Meeting the queen of the Sea

Canigó was bound home, quietly, the way he always did, carrying the staples and the cold he’d woven into his coat in the high altitudes.

The path leading down from the peaks had been well known to him for years, every bend and slope etched into his memory. Snow still clung stubbornly to the higher reaches, packed hard by wind and cold, but lower down in the valley it had softened, turning into a damp earth and frost-kissed grass.

Canigó’s hooves moved with practical ease, crunching lightly over the frozen ground. His breath rose slow, steady clouds with every step he took. He always lingered on his returns. The mountains filled him with calm, but descending back into the livelier lowlands felt like reentering a world that moved faster, thought louder. He did not resent it, but he always needed some time to readjust.

The training grounds came into view as the path curved gently through a line of bare winter trees. Fences traced familiar shapes against the pale grass, and beyond them lay the barns and paddocks, their roofs edged with frost. Smoke curled up from a distant chimney, surely the staff was by the fire at this hour, warming themselves up.

The still and quiet was interrupted by a sharp clatter, Canigó’s senses sharp to try and spot where it came from. The sound was unmistakable, the sound of a latch being tested. Canigó slowed his walk, ears flicking forwards. He angled his head toward the sound, and then followed it to a paddock near the main barn. There, standing far too close to the gate, and wearing an expression of intense concentration, was a Loshenka mare he did not recognise at first sight.

She was lean and athletic, her posture alert even while standing still. One foreleg was bent casually, resting on the gate rail in a way that suggested she had done this before, many times. Her ears were twitching back and forth, one focused intently on the latch beneath her muzzle, the other tracking the surrounding area like a lookout.

Canigó stopped a short distance away, watching the gray on black Loshenka mare. 

With delicate precision, the mare nudged the latch upwards with her lips, then paused, glancing around as if checking whether anyone had noticed. Her eyes, sharp, bright, unmistakably clever, flicked briefly towards Canigó. For a split second, surprise crossed her gaze, but a happy glint quickly covered the surprise.

It was not a shy, nor an apologetic glint. It was confident, playful, and entirely unapologetic.

‘Well,’ her expression seemed to say, ‘since you are here.’

Canigó tilted his head slightly, amused despite himself. He did not move closer to Seabound, nor did he retreat. He simply stood there, his dark painted coat still faintly dusted with the mountains’ frost, watching her with great, quiet interest.

Seabound released the latch with a soft clink and stepped back from the gate, feigning innocence, so poorly it was almost impressive. She flicked her long tail and turned fully towards him now. Ears forwards, eyes dancing with mischief.

Canigó blinked once, curiosity getting the best of him. Seabound made the first move, stepping closer, circling him closer. Canigó watched her move, her steps around him precise, balanced, full of contained energy. A horse built not only to think, but to act. She was like a storm bound in a terrestrial body, a sea of storms, waiting for the perfect moment to unbound.

Canigó huffed softly, a sound halfway between a breath and a chuckle. He followed her gaze, his own eyes filled with amusement. For a moment, they stood together in companionable silence, the cold air settling gently around them. Seabound shifted her weight, slightly restless, but not uncomfortable. Coanigó could feel the stark contrast between their two personalities, her quicksilver energy besides his grounded calmness. Yet, it fit, they balanced each other.

Seabound’s eyes had entrapped him, an invitation to seek her again, soon. That was, if he would be able to let her go this time. 

He could not. The grey on black mare had completely trapped him. The glint in her eyes grew brighter, and with another flick of her tail Seabound had Canigó completely under her will and command.