Was it strange that I found such equality and comfort in the flaxen mare? Or perhaps I had found a likeness of Tamira in her… Whatever the case, I knew that I did not desire to be parted with her. A friend such as she would be an everlasting goodness in my life where I had lost my light. The curiosity in her eyes set my nerves to quivering and dancing along the wire of my resolve before that impervious gaze shifted away into the vastness of the Edge. However, I would not let my eyes wander for they sought only her and her attention. There was a great connection between us, on that seemed to surf the thin line between friendship and something more, though I had no intentions of letting it fall astray. My heart had not been able to recover as fully as I’d expected since Tamira’s death, but I was still male after all and Evangeline’s warmth and certain feminine splendor forced me into stepping closer, seeing better, hearing stronger…


“I can’t say that it surprises me. You embody a certain strength and aptitude for ruling…” My confidence was unwavering as I absorbed the longing look in Eva’s eyes after she admitted to leading in Isilme, a land of which I was sure I’d heard in passing before. However, that whimsical vision of desire was fleeting and those emerald eyes were soon flickering through a spectrum of other emotions as she continued. But of course, she only meant to add the final piece of the puzzle, which appeared to be the conclusion of Isilme and the beginning of Helovia. “No doubt, though I am glad to have met you. If not for Helovia, I would not have been blessed with the likeness of your hospitality.” And such beauty.

With a lag in conversation, I took the moment to peer out into the forest while enjoying the warmth of the slight fire at our feet. The flames send hot gusts of smoke licking up my legs until their remnants lingers at my nose so that I might inhale the woody scent of burning tinder. It was a relief to remember how intoxicating the aroma of a campfire left one soothed in the midst of a perilous winter; I have Evangeline to thank for that.

“I was teased yes, but it was nothing I couldn’t handle or understand. Those who knew me were kind enough and I suppose that’s all I truly needed.” As my voice trailed away, I let my mind wander back to the past and the smiling faces, the ignorant laughter, and the horrified gaping mouths that witnessed my deformity. I was glad to have grown up a massive animal, one worth fearing and remembering for his size and not just his “small wings”. But Evangeline didn’t see me that way… no, she saw my core and she accepted me for whatever follies I seemed to possess. As she mused absently to herself, I was content to watch her think and sift through her own ideas of my past. It was comforting because even if she wasn’t with me presently, she was with me in her thoughts… “Children don’t quite understand the world as they should. I cannot blame them for fearing what they did not know; I am none the worse for wear because of it- in fact I am a great specimen of what it looks like to overcome adversity.”


I had certainly overcome the differences I’d been gifted with in life, but was I truly a great specimen any longer? Had Helovia given me that and then taken it away? I was unsure of the fact now, but one day I would find my answer… I always did.