Gemstone Ridge

Antares stands there the whole time, just giving her this look. A look of dumbstruck incredulity. It must have looked pretty comical from the other end--eyes bugged, ears straight up and facing her, his head cocked, and his mouth hanging open. This is, of course, after he happened to not hear everything she said before (or perhaps simply forget everything she said before) asking him to help her fight off the squirrels.

Eventually, he manages to squeak out "Squirrels?!", and his eyes widen even further (though you'd have thought that if they went even further than that, they'd just plain fall out). What was once a sagging form from the lack of energy, and the muscles and consciousness still slow from having just woken up, turns to as wound taught as a tightly coiled spring. He remains like this for as long as equinely possible, and then it's akin to each of his muscles uncoiling at once, sending him leaping forward with a ferocity he didn't think he had in them."STARFEW THERE ARE SQUIRRELS!" He shouts, loud enough for the rest of the members of his meager herd to hear.

And then just as suddenly as it started, it stops. His muscles relax, his body loosens, and a loving smile curves the side of his mouth upwards, though you can see him slightly shaking from the effort that took, and his genuine fear of squirrels. "But I'm going to be okay. Because you're going to protect me, right Miss Star?" As if the world was sitting on top of his shoulders, and now all the weight has been lifted, he sighs, and walks back to her, nuzzling her shoulder before draping his neck across her back, breathing steamy winter breath onto her skin. "Our baby is never going to know that squirrels even exist, Miss Star. We won't let him or or her know the true dangers of this world until he or she is older, right?" Sighing again, he smiles with his mouth pressed against her, delivering a loving kiss. "What do you hope it is? A he, or a she?" Antares asks absentmindedly, his eyes fixed on her large belly. He personally hoped for a daughter--a darling little daughter, all for them.