Such was a stallion's life, Azzuen did not feel the hints of life stirring within the maiden beside him, though it was not an unwelcome idea. Unlike most of the male gender, he was proud to be a father, an active and intimate part of his children's lives, excited even, to teach them the ways to survive the world they live in.

Happiness and satisfaction were the stallion's drug of choice, his slumber was deep and restful, his muscles grateful for the chance to truly, genuinely relax. The climax they had shared the previous night was something his body had earned for since he had come of age, but he had controlled such urges - until he met Cass. She changed everything in his world, a good, healthy, much-needed change. Their daughter grew strong, and in his dreams, Azzuen saw them, his mate and his daughter - and another, young vibrant life force who resembled them all, bounding, playing in the sands of their home. He shifted in his sleep, for in this dreamland such things made sense; of course he would have more than one foal?

A tickle upon his ear might have triggered a twitch, but also seemed to shift his dream. Memories of his own childhood danced before him, times where he and his brother stirred general chaos and bedlam all across Isilme, times where he bonded with his father and mother, learned about why the sky was blue and the grass green, why some were stronger and faster than he, why some had different shaped wings and yet were still able to be called Pegasus. A quiet laughter might have rumbled in his chest as he reflected on those happy times, times of innocence and trials of knowledge, times where one needed only worry about themselves, and not concern themselves with matters that involved entire herds or indeed, entire lands.

Waves lapping at the shoreline provided a steady, regular rhythm which pulled the stallion gently from his slumber. A dopey, tired smile curved his lips, his tongue wetting the velvet textured skin before a great yawn stretched his maw wide, ivory teeth glinting in the rising Sun, tongue lolling about happily as he did so.

Eyes sparkled a bright, morning-stained indigo as they peeked out from his squinted lashes, wrinkling further still around the edges as they beheld the loving gaze of his mate. A warm, rumbling whicker was created by him, his maw leaning over to her to trace the contours of her cheekbone, his nostrils alternating between blowing warm air over her and greedily drinking her gorgeous, feminine scent. Had he focussed more on that scent, he might have been able to tell more definitively the life that now grew within her - as it was, he was too enraptured by her at the present moment to think about such things. The great expanse of his left wing was still draped over them, naturally he had used himself as a shield from the elements this glorious night. The weather was still warm, but with the turn of the seasons the nights became just that little bit cooler - having thick, feathered appendages to wrap around oneself and one's partner was mighty useful.


"What's on your mind, beloved? Happy thoughts, I hope." He utters, his voice deep and masculine, caring and gently inquiring. He could read the happy mood that circled the mare, for it also circled him. Lifting his wing, he allowed the Sun to continue warming their hides, the spray of the sea becoming more insistent as a light breeze picks up. Reassembling his thick, unruly mane with the flick of his neck, he waited, looking and listening, for a response from the mare who had rocked his world.

So easily could he sit back and enjoy this moment forever. Forget about everything else - forget about his responsibilities as General, forget about the herd he had grown to love, forget about the war that was looming before them… Oh, to hold onto this moment, to grasp it between his teeth and tug on it like a dog would on his chew toy - he knew if he clutched too tightly to this hope, it would disintegrate all the sooner, however. So instead he took the advice he had bestowed on a fellow warrior not too long ago; he would enjoy what little time he was blessed with to be beside his beloved, beautiful mate, instead of wishing for the impossible, he would accept what he still believed was impossible; that she loved him, and always would.

Still, he felt so surprised at that, but he welcomed it nonetheless. He yearned for it, needed it - it was his fuel for living, this love he carried for his gorgeous Cassiopeia. Never did he assume her love would be returned, but always did he welcome it when it was - Azzuen was a stallion of small confidence when it came to love. His battle prowess might have earned him the rank of General, he trusted in the skills and abilities of his body to win a battle - but love was a battlefield he was unfamiliar with, one he had been scared of for so long. But now, he was amongst it, and enjoying every moment he was allowed to enjoy. Yes, love was a battlefield, but he and Cass would both emerge the victors.

She queried his dreams, and fuzzy images of dancing families lingered within his mind's eye, they were not clear, his brain still foggy from the deep sleep the ocean's lulling tide had granted him. He simply nodded, for his dreams had indeed been pleasant enough, they certainly did not leave him feeling fearful or scared, but warm and fuzzy inside. He laughed a warm chuckle to her words of loving him, his muzzle happily lipping at the drop of ivory adorning one of her ears in response, trying to communicate just how he loved every little thing about her, too. He too, realised how fast time slid by them, how powerless they were against the constant flow of time, how sometimes it seems to speed up and slow down of its own accord. So often, he wished for moments like these to last forever, and so often, they seemed to slip by the fastest.

The roan mare spoke of dreams again, and Azzuen tried once more to remember his own. His ears shot up when she spoke of four of them being present; it was an element eerily similar to his own sleepy visions, he realised. A smile, small at first, grew upon his lips, and hearty laughter rang out from his maw. Lifting his wings up, sand dribbled down from them, as he grunted with the effort of moving his stiff limbs to rise and stand. He could not sit idle, lying down, when news such as this caused his heart to race with joy! "Oh Cass!" He exclaimed, the happiness clearly leaking into his voice. "Could it really be? Are we so fortunate to be blessed again?" He laughed again, before gaily entering a springy trot and chasing the waves along the ocean's rim.

He called a stallion's call once again, singing his love for his family, his hopes for their living long, fortunate lives within the Throat. Cirrus, he knew, would be thrilled with the idea - but it was probably best to keep it hidden from her until the time drew closer, the perceptive little flicka would surely question her mother's rounding barrel soon enough. Leaping forth in an exuberant display of acrobatics, Azzuen danced a track on the smooth wet sand of the Endless Blue, too ecstatic to think of much else for the moment.


[Sorry for the wait hun. Everything got in my way >_< ]