Falls

He preferred being tossed about in the chilly ocean's depths to spending one more moment within the bleakness of his home. For as high as he has climbed, he has only found himself further mired in the quicksand of depression that has consumed his mind. This plunge into the sea, brutal and frigid with her icy fingers, mirrors his own innermost thoughts. How lovely it would be languish within the surging currents - to be washed away far more quickly than this slow erosion of losing himself. Aimlessly he drifts within the waves as he does not know what place he seeks. Does it matter where he goes when he is nothing more than the protective shadow of a king who tolerates his presence?

Alas, the leviathans of the deep do not drag him to a watery grave today. Instead he finds himself washed upon the familiar shores of the falls in a very unceremonious bundle of muscular limbs. He lays a moment as he ponders the value in rising versus remaining limp upon the hard packed sand. How I have come to loathe sand. The thought alone encourages him to stand, shaking his heavy mane against his nape in attempt to rid himself of the salty drops and grainy ground. His solemn dark eyes latch upon the fresh hoof tracks before him. A deep sigh escapes his weary soul at the thought of seeking out another, yet the loneliness etched so deep within his burdensome heart is enough to solidify the decision. What do I have to lose?

He moves forward with determined yet quiet strides that echo the warring emotions within. The prospect of a friend always brings a small flame of excitement, yet the ensuing smothering that seems unescapable gives him pause. The tree line engulfs the hefty stallion in a deft swoop as he relinquishes himself to the possibility of someone worth finding.

The clearing that gives life to the falls emerges at the edge of the trees, yet he does not. The sooty stallion hovers within the shadows as he watches the woman. She possesses an ethereal dark crimson coat while simultaneously being adorned with the bluest of eyes - so much so that a glimpse even from his secluded spot has him intrigued. She strikes him as a stranger to the islands, as he once was, yet her body language and comfort within the isle warns of otherwise. He continues to admire her in silence as she slides within the icy waters pooled beneath the falls, yet her captivity of his attention has led him to be less observant of his surroundings. As the twig cracks, curses softly under his breath. Though he had sought her out, he was unsure if he had the capacity to hold a conversation in his current state.

She beckons him and he listens, though his hooves remain firmly glued to the spot. A shake of his head in response to her plea - no - as he decides to leave, turning away. Yet his breath catches in his throat at her last statement - What can I be? The bitter taste of regret already swirls within his mouth as he turns back. He slides from the shadowed protection of the trees with a litheness unexpected of someone his size. He approaches the pool but denies himself of another frigid touch. His eyes - hauntingly doleful and riddled with apprehension - lock onto her gaze unapologetically. "What can I be, when I am nothing but a name?"