The oldest of this group of horses, Zevulun did not miss the playful way the sisters giggled and whispered and teased one another, their eyes sliding past him to his shy grandson. Zevulun turned his head, blue eyes meeting Orphiel’s gold-brown ones and he almost laughed openly at the confusion and awkward fear he saw there. The poor boy needed to get out more. By his age Zevulun had not only had many, many conversations with mares, but had sired children, too. Maybe he’d started a little too young (Nephilim’s children, like their father, didn’t have much of a childhood to speak of) but, still.
Zevulun swung his hindquarters a step or two aside so they and Orphiel would have a clearer look at one another. He did his best to hide the cheeky smile he wanted to give and was thankfully successful. If another adult had been here to see - very plainly - what Zevulun was doing, he would have lost his composure and chuckled. It was just too amusing to see his grandson so flustered over such boisterous, bright, and happy young fillies.
“Calfuray. Kalanthia.” Zevulun nodded to each after they’d introduced themselves, hoping he’d commit their names to memories.
Thia… Ray… Thought Orphiel with his golden eyes on them, peering out beneath the frizz of his brown forelock.
“I thought just as much,” Zevulun agreed as the spotted girl, Kalanthia, suggested Oswin would likely be at the Peak’s summit. “I remember my aunt always had a fondness for spending her time up there when she wasn’t doing something for the Peak elsewhere.” If she could stand at the highest point, beneath the wide open sky and look down over the islands she’d swore to protect, Oswin would.
“Lucky for you ladies,” he started with a wink and a happy grin, “My aunt happened to show me a couple ways up to the top and I could easily guide us that way. How about I lead, you two take the middle and uh-” He stopped where he’d been walking as if to move past them and take the lead as promised, turning his head to glance over his shoulder at Orphiel. “Orphiel can keep everyone safe from the end.” He smiled as if his plan had no ulterior motive. “Sound good?”
Orphiel’s eyes widened as he realized exactly what his grandfather was doing - making sure he’d be close to the girls and not have Zevulun as a social security blanket between them.
“C’mon.” Zevulun said and pointed his chin toward the summit looming above. “We should get a start now so we don’t have to spend the night up there. Climbing down after the sun has set can be dangerous.” He said it more for Orphiel’s benefit than the girls. As natives to the Peak they’d likely already heard plenty a cautionary tale or two about the narrow, winding paths that could take one up to the top of the Peak.
Zevulun stopped where he’d be leading them around the cliff-face they were currently at to find the path that was worn through red rock and so narrow it’d nearly scrape their sides. It would eventually burst out on a ledge just wide enough for each horse to walk single-file and then begin the winding climb they’d need to stay careful on before they finally reached the top. He glanced back at the girls to see if they were on board, more than happy to lead this little group up the mountainside.
Orphiel shifted nervously where he stood, giving the girls a quick look and then glancing back at his grandfather. Trying to hold onto more bravery than he felt, the cremello dun gave a quick, firm nod. He didn’t want to look like a coward in front of Thia or Ray. “I’m ready.”
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