The keen eyes of the wolf does not miss the way the thinly built mare shifts the weight of her baby swollen body back and forth, trying to alleviate the ache that was growing more and more apparent in her legs. A single dial twitches, the only outward show of acknowledgement for he was not one to mention a weakness. Likewise, he did not find himself truly believing she would appreciate it herself.

She follows close to his side, her breath warm against his shoulder as they continue down the narrow, winding trail. Small ears tilt backwards to catch the lilted sound of her voice as she describes the land she had come from. Arid. Though it has been many years now since he last found himself on the desert island of Salem, Rougaru can still feel the heat of the sun as it burned down upon his back and the heaviness of his own tongue as he longed for water and shelter. Cain was an enemy through and through, but Rougaru found himself holding deep respect for the black and white stallion that called the Desert his home. An unforgiving land, it bred hardy horses and Rougaru felt certain this darkling mare was no different. Lips pressed together firmly as he nodded his head gently, but allowed the silence to continue between them as they traveled.

She continued on, perhaps taking his silence as acceptance for that was all it could be. She spoke of her fear of the shadows and at this honesty he finds himself tilting his head just so that a single multi-faceted ooid might fixate on her bobbing figure that kept pace at his side. Even without the wolf, Rougaru could hear the sincerity in her voice, the almost timid lingering of her lyrical tones as they played upon the silence that built up around them. Noisy birds silenced themselves with curiosity as they peered down through the leafy foliage at the travelers below. Absently, Rougaru let his gaze travel upwards to the feathered creatures, marveling at the intricate colors, hoping that his distracted gaze might help to calm the nervousness that reflected in the dark woman’s twitching ears. He allows himself to ponder her words, his fierce eyes shifting over the darkness that encapsulated most of the dense woods beyond the trails that his years of careful patrols had cut into the brush. There was truth to her words. Where he found pleasure in the welcome relief in the protection that the large leafed trees provided to himself and his herd, those that were no doubt unfamiliar with the closeness of the branches might find the lack of bright sunlight suffocating. In the shadows, the pattering droplets of the daily misting rain provided soothing melodies to his ears, but the unfamiliar rustling of decaying leaves and overpowering smell of black dirt and rotting fruit could prove unnerving to anyone that was not familiar with it. The closeness of the jungle was soothing to the wolf. It reminded the creature of a deep cave that it had once called home many lifetimes ago. The cloaking shadows made the beast happy.

However, though she speaks of fright, the black woman does not press firmly against him as he had seen many frightened horses do. She does not bend back her ears in displeasure or raise her head high with white rimmed eyes shining. Her ears move back and forth in near constant motion, listening to the wide array of sounds that she was not familiar with. The nearness of running water seemed comforting to her and the large stallion steps aside as they draw near the stream to allow her baby swollen figure access to the cool fresh waters. Her gaze meets his as she steps forward, pausing to thank him for which he dips his broad head and allows a suave smile to curve across his whiskered lips. There was nothing to thank him for in his opinion. Though the wolf wallowed in glory and gratitude showered upon it, Rougaru did not. It was merely the right thing to do. Muscles rolled beneath his shoulders as the great chocolate stallion shrugged off her thanks with a flippant grin. ”There is no need to thank me. You are welcome here for as long as you wish to be.” he continues, pausing a moment now to let his words settle into the subtle silence between them. ”Strangers offer interesting stories. Perhaps you have a tale or two that you might be willing to share. I find that I myself enjoy new stories just as much as any of the foals.” he adds with a chuckle, taking a step back as soon as she had drunk her fill.

”It is not all shadows and jungle here. If you know where to look.” he adds with a playful smile as the broad stallion turns and continues down the trail. ”If you prefer the sunshine, there are several meadows where grass grows thick and green. My herd usually finds itself there in the cooler parts of the day but I will gladly show them to you…. If you can manage a few more moments in my company.” . .