It was this guilt gifted upon him from a pair of pale green eyes. A young colt, now orphaned because of him. Time ticked in an overwhelming silence as the tearful colt stared up at him. Ody’s gaze cleared and he barked a short command, “Come.”
The tears trickled down the colt’s face and he inwardly cursed the skies before his tone surprisingly softened, “Come, if you wish to live.” As the foal rose, Ody spun around and led the way back to the Soot Hooves, the flames dying to a low flicker. Some of his herdmates questioned him softly, but a flare of his nostrils and narrowed eyes were enough to silence them as they left the burned meadow, an extra set of hooves marked out in the ash.
The gruff voice from above barked a single word “Come”.
Asty hesitated, should he listen to the stranger? Where were his parents? The strange WME paused for a few more seconds, their tone softening ever so slightly before repeating his initial request “Come, if you wish to live”
Slowly crawling out of the bush Asty opened his mouth to ask about his parents, why was he coming with him? but the other WME had already turned and began to walk away. In that split moment Asty made the decision to follow this stranger. Maybe he would lead him back to his parents and he could ask later? And so began the foals' first steps into a very different life, but we'll learn more about that later.
