Oddly enough it wasn’t like Zevulun to leave Luthien as much these days. The increased activity on the islands of herd leaders who were venturing into other territories to try and take herd members captive had left him uneasy. Zevulun had never been raised like that, never once paying much mind to the instincts that drove much of his actions. Regardless of if it was a practice he engaged in or not, the Prairie lead still had to be present to fight away those who didn’t care about his values and trespassed, coming after his family.
But he’d successfully defended them with each intruder who washed ashore three seasons in a row, lifting his confidence higher than it probably had any point being. His wandering heart would always come back to push him, as would his gnawing curiosity at what (who) lay just beyond his reach here. What stories were out there waiting for him to discover? What new love who could shift his entire earth’s purpose and make him feel like the stars shone more brightly or the sun more beautifully? Why would he restrain himself from possibly finding it?
The cream stallion used this logic to convince himself a quick dip in the ocean and a swim from Luthien to Crossing Isle wouldn’t hurt any, especially as the sun began to dip and the herd tucked in for the evening. Ramiel and Raziel both were here to keep an eye on things and Zevulun knew Raziel had been staying more active and alert during the evenings as of late anyways. It seemed the perfect chance…
The varying scents assaulted and excited him as he climbed ashore, water dribbling down off his coat onto the sand below him. A rumbled nicker sounded off in his chest as he picked his knees up high, charging up the shoreline and further inland. These islands and their various paths had been combed meticulously by him throughout the years, leading him on a rather quick short-cut through the trees and through a small valley to find where the trees opened up into the large meadow.
The pale stallion faltered at the break of trees into the clearing, peering at the lone figure standing quietly out in the open a good distance off. He was still a bit damp from the sea, cream hair wet and clinging to his neck. His tail was tangled around his back limbs.
Unable to help himself, Zevulun started forward, though he rumbled a soft nicker toward the horse once he’d drawn close enough to see them more clearly. Their body shone pale, but was disrupted by little flecks of various sizes that were dark and scattered over their body. Zevulun’s father had been colored similarly, though he’d been gold rather than black.
The autumn wind picked up and carried her scent - unmistakably feminine - and he felt himself ache needingly inside but set those feelings aside. Something about her aura made him go still. His blue eyes watched her carefully in the moonlight before he whistled a soft little beckoning noise at her again, then started to move in closer, wanting to get near enough he could stretch out his neck and share a few warm breaths.
Then, once his chin had tucked back, Zevulun asked her, “Why are you out here all alone? It isn’t safe to be so exposed.”
|
