Desert

Cerosi felt... distant. Outside of herself. She felt as though she floated over her body, watching as she went through the motions, seeming not to notice that all of it was unfamiliar. It didn’t matter that she had never done this before - countless mares before her had, and their bodies, just as hers, knew instinctively what to do.

Eventually she was pulled out of space by the soft voice of Cain. He encouraged her, and though she felt slow and groggy, she did eventually feel present once again. Not entirely okay, but at least she no longer hovered above, numb and disconnected from herself.

Her body ached, and she blinked and groaned as Cain’s face swam into focus. He was no longer just a shape at the edge of her vision, but an actual breathing person, and she was grateful to see him. She gave an uncharacteristic whimper, but managed a smile as she blinked up at him. ”Thank you for watching out for me,” she said, her voice a little weak, but getting stronger. She still did not feel quite right, and she knew it was the absence of a bond she had expected to feel immediately after seeing her foal. Cerosi knew this should worry her, but she was so tired of being worried.

As they began to walk back to the herd, Cerosi leaned into Cain for support. She thought that maybe it would just take time for her to bond with the child, and that maybe she should just give it a few days. This was her first, after all, and she had a hard enough time bonding with fully developed adults as it was. She sighed, and for once, she was able to actually set her worries aside for another day. She glanced back at the little silver filly, ambling along on comically long legs. Cerosi smiled, amused. It wasn’t much, she knew; but it was a start.

Cerosi

mare // 4 // EE aa Dd nRb ZZ // 15hh