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Since the tragedy at the circus, Evangelina’s world felt like it was getting increasingly larger. Pia and Theo had married. Selene had fled Taengea and if Evangelina was perfectly honest with herself it’d felt like she’d fled from her family as well, leaving the less prepared girls at the mercy of their uncle. There had always been a certain pressure that had weighed down upon a woman with the name Leventi tied to her, but never more so than recently when everything in their small world was falling apart. There were standards to be met, ideals and goals that couldn’t be overlooked. She’d never been particularly good at portraying those ideas and now it all felt like she was being thrown in amongst the lions with not nearly the preparation of Eirini’s or Evelli’s daughters had.
Autumn was in the making, there was a crispness in the late afternoon air that reminded Evangelina of biting into an apple. The sea air was breezy and just short of gusting. The smell of brine and sand and horse had become the taste of freedom to the pint-sized Leventi. The beaches of Sernn were her escape. She could close her eyes and for a few moments forget about her family, and most importantly forget about the bewildering Lord Gavriil.
As if sensing that her mind had drifted from the ride, the fine chestnut mare under her shied slightly from the tide coming in to tickle her feet. She’d been a present from her father and wasn’t the usual Leventi bred horse but rather something smaller, finer boned bred of the desert. Her bright coppery coat offset by a wide blaze that ran from just above her eyes the length of her face all the way down past her bottom lip. Della, as the mare had been named, might have been small but she was definitely mighty.
Evangelina shifted her weight, using her body more than the reins to readjust the mare’s position underneath her. Her hand reached down to stroke the mare’s neck, “Deep breaths, Della. It’s just water…” In reply, the mare sneezed and bobbed her head, tugging on the bit with her teeth. With a sigh, Evangelina shifted her weight again and let some of the tension in her hands go, the reins relaxing and letting the mare find her own pace.
The slow canter slowly, as if Della was testing her freedom, started lengthening until it couldn’t quite be called a canter any longer. The flashy chestnut might not care for the tide tickling her fetlocks but her hooves ate up the wet sand as if she’d been born for it. Her ears forward, she settled into a ground eating gallop racing some invisible force.
Riding came as naturally as breathing to Leventis, for Evangelina, she’d perfected it into a masterpiece. Some of the Leventi’s painted pictures you could step into while others could sing you the sweetest of songs and then there were others who’s grace while dancing was enough to draw every eye in the room once they began… for Evie, it’d always been the horses. They were her canvas, her song… they were her dance. Settling in atop of a horse, she melted into them and became a part of them. It wasn’t simply being an experienced rider but a deeper connection. It was something that was solely hers, at least it was in her mind.
Upwards ahead someone else was riding, Della’s saw it the same time as Evangelina and begun to pull on the bit. Recognizing the familiar figure she gave Della her head again the okay to chase down the rider, “What do you say we give, Her Highness, a bit of a challenge?” The mare’s ears flicked back and forth and she shot forward hot on Princess Gianna’s heels.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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Since the tragedy at the circus, Evangelina’s world felt like it was getting increasingly larger. Pia and Theo had married. Selene had fled Taengea and if Evangelina was perfectly honest with herself it’d felt like she’d fled from her family as well, leaving the less prepared girls at the mercy of their uncle. There had always been a certain pressure that had weighed down upon a woman with the name Leventi tied to her, but never more so than recently when everything in their small world was falling apart. There were standards to be met, ideals and goals that couldn’t be overlooked. She’d never been particularly good at portraying those ideas and now it all felt like she was being thrown in amongst the lions with not nearly the preparation of Eirini’s or Evelli’s daughters had.
Autumn was in the making, there was a crispness in the late afternoon air that reminded Evangelina of biting into an apple. The sea air was breezy and just short of gusting. The smell of brine and sand and horse had become the taste of freedom to the pint-sized Leventi. The beaches of Sernn were her escape. She could close her eyes and for a few moments forget about her family, and most importantly forget about the bewildering Lord Gavriil.
