Roza’s eyes found the distant pale form of Nephilim only to realize that he had already found them. From across the tundra he stood still as a stone, staring at them, and though the main body of the herd separated them, his gaze felt as intrusive and intimate as if it were only the three of them in the entire world. Roza knew that he was searching for his foal, and she knew that he knew that she was staring back at him in silent answer, and in silent warning. Beside her, an unsuspecting Rohanne continued to nibble at the grass.
Then movement from her right broke the spell, and Roza angled her head to eyeball the perpetrators. They were a mare and foal, both dark as night - two horses she had seen before, but had never spoken to. The pair watched them curiously with concern on their faces, clearly wanting to approach but too polite - or intimidated - to do so. Roza did not like their proximity, or their staring, and so she hardened her gaze and cracked her tail to keep them away.
By the time her gaze found Nephilim again, he was halfway through the herd, making his way toward them with an unreadable expression. Roza lifted her chin and stiffened, fighting the urge to pin her ears and chase him away; this encounter was an unavoidable one, and at the very least she owed her sister a chance to explain what had happened.
The blanketed mare side-stepped and bumped Rohanne gently with her hip, drawing the mare’s head upward just as the stallion reached them. A spasm of emotion rippled across Rohanne’s expression and immediately she averted her eyes from him, as if the mere act of looking him in the face was too painful. Then he asked the question that did not need to be asked, and Roza, seeing that her sister had withdrawn into herself, looked Nephilim in the eye and let him wait a few tense moments for the answer.
“It never lived. Rohanne herself is lucky to be alive.”
ROZA & ROHANNE
twin daughters of vitalij & asha |