Loneliness was a rarity in the eaves of the forest. When the stallion was not constantly plagued by the voices that he swore dipped through the leaves in the trees with every breath of wind, there was the soft murmur of words attacking him whenever he was within hearing distance of the herd. Somewhat secluded since breeding season was coming to a close and the stallion found himself rejected, dejected, and apparently no longer interesting to the mares in the herd, Vercingetorix discovered a new, subtle sort of silence in the forest as he lingered vigilantly at the edge of the group. Perched in the sparse trees to the west of the herd, he sat upwind from the herd, able to enjoy the still-tantalizing scents of some mares, and to remind himself that they were thickly coated with his own stink.

As long as nothing smelled amiss, he was able to go about his business without giving the herd any more attention than the silent flick of one dark red ear in their direction whenever someone started moving or a soft voice picked it's way to him on the wind.

The stallion had moved this way with the herd for some days, occasionally lifting his normally ducked head away from the grass that he lazily grazed upon and casting a cautionary glance about the trees before resuming his feeding session. The whole situation was disturbingly boring for the red dun, and occasionally he found himself itching to wander off to another place all together and find someone or something else to entertain him (perhaps to entangle himself in a last minute lover's tryst). Today is slightly different. While the cold is sucking the energy out of the air and making everyone huddle a little closer, reminding the stallion that his winter coat would be full any day now, there is a sort of spark in the air. Whether or not it is an autumn storm sitting just out of sight beyond the trees and the horizon, or if it is a subtle hint towards something that was bound to happen, the stallion has no clue.

He just continues on grazing as though there is nothing bothering him.

Some time had passed since he once again separating himself from his spot in the herd where he had slept the night before and where he was now, feeding generously upon the gently frosted grass. While the bay is more often than not one of the more silent of the group, Vercingetorix, for once, hears her before he sees her and lifts his head, turning to look away from the herd and into the direction that Costello appeared to be approaching him from. Flicking back his ears, he is all but certain that she is moving towards him with the intent to lash out or strike him for some unknown reason. Snorting loudly at her sudden approach, he prepares to swing the front end of his body away, shifting his weight as her head nears his shoulder.

In anticipation of the teeth he was certain would shortly be raking his shoulder, the dun snorts loudly, but instead is caught off guard and suddenly surprised at the girl's touch. Her head pressed against his shoulder, a gesture that he perhaps never could have imagined her offering to him due to their last encounter that had been strained at best. Letting her touch him for a few moments, Vercingetorix turns his head towards her, seeing the telltale sign of tears and growing suddenly concerned. Certain that she or her brother had been injured or had suffered some other folly, he reaches out with his nose to brush it against his shoulder- a gesture that he had not exercised since his brief meeting with Owl, and even then she seemed to flinch away from his touch.

If he didn't know any better, he would begin thinking that he was some monster to be feared.