“Why isn’t Maziel talking to me?” Zevulun, puzzled, frowned as he glanced at Mariael and then back at their sister, who turned her face away and twisted her ears outward. She grimaced, clearly upset, and he knew she wanted to tell him what the matter was. Mariael glanced between the pair of them and then back at Zevulun with a pointed “you know why she’s angry with you” look, which Zevulun sincerely did not understand.
“I’m going to go patrol the inland border.” Mariael said sharply instead of giving an answer and turned before either sibling could argue, leaving them standing in quiet together.
“Come on Maz,” Zevulun breathed softly, stepping a little closer toward her and stretching his neck toward her. Maziel shuffled her steps and moved a few small paces away.
“Don’t do this,” he said, and moved the few steps to meet her, walking astride her and looking down as she worked through her frustrations. “Tell me what I did Maz, please? I won’t do it again if you just tell me.” As he promised, Zevulun dropped his head to be closer to hers, gently tapping her cheek with his whiskered lips.
Silence… just when he’d have given up, Maziel spoke. “You left… and you didn’t tell us. You didn’t say how long you were going to be gone and worst of all, you left in a storm.”
The siblings knew well enough Maziel loathed the ocean – after she was a yearling and she’d been sucked under the hard current and swept away, Maziel had never viewed it the same. Maziel had a rule with Mariael and Zevulun (more like they had a shared rule, the three of them) in that they were meant to tell each other where they were going and never, ever swim out in a storm, no matter how mild. These rules were mostly for Maziel’s sake and less for Mariael and Zevulun’s… Mariael knew what autumn meant to Zevulun and so long as he was present when he was needed, she cared less what he did with the rest of his time.
But Maziel… she told them she understood the ocean swim was not as scary for them, because they could see the island they were swimming to, but she’d never understand it. To her the ocean was a frightful, too-powerful thing that could take a life in a split-second. She’d been lucky in that their father had jumped in after her and pursued her to where the ocean tossed her up on the Mainlands… but if…
It clicked, then. Zevulun sighed. “I’m sorry, Maziel, I should have told you.” If he’d disappeared and they didn’t know where he’d intended to swim, they’d have had no idea where to look for him. “Come here,” he beckoned softly, lifting his head over her neck and tucking her in close to his chest. She nestled against him and he gently played at the strands of her mane idly for a moment, soaking in their familial closeness before they pulled apart. “I’ll make sure I tell you next time.” He promised. “Come on, let’s go walk the shore.” He bumped her affectionately and she smiled (a small smile, but it was a start), and the pair of them walked off side-by-side toward the dark-pebble shoreline.
Zevulun was halfway through his recount of all he’d seen and done while he spent a day or so on Crossing when he stopped short. Maziel had taken a few steps before she realized and stopped too, swinging her head to glance at Zevulun in confusion. The wind wasn’t blowing their direction, which meant Freya’s scent hadn’t touched Maziel yet and she (obviously) couldn’t just see the mare standing up the shoreline as he could.
“It’s Freya,” he said, and he could barely keep the excitement from creeping into his voice.
“Should I leave you…”
“Nonsense!” Zevulun laughed with a breathy chuckle, “I’m sure she’d love to meet you! Come on!” And with a loud whinny he greeted Freya before he kicked up his hooves, scattering little pebbles behind him as he loped the length of the beach to her and her son, Baldr. Bright eyed he pulled up short – careful to leave distance for the pebbles to scatter and not pelt their guests. His happy gaze jumped over Freya and then Baldr before leaping back to Freya again.
“Hi! I didn’t expect to see you so soon.” His smile was wide, almost silly in how obvious it was he was overjoyed to see her again.
Maziel pulled up to a chunky stop a few paces away and walked slowly upward, her ears twitching to listen to Zevulun and understand where he was so she could move up beside him. Her milky, sightless eyes saw nothing, but the sound of their breath and their scents allowed her to point her attention in Freya and her son’s direction.
“Hello, I’m Maziel.” She said with a welcoming smile. “Zevulun’s sister.”
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