Cooling Springs

Gwen sat quietly next to the spring. The woods were quiet save the bubbling of the water. Normally it was a place and a quiet she adored. A moment of silence in the chaos that was often her life. Right now, however, a part of her loved it and a part of her hated it. The quiet let the grief in, and for however much she knew she needed to allow that feeling it’s space within her heart, it was hard when it was so sharp. Like daggers tearing her to pieces, or monsters stealing bits of her soul. 

After a moment of fighting the feelings, she surrendered, closed her eyes, and simply allowed them to come. Memories of Dolgrim, her brother, swirled around her. Bickering in the kitchen of the tavern, laughing about some antics around town, debating the best course of action, fighting about something that in retrospect was probably a stupid thing to be fighting about. 

Tears began to flow down her cheeks, the hot and salty water striking the cold water of the spring. Silent, desperate sobs racking her body yet not disrupting the quiet of the space. She was so lost in her grief that she didn’t hear the horse approaching. Not until the mare was laying down next to her. 

Gwen opened her eyes at the contact, scrambling back on reflex. Things were usually safe around the spring, but the woods were still full of monsters. Instead she found herself looking into the blue-gray eyes of a horse. 

The mare regarded her in concern, reaching out her white colored nose the mare nuzzled Gwen gently; almost as if checking to make sure she was okay. 

Gwen managed a faint smile, brushing away a few tears as she gently stroked the horse’s velvety nose. “I’m okay, girl. No need to worry.” 

The horse seemed skeptical, nuzzling at Gwen again. The mare was unlike anything Gwen had seen before. Her coat was a rich, blue color. Almost the color of blueberries. 

“What?” Gwen chuckled, shifting closer to the mare. The rich coat was warm and she was craving that warmth more than she’d realized. “I’m okay.” 

All she received was a skeptical huff as the mare settled her white front legs more comfortably. Clearly the horse wasn’t going anywhere. 

Resigned to her fate, though mercifully a pleasant one, Gwen leaned against the horse’s side, caressing the delicate, white sabino marking that colored the mare’s stomach and side. The pattern reminded her a bit of lightning, the thought comforting her some. 

Hair hit her gently in the face, the mare clearly wanting her attention as it bopped her again with a long and rich tail. It was the first time she’d really noticed it, an unawareness that likely wasn’t a good idea given the region, and given how long and thick it was. 

“Oh, so you’re another one of those Loshenka?” Gwen shifted so she could look at the mare more easily. 

The mare tossed her head in acknowledgement. 

“Well, your tail is too well cared for you to have been without your caretaker for long.” Gwen murmured as she took in the horse a little better. “And your coat is far too clean.” She brushed her hand along the horse’s side, only a small bit of dirt brushing off the coat. “It’s such a lovely color. It reminds me a bit of the water of deeper springs. That rich blue.” 

The mare seemed in agreement with her as the beautiful creature shifted closer, almost snuggling with the fae. Their blue coat with the delicate sabino marking standing out on the white of the rocks and green of the grass around them. 

Gwen closed her eyes. Sleep had come hard of late, if it came at all. Something about the mare’s warmth and the sound of her steady breathing soothed her almost as much as the sound of the gently flowing spring water usually did. 

“I don’t know who you belong to, but perhaps we can find your owner a bit later,” Gwen murmured, starting to drift off to sleep. 

“Her name is Uiscefhuaraithe, and she’s yours,” someone whispered from nearby. 

The voice was that of a friend. Gwen recognized that much, at least, but she was too tired and the whisper too quiet for her to be certain of who was speaking. The name for the mare though. That was perfect. The cooling of water. She couldn’t think of a better one as she drifted off to sleep nestled against the blueberry mare. The mare shifted and raised their head without disturbing the sleeping figure curled against her, keeping watch over the sleeping fae.