take what you can Posted on August 22, 2021 at 06:12:26 AM by Rade
to live and burn is
the most exquisite form of self destruction
When the slender palomino emerged from the tangle of the Lagoon’s forest, his expression was sedate and his amber eyes empty. But beneath the front of his impassivity, Rade’s insides squirmed at the thought of the trial he faced. Since the injury to his shoulder, the Boss swam only rarely— and over the past year, he hadn’t entered the saltwater even once. If not for the heavy burden of his crown, he would have been glad to die a prisoner on the Crossing. Glad to spend whatever bare handful of seasons that remained to him here, in the closest place to a home he would ever have. But this task needed to be done, and there was no one Rade trusted enough to send in his stead; no one he could rely on to be his eyes and speak with his voice. Liars and rapists and thieves.
When it came to change, he could take no chances save to gamble with his own life.
Rade’s scarred coat was quivering imperceptibly by the time he reached the sea, and the hoof of his damaged foreleg dragged briefly in the sand before righting itself with a soundless snap. Let’s go now. The sound of Carbon’s voice drew both his ears and his eyes, and for a moment the old stallion studied the boy, head tilting lightly to one side. They had spoken and sparred in the time the growing colt had spent here, but he still felt as if he didn’t truly know Cain’s son. Perhaps after today, he would have the answers that he sought. For now, however, he would hold both his judgment and his trust.
If there was one benefit to Salem— and certainly there couldn’t be many, given the bare inhospitality of the place— it was how close the island was to the Lagoon. The first leg of their journey was completed without incident, if at a pace slower than Rade would have preferred. Not bothering to shake out his coat— the sun burned bright and hot enough to dry it quickly— the bachelor’s leader tagged along after his young charge as if their roles had been abruptly reversed. And in a way, they had. The authority that he wielded in the Lagoon meant less beyond its borders, and nothing at all outside of the Crossing. Here, he was only a stranger. And a visitor as unwelcome as any fanged predator, if Carbon’s father held the common opinion of the islands’ bachelor herd.
Tipping his head back, the roan stared up into the broad blue sky, marvelling at how much larger it was here than anywhere else. Or perhaps he was only smaller; an ant in a world of giants. His actions were foolish and reckless, and held no purpose. There was no changing those who resisted change; no breaking the wheel of this world. He could only— So, what next? Do you want me to call for Cain or just want me to start the tour? Exhaling his breath in a soft grunt, Rade turned to face his companion. And it was as if he was seeing him for the first time. The boy was brighter here than he’d ever been in the Lagoon; relaxed, confident. He belonged here. And Rade… Rade did not.
He wasn’t certain that he belonged anywhere at all.
“Call for Cain,” he spoke gruffly, letting his gaze wander the shallow bowls of the Desert’s dunes. “And keep his secrets. If you trust no one, then no one can betray you.”