Diamant

After snatching a few mouthfuls of spongy tundra grass and wishing there was a stream to slake his thirst, Diamant succumbed to exhaustion. The young stallion made his bed beneath the shelter of a gnarled old tree in the center of the clearing, tentatively folding his long legs beneath him and pressing his back up against the rough bark. He gazed out across the grass for a short time, his thoughts weighing heavily on his mind. Inka had once told him that his parents had lived here, and he tried to imagine them roaming the bleak landscape: two tall black horses, with faces he had never known and could not picture. What had they been like? Why had they given him up?

"Who are you?"

His head shot up. Standing at the edge of the clearing was a sharp-eyed Friesian mare, as if she had strolled right out of his thoughts into reality. His heart caught in his chest and for a moment he simply stared, all but forgetting she had spoken. He scrambled to his feet and took a step forward to scrutinize her more closely in the fading light. She was older than him, but younger than Inka had been, with a strong, well-proportioned body - she was in her prime. And her eyes... He had seen no one else with eyes like his, not even Inka. Could it be?

His mind racing, Diamant at last dipped his head in acknowledgement, his forelock falling aside to briefly reveal the mark of white on his forehead. "I'm sorry for trespassing," the stallion stammered, his eyes meeting hers and then flitting away. "I didn't think anyone lived here. My name's Diamant."