Swiveling her ears lazily, the mare caught the sound of bushes and branches rustling. Her body tensed as she froze, her fight or flight instincts battling for dominance. Inhaling deeply, she sighed in relief as the musky scent of a nearby horse reached her nostrils. It wasn't a predator. Arias hoped that this equine would be friendly. Seconds later, a fine white stallion emerged from the trees, bowing his head and giving her a friendly greeting... and asking her a simple, innocent question she had no idea how to answer. Should she tell him the truth? Would the friendly stranger chase her away like the others if he knew?
Feeling a bit less wary, Arias bowed as well before speaking, giving him a small smile as she raised her head. "Hello Arrane of the Foothills. My name is Arias. I'm new to the area and enjoying a stroll in this rather large forest. It's like a desert, except with miles of trees instead of sand." Great, I'm rambling, the mare thought to herself, feeling embarrassed. At least that was mostly the truth. He doesn't need to know my whole story. Who knows, he may just want to say hi and move on. You never know with stallions. She turned the subject back to him. "What are you doing in this area? Are you from around here?"