Ali & Isykle | A Chance Meeting In the Hibiscus| Private

   Ali breathed in deeply one of her favorite smells in all of Talori. The earth after a rain shower. Which meant the soil was just right for weeding.

    The young flaxen, seal bay mare stood at the entrance of the The Hedge, a round opening in the tall surrounding hedge bushes with a cast iron, scroll work sign at the top with the garden’s name in whimsical letters. It was Aunt Phoebe’s pride and joy.

    Before the war with the Flight, this garden was the gem of the local neighborhood. Many of the Agricultural Ward would come seeking repose, rejuvenation, a quiet study spot, a romantic picnic date, or a place to worship Kaia. There was an abstract statue of Kaia made by a popular artisan who was a very close friend of Aunt Phoebe.  It could be found in a quiet little side section of the garden so as to offer some privacy for those coming to pray. Some of the visiting Agriculturalists even added their own touch to the garden, donating plants from their own farms. One particular horse who was a sea based Agriculturalist had helped in the design and construction of the water garden that bubbled through the very center of the park.

    How many of those familiar faces were now gone because of the war? It seemed like with every happy discovery of a returning friend followed the news that one more had been lost. It wasn’t in Ali’s nature to be a hateful horse, but she did hate what the war had done to her community, the lives that had been lost. But as ever, she was optimistic.

    Things were not as bad as the Wilds. They were back in their home with modern comforts, and didn’t have to fear the attack of beasts anymore. And it certainly wasn’t as horrible as when she had been separated from her aunt and sent to Torrine. That really was the worst. And now her Pegasus friends were finally going to be recognized as equals, something Ali had been praying for since she had been old enough to understand the teachings of Kaia. To be compassionate to ALL horses.

    Ali walked over to Kaia’s statue with her wheelbarrow and gardening tools. The Earth Mother was depicted at half scale with all hooves planted firmly on her raised pedestal, a kind expression on her face. She was made of brown marble with dark veins and small flecks of fool’s gold running through the stone. The artist had applied copper plating through the goddess’s mane, tail, horn, and hooves so that the natural light green patina could bloom over time. Ali bowed her head in respect to the goddess before beginning her inspection of the area.

    After six months with no care or attention, the weeds and tall grasses had started to take over the garden, and it almost looked as if Kaia herself had summoned the plants to grow around her. Ali actually kind of like it like that. Maybe she could just pull out the weeds and then just slightly groom the grass directly around Kaia’s statue. She would have to ask Aunt Phoebe later for her opinion. Aunt Phoebe was currently in the greenhouse, patching up a few new leaks they discovered in the building since last night’s rainfall, and then she was going to continue planting flowers.

    Ali checked on the hibiscus tree behind the goddess’s statue only to gasp in horror at a vine beginning to wrap around the tree trunk.

    “Oh no you don’t! Not today!”

    Ali pulled the dreadlocks of her forelock back into a small ponytail at the crown of her head, and gathered the rest of her mane in a much bulkier ponytail tied at her withers. She grabbed a hoe from the wheelbarrow and waved it threatenly at the perpetrator.

    “You’re going down, you sneaking creep. You picked the wrong garden to take up residence in,” she loudly declared at the offending vine.
She raised the hoe high, prepared to strike when the fluttering leaves of the vine caught her attention. She peered closer.

    And something triggered in her naturist memory bank.

    “Oh my, you’re not just any vine, are you?” Ali cooed to the vine, putting down her hoe. “You’re a pretty little baby Wisteria vine, aren’t you? Well aren’t you just so precious, coming in here while we were all away, trying to grow up all by yourself. But you can’t be taking over Mrs. Hibiscus like this. No, no, no. She’s got seniority over you, you know. I’ll make you a nice trellis so you can grow along the hedge around Kaia. How does that sound?”