Look to love, you may dream—hope is home,

and the heart is free.

When the sun dips below the horizon and the cold darkness of night descends, it finds the blue mare resting at her brother’s banks, staring thoughtfully into the clear, unfreezing depths. Though the heaviness of her bones tells her that she should be well into her dreams by now, Tiamat’s mind is far too active to think of sleep. There is nothing in particular that dominates her thoughts. A collage of musings run through her mind—reflections of her beloved herd, questions regarding the recent creature who has risen from her father’s waters, a passing idea for a combination for a certain salve, among other things—all of which leave her awake.

She sighs in a slow, white stream of breath, lowering her dainty head to brush her muzzle against her companion’s smooth back. The little whale, unbothered by the contemplations that rouse her bonded, has long since slipped into a peaceful slumber. She rests in between Tiamat’s cloven hooves, nestled in the powdery snow like a puppy. The blue Mender can’t help but smile as she gazes down at the young Leviathan, her heart fluttering as she, once again, realizes how fortunate she is to have Nimue in her life.

She will never forget.

Humming blissfully to herself, Tiamat’s gaze is drawn from her companion by movement. Long lashes flutter against sapphire cheeks, her horned brow rising as she peers through the darkness, soon making out three figures against the mountain scape. The Mender recognizes the Lady and her white hound, but the dark Cerndyr is unfamiliar. Initially her heart leaps, telling her what her mind cannot. (He had left without saying goodbye, couldn’t he arrive without greeting her too?).

But the midnight stag of her dear friend is not this one, she knows this with the way her chest twists painfully, and yet she feels herself compelled to follow. “Come, my darling,” she nudges Nimue gently, guiding the bleary orca with an embrace that pulls her close.

Trailing after the trio, the oceanic pair is guided towards the Haruspex’s cave (and every step seems more painful than the last, the same hope that usually buoys her spirits only crushes them now, tightening like iron chains around her fragile heart). Even when Ashamin had been Haruspex, Tiamat had not attended his divine summons. It seems wrong to betray him now (or is it something else? Is she afraid of seeing the new Seer, perhaps, for fear of exposing the unwelcome animosity that her fledging, sheltered heart might be hiding?)

Embracing the sleepy orca for comfort, the ocean mare ascends the distance to the familiar rock cave, hesitating only once before she approaches the two other mares. “My Lady,” she bows her head respectfully to the rosy queen before moving her eyes to the other, forcing a pleasant smile onto her soft lips.

“Hello,” and she hates how she would rather see his face now, knowing that this woman has done nothing wrong. Tiamat will welcome her, befriend her, because she shouldn’t simply be a replacement. Everyone deserves better than that. “My name is Tiamat, I’m a healer for the Basin. I hope you don’t mind me intruding,” suddenly worried that she has over stepped her boundaries, the length of her tail curls sheepishly around her hindquarters, white eyes flickering momentarily to the hallowed mirror.


notes; Nimue reference
“Speech.”