Over the past six months, from the moment her sire had left to search for her mother and sister, Evren had longed for nothing more than peace. She had wanted peace for Orhan, to accept that Mother had left him; she had wanted peace for Koray, to give him rest from his inner demons; and she had wanted peace for Vita Nova, so that she could finally know happiness. Evren had wanted peace for herself, too, to give her respite from everyone else’s problems, and so that she could finally return home from her long journey across the islands and never experience the gnawing feeling of worry ever again.
She had returned home to find, if not peace, then at least silence. Evren had never known such quiet in the desert, even when it had just been her, Koray, and Vita Nova. The deaths of her father and brother weighed heavily on her shoulders, and though she had not shed one tear since that terrible day, Evren had become withdrawn and morose. Her days were spent in weary solitude, patrolling the borders or watching over the mares and their children.
Then one day a new scent arrived.
Thankfully, Evren’s mood was not the worst it had been as of late, and when the call reached her on the breeze she did not hesitate to answer it. The young mare slipped into a ground-eating canter that carried her toward the ocean and to a strange black and white mare. Evren’s breath caught in her chest when the memory of her mother flickered before her eyes, but she kept her thoughts to herself as she neared the stranger. “Afternoon,” she greeted the older mare, and dipped her head politely, if a little awkwardly. The mantle of leader still sat strangely on her young shoulders. “I’m Evren, and who might you be?”
|