He stirs; a dark shadow along the horizon, moving slow and methodically beside the shoreline. White and frothing waves pool at his hooves, his indigo legs darkening from the spray. The ocean was rough today – a sign of an incoming storm, perhaps? It churns and foams, the sound of each rolling and crashing wave almost overlapping each other in quick succession. The sea wind ripples the long and tangled black of his mane and tail, crisp with salt as it scratches roughly against his russet skin.
He is tired, too.
Warrick feels himself slipping away, melting into the background of the tropical and lush land of Tephra. His grasp is loosening, strength fading. He closes his eyes, auburn lids shrouding the brilliant blue, and inhales deeply. He’s forgetting them. His mind races to try to remember all the details of their face, the exact melody of their voices…but it only comes to him in bits and pieces. It frightens him that his mind is slowly forgetting their existence, thus torturing himself with their memory. It would be a dishonor to forget his family.
Eyes of the brightest blue appear suddenly as his lids open, ears pricking forwards as his head turns to meet her. Even with the constant crash of wave against sand, her voice is clear and solid as it reaches him. He recognized her voice before he had even seen her, allowing a smile to find his cobalt lips. The bay stallion extends his head towards her, neck outstretched, to gently brush her muzzle with his own in greeting. Blue nostrils flare as he exchanges breath, in some way finding comfort in her presence. He felt brighter somehow; like he was not as empty as he was a moment before.
“Ellyse,” he says her name respectfully, his voice as deep and rough as the ocean’s tumultuous waves that continue to splash their legs. He watches her for a moment, soaking in her presence. The hard lines on her face were easy to see, though Ellyse always was a strong, stoic woman to begin with. Something else lingers there, though. Something that pricks Warrick in a way that he knows is familiar, something distinctive and powerful. His smile flickers into a thin line, concern showing in his blue eyes. He then looks back out towards the ocean, snorting softly, gathering his thoughts.
In answer to her question, he only says: “I feel adrift.”
Like the ocean before them.
w a r r i c k
@[Ellyse]