Xina walked restlessly around the herd; her ears flicking to and fro as she watched and listened for anything, whether it be friend or foe to make its advances on the herd in Olaf's absence. Most would think it paranoia that drove the mare on to walk tirelessly around the herd; her inky pillars creating a packed path through the twist and turns of the trees. But on this grey colored day where the clouds threatened to drop a blizzard on the quiet forest; the roan mare caught a scent she had dreaded.


Stallion


Turning away, Xina raised her crown high as her ears pushed all the way forward. The delicate skin along her nose quivered as she drew in his scent, trying to take in all the information she could where her eyes could not see. Unlike the previous lead mare that had abandoned Olaf when they once lived on the sand covered Island they all considered as Hell, Xina would do not such thing. They had lost a mare during that fight because of the bully mare's inadequacy and the roan would not stand for it this time.


Suddenly pinning her ears, Xina pawed at the snow with one sharp strike that send white powder flying behind her; pelting her back legs as her raven colored tail snapped at her flanks. Turning her head back, Xina gave a low nicker to Gandy before facing towards where the scent was coming from. Muscles coiled and released fluidly under the older mare's roan flesh but they were hard to see beneath the thick winter hair as she set off at a long swinging trot; one that stayed well in control while the ground was unable to be seen yet it would bring her to the meeting rather quickly.


The bugle had only just died away from the stranger's lips as Xina approached. Her ears had only briefly pushed forward as the sound echoed among the tall guardians of the forest before her ears once again buried in her mane. When she emerged into the little clearing; Xina's muscles thrust her forward in a hard lung as a scream of fury escaped her parted lips in hopes of catching him off guard for her attack. Tossing her head up out of the way, the roan mare hoped to slam her broad chest into his shoulder and knock him off balance and her teeth quick to follow in hopes of biting the flesh along his neck.


Xina did not care about proper greeting; she did not care about what this stallion might have to offer that her own did not. His presence here was a threat and she wasn't about to stop and think about it.