Evren's side ached with the force of the breath that had been knocked out of her, and the crest of her neck stung where a few strands of mane had been ripped out. But all this was nothing compared to the shock of emotions that was coursing through her. At first she was numb with fear, but as her mind raced to comprehend what had just happened, her fear began to solidify into hot, red anger. Before either of them could say anything, however, Vita Nova was suddenly there, shoving her body between them and warding Koray off with the threat of teeth and hooves.
The filly would be grateful later for the mare's intervention, and touched by her lack of hesitation in rushing to defend her. But right now Evren's attention was focused solely on Koray. She shouldered past Nova until they stood parallel to each other, united by the firm warmth of each other's bodies. The filly's ears were flattened as she regarded Koray. He was looking at her, but she had the distinct impression he did not really see her. His posture was slumped, as if he wanted nothing more than to shrink away into nothingness. This did not deter her. "You should be ashamed of yourself, Koray!" Evren berated him. "You could have really hurt me! You had no right to do that."
It was just as well that they were already soaked from the rain; she felt the sting of tears threatening to spill. Her trust in her brother had been broken. She waited for him to say something, anything, but instead he took several steps backwards. His chin was tucked to his chest, and his eyes were hidden by his wet, rust-red forelock. She saw his lips move, as if he was mumbling something, but she could not make it out. She contemplated demanding an apology, but had a feeling she would not get one. Instead she said, her voice breaking with emotion, "Don't ever do that to me again."
EVREN two; EE Aa nT; 15.3hh |