It was different when one walked with a companion. Despite their contrasts – because the child was obviously amused by many things, young and inexperienced – somehow another soul brought a platonic comfort to the girl. The first day had been the hardest, but she did not want to show any signs of weakness just yet. To her dismay she legged a little, but as the days progressed she found energy in the distractions of the terrain. Struggling over the desire to stay in each land for a day or two. But the mare was driven by a purpose that set her lips into a contemplative silence, uttering mumblings she didn’t quite catch as she trailed behind: smelling the earth, the moss on trees, and later – the sands and waters of the Halcyon Flats.

The sight was none she had quite seen before, besides a strip of sand bars in the water once. Noting the area she continued to follow, pausing now and then only to pick up her pace with flight. Giggling when Maren seemed to drabble behind her own thoughts.

To the child’s delight the terrain continued to change. And along a growing presence of sand, she realized Maren went off into a trot. Her ears darted forward, increasing her pace Ru replied with a pleased neigh. She swept her eyes from Maren’s gaze to the lands ahead of them. An island surrounded by ocean.

Home? She thought – as the winds twisted around them. Through them, with the taste of salt brushing against her lips. The girl lifted her wings then, licking her lips, shuffling them and giving them a BIG stretch as she squealed and tossed her head. Yes, I do!

This was going to be home.

Excitement sparked in her heart as she darted forward, spurring her legs on below the dune. The child’s wings quivered briefly, aching to run faster, run harder! And take flight! Another squeak broke off from her lips, spotting what must have been the boat.

She tossed her head again, stopping short of the wooden structure to rear up playfully. Kicking out her forelimbs, triumphant! She grinned, falling back to the earth with a happy hum, a sound light and briefly arioso. Ru strutted ahead to take a better look of the carpentry, unaware and glazed in wonder of how such a thing could be constructed in the first place. An ear twisted in Maren’s direction, tugging her eyes to grace her caressing feathers. The child laughed openly, as children do – bright and rolling with a brief scratching tone to it.

The amusement of her giggles died into a simple smile, captivated by the expression of the wings on her head. Wondering – if she might be able to grab a feather or two one of these days. But the prospect of such a wild thing did not bode well, and perhaps… that would be for another time and endeavor to plan out…

Ru nodded in compliance, and skipped over to Maren’s side. She pressed her weight against the boat; a shiver briefly ran down her spine with the sound. Procuring a grunt from the girl before she put all her effort and will into moving it.

Sooner or later though, they would be floating a top the waters with all the open sea to embrace them!

She considered herself quite the lucky girl, indeed.