DIAMANT
In the time that had elapsed since he had last seen Macabre, Diamant had managed to shove the memory of their encounter into the shadowy recesses of his mind and more or less forget about it. This had not proven as difficult as he had anticipated - not because the encounter had meant nothing to him - but because, for the last half a year, he had been otherwise occupied.
When one is a captive in a strange land, it is difficult to dwell on anything else.
His feelings for Mariael, the ice queen who kept him here, were becoming complicated. Since their frank discussion last winter where she had opened up to him and explained to him why she was holding him against his will, and had even allowed him a glimpse of her softer side, he had wrestled with the idea of simply walking out. I could do it, he had threatened. How could you possibly stop me?
In response she had simply said, I could not, but you would be doing yourself a disservice.
And here he was, six months later. He could not say why he was still here. Mariael was compelling and infuriating all at once.
He still refrained from joining the rest of the herd, though. Oh, he was sure to linger at their outskirts where Mariael could see him - so that she would not come looking for him - but he made no effort to interact with them. If they did approach them, he was sure to quickly turn them away with a few curt words.
Then came the day Macabre arrived. Diamant was grazing along the tree line to keep the wind at bay, but he saw her approaching in the distance quickly enough, a foal frolicking at her side. He squinted his amber eyes to be certain it was truly her, then hurried to meet her before the rest of the herd - and Mariael in particular - noticed her.
“Macabre,” he greeted the little red mare when he was close enough. He was unsmiling due to nerves, but his tone was cordial enough. “It’s good to see you.” He hesitated - should he touch her? Wrap her in an embrace? What rules did their relationship abide by now?
He opted for doing nothing, and let his eyes drop to the foal at her side. The girl was ruddy in color like her mother, with black tresses and strong black legs, with a height that suggested she’d grow to tower over her mother. Whoever her father was, he must have been a striking man. “Who is this?”
FRIESIAN; 17’2HH; BLACK; FOUR
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