They said we'd burn so bright.
We burn this city and go.
At first the chill in the air was invigorating. It wiped away whatever lingering exhaustion the young stallion felt from his recent swim. Every brisk breathe that inflated his lungs lifted him higher and make his senses sharper. He reveled in the crispness of it all. It made him nostalgic for the first time he came here, and how magical he thought the mountains were. He had enjoyed meeting Wendy, a dainty mare, who greeted him with kindness. Those were simpler days. however. Knowing better now, Paradiso was cautious as he strayed from the beach and further into the terrain. He'd hoped that the swim would wipe him clean of the stench of the Lagoon, but that was just wishful thinking. It seems some were not as friendly as his brother was when they came across strangers, and he should be prepared for that. Nevertheless, the spotted boy picked up a two-beat trot and ambled on his way.
He stopped to investigate interesting looking trees and hardened shrubs. He'd press the soft skin of his warm, dark muzzle against the bark as he took in the rich scents of pine and evergreen trees. He nibbled on a pine cone, even, snorting at it first cautiously when he didn't recognize what it was, but Paradiso spit out the splintered, dull tasting pieces. He hoped that wasn't what horses ate here as food.
So when the sounds of another crashing through some nearby foliage broke through the otherwise quiet landscape, Paradiso's head shot up high over his withers. A young stallion appeared and barked at him, but didn't come at him aggressively. Paradiso stood where he was, nostrils flared, creamy exhales shooting out into the cool air. "What buddy?" He questioned, clearly confused. "I'm alone." He spoke again, swiping his damp tail across his hocks. Paradiso then realized that he was, in fact, trespassing. Perhaps it was better if he explained himself. "My name is Paradiso, son of Evaline and Valentine. Brother of Shamwari, from the Prairie. My brother spoke kindly of a stallion who lived here once, Nephilim." He explained, hoping that whatever reputation Shamwari had these days on Tinuvel was still a good one. "I'm just passing through, but hoping to be useful to friends and allies along the way, if I can." He offers.
The spotted stallion's nostrils flare again, and he catches the scent of mare nearby. His gaze shifts to the trees behind the young pale stallion, but can't make out any other in the distance. "I have a question though." He starts again, his vision shifting to the hard ground at his hooves. The young stallion lowered his head to his ankles, his nose brushing against what was left of the pine cone again, his hot breathes sending it teetering away from him a few inches. "You don't eat those, do you?"
Stallion | Evaline x Valentine | Smokey black pintaloosa | 15 hh | Photo © Carina Mailwald | © Vinyl |
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