[P] like waves against the shore

[Galileo]

G A L I L E O

---

Galileo was feeling lucky. Lucky to have been reunited with Luvena, lucky to have been blessed with meeting Willoughby, and lucky to be alive. It hadn't been often, recently, that he'd felt this way. And so he revelled in it, a new spring in his step as he moved across his homelands. It finally felt like things were coming together for the stallion, that once again, just maybe, he had the chance to be happy. How long it would last, however, was doubtful. 

With the Mors Desert spread endlessly out in front of him, he stood atop a golden dune, taking in the breeze. The wind rushed around him and tangled his chocolate-coloured mane, but he paid it no heed. These days, he greeted it like an old friend, and allowed it to almost lift him off his feet when it was at full force. Even at night, the cold that nipped at his legs and flank did not bother him; the sands of the desert remained surprisingly warm, even as the sun went down. Regardless, he had the protection of the canyon, too. 

There had been some learning involved in these new lands, and he had been only happy to bow to nature's wily tricks. Sand vipers, scorpions and the likes, offered a task to those who traversed through them, and Galileo had learnt to avoid them if he could. In general, he had a rather just reason to stay away from anything that crawled.

Closing his eyes, he embraced the dark swell of the evening, and only opened them to gaze upwards as the sky herself bore her daily labour of lights. Every faint dot made him wonder if there were others who looked up tonight, at the same stars he followed.

It is only in that moment of uninterrupted bliss that something captures his attention; someone was in his mind, inciting him to "look! Look! Look!"

"Ohhh..." he lets out an audible noise as his mouth dropped open, shock taking over his body. Some distance ahead (but still too close for comfort), a Sandwyrm tussled with its prey. Instinctively stepping backwards, Galileo regarded it with fascination and fear.

At first, he had thought it to be one of the gazelles he'd seen racing around the place, but as he looked more closely, he was surprised -- and disheartened -- to see that it was too large to be a lithe gazelle.

With a quick turn, his focus turns to something on his right -- something running away. Another horse? He considered, before his gaze settled on the fleeing creature and his thoughts were confirmed.

If there had been one thing he'd learnt living in these lands, it was that the Sandwyrms relied on the beating of hooves on the sand to track their prey. This horse was doing exactly what the Sandwyrm wanted.

Without a second thought, Galileo launched into a gallop, tossing his head aggressively backwards as he called out. "Stop!"

Muscles rippling like the sands of the desert, he found himself catching up to the smaller mare quite easily, but she was still running at full pace, clearly frightened, as he tried to call out to her to slow down. He dared not turn round and see if the Sandwyrm had had enough of the other horse it had caught and was now after them both.

Stamina had never been his strong suit, and so if she didn't stop soon, he would have to leave her to the will of the wyrm. Instead, he cried out once again, hoping the winds were in his favour. "You need to stop! It'll track you, otherwise!" And if that happens, he thought, we're both gonners.

@Somer @Jane