Orochi’s ears snapped forwards at the sound of the call, and then folded backwards again at the sight of the other horse coming towards him. He did not know whether this boy meant him harm or not, but his natural reaction to anyone unfamiliar – especially children, as irksome as they were – was to act guardedly and look angry. He stiffened, muscles shifting beneath his inky black pelt, but held his ground as the colt drew closer.

When the youngster reached him his words were warm and friendly, although the tone meant little to Orochi’s ears and he offered only a dark glare in response as he surveyed the boy.

His pelt was a bright red colour, flecked all over with white. Orochi wondered vaguely whether he would grey completely with age as a few of the foals back home had done. It was an ugly little gift, he had always thought, but it was one that had saved their lives. Apart from that the boy was unimpressive – a tiny thing, small and skinny. Orochi doubted that he would ever reach his withers, even when fully grown. At least he would be no trouble to get rid of should he prove to be too much of an irritation.

With a frown, Orochi snorted as he turned his head towards the stranger.

“I did not know that I had come to ‘the Lagoon’,” he replied bluntly, his voice rough with gruff words that rolled into one deep rumble. He did not utter any sort of greeting, although he was not intentionally trying to be rude by omitting one – the thought merely did not occur to him.

He glanced to one side, gazing across the pool of water next to them.

“What is this place?” he asked, in a tone that implied the answer did not really interest him. And it didn’t, to an extent – so long as this place was not his so-called home, and so long as Nami did not follow him here, he did not care where he was. It had been a long time since such trivial matters had troubled him very much.

OROCHI
and the worry cracks a fracture from your hip to your chest