There are some things you can only learn in a storm .

The dun stallion chuffed with amusement as he saw the mare roll in the distance. He watched for a few seconds, captivated by the way the earth seemed to cradle her body, almost like the tender touch of a mother to her foal. Rolling didn't seem like such a bad idea, though he was inclined to wait until the shard came out of his side. He wasn't eager to push it farther under his skin, even if he didn't necessarily mind the pain. He reached around again, craning his neck in an attempt to reach the shard. He didn't try for long though. The muscles in his chest and neck complained as he moved, but he ignored them. Walking it off was enerally the best option. That should come out.

The mare's voice was soothing, and reminded him of the night before. He nodded, acknowledging her statement. I would've done it myself, but I can't reach. He curled his neck around again, illustrating his point as his lips just grazed the tip of the branch. Not enough to get a grip on it, and certainly not enough to pull it out. I was hoping you would be able to help me, he continued. His ears flicked to the side as he checked that no one else was in the vicinity to hear him. He didn't want those around him think that he was in the habit of asking or help. He could manage just fine on his own, and given enough time and some more energy, he probably could get rid of the shard on his own too. This was just easier. The idea that relying on others wasn't something that painted his as weak never crossed his mind. Of course, it was okay for others to form connections and rely on each other, but he was an exception. It wasn't okay for him specifically. Slightly frustrated with himself, he pawed the ground as he tried to clear the thoughts from his head. When his front hoof clipped a small stone, pain shot through his leg and caused an almost inaudible hiss to pass through his lips. The pain faded quickly though, and he guessed that he had hit a nerve or something. Nothing to worry about.

Though it almost blended with the markings on his coat, blood was still caked into his fur, and he was sure there would be more when the shard came out. He looked messy and haggard. He didn't need to look at his reflection to know that. He glanced around, still unfamiliar with the terrain. Faolain, he started, a curious tone in his voice. Where is the nearest river? I want to clean myself off before I scare off the lovely members of your herd. He chuckled again. He had gotten so used to telling jokes to himself. When you were alone, there was a very limited number of creatures who would laugh at your jokes. One, usually. Though there had been a frog that had croaked at the end of his joke once. Cerauno took that to mean that the frog also found him funny, even if he new the frog had just spotted a female and was trying to catch her attention.