never take advice from someone who just admitted to being devious and just confessed to treason
So he finally had a name to put to her face. Sialia. Perhaps once their battle was done, and all wounds had been tended to, he would seek her out again. She seemed companionable, good natured, and with any luck Roland could make a new friend. He was in perilously short supply of those. But their time for socializing had passed, and he wasn't about to miss his chance to catch her by surprise again. Sialia's introduction was acknowledged with a dip of his head before the Thief launched himself into action. The ground was wet underfoot, each quick step spraying cold water against the stallion's legs as he neared. His teeth caught her flesh in a gentle bite, one he hoped would not draw blood like before, and without lingering within her reach he turned to curve around her hind end. His gaze drifted from the mare's form as he watched his footing, seeking out a patch of dry ground to stand upon.
Her next attack came much sooner than expected, and there was little time to react. When Roland drew to a halt and returned his gaze to Sialia, it was to find her feet flying up towards him. The Thief jerked in surprise, flinching as her hooves slammed into his chest with bone rattling force, and the breath was stolen from his lungs. He stumbled a step backwards, letting out a sharp cough as the mare drew her feet back underneath her frame and turned to face him. Roland could only look on with wide eyes for a moment, attempting to hide the pain from his features. The breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding was let out as a hiss through his teeth. Cursing himself for having grown distracted, he stepped forwards and ducked his head, wincing at the pull of muscle in his neck. His chest burned, beginning to ache as if the weight of her hooves was still pressed upon his skin. Shifting his weight onto his hind limbs did little to ease the pain, but at the very least he could disguise his alarm with a good natured smile. The reminder that he was not, in fact, invincible, was probably well deserved.
She made no further move to attack him, standing at ease with a wide grin stretching her lips. Roland wondered at how she could still seem to possess so much energy after all that. His muscles were fatigued from tension, and his heart had been a constant drum beat within his ears for the duration of their fight, but it began to quiet as they stood together in a short lived silence. The Thief's question was eventually parroted back at him, but he deflected it for a moment as he caught his breath, still smarting from her blow. His gaze strayed out across the lake, watching the ripples sweep across its surface. The afternoon was drawing onwards, rays of golden sunlight slanting across the water and over snow capped mountain peaks. "Roland," he answered at last, offering her a courteous bow of his head. He could have come out much worse for wear, and it was a pleasant surprise to find himself quick on his feet as ever. A bit of pain was a trivial price for a boost in confidence. Perhaps it had only been a simple matter of luck; he might not find himself with such good fortune next time, but it was a step in the right direction. The idea of fighting, for his friends, his family, his home, no longer seemed an impossible prospect when he knew he still had a handle- no matter how loose- upon the mechanics of battle. There might be hope for him yet.
Sialia's good humour was a welcome diversion, and the Thief was pleased to see her high spirits remained. "It was my pleasure," he responded with a low chuckle, eyes cast down towards the wound upon her neck. "Sorry about that," he added as a guilty afterthought, tilting his nose towards the mark in question. He met her gaze with a repentant smile, before finally sparing a look down at the state of himself. Roland curled his lip in distaste, holding back a grimace as he took in his own disheveled appearance, mud flecked and splashed all the way up his now bruising chest. A dip in the hot springs wouldn't just be well deserved after this ordeal. It would be necessary.
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@[Sialia]
[WC: 742/800]
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[JUDGED] Heroes and Cons [xRoland]
