Koray

Under the light of the moon, Koray stirred.

The night was chilly, and the air smelled of rain. The small watering hole before him was still but for a small desert mouse scurrying among the grasses, taking advantage of the cool night to replenish its food stores. Koray watched it for a while, blinking the sleep from his eyes, then turned to leave. He was thirsty, but he had no intention of drinking from this small, stale oasis tonight.

Under the cover of dark the perlino stallion returned to the main oasis, as he did every night. His hoof steps were cautious, and all his senses were peeled for any sign of the herd as he crept through the grass. When he was satisfied that they were all sound asleep, he drank long and deep from the water until his thirst was slaked. Then he left again.

This time he made for the beach. The steady rush of the tides calmed him, distracted him from his thoughts, and often helped ease him back into sleep. But he was not destined to return back to sleep tonight, as the stallion soon discovered when he caught sight of two horses on the coast.

He halted in his tracks and studied the figures warily. One was standing, and one lay on the ground. Was it dead? He squinted his eyes and thought he could make out the steady rise and fall of the grounded horse's barrel. What was wrong with it? Should he investigate? Koray stood uncertain for some time, debating on the best course of action to take. Eventually, with the realization that he would need to become accustomed to checking out intruders when he became a lead stallion, Koray swallowed his apprehension and approached the horses.

He moved at a steady walk, his posture not aggressive but not friendly either, with his ears laced back and his expression firm. His green eyes were suspicious as they flickered between the two horses, lingering on the grounded one before focusing on the standing one. In the dark of night and with the moon illuminating their silhouettes, their colors were distorted until he was right next to them. When he realized who they were, his lips parted.

He had not seen his little sister since the day their mother had introduced her to the herd, and she was almost unrecognizable now, with the height and figure of a grown mare and her body contrasted with more pronounced roaning. Koray said nothing to her, however, for all his attention was on Carisa.

"Mother," he murmured, his voice hoarse as he dropped to his knees. Emotion coursed through him as he stared at the closed lids of her eyes, his muzzle hovering inches from his face. In his shock, he had forgotten that she could not hear him. "What's wrong with her?" he growled at Feray, looking at her with an expression wrinkled in grief and anger.