Falls

I’m doing great, actually.

Raziel snorted and dug into the soft, sandy beach of Crossing Isle, still feeling that same crawl of irritation in his belly that’d pushed him to swim away from Luthien in the first place.

That’s why I didn’t come back.

He opened his pink lips and anxiously chewed air, gave his wet tail a hard flick and shook his head, upsetting the heavy, soaked hair of his mane.

I’m happy for once.

Raziel hated the guilt those words continued to plague him with. His son only knew happiness once he was away from Raziel again. He had known it was pointless to try and repair their fragile, damaged bond, but he hadn’t realized there was still a small part of him hoping it could happen. He’d been a selfish, stupid idiot to abandon Dahlia once he saw she was pregnant and it was something he could never forgive himself for…

So why did he expect his son to forgive him for it?

Can’t you at least let me be happy?

Raziel sighed and dropped his head, watching the water droplets hit and darken the sand underneath him as it dribbled off his body. He inhaled and caught the faded scent of his aunt, then glanced toward the distant rise of the Peak. While he cared for her as he did all his family, Raziel had never been particularly close to Oswin. It was Mariael he’d been closest to. She’d always… understood him.

He wished he could see her now.

The dunalino and white spotted stallion started making his way forward, not really sure where he was going but not ready to turn and swim back for Luthien just yet. He still needed time to cool from the conversation he’d just had from Orphiel. Maybe he could find something distracting here on Crossing Isle that’d take his mind off of it all… or maybe he’d find a nice little quiet spot to doze and graze and just be by himself… just for a moment.

He’d have to go home before too long. Ramiel would worry.

By the time he reached the open grounds of the Falls, the sun was starting to crest the horizon and bathe the winter in a pretty, gold light. Raziel stopped and stared at the exact place he and Dahlia had walked that one, life-changing moonlit night three years ago. If he could go back… what would he change? Would he decide to stick around once he saw her swollen sides and be a dedicated stallion to her and their child? Or… would he go back to that night, here, and stop himself from caving to the feelings he couldn’t quite understand?

He was distracted from having to answer that thought when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Raziel turned his head, pointing his ears and glancing at the small, dark creature down the way. He wasn’t the sort to approach anyone or start conversations, but he needed a distraction and was desperate enough to try.

He could see she was still freshly wet from the swim, whereas his coat had dried up on the walk across the island. They were standing on the shoreline, where the breeze could still reach them.

“You’d be warmer up in the trees.” He said, then felt a bit awkward at just coming up on her and giving her advice like he was someone she should listen to. “Sorry- I just… thought you were probably cold so, if you wanted, the trees would block the wind better.” He shifted his weight, the sand of the shore pushing under his pale hooves. The stallion cleared his throat. “I’m Raziel.”

of luthien's prairie zevulun x avalon, twin broither to ramiel