Was I left behind?
Someone tell me, tell me I survived.
I walk aimlessly along the borders of the Prairie, taking note of the new scents that linger at the border with the Forest. The neighboring terrain to the east has been quiet and stale for so long that this unlikely occurrence is rather disruptive. But the summer sun is setting overhead, its rich orange glow casting the Prairie's rolling hills in a matching illumination. I take a break from my afternoon patrol to revel in the sight for a moment. What comes next for the Forest will have to wait until tomorrow. I breathe in deeply as I survey my home, letting the fleeting worry about it leave me. New life has seemingly brought this place back to life. I spy several of the terrain's new inhabitants grazing in the distance, including Paradiso, who sees me and whinnies happily.
My nostrils flare as I prepare to return the call, whiskered lips parting as I emit a hearty growl in return. I smile to myself as I watch the spotted boy pick up a trot and then a three-beat gait and come toward me in an impressive canter. Paradiso is growing so fast. From a distance he looks so much like his father. I see the same strength in his eye and his body as Valentine. I feel good knowing this one had a proper upbringing. This one Evaline did right.
"Hey Sham." Paradiso says as he reaches me, the sides of his spotted barrel rising and falling as he catches his breathe after the sprint. We bump muzzles in a familiar fashion before I lower my head briefly to rip at the lush grasses at our feet. "What's up?"
We hadn't had much time to talk since Evaline left for the Dunes. Paradiso took it better than I expected, but I worried about the fella. He was always a bit nervous and loved that mare more fiercely than the rest of us, that's for sure. But it seems like he was doing his best to cope with the loss. Or at least to make me think he was.
"Hey boy." I say after I swallowed my snack, looking to him with a gentle smile. "All good?" I ask, continuing on with our usual banter.
The colt with the blue eyes just smiles weakly and bobs his head. We both then gaze out over the hills and the rest of the herd.
I don't know what to say to him about his mother. The Prairie, though full with new faces, feels different without her. There's a void that no other could fill. I am surprised by it and equally surprised by how it affects me. A red lobes swivels to the side as I hear Paradiso take a deep sigh. I look to him now before pressing my muzzle to his shoulder.
"We'll go visit her soon. I promise."
| Fresian Mutt | 15.3 | Chestnut | Evaline x Rook | Half-brother to Kasabian, Vita Nova | Vinyl | Photo © kimerleecury |