Prologue
Another day had past and…for what? Brown eyes turned towards the heavens and a sigh escaped Thelerian’s tired lips. It had been how long? Three? Four years? Yes, that had seemed about right. He wasn’t a young stallion anymore after all. He could feel it in his bones.
Shifting his weight slightly, Thel turned his quiet eyes towards the site of his sleeping herd members. It had grown ever since Danae, the first ‘member’ of the herd had tagged along with him. Not that he had minded after all, the blue mare had seemed distressed enough about being left behind by her original herd and well, he
was a stallion after all. It was only right that he should extend a helping hoof to Danae who could act the part of a first rate ‘Damsel in Distressed’ when she put her mind to it. After that…the herd just…grew….
It was alarming, the way various soquili seemed to congregate around him, each looking for a place to belong to. Ironic really since he too had left his herd years ago to find greener pastures; try his luck and such things.
A tired hoof tapped the grassy soil in mild agitation. It was all fine and well that he had a herd now; the pintabian suspected that that was because he had what many would call a calm nature. Well…no point in rushing things when you could think things through.
And he had thought things through.
Thoroughly.
Lifting his head, the pintabian uttered a low whinny.
And waited.
A slight rustling in the leaves and a familiar figure soon made itself present. Smiling slightly, the brown and white stallion dipped his head in acknowledgement and turned.
“It’s…time, Elan,”
“You are really going through with this?”
“Yes…,”
--------------------------------------------------------------
Zoom out and you are able to see the lone figure of a stallion, blue runes glowing slightly in the starry night as he made his quiet escape from the herd. Experience has taught him how to move quietly and stealthily through the grasses and trees; leaving only the barest of trace of his passing. Above him, his familiar soared silently, his dark figure barely showing against the night.
His herd would be fine. They had Arod and Wind Child to look after them. Arod might be hard headed but his intentions were good and as for Wind Child, the winged stallion was a born leader. All that separated him from becoming his own herd’s leader was age and experience; qualities he would no doubt acquire in time;- especially so now.
The dewy grass felt crisp and fresh beneath his hooves and Therlian broke into an easy canter; the type usually reserved for some long distance traveling. How long has it been since he had last traveled like this? The brown pintabian could not remember. It had been a long time since he was on his own and now…
Would this be his last journey?
Only time would tell…