"Believing he would be safe, Kemoc lay among their cool shadows and vented his sorrows to the wind. How could the others know what he felt? The one who called him 'Shadow Lover' was a lovely mare, but not...not She. Not the one he had seen; had dreamed of upon the night of his initiation.
"In his dream, a pale pink mare-dappled white-stepped timidly from among a stand of sweet-scented Night Rose bushes and called to him. His heart ached sorely at the remembrance of her beautiful eyes meeting his...of the red kite's feathers in her mane. Words of welcome flooded into his mouth, and were stilled as a dawn-colored warrior mare came to stand at his shoulder. The dappled mare's face fell, and she turned away. Angrily, Kemoc faced the warrior by his side, who merely eyed him wisely. Heartsick, Kemoc plunged into the wood after the vanished one, but recovered only a red feather from her hair. Realization struck him as he realized she was a Renegade, and forbidden by the Vale....yet not hornless or single-toed. Not a monster at all.
"Kemoc sighed at the memory of the dream; allowed long-unshed tears to fall. He knew that the dappled mare would find no home in the Vale, and yet she remained in his soul and memory, segregating him from those who might one day become his mate. Four years past, Kemoc set his heart and came to a decision...until that one came to his side, he would pledge no vow of Mating.
"In his dream, a pale pink mare-dappled white-stepped timidly from among a stand of sweet-scented Night Rose bushes and called to him. His heart ached sorely at the remembrance of her beautiful eyes meeting his...of the red kite's feathers in her mane. Words of welcome flooded into his mouth, and were stilled as a dawn-colored warrior mare came to stand at his shoulder. The dappled mare's face fell, and she turned away. Angrily, Kemoc faced the warrior by his side, who merely eyed him wisely. Heartsick, Kemoc plunged into the wood after the vanished one, but recovered only a red feather from her hair. Realization struck him as he realized she was a Renegade, and forbidden by the Vale....yet not hornless or single-toed. Not a monster at all.
"Kemoc sighed at the memory of the dream; allowed long-unshed tears to fall. He knew that the dappled mare would find no home in the Vale, and yet she remained in his soul and memory, segregating him from those who might one day become his mate. Four years past, Kemoc set his heart and came to a decision...until that one came to his side, he would pledge no vow of Mating.