Desert

The warm air was welcome on his skin as the stallion walked up on the shores of Salem for the first time in months. He shook the crisp ocean water from his coat and took in a deep breath, filling his lungs with the dry desert air as he took in his home. It had been too long since he'd been here, but it felt right to be back. He'd tried to make it in the Prairie, to try to reach out to his mother and his family that lived there, but everyone seemed to scatter when Shamwari left and there wasn't much of a herd left there, much less horses for him to get to know. He wanted to reach out to his mother's mother since Shamwari wasn't around anymore, but he didn't know if she was still around either. So with a heavy heart and after speaking once more to his mother, Akello headed back across the ocean to Salem.

His hooves sank comfortably into the sand as he walked further inland. It didn't take him long to find his father and they had a heartfelt reunion, embracing each other like equals. Cain couldn't stop complimenting how well he'd grown and developed, telling him he would be a great stallion, no matter what he wanted to do with his life. Akello appreciated the open options his father left him, glad to see him still ruling strong over the Desert. He could still smell most of the familiar scents in the air, though he was troubled to hear of his father's recent brawl with the Lagoon since they decided to take Melisma right before she was due to give birth.

It angered Akello to think of a pregnant mare being made to travel, especially stressed as she probably was since she was being forced to leave her home. At least, Cain had done well in fighting for her freedom, but now it was a waiting game until mother and daughter were well enough for travel. His father kept having to leave the Desert to go check on his family in the Lagoon which left the herd vulnerable. Akello thought maybe he could help with that, at least, giving his father another pair of eyes. He wondered who else might still be here. He could smell Harlequin and Chimeras. He could also smell Berit and Cerosi. He smiled at the thought of the gray mare, wondering what she'd been up to. Cain told him she had a foal recently, and it was a new scary thing for her. He warned Akello that she might not be open to seeing him, at least not right now. Akello nodded his head in understanding, telling himself he just wanted to see her from a distance and make sure she was alright.

Once he left his father's company, it didn't take him long to hear running hoof beats and find his brother, Carbon, on his tail. With a laugh, the two growing stallions played and sparred in their own reunion, both happy to see each other. Akello was glad to see so much light in his younger brother's eyes. He was far beyond the sickly colt he remembered from his youth. They played and spoke long into the evening and leaned against each other's sides as they fell asleep together under some palm trees. Akello wondered if he would see his other half brother, Vulcan, as well, or the newest additions that Cain told him about. He never got to meet Enoch since he was born after he left for Luthien so he wondered if he would run into him. He only heard about him from Carbon and Cain.

The stallion woke the next morning, bright eyed and open to opportunities. He left before Carbon awoke, sure that his brother would be reluctant to let him go off on his own, but he knew others might be more open to approaching him if he was alone. Snorting, the stallion trotted through the desert, wondering who he might run into first.