Battle Scars
Chapter 1
By: Serena Chibi
Date: April 02, 2011
He watched from a distance, his eyes shining a deep blue in the sunlight while his black hair glistened slightly. Crouching at the edge of the woods he continued to watch her, memorized by the scene playing out. The petite blonde woman was in a meadow of lavender. Her hands slowly running over the impeccably groomed, copper coat of her horse. The stallion was a small but powerful animal, yet he seemed to care for the girl immensely. Wrapping his neck around her side, the stallion allowed the girl to brush through his jet black mane and forelock.
The man in the shadows smiled to himself as the girl giggled and kissed the stallion on his forehead, in the center of his white, diamond-shaped marking. He would marry this woman one day, she'd be his - his Serenity. He was just the neighbor-boy that seemed to annoy her to no end right now, but it would happen. He'd sat by and watched her date men, then listened to her cry and complain about them the day after. None of those guys were good enough for her, he knew that and she knew that, but she still didn't see him as Prince Charming.
Darien sat down at the edge of the trees, just out of sight and continued to watch Serenity's antics with the horse. He'd always loved watching her with the horses because she seemed to have a gift with them. Sure, all the horses that her family owned were well-bred and trained but she just seemed to breathe the life back into the animals. Their personalities would shine through with her - especially this stallion of hers. Her father had bought the stallion in hopes of having another beautiful mount to ride into town on but the stallion was horribly tempered and impossible to ride. Darien thought back to that day almost five years ago now, when Serenity had been given the horse.
Serenity's father had decided that he should just destroy the animal one day when it had bit him and kicked a stable hand. Darien and Serenity had been wandering around her family's estate when they'd seen her father walking from the stables muttering angrily and holding his hand. Serenity had practically dragged him to the stables to check on her favorite horse. Arriving at the stallion's stall, Serenity asked the groom sitting the bench next to the stall, what happened. The groom immediately started ranting about how the stallion was evil and had kicked him after it bit her father.
Darien was surprised by Serenity yelling at the groom, telling him that the horse was not evil and that they probably both deserved what had happened to them. She was not one to yell, she was a very soft spoken girl at the time. The groom, who was now visibly angry, told her that her father was planning to come back to kill the "wretched animal". He didn't have enough time to react and stop her, as Serenity ran to the stall and swung the door open, allowing herself in with the animal that was deemed dangerous. Not wanting to yell and scare the animal into a frenzy and hurting his friend, Darien could only watch over the stall wall as she approached the stallion.
Serenity extended her hand in front of her and walked towards the stallion, talking to him quietly. Darien and the groom couldn't understand her whispers but the stallion could, as she told him to calm down and listen to her. She loved this stallion and would not sit back to watch him be killed. But being in the stall with the horse wasn't enough to stop her father, and Serenity knew this. Reaching the stallion's side, she gently stroked it's neck and spoke in soothing voices. Trailing a hand down the horse's side and down his leg, Serenity sat in the stall next to the animal. What happened next was not what anyone expected - except maybe Serenity, as the fiery stallion shook his head then seemed to bow and lay down next to her.
This was about when everyone started to gather around, they were all dumbfounded by the sight before them. Darien could never forget how Serenity looked in that moment - her golden hair splayed across the copper hindquarters of the fiery stallion while she rest her head on his back. The horse's legs neatly tucked underneath her as his head came around to nuzzle her hand affectionately. This was the scene that her father stormed in on. After seeing this and fighting with Serenity about killing the magnificent animal, her father had finally decided to give him to her.
Serenity's determination was just one of the many things that Darien had come to love about her. Of course she didn't know this; she wasn't aware of his love for her but someday he would make sure she knew. For now, he'd just watch her date other men in the vain hope that she's see what was right in front of her. Darien slowly turned to walk back to the house, looking back one more time to get another glimpse of Serenity running with the stallion at her side. He smiled then made his way quietly through the woods and back to her house to wait for her to return home.