Falls

For years they had ruled that island – king and queen of the ice and snow, as strong and unchanging as the land that surrounded them. Their herd had been a collection of the finest purebloods on the islands, intimidating and impenetrable. Men would quake at the idea of making an enemy out of Het Vuur, and women would bow their heads if Sterre looked them in the eye.

They had been powerful. They had been magnificent.

But Tinuvel held nothing for them now. The island that had been their kingdom had turned them away like a blizzard conjured up in the midst of night. They had never run from anything in their lives – never backed down from a fight – but they had retreated from Soljor’s onslaught.

The memory was sour in her mind, her gut twisting at the thought of it.

Sterre had never thought that she would see the day Het Vuur would be defeated – knocked to the ground like some young colt still unsteady on his feet. A few years ago it would have been almost impossible to imagine a blow of any force unsteadying the giant, but even if it had he would have been on his feet again in an instant – twice as furious and determined than before – but Soljor had knocked the very wind from him.

He had barely been able to stand again, let alone wreak revenge on the other stallion.

Sterre had done that for him, but she was not as young and strong as she had once been either. She had given him hell, of course, but she could not hope to send a young stallion like Soljor running in his own home – maybe a long time ago, but not anymore. She had to be Het’s eyes as well as her own, and she could hardly leave him stranded on Tinuvel’s shore while she made some fruitless attempt to win back their pride.

Though the weather on the Crossing was temperate, especially compared to Tinuvel, the cool air felt icy as Sterre pulled herself from the water. It was sharp against her wet skin, but she didn’t mind the bite – it made her feel alive.

She said nothing as Het Vuur muttered his command, brushing past him just close enough for him to gauge her position before altering their course for the treeline. She stopped only once they were ensconced in shadow, the inky black forms melting into the darkness.

If only it were so easy to really disappear.

They were silent for a few minutes, the air thick and heavy between them as it so often was. Their life together had always been filled with tension. When she was younger, the drama had been exciting, the passion electrifying – now it just seemed to make things harder. They were both tired, yet still too proud to admit it.

“Hetty...” she said at last, her voice barely more than a whisper as she dragged the word out across her tongue.

She didn’t know what else to say.

this thing of darkness
I ACKNOWLEDGE MINE