Raegar knew, without a doubt, that he had no business being on the Crossing again so soon. Not only was Teasel due any day now, her belly heavy and swollen with the child that she carried, but there was the matter of making sure that she and Ayiana got along. It was his job to make sure there wasn't discord in his tiny herd... and yet here he was, shaking himself dry after yet another swim from Salem.
Considering it was either this or a reckless raid of the Hills in retaliation for their audacity, it was actually almost a sign of growth that Raegar had not followed his initial instinct. It hadn't lessened his desire to make Marceline pay for her crimes, but it did allow him to at least put those impulses on the backburner for now. Like his father had taught him, sometimes the best move was not the one that first came to mind. Here, at least, he had a shot at working off some of that angry energy in a way that was constructive. He had already decided that the only way he was going to win Filumena's heart was by showing her his prowess in battle (a decision he had not yet opted to share with anyone), but his most recent scuffle with Ayiana had proven to him that he needed far more practice.
He finished shaking himself dry and paused to marvel momentarily at how different the landscape was already in just the space of a few days. The little green buds on the trees had begun to split open into leaves, and a few early spring blooms were already beginning to scent the air. It was no less alien to the lifelong Salem resident than it had been the first time, but he wasted no time examining his new surroundings.
The scent of a mare - as yet sight unseen - had captured his attention and he followed it as a bloodhound might, his half-bald face dipping to the ground every so often to make sure that he was on track. It was much harder to follow here, where the scent of spring was almost oppressively distracting, but she made it easy for him with her rolling. All he needed to do was let himself be drawn toward the scent of freshly crushed grass and he eventually found his prize just as she pulled herself upright.
He couldn't help but chuckle as he took her in, surveying the aftermath of her roll on the gorund. Leafy accouterment aside, he couldn't tear his gaze away from her. Slender and lean without looking breakable, her body sheathed in pure black that gleamed wetly from where the dew had dampened it. Beyond just being beautiful, she was interesting to look at, and he found himself staring from the edge of the clearing.
Normally, he would rush in to snake her home without a care for the consequences, but this wasn't the commons.
Ask me nicely. Teasel's words replayed in his head as he trotted a few steps forward, his tail held playfully aloft and a smile curling on his lips.
"I would like you to come home with me to the Badlands," and then, because he was absolutely certain that this was a secret trump card that only he knew of,
"please."