Look down, the ground below is crumbling
Look up, the stars are all exploding
High above sea level and cruising away from the roar of the churning ocean, the warm air caressing both her lungs and scrawny hide was thick and clammy. It was a stark contrast to the cool, mouldy stench which had been her home for so long, and between bouncing strides Africa fought an urge to cough and resist the change in atmosphere. Silas rode atop comfortably, his talons ground down to the quick almost during his time earthbound; well below the ground. At first he found his grip slipping constantly as the mare walked, the rock of her swinging gait he thought was unsteadying. Soon enough though, rhythm began to pour through his light-weight form and he found some peace in the monotony- in that respect alone, it was much like old times. He listened quietly with a skewed face as his companion rediscovered the beloved intricacies of her former world. "I can’t believe it!" She went on, gasping to herself mainly, at the vibrant dress of an upturned daisy. "I thought surely it was to be the end of nature... and the world." It filled him with hope to hear the gushing interest and simple pleasure filling her delicate voice. This was the side of Africa’s personality the young Zephyr had never had the fortune of meeting at the beginning of their bond. The gentle horse was settled now though to his relief, her mind well and secure, and her spirit again swarming with life.

To the left and to the right of the travelling pair, a snug thicket of young and old was stretched longingly towards the shimmering blood-red sun, their lifeblood, and their stippled green leaves rustling in vain contentment. Africa wondered thoughtfully as she passed through their cool offering of dappled shade, how long they had fought that moonless night. Certainly when she and Silas had slipped away, the grass was dead, shrivelled and brown beneath crushing steps. She couldn’t help but to marvel at their will to live, and promised herself with a thundering surge of heartbeats that she would never give up either- no matter what fouls might lay in her new future.

Silas fluffed the sleek mat of feathers lining his small round skull, her fluttering chest stirring his own blood to heat.

"Our future." She smiled almost immediately, although their minds were not quite yet in unison. Both felt the intoxicating flood of warmth and love through their veins and at that moment Africa felt her skin prickle with wildly exciting goosebumps.

The thicket offered some respite from the weight of the hot season, and for that both Zephyr and horse were extremely appreciative. As the trees began to thin out though, shafts of sunlight drew out streaks of dark sweat across the young mare’s hide. She did not hesitate, instead stepping from their cover boldly, without the playfully erratic spring in her step that once sugar-coated her life. The vast meadow opened around them, and suddenly Africa was choked for breath. Gaping space surrounded them, and the air here had stilled completely. Below the crunch of sunburnt grasses caused her to pause for a second, though it took only minutes for her calm composure to reform, and her sparkling eyes to resume their mass absorption of all that had been swept from memory.
A few horses grazed in the area, though Africa was at a relaxed distance from each. Certainly their faces were too blurred by the rippling heat haze for her to study in depth. She lowered her face, as though taking the cue of her kin and began to lip about at the strange, dry grass. It was not at all like the moss she had become quite used to; not soft or supple, or sweet. Silas too felt a pang of hunger and swept from the mare’s back to scout a crop of tall, spiked thistle for seed pods. Unlike the majority of his kind, he did not hunt and found no pleasure in the concept of prey. From an early age he had foraged for his soul mate, and satisfied himself on the fruit, nuts and berries he encountered. For him, instinct was ripe and immediately the Zephyr found contentment in his scavenging.

Africa did not notice the eyes burying themselves greedily beneath her salt-licked, splotchy hide at first. Should she not have been so bothered by the persistent flies pestering the crusty corners of her eyes, she might not have noticed he was there at all.
As she flicked her face still higher to evade the swarm, his motionless shadowy figure; quite set apart from the golden hue of the meadow, snatched her attention. Tilting her face curiously, she watched him just as he did her, until finally he came forward. As the stallion neared, Africa became all too aware that something was very wrong with him. The churn of her stomach and startle of her mind drew Silas swooping back towards them, and he recognised the brute instantly from the cliffs below World’s Edge. His warning cry distracted his companion’s step forward, and she turned with an uplifted smile to meet the creature as he landed again upon the point of her withers. Beady black eyes watched the stranger with wearied caution, his glossy black body craning to peer around the neck of the mare.

"H... H.. Hell.... Hello?"

"Hi." She answered politely, turning slightly so Silas would not need to lean so heavily. His stutter had caught her off guard, and his appearance was, to her, unrecognizable. At once she was concerned about him though, his ragged, ungainly physique, but respected the caution issued by her soul mate and spoke again carefully instead. "I’m Africa; this is Silas. Are you alright?" She felt rude, like she was violating his privacy in some perverted way, but she just could not pull the rove of her curious honey eyes from the point of his skull- where one ear surely once perched.