Thus far, Zevulun had been good to avoid the ultimate temptation: the Common grounds in autumn. Every trip that took him to Crossing drew him to visit his aunt in the Peak, or more commonly, the Falls. He never intentionally went with the goal to find a lovely mare to bring back home with him but, he’d decided that might be necessary. Zevulun was driving himself mad with his unfortunate attraction to Balor’s mares. What had happened between him and Riesling confused him, and so did the fact that he wasn’t… entirely… regretful.
If she’d sneak away with him into the trees for intimate touches, he’d do it again. He knew he would. Thankfully she seemed to be avoiding him, but that didn’t mean he could put his thoughts aside. So, the only solution seemed to be that he find himself a mare to pour his attention and affections onto. He was just lonely, was all. He hadn’t meant to go behind Balor’s back…
Every day he worried his co-lead would discover what he’d done and challenge him or try to drive him from the Prairie. Where would he and his sons go?
The pale, spotted stallion walked into the Commons and drew a breath. Excitement shivered under his skin, cream-white tail flagged at his haunches. He exhaled and drew another, the Common grounds always a cocktail of scents both fresh and stale. Without further delay, Zevulun marched inland, crossing the great open expanse of the greeting area without hesitation. There was no one loitering about that looked like the sort he was searching for - no lonely mares waiting to be swept away by his sweetly spoken promises and gentle touches. Any mare here seemed accompanied by another, or two, and he wasn’t feeling particularly feisty enough to banter about and try to stand out in a crowd.
The rolling ocean lay just beyond where he walked, almost having made it from one side to the other. Zevulun came to a small halt and kept his eyes inland, not yet seeing the injured mare lying in the surf - though she could see him standing at the edge of grass to sand, his coat a brilliant white beneath the shine of the sun. His blue eyes were searching the Crossing grounds, wondering if he should linger and graze and wait to see what he might come across.
He swung his head forward and noticed her. Zevulun froze at the sight of her - he’d never seen another horse so freshly wounded. It reminded him of the shock and fear he’d felt at seeing his fathers, starved near death with horrible scars, a lame leg, and facial disfigurement. But this was… different. This was a stranger, clearly hurt, and just recently too.
Zevulun called to her gently and started to move forward, into the sands and down the beach toward her. He wasn’t sure of her current mental state, but given what he could see of her physically he had to imagine it wasn’t well. He made sure to stop a distance away where she still felt like she had room, his eyes dripping slowly with horror across her bruised and beaten body. “Who did this to you?” He asked with concern as his gaze made its way back to her face…
Bi-colored eyes…
Zevulun’s own ice-blue eyes widened. No, it couldn’t be… like his memory of her had chucked her around and spat her out, beat up by the world at his hooves. It was her. “Calypso?” He asked, almost out-of-breath. He stumbled a step closer to her, head lowered. His eyes stung with tears. “What happened? Let me help…”
Already he knew no one else would be allowed to come near her. Even if he was just going to take her to his aunt in the Peak, Zevulun would let nothing happen to her here in the Commons. No stallion and no mare would lay claim to her. The world had brought him here to this exact moment for a reason, to find her here now, when he’d felt like he failed her in their youth by not coming to Paradise quickly enough.
|
