The grullo weaved through the valleys the dunes had created, his head ducking to grab any bite of grass he could find. The heat of the sun was not as hot as he would expect, but due to how the main island had been before he left it, the stallion guessed this would be as cool as it would get. The night would probably be even cooler if he guessed right. But for now as the evening sun slowly slunk down the sky, Xanti wished to explore his territory and learn everything he needed to know about it. The oases would not discover themselves and the best spots of grass would not scream out to the world whenever someone was hungry. He needed to know this for the future, when his mares would be baring his children. The heat of his land would provide enough problems when it grew too hot to move and the mares needed much grass to support themselves and their foals. No doubt predators would be lurking as well, the short stallion would have to keep an eye out for them. Snakes would probably be his biggest problem.

The dunes that Xanti moved between seemed to stretch on forever, there was barely any doubt in his mind that they did not cover the entire island. But soon they began to lower and sink more into the earth until he reached a desert. Slight dunes rose here and there but most of it was flat sand and hardy plants. Perhaps he would find cactus further in. Musing about whether his territory covered this land or not, the dark stallion moved into this new land. It looked different from the last desert he had spent his days in, but it still had many similarities. He found that memories were starting to pour back into his mind as he looked at the familiar landscape. It was not something he wished to happen, so the stallion turned back again to his dunes. He could leave the desert for someone else to claim, he was sure the island could be easily split in half and still have enough room for both. "You'll have to get over it at some point," he murmured quietly to himself, nostrils flaring slightly as he breathed in the desert smell. If he could not face up to his past now, would he ever truly be ready? With a sigh the dark stallion turned around again and let his eyes swept over the land.

Somehow he managed to keep most of his memories from breaking loose, and when one did it was shoved to the back of his mind quickly. He would need to let though spill out eventually but for now he needed to see just the desert and not a place he once knew. Stepping carefully like he was walking on sharp rocks, Xanti slowly made his way farther into the desert. Now the dunes ranged behind him yet he hadn't gone far from them. A quick turn and short canter would place him right back at his home. The short stallion stopped and simply looked over the land before taking a deep breath. Slowly, carefully, he let his memories trickle out and relaxed. His hind hoof cocked to rest its tip on the ground and his ears turned sideways as his eyes began to droop slightly. Perhaps when it became too much he would stop and return to his home.