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Reflection was throwing himself forward, enjoying the freedom of the wind in his mane. It happened so rarely that he was able to escape his father- Khalon was a harsh taskmaster, and Echo didn't interfere unless Reflection asked her to. And he felt bad asking her, knowing that she would get a lecture from her mate about interfering in Reflection's 'training' as it were.

He enjoyed the bouts with his father. The older stallion was a warrior, through and through, and he held tightly to a number of old-fashioned ideals. Not the first of which was a son, to carry on his hard work. Unfortunately, Reflection was not yet sure that he had one. Dorian was a ponce, and Sigao... well, he'd never met Sigao. But father said he'd always been the quiet type. That left Reflection, or one of Khalon's daughters. And the older stallion wouldn't even consider that, to be sure. Echo, on the other hand, was the kind of quiet, refined, loving lady that fit with Khalon. Where Khalon brought the law and justice into the family, Echo brought warmth and joy.

Where did that leave him? Dorian had found his niche, carrying on his 'bauty' to the rest of the world. It was assumed Sigao found his place as well. Resonance was proud of who she was, and a mother. Daphne... well, she would be wonderful at anything she chose to do. And she wasn't tied down by antiquated ideals. Only Khalon's adoration for his little princesses.

He felt trapped, only free when he was running so fast that the wind in his ears was noisier than the ringing in his head. It was times like this he envied his winged siblings.

It was too much. Too much running, too much exercise, not enough air in his lungs. From the corner of his eye, he caught color as he ground to a halt, sinking his hooves deep into the earth. But the color was ignored for a while as he let his head fall down towards his chest, taking deep, slow breaths to try and get oxygen into his blood and cool his heart rate.

He was only slow for a moment though, before he tugged his large hooves free of the dirt and started stretching his legs, doing a check of himself to ensure he hadn't strained anything, and moving everything slowly to keep his exhausted muscles from freezing up. Now he could lift his head, and take in the place he'd landed, so to speak.

His eyes lit on a mare- a scary prospect after his last encounter with one of the female species. He would approach with caution, and run like a bat out of hell if she turned out to be as crazy as that Delmare. Since he had apparently broken in on her, it was only polite that he approach first. "My apologies if I interrupted anything." his voice was deep, breathy with his lungs working busily. "I have need of a short rest."

He smiled at the female as she replied. She seemed friendly enough, and it made him visibly relax, even as he continued to shiftso that his muscles wouldn't freeze. "Well, then fortune must have smiled, so we landed in the same place." he gave her a grin, and stretched out his front left leg. "I do tend to run a lot. Like that... Well, most of my running is for stamina, not speed. Running crazy-free like that is a luxury."

He finally got the feeling that he wouldn't stiffen as badly if he stopped for a moment, and halted, turning to the other soquili. "I am Reflection, son of Khalon." he gave her a polite dip of the head and a pleasant grin. "And to whom do I have the honor of speaking?"

He gave the mare a sheepish grin; he hadn't realized he was speaking so plainly. "My father... he has high expectations for me. Some of those expectations include running long distances at a steady pace." Reflection gave another sheepish grin. "And he says that while fast can be nice, it's slow and steady that'll win in the end."

He gave her a small smile. "Miss Anka. No worries about your questions, it's not prying at all." He felt a twinge of guilt, hearing the mare state she barely knew her parents. His family might not be as closely knitted as his parents wished, but they kept abreast of everything they could in regards to their children, and shared all their joyful information with them.

Her laughter made him flush. "I see the point both of you are making. I don't think he actually means slow running... but..." he sounded flustered now as he stammered to defend his father for a moment before pausing. "But no, you're right. Depending on how long the race is, and how fast the other runner, and..." why was he doing this again? He seemed to be trying to show off, and that had not been his intention at all.

It would probably be safer to slide to the other question, wouldn't it? He was silent for a while, debating how much information would be good to give out about his family. However, she was providing information first, so it would be safe enough, wouldn't it? "I have two brothers and two sisters." he said with a smile. "And two nieces and four nephews I've never met. And of course my mom and dad."

He grinned. "It's not that great, having a big family. Too many names to remember." He gave the mare a grin and a wink. "I am pretty bad with names, so..." He gave her a sidelong glance. "What's yours again?" his eyes were visibly laughing, and he hoped the mare would know she was being teased now. Still...

One thing she'd sais piqued his interest. The mare didn't know her father? "Were your mother and father unmated?" he sounded very curious now- it seemed to be common, children born to an unmated couple. Not that he could talk- his mother would never accept his father as her mate, but they were loyal and in love nevertheless.

Reflection grinned, teeth white against the dark of his face. He'd almost had her, and the innocence of her laugh calmed him. Habit had him stretching out his limbs idly as he listened to her speak. "I think it's a shame you don't know your fathers." he said finally, voice slow. Red eyes darkened with pity. "I can't imagine what it would feel like." Growing up knowing your blood was out there? Brothers, sisters, cousins; aunts and uncles? "I was blessed, it seems, in being known by both of my birth parents."