to live and burn is
the most exquisite form of self destruction

In the still moments that followed his desperate call, Rade steeled himself for the worst. Sciannath had struggled back upright, but from the shallow rise and fall of his sides, the stallion knew that it would be unwise to push him any further. He could only hope that Adelheid would respond to his call - and that the black mare would be willing to care for a child that was not her own. If not… the palomino roan’s eyes fell closed, and the breath was expelled from his lungs in a hitching sigh. He would not let his son suffer, whatever it cost him to put an end to that suffering.

The sound of hooves approaching spared Rade from the dark trail of his thoughts. To his great relief, it was the Codebreaker who had responded - had any other Vulcans come across the bachelor and colt, there was no telling what sort of conclusion they might have drawn. Like as not, he would have been blamed for the wretched state of the child, and accused of stealing it away from its dam. And though a part of Rade was desperate to return to the Meadow and confirm that Leto was truly gone, he could not leave the colt’s side. Not when any moment with the boy might well be his last.

There was no warmth or invitation in Adelheid’s voice when she finally spoke to the roan stallion, but neither was there contempt or denial. Having harbored no hopes that she would be willing to care for the child at all, Rade was quick to seize on the assumption that she had made. “Yes.” He responded, struggling to keep his voice from breaking even on that single syllable. A couple heartbeats passed in silence while the pair regarded one another in a sort of motionless impasse - the Vulcan mare obviously reluctant, and the bachelor stallion afraid to move or speak, lest it lead Adelheid to decide against offering her aid.

In the end, it was the filly whose actions appeared to decide Sciannath’s fate.

Reflexive tension tautened Rade’s golden coat when the girl approached his son, though he was careful to keep his protective instincts under control. The roan colt - who had begun to sway dangerously again on legs that struggled to support his thin figure - found himself being pushed to the black mare’s side by the incessant filly. At first he locked his limbs and tried to backpedal away from Adelheid, his amber eyes rolling back to show their whites. This creature wasn’t his mother, and he’d had no contact with other foals until now. But in the end, hunger and the strong instinct to survive won out over the already-fading memories of his dam. Tripping forward the last couple steps, the colt’s head ducked underneath Adelheid’s body as he follow the filly’s enthusiastic demonstration.

Rade trapped the sigh of relief that sought to escape his lips, meeting his ally’s glare with an impassive expression. “I - he’s my son. I don’t know where his mother is, but I couldn’t leave him to die.” This wasn’t, of course, the response that Adelheid was looking for. Like as not, the Peak’s Codebreaker had already figured out as much. “One season - care for him, keep him safe. Regardless of whether or not he is strong enough to stand on his own, I will not burden you with him for a day longer.” Rade did not doubt that Adelheid would respond with a considerable request of her own, when the time came for her to call upon his favor. Regardless, he did not falter.

Whatever the cost, he would pay it gladly.

stallion . twenty-one . palomino roan . mustang mix . 15.1hh
debonaire x neassa