This all felt too easy and this instinct would prove true. He follows after Medusa, keeping close, but also far enough to see the world around him. For some reason his anxiety was up so his blue eyes frequently scanned the land for danger. He decides to leave Medusa be for a few minutes as he takes a stroll around the Inlet for intruders. Father wasn’t getting around much lately so he had taken up the duty of watching the borders much more serious lately. He walks to the beach which smells of another’s male scent. With not many visitors lately, it was easy and to find the fresh hoof prints in the gravel and in the dirt. Someone was here.

Ironclad becomes alert, but still manages to jump at Medusa’s call. Her voice was as dominating as ever in the eerie silence. Dark legs quicken to a gallop as his heart races in his chest. He thinks something could be wrong even though he just left Medusa and she had been fine. He worries what the strange male might do to his children or his family. A sigh of relief bursts from his dark lips as his eyes take in the sight of an unharmed Medusa. Everything seems to be alright so his pace slows the closer he gets until his legs come to a full stop near her.

Medusa wastes no time in coming closer. She trots towards him with the confidence she always carried, even as a yearling, and begins prancing around him. Ironclad recalls a similar scenario rather quickly of an even younger version of himself and Medusa playing in the meadow. Quickly, he grew nervous. The rotten mare then pins her ears (he knew what was coming next by the gleam in her eyes) and nips him in the shoulder. Ironclad responds with his own ears flattening on his greying skull and an upper lip pulling back to bear his youthful teeth at her.

Race with me, she says. Shit. She did this very thing when they first met and it had not ended in his favor. He had no reason to believe this time would be any different so he was reluctant to play long. He had promised to do better so if she wanted to run, he could at least try. By the time he sprung into a full gallop Medusa was already way ahead. It took a handful of steps, but a smile soon spread along his lips as he fought to catch up. It seems as soon as he was beginning to have fun someone had to come and ruin it. His smile quickly faded into a frown which then became panic.

A large, thick, stallion appears out of nowhere and immediately begins shoving Medusa. Before he understood what was really happening, he was squealing at the stallion with legs moving faster than they have ever before. There was not much he could do to this stallion strength wise, but he was not thinking of much of anything as he charges them. As soon as he was close enough, he stops and raises his fore limbs. Ironclad attempts to strike at the stallion and separate him from Medusa. "Get away from her!" He screams.