They said we'd burn so bright.
We burn this city and go.
Paradiso couldn't shake the pitting feeling of guilt in his stomach. It bubbled up from the inside, always poking and prodding him, reminding him how he abandoned his family. And now when they were in a time of need, here he was, happy within the confines of someone else's family. He couldn't deny that he felt at home here in the Bay with Maziel, Mariel, Zevulun and the rest of the herd. But they were not his blood. Despite their many misgivings, Evaline, Shamwari, Vita Nova... they were his family. He owed his brother and sister this much, he thought, and swallowed hard.
The spotted stallion nodded absentmindedly as Mariel tried to paint a picture of survival for Vita Nova. What she had to say was true, Paradiso tried to convince himself. Out of all of Evaline's kin, Vita Nova was surprisingly one of the strongest. Despite all her theatrics and drama, she was the one who was seemingly always on her own, fighting the good fight, and surviving to see the next chapter. She didn't rely on others as much as the rest of them did. There was hope for her and her daughter yet, he concluded. The stallion breathed a heavy sigh and leaned his shoulder into Maziel's for reassurance. He could feel the anxiety begin to creep in as he played out in his head the looming interaction between him and his brother.
A dark ear lobe flicked forward and then back at Mariel's next question. He knew his mother would be furious if she found out any of her children were keeping information from her. It wouldn't be a bad decision to alert Valve of Vita Nova's disappearance either. "Yes, she deserves to know. And Valve could be helpful." He said curtly with the flick of his dark tail.
One icy blue eye caught sight of Maziel as she shifted in place next to him and a weak smile formed over his whiskered lips. He bumped her shoulder lightly with his cold nose, pausing briefly there to breath in her scent. "So come morning, we'll set off then." He said, turning to Mariel again to look for confirmation from her. "We won't be away long."
Stallion | Evaline x Valentine | Smokey black pintaloosa blanket | 15 hh | Photo © Carina Mailwald | © Vinyl |
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