Unsurprisingly, the mare balks at his words. Her ears pin back and her muscles go tight as if she’s ready to flee - or fight, perhaps. She’s certainly a fiesty one, and Rafe isn’t keen to get bitten so when she gingerly steps around her he allows it. He doesn’t have any intention of letting her go very far; as she walks away he follows in a confident, lazy lope that keeps him tucked in close to her. He snorts out a laugh at her rebuttal and murmurs, “Do you always pay such little attention to what’s in front of you?” The about face she does from irritated to coy has him on edge; Rafe has dealt with mares like that before - he has a sister who turns on a dime in just the same way, and he knows what sort of temperament it spells. It isn’t a reason to avoid her or back off, of course, just something to be aware of. “Don’t play stupid,” he dismisses immediately. He’s got less of that amused laziness in his tone, more bite to the words when he adds “What’s next, are you going to claim you just didn’t know where you are?”
Unlike with his sister, this mare doesn’t immediately resort to violence when he snarks at her. She certainly postures as if she will, all stamping hooves and forceful words with an admirably neutral look on her face going against all the other body language. If Rafe were less experienced with the reality of an unhappy, unpleasant sister he would perhaps take her more seriously. As it is, he continues to follow the mare, this time striding forward and angling his body in the way again. She’ll have to stop and physically move around him if she intends to continue her slow retreat. She prattles on more about how she really means it when she says she’s not going with him, finally giving up on the relaxed face and slipping into a glare that has him smirking.
Rafe rolls his eyes and states, “I care little for your intentions, meant or otherwise.” He’s back to that dismissive, flat tone again that used to drive his father insane and earned him more than a few harsh kicks. “It might be useful to know your name. I’m Rafe; we’ll be heading to the Badlands just as soon as you get this...immature little fit out of your system.”