One would think with the various and rather abrupt twists and turns that was Vita Nova's life, that she would be more accustomed to the fact that the young mare had virtually no control over what happened to her. If left to her own devices, she would still be in the Bay with Nephilim right now, and it would be speckled stallion's son she was carrying. Her father, Valentine would still be ruling the Prairie, and her mother, Evaline would still be his lead mare, not a tormented shell of a former self whom had fallen in love with another mare, of all things. Paradiso would be happy and strong, like his brother Shamwari, not weak and just aimlessly getting by. And Shamwari wouldn't be so fraught with worry trying to fix all of his dysfunctional family's problems. If Vita Nova had her way, Koray would have been kind to her. Perhaps they could have even been friends. Evren would have been put on the metaphorical pedestal she deserved, by both Koray and Orhan, and would be being groomed for a leadership position, not stuck here in some frozen tundra against her will.
But no, Vita Nova wasn't in charge of her own destiny. Vita Nova was governed, pushed around, traded for and mounted by greedy stallions. And she was tired of it.
So the steely mare was elated to see her friend here in the Inlet, even in the cold and the dark, as the two Desert-living mares huddled together not far from Orkaan's herd. This new existence felt very much like a dream. She followed the silhouette of her friend through the deep snow, her delicate legs crunching through its sharp, outer exterior as quietly as she could. She pressed her splashed frame up against her friend's for warmth, but also in an effort to hear better in the howling wind and snow. She had so much to tell Evren but the words came slowly. "Shamwari, my brother challenged Koray and won me back." She said quickly and quietly. "My dam came to visit from the Dunes and could see right through Koray. She's the one who got word to Shamwari." But that of course, didn't answer the question as to how she got here. "Orkaan came to take one of Shamwari's mares and I offered myself in her place. She was pregnant, Evren. I couldn't chance letting her go through what we've been through. But Orkaan seems... I don't know. He seems OK I guess." She rambles. The grey mare's head jerks up when she remembers something important, and she pushes Evren's shoulder with her cold muzzle. "Oh! Orhan is back. I saw him just before I left. I told him and Indira you were missing." She explained, searching through the darkness to try to read her friend's expression.
When Evren brought up her pregnancy, Vita Nova whipped her head around in concern. She shushed her friend with a gentle nip at her withers as reminder of the precarious situation they were in. "Yes, I'm pregnant. But it's not Koray's, thank God. I told you dad that too so hopefully he won't come after me here." She didn't know how to explain the situation with Fallo to Evren, but felt like she at least owed her only friend at least a halt attempt at an explanation. "It's this stallion I met on the Crossing once. He helped me look for my dam once, when she was missing. He was kind, sort of. I don't know. It doesn't matter." Vita Nova breathes a heavy sigh. "Evren, what are we going to do?"
4 | Mare | Evaline x Valentine | Smoky Back Splash | 15 hh | © Vinyl |
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