Meadow

To say he had been spread thin these last few weeks was perhaps an understatement. Rougaru was finding it hard to see to each task that demanded attention. For starters, he had a fine few mares now, several of which were already beginning to show signs of the foals that he had eagerly created. While Vasilisa had been willing, he still felt the need to keep an eye on Sanibel. Though he doubted that the quiet, meek mare of gold and cream hues would try to fight the torrent of the oceans to escape back to Shamwari, still, he was not ready to give her that opportunity. Not yet anyway.

Secondly, he had the trio camped out near the caverns at the far end of his beachside paradise. Though the filly was still weak from their fight against the ocean torrents, still he did not quite get the feeling from Macabre that they were wanting or willing to stay and become part of his herd. He knew that soon he would need to make a decision on that front. Either he continued to play the kindly herd keeper and dutifully concern himself over their every whim in hopes of gaining their trust, or he would need to take the road much more frequently traveled on his part so to speak. He could claim them, grant it he was sure that Macabre would fight him tooth and nail, but in the end he was fairly certain that his sheer size and experience would win her over in defeat… that or death. He had not spilled innocent blood upon the islands yet, and truthfully, he was not ready to taint his shores in such a manner.

Solaris had come as well, opening up a whole new can of worms for him to deal with. Solaris had been born when he abandoned what remained of the hot desert island of Salem. He had intended to return and bring Celestria and his foal home with him, but he had been… delayed for lack of better terms. Nonetheless, she was here and he was finding himself in an awkward position of having to learn exactly where it was he would stand in the young mare’s life. Her presence also renewed that jagged scar that was the wound of Celestria’s absence. While Warsaw promised to send the pale mare back to him, he too knew full well how busy breeding season could become and with Warsaw's large herd, he knew the gray stallion would be just as busy as he himself was if not worse.

The painted woman was a different story all together though. Despite the fire that burned through every fiber of her being. Despite the venom with which she spat her hatred, even he could not deny that shine in her eyes when he touched her, nor could he deny his own thrill at the way she lashed out at him. The wolf was determined to make her his own, and he could not deny that he too felt that thrill. He and the beast had become one when Shamwari came with his summons of challenge, determined to take away his pretty prize. He had fought with the same vigor of the beast, taken the brunt of hoof and teeth in determination that he would not let her go. Not to Shamwari, not to anyone. This little beasty was his own.

But while he had taken on the chestnut stallion, she had left. Rougaru had been looking for her, wanting to show off in a sense, to how well he had defended her against Shamwari and she had slipped off towards the main island. A hard snort escaped him as with a huff the stallion launched himself into the surf and pummelled each strong current wave in determination, his green eyes hard. It had not taken him long at all to reach the mainland, and even less time to pick out her scent among the others. Despite the late season, she had yet to find herself beneath him and her scent still held the heavy scent of estrus. Though he was determined not to call it panicked, a part of him was indeed concerned that a wandering rogue might catch her alone, and while he was sure that she could hold her own... there was still that risk and well he was not about to see his prize tainted by the touch of another. Twin ears perk amid water darkened locks as the coffee colored stallion started down a familiar trail, proud head lowered as nostrils extend and exhale, following her scent until he is within hearing distance. He can hear the venom in her voice as was her usual, the distaste. Were it another mare, perhaps the fire that ignited would have been nothing more than a burning ember at her blatant disregard to his rules, but that deep baritone that screamed male had the wolf bristling with anger just below his surface. Golden eyes glint with feral displeasure behind green ones as Rougaru starts forward, pausing a moment when she kicks out at him, finding amusement in the way in which she denied the roan stallion. A smirk ghosted across his steely eyed features, at least it was not just him.

However as the stallion reaches out to nip her, the bristling wolf roars and Rougaru launches himself from the shadows, hatred boiling from those fierce multifaceted eyes as he charges forward with a screaming bugle of his own. Twin sonars lace tightly against skullcap, burying beneath the thick mantle of his long cream and caramel colored locks. Proud head lifts as the stallion launches himself forward, shifting the weight into his rear end to lift his front into a sort of half rear, forcing himself between his young painted beauty and the blue stallion. A guttural growl resonates through his lungs as Rougaru shoves his prize away, shifting his weight once more to allow himself to pivot in place, facing the young stallion, ready in that instance to tear him apart. Muscles stand at attention beneath his long winter coat. "Touch her again... and I will rip you apart." he growls, long cream tail flicking irritably back and forth against rigid hocks. A single audit swivels towards his painted bird, knowing that she would have her fair share of quipping words and probably something for him too but in this moment he did not care. His only concern was the stallion that dared to touch what belonged to him. "I am Rougaru, king of Atlantis... and she is MINE" he snaps, kicking a foreleg out at the blue roan stallion, determined to make him back away.