Koray

Vita Nova kept her composure well, but Koray had been watching her carefully, and he had seen the brief glimpse of dread in her face before she looked away. He watched her quietly, moving only to shift his bulk to one side, while his heart thumped in anticipation. Would she accept this change, or would she resist?

He got his answer almost immediately. While he had not known about the mare's mother residing in the dunes, Koray did not care about that right now. All he heard was that Vita Nova wanted to leave him, had no desire to remain here under his rule rather than his father's. Koray lifted his chin a little and watched her with a cold gleam in his eyes. He could feel the heat of anger rising to his face, but he was determined not to lose his cool: not yet. Not while his reputation as a leader was still being founded.

"I don't think that's a good idea," the stallion said, his voice flat. "I doubt my father would take kindly to me losing another member of the herd while he was away. We need to stay together. Don't you agree?" He tilted his head slightly.