Desert

Perhaps age was finally getting the better of him. Whatever the reason, aside from the general excitement at a potential new trophy to mount (because to be honest, that thought was never far from his or the wolf’s mind), the silver bay stallion actually looked forward to sharing the company of the young gray mare as they leisurely wandered through the desert landscape. Were she a bit older, perhaps she would not have found his company so inviting; yet the genuine smile on her angelic face and the delight in her voice as she accepted his offer brought a gentle smile of its own to his whiskered lips. The sound of her gentle laugh soothes the beast into submission and for the first time in a long time, the stallion finds himself peaceful.

”This way my dear.” he purrs warmly, settling into an easy pace so as not to wear the gentle mare under the hot sun. For a time, the duo travel in easy silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Rougaru is comfortable in the silence, unworried about ulterior motives and other glum thoughts that usually accompanied his thoughts where Vanya or Titania was concerned. Lilija was a welcome reprieve.

The silence that built between them disappears as she starts small conversation, remarking on the beauty of his desert and her appreciation for Salem in general. She goes on to tell him of her brief time in Tinuvel and the island of Luthien where she now called home. ’Perhaps Luthien was a hidden gem afterall.’ the remark of the beast reminds him that he is never alone and he gives his head a quick shake to rid himself of the creature’s voice. He did not dare ruin the moment with the creature now. A warm smile falls easily into place on his lips as he nods along, encouraging her on. She turns the conversation to him with a question and he pauses, caught between honesty and letting the wolf create him as an unknown stranger in her eyes. Was he ashamed of what he had done to create himself? His herd? No. He had nothing to be ashamed of. Instinct. He had always been driven by instinct instead of emotion. There was nothing wrong with that.

Yet staring now into her innocent, hopeful gaze, he cannot help but wonder if he should not have tried to navigate life differently.

”Salem was not always my home…” he begins, slowing to a halt beneath the shaded branches of a tall acacia tree. ”I was born far away from here, in the land beyond the mountains on the mainland. It was not until I left my father’s herd that my wanderings led me here to these islands.” he breathes, a sad smile tugging at his lips as the old memory dusted itself off from the bookshelf in his mind. He sighed. ”I’ll never forget how excited I was to find life on these islands. To see other horses like myself had ventured here and even more pleased that the islands provided everything I could have ever wanted.” he continues. ”I made my home for a long time in Atlantis but after a while, ghosts had a way of turning happy memories into sad ones and I abandoned what had been mine for a fresh start here in Salem. Since then, I’ve tried to start over even if some of my past still managed to follow me. But the Desert does make me happy at least.” he finishes with a warm chuckle, tilting his head towards a small patch of desert lilies growing nearby. ”The desert can be just as beautiful as the jungle when you know where to look.”

He sighs gently, a single ear tilted towards her. ”You said Luthien is your home now… so I take it you have more family there?” he asks, genuine curiosity coloring his question.