She slipped quietly into the shade of the great oak trees, walking stiffly but briskly into the territory. Vita Nova was struck by how eerie this place felt, after the war. Everywhere she turned she was reminded of the bloodshed she'd witnessed on that frightful night. It sent a shiver down her spine and caused her to pick up her pace even more. When Vita Nova heard Evren's call cut through the branches, she felt a sudden rush of relief. Thank God, the mare thought, happy to just not be alone in this densely wooded place any longer.
But soon Vita Nova's anxiety shifted from her surroundings to the conversation to come with her old friend. Vita Nova was much too old to care what most other horses thought of her these days. She knew that when she made her allegiance to Warsaw known, she was bound to loose the kinship and respect of some in her family or those who had ties to them. But she did what she thought was right for her at the time, and right for her family. Instead of lobbing her relationship problems onto her brother, she just succumbed to Warsaw's intimate interest. He raised Tavas like she was his own daughter, and Vita Nova was blessed with three more beautiful foals after her. Despite the hardship and war, Vita Nova did not regret her choice to follow the Tinuvel stallion. In many ways, the sooty mare felt like she made Warsaw better. He could have been even worse if it wasn't for her.
What Vita Nova tried not think about were the acts of violence she knew he committed, both against her family and against the others in their own keep. He raped his mares. He forcibly claimed them. The sleek dark mare, Nova, came to mind, and the awful plight Warsaw had put her through. The great grey stallion did not dare to treat his Queen that way - having lived through Evren's brother, she wouldn't have stood to be treated that way again. But Vita Nova turned a blind eye when the stallion went after others, and Vita Nova would carry that guilt with her to her grave.
Life was complicated. None of them were perfect. There was a love she had for Warsaw that she knew would be difficult to explain, to Shamwari and to Evren. Luckily, Shamwari never asked. Instead he just pushed past it, choosing to focus on having Vita Nova and Tavas back in his life. Vita Nova wasn't so sure Evren would be as forgiving.
The smoky splashed mare offered her painted friend a wide smile as she approached, tossing her delicately dished face in excitement. Vita Nova's physical condition had much improved since the last time she was here, but she was still very much in recovery. She tried to stand as tall and as strong as she could in Evren's presence. "Hello, hello!" She said cheerily in greeting, admiring how grown up Evren looked. "I'm here to see you actually." She offered with the flick of her steely tail. "The last time I was here was -well, you know- it's not like we had a great chance to catch up. I am just so shocked to see you! In the Forest! After all this time. You look marvelous. And you're a mother of all things! Wow."
Mare | Evaline x Valentine | Smoky Back Splash | 15 hh | © Vinyl |
|
|