Regale's Quest

After their initial meeting and his suggestion for the steppe mare to take up his quest, Remina and Regale had been making small talk for a while. She'd asked the popular ballator where he'd come from and what he'd been up to lately, but he just smiled knowingly and said «Oh you know, here and there» and «Nothing out of the ordinary». But soon enough, as the sun slowly climbed towards its zenith, the mare couldn't delay the burning question in the back of her mind any longer, fearing she was just wasting time now. She sighed reluctantly.

«Fine, now that you've convinced me to take part in this ominous quest, what does it entail? What is it you need me to do?»

Regale replied with a hearty laugh.

«There's no reason to be so downcast about it, I promise you when you're done you will be a completely different ballator!»

«For the better I hope? Not all change is necessarily good.»

«Of course not. But this is not the first time I have offered this chalenge to ballators like you and it won't be the last. I won't lie, it will take some effort, but it's nothing you can't do.»

Remina raised an eyebrow at that, wondering how the stallion could possibly be so sure about this when they'd only just met for the first time and he didn't know her at all, but she remained silent.

«Now let's get started with your first task. Please tell me about your home. This could be the place you live, or where you grew up in, and of course to some horses 'home' is more connected to another ballator or their handler than a location. No wrong answers here. So what do you think about when you hear this word?»

«My home you say?»

Taken aback by this seemingly easy question, Remina hesitated to answer at first, expecting it to be a trick qestion instead. But since she couldn't see through the meaning behind all this, the mare with the white lightning on her neck decided to just stay honest. For now.

«Well, I'm afraid 'home' is.. a difficult topic for me.»

«Oh?» Regale looked curious, but didn't urge her to keep speaking, giving the mare time to sort her thoughts. After a short pause she continued.

«I don't remember my home. It's not that I was too young to rememeber, just that something, at some point, happend. And everything before that is just gone for me. I woke up all alone one day, in an unfamiliar place. I haven't felt at home since.»

«I'm sorry to hear that. How does losing these memories make you feel?»

«It feels a bit like losing myself to be quite honest. Like I don't even really know who I am. But I haven't lost hope my memories will return to me at some point. And while I cannot change the past, I can take action in the present and work on what I think is best for me now. 'The past is far behind us. The future doesn't exist' as I've heard somewhere before.»

Despite this hard lot, Remina looked up to the stallion with confidence and optimism, as well as a strange spark in her eyes he couldn't quite read. The overo nodded slowly and continued.

«That's is true of course. I see you're the kind to live in the here and now. But still, do you perhaps have a vision of your perfect home? Something you'd like to achieve at some point or a place you want to find?»

«Why of course, I suppose everyone does. But it's difficult to put into words. I think since I felt so lost for such a long time now, wandering around aimlessly, I think I will have found my personal home once I don't feel so restless and haunted anymore. Right now, something's urging me to keep going, keep exploring and discovering new places, new ballators, new magic even. I'm not naive – I know I'm on a long and exhausting journey, even more so now that you have sent me on this quest. But I also hope that in the end it will all have been worth it.»

«Everyone is the arist of their own fortune. I'm sure you fill find your destiny eventually. And until then, enjoy where you are and what you've achieved already. You will find peace of mind once you stop looking for it. That's my experience anyway.»

Remina smiled and approved with him.

For a moment, they both remained silent to think about their conversation individually. When Remina noticed that the stallion seemed so lost in thought that she was afraid he might forget she was even there and just up and leave, the steppe rose to speak once more.

«Either way, your tasks will be a good distraction for me, Regale, I'm sure of this much. That's also why I even considered your offer in the first place. Even if I am cautious and possibly doubtful about where this journey might lead me, I'm also thankful for this opportunity. Who knows, maybe I will find my home on the way. I'll definitely keep my eyes open for anthing.»

While the mare still seemed a bit hesitant in the way she spoke, at least she was now more curious about all this now than before. His question about home had caught her offguard and sparked something inside Remina that was now driving her on – eager to find out more about both herself and the mysterious overo too. She had heard he was placid and elusive – even more reason to keep talking to him. And after all, she had nowhere else to be either.

Regale shook his head, his flaxen mane moving back and forth as he got rid of the thoughts that had made him grow silent for so long. He turned to Remina with his former, optimistic expression.

«That's the spririt! I'm happy to hear you think about it that way.»

«Well then, if I have proven myself with your first question, I'm ready for your next task.»

«Very well. Let's continue.»