fiachra

Home, where I wanted to go,
And nothing else compares.

She had not yet ventured to this secluded corner of Helovia yet. Not that that meant much. She hadn't been to many areas of the land, so this one didn't seem much different in that regard. It was quiet here, and the branches of strange trees swept low, tickling the earth in places and dragging across her back as she ducked underneath of them along a narrow path. Fiachra smiled, feeling the tendrils of the tree, covered in long feather-like leaves, caress her sides.

A pleasant shiver overcame her and she paused a moment, closing her eyes to take in the utter silence of the place. Almost utter silence. She could here the gentle twittering of birds in the tops of the trees, and was that the happy buzzing of a bee over there? Truly the Season of Buds, Birdsong as they called it here in Helovia, was upon them. And there, in the distance, was sudden loud splashing sound.

Fiachra's ears pricked tightly, her head snapped up to look in the direction of the noise. Was there someone else here, or was it only an animal? Was someone in trouble? She cantered forward, lowering her head against the hanging branches, now like harsh whips rather than feathers. She broke through the trees and was forced to plant her feet deeply in the soil as she realized how close was the shore of a large pond (small lake?). Her momentum threw her forward and she gasped, skidding a few feet into the water, across the muddy shore. She leaned backward, closing her eyes tightly as she came slowly to a stop. She fell backwards on her rump, plopping into the mud with a strange squelching noise. Peaking out of the slit of one eye, she looked down at herself, sitting in the mud in about a hand and a half of water.

Huffing a sigh of relief that she was not going to drown, just yet anyways, she looked up to see another horse in the water, further out where it appear very deep indeed. It was a pegasus of golden hue and dark mane with wings tainted with green. He didn't seem to be in any distress. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying himself in the cool water.

Becoming very aware that she was still awkwardly sitting on her ass in the muck, Fiachra found her feet, the mud putting up a good fight not to let her go. She manged to get her legs under her and very carefully made her way back to drier ground. Only then did she turn and look back at the stallion in the water. She lowered her head, a little embarrassed at her clumsy entrance.

"Good day!" she called over to him, offering a polite smile, despite feeling foolish. Her rump was covering in mud and she felt soggy and a bit bruised from her fall. What an introduction to make, she thought.

"Talk."