07-20-2017, 11:46 AM
Diable Rouge walked the perimeter of Tephra; he roamed with head held high, letting his ears flicker back and forth, paying close attention to his surroundings. The tall grasses brushed gently across his deep red pelt, soaked in perspiration. His flared nostrils took in the pungent smell of sulfur - a smell he had become accustomed to...in fact, he smelled strongly of it. The steam rose heavily from the ground, making it difficult to see through - but he knew his way around. He walked around this land every day - not because he was told to, and not because he had met any of the leaders other than Ellyse - just because he felt a deep-set need to protect something.
The stag had not left Tephra since Ellyse had brought him here months earlier. It wasn't common for him to stay in one place for very long, but Rou enjoyed the constant heat and fresh greenery. The summer had faded into autumn, and autumn to winter. Again, the seasons had changed; spring had come to Tephra in full swing, and birthing season was upon them. Soon, foals of all different sizes and colors would be running around on spindly legs, learning the anatomy of their new abode.
His heart ached for a moment.
None of these children would be his.
A feeling he hadn't had until he starting calling Tephra his home - a yearning for love and companionship...the kind of intimacy that results in a foal. He longed for this feeling...he longed to give a foal a better childhood than he had received. He longed to give a mare love and protection.
He longed for a lot of things.
The stallion sighed deeply, two-toned hues scanning the area around him although there wasn't much to see. He had ended up back where he always started - next to the beach. He remembered the swim that took him here; how he was awestruck by the beauty of this land. He had made the beach a sort of starting and stopping point. He bent his large neck down and began to graze, ocean moving in perfect harmony beside him.