Onyx hoofs briskly traversed the curving hills of the sand dunes, spraying sand in their clumsy wake, for the bearer was unused to such loose sediment but remained undeterred nonetheless to see the wonders beyond. Occasionally, the pintaloosa would pause and observe the flying gull as they streaked by overhead, at times startled by their sudden shadows, other times irked by their incessant, obnoxious chatter. Like most things in Helovia, there was no large body of water in her homeland for birds like these to congregate around, of which Leeka was secretly glad for, yet at the same time it make her think of how plain Eoroleen seemed in comparison. Compared to Helovia, Eoroleen was just a small corner of the world, a sad abandoned piece of a weathered map...and oddly enough that reminded her of something. Her dam had told her that Eoroleen was once a mighty land that expanded farther then the vale they resided in, but the people had forgotten their ancestral range and were content without ever knowing anything else. Not even the King knew otherwise. Or at least pretended to. Leeka could remember the glint in her dam's eyes , bright with secrets and mirth, after the then yearling Leeka had asked how her dam had known that, the grin growing on her maw. " I've traveled dear. That's how I know."

I've traveled too, mother. But all I know is that you are gone and so is father.'

Unknowingly, tears had fallen the length of her face, tickling the skin along the surface which ultimately brought her attention to it. But being alone Leeka didn't feel any rush to hide them and let the tears run their course as she broke from the dunes and onto the beach, trotting till she reached the surf. There was hardly a day when she didn't think of her parents. It seemed there wasn't anything she could do to shake the memories of her home...what was her home from her head. They just kept circling, the best days, the worst days, like some ravenous predator, feasting off her misery. It had been some time now since Kahlua had found her in the Threshold and invited her in the Worlds Edge, for which Leeka couldn't have been more thankful for after all her hopeless wandering, yet some part of her felt ungrateful for not wholly accepting the Worlds Edge as home. To be honest it all felt surreal, like it all wasn't truly real.

But it was and that was a that. There were no words, no what if's, to change things. It was final as fate, as set in goddamn stone as could be. Maybe if things hadn't happened as suddenly as they did the wound would be cleaner, maybe if she could have just said goodbye better, if she ever had the chance at all...

It occurred to her then that in all the time since she had never performed a funeral rite funeral for her parents. What did Helovian's do for their dead? Did they sing, did they dance? Or did they just carry on? In Eoroleen...well, it didn't really matter what they did in Eoroleen. What was the point of carrying on the traditions of a dead land? All it was doing was dragging her down worse then the current on this sand. It was time to make do with what she had and grow. That was the best possible way to honor what she had lost, to do what her own land could not and that would be to forge her own future free of any influence from past mistakes. Helovia had already proved it was a different place, far unlike her own.

But for what it was worth she could still respect it one last time. Digging in the sand with one onyx hoof Leeka made two rough mounds encircled in a ring for each of her parents, separated by two ridge-like shapes to represent the vale and the Dhras Mountains, the whole of what used to be Eoroleen as she knew it. It wasn't much but it was the best she could do considering her surroundings and that suited her just fine. There wasn't long to dwell on the structure however, for the tide was growing and soon it would overwhelm the makeshift graves. As if feeling territorial one wave did just that, surging forward with enough energy to swallow all of her feet in one gulp, the graves with it, their figures dulled but still able to be seen in the aftermath. Somehow a smile managed to warm on her maw, a delicate and somber one. It was hard to tell when the weight would all vanish but it was already lessening. Who knew,with a little optimism, maybe by the time she returned to the World's Edge it'd be forgotten.

Speaking of returning, the sooner the better. Above the sky was warping into its dusk coloration, heralding the coming night. The unmistakable white cliffs of the Edge were a miniature version of themselves, meaning she wasn't far away from the borders, which still weren't clear to Leeka where they were exactly, but she figured she was safe enough regardless. If trouble, whatever form it took, tried to mess with her she bet it would regret its choice after meeting their warriors, particularly Ktulu. Leeka had only seen the Commander at the herd meeting she was promoted at and that was all it took to get a sense of unease and prowess in battle from the mare. She was, in all senses, someone not to be trifled with. Looking to what remained of the sand graves, Leeka gave her goodbye thought.Forever in my heart, but never again in my life. Watch from the skies and know my feet still roam the lands, wherever that may be. With those words echoing in her mind, Leeka turned away and began her trek home to the Edge, unaware of anything else but the intent to make it back before dark. There was no use being risky, right?