She could only remember the Southern Steppe in fragments. It was such a long time ago now, like a dream in her mind. Of course she had gone back to be given to Shu, much like all the tribe members were at a certain age. But still, her mother’s home was not known to her as it should have been.

And she envied those who did know.

Her slender face turns towards him when he speaks, a delicate ear open to his voice. Her mouth is held in a thin, tight line. She would not let him see the softer parts of her—

If Shu spoke to him, then what was the noise in her own ears? Zazu looks out over the sand, turned to flames by the sun. She hears the distant cry of a hawk somewhere on the horizon. It was beautiful here, she couldn’t deny it, and something about it pulled at the strings of her heart.

She feels the tight grip at the latch of her throat—

“I will stay near the herd tonight for my safety,” she tells him and her eyes dare not look at him just yet. She is afraid of what she might see. Her own self reflected back. “Tomorrow I will make the journey back to Mira,” Zazu pauses because he must know what that meant. Soldiers. Actual soldiers who could take them all back.

What happened to her wild heart, she wonders? Trapped too long, forced into service, the wings of her heart clipped. Zazu sighs softly.

“Tell me,” her voice trembles slightly, “why should I stay?”

[ mare - four - wild bay sabino - arabian - 14.2hh ]