Poise in Poison

"I curse you and your black-tipped tongue! Forked it is, like a serpent with a Devil's tail!" her scornfully spit words echoed through his mind, burning deeper as he rode on and on away from her city. The city that was once his.

Lamps fell dim and shadows grew darker, swarming across his path like a plague he willingly rode into.
Any way of escape seemed blocked on every side and finally his horse lost its footing in the treacherous terrain of the moors. He threw himself from the creature as it tumbled into the river while he landed heavily on the bank. Panting, he watched his steed thrash about for life. It struggled desperately against the heavy tide until finally it slipped under and succumbed to being carried away.

For some time he lay in the sodden mud. His face of misery silent and soaked by the ever-falling rain which made the waterline creep closer to him by the hour - tempted so greatly by his presence to take him away and pluck his life from him too. He didn't even stir when his feet became submerged in the icy water of the stream; he even seemed to be unaware of how close the water was to making him follow his steed.

It wasn't until the next day, after dawn broke the horizon, that he tore himself from the ground. Drenched and dirtied he dragged his feet through the saturated moors to return, accepting that he would ever remain a prisoner to the city he despised - but if it must be so, perhaps he could change the city for the better this time?
A new spark was behind his copper eyes - just a glimmer of hope. But embers are the base for any fire and what a raging fire it would be - he was sure of it.