Marko and Kristjan snap their heads in unison toward the sound of much larger hooves that signal the end of their private conversation. Kristjan looks at Garmr with mild irritation, his ears twisted halfway back. Marko glares with outright hostility, ears pinned, lip curled in the beginnings of a snarl. They both know the bigger stallion, mostly by reputation, and have never taken issue with him; but Marko is quick to anger and his welcome is chilly.

Despite the brothers’ initial apprehension, Garmr speaks to them with an air of comraderie, and they reign in their annoyance. Marko is the first to relax — not one to give up a thing when he wants it, the painted dun is intrigued by Garmr’s implication. Kristjan remains more or less indifferent at Marko’s side; unlike his younger brother, who swings freely along the spectrum from bitter enemies to thick as thieves, Kris is more a stable, solitary sort. His fuse is long, but so is the path to his affections.

Marko, ignoring Kristjan, settles into a more comfortable stance and rolls his dun-striped shoulders in a shrug. “Elaborate,” he says, the word carrying a tone of simple curiosity and more than a hint of greed.