The surest sign of strength
that I have ever seen
is gentleness
He's relieved to see humor instead of anger in the other stallion's face, but still, the mule doesn't stop backpedaling until the barking ceases, a dismaying amount of time after it's told to. Truthfully, Willfur isn't a fan of dogs, though he's quick to admit that the fault lies entirely with the handlers and not with the animals themselves. He holds a great deal of respect for working dogs, who are invariably well mannered and often impressively skilled, but those are few and far between among the larger census of popular canids. It's been far too many times in life that an undisciplined dog has leapt at him, whether in aggression or overexuberance no longer matters, both are unwanted and offensive, so he's even more relieved when noisy 'True,' stays where he or she is instead of approaching.that I have ever seen
is gentleness
Shaking himself, he answers simply, "I am," with just a touch of pride strengthening the words as he asserts this for the first time. "It's nice to meet you, Khier! I'm Willfur. I spend most of my time in the Library, but what I've seen of the gardens so far is impressive. I'm sure it is a nice place to think in privacy and get a bit of fresh air, when there aren't fellows like me charging around." He smiles, gesturing at the enormous globe in the center of the alcove. "Good thing I didn't run into that! Even my hard head wouldn't hold up in comparison, though it would probably serve me right. Do you know if there are many statues? I'd be interested in seeing them."
@Khier
