Meadow

There was almost an air of near boredom in his demeanor as he approached the apparent damsel in distress, as if this was some play written and rehearsed a hundred times over. He new the script, knew his part to play, and knew how the tragedy always ended. It didn’t bother him any more as he had grown perhaps a touch numb in his intent to play his part, yet none of it stopped his steady footfalls. At least the tenseness which had laced her slender body seemed to have dissipated and the brute allowed himself to relax as well. Some ladies didn’t take kindly to such direction, but she seemed understanding enough and he let his gem-like gaze fall slowly away and towards the bleak horizon. He awaited her response almost expectantly, some mumbled thanks perhaps before she hurried off as a natural disaster gave strong motivation to even the more stubborn of creatures. Sighing softly, he narrowed his gaze at the disappearing mountain in the distance, some might think it was clouds moving in low but for anyone who knew the sight and scent of snow in the air was undeniable.

His thoughts drifted to how he was going to make it back to the Falls before it got too bad, he might not make it but at least his duty was done and honor left intact. Some might question his priorities, but he had never claimed to be the tallest tree in the forest. It was then he realized he hadn’t heard anything from that fair maiden, no word nor sound of retreat which furrowed his eyebrows beneath his thick forelock. “Iffin’ya think you have time… What the he-“ The words cut off abruptly, and later he might be thankful for that as it kept him for cursing in front of a lady, but right now he wasn’t associating her with that word exactly.

As her lithe body collided with his own those large hooves sought to stumble backwards slightly so as to reduce the impact for both himself and her, thankful that the snowbanks had been scattered by the increasing wind. His mind whirring to decipher why she had suddenly gone berserk, weather could sometimes drive others to frenzy but he had not expected this. The thoughts were quickly driven from his mind however as she continued her advance, her graceful neck snaking out as her teeth pinched the thick skin of his neck. He was doubly grateful for the thick padding it provided, but it did not do much to dull the pinch that had his large head tossing skyward with a loud huff that was both question and rebuke. There was no time to dwell on it however as she gave a cry more fitting of a Valkyrie than a damsel before taking off like a shot.

There was only a moment for confusion to wash over him, before instincts which had long been buried by choice and by chance struggled free. Blood rushed to his ears, the sound of his heartbeat a rhythm that his hooves were trying to match before he could think twice. His heavy body was not as fast as she, but his gait was strong and steady as he traveled in her wake. The power of his stride had him slowly closing the distance between them, and had the journey been longer he may well have overtaken her, but as it were she fell under the cover of the trees first and he was slowed by their intrusion. He was still moving at a fair clip however when she finally stopped in the heart of the grove, but such grace was far outside of his abilities and instead he had to forcibly plant his feathered hooves into the slick ground. Such was his momentum that his spotted hind end tucked beneath his bulky frame slightly as he slid to a stop in a flurry of snow and mumbled curses to rough to be deciphered. Shaking his head he stepped towards her, making no attempts to conceal his size now as he towered over her as his vibrant eyes looked down the length of his nose. Something danced within them, something bright which had been dormant for quite a long while. “What the devil was that?” He bit the words out sharply, but there was no apology in the sound though he had already begun subconsciously seeking the control which dictated his life. It was dulled however but the continuous thudding of his heart in his ears, a good reminder that he did, in fact, have one.