R y l a n

There was laughter in the buckskin heart, the familiar thump of the arrowhead at his chest timed with each strike of a hoof to the ground. Keokuk kept up, though it was more to keep an eye out, fading in and out of view as the stallion played with the young wolf pup. The warmth to his turquoise gaze lit upon the small wolf-mix, enjoying seeing the tyke where he could run free, be free. No worries that he's going to cause issues. No stalls to break apart. No hooves to nibble on. No wares to eat. No leather for him to teeth. No trash for him to dig through. Out here, the pup could run and explore, and now that they were away from the edge, beyond keeping the pup close enough he could see, there was a freedom to the run.

Then Keokuk seemed to pause. He kept pace well enough, but it didn't stop from keeping pace, even as his gaze searches for what had sent him on edge. Rylan notices enough to slow his steps, trotting after the pup and his gaze concerned, "Keokuk, you a'right?" The native raised man asks with the faintest dip of his brow. The bonded glances towards him, half faded, a silver sheen of a phantom; Yes . . . I just sense something. The chittering has both of them looking ahead as the small pup also looks towards the sound of something small and black and flying. The pup starts to wag its tail, and Rylan immediately lunged forward, voice sharp in command, "Tyee, Leave It!" The man growled.

The pup seemed to pause at that moment, even as the small creature took the time to escape. But it's not a long reprieve. The trouble with all youth is that they were prone to the whims of curiosity and playfulness. And as a response; the pup is soon barking and yipping after the fleeing creature. "Shit." The stallion growled, ignoring the sharp look from the stag that had been a father to him for most of his life. "We gotta round 'im up fer he causes a ruckus." He sighed and took off after the bounding canine.

Keokuk followed more subtly, but it doesn't take them long to track the pup's trail as it bursts from the brush, out to the open. Rylan followed with Keokuk at a more sedate pace. However, upon the shouting voice, Rylan pulled up in shock, eyes snapping wide his face. Tyee didn't bother slowing, the eager pup wagging his tail at a new face, a new friend, a new companion. Already the pup was bounding towards the new face, even as Rylan noted the weapon at the stranger's side and the way he seemed to glow. The man felt his blood run cold for the wolf-dog pup, "Tyee! No. Come!" He shouted out, following it with a sharp whistle, pitched for the return command. The pup slid to a stop, pausing to stare between master and stranger with the black flyer that had chirped, clearly torn. Keokuk had immediately faded from view, immediately appearing before the pup, rounding it up with angled down antlers, so it would be one last thing for Rylan to have to worry about.

Be cautious Rylan. This man hums. Was the quiet warning from his bonded, and Rylan briefly met the cloudy gaze of the stag, as he used his own hoof to guide the pup to his side, and keep it corralled close by. Keokuk disappeared until he was little more than a faint glimmer if you looked hard enough for him, and Rylan's attention was on the buckskin man before him. Rylan would be the first to admit how plain a buckskin could be. With his simple looks of toffee and chocolate. Grateful for the thick mane and tail that gave him a bit of character, the slight feathering around his hooves from a draft father - only his accessories marked his appearance as remarkable.

But this beast made buckskin look beautiful, with ivory markings that rimmed his eyes, a sheen to his coat that spoke of health. Rylan couldn't deny he was handsome. But there wasn't time to admire . . . he needed to save the situation before that weapon was drawn, "We're just passin' threw. We ain't meanin' no harm. Mighty regretful iffin Tyee startled ya, or yer . . . . well, whatever it is? He ain't but a tyke still. Pup full of pup energy, ya know how that goes, right?" The stallion offers, keeping that distance in place, a boyish, awkward grin on his face.

Had he been human, he'd have likely been shuffling his feet, hands shoved deep in his pockets, as he tried to appear collected when it was clear he wasn't. He offers a friendly smile regardless, "Really, we ain't got no business but ta explore. Ain't been in Novus long, 'n' we're wantin' ta see what's around. My name's Rylan; I live up in Solterra. The pup is Tyee, and Keokuk is my bonded - the stag. Been with me since I was a tyke myself." He offered, never one to shy away from oversharing as he turned to smile briefly at where he knew the spirit stag to be. The antlered beast slowly faded back into view, shimmering and ghostly as it watches the strangers with more caution than Rylan even considered showing. "Hey now, it ain't fear ta make too many demands of us, when yer not sharin' yer name? Ya got a name ta . . ." The flirting died with the rush of embarrassment before he could finish up the ta go with yer handsome face. Instantly the stag was snorting faintly, even as Rylan ignored him, and instead offered a grin as if he hadn't paused half thought, "'N' one fer yer little friend ta. Ain't seen no'in' like 'im either. Mind me askin' w'a' it is?" He added, ever the friendly stallion, even if he couldn't flirt out loud anywhere where someone could see him - all those lines are hidden in his head, to never be out in the open.

Thankfully, he hoped he could still pass for cute enough.



"Speech"
Thoughts
Keokuk
@Tristan
Notes: PLEASE, RYLAN, THERE NEEDS TO BE CHEMISTRY HERE BOY!