The sterling stallion had all but given up hope in ever seeing Hymn or Promise again. By the gods he hated to admit it, hated himself for even considering such a thought. But after the countless hours of searching and hoping and praying only to be met with emptiness again and again, he was at his wits' end.
The beast knew Hymn was hurting. Knew that the death of this first child had affected his sensitive bird in a way that he could never understand. He had been hurting too, but her welfare, her mental health, took precedence. When she first disappeared into the depths of Paradise, Annubis did not dare to follow. He felt sure that as long as Promise remained with her, Hymn would be safe and come to terms with the child’s death. Even now, he remembers watching her sallow frame as she disappeared beneath the thick green branches of foliage.
Space….Space…. She just needs her space. That word alone played on repeat in his mind as he anxiously watched the pair disappear. Had he known that would be the last time he saw her; had he known she would disappear and do everything in her power to avoid him…
He would have chased after her. He would have begged her. He would have done something other than simply watch her leave. He should have done something.
His heart ached anew as the beast lifted his gaze to follow the brightly colored birds flit from branch to branch overhead. The same brightly colored birds that had drawn him closer to the mother and daughter pair. A heavy sigh escapes his whiskered lips as his multifaceted eyes follow the tiny creatures as they flutter their wings and glide deeper into the jungle, leaving him behind, completely ignorant of the turmoil that torments his thoughts.
Swallowing the suddenly dry grass on his tongue, the sterling stallion turns away from the disappearing birds, turning his back on what he is sure is a closed chapter in his life.
Casually, he wanders into the open meadow, hoping that a drink of water will suffice to soothe the ache in his throat. Vaguely, he is aware of the loosely gathered mares that mill easily through the green grasses, but none draw his gaze like the flash of white against dusky blue.
Immediately, raven-tipped ears pitch forward amid the knotted mass of his obsidian forelock. Golden eyes widen in both shock and excitement as his broad head turns to fix the familiar/unfamiliar mare fully in his vision.
No longer is there a lanky yearling bouncing around excitedly beside her mother’s side. No longer do her bright blue eyes shine with innocence and wonder as she had once stared up at him. There is wisdom and age in the azure gaze that stares back at him as the whisper of her name hangs from his lips.
”Promise…”
He breathes her name like a prayer and a thanks. Months and seasons he has searched for her, missed her with an aching in his heart that he did not dare to name. Although she is not his by blood, Annubis has loved Promise with a fierceness that rivals the devotion to his own flesh.
He does not let the opportunity pass him up. Does not risk his beautiful young daughter disappearing back into the shadows of the forest without him. Quickly, his sturdy legs close the distance of space between them, the drink of water forgotten.
”Promise” the beast murmurs again as he halts beside her. Thick, sterling neck extends to draw her close, reassuring himself that she is indeed real and no longer just a figment of his imagination. Joyful tears gather behind his closed eyes, threatening to spill unbidden. ”I have been so worried about you!” he chokes, inhaling her familiar scent. Hymn is there, fresh and alive like the last day he saw her. ”Not quite the little girl you were when I last saw you” he adds with a forced chuckle. I’ve missed you. Where were you. I love you. I’m so happy to see you. Where have you been? All the questions and statements tumble to his tongue but don’t quite manage to find a voice.
”Is… is your mother okay?” he asks, confusion and concern furrowing his brow as the beast does his best to remain calm.