i dream in phosphorescence Posted on July 1, 2024 at 11:28:51 PM by Helios
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The kindest parts of Helios watch the young mare with growing dismay and concern. He cannot guess which emotions are running through her as the paint looks back over at the land that is now no longer her home. The chestnut can only guess at the devastation of losing everything so suddenly. He had only gotten tastes of it himself every time a mare was stolen from him. Even then, it is not the same, and he knows it.
When she begins to tell Helios what had happened, he listens attentively. His red ears twist a little this way and that as the stallion takes in every new piece of information. The first few sentences confirm what the scents on the wind had told him. There is concern first, then pity for her. Helios doesn't know what could have happened to Rafe; he'd never met him and had certainly never seen him near the Dunes to even give her hope with tales of a recent sighting.
Helios had only recently learned that there were blood ties between the Badlands herd and the Hills. Between her harried demeanor, the heat, and the long way to the Hills, the Arabian wants to take the painted mare at her word. Doubt sits like a cold stone in his gut, ever reminding him of his previous dealings with the Badlands and those who had controlled it. He revealed nothing of his inner thoughts, but it is the way she trembles that ultimately persuades the male.
The stallion's brown eyes soften as he nods. "Of course. Come this way; it's not far." He would wait for her to come closer before offering to brace her should she need it. Then the red-gold Arabian would lead her at whatever pace she can manage to the oasis he had just left to answer her call. Mistrust lingers, warning him against letting her enter the Dunes. However, Helios was no brute. He does not know if any of her story is a lie, but he wouldn't let her suffer in this heat.
When they finally crossed from the burning sand into the lush shade of the oasis, the red-gold stallion would pick up their pace. The pool rose up before them after a few turns, and he would gesture toward the water before saying anything else. "Have your fill. Rest, if you like. The journey from the Badlands to the Hills is a long one; you'll need your strength." Helios would find a spot beneath a palm tree to laze in while she got settled. They would both rest, for her sake, and then he would see what she thought her next steps might be.