Falls

The voice was oddly familiar; enough to pull Nephilim from the broken record of his thoughts which was threatening to tug him further than he wanted to go. Snapped back to the present, Nephilim blinked away what glossy tears had risen into his eyes and sucked in a sudden sharp breath, expanding his lungs before he exhaled through his lips. He focused, glancing at the stallion near him and immediately found himself surprised. Twice in one day it seemed he would come face-to-face with those of his past. He and Shamwari had always gotten along well, ever since the fateful day Nephilim had wandered blindly into the Lagoon searching for where he might belong.

“Shamwari?” He asked, tone doubtful, as if he worried he was dreaming up this particular scenario. Within a few seconds he realized he wasn’t and that Shamwari was standing before him, which made him actually consider what the other stallion had asked.

Nephilim shook his head lightly back and forth. While it was true he wasn’t alright, he didn’t need to lay out anything to Shamwari in an attempt to plead his case. When it came down to it Nephilim knew he was at fault and had no right to accept any sort of pity party from anybody. Instead of explaining it where he would be the poor soul who’d been affected by his absence, Nephilim said in a tired voice, “I involuntarily left the islands in a sort of… sudden way about a year back. I just came face to face with one of the mares I’d left behind and as awful as I feel for everything that happened, and for how badly I’ll miss her, I was happy to see she was alive.” He was, even if his heart ached to remember their conversation and to think of her spending the rest of her days hating him.

Again, he reminded himself it was for her benefit. If she loathed him she could move on, meet a stallion who would treat her as she deserved to be treated.

“It was an emotional and not so pleasant reunion… but she’ll be better off hating me for leaving her than she would be with me.” He sighed and tried to give a short smile but it fell slack and slipped quickly from his mouth. “Now she can… move on for good, I hope.” But something lingered in his tone that said a part of him didn’t hope she could move on. It was his heart; Nephilim knew he had no right to wish she wouldn’t leave him in her past.

But, this impromptu reunion with Shamwari wasn’t all about him, Nephilim mentally recalled. He blinked and glanced at his old friend. They’d both come far from where they once were, he thought. “What have you been up to in my absence? Are you still on Crossing?”