Time had not been kind to the stallion. He had many regrets and many ghosts haunting each step he took . No matter what he did, their faces and their voices followed him. It had been a long time since Gael actually let himself live, let himself be free from the struggles of his guilt and sorrow for all those losses. He had children he wished he could reconcile with but he knew they wanted little to do with him for all the pain he had caused them.

Ruth with her mother’s face and Nike, who looked more like him but sounded like Corinth. Even poor Louis flashed through his mind in a speckled pattern. Chrysanthemum he had loved and slipped away from, he wasn’t sure if she even had a child with him. All these lives had come in to brush against his and he’d only left stains on them.

Gael walks steadily through the Lagoon. It’s the last place on the islands where he can find even the smallest crumb of peace. The day has been scalding as usual and he was trying to make his way to the pool where the deepest waters were for a swim. Gael knew it would do his limbs some good and ease the soreness in his neck, which had recently started to give him trouble.

When he notices the filly it is a soft bat of an eyelash. He can smell her. She’s young and vital and without a care in the world. Perfectly ripe for the taking. Gael’s eyes narrow down on her, his mouth drawn down in a frown.

“You are one of the foals?” Gael comes a hair closer, looking idly around them. “I mean, you belong to one of the mares here? You probably shouldn’t wander alone. It can be dangerous.”

He pauses, taking a deep breath. “My name is Gael, petit oiseau. I was going for a swim, if you want to join me.”