It wasn’t long before the other horses began to arrive. The first was a petite little mare, her pelt as dark as coal. She couldn’t have looked any more different to Marlena if she had tried. Although she was already beginning to feel a little self-conscious, Marlena pushed the thoughts away and allowed her lips to curl up into a warm, welcoming smile anyway, although she lowered her creamy head a fraction. She wanted to make friends with the other mares in the Ridge, so it was important that she made a good first impression. “Hi,” she replied brightly. “I’m Marlena.” There was little time to chat any more, however, before another figure appeared on the horizon. As it drew closer, it became clear that this one was a stallion. Marlena was somewhat surprised – Kasabian hadn’t mentioned having a second, so she assumed that this man was another new addition to his growing herd. He was a dark thing as well, but not much bigger than the other mare. She dwarfed Kasabian, who was not a particularly short man, but among these other horses she felt even more of a giant than usual. Marlena eyed the newcomer as his gaze lingered on her, but relaxed when his expression melted into a pleasant smile, which she returned happily. Kasabian began to speak then, and she turned her head to listen to him, bright blue eyes fixed on his golden face. Her expression grew concerned as she heard the news about one of the mares going missing, and Kasabian’s challenge. The thought of an intruder sneaking into the Ridge and stealing on of her companions away made her uneasy, and the idea of Kasabian going up against him in battle made her even more worried. She didn’t want him to get hurt. He introduced the other stallion then – Dragon – and she brightened slightly as she turned to nod at him with a warm smile in welcome. “It’s nice to meet you,” she added briefly, before Kasabian continued. Marlena shook her head at his final words, glancing curiously around the group. She had little intention of going exploring just yet, having only been living in the Ridge for a short while. Perhaps she would visit Kendry soon, however, or get him to come and visit her instead. | 