The news that the stallion who had chased him away the last time he'd come to the dunes was now gone for good took Orhan by surprise. Their encounter had been brief, but it had left a strong impression on Orhan, and he had spent much time fretting in the last few months that nothing and no one - not even him - would be able to rid A'idah of the beast. The news that A'idah had a new stallion in her life - a kinder stallion who had succeeded where Orhan had failed (for lack of trying) - was bittersweet and made his stomach church with uncertainty.
"That's... good to hear," he replied carefully, his voice as calm and genuine as he could muster. Then, as A'idah moved toward him in the dark, coming to rest with her snout pressing against the firm muscle of his shoulder, the stallion stiffened and side-eyed her with ears splaying sideways atop his head. His mind travelled back to the time they had met in the meadow on the crossing, where he had sought her out after having been forced to remove her from his home; that night he had been sleep-deprived, which had been the source of his confidence when he had drawn close to her and touched her, much as A'idah was doing to him now. It was strange to think he had once been so brave, when mere proximity with the Arabian mare was enough to make him tongue-tied these days.
Yet he did not pull away. "My mother is gone, A'idah. She is no longer welcome in the desert. You were not the only innocent horse she threatened to hurt... It became too much. I did not want her hatred infecting my herd any longer." Stepping backward to look A'idah in the eye, Orhan's face softened and his eyes glimmered with emotion. "I just wanted to tell you that. You have nothing to fear from coming to the desert any more. If you ever... tire of this Gabbar, you are always welcome there. Even just to visit."
The stallion shifted his weight in the sand and averted his gaze briefly, clearing his throat. Abruptly he added, "Oh, and... I'm a father now."
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