Mist rolled in great billowing clouds from the distant peaks, saturating the forest with a thick vapor that made the distinguished lines of every tree trunk, every dislocated rock, uncertain. The sun was rising above the mountains, aurelian light shining down through the trees and painting Roland’s champagne hide a dazzling gold. A breeze whispered through the foliage, leaves losing their grip on the young spring branches and spiraling towards the ground long before their time. The stallion turned his head, watching as the coral-painted petal of a flower came to rest upon the surface of the water. Afloat, it composed gentle ripples that spanned across the pond’s glass surface.

He was so absorbed in watching the stirring of nature around him that at first he did not hear the soft footsteps against the spongy forest floor. As a shadow presented itself from among the darkened trees, Roland’s head swung around sharply, ears perked. He hadn’t expected to come across another creature, especially of his kind, at a time so early in the day; no hint had been left in the forest that told of civilization among these hallowed woods. The auburn mare called out a melodious, cheerful greeting to him, her voice resonating through the swaths of mist surrounding their guarded clearing. She seemed to pose no threat, and though his tensed muscles relaxed, the stallion did not let his guard down. Her timid smile was returned in kind, reciprocating her greeting with an equally friendly, “hello,” spoken in an alluring voice of liquid gold.

She dipped her head to him in greeting, spiraling ashen horn catching the glint of diluted sunlight. Her welcome was unprejudiced and kind, and she spoke of a land that was not familiar to him. “Lena,” he echoed with a honeyed smile, making no secret of examining her appealing form. “A pretty name for a pretty girl,” he complimented. It was clear she wasn’t there to flirt, however, and in truth neither was he, so he shifted the subject to himself cautiously. “My name is Roland. ” Of nowhere… he added bitterly in the silence of his own mind, dipping his chin in a bow. Normally his name wasn’t given out so freely, but there was no way she could tell who he was, or learn his past from the wariness in his eyes, disguised by a smile. No alias had to be used in strange lands to protect his identity. The knowledge, and now proof, that he could start with a clean slate was liberating.

How far had he come to escape the home that now viewed him as a manipulative reprobate? Would it be wise to stop here, where there were clearly others of his kind? Or would he simply continue with his old ways and delve deeper into trouble. Habits were not left behind as easily as old friends and enemies. Still, Lena had yet to prove she could be trusted, and though on the outside he appeared open and laid back his mind was scrutinizing her carefully. “Is your home nearby then?” He inquired, prodding her discreetly for information while the interest seemed purely conversational. He gestured with his metallic horn to the forest around them and the distant mountains that rose like prison bars across the dawn horizon.

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