Falls

Xiomara did not expect the stallion to lay out his troubles so easily. Most leaders, and stallions in general, kept such troubles to themselves. But the blue roan mare stood quietly as Liland spilled it all. Once he was done, the mare gave a hefty sigh. It was a lot, sure, but as a leader they could not be weak. They would need to bare the burdens with strong shoulders. But everyone had their limits. Xiomara knew she would find hers eventually, but she hadn’t reached that point yet in her life.


“It stops when you make it stop.” Xiomara replied. ”No one is making you do these things. To carry such troubles. To face such burdens. You made the choice to be a lead stallion, when you could have easily chosen to be a second and let another face such hardships. Losing someone important to you is just a part of life. My Mother was taken away from me early in life. A sink hole in the Forest collapsed and she fell in with no escape. That was how I was weaned, and that was how I grew up.”


Xiomara didn’t recall ever telling anyone that before. Only her sire and another mare that had once resided in the Forest knew of it. Perhaps because it had never been necessary? But standing here in the quiet with this broken stallion, the mare’s mind did not feel so chaotic. As if it had quietened in a time of need. “You need to re-evaluate your life and decide exactly what it is you want. Power? Territory? Or just a quiet spot to graze with a few loved ones? If so, then you don’t need to be a lead stallion. Because troubles always come with leadership.”