A fine rain started as Hasan stood, blowing hard through his nostrils and trembling with adrenaline. The sea hissed before him, and Warwick's retreating form made an ungainly splash in the shallows. Hasan listened until the splashing ceased, then turned away. He almost escaped into the trees to shelter from the relentless drizzle, but his mind and body were still buzzing with nerves. He had successfully seen off his first foe, and he did not quite believe it.

His neck throbbing from where Warwick's teeth had given him a strong pinch, Hasan slipped away into the thickening rain to range up and down the beach, his ears twisting every which way and his nose lowering frequently to snuff at the ground. He picked up the salty scent of seaweed and the putrid odor of rotting fish, but nothing more. He'd been worried that Warwick would take advantage of his sightlessness and sneak back in further up the coast, but it seemed that was not the case—at least for now. Hasan made a mental note to triple-check the borders later.

As the adrenaline ebbed from his body, he pivoted inland, sand turning to grass beneath his feet, and then to crunching leaf litter as he slipped back into the trees, his white legs following the well-worn paths he knew so well and could traverse without tripping. Beads of water slid down his pelt, cooling the heat of his body, though the bite on his neck continued to pulsate with a life of its own. It did not feel like the skin was broken, but of course, he could not be sure. Gritting his teeth, Hasan found the rough bark of a maple to scratch himself against. His skin crawled everywhere the other stallion had touched him and he felt on edge, as though Warwick might jump out of the trees at any moment.

Hasan did not fancy his chances a second time around.