Rade cannot help the subconscious tautening of muscles beneath his dusty golden pelt as Styrke approaches; it is a reflex born from the memory of the last time his brother had stood this close to him. Despite Styrke's reassurances, knows a brief thrill of fear for his life as he studies the familiar amber eyes that are a darker echo of his own. The healing wounds on his neck throb in agony to the muffled beat of Styrke's hooves on sand, Rade's rasping breaths weaving a complicated melody between their steady rhythm. Though he can make out the vague shape of another male standing near Clytie, Rade has eyes only for the painted man who approaches him, his mind a turbulent maelstrom from which no thoughts could be picked.

It does not take long for his confusion to clear, however; the source of Styrke's anger is made clear as his brother speaks a single unnecessary word, his body's language completing the question. Did the tobiano brute think that Rade had taken Clytie for himself? The palomino stallion struggles to stifle the insidious hope that has nested in his heart like a burning ember, though which each pulse of blood through his veins he can feel his limbs thawing, and the subtle tension of his hide easing. To buy himself a moment to compose his thoughts and his speech, Rade turns his gaze briefly to study Clytie.

It is clear that there is a depth of emotion from what Rade can read in the inky mare's eyes, though her body's language was not as easy for him to translate as Styrke's. Did his brother care so deeply for her, too? Briefly, Rade recalls the possessive surge that had nearly led him to fall upon his brother when they had courted Arito in the meadow, and he is both shocked and profoundly moved that Styrke had not ripped his throat open. If nothing else, his restraint proved that somewhere deep down, the black and white brute still cared about Rade. Perhaps it would ease his own pain to know that Rade had been thinking of him, agonizing over his mistake and attempting to atone for it.

“For you.” Rade states simply, giving Styrke a moment for these two words to sink in before he elaborates. Stumbling over his words with numb lips, it's unlikely Styrke will understand the entirety of his next speech, though perhaps his remorseful expression will help to convey what is missed. “Because of me, you lost so much. I wanted to give some of it back to you. You deserve a family that cares, brother. A family that won't fail you as I did.”

stallion // mongrel // 15.1hh // 4 // palomino roan // reba
debonaire x neassa