Valentine glanced at Shamwari, watching as the boy drank in his new surroundings. He was quiet still.

The Lost Islands’ attitude towards the bachelor herd was confusing to Valentine, to whom the idea was completely normal, but after hearing the way some of the horses here talked about the Lagoon, he could understand Shamwari’s apprehension to a certain point. Back home almost every colt grew up in a bachelor herd, but here things did not always work that way it seemed.

There was not long to wait in that awkward silence, however, before the sound of hoof beats alerted them to the approach of the welcoming party. It was a golden stallion that emerged from the shadows and who greeted them with a foreign word.

Valentine’s gaze swept across him curiously. Fiero. There was something about him that seemed familiar, though he could not quite place the association. Before he could contemplate it any further or answer the stranger’s question, however, Ceolwulf arrived.

The black stallion quickly told his visitors that he was ranked more highly than his gold companion with a swift nip aimed towards Fiero. Valentine did not flinch away from the scuffle, though he watched with interest as the bachelors settled into place before Ceolwulf addressed them.

“She has indeed,” Valentine replied with a polite bob of his head. “And yes, this is Shamwari.”

He turned to look at the chestnut boy, trying to engage him. “Shamwari, this is Ceolwulf.”

VALENTINE
you bleed just to know you’re alive