Time had embraced the young colt and turned him into a creature unrecognizable. Slowly, lovingly, it twisted its fingers in the mismatched tufts of mane and curled them into long tresses that swept into dark but dancing eyes. The fuzz of childhood and then of puberty had been delicately brushed from his skin, replaced by a shining velvet that let blue and white glimmer in the tropical sun. Not finished yet, time had drawn over his body, tracing lines of his thick limbs, pay tribute to his draft breed and erasing the near death that he had arrived with. Yes, time had done Zeru wonders and now he stepped with a certainty the child would never have dreamed of.

Not only had time shaped the boy into a man, it had settled thoughts into his mind and soul. During the long silent nights, as rain poured from the sky, he looked out at the crashing ocean and wondered if his brother was out there, looking over the same waves he was. He wondered if his brother was even still alive since he had come so close to meeting his own demise. Time had whispered to him and soothed him to sleep during such nights, assuring him he would find his answered if only he accepted its gentle touch and guidance. So he had. He stayed on the island, watched Rougarou’s herd, and slowly taught himself to speak, taking in the world from the sidelines instead of stepping in.

There was still a gentle tug in his heart. A desire to know others as more than just those he could watch from a distance. Today a mare he had seen grow from bedraggled to a golden beam caught his curiosity. Dark ears flicked and he decided to take a chance. A smile on his face, he followed her trek and approached her, unaware of the noise he was making through the forest brush, nor trying to hide his approach. Once he was at a companionable distance, the young stallion called a greeting, pleased with the vibration in his chest to judge that his voice had not been too loud. Grinning, he shook his head and bowed it respectfully to the mare, knowing she had done many a great things in this herd. He had watched the respect the others had given her, and the children she had raised. She had a story behind her, though he longed to know what it was.