Common

Her voice lashed out at him, each word laced with venom that betrayed a deep and painful distress. He recoiled, instinctively putting distance between himself and the weeping mare. A faint, familiar scent clung to her pale coat, the very essence of the land he now claimed as his own. Frowning, he struggled to understand the source of such profound anguish that seemed to shatter her spirit.

Was it simply the loss of her home in that moment that provoked such despair, or did something deeper, something intangible, fuel her tears? He inhaled slowly, his whiskers twitching as he cautiously approached her. "I am sorry," he said, his voice laced with genuine sympathy. He understood the devastating blow of losing a home, the agonizing separation from loved ones, the enduring scars such trauma could

Despite the potential danger – a snap of teeth, a surge of fury – he lowered his head, drawn to the pain reflected in her red-rimmed eyes. Perhaps easing her suffering could somehow atone for the pain he had inflicted on others. “How can I help you?” he asked. If she demanded he leave, he would retreat, respecting her grief. But if she allowed him to stay, he would do his best to soothe the fears that furrowed her brow.

He waited patiently, her response the key to his fate.