They said we'd burn so bright.
We burn this city and go.
It wasn't long after Paradiso arrived that the young stallion quickly lost track of the mare who ruled this territory. She was taking constant trips to other islands, mingling with other territory leaders, and leaving Paradiso alone, (well, alone with that big roan stallion sometimes) to stand guard over the Forest. The young spotted stallion took his duties seriously, even if every step he took on every patrol through the Forest's winding trails scared the living heck out of him. He knew he had a purpose here. He had worth with Menkhet and this herd. Here, he was meant for something more.
But Menkhet was around less and less. The stallion would go days without seeing anyone in the Forest at all. It was perplexing and alarming for Paradiso, who struggled with this natural instinct to flee the Forest and return to warn Shamwari in the Prairie. He fought against his fear as best he could, and despite his hard desire to return home, Paradiso did not.
He even stuck around long enough to catch a good whiff of Asp's scent. The stallion had waited patiently to catch the herd when it was most vulnerable, and his efforts proved successful. Fenrir was long gone, as far as Paradiso knew. Nuru too. The appaloosa stallion had no idea if Menkhet had faced Asp in battle or if Asp just rushed in and took over while she was away, but it became clear rather quickly that Paradiso no longer represented a herd that belonged to Menkhet.
Stallion | Evaline x Valentine | Smokey black pintaloosa | 15 hh | Photo © Carina Mailwald | © Vinyl |
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