As he waited for Vesti’s reply to his question, she suddenly moved close enough that he could feel her breath on his muzzle and could see the individual rain droplets trickling down her red face. Orhan stiffened instinctively at her closeness, but did not pull away; he was determined not to. Being huddled so close together in this humidity did not carry with it the same comfort that doing so in the snow did, but he appreciated it all the same. In fact, he sensed that she was about to share with him a great secret, and so, if anything, he leaned forward, pricking his ears and listening as attentively as if the chestnut mare held the answers to life itself.
Despite the heat, Vesti shivered, and even before she spoke Orhan had an idea of what she would say. Silly question, he thought, as he watched the mare hang her head. He imagined the isolation she must have felt, being essentially trapped in the hell that was Salem, away from any family or loved ones, by the fear that she would die if she tried to leave. As Vesti spoke of her woes, he felt suddenly guilty that this oasis, these sands, and his company were all he could offer her. With all the anger and despair she had evidently carried throughout her lonely life, she deserved more.
Then her tale ended, and a heavy silence engulfed them again. Orhan stood thoughtfully for a few moments, looking out at the ripples dancing on the surface of the oasis. He thought of the last time he had braved the sea, mindless with fever and bleeding from a days-old wound. He might have died that day – he had certainly wished death upon himself – but he didn’t. He’d recovered, and grown stronger until he was back to his old self, with only a scar left as a momento. “I think you are stronger than you know,” he finally said, and met her eyes again. “And if not, there’s no shame in leaning on others every once in a while. If you ever want to leave this place, I could help you. I could come with you. That way, if the sea wanted to claim you, it would have to claim me too.”
He managed a small, sad smile.
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