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A stallion lived alone, atop the rocky slopes and . Though the winters were cruel, their icy bite stinging his golden hide and frost coating him so that he was stiff and unmoving, and his life was a lonely one, Ahmrain could not bring himself to leave his rocky home. His heart had not always cried out for a companion. Nor did Ahmrain always have the threat of a deadly depression looming over his head like a cloud pregnant with snow shrouding a mountain peak.

Once, in years long passed, he had a lover. A beautiful mare who's name he no longer dared say, for fear that he would follow the white wisps that escaped his mouth right up into heaven with her. That he would sail into empty space, over Matarese peak, and to his death; laying himself to rest in much the same way his lover had. Every now and then, he would find himself staring at the peak, Matarese, where she had fled from life, purging herself of the slow disease of both mind and body that stole life from you daily. Never had he set foot on it since that day, however, for fear that he would follow her over it- healing his heart in the only way he knew how.

Today, however, was different. It was an anniversary of her death- which, he wasn't sure, as horses had never been good keepers of time. Straining against a fierce wind that seemed filled with such evil intent as to blow him off course, Ahmrain slowly climbed until he was at the very tip of the peak. Once there, things grew still as death, as though time itself had taken a death breath in and held it, the anticipation of his next move too much to endure. A tear ran down his weathered cheek, crashing down onto a rock, but no more followed it. Ahmrain let out a mighty screech, rearing upward. One of his legs pointed straight out, while the over curved gently inward, his head tucked toward his chest next to it. He spoke not a word, made not a sound, and instead let the sweet breeze that had begun to blow cool his mind and the sweet scent of his lover on the wind calm his heart.

And in that moment, Ahmrain knew that she was with him, she always had been. She always would be.

"My dear, sweet Iherin ... "The words came from his mouth, though he did not remember summoning the will to speak.

So ... Yeah. The story goes with the image, so I thought I might as well post it as well (story was just quickly written up- I spent absolutely no time on me, so don't judge me for crappy writing D:). It was inspired by a couple different songs (the biggest one being Long Lost Lover by Nightwish, with a couple by Epica coming in a close second) I was listening to at the time.

I'm really happy with how it came out, but because of this I'm thinking there are some major faults I'm not seeing- generally when I really like something, I fail to see it's shortcomings. Anybody want to critique? Tell me what they think? ^^