Gabbar
stallion . arabian . bay . 14.3hh . 6
He stifles a sigh when, instead of rushing forward to make good on her threat, the mare continues to bandy words about like an Akhal-Teke. Though she does have a point. It was his own damn fault Nereid got taken, and it does seem silly for him to come into their territory and announce his plans rather than finding the mare more immediately and attempting to bring her home without this specific confrontation. Which had been his plan, more or less, with willingness to engage with the stallion who stole from him if they came face to face, but the first mare he came across was this one right here, the one whose grin can be heard in her voice, the one standing so confidently as a furious neigh rings out across the night sky.
He recognizes the stallion by scent, for he looks darker than usual under the cover of darkness and Gabbar never heard him speak as he drove Nereid into the ocean. The way he blows past the mare speaks of protectiveness, as does his rear and other aggressive posturing. Gabbar cocks a hind leg and does let a small sigh escape this time. The horses on these Islands, he has come to learn, are hesitant to actually do anything to one another. How many has he interacted with who were so surprised each time he lunged without these ridiculous formalities? It’s easy enough to sneak a mare away from a territory, but come time to confront someone more directly, in any context, it’s all about strut and insults.
Gabbar blinks at the stallion. He’s been fully exposed since he stepped off the beach, traveling across the plains and keeping the trees to one side of himself as he entered the territory, and yet this stallion speaks as if the Arabian is lurking in the shadows and slinking through the forest like some kind of cur. He takes two steps to the right for the other horse’s benefit, sure to “expose” himself through movement if the other male is struggling to make out his silhouette against the treeline, then once again focuses his attention on the mare.
“The laws of these islands are such that, once a mare is claimed in the common grounds, she belongs to the stallion who claimed her. I have been called a fool and a coward by thieves simply for coming to collect what is, according to your own laws, mine. Now,” he steps forward as he continues, “if you wish to avoid conflict you will return Nereid to me and the two of us will return to Salem with no further contention.” Gabbar stops just out of striking distance of the stallion, who will presumably be his initial opponent, and waits for their reactions. It is not in his nature to give more than one warning before he strikes, and there is warning enough in his voice for both horses to know his intent should they disagree again.
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