tia & nim ♡

It is the young boy’s voice that initially draws the ocean mare in their direction. She halts for a moment, a foreleg extended in mid-step, while dainty ears spin to catch the source of the sound, and her eyes glance through the crowd of tree trunks. Spying a flash of the colt’s hip—his color is highlighted by the shaft of light that falls upon him, illuminating his golden body brilliantly among the earthy hues of green and brown—the Mender scarcely hesitates in redirecting her path. With her companion twisting through the air in order to settle more closely at her flank, Tiamat threads carefully through the underbrush.

When she breaks through the line of trees and steps into the thinner part of the woodland, she is facing the golden boy head-on. Having always adored children, the blue maiden smiles warmly to him, and lowers her head so that she is closer to his level. “Hello, little one,” her voice is bright and welcoming, “Are you lost?” Her question is an honest one—given that she cannot read his mind, and knows nothing of the game he is playing with the shadows behind him. Considering their location, it is only sensible to assume that he has lost his way.

The Mender’s heart goes out to the child. Lifting her eyes, she searches the area briefly, hoping to notice some sign of a parent that she had missed. Not being a mother herself, she cannot understand exactly what it would feel like to lose a child, but with all the compassion of her fragile heart, she knows it is (undoubtedly) a dreadful burden.

Her gaze narrows as she explores the darker spaces in between the trees, trying to make out distant shapes and figures—what she doesn’t expect to find is a face. The face of a stranger who is right there with them. “Ooh!” Tiamat cries with a gasp of surprise, her heart leaping into her throat as she stumbles nervously to the side, her head thrown forward in an effort to shield the boy. Nimue, although she hasn’t noticed the stranger herself, reacts accordingly, sounding a piercing whistle and moving back and forth in agitation.

It is purely instinct that drives the mare’s reaction, and once she has a moment to actually process the situation, she is able to calm herself down. Breathing in deeply, she composes herself, straightening her posture and shaking her head bashfully. “I’m so sorry—you startled me. I hadn’t noticed you standing there before,” she apologizes to the larger mare, laughing almost shyly as she offers a modest smile. Clearing her throat, the Mender glances again to the boy, looking between both of them. “My name is Tiamat, and this is Nimue,” the little whale, upon hearing her name, burrows deeper into her bondmate’s side with a short squeak, to which the mare can only laugh.


“Speech.”

and I can be your light—

in the dark, I will shine to guide you.