Fell feels hardly a living creature when Mrgasira’s scream yanks him out of his catatonia. She is too far for him to make out the beginning words, but her repeated cries of ‘thief’ are understood; not that he needs the clarity.

As though he has been electrocuted, the black stallion bursts into motion, leaving behind those herdmembers who chose to linger closeby after the battle in a rude bombardment of snow from his hooves. He does not know how long it has been since Kohelet’s capture, nor does he care; he only knows that he calmed down on the beach enough to return to the woods, and there he has stayed for untold hours, silently berating himself and counting down the long minutes until he can set off for the Badlands himself.

But the Badlands have come here first. It isn’t Rafe this time; as Fell races through the trees toward Mrgasira’s voice, he sees a similar white pattern on an entirely too-dark and unstriped coat. If Rafe himself would have gotten a different reaction out of Fell, there is no way to tell.

When he sees the colt beneath Mrgy’s wrath, Fell just… can’t. When he has fought in the past, it has been a partnered dance between himself and the monster inside of him; a clumsy, ungraceful dance, each of them getting in the way of the other, grappling for control. With Kohelet gone and another mare being pulled from his grasp in front of his eyes, Fell cannot bear to trip over his damn beast even one more time.

So he lets go.

There is an unfamiliar peace in the way that Fell seems to hold still while the monster dances away on its own. Without the tangling of limbs and feet, Fell is left without frustration, and the creature inside of him is far more efficient. Its eyes do not smolder with anger as it barrels toward the overo colt; they are empty, for Fell is no longer behind them.

The white-slashed, red-black coat of the thief fills Fell’s vision as he attacks. He does not slow, and if the colt intends not to be fully tackled into the snow, he will have to move quickly. If Fell misses, he is prepared to slide to a halt and right himself before turning to the thief. Void of fury (or any feeling at all, really) Fell’s jaws will part, head lowered, and seek to grasp and crush the delicate parts of the colt’s lower legs.

FELL

stallion. 16hh. black. marwari x. Rougaru x visurix.