It hadn’t taken long for the tobiano stud to find residence in this new land. He had not intended on moving forward with his life after the death of his mate and their unborn son, but it seemed fate had thrown the opportunity at him, and he decided to take it. Second chances were in short supply, and he was wise enough not to let go of what was given freely. Life was a journey of good and bad, of highs and lows, of love and loss. He had had his fair share of all of it, but he still had years left in him, so he decided to collect the pieces of his shattered heart and make the best of everything.
Which is how he found himself now in the claiming grounds. With his claim on the Forest the next step was to fill it with new herd members, so he was here to do exactly that. His champagne-colored orbs roved around trying to spot those who looked in need of a home. That, and of course who looked that they could bear him healthy foals. He didn’t think he could handle another tragedy and wanted to do all in his power to avoid having it happen again. Winter drove most from the grounds so he wasn’t too sure what his luck would be, but he certainly wasn’t going to find anybody in his own land. It couldn’t be that easy. Could it? No, no. He had to focus on the here and now. There would be time later to trek across his own lands some more and become better acquainted with them. Perhaps even with some companionship.
As he looked, he heard distant thunder from a storm rolling in and the sight of a mare jittering golden painted mare caught his attention. She was absolutely stunning, but as he turned to make his way toward her, he saw yet another painted stallion head her way as well. What was it with all the colored equines around here? Determined to at the very least make his own move on offering the female a home he continued toward the pair. The rival stallion had a hand against his own 16, but Rilke was thicker. At the very least they would be equal combatants, but he was hoping it wouldn’t get to that point. His age had caught up with him in both mind and body. The idea of battling against another, clashing teeth and hooves against each other’s flesh was the last thing he wanted. His bones hurt just imagining it.
He almost turned away not wanting to risk it, but he clenched his teeth in determination and decided to keep going. Perhaps this could be a civil interaction and the mare could choose where she wished to go. He could only hope. His ears tilted forward at the sound of the first stallion, and before the female could respond Rilke came within a respectful distance from the two. While he didn’t want to be rude and interrupt, he also didn’t think it would be wise to stand there silently like an awkward colt, so he answered the given question. “The trees are an excellent idea,” he began, giving a nod to the taller stud. “We are in the claiming grounds in the Lost Islands. Please excuse my interruption, but I am here looking for companionship in my new land and you,” he tilted his head toward the mare at this, “with your energy and grace caught my eye. I am Rilke, may I ask your names?” He was doing his best to keep the situation from turning violent. In fact, perhaps he could even form an alliance out of this whether or not he went home with the mare.