As if sensing that her mind had drifted from the ride, the fine chestnut mare under her shied slightly from the tide coming in to tickle her feet. She’d been a present from her father and wasn’t the usual Leventi bred horse but rather something smaller, finer boned bred of the desert. Her bright coppery coat offset by a wide blaze that ran from just above her eyes the length of her face all the way down past her bottom lip. Della, as the mare had been named, might have been small but she was definitely mighty.
Evangelina shifted her weight, using her body more than the reins to readjust the mare’s position underneath her. Her hand reached down to stroke the mare’s neck, “Deep breaths, Della. It’s just water…” In reply, the mare sneezed and bobbed her head, tugging on the bit with her teeth. With a sigh, Evangelina shifted her weight again and let some of the tension in her hands go, the reins relaxing and letting the mare find her own pace.
The slow canter slowly, as if Della was testing her freedom, started lengthening until it couldn’t quite be called a canter any longer. The flashy chestnut might not care for the tide tickling her fetlocks but her hooves ate up the wet sand as if she’d been born for it. Her ears forward, she settled into a ground eating gallop racing some invisible force.
Riding came as naturally as breathing to Leventis, for Evangelina, she’d perfected it into a masterpiece. Some of the Leventi’s painted pictures you could step into while others could sing you the sweetest of songs and then there were others who’s grace while dancing was enough to draw every eye in the room once they began… for Evie, it’d always been the horses. They were her canvas, her song… they were her dance. Settling in atop of a horse, she melted into them and became a part of them. It wasn’t simply being an experienced rider but a deeper connection. It was something that was solely hers, at least it was in her mind.
Upwards ahead someone else was riding, Della’s saw it the same time as Evangelina and begun to pull on the bit. Recognizing the familiar figure she gave Della her head again the okay to chase down the rider, “What do you say we give, Her Highness, a bit of a challenge?” The mare’s ears flicked back and forth and she shot forward hot on Princess Gianna’s heels.
Since the tragedy at the circus, Evangelina’s world felt like it was getting increasingly larger. Pia and Theo had married. Selene had fled Taengea and if Evangelina was perfectly honest with herself it’d felt like she’d fled from her family as well, leaving the less prepared girls at the mercy of their uncle. There had always been a certain pressure that had weighed down upon a woman with the name Leventi tied to her, but never more so than recently when everything in their small world was falling apart. There were standards to be met, ideals and goals that couldn’t be overlooked. She’d never been particularly good at portraying those ideas and now it all felt like she was being thrown in amongst the lions with not nearly the preparation of Eirini’s or Evelli’s daughters had.
Autumn was in the making, there was a crispness in the late afternoon air that reminded Evangelina of biting into an apple. The sea air was breezy and just short of gusting. The smell of brine and sand and horse had become the taste of freedom to the pint-sized Leventi. The beaches of Sernn were her escape. She could close her eyes and for a few moments forget about her family, and most importantly forget about the bewildering Lord Gavriil.
As if sensing that her mind had drifted from the ride, the fine chestnut mare under her shied slightly from the tide coming in to tickle her feet. She’d been a present from her father and wasn’t the usual Leventi bred horse but rather something smaller, finer boned bred of the desert. Her bright coppery coat offset by a wide blaze that ran from just above her eyes the length of her face all the way down past her bottom lip. Della, as the mare had been named, might have been small but she was definitely mighty.
Evangelina shifted her weight, using her body more than the reins to readjust the mare’s position underneath her. Her hand reached down to stroke the mare’s neck, “Deep breaths, Della. It’s just water…” In reply, the mare sneezed and bobbed her head, tugging on the bit with her teeth. With a sigh, Evangelina shifted her weight again and let some of the tension in her hands go, the reins relaxing and letting the mare find her own pace.
The slow canter slowly, as if Della was testing her freedom, started lengthening until it couldn’t quite be called a canter any longer. The flashy chestnut might not care for the tide tickling her fetlocks but her hooves ate up the wet sand as if she’d been born for it. Her ears forward, she settled into a ground eating gallop racing some invisible force.
