I’ll keep the door openin case you come home

The young black stallion felt as though Tinuvel fit him much better than Atlantis ever had. Neither of his parents were cold-dwelling animals, but his father at least had been built for it, and the Marwari mutt had inherited that lucky trait from Rougaru. He could not understand why the silver bay would want to live in Paradise; both stallions had thick manes and feathered hooves, both of which became nearly unbearable in the humid heat. As a colt, he had not minded, and had somewhat even enjoyed the brightly colored beetles and birds and the occasional snake he saw in the jungle. But as he grew, and filled in with muscle tone and black fur, the disadvantages began to outweigh all else. Paradise draped over his back like an ill-fitted cloak, stuffy and twisted and… incorrect.

It hadn’t taken him long to discover a home that suited him better. The Bay was cold, empty, and silent, at least at first. The young stallion prowled the unfriendly terrain with vigor until he had sniffed out every nook and cranny up to the borders of the neighboring territories. He would check those out too, eventually, but for now he kept his nose firmly in his own business. He was interested in the neighbors, but not yet confident in himself enough to waltz in and introduce himself.

Not that he could, even if he wanted to.

For several days, he acclimated to his new home. He liked the silence, and the snow, which he had never seen before. It wasn’t late enough yet in the season to stick, but he had at least gotten to experience some brief autumn flurries. It was during one such flurry that he heard the soft sound of hooves, just out of sight near the Cove’s border.

Immediately the young stallion’s curled ears came forward in a dark halo over his head, and he turned very carefully to track the sound. Whoever it was, they were small, likely not a threat, but Fell began to stalk quietly after them all the same.

Before he could see her through the trees, Fell caught her scent like a slap in the face. A violent hunger immediately flared in his gut, startling him. He could not seem to focus on anything but the scent of the trespasser. He padded behind her, wanting to rush forward, but favoring stealth, which was a familiar habit in this unfamiliar experience.

When she stopped, so did he. He still could not see her, only having a general idea of where she was in the trees ahead of him based on the soft sounds of her hooves, dampened by the falling snow. He had no idea what to do. There was a driving need to follow her scent to the source, and to claim what he found as his, but he hesitated. The intensity of this hunger was almost frightening, and he was only startled out of the tightening hold it had on him by the call that rang out before him.

Was she calling for him?

Confusion nearly made him step back. In the end, however, his curiosity and his instincts won out over his apprehension. The black stallion padded softly out of the cover of the trees, head held low, ears cupped forward in a dark circle. He announced himself with a soft snort which sent steam billowing out of his flared nostrils as he circled around the young, painted mare. She was taller than he was by a hair, but when he stopped in front of her, he felt much like a hulking beast confronting a fawn. The black stallion might have been handsome, except that he carried himself like a hulking beast, so that’s what he looked like much of the time.

Looking up at the intruder with amber-yellow eyes, he hesitated. It wasn’t like he could say anything. Cautiously, he extended his whiskered muzzle to hers, less as a greeting and more an attempt to somewhat peacefully satiate his desires. Breathing in her scent, he found that this only made his struggles worse, so the dark stallion pulled away and attempted to tame the snarling hunger in his belly. It was beginning to make him angry.

Ooc: this is gonna be patchy I’m sure, definitely still feeling him out!

FELL