Meadow

He was growing and changing but at least things were finally starting to calm down in the Prairie. His father had returned from the Lagoon and his mother seemed to be at peace again. She didn't stray far from Ruger's side and Ryder had much more time on his hands to do other things. The only problem was, he didn't know what else he could do besides look out for his mother. He was so used to doing it for a year now. When he was little, his mother defended him and then once he hit a year old, the roles seemed to reverse and suddenly he was the protector. He didn't mind, of course. Things were always happening to pry his mother or father away and every time they were separated, bad things seemed to happen so he wanted to be nearby, for his mother's sake. But what was his purpose in life if not to watch over her? When Paisley came into his life and proclaimed him her knight, he thought he'd finally found his calling.

Here she was, his new purpose. And so, when he wasn't with his mother, he spent time with Paisley. He didn't hesitate to escort her to the Thicket when she asked him to, sure that it would just be another adventure. He'd once lived in the Thicket so it wasn't unfamiliar to him or anything, but the new stallion and the herd that lived there now was very different to him and the moment he got on shore, he had second thoughts. The moment he looked at Paisley, though, all of those doubts slipped away and he assured her he would be there as long as she needed him. He just didn't think the moment she said the words "king and boyfriend" would stand out in his mind so much. Especially because she said them about another stallion, the leader of the Thicket. She called him her knight and he'd felt like he was on cloud nine. He was important. He was needed. But standing before that mature stallion who she called king and boyfriend, he suddenly felt so much less important. Was he truly needed?

He stayed like he promised he would, being there for Paisley as a friend should, but when he left her side, he didn't return to the Prairie straight away. His thoughts were jumbled and somewhat new to him. He had no claim on Paisley. She was his friend. Was it just his pride that was hurt? He wasn't sure. Shaking out his mane, he swam to the Crossing and made his way through the meadow. When he came across the familiar smell of another filly from the Prairie, his ears pricked. It didn't take long to pick out the slender form of Ayiana, another filly he'd befriended from the Prairie when he and his mother first got there. He gave out a whinny to announce himself and see if she wanted company before he trotted closer. "Hi, Ayiana! Are you exploring the Crossing?" He smiled and swished his tail, stopping a few feet away so she didn't feel crowded. Glancing around them, he looked back at her, a hopeful gleam in his eyes. "Would you like some company?"