Annubis has never proclaimed to be a saint by any means. Hell, in his youth, he was just as bad as the other testosterone-driven males his age had been. All he cared about then was gathering up a collection of pretty little mares to brag and show off to his brothers. The fact that those brothers who had once mattered so deeply to him now were spread to the far reaches of the earth means nothing. What had once driven him has lessened with age.
And with Hymn and Izumi.
Without saying a word, both mares taught him just how well patience could turn into affection and even something akin to love, perhaps. He never truly has understood the word; his parents sure seemed to hold more animosity towards each other than any sign of affection. But Annubis did remember a time when Rougaru pursued Zjeena to the ends of the earth. He remembered his father willing to lose everything if only it meant freeing one mare from the cruelty of a captor. He remembered seeing the unspoken words between them in the form of touches and tender embraces. Motions that he tried to replicate now with those under his care. He made a mistake with Vihar. He drove her to the far reaches of the islands and even then she turned away from him. He ruined that but by the gods he was determined NOT to ruin what he was building slowly and carefully here.
But, again, he never professed to be a saint.
So when the younger mare tries to sidle away from him yet again, this time, Annubis has had enough.
Multifaceted eyes of golden hues roll as a huffing breath escapes his lungs. Without any warning, the stallion lunges forward, pinning his ears back beneath the thick, tangled mantle of his obsidian mane. ”You seem to think the offer was optional. It was not.” he replies, bending his head low to snap at her heels in an attempt to turn her from the current path she has set for herself. ”Since you wish to act like a child, then perhaps I do need to hand you back over to your father personally to ensure that nothing further happens without his knowledge.” he growls, quickening his pace to overtake her slender frame and edge her back towards the Ridge border. A cocky smirk tugs at his lips as he nips lightly at her shoulder. ”Lighten up, Buttercup. If you hadn’t been so adamant that I NOT take you back to the Ridge I probably would have left you well enough alone. Really you only have yourself to blame.” he teases.