Breeding season was over and winter was beginning to creep over the islands. Now that his mares were no longer in season and now that the islands’ stallions were beginning to relax again, Valentine felt more comfortable about venturing away from the Prairie more often again. He had noticed that the Forest had a new leader. He hadn’t seen Lyden in weeks, and when he went to drink at the river by the Forest’s edge he sometimes caught the scent of another male and, occasionally, he spotted the movement of unfamiliar horses among the trees. Valentine had meant to introduce himself sooner, but breeding season had been busy and he had been... distracted, if that was the word. But he would make the effort now instead. He didn’t have much interest in interfering with other stallion’s herds, but since they were such close neighbours he would prefer to be on good terms with this one guy at least. He was unaware that Evaline and Shamwari had already met their new neighbour only a few days previous while Valentine had been on a visit to the Crossing. The water was cold against his skin as Valentine splashed through the shallow river and towards the treeline that marked the beginning of the Forest. Wary that he didn’t know how territorial his new neighbour could be, Valentine didn’t venture far across the border before he stopped – just at the edge of the trees – to call out and alert the inhabitants to his arrival so that they knew he wasn’t here to start trouble. |