Vita Nova trudged through the hot sand every day just before sunset, wandering to the same spot where she'd last seen Evren. There she would stand and gaze out across the sea, letting the sea breeze ruffle through her flowing, grey locks and she'd do her best to forget all the problems that plagued her as of late. Her icy blue stare would scan the shoreline for any sign of the painted filly, every day to no avail. And then the young mare would shut her eyes tightly and dream of better days.
Her belly was growing at an alarming rate. All of a sudden she was hyper alert of the changes overtaking her body. Her coat glistened under the Desert sun, despite the weather creeping into the cooler months. Her mane and tail were growing at a much more rapid pace. And she was ravenous. She spent most of her time in the oasis eating whatever hardened shrubbery she could find. And when she wasn't eating, her stomach churned incessantly, turning her thoughts back to this unquenchable hunger raging inside of her.
It had been weeks since Nova agreed to keep Evren's secret while she slipped into the sea and away from Salem. The filly never returned. Nova was beginning to worry, and toyed with the idea of telling Koray about her disappearance, knowing well the consequences that would come. Something is wrong her gut told her. But still, she hesitated to go to the pale stallion. He was busy as of late, tending to many visitors who arrived after Evren's departure. Nova wondered briefly if this was actually Evren's doing, if she was spreading the word about their homeland. But she was too skeptical to ask any of these strangers so blatantly about it.
The daily meditation was helping. Nova was determined to stay calm and healthy, at least for the foal growing inside of her. So these daily trips to the sea where she did nothing but close her eyes and try not to think was surprisingly refreshing. She was just rousing from an afternoon of grazing and dozing, with the intentions of heading to the shore, when a familiar scent came to her in the passing breeze.
Evaline.
At first, Nova thought it was the heat playing tricks on her. But it stirred an emotional sense of longing and nostalgia in her, so she diverted her path in the direction she thought it was coming from. It didn't take long for Viva Nova to come across the pair, a slender, palomino mare accompanied by a lean and tall black mare. Nova's heart began to beat furiously at the confines of her chest. She issued a shrill whinny to the pair, and galloped eagerly to greet them. The young mare was suddenly overcome with joy, an exuberant smirk plastered across her lips, as she raced across the sand to reach her mother.
But her smile faded as she got closer. Two stallions reached Evaline before she did. Koray rushed forward and Nova was equally taken aback to see the familiar buckskin frame of Orhan at his side. But Nova pressed forward, anxious to reach her mother, and woefully concerned about the terrible shape she was in. By the time she reached the group, tears were streaming quietly down her delicate face. Nova took several steps forward, her barrel and nostrils heaving from her sprint, as she pressed her nose to her mother's chest, along the fresh scars that riddled her coat. "Mother." She didn't ask what happened. Shamwari had told her briefly about her captivity in the Lagoon, but never mentioned the damage or the apparent torment afflicted upon her. Immediately it made her feel conflicted about the foal she was carrying and its sire. But Nova tried not to focus on herself for once, and instead, longingly embraced the mare who birthed her.
"I'm so sorry. For everything. For leaving you when I did. For coming back here and never coming to see you. I wanted to, at times, I swear. So much has happened and I've missed you so much. Oh gosh, I'm so sorry." She rambled in between sobs now. She didn't care that she had sabotaged clearly some kind of diplomatic meeting. Nova's heart was beating so fast that she was beginning to feel dizzy. She didn't care that Koray was watching her, or who this black mare was. But she knew she would need to speak to both Evaline and Orhan privately, and as soon as possible. For a second the grey mare stifled her crying to a few sniffles, and craned her neck back to look at Orhan, concern plastered across her features.
4 | Mare | Evaline x Valentine | Smoky Back Splash | 15 hh | © Vinyl |
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