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ARELI
Do you still believe in love, I wonder?
Do you still believe in love, I wonder?
Suddenly a shadow-cousin joined the blur of gold up ahead, and Areli slowed briefly, curious. Bee was already wheeling away from the seagulls, yipping to the other creature excitably. For a moment, the filly inexplicably felt a sense of wonder at the dog. Henrietta was not quite the same, but Bee had never encountered one so similar to herself, and the pup’s energy was coursing through their bond. Distracted by the noisy barks and the unexpected onslaught of emotions that were not quite her own, it took Areli by surprise when she heard Caleb’s voice behind her. She turned.
The first thing she noticed was that he was huge. He loomed over her by at least a few hands, taller than most she’d seen. Perhaps his wings were what made him appear even larger: inky black, they spread wide, nearly blocking the sun. And yet, she wasn’t quite afraid—she hadn’t seen enough of pain and danger to know fear. “Flap like this,” the stranger instructed her, and she couldn’t help but giggle in the abbreviated flutters of those giant wings. He looked like a hummingbird! However, she sobered quickly when he lifted into the air with a powerful thrust and a whoosh of air that sent her short mane flying. “Whoa,” she whispered, before wildly setting about her own frenzied flapping. “Like this?” the filly asked, beating her wings with all the grace of an injured goose. “’M’I doing it?”
He responded with something about a cliff and a hill, but Areli’s attention was diverted yet again by the arrival of her mother. “Mama!” she called gleefully, then realized too late that she hadn’t introduced herself (crap!). “’M Areli,” she blurted at the stallion, bobbing her head quickly before she got in trouble with her mother for any impoliteness. “Nicetameetyou,” she spit out as Parelia drew ever closer, hoping that the creamy stickler wouldn’t hear. Still, she cast a sidelong glance at Mama, wondering if she would reprimand her in front of the stranger.
Areli was pleasantly surprised when Mama only introduced herself and Penna, then moved on to the important business: flying. Even though Mama’s advice was a lot less exciting than Mr. Stranger Man’s, she did what she was told, peeking through her eyelashes up at her mother as she angled her wings this way and that. How was this supposed to help her? She was considerably relieved when Mama said that Penna had found a place suitable for takeoff—before the words were fully out of her mother’s mouth, she was already racing away after the bird who circled just ahead. Bee dove after her in hot pursuit, tongue lolling as she darted about her mistress’ heels. “Meetcha there, Mama, kay?!” the filly called back to the pair of adults. It was time for flying!
"speech"
@Parelia @Caleb
![[Image: areli_by_moonstone_designs-d9dgh47.png]](http://orig05.deviantart.net/fac3/f/2015/290/f/c/areli_by_moonstone_designs-d9dgh47.png)
