The flowers in this garden were beautiful, and Kalliope was surprised to see them growing during such a volatile season. “They must be really hardy…” She murmured to herself, inspecting the purple flowers closely. They had thick, pale green stalks and flat leaves, covered in fine, almost white bristles. They looked pretty and cold and Kallope felt an intense desire to have them for her garden. Just as she lifted a hoof to dig into the root of the plant, she heard the recognizable sound of someone clearing their throat. She instantly recoiled, shock coloring her face as she locked eyes with the blue Kalona in front of her.
Though she recognized the wings and features, the kind, patient smile on his face did not match what she had heard about Kalonas. She swallowed hard, the guilt and embarrassment obvious.
“Do you like them?”
The question caught her off guard, and Kalliope nodded slowly and then very quickly.
“Oh, very much so.” She turned her eyes to the plant, her worry subsiding in the warmth of the stranger’s question. “It’s so hard to raise flowers when it’s so inconsistent outside, and they’re very pretty. I raise flowers myself and would really like to try raising these.” She offered a sheepish smile, nervous to meet his gaze again. When she did, she saw that he looked genuinely pleased. He approached slowly, careful not to frighten her, and gently pulled the plant up by the stem with his teeth. She watched him tap the soil around the base until it gave, and then shook the roots free.
Kalliope lit up, excited that he had pulled the plant for her. “Oh! Thank you kindly!” She gushed happily, almost vibrating with excitement. The stallion placed it at her hooves.
“So you have a garden? I’d love to see it - these are particularly good for making salves…”
Kalliope and the stallion, whom she learned later was named Icarus talked happily for a while, all about their plants and gardens. Kalliope left her home that day in search of beauty and came home with that and a new friend.
Word count: 353
