Winter was releasing its grip on the tropical paradise. The storms had started to ease their fury, giving way to more restful nights and pleasant days. Though the jungle never lost its vibrancy in the season, it truly started to show signs of promise as the sun started to shift ever slightly in the sky. Small buds on trees started to creep from the green bark, dotting the canopy with what would soon become a brilliant mural of color and flowers. Birds were slowly starting to come from their shelters and prepare for their seasons of song and vibrancy. The tipping point was a wonder to behold and they eyes of the silent colt watched it all with a slow grin on his face.

The winter had done wonders for the young man. His occasional trips to the herd had done a little to boost his confidence. Mostly he had interacted with the mare who had saved him, her love enough to fuel him to life outside the caves he had come to call home. During his time of observation he had become increasingly aware of the herd dynamics. Or at least the herd make up. Two stallions walked the trails of Paradise, and at least one of them was well aware of his presence. Zeru knew enough to know his own continued occupation of the territory would soon become questionable if he did not make a stand. Past experience told him stallions did not take well to other stallions lingering on their land without cause or explanation. And Zeru had indeed come to grow to be a potential threat.

The last seasons had done well for the growth of the boy into a man. Long, lanky, limbs had filled out to show the power beneath his skin. Baby fuzz had shed off, revealing sleek lines of blue and white on his painted body. His face had also lost the baby-ish look of innocence, a blaze racing down his otherwise dark face to splash his lips and nose with white hairs. A mane that had been a tufting mess finally began to grow thick over his neck despite the warmth of the land. Still young, it was clear he had more growing to do, though now when he stepped from the trees he visibly had more to offer.

Determined, he stepped along the trails, every step adding to his desire for this to go right. This was the only safe home he had ever known, it was all he wanted to know. This conviction led him to only one conclusion. With a snort, he turned down a path he had seen the lead stallion frequent and followed the strong trails the ruler left. With an afterthought and a quirk of his lips, Zeru figured finding the man would be a better idea than shouting around and making a racket. After all, he unfortunately did not know the name of the man who held his fate.

At last he came across the silver bay stallion and uttered a wordless greeting as he approached. Careful with his movements and well aware of Rougaru’s occasional capability for violence, Zeru planned his next actions carefully. Greetings. I have… stayed long time. His voice was clipped, words fractured in ways that missed the subtleties of pronunciation that came with hearing them spoken. The volume, however, was correct. The young man was pleased at the level of vibration in his chest, having compared it to the shaking under his hooves during the storms. His pleasure faded from his face, remembering why he came here in the first place. Stayed too long. I want home. A hoof gently scraped along the dirt, his head lowered humbly and also to indicate the earth that was PAradise itself. I want this home… How can I stay? He lifted his head again, hope and a touch of pleading in his dark innocent eyes. He gazed at the ruling stallion, not daring to hope this man would find it in him to grant him this boon.