The lands of Delumine seemed innumerable at first, from the eyes of one that did not know what they were looking at. With a few quick words though, Isra had made me understand that not all that I saw belonged in any which way to Delumine. The forests though, they did, and they were easily my favorite place to be. Having been warned fairly early that I might encounter unsuspecting... sights, I promptly cast it out of my mind and made it my haven. The trees always made me think of home, although it was missing the vast plains and rolling hills below the compound, it was close enough to make my heart somewhat happy.

Today there was a stranger and I was briefly reminded of that warning. But this stranger did not seem particularly amorous. No. In fact he seemed to totter some on his legs as he moved away from a tree, eyes a bright, saturated red that made me think they might glow in the dark. No, he did not look inclined to love at all. He shifted over the frosted leaf-mold, glancing here and there without really looking, for his gaze was distant, somewhere else. In an act of spontaneity I stepped forward, immediately noting that we were very different in size. He could hurt me with fair ease if he chose. Yet it did not stop me from moving closer, making as much noise as possible so that he would not spook. Mother always said, a spooked horse is a dangerous horse. "Hail stranger, are you well?" I asked, soft, quiet, curious.

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ooc; @Maximus 

I was a lot of things, a mind reader not being one of them. He considered me in the strangest way, ears that seemed far too long for his head twisting here and there. I wondered, could he hear better than I? Before I could ask though, completely ignoring his previous sentiments, he tensed. I could see the way his muscles tightened beneath his skin, as if it were just a blanket draped over bones. His eyes went from far away to sharp and watchful. But why? Why did he suddenly seem so angry? It was disarming and I took a step back, ears slowly coming to rest against my poll as I thought, perhaps approaching a stranger might not have been the best of ideas. Perhaps Isra was right...

And then he was moving, shifting stiffly to stand behind me and I followed him with wide, nervous eyes. What was he doing? My mind seemed to be moving a million miles a minute, conjuring up all manner of horrifying scenarios. The kind you read about in books and trashy novellas. Yet it was not me that his attention was focused upon, no, it was somewhere in the woods, between the trees. On a whim I too turned to face the same direction, listening, waiting. I could hear nothing out of the ordinary. "Uhm, sir... are you okay?" I said, giving him my sights. He did look dreadfully tired, mayhap he was hearing things? Seeing things? Surely Isra would take him in, give him a warm place to sleep, a hot meal... and then I heard it. Just barely, but enough that my stomach dropped to my knees. How could I have missed that? Was I truly so intent on ignorance that I would put myself in danger? With wide eyes I stepped backward, one, two, three, ready to flee on a moments notice.

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ooc; @Maximus

The atmosphere held its breath, a pregnant pause that seemed to have wound a string so tightly around my lungs that I could hardly breathe. Then all at once it came to fruition in the form of a tawny brown rabbit, stepping harmlessly from beneath the elderberry bushes. I stared wordlessly at the creature, watched as it pulled its ears back and forth, testing the intent of the two equines with watchful brown eyes. The grey stallion had relaxed, mumbling speech I could not understand before turning to face me. If there was one thing we could agree on, it was that I had made a dire mistake in recent days. An infinite number of scenarios rushed through my minds eyes as I only somewhat listened to what he had to say. This could have been so much more problematic than it had been. What would Isra say? Suddenly everything stopped. Did Isra even know where I was? This thought caused my heart to throb in a manner that simply would not do. With furrowed brows I step back, not intending to be rude, though it could surely be perceived that way. It was a reminder I did not ask for, did not really want, not right now, not here. Not in my place of peace and solitude.

There had been a silent understanding between Amalie and I back home. I could do as I pleased so long as I stayed within a certain distance of the compound. Searching the present-day I realized with an ache that Isra, despite her near constant attempts at attending my needs, had never bothered to keep track of where I was. She always seemed to know. My young mind was unsure of why this was important, or why it even mattered, but in that moment it did. I shifted pale, moon-white eyes up to look at the stallion, having long forgotten (had I ever paid attention?) his statements. "Does your-" my tongue catches as I search for the word, any word "caretaker know where you are?"
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ooc; @Maximus