In the stretch of day that Ithil slept, Bernard found himself restless. Sometimes he was able to nap alongside her, but for the most part he didn't like the vulnerability. But being awake meant being very aware that he couldn't stray too far either, lest his conscience plague him. But being asleep was bad. But being awake was boring. But...He found himself parched eventually.
Just to get a drink, Bernard reconciled with himself as he trotted away, casting the sleeping mare one last glance over his shoulder before moving forward. I don't need to punish myself.
It took him a little, but he eventually heard the sounds of gurgling water. The two tried to keep close to a body of fresh water for this exact reason, with the bonus that it often led their trails when they weren't sure where else to go. Surely a herd would take advantage of it somewhere, or perhaps that dense forest, or perhaps in the safety of the mountains...Years now, he had led Ithil about the land, sometimes finding no-one, sometimes coming across a herd but disagreeing with the structure, sometimes finding only danger. He felt like a failure at this point, like Ithil was only humoring him.
The stallion shook his head and snorted to himself. Nevermind that. For now, water.
Uta