i dream in phosphorescence Posted on November 23, 2024 at 03:13:14 AM by Helios
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Helios stood motionless, eyes affixed to the black beast that refused to leave the Dunes alone. As Lucifer spoke, a single russet ear twisted back toward his poll. He had always sensed something was off about the dark male. That same "something" had always set him on edge and bade him to be cautious with the odd stranger. Lucifer's words only served to confirm this suspicion, as well as reveal some of his intentions.
The copper male did not react with much more than a more pronounced scowl. He did not want to give Lucifer anything or anyone else; the brute had taken more than his fair share at this point. Nor did he want the male to pretend to be one of his men. Helios expected his neighbors to be more than familiar with the scents they left at the borders. However, if any of them desired a reason to exact revenge based on Lucifer's trickery -- he expected this to be Raegar -- it would provide ample opportunity.
Helios breathed deeply. The salt-laced air caught in his mane, tossing the cream of his forelock playfully. It also brought Lucifer's scent to him. Ashen nostrils flared, catching more of the brute's aroma. Though it had been more than a year since their last meeting, something about his scent had changed. No longer smelling as strongly of the Lagoon, Helios' suspicion of the black increased sharply. That would be quite the feat, considering my neighbors know the scents of my men from our patrols," the Arabian stated, if not rather pointedly.
He was calling the other man's bluff so to speak. Lucifer was welcome to try his lot with trying to store up trouble on Salem, but Helios had spent the last few years slowly developing decent relations with the other territories. They were all mostly on well-enough terms that some peace had been sustained, and, at the very least, all the patrollers knew each other by scent, if not by sight. Lucifer would be a clear outlier, if they all paid enough attention.
The Arabian eyed his foe carefully. Lucifer claimed to want something of equal value. What did that mean? Of equal value to Romaro, meaning a male? Meaning a live bargaining chip? Or did he just want to cause problems, as many passing bachelors did? A sliver of curiosity peeked through the copper stallion's irritation. "You've already taken two mares, twice the number of bodies as Romaro. Thrice, if you count the unborn child Vŕna had in her womb. You wanted Romaro dead, I presume, for his perceived insult against the Lagoon? And so he is."