Meadow

Unsurprisingly, she does not warm immediately to him. She watches impassively as he approaches, her soft green eyes sharp and observant despite her silence. It's not unlike being trotted out in a sale ring, forced to perform for the highest bidder… except he'd very much like for the pretty red girl to make a bid. Her mask remains in place even as he settles to a halt before her, but she does - almost grudgingly - offer her muzzle after a moment.

A slow smile spreads across his muzzle as they part, and his eyes glitter with a mischievousness that had been absent in his life for some time. It was rare for the Tinuvel King to let his guard down around mares these days, especially after his own accidental absence, but he longed for the old days in which he'd felt free to court any lone mare he came across. Back then, his focus had been on growing his herd, now, for better or worse, it had shifted to protecting what he had grown.

"That's a matter of perspective," he says mildly, his thoughts turning to the random attack that Cullen had visited upon Sabriel. A stallion may not force you anywhere if you claimed nowhere as home, but it also meant that there was no one to protect you from rogues either. As a lone horse, there were only so many consecutive hours that you could stay vigilant for your own safety before some sort of misfortune found you.

"I could argue that being alone out here makes you more vulnerable to any manner of threats." His head tilts slightly as if in contemplation before he expands on his thought. "Weather. Loneliness. Predators - both toothed and hooved." His gaze had slowly cut away from her to lessen the tension of the conversation, as he had no desire to portray himself as a threat. However, he concluded his statement, he resumed meeting her stare. "Arguably being alone is far riskier than picking someone you like and agreeing to go home with them."

The lean tobiano lets the quiet stretch for a moment before he responds to her self-introduction with an inclination of his crown. "My name is Solomon," he offers warmly, cocking a hip and tilting one pale hoof. "Have you haunted the crossing for long, Eden?"

Solomon