Winter was growing stronger on the Crossing, and Vadim’s coat thickening with it. The changes had given the pale stallion the courage to return to the frigid island, Tinuvel, in search of something more. Something that would give him some sort of satisfaction. Instead, it had done nothing but hand him further disappointment. Losing to Suleiman had been a deeper cut than he would admit aloud, though he would claim he had lost on purpose. Willing to give up the daughter, so that he didn’t drag the father back to the Lagoon with him.
Vadim lingered on Tinuvel for a while, even after his loss, contemplating if he would remain a pest until he got what he wanted. Just like with he had done with Parvati for her daughter. But as the stallion stalked across the unforgiving land, he realized at some point, someone had started following him. The subtle shift of brush behind him that he didn’t create, or a crunch in the snow that didn’t match his step. He didn’t know why they wouldn’t show themselves, so he pretended to be oblivious, hoping that at some point they would be brave enough to face him.
As the sun was setting, Vadim grew tired of Tinuvel, and longed to be back in the Lagoon. Even though it would still be cold, it wouldn’t be nearly as cold as this. So the stallion set off into the dark waves, unable to see that the shadow that had been following him, also slipped into the frigid water behind him. It was only as he made it to the Crossing, trapsed along the outskirts of the Peak to get to the safety of the Falls, did he notice it was still there. Whatever soul that had decided to haunt him.
The young stallion thought about calling out a challenge, demanding they come out instead of being a coward. Instead, as the rush of blood helped to warm his otherwise cold, wet body, he whirled around and charged into the undergrowth, headlong and without seeing who it was he attacked. After a brief scuffle, Vadim managed to shove them away, at long last getting a good look at who had been following him. “Sarama?” he huffed out, his hot breath clouding before his muzzle. Confusion was clear on his face for a brief moment, before he sobered up, and gave her a pleased smirk. “I take it you just couldn’t stay away, could you?”
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