Chapter 2: The Misty Valley
Part 5 – The Untamed
The world still held its breath.
Onii stood at the riverbank like a shadow carved from stormclouds, his black mane whipping in violent waves though no breeze stirred the clearing anymore. His eyes burned with that restless, untamed gleam, fixed on me as if he weighed and measured my very soul.
My knees quivered. My breath had grown shallow without me realizing. Every instinct screamed for me to avert my gaze, to lower my head in submission before something far beyond me. And yet, as the silence stretched, I did not look away.
Linn clutched my sleeve, her whisper trembling against my ear. "My lady… we should leave. Now. Before he decides to—"
But the words broke as Onii snorted, the sound like a thunderclap. The mist around us shattered into spiraling currents, lashing against the trees, rattling branches until leaves rained down like green confetti of doom. The very earth seemed to vibrate beneath his hooves.
I swallowed hard. "Linn… if he truly is untamed, then leaving will only tempt him to follow."
It was half-truth, half-desperate excuse. In truth, something deeper tugged at me. That spark from before—the same stubborn thread that had kept my eyes locked with his—now pulled taut, aching.
I stepped forward.
Linn's grip tightened. "My lady, no!"
But I shook free, my feet carrying me closer to the riverbank. The spirit grass parted beneath my steps, its mist coiling up my ankles, as though it too leaned forward in anticipation.
Onii pawed at the ground, muscles rippling like storm waves. His nostrils flared, each breath releasing a sound like rushing gales. He was magnificent, terrifying. Yet something about his gaze—wild though it was—held more than hostility. There was challenge in it. Demand.
My voice came before I thought. Soft, almost trembling:
"You are Onii, aren't you? The untamed one…"
The stallion's ears twitched. A flicker of acknowledgment—or warning—passed in his eyes.
I dared another step, heart hammering in my chest so loudly I swore he must hear it. "I… I am Lailac. Daughter of Lord Haines. This valley—" My words faltered, suddenly sounding hollow even to me. What claim did I have, in truth? I was no master of the Misty Valley. No tamer of beasts. I was a hollow vessel who could only take, never return.
But Onii's gaze pinned me still, and desperation lent me courage. "I cannot offer strength, not like the others. But I… I see you."
For an instant—just an instant—I thought I caught a shift in him. His head tilted, his eyes narrowing, as though curious.
My breath caught. The spark between us tightened.
"Please," I whispered, almost a plea. "Let me near."
I reached out my hand. Slowly, trembling, across the gulf of air between us. The way Father once told me to approach frightened colts—gently, steadily, without breaking the fragile bridge of trust.
The wind hushed. Even Linn's anxious breaths seemed to fade behind me.
Onii's mane lifted, strands writhing like living stormclouds. His gaze dropped to my outstretched hand.
And then—
The world exploded.
With a roar like splitting skies, Onii reared high, hooves slamming against the air itself. Wind surged outward in a violent shockwave, slamming into me with the force of a crashing tide. I cried out, stumbling back as pain seared across my skin, my hair and clothes whipping wildly. My hand was thrown aside as though the very air rejected me.
"Lailac!" Linn screamed, rushing to shield me. The gale ripped at her coatcloth, but she forced her way to my side, wrapping her arms around me as the storm pressed us both to the ground.
Through the haze of dust and mist, I glimpsed Onii's form—a dark giant against the light. His hooves struck the soil with a sound that cracked like thunder. His eyes burned brighter now, not curious but furious, as though my attempt had been an insult.
I struggled to breathe, chest tight, tears stinging my eyes—not from pain alone but from something worse. Failure.
He rejected me.
The stallion snorted again, head tossing, his mane snapping like whips of shadow. With a final, contemptuous roar, he wheeled away. The wind coiled around him, lifting his form, until he was no longer flesh but storm again—scattering into the mist with terrifying speed.
And then he was gone.
Silence returned, broken only by the trembling drip of disturbed water in the stream. My body sagged against Linn, every limb weak, my hand still outstretched as though unwilling to accept what had just happened.
I had thought… just for a moment… that he would answer. That he saw me.
But the truth was plain. He had seen me—and found me lacking.
"Are you hurt?" Linn's voice broke through, breathless and urgent. She checked my arms, my face, as though expecting blood.
"I'm fine," I whispered hoarsely. My voice cracked on the lie. "Just… shaken."
Linn's brows knit with worry and something else—fear. "You mustn't ever try that again, my lady. Onii isn't a steed to be tamed. He is a storm given flesh. Many skilled tamers have failed before you, and some never walked away."
Her words pierced, but I only nodded numbly. I wanted to tell her she was wrong, that I felt something. That fleeting spark, that moment when the stallion had paused before rejecting me—surely it had meant something.
But I couldn't bring myself to speak it. Not after that humiliation.
Instead, I let Linn guide me back across the bridge, her hand steadying me with each step. My legs trembled, my heart felt heavy, yet my mind burned with restless fire.
He had rejected me. Yes.
But those eyes—I would never forget them.
No matter how fierce his fury, no matter how cruel his storm, something in that gaze had seen me.
And one day…
One day, Onii would not turn away.
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