Even in her recovered state, Leviathan was careful of stallions. Most of the stallions she had the misfortune of stumbling across were crude and protective men, more often than not aggressive towards strangers and more likely to chase the dark mare off before offering her sanctuary in their home. She had been wary when walking further from the coast, listening to the sound of the surf slowly dying away and the distant cries of the seagulls seemingly fading into nothingness.

It didn’t take long for him to find her.

When the stallion appeared, the mare seemed to hunch up. Her head stooped and her face became almost snake-like in appearance, body twisting to match his approach, ensuring that her front end was constantly facing him. Like a cornered canine, she bared her teeth for a few moments, her dark legs shuffling in the sand as she moves backwards away from him, keeping a healthy distance between the two of them. While his greeting and words were amiable enough, she imagined that they were disguising ulterior motives, and that his outwardly friendly appearance was little more than a mask of trickery he tried to pull over her eyes.

After his question, Leviathan seems to soften, her dark eyes still glued to his golden face as she slowly straightened up, leaving her black ears tucked back against her mane. It would not due for her to drop her guard too soon. Instead of greeting him back in a friendly manner, she pushes her head to one side, taking a cautionary glance behind the spotted stallion before bringing her head back to stare directly at him once more. Seeing that he was, for the most part, alone, had reassured the mare and gave her a glimmer of hope in succeeding in protecting herself in case things were to turn towards violence. “The water is fine.” Leviathan finally answers him in her rusty voice.