”There’s a big difference between rocky hills and sand,” a lighthearted chuckle rises as she takes a final step toward him, drawn like a moth to a flame. The rhythm of her heartbeat nearly matches the tango as he meets her with a soft – although amused – grin. Obviously, he noted her awkwardness on the sand with the occasional stumble and hitch in her step. ”Maybe one day I can be at least somewhat decent at walking on this,” but that would imply her return, a frequent visit to the islands. Spoken out of place, she tells herself beneath the veil of her thoughts. An embarrassed smile reaches the corners of her eyes for a glimmering moment before she considers what frigid cold lies beyond these tropical waves. Far to the north, beyond her endeavors, there is a world of ice that she has heard of in her brother’s tales.
Her eyes follow the stream of her thoughts briefly, but with a languid blink, she is looking back at Aeolus. ”To think, there are some crazy horses living on Icicle Isle. As much as I want to explore, I’m not sure if I would be able to handle going that far north,” her body shivers, anticipating frost nipping at her heels and coating her skin after having to swim across the channel. ”I’m sure there has to be some allure to living there. You just have to look past the ice.” If it was so awful, they wouldn’t be there. Their legs aren’t shackled to the island, their souls not bound to the land. It could be an easy abandonment, and yet they choose to remain.
It’s easy to shrug away the thought, however, as her eyes meet his. A shy smile creases his mouth, wrinkling the corners as her compliment settles like a blanket across him. The vibrancy of his coat holds her attention, capturing her and nearly pulling her far too deep into her thoughts to realize his offer. It dwells for only a couple seconds, unanswered, before she returns a delicate smile. ”I would love to,” but he didn’t entirely say ‘with him.’ Swallowing past the sudden fear in her gut, she makes a feeble attempt to rectify herself. ”Do you ever tire of the sunsets here?” She tries to picture the scenery, how the scarlet and violet clouds reflect off the coastline and how the palm trees would sway in the soft breeze. The vastness of her imagination pieces it together, and Cyprin’s eyes nearly drift shut to savor it before he asks where she is from. Dreamily, she regards him.
Reputations extend far and wide. It creates pause in her, wondering what ideation Aeolus has of her home. Alas, she cannot – will not – lie to him or stretch the truth. ”Loess,” she confesses gently as she shifts her weight, ”but a little in the Brilliant Pampas, too.” It was a recent agreement that she would be a companion for Noah, an additional face to deter challengers even when the herdland gets quiet. The territory is beautiful with its wild flowers and rolling hills, but the rocky ledges of Loess has always been her comfort.
Beneath her forelock, Cyprin eyes shift away from Aeolus – albeit reluctantly – to quietly enjoy the sound of waves lapping the shore.
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