Şahin seemed to be blessed with all the horses he met in his life. For the most part, they were all kind-hearted and civil and fun. There had been bad apples, so to speak, here and there, but once again his newest conversational partner was well-spoken and reasonable. If the blanketed palomino had believed in any gods he would have breathed a prayer of thanks for how easy his life really was in comparison to so many others. There had been some kind of war going on across the mountains of his homeland and the horses there had had their morality honed away by hate and the necessity of survival. They had been unpleasant but it was not unexpected. There was no such misery on the Islands, at least nothing on that grand scale, and he dipped his head in a slow nod as relief washed over his body. He had been a little tense before the other stallion spoke, but only know was he conscious of it.

“That is very kind of you. You have my most heartfelt thanks,” he said. His next breath was deep. The door wavered closer to the jamb in his mind but he was aware it was still open. Perhaps, when Sokka and the others were grown, and if the mares were interested, his family could find a new home. But the buckskin’s offer changed things. Şahin wanted nothing more than to live with his family in peace, and if he were not the lead stallion of Paradise or any other territory, perhaps he would be less of a target.

Not that he or his family had been in any particular danger up until now.

He blinked in consideration at his taller companion. “So. You have my name, but I know next to nothing of you,” he smiled as he spoke, and paused long enough to allow the other male to introduce himself if he wished. When Şahin spoke again his eyes shifted to scan their surroundings. “Besides the obvious, what brought you to Paradise specifically?”