Nephilim had, in the past four years of his life, had many within it who he felt close to; who he loved. Only two had ever truly known him – the absolute ugliness of his foalhood – and they’d not been mares he’d considered himself romantic with. But of all the faces and all the names, though Rohanne knew not of what he’d gone through, he felt she knew him best. Together they shared an unfortunate grief which had been unfair to them both. It had turned them strangers – maybe even harbored resentment in the confusion – but after all these years, Nephilim only felt a familiar kinship.

Her breath was warm over his skin and out of immediate habit, he drew in after she exhaled and breathed out himself. It was both wonderful and odd to see Rohanne here now after all these years. Filled with longing after having been away so long and torn by guilt for abandoning his home, he stood before the grulla mare with a desire to be as intimately familiar as they’d once been and awkwardly apart as they’d grown to be. So much had happened and he reminded himself sharply no matter how his heartbeat increased, she was ever a stranger to him. If he advanced too quickly he may risk losing her again.

His ears twitched at her voice. “I… did.” He said the words slowly as though tasting how it sounded to give voice to that which shamed him most. “I left Tinuvel by mistake. My daughter, Maziel, she’s blind… she fell into the ocean when it was a strong current and I went after her.” If anyone would understand Nephilim’s desperate need to keep his children safe, wouldn’t Rohanne? Though that wasn’t a very fair question to ask, or even think of. “I’ve never been on the Mainlands; I got lost looking for her.” Nephilim trailed off, realizing even as he said it how poor of an excuse it sounded. A better stallion more capable of being lead would have done better.

“I just returned a few days ago, it’s just my daughters and I, it seems…” His gold eyes regarded her carefully. “And you.”

He wondered if she meant to stay. He wondered where Roza was and if she would come charging from across a field to beat him down for daring speak to Rohanne.

“Are you…” he trailed off and almost lost the courage to say it before he forced himself to push the rest of the words out. “Going to stay?”