Riding came as naturally as breathing to Leventis, for Evangelina, she’d perfected it into a masterpiece. Some of the Leventi’s painted pictures you could step into while others could sing you the sweetest of songs and then there were others who’s grace while dancing was enough to draw every eye in the room once they began… for Evie, it’d always been the horses. They were her canvas, her song… they were her dance. Settling in atop of a horse, she melted into them and became a part of them. It wasn’t simply being an experienced rider but a deeper connection. It was something that was solely hers, at least it was in her mind.
Upwards ahead someone else was riding, Della’s saw it the same time as Evangelina and begun to pull on the bit. Recognizing the familiar figure she gave Della her head again the okay to chase down the rider, “What do you say we give, Her Highness, a bit of a challenge?” The mare’s ears flicked back and forth and she shot forward hot on Princess Gianna’s heels.
Gianna could not think of a previous time in her life when she had been as lost in her thoughts as she had recently. It seemed that with every misfortune that struck her family, she slipped a little deeper inside her own mind. It had taken a bit longer than she anticipated, but the princess finally found herself slowly suffocating within the safety of the palace walls. At first she had holed herself in the paláti to mourn the loss of her father and brother, but the subsequent tragedies had proven that there was no escape where strife was concerned.
Yearning to be away from the palace and the politics that inherently came with it, Gianna had snuck to the stables to find her closest friend contentedly munching away on the remains of his lunch. The only indication that he heard the girl was a flick of his ear as she approached, otherwise ignoring her. It had taken no shortage of cooing and the promise of treats to pull his attention away from his grain. But their presence on the beach was proof of Gianna’s success, something she had been sorely lacking these days.
She absentmindedly ran her hand through the coarse hair of the horse’s mane, closing her fingers around it at irregular intervals. This was the closest she had been to normal in months. She could not help but wonder if her world would settle again or if she would have to resign herself to an eternally tumultuous life. It was not so long ago that her future had been certain, her family untouchable. She could almost laugh at how quickly and easily everything had come crashing down.
Alcaeus snorted and Gianna patted his dappled neck in turn. With her brother across the sea in Colchis she was even more grateful for his gift. She had found herself in the stables more often in the days since his departure, finding an elusive closeness to Stephanos in the horse he had given her all those years ago. Unlike the vast majority of the horses in the Mikaelidas stables, Alcaeus was not of Leventi blood. Gianna knew little of the stallion’s life before Taengea, but she knew that he was Iberian in origin and that Stephanos had acquired him as a colt from a Phoenician tradesman docked in Vasiliádon.
Thoughts of her brother brought with them an ache, resonating somewhere deep within her bones. She had shaken it for a time, distracted by her cousin’s wedding and the death of her uncle, but it settled over her once more, weighing her down just enough to cause the slightest wilting of her usually impeccable posture. Gathering the reins from the stallion’s withers, she pressed him forward along the beach, secretly hoping to leave those unpleasant thoughts behind her.
Wrestling with her own mind kept the princess occupied as Alcaeus plodded alongside the lapping waves, just out of their reach. The roar of the sea filled her ears and effectively drowned out any indication of her quickly approaching companion. That is until Alcaeus started and the pair had nearly been overtaken. Gianna could hardly tell her heartbeat from the waves as she encouraged Alcaeus to accept the gauntlet Evangelina had thrown.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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Gianna could not think of a previous time in her life when she had been as lost in her thoughts as she had recently. It seemed that with every misfortune that struck her family, she slipped a little deeper inside her own mind. It had taken a bit longer than she anticipated, but the princess finally found herself slowly suffocating within the safety of the palace walls. At first she had holed herself in the paláti to mourn the loss of her father and brother, but the subsequent tragedies had proven that there was no escape where strife was concerned.
