Orhan had been born in these sands, and he would most likely spend the rest of his days in them. He was as familiar with them as he was with the face of his own mother; he knew where to find shelter and sustenance, and he knew how to outsmart the fast-striking serpents that hid in its nooks and crannies. He knew also the patterns of its weather, and what an oncoming storm smelled like. Temperature was a relative thing here, for even the coolest of days would likely still have been stifling to other equine. Yet so used was Orhan to feeling his strength sapped by the sun each day that it still came as a surprise when it had cooled enough for him to stretch his legs and fly across the dunes without overheating.

Unexpected though it was, the young stallion was relishing the mild climate tonight, and had retired to the choppy black waters of the sea after a good long run beneath the starry sky. Unusually for him, he felt energized and confident enough to step out deeper and deeper in the water until the ground parted ways with his hooves. He swam for a short time, relishing the feel of the foamy water across his back and the weightlessness that carried him. It was not like the swim between the islands, which was exhausting and at times terrifying; this was a swim purely for pleasure, a swim which he was in complete control of. Meanwhile a nighttime traveller in the form of a great white albatross soared overhead, curving along the stretch of beach and giving him a cursory glance before continuing on its great trek.

Orhan thought of Kazga, and wondered if she had ever known the joy of a midnight swim before.

When he saw a distant glint of gold among the moonlit waves, Orhan immediately found a foothold where he could stand with the water obscuring him neck-high, and watched. Soon enough the glint became a horse, and the horse emerged from the sea to swiftly move inland. Orhan followed the figure without hesitation, sheltered under the cloak of night and keeping a safe distance. From what he could tell, the stranger was a female and moved with quick determination, as if she were fleeing from something.

When the gold and white mare came to perch atop a tall dune, Orhan dared himself to come closer, eyeing her carefully while the cool desert breeze blew dry his coat. She was more thickly-built than anyone he knew, with unusually hairy legs and striking dark spots on her pale hindquarters. She was obviously from some place far away, that much was clear... but she did not appear to be a threat, for she seemed alert in a nervous sort of way. So why had she come here? Orhan began to ascend, arcing round so that he approached along the dune’s crest, towards the mare’s side rather than from behind her. Sand spilled out from under his hooves and tumbled down the slope as he came to a halt a dozen or so strides away. The wind blew her scent towards him, and he drank it in, smelling her strange and unique perfume mixed with the salts of the sea.

“Hello?”