How long had she stood there, nonexistent to the conscious world she bathed in? To the sun slipping across the sky it may have been minutes. Hours, where the grass was concerned. Captive to a frosty imprisonment and awaiting freedom. Only a second had passed to the basking mare. One everlasting second of peace.
Unfortunately, as everything does, that second had to come to an end. All of the small sounds around her were deafened by a rustling that grew closer. Based on smell alone, it was another horse. A stallion she did not recognize. He did nothing to purposefully disturb her. So she changed nothing but where her ears had been focused. Everything else became silent as she listened to his hooves break the frost beneath them. When he stopped only her own heart beat pounded in her ears.
Only a moment later his own breathing matched the pace of her's. Slower in their drawing, but more intense. She could hear as the air left his lungs and puffed past his nostrils. If there was a motive to his movements it was not clear to her. However, she was not sure if she was ready to uncover them just yet.
Part of her wanted to just wait. Let whatever he plan he had made come to fruition. Perhaps it was all a ruse and he simply wanted to let her fall comfortable before he struck. As quickly as she had the thought, she dismissed it with soft chuckle. He wasn't a mountain lion here to eat her.