Yearning to be away from the palace and the politics that inherently came with it, Gianna had snuck to the stables to find her closest friend contentedly munching away on the remains of his lunch. The only indication that he heard the girl was a flick of his ear as she approached, otherwise ignoring her. It had taken no shortage of cooing and the promise of treats to pull his attention away from his grain. But their presence on the beach was proof of Gianna’s success, something she had been sorely lacking these days.
She absentmindedly ran her hand through the coarse hair of the horse’s mane, closing her fingers around it at irregular intervals. This was the closest she had been to normal in months. She could not help but wonder if her world would settle again or if she would have to resign herself to an eternally tumultuous life. It was not so long ago that her future had been certain, her family untouchable. She could almost laugh at how quickly and easily everything had come crashing down.
Alcaeus snorted and Gianna patted his dappled neck in turn. With her brother across the sea in Colchis she was even more grateful for his gift. She had found herself in the stables more often in the days since his departure, finding an elusive closeness to Stephanos in the horse he had given her all those years ago. Unlike the vast majority of the horses in the Mikaelidas stables, Alcaeus was not of Leventi blood. Gianna knew little of the stallion’s life before Taengea, but she knew that he was Iberian in origin and that Stephanos had acquired him as a colt from a Phoenician tradesman docked in Vasiliádon.
Thoughts of her brother brought with them an ache, resonating somewhere deep within her bones. She had shaken it for a time, distracted by her cousin’s wedding and the death of her uncle, but it settled over her once more, weighing her down just enough to cause the slightest wilting of her usually impeccable posture. Gathering the reins from the stallion’s withers, she pressed him forward along the beach, secretly hoping to leave those unpleasant thoughts behind her.
Wrestling with her own mind kept the princess occupied as Alcaeus plodded alongside the lapping waves, just out of their reach. The roar of the sea filled her ears and effectively drowned out any indication of her quickly approaching companion. That is until Alcaeus started and the pair had nearly been overtaken. Gianna could hardly tell her heartbeat from the waves as she encouraged Alcaeus to accept the gauntlet Evangelina had thrown.
Gianna could not think of a previous time in her life when she had been as lost in her thoughts as she had recently. It seemed that with every misfortune that struck her family, she slipped a little deeper inside her own mind. It had taken a bit longer than she anticipated, but the princess finally found herself slowly suffocating within the safety of the palace walls. At first she had holed herself in the paláti to mourn the loss of her father and brother, but the subsequent tragedies had proven that there was no escape where strife was concerned.
Yearning to be away from the palace and the politics that inherently came with it, Gianna had snuck to the stables to find her closest friend contentedly munching away on the remains of his lunch. The only indication that he heard the girl was a flick of his ear as she approached, otherwise ignoring her. It had taken no shortage of cooing and the promise of treats to pull his attention away from his grain. But their presence on the beach was proof of Gianna’s success, something she had been sorely lacking these days.
She absentmindedly ran her hand through the coarse hair of the horse’s mane, closing her fingers around it at irregular intervals. This was the closest she had been to normal in months. She could not help but wonder if her world would settle again or if she would have to resign herself to an eternally tumultuous life. It was not so long ago that her future had been certain, her family untouchable. She could almost laugh at how quickly and easily everything had come crashing down.
Alcaeus snorted and Gianna patted his dappled neck in turn. With her brother across the sea in Colchis she was even more grateful for his gift. She had found herself in the stables more often in the days since his departure, finding an elusive closeness to Stephanos in the horse he had given her all those years ago. Unlike the vast majority of the horses in the Mikaelidas stables, Alcaeus was not of Leventi blood. Gianna knew little of the stallion’s life before Taengea, but she knew that he was Iberian in origin and that Stephanos had acquired him as a colt from a Phoenician tradesman docked in Vasiliádon.
Thoughts of her brother brought with them an ache, resonating somewhere deep within her bones. She had shaken it for a time, distracted by her cousin’s wedding and the death of her uncle, but it settled over her once more, weighing her down just enough to cause the slightest wilting of her usually impeccable posture. Gathering the reins from the stallion’s withers, she pressed him forward along the beach, secretly hoping to leave those unpleasant thoughts behind her.
