Orhan

Orhan nodded his head agreeably when the chestnut stallion indicated that he would prefer to meet his sister in person. He had not expected any less, given that Shamwari had come such a long way.

A moment later, when he learned that Vita Nova's mother resided a stone's throw away in his neighbor's territory, his honey-brown eyes widened in surprise. Orhan liked Gabbar, but part of him would always view the Arabian stallion as a potential threat, and immediately he wondered how well Evaline was being treated. He had no reason to suspect that she would be treated any less than favorably, given what he knew of Gabbar's character, but then again, Orhan did not know the extent to which Gabbar favored his own breed over others. It was not a large leap in logic to assume that Evaline was not a purebred, given what Orhan could see of her children's builds, and Orhan had learned all too well, over the years, how purebreds - particularly Arabians and Akhal-Tekes - could look down on those who did not share their lineage.

The buckskin stallion had no intention of letting his concerns show, of course. "How nice," he commented. "I'm sure Vita Nova will be delighted to hear that. Come, I'll take you to the oasis." The stallion swivelled and began to backtrack across the sands, watching Shamwari all the while. "There's plenty of food, water, and shade there, and I'm sure your sister will be nearby. It's where the herd stays most of the time."

Orhan led the way to the oasis at a brisk walk, taking care to conceal the stiffness of his front left leg as best he could. Outwardly, he was the picture of composure, with his head high and senses trained attentively on the landscape ahead. But Orhan was also sweating, and not just from the intense heat. Though he had not seen his son all day, it was not lost on him how potentially awkward or ugly the situation could become if Koray came across them and learned that this chestnut stallion beside him was Vita Nova's brother. While there was no logical reason for his son to take offense to Shamwari's presence, Orhan knew that Koray was not always logical, and often acted impulsively where his own interests were concerned.

As they crested a hill and the sprawling green oasis came into view, however, Orhan was relieved to see that Koray still appeared to be absent. "Here we are," the stallion said, and glanced sideways at Shamwari to see his reaction, knowing that the previous and only other time he had been here, he'd not had the opportunity to see the oasis. Against the barren landscape, it was a striking picture; Orhan could only hope that Shamwari would feel the same way, and that he would deem it an acceptable place for his sister to live.

After a few moments, the buckskin stallion started forward again, half trotting and half sliding down the sandy descent toward the water's edge. He could see hide nor hair of Vita Nova, but her scent was strong, so he knew she was nearby, and once he had arrived at the grassy banks of the oasis, Orhan lifted his head and released a trumpeting call to summon the young mare. While he waited, he became aware of the fact that his heart was thumping hard in his chest. He was nervous, and was not entirely sure why. To fill the silence while they waited, Orhan turned to address the chestnut stallion with a friendly expression. "When was the last time you saw each other?"