Quilyan

It is cold, but that is nothing new. Frostfall has come with a vengeance, coating the very air with a thin layer of frigidity that clings to the steed's pelt, piercing through layers of muscle and sinew into his very bones. On another morning, he might pull Resplendence closer on one side and Rue the other, folding them into the warmth of his wings; but this morning, his only true understanding of the cold comes from Zarina, who has folded herself into a clump of his man in an effort to cease her shivering. She mutters incomprehensibly through the bond, continuing to let him know how incredibly irritating she finds his reckless behavior without actually having to speak with him. He ignores her, dark thoughts racing through his mind to blot out her reasoning.

A shriek startles him, and he whips around suddenly, searching for its source, tense and concerned. The cry did not sound particularly panicked, but months of searching the woods have left him weary and paranoid, the constant worry for his daughter's safety a heavy weight even now. It is enough to momentarily surpass his quiet rage. What if someone needs help? What if they are injured, or are being pursued by an intruder? He does not truly belong here, has claimed no title and promised no loyalty to the Hidden Falls - but does he need to? All who inhabit the land know Resplendence and, by proxy, of his devotion to her. Where she goes, he will follow; where she stays, he will stay as well. He will offer his protection to any here who need it - if only he can find the source of the scream!

"Quilyan!"

It is the owner of the voice as much as its tone that drives the worry from the prince's mind, refocusing him on his mission. Kaj descends, somewhat waterlogged, joy in his eyes as he approaches his long-lost brother.

-He's happy to see you,- Zarina observes.

An act, her bonded scoffs in reply. If he wanted to see me so badly, he could have found me before now.

As Kaj extends his muzzle expectantly, the prince hesitates, considering for a moment that he might snub the Czar's greeting; but in the end he reaches out to bump his own maw against the golden steed's, surprised at the comfort he finds in the interaction. He is guarded, though, and not afraid to let it show. Something in his violet gaze is dark and angry, something in the way he pulls suddenly away displays the tensity underlying his actions. He says nothing at first, allowing the glee bubbling from the Czar to permeate the air between them; for the first time, he questions the validity of his fury.

But he has come too far now to change his mind; he has made his position clear, and to back down is to give way to weakness. The prince falls prey to that all-too-common trap, clinging to his vehement opinion despite the sudden understanding that he had been very, very wrong.

"Is it?" he erupted suddenly, his voice somehow holding more bite than the frigid air. "You made it a bit difficult to find the herd while I was away. One would almost think you didn't want to be found."

You deserted me. You left me behind.

It was suddenly about so much more than Resplendence.

Kaj had betrayed him, left him behind when he would have given anything to remain with their family. He had lost everything, once - everyone he had ever held dear. His entire family had perished (or so he'd thought, until Nasreen appeared again), but he had found a new one with Resplendence, with Kaj, with the rest of their herd. And yet when he had needed them - when he had needed Kaj - where had his brother been?

Making a new family with a new herd in a new land.

Leaving him behind.

"Talk talk talk."

@[Kaj]