The days passed steadily. Şahin’s hours were filled with instructing Conquistador, the carefree play he enjoyed with his new son, Sokka, and grooming or standing with the mares. Occasionally he left them to walk the beach, or head further inland to scout for intruders. Paradise had been a peaceful place ever since he’d arrived and the blanketed palomino doubted that would change any time soon. Today he walked the beach, his pelt shimmering splendidly under the eye of the new sun, and his thoughts lingered contentedly on his family.

Laughter, high and ringing and sweet, surprised him, but when Şahin looked a little further down the beach he was not surprised to see that the waves that swirled around his hooves had washed yet another treasure onto his beach. This mare, too, was as pale and warmly colored as sunlight as those who had come before her. The stallion did not try to hide a grin as he picked up his pace and moved closer to the newcomer. Şahin had approached many mares the same way before, striding down the length of sand that separated them with his head up and an easy smile on his face, ears forward and interest in his dark eyes. He was always eager to meet strangers.

The only aspect about this scenario that was unlike previous ones was the mare’s laughter. Şahin ran a quick eye over her as he neared, noting her short height and the vitality that surrounded her as brightly as sunlight breaking through clouds, her pelt winking in the sunlight from the water that had yet to dry off her back. It seemed fitting that such a vibrant mare had come in with the tide to grace his beach. He halted with enough room between them so as not to invade her personal space, but before Şahin could greet her properly he was startled into silence as he saw her eyes. They were a brilliant green, more surprising to him than even Xina’s two-toned gaze, and as he recovered himself he noted that his initial assumption about the mare’s age must be wrong: though she held herself with all the confidence of a mare newly released upon the world, there was definitely less of a gap between their years than he first believed.

“Good morning,” he said as his focus returned fully to her. Şahin raised his voice enough to be heard over the waves behind them, and his smile grew as he continued, “It’s been awhile since anyone has washed up on my beach. Welcome to Paradise, land of drifters and those who’ve been abandoned more times than they can count.” Foals couldn’t count, right? Not until they were older? He stifled the thought (it was more sad than funny) and pushed the tip of one hind hoof into the sand. “I’m Şahin.”