Ni'Srilan: The Desert: best to keep things in the shallow end

the halt was certainly abrupt.

her limbs locked and she slid, throwing sand everywhere. her haunches and flanks, speckled grey as they were, were soon striped with sand clinging to the sweat, giving her stripes and splotches beyond her dappling.

oh dear. what was that sound?

it seemed friendly, welcoming.

appearances could be deceiving, could they not...?

her ears trembled with indecision, mind racing through the various forms of panic it was most familiar with.

what if it was coming to eat her? she couldn't hear footsteps over the raging din of her thoughts.

she spun, twirling in place with alarming speed and spouting up yet another cloud of pesky sand, the wind pelting her with the granules... but she didn't notice.

her gaze was fixed upon the one watching her, and her thoughts went blank in awe and admiration.

this... this mare. there was something about her--something that made her stand out from the aridness of the desert, the bleak wasteland of blasted heat. she seemed to mean no harm.

...but this had not always been true. appearances were deceiving, this... this she had learned well. her mind settled back to panic, plotting escape routes. her eyes were white-rimmed in fear--a look she wore fairly regularly... this was all so... strange...

...but this newcomer seemed to mean no harm! a hoof was raised, weight shifted forward...

it made it halfway to the ground before whirling to be set down in a new direction, and the mare started off at a full-out gallop...

...which slowed to a canter..

...and then to a rapid trot...

...and then to a slightly more shuffling trot...

...and to a walk.

she urged her weary legs to carry her further, carry her faster, to participate in her escape plans, to go! to flee! there was danger about... others brought danger, they must, they always do... she must flee.

this is how it must go. she managed a few more strides of trot before she shuffled back to a walk again, heaving a sigh and snorting as she ground to a weary halt.

oh, the weather here was not at all what she was used to...

her head was tipped back to eye this other, wild eyes wary... a few minutes' rest wouldn't hurt, she'll just have to run faster later...