Unsurprised to learn his first assumption had been correct (Ori was a new arrival to the isles), Zevulun nodded and lowered his head to take a few bites of the bright green, freshly grown shoots of grass. He chewed and listened as the stallion explained the place he’d come from, thinking of how similar it sounded to a few places Zevulun had crossed on his many long nomadic years across the Mainlands.
His head lifted with a little more interest, however, when Ori mentioned that peace was something he was, in a way, seeking. A wistful smile took its place on his mouth as he nodded a little to show just how well he understood exactly where this stallion was coming from. “Feel free whenever you’d like.” Zevulun found himself saying it naturally, like the words were all too happy to spring off his tongue. He knew he should feel a pinch of guilt and he knew were Riesling here she’d have nipped his ear or kicked him for letting down his guard so quickly. But something… something told him that his spirit understood Ori’s and vice-versa.
Or maybe he was just a lonely fool, missing the friend he lost and all too eager to jump at the first chance of some semblance of a similar friendship.
At any rate, Zevulun pressed on to explain why he was so quick to offer. “I took leadership of the Prairie specifically to find my peace. I… needed it terribly. Now that I’ve found myself there, I want to keep it open for anyone else who needs the same.” He paused only briefly, then smiled. “Maybe it’s dumb of me to invite a stallion I’ve just met to come into my home but, something tells me I can trust you Ori.”
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