Everything seemed to have been beaten away from Zimri as they continued onward. Every bite and every blow chipped at her more and more. She had been growing, and she had been changing. She had been learning to trust in the world around her and believe there would be beauty again. Those dreams came crashing down to the point where she even stopped crying out in pain as Felony’s bloody blows kept falling.
Hooves sank into the marshy mud of the Lagoon and she stood, having become the stallion’s new prize. She stood in her shame, praying to anything that would listen that nothing of her life would find her here. Her daughter would be far away, finding safety and comfort anywhere but here. Possibly in the presence of Ruger, both of them far from seeing the broken heep life had once more reduced her to. Weak and bleeding, she hung her dappled face by her knees. It hurt to raise her head, and it hurt to see the world around them.
Her gaze lifted at the approach of another equine. Shock lanced through her about as fast as Ruger’s expression changed. Her breath hitched. For the second she saw the similar gleam in Ruger’s eyes that she had seen snapping at her in Felony’s. It was replaced by confusion as she watched the two stallions interact, trying to piece together their words. Now her gaze was locked on Ruger, once more putting her trust in him, though it was being held together by a heartstring. She could see the similarities, could almost trace the lines. Her breathing deepened as slow realizations started to dawn on her. The monsters were one in the same. Eyes widened as the two beasts raised themselves into battle.
----
Shouts and snarls of the fight rang through the Lagoon. Multiple hooves ran though the mud, commotion calling them forward. A set of friesian feathers tore through the terrain, as well as a filly’s little hooves.
Tithe and Rachanna galloped toward the clearing, but it was the colt who realized what was happening before they could break from the shadows. Larger and longer limbed, he rushed through the trees to pull himself in front of the little filly. She ran headlong into his bulk, and reared to fight off the grey knight.
“Shhh…” he said softly, touching her gently with his nose and looking down at her with kind eyes that went deeper than his armor. “Now is not the time.”
----
She tried to look away, tried so hard to tear herself away from what was happening in front of her. That flash of cruelty had been in both sets of yellow eyes, she had seen it with her own. But she could not stop her heart ache and beat again for the stallion who had fought off another for her sake. She could not wipe the sight of her daughter prancing with joy around Ruger’s painted body. She could not stop herself from jumping forward with a shout as Felony’s hoof came crashing down towards Ruger’s skull.
As he walked away, Zimri stepped forward, cringing painfully as pain lanced through every limb. She lowered her head to Ruger, touching him gently, silently pleading with him to get up, though she was scared of what she would see when he did.
“Father!”
Tithe had finally stepped aside as Felony disappeared, allowing the little girl to race to herr sire’s side.
“Father… please get up.” Rachanna, too lowered her head. She nudged at him with her nose and pawed at the ground beside him. She needed him to get up.
----
In the shadows of the trees, Tithe continued to watch. Wary.
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