With halting, uneven steps, a stallion who was a stranger to this jungle struggled to pick his way along an overgrown path. He stumbled over a gnarled root that had broken through the soil, and hissed in discomfort as a twisted, grasping branch scratched against his shoulder. The tender heart inside him beat tremulously, frantic as a startled bird, and he struggled to slow his breathing. The air was so warm here, warmer than he was used to, and every tangled green path looked the same to his unknowing blue eyes. There were sounds, deep beneath the trees, ones that he was unfamiliar with. The roan stallion fell still as they surrounded him, paralysed with the fear of all he could not see.

“G-Ghislaine?!” Came the ragged cry, tearing up his throat instinctively before he had the sense to strangle the sound. There was no answering call, just a sudden stillness deep in the shadows where he could not see. Despite the sheen of sweat that coated his hide, Lafayette found himself shivering, and hunched his shoulders against the invisible menaces that surely were creeping ever-closer. Crrk! The snapping of a twig somewhere to his left was enough to set the anxious stallion off, and swallowing down a gasp of fright, he took off, running blindly down the winding path that laid itself beneath his hooves.

What seemed like an endless stretch of time later, he found himself tumbling through the tree line, long limbs all a-tangle as he staggered and only just managed to catch himself. A spray of sand, and the crash of waves. What little air that remained in his lungs left in a rushed sigh of relief. The beach! He’d made his way back. But with a hasty glance thrown about, his heart sunk, and his stomach tied itself in knots. Something wasn’t right. There was no rocky shelf near the tideline, and no trace of his sister.

He wasn’t alone for long, however, and glimpsing the figure that appeared amongst the treeline from the corner of his eye, he turned his panicked gaze towards the ocean. But the sea was irate today, as irate as his sister often was. It would mean death for him to take to the water. He had no choice but to remain trapped, and turned to face his unwitting companion. There seemed no sign of aggression in the stranger’s posture. In fact, when he observed the stranger's face, there was something in her expression that spoke to him, though he couldn’t quite place it in his unsettled state.


“Pardon, s’il vous plaît - please, can you ‘elp me?” he ventured, somehow managing to keep the quaver from his heavily accented voice. “I lost my way, and I’m not certain - ” All thought of describing his sister fled from his mind when he caught sight of a fleeting emotion flickered across the pretty mare’s face. Immediately, he sought to draw close to her, but after a few steps in approach, he hastily thought better of himself and clumsily backed up.

“Does something ail you, mademoiselle? Please, allow me to assist you if I am able.” His offer was heartfelt, but even as his own softly-spoken words rang in his ears, Lafayette’s moment of levity grew feeble, and dimmed all but entirely. “Though, the truth is I… I ‘onestly don’t know ‘ow much ‘elp I’d be to anyone.” The confession was little more than a sheepish mumble, but after a moment, he raised his kindly blue eyes to meet her gaze, truly uncertain as to how she would perceive him.