Common

of course he has too.

For once, the wolf is on the submissive side, content to let the chocolate stallion interact with the gray mare as his whim wished. Its long pink tongue lulled from its parted lips as a yawn flashes white teeth against the sunlight. Golden eyes close as the beast settles into the depths of his subconscious, letting its dreams dwell on the past and savoring every flavor that came with it.

Rougaru is content as he watches the gray mare acknowledge his appearance. For a moment, he is afraid that the very sight of him might startle her into retreat. Her dark eyes widen with surprise as his husky baritones silence the chirping of birds and the buzzing of late autumn insects. The chill of winter is closing in, already the air breathes winter’s breath with crisp dry winds. Nostrils quiver at the coming months of cold and the rebirth to follow but he must not let his mind wander.

Emerald eyes note the change in her demeanor as his presence is processed. The tension that drew her lean muscles tight beneath the water darkened skin lessens and the glitter of apprehension in her eyes turns into something akin to acceptance. He is careful to move slowly through the dying grasses of the common, keeping his pace languid and unhurried. He does not want to startle her anymore than he already had. He did have an agenda after all. She seems accepting enough, stretching her own small muzzle out towards his own. He was so enraptured with the friendliness and gentleness of this interaction that he completely missed the new scent that flooded his nostrils until the golden boy shoulders his way between them with ivory teeth snapping and heels flying. There was a faint familiarity about him, a recognition in those fierce green eyes and the cocky tilt of his head. Vaguely he thinks of a similarly colored colt being born on Atlantis from a mare that came with the rest of Liland’s displaced herd, but that had been years ago. He could not even remember their names.

A hard snort blasts from Rougaru’s nostrils as the large stallion recoils his neck with an angry scream. Dark ears disappear beneath the thick mantle of cream and white tresses that fall heavily down the sides of his mahogany neck. Muscles tense in his body now as the stallion digs his heels into the rich earth and draws himself back and away from the flailing hooves for he had no intention of giving the boy the satisfaction of hitting his mark. He rather liked being able to smell the sweet hibiscus flowers of Atlantis after all. Multifaceted eyes of emerald darken as he turned his gaze to the obnoxious stallion, his dark lips peeling back to bare his yellowing teeth in warning. ’Grandpa!’ the insult causes the wolf to rise immediately from its slumber, its own dark lips peeled back with a throaty growl. Golden eyes flash behind green as the beast stalks beneath the surface, eager to see the golden stallion’s blood soaking the churned dirt underfoot. ”Focus” he hisses to the wolf, silencing the creature’s throaty growl but not the venom that glared upon the green eyed stallion.

He finds himself debating his next move. He could relinquish the kind, good guy persona to allow the feral beast to take its vengeance upon the obnoxious lagoon stallion, but that might scare the pretty pale mare again and this time send her running for the hills. Of course he did not doubt his ability to chase her down, but the altercation with the boy coupled with a head start on her end no doubt might prove to leave him in the proverbial dust. As he ponders on his next move, the gray woman squeals and instantly his attention returns to the present. It is not a scream of pain but instead a scream of anger that surges from her lips as she pivots on her forelegs to strike out her hind hooves at the golden stallion that is trying to bite and kick her into submission. Dark mahogany ears perk forward as he watches the scene play out for a moment in amused silence, a smile tugging the corners of his ashen lips upwards at her remark. The stallion is content to watch, but the wolf has different plans. Plans that even Rougaru could not pass up. With the stallion’s attention diverted to the attacking mare that he had placed himself in front of, Rougaru took the golden opportunity to initiate his own attack. Using his broad weight Rougaru charges towards the stallion with forelegs thrusting forward in an attempt to trip the boy in a tangle of legs. He hoped that he might get a few hard stomps in on the boy before he managed to scramble back to his feet but if by chance his surprise attack was detected before it hit home, it at least hoped that he might land a few good kicks to the golden stallion’s legs. Grandpa my ass.

A smug grin slides across his handsome features as Rougaru steps back with a huffing breath, ”I don’t think she has any interest in being treated like a plaything for you and those lagoon men. Wouldn’t you agree?” he asks tilting his head towards the gray woman, his multifaceted gaze intent and devoid of emotion. Now was not the time.