have you seen that girl?

Gentle, shy steps are taken, hesitant to allow sunlight to shine through the glass of her frame. How long had it been? She could not recall the last time she saw the sky being so grey yet so beautiful, clouds letting loose drops of intricate flakes. Temperatures plummet as she trudges towards her home. Home, she plays with this foreign word, having not thought of a home for so long. She tosses the word around more, trying to figure out what this word meant— home.

Home meant a place where you were accepted, where no one rejected you, where you were all the same, all equal. Home is where your heart is, ubi sedes est cor tuum, as they say in her native land. At least, that's what she thinks they said. Home is where warm smiles greeted you every time you pass, a place that is open to your differences, and does not think they matter. Home is where one can blossom and bloom, grow along their own path.

She walks swiftly, not wanting to wait another second to see her family, the familiar fog that blanketed the snow covered woods, dropping down off the cliff face that leads into brilliant blue yet rocky waters. She stumbles forth, tripping over the roots of towering pines, excitement coursing through her soul as the sight of fog woven between great pines reaches her. Her [i]Lior[/], he is larger now, a dark being of night, pale silver moons twinkling as he struggles to stay on her back, leaving scratches upon her back from his sharp talons. During the last few days he had been gliding around her head, often leaving her side in the night to practice his flight. He screeches, flapping his wings to balance himself out as she jumps gracefully over a large root.

She hears voices, muffled by the amount of fog that lingers. Perking her fragile auds she wanders closer to them, eager to reunite with her herd. She can tell she is coming to the meeting late, but does not mind. She sees familiar faces that bring warmth to her heart, yet finds herself feeling an outcast, out of her place. She wanders aimlessly through the crowd, spotting the familiars. Nato, Nasreen, Resplendence, the panicked palomino from the caves— and Kahlua. Her heart skips a beat as she stares at the black and white beauty, standing so elegantly. A small ripple runs down her bodice, a rigid unease crawling through her hollow frame. She felt fear regain hold on her, talons digging into her pulsing heart. Lior brings himself upward, circling once around the gathered horses. Nodding her head, she brings him back with a simple nudge, an unspoken command that brings him back to her, perching on her quarters. She stands in silence while all those around her babble, greeting one another and exchanging words.
[so sorry this is so late]