The air was thick here, warm and humid despite the winds which had chilled Ernesto out on the shores of the Crossing. He breathed it in, heavy but refreshing in his lungs; the weight of it pressing against his skin felt comforting, and reminded him a little bit of home.

With a small smile, he meandered lazily through the dense foliage, the ground soft and springy beneath his hooves. He had no path in particular, but he found his feet sinking a little further into the ground as it grew wetter and muddier, until the trees and shrubbery broke suddenly onto the bank of a wide lagoon. The water was still, algae floating on its surface like a patchwork quilt of green, but beneath it the water was bold and blue under the midday sun.

Curious, his nostrils flared as he lowered his nose to the water’s edge. The scent was tinged by that of other men, though he had yet to see any of them. With a playful bound, he slid his hooves down the bank and waded halfway into the water. Like the air, it was pleasantly tropical and warm, and he basked in it as he peered absent-mindedly across the water.

Surely there was someone around here, in a place as nice as this – the scents he had caught had not seemed that old. Knowing there was only one way to find out, he lifted his golden head, letting out a loud nicker to see what reaction he would get.

ernesto
heartbreak is savvy and love is a bitch