Welcome to Gaia! ::

Initially, Sandsablaze wondered if he should intrude.

Though he thoroughly enjoyed the company of most any type of mare, he learned a long time ago that if the first thing you heard from a lady was a complaint... you'd best move along. Seldom did such creatures have the finesse to veil their emotions and play The Game, and rarer yet was the lady who would see beyond her own complaints to appreciate beauty in another when they saw it.

Hard lessons, all of them, strewn with a great deal of petty heartbreak.. though none quite so firm as the current lessons the were dragging his feet forward.

Yes, he could almost hear the rest of those goody-two-shoes stallions now.

"NEVER let a lady suffer, NEVER allow her to do what you can do for her, and NEVER let your own pride get in the way of her needs."

Bother.

Well, that would be why he was now shuffling his way through the snow laden underbrush, nickering a greeting as he did.

Both ears flicked back initially in mild reproach at the brusque greeting. You'd think the mare hated males with the way she spoke! But with a nearly invisible roll of his shoulders, the golden stallion decided that he'd be better off just finishing what he started and get the pleasantries over with. At least from his side anyway... since he now doubted she'd reply in kind.

"My thanks, it has been a good morning thus far milady." He replied when he had pulled near enough to be heard without strain. The snow wasn't something he necessarily enjoyed, but he had adapted enough to it, and he cold definitely appreciate those moments when it was too cold for moving outdoors and one was forced to remain in the company of whomever you shared cave- or teepee-space with the night before. As it stood, today's snow was still new enough not to impede his progress too much, and he noted with some amusement why she had been grumbling about 'hard water.' Apparently the pond from which she wanted to drink had frozen over.

"Less so for you it would seem. Would you like a spare hoof to make the task simpler?"

Sandi's nostrils quivered slightly, but he kept his thoughts to himself. Time with Blais and the others must have tempered his fiery rebuttals more then he thought, or perhaps he'd just as rather not have more hoofmarks added to his rear if the burly painted Protector caught wind of him being rude to a stranger.

But still...

She'd thank him only if he succeeded? HUMPH!

In any case, he moved forward without a word, mindful that his hooves where not as large as they appeared beneath his winter feathering... but he DID think his hind leg that sported the giant brass shackle would be more then adequate. He'd hauled the damn thing across leagues of sand and mountains, so to his way of thinking, that leg must be a fair bit stronger then the rest.

"Might want to avert your eyes Milady, in case ice shards go flying." He said brusquely, dropping any attempt at courtly finesse in favor of getting the task done. He'd chosen to ignore her final observation, though not because he thought she wasn't capable in general, more that she obviously WAS incapable of breaking this particular sheet of ice, and he wasn't interested in someone restating the obvious. She didn't know him or his strength, and being the low man on the Elderwillow totem pole, he had gotten quite used to manual labor.

So without further adieu, he swung his hindquarters around and lashed out with the shackled foot.