse, Amaya, but she…she didn’t make it, rest her soul. So I’m here now. But when I find Quil, and if we ever get out of these godsforsaken caves, we’re going to find it again.” She nods firmly, even though it is dark and Mermaid can probably only vaguely make out her silhouette—it is more to reassure herself than anything else. “Of course, assuming we get out of here, I can take you to meet Kahlua if you’re looking for a home!” she adds quickly, realizing that her companion seems worried. “You’d like her. She helped me find my way and offered me help when I was lost…she’s a lot like you,” the mare adds with a friendly smile, forgetting that every expression is swallowed by the darkness. “But what about you, Mermaid? If you’re not from Helovia, where do you come from?”
@[Mermaid]
OOC: Sorry that this took so long, but I’m back! Maybe we can wrap this one up soon/in a few posts and start a new one for them outside in present time?
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