Solomon

The woman and her child are wary of him, and rightfully so. It is clear that the mare is already uncertain of her place here in the Dunes, which was a stressful matter for any creature, let alone one about to foal. Adding in a half grown child and a potential conflict between stallions underneath her nose was likely enough to scare a lesser mare off. He is pleased to see that she does not shrink away from his greeting and his desire to have her deepens even as he tears his gaze away to measure Maslakhat's response.

He does not seem overly pleased at Solomon's approach either, but that was to be expected. Fights broke out often in these isles, with devastating consequences for those parties involved. Not long ago, the Bay stallion had lost his entire herd, including his unborn children to Solomon's newest ally in Paradise. To assuage some of Maslakhat's fears, the tobiano stallion cocks a hind hoof and listens attentively, a wry grin slipping onto his lips at the dry sarcasm offered.

There is an understanding between them it seems, and Solomon's opportunistic nature had not gone unnoticed by the newly christened patriach of the Dunes. A slight incline of his head is given as acknowledgement of this and the resulting amusement dances in his eyes. The fact that he was not being chased away immediately gave him hope that he might still come out of this richer than he had entered into it.

There is a slight hiccup, however.

It is clear from the discussion between the bay stallion and the golden mare that she does not yet belong to him. A free agent to choose as she wishes. There is a chance, he supposes, that he may be able to convince her to return to the Cove with him without having to sacrifice Shenzi, but Solomon suspects that Maslakhat may object to this. If the roles were reversed, Sol would have been loathe to let such a pretty creature slip between his hooves simply for the sake of not offering her to stay.

With a slow building grin Sol offered a shake of his head before responding. "I hadn't planned to stay, unfortunately. I am Solomon, lead of the Cove, and I will need to return to my family before my own children are born."

A slight nod is offered to the golden mare in acknowledgement of her condition before her finishes his reply, seeking to assuage any lingering doubts that Maslakhat may have had of his other intentions beyond the mare. "One of my mares has gone missing, like many of others I've heard across the isles. I had some foolish hope that she might have come back here to see Shay."

Each word is carefully chosen, despite how easily they roll from his tongue. Winning this mare's acceptance was a dance he was familiar with, and a game he loved playing. Pointing out his family orientation, and the fact that his home was likely to offer other foals for her children to play with could not hurt. Using a shortened version of Shaydowfax's name to imply familiarity could not hurt either, although he did not know if the golden mare even knew the cantankerous buckskin. Flicking the length of his tail again, he turned back to Maslakhat, his tone growing more serious. "She doesn't appear to be here, but if you do see a mare by the name of Harley Quinn, please send her home. I am worried about her."

Solomon is not sure if buying the mare time to think has helped or hurt him in the long run, but he waits to see how the golden mare responds with some measure of eagerness.

Dutch Harness Horse Mutt | Champagne Grullo Tobiano Stallion | 17 Hands | The Cove