GF:  Oh, no… Oh, NO. I think I killed Shadowmere! 

Me:  OH NO!  …Can you loot him?

GF:  I am a Silencer of the Dark Brotherhood, but never before have I felt the cold sting of death. …Can I loot Shadowmere?  

Me:  Is he really dead?  

GF:  I don’t know!  

Me:  If he’s really dead, I think you can loot him.  

GF:  He’s gone.  

Me:  He’s GONE?   

GF:   Here’s what happened: I rode Shadowmere to a cave, but then the sky turned all red, as it does when you’re close to an Oblivion Gate. And then I see Shadowmere running off. I’m all, “Wait, wait, wait!” Next thing I know he’s fighting these giant… dinosaur-type things.

GF:  And now I’m like, “Crap, now I need to kill these shits, before they kill my horse.” So I do. But in the process, Shadowmere looses consciousness twice! When the fight is over, Shadowmere goes limping off, down the snowy mountain, and so I use a couple of my Heal Other scrolls. And then he just keep walking away. I figured he’d stop, but he kept going!  

Me:  So, he ran out on you.

GF:  Yes!  

Me:  He’s a fair-weather horse-friend.  

GF:  Exactly! I don’t blame him. I led him into a trap, really. But he didn’t HAVE to fight. He could have just stayed away. But nooooo.   

Me:  If you fast travel, he’ll probably show up stabled at an inn.  

GF:  Oh, but wait! So at this point, that’s what I think will happen. I just go into the damn cavern, kill the 5 vampires I’m supposed to kill, acquire really badass loot, and then leave. But Shadowmere’s nowhere to be seen. THEN I start to panic.

GF:  I fast-travel to the Cloud Ruler Temple, to finish up this one quest, thinking Shadowmere will be out in front like normal, but he’s GONE.  I searched down the road, and nothing! I don’t know if he escaped. Like, “Fuck you, I’m leaving.” Or if he’s dead.

Me:  Fast travel and find out already! The suspense!  

GF:  Okay, okay, okay.

<pause>

GF:  Oh, sweet Jesus….  Dear Lord… THALOS, WHY??? Shadowmere is gone.  

Me:  Talos. 

GF:  I am not concerned about spelling in a moment like this. I cannot contain my grief. I worked so hard to earn him…

Me:  There’s always reloading.  

GF:  I’m not reloading. That mine was too difficult. I’ve gotten too much loot.  

Me:  Bye bye, Shadowmere.

GF:  NO. NOOOOO! I’m at a stable right now, and they don’t even have my old Paint Horse! He probably left me forever once I got Shadowmere. I don’t blame him, either.

GF:  I’m not meant to have horses. I didn’t sign up for that kind of responsibility.  

Me:  You’re going to run everywhere, now?  

GF:  Or fast travel… And now I’m being devoured by a mountain lion. What is my life coming to?

(Note: My GF eventually searched the internet, and found a tip saying that she—Shadowmere is a she!—will respawn at Fort Farrugot. So, they were eventually reunited, and rode happily into the sunset. There was one mountain lion harmed during the writing of this blog entry.)