All was still and silent, save for the sporadic gentle crunch of hooves meandering over the thin layer of snow that coated the ground of the Commons. It wouldn’t stick for long – already in places it was melting despite the relentless chill of the air. The stone grey clouds above cast a thin veil over the sun, smudging the brightness of it into a vague halo. The lone interloper who foolishly braved the wintry weather in such an open, unsheltered area was an odd creature indeed.
The stallion, while not burdened by his age just yet, seemed capable of applying some semblance of the wisdom he’d gathered over the years as he trailed along the leeward side of the short, thick band of trees that protected him from the worst of the biting wind that howled across the bleak landscape. The fewspot leopard appaloosa moved strangely, the muscles beneath his mottled hide relaxed. It seemed as though he wandered completely unhindered by attentiveness, all his focus devoted to his rooting around beneath the delicate crust of snow for any morsel of grass he could snatch.
It was only when a stranger was almost upon him that he seemed to pay heed to their approach. If they had called out to him, he’d certainly shown no sign of having heard them. Even now, his head was raised with an almost casual grace, as though he were completely without any kind of protective instincts. Still, as the unknown equine closed the remaining distance between them, insignificant as it was, the subtly spotted stallion turned his back to the trees and faced the new arrival. He regarded the other horse with open curiosity, adopting an easy stance, and his dark eyes gleamed as they settled upon the stranger’s face, giving away nothing even as he sought to read their intent.
A moment passed, and there came a brief, faint shift in his posture that tightened his shoulders and coiled his neck, but it was there-and-gone, leaving only a hint of an indecipherable expression on his face that, if noticed, might disconcert his unnamed companion and perhaps give them reason to pause.
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