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.