He looked between the two adult stallions, curious about how this was all going to play out. In the very beginnings of his life battle cries, death threats, and rage were always a feather light trigger away from being issued and executed without a second thought. Any challenge and any threat was dealt with immediately, even if the challenge was merely the paranoia that your shadow followed you. Zharko had come to know Cinnamon as a truthfully good stallion, kind and true to his word. He would not believe the red could threaten another without good reason. Goose, it seemed, could be a kind man as well. Though, Zharko did not want to assume anything on first impressions. Trying to be polite, he nodded in acknowledgement at the stallion’s repeat of his name, and relaxed his posture just so, once he was assured he was not going to have to fight for Cinnamon’s right to be here.

He was surprised, however, when Goose extended the offer for him to stay here as well… He was small for his breed, and lanky for his age. Not even a year on this earth, he knew he was anything but threatening. He also knew these offers often vanished with the turning of time and when a boy became a man, and a man became competition. His nostrils flared as he thought about this. It would at least give him time, if even a day, to either prove a fool or prove himself.

Most importantly, it gave him time to find his brother.

With the scents of others stale in the air, he did not believe Zeru was here. At least not alive. With the winter thaw only just complete Zharko could figure a corpse would have frozen in the winter and putrefied the air of the territory by this point. Both soothed and concerned that his brother was not here, he returned to the matter at hand.

I would like to stay with Cinnamon. He confessed, a little surprised at himself even. He had been with the stallion for a season and cared to know the man had what he wanted in life. Zharko knew he had brothers in his past, and somethings had been lost to him, just as Zharko had loss. He wanted to see if any of these things could be found just as Cinnamon had promised to help him.