(it is no secret that Mandan has been rather prolific as a father; an absent one until the return of his beloved beautiful Exist. now he understands family and the meaning of it. but that can never erase the mistakes of the past - all the sons and daughters he’s left to fend for themselves, which is why his children are the fierce wild ones of the world)
Wander is ecstatic; she has escaped father’s careful watch and snuck beyond the Pampas’ borders. There is a deliciousness in being so deceptive and downright sneaky. The apricot child gallivants through the Forest as carefree as a bird in the sky, her brain relatively devoid of most thought as she runs along the paths.
She is an elfin slip of a girl that has small spirally horns atop her head. The trees lean down to grasp those infantile horns but she shakes her head free of their fingers, whinnying shrill and fierce at the tree-monsters before taking further evasive measures. Wander throws herself down the trails at breakneck speed, giggling and neighing until she is loud enough to bring the stars down out of hiding.
The girl zips by the stallion, not even noticing his green-on-bay coloring that is similar to her own apricot-bay or the impressive set of horns on his head that could easily rival father’s. Her ears catch the clatter of hoofbeats behind her and she swallows a thick lump of initial fear that soon turns to the giddiness of leading the chase. He’s bigger, with a longer stride and will catch her with ease so she gives up and turns to face him, blowing hard as she finally looks at him.
Wander gasps; he looks just like father! She knows that Mandan has had other children - her beaked brother is proof enough of that, and she hadn’t been oblivious to the recountings of history and their bloodline. She’s just surprised to see one so perfectly matched to their father, that she hadn’t expected to encounter one of their ilk this soon. Wander clamps her mouth shut, but gives him a shy smile.
“You look just like him.” she states simply enough.
@[Clayton] ❤️