It had been awhile since the day Sylvia had washed up on his beach.

In truth, Şahin had forgotten about her in the events that followed her departure. What with Dia’s return to his life and the drama surrounding Xina and the colt Conquistador, in addition to the new maturity of his daughter, Mera, the blanketed palomino had had very little leisure time in which to consider anyone who wasn’t directly involved in his home and herd. So when he heard a familiar voice ring out across and morning and saw the pale mare lingering under some palm trees, he smiled and hurried to greet her.

“Sylvia!” he said, jogging to a stop as he reached out to nose her cheek in a brief gesture of familiarity. “Welcome back. Stopped by to see the sunrise, eh? There’s a tall hill closer to the beach that overlooks the ocean,” he said, the words tumbling from him like the retreating tide, “and if you stand close enough to the edge you can pretend you’re actually in the water instead of on land. It’s one of my favorite spots, very easy to immerse yourself in the world over there.” He glanced over his shoulder, ears pointed forward before he turned his dark eyes back to the pretty mare.