Maybe that chatty, annoying mare had been right about flying being hard work for a halfbreed. He had doggedly refused to acknowledge his wings growing heavy and tired, but his shoulders ached now and there really was little in the way of excuse. It was a calm day, a bit breezy but hardly anything even a sparrow could not handle. The clouds drifted, keeping the sun’s light from stinging his eyes too frequently, and the temperature was comfortably cool for the strenuous activity of continuing his flight. Korev was reluctant to admit that it was strenuous, but it seemed to be undeniable. He had been airborn for quite some time, choosing the clear skies over the twisted forest path. But now the forest was a dark line on the horizon, and below, well. Below was the middle of nowhere, or so it seemed.Sparse growth spread over endless smooth plains, the grasses more yellowed than green as the seasons began to turn. It would likely be just as dull to walk over as it was to fly over. A thin shimmer caught his eye, a blue strand of river weaving across the flat land. A bit small for a river, if he was guessing correctly though. More of a trickling stream he imagined, unless it was a greater distance than it seemed. Still, it made an acceptable goal. He could land there and acknowledge that he was thirsty, because it had been a long while since he had a drink. He did not have to land because he was too tired and his muscles too protesting to continue to fly much longer. No. No, he was just thirsty.
And so was someone else actually. Korev frowned down at the pale Soquili on the ground below. He or she sparkled a bit as well, some sort of metal ornaments or something. And, unless wearing a strange and tasteless hat, the stranger seemed to have a rather silly amount of mane. It looked almost as though it trailed all the way to the ground, that had to be all manner of inconvenient.
For a moment, just one, the young stallion considered choosing a different spot. Company was not what he sought, he traveled because he liked his privacy thank you very much. And if there were any other reason for it, well, that was his business and he disliked prying. Stick a nose into his business and he’d have no qualms sticking a hoof to it, hard. The thought of going out of his way to avoid someone did not last long though, it seemed a bit too much like backing down or running away. Even if no one else was likely to be viewing it that way.
If he landed a bit harder than was strictly graceful, maybe he was trying to make an impression in the dusty ground. It didn’t have to be because he was so agonizingly exhausted. His wings were quickly tucked away, though there was a tiny little moment of clumsiness there. They were quivering now that he had stopped using them at last. Perhaps he should cut back on how hard he pushed himself, there was no need to actually cause himself harm. He might consider it at least.
Pointedly ignoring the stranger, he moved to help himself to the little stream, but stopped when his eyes refused to follow the directions to ignore her. That was a lot of tail, it was seriously too long. That was just dumb. It was begging to be a tangled mess that got stepped on over and over and over again. And jewelry, she was wearing a headdress? It looked a bit interesting, rather like horns actually. She was large too, maybe a bit bigger than he was. Maybe. But he had slender cerynei blood, and he doubted winds could be that big if they still wanted their stupid wings to work.
None of that was what really caught his attention and subverted his determination to ignore the stranger and potentially unwanted company. No, definitely unwanted company. He did not want company. But there was blood, just a spot or two. He knew it to be blood and not a marking though, Korev knew what blood looked like. And, sigh. If she were injured, and out here all alone, lost in the middle of nowhere… then no, he couldn’t just ignore her as planned. Darn it.
“You lost?” he asked abruptly, shaking a few strands of his mane away from his eyes and ceasing the consideration of just getting a drink. The stream wasn’t going anywhere after all. His ears flicked, looking at the stupid amount mane she had was making him feel like his was getting in his eyes or tickling his ears now. Annoying.
