It had taken a few weeks for Corbin to establish something of a routine for himself, the absence of herdmates to watch over proving an unnerving gap in his schedule. Still, he made do with the newness of his environment, and what little company came his way. Already the usdia had grown accustomed to performing his stretches in the pre-dawn light, the sun barely clipping the edges of the surrounding mountain range as he loosened up. A dip in the nearby river usually cured any residual drowsiness, and Corbin preferred to shake himself dry, whistling merrily while he left wet footprints in the bare earth.
Training followed, lunges and feints with invisible opponents a common pastime. No one could afford to be lax in times like these, and a distinct lack of sparring partners was hardly an acceptable excuse. He recited the oath under his breath as time allowed, hearing the words in his teacher's unyielding tones every time. When he'd worked up a suitable sweat, the stallion would pause for lunch, trying and failing not to indulge too deeply in the dandelions that flourished in this area. They were tasty morsels, just the right amount of bitterness weaving along his tongue, the petals silken to his palate. But they also left an obvious streak of bright pollen on his pale snout if he wasn't careful. Corbin had learned as much in the middle of a conversation with a fellow nomad, the mare politely refusing to acknowledge it verbally, though her gaze had flickered more than once toward his mouth. Improper, he knew, to appear less than well-groomed, particularly in front of the fairer sex. Still, they had both laughed it off, and no real harm had been done. It had actually been refreshing in its own way, an interaction devoid of all the dignity and hazard to which he'd been indoctrinated.
Which was more than he could say for his current situation. At first, the warning buzz had seemed inconsequential, the kind of thing he always felt out in the open and with no one to guard his flank. It had deepened into undeniable threat in the next handful of seconds, and he'd become aware of the growing shadow overhead in the same instant that he rolled sideways. A heavy thud reached his ears, and the stallion rounded to find a Kalona looming over him, its face a sneering mask of all-too familiar disdain. Corbin frowned as the predator advanced without a word, spaded tail weaving through the air. Young, he decided, barely out of adolescence. Probably looking to prove itself. Or just hungry, he acknowledged, eyes dipping to the saliva he could already see pooling between bared teeth. Never any fault in hunger. But in this case, he had a compelling reason to dissuade such base instincts.
"We could discuss this like gentlemen," he suggested lightly, using the creature's momentary pause to widen his stance. Talking wasn't on the agenda, however. The Kalona charged, hissing as he dodged yet again, holding his position long enough to catch the impression of teeth on his left ear. His opponent twisted, and he ducked under the larger creature's belly. Its expression crinkled with bemusement, quickly transmuting into a snarl when brass-colored hooves found painful purchase along the back of its legs. In his mind's eye, he saw the tendons he'd targeted bruise and fray, an echo of the same pain carrying through nearby ligaments. Corbin danced away from its bulk as the Kalona buckled, falling to its knees and clearly smarting. Bright yellow eyes caught his own blue set, and he saw the murderous intent growing as the Kalona struggled upright. "I don't suppose you could be convinced to stay down? No?" He sighed in earnest at the curse slung his way, docked tail flicking with repressed irritation. "As you say."