Our story begins on stormy night. At three years of age, The Hallowed tredged onwards through the pelting sleet. His neck was lowered to his chest and his head was angled away from the direction of the rain as it stung his face. His gleaming red eyes lowed through the darkness as he tried to find his way through the storm. It seemed as though he was endlessly walking through the wet grass, as if there were no trees in existance to seek shelter under. 

"Papa?" 

The large dappled bay stallion's ears flicked towards the voice coming from just behind him. He narrowed his eyes against the rain to see the soaked trembling form of his young son, Henry, and his mare not too far behind them. Her cream colored mane stuck to her fragile frame and she could barely move one foot in front of the other. 

"Evangeline?" Hallow's red-orange eyes were filled with concern and fear. 

At the sound of her name the palomino mares ears flicked forward and her light blue eyes opened as she raised her head to look at him in response. 

The bay stallion's heart broke at the look in her eyes. They had been traveling for days, and in her injured condition he didn't know how much longer she would last. Hallowed forced himself to raise his head up and he flinched against the stinging pain from the pouring rain and blasting wind as he turned around and made his way towards the palomino mare. Their young son didn't leave his side. 

"Hallow..." The palomino mare took several steps towards him but when her injured front leg touched the wet ground she slipped and stumbled down the sloping hill with a startled squeal. 

"Evangeline!" 

Hallowed unknowingly left Henry's side as he partially slipped and galloped down the hill after his mate, finally feeling the scratches and slapping of branches against his face. "Evangeline?!" He looked around frantically, only being able to see during small moments of light when lightning struck in the distance. "Evangeline! Where are you?!" 

"Hallow!" Her peircing screams were followed by a loud snarl that he easily recognized. A black bear. 

The bay stallion's eyes widened in horror, he turned around to see their son Henry leaning against the trunk of a tall pine, his blue eyes wide with fear. Hallow stepped forward and nuzzled his son fiercely before turning back around and bolting as fast he could towards the sound of Evangeline's voice. 

He finally found her palomino shape leaning against a tree trunk as she reared up as high as her injured leg would let her in attempt to scare the large black bear away. By the large scar across the bear's muzzle he could tell that she had been the reason for it and it had only made the large creature angrier than it was hungry. Hallow pawed the ground and snorted before charging forward and ramming his shoulder into the bear, unknowingly knocking it over a short cliff that lead it tumbling down to the edge of a ravine. But unfortunately the bear had fastened it's jaws on Evangeline's cream colored mane and she had gone with it.

"Evangeline! NOO!" 

"Hallow!" 

Hallow frantically slid down the hill and leaped over the short cliff and galloped down to the ravine, occasionally tripping on the wet grass on his way. He could see in the distance as thunder crackled above them that Evangeline was doing all she could trying to fend the black creature away, and now he could clearly see the reason for her fierce determination. Henry had left the tree he had been under minutes before and now stood trembling in the rain behind his mother. But before Henry could reach her the black bear swiped one of it's large barbed paws against the palomino mare's flank and send her flying against a jagged boulder. 

"No..." Air seemed to have escaped from his lungs at the horrrifying sight. He saw blood streaking down her once gleaming coat from the large gashes across her flank, and a small pool had begun to form beneath her. But now his attention was all on their son Henry.

Something snapped within him and an unfelt anger flared within his heart. The bay stallion bared his teeth and charged at the bear, grabing it's ear between his teeth and tightning his grip until he felt the skin split apart and the vile taste of iron overwhelmed his senses. The bear shook it's head in pain, growling in frustration as it scratched and slapped it's huge paws against Hallow's chest, trying to push him away. But the Hallowed didn't release his grip until he kicked the creature over the edge of the ravine, only becoming satisfied when he heard it's gurgling roars as the surging black waters engulfed it.

"Mama!" 

His son's frantic voice snapped him back to reality. The rain had softened now, and it remained only a slight drizzle. The thunder in the sky had quieted and they were now only mere flashes of silent light in the distance. Hallow turned around and galloped towards her motionless form lying against the boulder she had been thrown against. 

"Evangeline?" Hallow's voice was weak as he lowered his head and gently stroked her cheek with his muzzle. 

"Mama?" Henry stood beside him, touching his mother's shoulder with his soft muzzle. When she didn't respond he raised his head and looked up at his father with eyes wide with fear and shock as tears formed on the corners of his eyes. "Papa, why isn't she waking up?"

Hallowed had asked himself the same question, but he hung his head, not being able to answer his son. 

"Mama, please wake up." The small bay foal whispered repeatedly nudging his mother's lifeless body. His tears mingled with the rain as he lowered his body to the ground and cried.

Hallow stood where he was, caressing his mate's cheek gently as warm tears streamed down his face only to be washed away by the rain. "Evangeline..." He whispered, pressing his forehead against the crest of her neck.

- - -

By the time dawn arrived, Hallowed had burried Evangeline beneath that very bolder, so that her body would be left untouched by any predator that would feed on it. Their son Henry had picked her favorite flowers and uprooted them specifically so that they would grow over her burial site. 

"Papa?" 

Hallow opened his eyes tiredly and looked down at Henry who was laying beneath his tucked forelegs and looking up at him expectantly. "What is it Henry?"

"What are we gunna' do now?" The little foal's question was followed by a tired yawn.

A small smile appeared on Hallowed's face as he lowered his head and nuzzled his son affectionately. "I'll figure somethin' out, okay?" 

Henry smiled up at him and nodded before lowering his head and laying it against Hallow's chest. As the sun rose in the sky, a warm breeze blew around them and with it was a familiar scent that instantly alerted Hallow's senses. "Evangeline...?" He whispered, looking around. But there came no response, just another warm breeze that carried lavender blossoms with it. Tears streaked down his cheeks as his smile grew wider. Lavender was her favorite wildflower, and she had clearly shown him that she would always be there. But little did he know at the time that a terrible darkness was looming over his heart. But for now he layed his neck over his son protectively and hummed the same lullaby that Evangeline sang to him during tough times.

"Sleep little one, don't you fear..." He whispered soothingly before closing his eyes and falling asleep himself.

Watching a little way's away from father and son stood the glowing transparent form of Evangeline. Her coat gleaming in the sunlight as it did when she had lived. Lavender blossoms blew around her, carried by the warm breeze. There was a smile on her face as she watched them. "My boys..." She whispered, tears brimming in her light blue eyes before she disappeared with the next blowing breeze.