Welcome to Gaia! ::

Rhuin hung around in the thicket for another day after Chelsie had headed back to her Glory. Finally, the next morning he steeled his reserve and decided it was time to head home. His 'Brothers' might start looking for him. He shook his head to clear the thoughts of the band of Warriors he had unintentionally become a part of. It had been either join them or die. At that point he had chosen survival. They really were nothing more than a group bandits. At least they didn't mind him leaving for his sojourns as long as he had tales to tell upon his return. But he wasn't going to think of them now. With a final brush off of though he faced East into the rising sun and lets its first tenuous rays warm him. He burst into a run, took two strides, gathered himself and lunged into the air opening his wings.

Rhuin wasted no time in flying back toward the river that marked the border between his homeland and this, his haven. So focused was he on reaching his destination, and distracted by thoughts of the mare that he had let go, he didn't see the shadow split away from the side of the mountains. He did not notice it still as it rose in height and maneuvered into a position above and just behind him. So it took him by great surprise when he was struck solidly in the back by the force of another Uni's hooves.
Rhu strained his wings to try to regain the delicate balance that allowed him to fly as he looked around for who had attacked him. There. The shadow was lining up for another dive. He let himself flounder around, looking pathetic while he waited for the other to descend on him. There it came! He corrected himself and met the dropping shadow with the point of his horn. The other Uni tried to pull up and was almost successful. Rhu felt his horn catch in the flesh of the shadow.
With a scream the other Uni's shadow cloak dropped away and Rhu was faced with one of his brother's angry eyes. The other male screamed again as he flapped furiously to pull his shoulder off of Rhu's horn.
"Traitor!" the other bugled. "I can smell a female that is not of ours on you!" With blood running down his shoulder and dripping from his leg, the other attacked. Rhu defended valiantly and the two wing warriors tumbled across the sky. Finally, it was above the Shadowed drift itself that both Unis locked together and fell from the sky. In the river, so it was, that Rhu untangled himself from the lifeless form of the other and drug himself to the shore and lost consciousness.

As he lay drifting in and out of darkness Rhu felt nothing. 'So this is what it feels like for a being of magic to die.' He thought to himself. 'Pity I didn't do more with my life. I wish I had seen my foals.' As he lay he dreamt first of his own foal-hood. Of the hard times he had to endure. As he watched his own life play out he hoped that his children would have better. Then he began to dream of what his children's childhoods might be like. With their bright mother, in the mountains. It was with some shock, and a little irritation when he felt his dream interrupted by first a warmth on his shoulder, and then a wave of agony shooting through him. Then came blackness and he knew no more.

Rhuin awoke to the sound of voices bidding each other farewell. He lay very still while he listened to the sounds of a group departing. They were saying farewell and he knew it wasn't to him so he listened closely to see who might still be with him. There was movement near his head so he cracked his eyes open just enough to see. It was a mare. A very pretty mare.
"You probably should have just left me." he croaked.
Darn he sounded bad. He wondered how long he had been out as the mare came to worry over him.

Rhuin couldn't believe the mares hospitality. Especially when she knew that he had come from the other side. He took her water gratefully and when asked for his name he only hesitated for a moment before telling her.
"They call me Rhuin."
When he finished what she had brought him he decided he was well enough to stand. To the sound of her protests he heaved himself to his feet and stood on shaky legs.
"I can't lay in the presence of a lady." he deflected.

Rhuin looked at her in surprise as she lay down next to him. He flicked his ears back in disapproval before listening to her speak. At her mention of home he scoffed and quickly tried to hide it with a cough. At her look of curiosity he felt the need to clarify despite himself. 'I have no home. Not anymore. My 'brother' is the one who left me as you have found me. Apparently I am no longer accepted. Once I am recovered I will probably try to make a place for myself on this side of the river. I have nothing to draw me back to that dark land." And everything to hold me here, he added silently with a thought for his unborn foals. He momentarily entertained the idea of being able to raise one of them. He shook his head bringing himself back to the present and the mare at his side.

And that's how it was for the next several days while he regained his strength. While he rested, they spoke companionably and when he was string enough for short forays, she shared with him her knowledge of the forest and land. Eventually she declared him well enough to travel and they struck out for her Glory.
Along the way, they continued to get to know each other and it was with some surprise that Rhuin realized he was beginning to develop a bond with this mare. It was the night before she claimed they would rejoin her Glory when he spoke of his feelings to her. He was stunned when she informed him that she had also felt as though she were growing close to him. So it was, that they spent an extra couple days to themselves before rejoining her Glory.