Meadow

OOC: TW Child Loss

The tobiano's heart was heavy as they departed the safety of the Cove and made for the mainland. The grave toward which they swam held no child of his lineage, but one that was important to him nonetheless. He still regretted the way in which he had handled the entire situation, and the grief it had caused Eve in the years since, but such things could not be taken back. He had spent the rest of their relationship trying to undo the damage he had done, and while he was immensely lucky to have won Eve's heart over time, he knew there was a part of her that would forever grieve this loss and his callousness.

The spotted mare drew ashore ahead of him and he gave her a moment to gather herself before joining her, stretching to try and brush his muzzle along her speckled shoulder. She had been a saving grace multiple times in his life, from saving Rehoboam to helping him cope with the loss of Uriah and he appreciated her immensely. Like Nadja, her gentle heart had been a safe haven for him when his soul had needed a little peace.

Her lips tugged at his mane, earning the faintest uptilt of his lips before he moved to obey her command. Solomon knew well enough where her daughter's tree was, having marked it the day he'd forced her to the Cove. He'd passed by it before in the days since, although not recently. As he grew older, his trips to the Crossing had grown scarcer, and his need for novelty and travel had waned. Life in the Cove was not perfect, but it was peaceful and he loved the family that he had built.

As they grew closer, his gaze rose to the tree near which the child was buried, its lower trunk still bearing the jagged marks he'd carved into it with his hooves. Solomon slowed his pace and turned his gaze back toward the spotted mare at his side and he tried to press a gentle kiss to her cheek. "It's just ahead here." He knew this would not be an easy moment for her, and just wanted to do everything he could to make it easier for her. "Do you want to go alone first?"

Solomon