Wrestling with her own mind kept the princess occupied as Alcaeus plodded alongside the lapping waves, just out of their reach. The roar of the sea filled her ears and effectively drowned out any indication of her quickly approaching companion. That is until Alcaeus started and the pair had nearly been overtaken. Gianna could hardly tell her heartbeat from the waves as she encouraged Alcaeus to accept the gauntlet Evangelina had thrown.
The Taengean sunshine blazed down and mixed with the briny ocean air, sound of the waves, and the breeze, Evangelina was pretty sure this was as close as she’d ever get to a perfect moment in time. Della surged up beside Princess Gianna and her mount galloping side by side, until the princess loosened the reins accepting the challenge issued by the small, red mare.
Her entire body seemed to come alive as she followed suit and dropping herself a little lower against the mare. Della’s ears flattening back and her neck extending out in front of her pulling her stocky little body along behind her. She leaped forward with each step, settling into an ever-lengthening stride.
The ocean and the horizon blurred into a blue ombré effect and the sounds of the waves dulled so that Evangelina could only hear the heavy breathing of Della with the muffled sound of pounding hooves on sand. Or maybe that was her own heartbeat she was hearing, at this point, Evangelina couldn’t quite tell. The world was dropping away from her along with every single thing that had been disturbing her peace of mind of late.
Urging the mare on, Evangelina used her hands and her legs as she encouraged the mare to sprout some wings and fly away from everything. It’d have been a lie if she’d said, the thought hadn’t crossed her mind of running away. Maybe joining a traveling troupe and living a rather free spirited life… It was a comforting thought. Closing her eyes at night, she could drift away with promises that tomorrow she was leaving, leaving and going to be some wild adventurer. Then she’d wake up the next day and it all seemed like silliness. She’d remember her family and her friends… and all of the things that tied to this life and that dream would die branded as just a form of silliness. Della found a little more to give, her body flattening out over the sands as she tried to keep pace with the Princess’ horse. Wet sand flung into the air as her hooves dug deeply into the ground, scooping the sand and then tossed it out with each step.
But moments didn’t last forever…
Her mare was blowing hard, her stay the last few months in Acharist had meant she’d had a bit too much green grass and not enough soaked saddle blankets. With one hand pulling up on the reins and the other hand bracing her, clenching into the mare’s mane, Evangelina leaned her weight backward signalling the mare to slow up. Della shook her head in protest, making a couple of feeble attempts to snatch at the bit and go her merry way, but Evangelina was wise to the ginger mare’s ways and pulled a little tighter on the reins.
“Come on, Della.” Rising in the stirrups to gain a bit more control, “Maybe you should have laid off all that grass if you wanted to stay race fit.” A gob of foamy white lather splashed out of the mare’s mouth to land on her leg as she shook her head again. Della’s neck arched up to avoid the pressure of the bit, but slowed to a canter as she tossed her head again a bit indignantly. The desire to race on across the sandy beach seemed to scream from every taunt muscle in the desert bred mare.
Flushed cheeks and a spark of life seemed revived in her eyes, Evangelina peered sideways at the princess as she checked in with her competition and smiled. She slowed Della a little more, the mare’s coppery coat lathered and dripping wet but a happiness seemed to float off the mare at being given a chance to stretch her legs. Settling back a bit further in the saddle, the pint-sized Leventi guided the mare into a bouncy little trot as she reached down and patted the wet neck. Della showed a bit of potential for speed, perhaps the next bit of races she’d try her hand with them. It wasn’t so much the glory of winning that appealed to Evangelina as the pride that went into knowing she’d believed in the mare, guided the mare, and proved that the mare was something special… That was what Evangelina got her high on.
As the mare slowed, Evangelina loosened the grip on the reins which was met with the mare shaking her head and dancing. Her ears pricked forward and trouble on her mind she attempted to take the bit but it was again foiled by Evangelina tightening the reins enough to remove any play in the reins. Letting her feet slid from the stirrups, she let her legs dangle at the mare’s sides as they slowed to a walk.
