THE FADING FALLEN ● Bucky Barnes X OC ● 18+ ● ENGLISH [COMPLETE]

Chapter 16

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Taio had grown into a handsome stallion over the past few months and already towered over his mother.

Emilia stood by the fence, enjoying each other's presence as much as Badru.

It had been several hours since she had left the palace. After all that had happened and come to light, she needed a break.

Clearing her head and recharging her batteries was something she could do best here in nature and in non-human company.

After a short stroll through one of the small market streets, she headed towards the woods with a few apples in her luggage.

She wandered through the deep green and thickets of African trees and shrubs, literally soaking up the smells and sounds.

After the extensive walk, she wanted to unload her 'luggage' and was now about to feed the last apple to Badru.

The aging mare seemed to have lost weight and Emilia sensed that it was probably time for her to go soon.

"Don't worry, dear one. Soon it won't be so hard for you", she said softly as Badru nibbled on her apple with relish.

She felt as if she had been standing there like that for only a few minutes, watching the horses.

They were crunching the grass, running across the large pasture, or even rolling around in one of the small muddy pits that a recent rainstorm must have left behind.

It wasn't until the villagers led some of the animals to the covered stables when Emilia noticed that the sun had already approached the horizon.

She glanced at her smartphone to see what time it was.

Several missed calls and an unread message were still flashing at her on the display. She guessed who they were from, but ignored them.

Instead of calling Steve, Natasha or Shuri back, however, she decided to answer Wanda's text message after all.

She didn't want everyone to worry about her more, so she typed the short message.

'I'm ok. Be back by sundown.'

Wanda would surely inform the others about it.

She put her smartphone back in the outer jacket pocket of her rose colored leather jacket, turned to Badru once more and said goodbye.

Glancing briefly at the setting sun over the lake in front of her, she tried to memorize this peaceful image as accurately as possible. Who knew if it would not be the last time.

For a short moment, memories came to her mind of sitting with Bucky on one of the logs. This too, she solidified in her memory.

At the sight of the sun, which was already on the horizon, she involuntarily thought of something on the way back to the palace.

Violet Dawn.

Like so many things in her life, her Avengers name had also two sides.

On the one hand, it could stand for a hopeful new beginning, like the rising sun in the morning.

On the other hand, it could also be a dark unknown in the blackest night. For violets usually grow only in the shadows.

At the moment, she felt more like the latter. Again she fell into a dark deep hole from which there seemed to be no escape.

She shook herself for a moment.

No - she shouldn't allow such thoughts. She couldn't allow them.

As long as there was still a spark of good in the world, hope was not yet lost - not even for someone like her.