Autumn washed the Inlet in hues of crimson and saffron, the colors contrasted starkly against the dark pines that lined the mountains foot hills. With each passing day the night chill remained later into the day, signaling that winter's breath was about to knock on their door. A shiver runs the length of the grullo's dark stripped spine, this day was one of the coolest yet of this season. Hooves maneuver the rocky trail that descended from the mountain's rocky face, it had been some time since he had ventured to the far side of the Inlet. With breeding season upon them, he insured that he checked the borders throughly. A breath escapes his dark lips, as he reaches a clearing in the trail, it overlooked the Inlet. From this vantage point, he could see the rocky shores of his home to the border that separated the Inlet from the Bay.
As dark eyes scan his home, they fall on a moving dot, his ears nervously flick to and fro. Breaking into a slow-moving trot, he maneuvers the trail, as the dark pines close in around him, his anxiety rises. It could easily be another stallion looking to steal one of his mares, ears involuntarily flatten in the dark mess of his mane. As he reaches the bottom of the trail, he breaks into a lope, raising his dark crown higher. He tries to locate the intruder.
Flaring his nostrils, he tries to scent out the other equine, but to his relief the only scent he finds is Freya's. Hooves slow to an ambling walk, as he seeks out his dearest Freya, his heart ached for her company. As her sweet scent wafts into his nostrils, his heart quickens within his muscled chest. It was almost impossible to mask his steps, as he treks through the dead leaves scattered on the forest floor.
Nearing her sleeping form, a smile teases at the corners of his lips, perhaps he should let her lie there undisturbed. But he so desperately wanted to be near her, with that thought his mind was made up. As the distance closes between them, he finds a comfy place to lay down, his legs crumple beneath him. Settling next to her, he waits patiently for her to open those beautiful baby blues. A content sigh escapes his lips, yet his thoughts drift. Did the thought of him with the other mares of the Inlet bother her? A bit of worry pricks at the back of his mind, he did not want to upset her. Was it his duty to reproduce? And to spread his genes? Life was becoming too complicated.