“Della is going to demand a rematch one of these days, Your Highness,” Evangelina chuckled at the princess, her mare finally starting to settle into her relaxed, hip swinging walk as if the sands were her very own.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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The Taengean sunshine blazed down and mixed with the briny ocean air, sound of the waves, and the breeze, Evangelina was pretty sure this was as close as she’d ever get to a perfect moment in time. Della surged up beside Princess Gianna and her mount galloping side by side, until the princess loosened the reins accepting the challenge issued by the small, red mare.
Her entire body seemed to come alive as she followed suit and dropping herself a little lower against the mare. Della’s ears flattening back and her neck extending out in front of her pulling her stocky little body along behind her. She leaped forward with each step, settling into an ever-lengthening stride.
The ocean and the horizon blurred into a blue ombré effect and the sounds of the waves dulled so that Evangelina could only hear the heavy breathing of Della with the muffled sound of pounding hooves on sand. Or maybe that was her own heartbeat she was hearing, at this point, Evangelina couldn’t quite tell. The world was dropping away from her along with every single thing that had been disturbing her peace of mind of late.
Urging the mare on, Evangelina used her hands and her legs as she encouraged the mare to sprout some wings and fly away from everything. It’d have been a lie if she’d said, the thought hadn’t crossed her mind of running away. Maybe joining a traveling troupe and living a rather free spirited life… It was a comforting thought. Closing her eyes at night, she could drift away with promises that tomorrow she was leaving, leaving and going to be some wild adventurer. Then she’d wake up the next day and it all seemed like silliness. She’d remember her family and her friends… and all of the things that tied to this life and that dream would die branded as just a form of silliness. Della found a little more to give, her body flattening out over the sands as she tried to keep pace with the Princess’ horse. Wet sand flung into the air as her hooves dug deeply into the ground, scooping the sand and then tossed it out with each step.
But moments didn’t last forever…
Her mare was blowing hard, her stay the last few months in Acharist had meant she’d had a bit too much green grass and not enough soaked saddle blankets. With one hand pulling up on the reins and the other hand bracing her, clenching into the mare’s mane, Evangelina leaned her weight backward signalling the mare to slow up. Della shook her head in protest, making a couple of feeble attempts to snatch at the bit and go her merry way, but Evangelina was wise to the ginger mare’s ways and pulled a little tighter on the reins.
“Come on, Della.” Rising in the stirrups to gain a bit more control, “Maybe you should have laid off all that grass if you wanted to stay race fit.” A gob of foamy white lather splashed out of the mare’s mouth to land on her leg as she shook her head again. Della’s neck arched up to avoid the pressure of the bit, but slowed to a canter as she tossed her head again a bit indignantly. The desire to race on across the sandy beach seemed to scream from every taunt muscle in the desert bred mare.
Flushed cheeks and a spark of life seemed revived in her eyes, Evangelina peered sideways at the princess as she checked in with her competition and smiled. She slowed Della a little more, the mare’s coppery coat lathered and dripping wet but a happiness seemed to float off the mare at being given a chance to stretch her legs. Settling back a bit further in the saddle, the pint-sized Leventi guided the mare into a bouncy little trot as she reached down and patted the wet neck. Della showed a bit of potential for speed, perhaps the next bit of races she’d try her hand with them. It wasn’t so much the glory of winning that appealed to Evangelina as the pride that went into knowing she’d believed in the mare, guided the mare, and proved that the mare was something special… That was what Evangelina got her high on.
As the mare slowed, Evangelina loosened the grip on the reins which was met with the mare shaking her head and dancing. Her ears pricked forward and trouble on her mind she attempted to take the bit but it was again foiled by Evangelina tightening the reins enough to remove any play in the reins. Letting her feet slid from the stirrups, she let her legs dangle at the mare’s sides as they slowed to a walk.
