Look down, the ground below is crumbling
Look up, the stars are all exploding
Silas continued his barraging glower, fearlessly and tirelessly. Together, without the careless fingering of beasts like this stallion, they had rewritten the intricate programming in Africa’s sensitive brain. They had overcome her fears, the nightmares which had for so long plagued any and even the slightest sleep possible. The young mare was whole again, and the midnight Zephyr, her bonded and her protector, was not about to allow the scoundrel with one ear to cause any form of detrimental relapse. A fierce warning cry shattered the awkward silence between mare and her foe. The murky dappled stallion had heard such before, though for now Silas was not driven to force him away. Always his dark, shining eyes remained trained to Shajake.

The air was so thick, hot and sticky and it made Africa quite uncomfortable. Her coat grew wetter each second they posed there beneath the harsh fury of the returned sun, and she quickly began to fidget on the spot. "Oh," She began with surprise after his seldom broken words, eyes quickly seeking his grim green glare with interest. "Naturally I would think your name quite uncommon. I knew another Shajake once." She giggled coolly, comfortably despite the very obvious and vocal discomfort of her companion. She found absolutely no visual resemblance between her past playmate though, and this, rather feral looking beast who spoke with her now. Africa shrugged gently, batting her long thick black lashes together into an untroubled blink.
She did not remember their last meeting at all apparently, to the great relief of Silas- the casual gallop of a carefree heart allowed him to settle a little again for the moment.

Gently the grey mare extended her whiskered nose towards him, concern blowing through her flaccid round nostrils as she did so. "Perhaps we should find some shade." Africa turned then to peer behind them. The thicket through which Silas and herself had come offered some promise of respite, but it had been so thick to navigate through and she did not particularly favour the idea of being cramped together with this stranger. Slowly she turned back, considering, and smiled cheerfully. "Hmmm, are you thirsty Shajake? Is there anything in particular that ails you?" She held back a cheeky chuckle, pressing tightly her lips after she had spoken. As a whole, the stallion looked like perhaps he was living on borrowed time, but she dared not pass presumptions. She was not rude or cruel, and genuinely she wanted to help. Africa looked at him quietly with some discreet reserve.