He stared at the outline of her against the mouth of the cave. Now that he had gotten past his claiming, he was continually more intrigued by Xiomara. She had a lot of ups and downs; it seemed an exhausting way to live. Yet here she had just laughed again, as though she were truly enjoying herself. She was bizarre in his eyes, though she probably felt the same about him. A stallion who kept his composure in close quarters during breeding season seemed to be a rarity.

Gnome almost felt sad for her when she explained that even she did not understand her motivations. When she continued, he felt worse, though her body language did not indicate that she was too bothered. In such isolation, he might feel lonely. He wondered if she felt the same. Something told him that was highly unlikely, but all the same, he responded, ”I’m sorry that they avoid you. No wonder you keep so busy claiming stallions unfit for the weather.” There was amusement in his voice at his last statement, as he hoped to lighten the mood a bit more.

As it was, her next question made him laugh. It escaped him in a low rumble. However, it also gave him some pause as he allowed himself to reflect on why he had returned to the islands. He acknowledged her inquiry about spreading seed first. ”If that were true, I wouldn’t have asked you if you were trying to seduce me, I’d have just done the deed and moved on. Tempting to some, I suppose, but I have no notions of my children ruling anything. My daughter – daughters – are off somewhere else, doing who knows what.” He paused, wondering if he should say anything further. What did he really have to lose? ”I came here to find their mother. She…” He paused. ”I haven’t seen her in a long time. She looks like you, but taller. And her face is dark, not white. Her name was – is – Lilika.”

He looked past her, out to the gloomy but beautiful Inlet. It seemed that the landscape here was trying to reflect his feelings. He was sometimes sad and dreary himself, but he tried to find the beauty around him all the same. Some days were harder than others, but maybe he had found a friend in Xiomara. Or maybe she would laugh at him. Glancing back at the roan, he gave her a small smile. ”It’s a little pathetic maybe, and a big long shot, but I have to try to find her.”

Gnome