the young colt moved cautiously through the brush, his thick hooves sinking deep into the mire and black mud of the channels that surrounded what he knew to be the Lagoon. He had never been here before, in fact, if mother knew him here now surely she would have a stroke, but regardless, Uhtred could not bring himself to avoid it any further.

Tyr. That was the name of his father in accordance to the words of mother. She described him as a monsterous beast bathed in gold and lines of gray smoke with no heart aside from playing cunning games to meet his own satisfaction. She tried to paint him as a beast like the rest of the bachelor stallions and yet all she had succeeded in doing was peaking his interest more and more until finally he could stand it no longer. He was careful to wait until she left on one of her many trips to the main island. He was careful to make sure that he gave her plenty of time for the swim before he even dared to step foot into the water himself. He was not certain how long she would be gone, nor did he care to find out, he only hoped that he might sate his hunger for knowledge and return to the dunes before she ever even realized he had been gone. Of course even if she did return before he, he hoped that he might at the very least avoid the majority of her ire. It's not like she would honestly believe he would go to the Lagoon alone.

And yet here he is. Wading through the stagnant waters of the lagoon to find purchase on solid ground once more. Pale green blue eyes blink against the bright rays of sunlight that trickle between the high canopy of trees above. The air here was far different than the warmth of Salem. The humidity clung to his skin, darkening his silver coat to a dark charcoal hue. Dark tail flicks nervously back and forth against his muscular hips as the stallion peers from beneath the veil of spanish moss that drape lazily from the branches of water oaks and mangrove trees alike.

Uhtred can smell them, their strong scent of testosterone almost overwhelming in the thick air. The chorus of strong baritones and muffled voices nerve wracking to the boy used to nothing but solitude aside from the company of his dam. In fact, this was his very first venture without her.
For a moment he debating about voicing his own call to the stallions in greeting, wondering if he might drop the name Tyr among them and glean what information he could gather about the stallion that sired him. He thought about marching into their midst and seeing for himself what the life of a bachelor was truly like. He wanted to show them all that he was as brave as he was tall. He wanted to show his sire that he was a force to be reckoned with and yet, despite himself, his voice remained silent. His mind screams for him to do a great deal of things and yet thus far, his hooves remain planted firmly where they stand.