'Prince? Dear boy, you face a king!'
Argento maintained his challenging posture, with his neck arched and tail flagged, but a ripple of amusement spread across his young face at Ailill's declaration. They may have just been playing, but there was truth in the pale stallion's words. He ruled this place called paradise, protected it and called it his own, so he was truly, in effect, a king. Argento was nothing but a young upstart, a carefree youth with no land or herd of his own, but even still, Ailill was treating him like his own brother despite the fact they had never met before. Secretly, he was grateful for the welcome. He had never met a territory stallion before, but he'd always been intimidated by them, and Ailill had already met and exceeded his expectations.
When Taika spoke up, the colt abandoned his posture and watched her leap wildly into the air. His smirk quickly spread into a wide grin. "Two against one? No contest!" he declared enthusiastically, whipping his tail back and forth. His eyes snapped back toward Ailill just in time to see the stallion twist on his heels and dart away through the trees, with Taika in hot pursuit. Argento scurried to catch up, trailing just behind the roan mare with his head high and his ears pricked in glee. "Get him!" he cried, and laughed merrily, without restraint, till his sides were burning.
Inwardly he wondered when this charade would end and they would get down 'business', and act as respectable young horses should, but equally he hoped it would not be any time soon. Argento had never known such freedom and excitement in his life.
ARGENTO
2; bay splash blanket; 16.1hh |