“Della is going to demand a rematch one of these days, Your Highness,” Evangelina chuckled at the princess, her mare finally starting to settle into her relaxed, hip swinging walk as if the sands were her very own.
The Taengean sunshine blazed down and mixed with the briny ocean air, sound of the waves, and the breeze, Evangelina was pretty sure this was as close as she’d ever get to a perfect moment in time. Della surged up beside Princess Gianna and her mount galloping side by side, until the princess loosened the reins accepting the challenge issued by the small, red mare.
Her entire body seemed to come alive as she followed suit and dropping herself a little lower against the mare. Della’s ears flattening back and her neck extending out in front of her pulling her stocky little body along behind her. She leaped forward with each step, settling into an ever-lengthening stride.
The ocean and the horizon blurred into a blue ombré effect and the sounds of the waves dulled so that Evangelina could only hear the heavy breathing of Della with the muffled sound of pounding hooves on sand. Or maybe that was her own heartbeat she was hearing, at this point, Evangelina couldn’t quite tell. The world was dropping away from her along with every single thing that had been disturbing her peace of mind of late.
Urging the mare on, Evangelina used her hands and her legs as she encouraged the mare to sprout some wings and fly away from everything. It’d have been a lie if she’d said, the thought hadn’t crossed her mind of running away. Maybe joining a traveling troupe and living a rather free spirited life… It was a comforting thought. Closing her eyes at night, she could drift away with promises that tomorrow she was leaving, leaving and going to be some wild adventurer. Then she’d wake up the next day and it all seemed like silliness. She’d remember her family and her friends… and all of the things that tied to this life and that dream would die branded as just a form of silliness. Della found a little more to give, her body flattening out over the sands as she tried to keep pace with the Princess’ horse. Wet sand flung into the air as her hooves dug deeply into the ground, scooping the sand and then tossed it out with each step.
But moments didn’t last forever…
Her mare was blowing hard, her stay the last few months in Acharist had meant she’d had a bit too much green grass and not enough soaked saddle blankets. With one hand pulling up on the reins and the other hand bracing her, clenching into the mare’s mane, Evangelina leaned her weight backward signalling the mare to slow up. Della shook her head in protest, making a couple of feeble attempts to snatch at the bit and go her merry way, but Evangelina was wise to the ginger mare’s ways and pulled a little tighter on the reins.
“Come on, Della.” Rising in the stirrups to gain a bit more control, “Maybe you should have laid off all that grass if you wanted to stay race fit.” A gob of foamy white lather splashed out of the mare’s mouth to land on her leg as she shook her head again. Della’s neck arched up to avoid the pressure of the bit, but slowed to a canter as she tossed her head again a bit indignantly. The desire to race on across the sandy beach seemed to scream from every taunt muscle in the desert bred mare.
Flushed cheeks and a spark of life seemed revived in her eyes, Evangelina peered sideways at the princess as she checked in with her competition and smiled. She slowed Della a little more, the mare’s coppery coat lathered and dripping wet but a happiness seemed to float off the mare at being given a chance to stretch her legs. Settling back a bit further in the saddle, the pint-sized Leventi guided the mare into a bouncy little trot as she reached down and patted the wet neck. Della showed a bit of potential for speed, perhaps the next bit of races she’d try her hand with them. It wasn’t so much the glory of winning that appealed to Evangelina as the pride that went into knowing she’d believed in the mare, guided the mare, and proved that the mare was something special… That was what Evangelina got her high on.
As the mare slowed, Evangelina loosened the grip on the reins which was met with the mare shaking her head and dancing. Her ears pricked forward and trouble on her mind she attempted to take the bit but it was again foiled by Evangelina tightening the reins enough to remove any play in the reins. Letting her feet slid from the stirrups, she let her legs dangle at the mare’s sides as they slowed to a walk.
“Della is going to demand a rematch one of these days, Your Highness,” Evangelina chuckled at the princess, her mare finally starting to settle into her relaxed, hip swinging walk as if the sands were her very own.