we are all illuminated // OPEN

The arrival of summer was a welcome change; despite the pleasant spring, the winter's chill had remained well into the first few months and as a result, the weather had been poor. Rain had fallen almost daily, and the air was cool and humid to the point of feeling physically weighty to those who ventured into the open for too long. Many had spent the early days hidden away in the relative cover of trees, or had headed to the drier areas, finding Mosenthu's waterlogged south-lands to be more unbearable than they were ordinarily. However, summer had brought with it a wave of sun and heat, and the earth that had previously flooded grew lush with new grasses. The marshes had yet to dry at all, leaving them almost impossible to cross, but that was not a concern to most. 

The small mare preferred these lands over any other; the earth was damp and cool with fresh river-water and, though she would not attempt it out of choice, her lack of bulk made crossing the muddy areas much easier. With the first weeks of summer gone, the lands were flourishing; the rains had brought a new lease of life to most of the foliage, and everywhere she looked was bright with wild-flowers. It was turning into a good summer, and Willow was pleased. 

She stood besides one of the great rivers that intersected these lands, not grazing or bathing, simply relaxing. The sun was warm, but she sheltered beneath a great oak, lest its rays grow too hot for her. The river was slow-flowing and nearly silent, bordered with thick bulrushes that swayed with the current; the water was so clear that one could see the mottled sands and pebbles underneath, as well as the tiny, grey fish that flickered in the sunlight. The grass that bordered the water was short; grazed almost to the dirt by visiting creatures, but only a dozen meters away, the grass was long enough to easily brush the mare's knees. She sighed pleasantly, eyes half-closed, flies ticking her haunches until a brush of her tail swept them away. She blended well here, coat a pale chestnut, white dashing her pelt here and there. The white on her face was uneven, mottled across the planes of her cheeks, and her eyes were dark and bright, half-hidden beneath a greying forelock. She was not a beautiful mare - she was appealing in the way a small wild-bird was, charming in her neutrality. Relaxing a hind leg and cocking her hoof against the ground, her ears twitched at the sound of a rabbit bursting from the bushes at her left, and peered at it silently as it crept along the cropped grasses. 

It was surprisingly quiet and empty - Willow had thought that everybody nearby would take advantage of the available resources, but she had only seen one small band of equines recently. Perhaps these lands just weren't as heavily populated as she initially thought. Resigning herself to being alone for the time-being, she settled down to rest until the sun peaked in the sky, at which point she would think about moving elsewhere for the evening.