The Lost Islands
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Meadow

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there's something tragic about you
Posted on November 7, 2020 at 11:40:27 AM by Sabriel


SABRIEL

They were inevitable; brought together by a force that could defy gravity and level any obstacle that dared to stand between them.

Even Sabriel was a thrall to its pull. Though the space between them was quickly reduced to the length of a dozen strides, a handful, a single one, she didn’t stop. Couldn’t stop, at least not until the warm and unyielding wall of his flesh confirmed that the bay leopard was real. The impact forced all the air from the black mare’s lungs in a harsh gust that warmed the skin of Bondurant’s shoulder even as he wrapped himself around her. Laughing briefly from sheer exuberance and relief, Sabriel reciprocated the gesture, resting her chin in the dip of the pintaloosa’s withers with a soft, contented sigh.

Such was the familiarity of this moment - the warmth and strength of the large-boned male, the vibrant hues of autumn, and the sense of completion - that the trials of the past seasons fell from her. The brindled mare even believed, for a moment, that she could begin anew. That the hands of time could be reserved, and the burden of her sorrows and regrets erased. That this time, the mistakes that she’d made could be avoided, and the path to true happiness might reveal itself. But as with all things that burned so brightly, this flame of hope was destined to be short-lived. A few heartbeats later, her companion spoke… and shattered the illusion that her thoughts desperately clung to.

I wasn’t sure I would see you again.

A lance of guilt pierced the dark woman’s heart, and her pale eyes evaded Bondurant’s when he backed away to take in the changes that time had wrought in her. Sabriel was thinner than she had been last year, having been too lost in her own anguish - at times - to remember to eat. But beyond that, there was little on the surface to indicate the desolation that she’d experienced within. The spotted stallion must have seen something of it, however - perhaps the ghosts of the tears she’d shed, or the way that her shoulders slumped, as if sagging beneath an invisible burden. He was too perceptive to be deceived by the smile that still curved her lips, and his question spoken with too much concern to be a casual inquiry. Are you alright?

Sabriel inhaled deeply, brushed her lips reassuringly over his forehead - and then began to weep.

She had intended to offer half-truths and deft evasions in order to preserve whatever happiness that Bondurant might have. But the words died on her lips before they could even be brought into being. Little though she wanted to burden this compassionate soul with her grief, its weight was beyond what any single creature could bear. And so she spoke haltingly - tentatively - about her son.

“-and the worst part of it is knowing that it was my fault. I - I should have gone somewhere safe. I should have stayed with you, Bondurant. But I couldn’t bring myself to trust you, even after all everything you did for me. Even after everything you offered.” Blinking away the veil of tears, Sabriel lifted her gaze to meet his for the first time. Even in the midst of her pain, she’d seen the flickers of reproach and condemnation in Solomon’s eyes when she’d told him of Cullen’s attack. But to the silver black’s great relief, there was no evidence of either in Bondurant’s. Only empathy, and a deep sorrow that reflected her own. It helped her to regather the tattered remnants of her own emotions, and to regain a measure of the courage that she felt in his presence.

Stepping forward to close the distance between their bodies again - as if even the small gap that separated them was unbearable - Sabriel tucked her head beneath the thick arch of the stallion’s neck. There, she felt secure enough to continue, though her voice had dropped to a soft murmur. “I wanted to stay with you,” she confessed, as if baring a secret even darker than the ones she’d just shared. And perhaps - in a way - the black mare was. Though he had shown her compassion beyond what could often be expected of strangers, Bondurant had never indicated that anything beyond kindness might motivate him… then or now. And though he’d seemed equally thrilled to see her again, that did not necessarily indicate a similar depth of emotion or attachment. In fact, even her own heart could easily be called into doubt - as broken as it was, there were bound to be faults hidden beneath its fractured surface.

But she had rejected the warm glow of love she’d begun to feel for her son before he was lost to her, and would regret it to her dying day. And Sabriel would sooner risk another tear in her heart than to repeat the same mistake.

“I - I would stay with you now,” she offered, her voice now scarcely more than a whisper. “That is... if you would have me, Bondurant, then I am yours.”

4 | mare | mixed | silver black somatic brindle | 16.1hh


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