She cut a stark figure, prowling across the snow. Shenzi had watched and waited for hours from the deep shadows of the lagoon, had chosen her moment with great care. Perhaps she should have left that day, when she’d lingered in the surf with Kendry, but there was no regret in her that she did not. The plucky little mare had needed to say goodbye to her stillborn son, in her own way and in her own time.
That time was over now, as was the time of her lingering in the lagoon. While it was not with regret that she thought of Collision, there was a small sense of loss. Though she had been deeply disappointed when he had trailed after the bachelor king to the foolish war waged upon the residents of Luthien, Shenzi would be forever grateful for the kindness he’d shown her.
As soon as she was able, Shenzi sought cover, both to hide and to leave less of an obvious trail, and upon detecting the sound of running water, picked up her pace, peering through the darkness of the night. The air itself was frigid, and as she waded into the shallow river and followed it upstream to the roaring falls, the iciness of the water burned her skin. A soft snort was the only sign of discomfort she showed, and with determination, she carefully picked her way, feeling blindly for unseen rocks and taking great care with her footing. It wouldn’t do to stumble and fall. There was far more at stake here than just her own wellbeing. That was why she was so eager to slip away. Well, that reason, and one other.
Kendry was out there, and she liked to think that he raised his eyes to figures in the distance and hoped to see her meandering her way back to him. Collision had helped her weather her immense grief, and Romanov had gifted her with a reason to fight. Kendry, though, had been the one to restore her hope.
And he’d reminded her of a truth she’d lost sight of; her life was hers for the taking, and she reached for it hungrily. There was no doubt within her that she’d wrest control of her own destiny out of the hands of [i]any[/i] who dared to hold sway over her. And once she succeeded, she’d hold that freedom close to her chest and protect it with the savagery she’d named herself for.
“…”
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