When neither three came, the steed's dome lowered closer to the ground as he stepped inside the borders. Had the mare gave up on him? Or was she just simply, not here? Wherever she may be, Xanthos was beginning to worry. He knew she would've came to greet him, unless she was busy. But that may be the solution, that's she is just busy with her works, and taking care of dear Jasiri.

Soon, the stud's ears perked and his dome shot up. He heard the leaves crushing, but it was more than one thing making the sounds, more like two. It may be Jasiri, or Romani and Kasai, or just all three of them. Remembering Kasai, Romani's beloved companion, and how Azel and her use to play fight as of which was Jasiri's guard. Yet, both had grown since then, there was still a chance of the playing cubs inside of them. As if, they could bring the past back to life and replay it over, over again. But it would never be the same for Romani and he.

Xanthos stood still, listening to the leaves crackling underneath one's pressure. Who might it be? The grullo steed did not know of yet but he knew the sweet smell of the creatures that were coming towards him, because it was the only one that carried loyalty to her home upon her golden shoulders.

Romani..

As she came walking from the trees, Kasai by her side, Xanthos let out a small sigh. His gaze reached out towards her beautiful frame and then to Azel as he trotted up to the white tiger, purring when he came to a stop a few lengths in front. The stud chuckled beneath his grasping breath and then blinked, looking back to his admiring mate. But the look that was plastered against her lips saddened him quickly. Despair. Abandoned. Victimized. That was the only way he knew how to describe his depressed beauty. What had happened to her? Xanthos couldn't tell, but he could tell that she wasn't her joyful self any longer. Was she hurt by his leave, or was it disgust of his return? It startled the stud that the femme was in such health. It made him feel like he had guilt labeled all of him, but it also made him think that it was also true.

He couldn't look at her no longer. He couldn't take the powerless expression of his empty mate. Xanthos ran to her, hoping she would not run from him, after all, he had left the land without a telling to the mare. He stopped, wide eyes pleading as he simply said, "I'm sorry.." Few tears tinkled down his gray face as the steed tried to stare deep down into the mare's soul, to find out what she was really feeling. But it was at no use. Is this what fear really felt like? To be humiliated and rejected? Because this was overwhelming Xanthos and he could take it no more.

It was all too much.

"Romani," he said, his voice lowered to a whisper. "I should've never left you like that. I love you." His voice faded as he took steps forward towards the beautiful golden mare, wishing she would come closer also so he could wrap her in a welcoming warmth of love for his mare. He just wanted to hold her forever, take her under his non-existent wing and shield her from the drowning rains. Yet, he knew it was impossible. All he could say was, "I love you Romani." The steed confessed, looking at her with bright, yellow eyes, pleading.

"I'm sorry."

He felt the despair rush into his veins, his light body turning into a cold tundra. This was all he felt; isolated. He was alone now, except for Azel, who now also hissed at the white feline before he came back to his own bonded, leaping through air and onto the dun's rump. This time, the claws did not scratch, and only the slightest of purrs came from the king cheetah's small heart. Xanthos knew now that he had a clumsy, but yet fearless companion, who would always be there.

As the mare backed away from his approach, he too did the same, knowing that he was unwanted to her. The steed sighed, but it was not boredom nor saddness, it was rage and confusion. Yes, he was now blaming it all on himself. Rejection now laid upon his shoulders and pushed him closer to the fiery hell below. How could've he done this to her? He had known all along that it would break her, into a million little pieces, but he had never turned to go back. If he had just done one simple task, this would've never happened between his now-parting family. I should just leave and never return. Xanthos sighed again, desperate for any thought but that one.

His head shot up with sudden pain as claws reached into his thin skin. Azel had clawed him, for thinking of such a thing as of leaving his loved ones again. He had already had to deal with it once and was not counting on going through it again. He had hated those months of hearing the nightmares his large companion had during his away of Romani, the cries of fear in his insecure yellow orbs. It had pained him to see his loyal friend in such away, and he never wanted to replay the memories again. "No," the feline growled in protest, "You have to stay... For her." His muzzle pointed towards the golden mare. Xanthos nodded to him, clearly in confusion but knew what his brother meant.

His gaze turned to the glorious mare once more before taking another step towards her. He could see the anger brewing inside her once dreadful soul, taking over her beautiful frame. The dun listened to every stern word she said, whether it hurt him or not, he would listen to her and only her. The world around him toned out and he listened as the harsh expression poured into his ears, his eyes focused on the ground in front of her hooves. "I waited. I waited for you to come... But you... You did not. I returned here, to our daughter, to find that you have left with no words to anyone, least of all our daughter. Pray be our family was willing to watch over her." He jerked up, his own stare gnawing at her.

"I know what I did, and it was wrong. But, I came back for you Romani! For us! If you think I attended to cause so much pain, you were wrong, because I didn't. I never meant for it to come to be this way, but it did. I said, like before, I'm sorry." By the end of his words, his tone was slowly faded away into a caring, helplessly-loving tone. Azel had jumped from his position of resting along Xanthos's back, from the time the outburst of his companion's harsh tone. His gaze was understanding, yet it was full of fear, as he had never seen his steed's voice in such a way. All he knew was that he was trying to get it through the mare's head, that he truly did love her.

But maybe he hadn't showed it enough..