Koray

When Koray saw how sweaty and winded Vita Nova was, he felt fit and clean by comparison. Resisting the urge to smirk, he ignored her question and sped ahead down the slope, trotting with long strides and sliding in the sand with each step. Closer to the water, the air seemed cooler and more bearable, and Koray reveled in the fresh breeze that blew off its surface and tousled his pale russet mane.

At the water's edge, he took a long drink, watching with keen green eyes all the while for any sign of life in their surroundings. The stale tang of the water almost took him by surprise; he had been away for so long that he'd become acclimated to the cooler, sweeter taste of the crossing's ponds and streams. By the time his thirst was sated, his family had still not appeared, so he reluctantly turned his attention back to Vita Nova.

To fill the time, he talked, though there was no enthusiasm in his voice and his gaze kept wandering back to the shrubbery hugging the oasis. "My father's name is Orhan. He lives here with three mares, Arcana, Carys, and Carisa. Carisa is my mother, and just so you know, she's deaf, so you have to make sure she can read your lips when you talk. I also have a little sister named Feray, and there's another stallion here called Yusuf, but he's blind and sort of keeps to himself. You probably won't see him."

There was an edge to his voice as he spoke of Yusuf, but then he looked at Vita Nova and his countenance returned to normal. "I guess you should probably tell me about yourself too."