7659 Adoption Claim

The harsh wind bit at her hide, whipping her long tail so wildly, she feared she would be thrown off balance at her precarious height. Her legs were wading through snow that reached past her pasterns and her previously deep purple hide was covered in so much snow she might as well be mistaken for a white mare.

It was as Brillantina thought: a horrible day to be alone. No herd to shield her from the oncoming winds or no horse to guide her through the steepest parts of the mountain. Her birth herd has been swallowed by an avalanche not unlike the ones that first sent so she was forced to trek on alone, both to preserve her herd's legacy and their memories. Brillantina was almost sure that was the only reason she felt she could press on. The miseries of the mountains was enough of a distraction from the constant grief that threatens to bring her down.

She made it past the ledge she's been shimmying on for what felt like hours, a sigh of relief threatening to escape her lips the moment her hooves landed on more solid land. Honestly, she didn't even know where she was going at this point. Being a herd oriented animal without a herd really does something to a mare. Brillantina doesn't even remember the last time she's seen another horse.

As if someone read her mind though, the distinct rumbling of horses shook her, her legs trembling and her vision shaking. A herd came into view, with as many horses as there were snowflakes that dotted her nostrils. It was much larger than her birth herd has ever been and she silently wondered how a herd could sustain that many horses in somewhere as brutal at the mountains. Surely there couldn't be enough food for everyone. Brillantina squinted, the forms of the masses still blurry thanks to the blizzard.

The leader, she assumed, stepped into clearer view. Another mare it seems.

She jerked her head in Brillantina's direction. Words were not commonly exchanged up in their mountains, only ever using various body signals to get the point across without sacrificing any warm breaths. Every resource counted up here.

Where is the rest of your herd? Brillantina interpreted. A pang of hurt shot through her chest as she almost physically recoiled from the impact of the loaded question. It was still a little hard to believe that every remnant of her past life was currently buried underneath a snowy grave, but it doesn't pain her any less to remember it. Brillantina pinned her ears back against her head before forcing herself to spare a single word.

"Dead" She murmured. Even if her words were smothered by the winds that billow through her tail, Brillantina knew it was a word any horse can recognize merely from the movement of her lips. It was a common one after all. There was no gesture for death. Even in their culture, no mere actions could sum up such grave fates without seeming outright offensive. Words themselves could barely contain the grief that came with it.

The lead mare solemnly dipped her head in respect in response. Brillantina followed suit. It was nice to be able to grieve with someone, for any horse to recognize her old herd and their losses. After an uncountable amount of moments, the lead mare lifted up her head slightly and padded over to Brillantina, still keeping her head low to demonstrate her tact. Whoever this mare was, she seemed extremely well versed in the customs and language of the mountains.

The lead mare brought her mighty head up to look at the velvet colored mare in the eyes. Gently, the lead mare nudged her withers and pressed her hide against her own when she got closer. A universal gesture of greeting followed up with a more intimate hug, one usually reserved for family. Brillantina rested her head on the lead mare's withers, wrapping her head around her neck. The warmth was much needed, not knowing how much she missed it until she felt it against her hide once again. She choked back a sob as memories of everyone she knew prior to the avalanche flooded through her and she simply wanted to collapse into the lead mare.

Brillantina was not sure who pulled back first, but she knew the loss of the warmth burned her as she was exposed to the bitter elements once more. The lead mare beckoned her to follow her. Brillantina numbly followed. What else was there for her to do out here alone anyways? She had to chase that companionship again.

The herd still stood where Brillantina last saw them, staying put assumedly at their leader's commands. The lead mare paused for a second, looking at Brillantina questioningly whilst they both stood at the edge of the massive herd. It didn't take a genius to decipher her expression before the leader disappeared into the crowd. She didn't even take a second to contemplate before letting herself merge into the herd before her.

And suddenly, the warmth was back, hotter than ever. It was a foreign feeling to feel such warmth in somewhere as constantly cold as the mountains. Hides against hides pressed against Brillantina, the scents of many overwhelming her senses. Like a piece of driftwood in a river, she was pushed along the current of horses, steadily moving wherever the winds guided them.