05-16-2019, 01:22 AM
Aten was not a horse who would go out looking for trouble just for the sake of satisfying his own curiosity. When it came to potential threats to other horses however, he would willingly place his own safety on the line to make sure others stayed safe, whether he knew them or not. On this particular winter day, the last of the snow was leaving, signaling that spring was making it's way to Beqanna once again. Just enough snow was left on the ground, however, that Aten was currently using it to follow the tracks of the big cat predator he'd smelled about a mile back.
Turul, though nearby, was currently off on a hunt for his own meal, leaving Aten to follow the tracks on his own without eyes in the sky to warn if the big cat had backtracked and was now circling around to find a way to attack the golden stallion. So far, everything seemed to be quite, save for the occasional forest animal or horse Aten glimpsed or heard break the silence that hung around the River like a blanket of fog.
Aten wasn't watching where he was going for a moment, not noticing how the tracks got close enough to the river that the golden stallion's hoof went through the last remnants of ice on the bank before he shuffled back to the right and followed them from a distance if they got close to the water again. As time went on, the golden stallion began to notice something.
Unlike the tracks of a well-practiced predator, careful to keep it's movements quiet and precise, these ones started becoming quite... messy, was the only word he could think of. The big cat seemed to be experiencing a struggle of some sort, it's tracks criss-crossing over one another like it had been hit on the head hard enough to cause some pretty decent dizziness. The snow had been kicked up in odd places as well, as if the predator had been venting some frustration.
Aten's curiosity was piqued now; what had happened to this big cat? His question was somewhat answered when a loud roar-sounding call shattered the silence surrounding him, the stallion's head flying up and ears turning in the direction the sound came from. He almost didn't want to see what was going on, and would have turned to head for home if he hadn't heard the choked scream a few seconds later.
Ignoring how the night could prove to be a difficult time to travel due to his light coat color, instead worried that whoever screamed could be hurt or worse, Aten galloped in the direction of the screams, his eyes occasionally glancing down to see if he could still see the tracks in the limited moonlight.
When he could no longer see, Aten had to rely on scent. It was difficult with the snow, but the stallion managed to find something that was enough to continue leading him on. It was only when the scent started changing entirely that he was even more confused. The cougar scent was gone, now there was a horse? What in the world was going on? Aten was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost missed the horse lying in the snow some feet off to his right, her wings spread out and her breathing quick but heavy, indicating that she was still in a frantic state.
Aten hesitated for a moment, wondering how close he should get considering how the mare appeared to be right now. Finally, after a moment, he took a couple steps forward, still maintaining a few yards distance, and spoke in a quiet voice, almost a whisper, to avoid startling her.
"Are you all right...?"
@[Vastra]
Turul, though nearby, was currently off on a hunt for his own meal, leaving Aten to follow the tracks on his own without eyes in the sky to warn if the big cat had backtracked and was now circling around to find a way to attack the golden stallion. So far, everything seemed to be quite, save for the occasional forest animal or horse Aten glimpsed or heard break the silence that hung around the River like a blanket of fog.
Aten wasn't watching where he was going for a moment, not noticing how the tracks got close enough to the river that the golden stallion's hoof went through the last remnants of ice on the bank before he shuffled back to the right and followed them from a distance if they got close to the water again. As time went on, the golden stallion began to notice something.
Unlike the tracks of a well-practiced predator, careful to keep it's movements quiet and precise, these ones started becoming quite... messy, was the only word he could think of. The big cat seemed to be experiencing a struggle of some sort, it's tracks criss-crossing over one another like it had been hit on the head hard enough to cause some pretty decent dizziness. The snow had been kicked up in odd places as well, as if the predator had been venting some frustration.
Aten's curiosity was piqued now; what had happened to this big cat? His question was somewhat answered when a loud roar-sounding call shattered the silence surrounding him, the stallion's head flying up and ears turning in the direction the sound came from. He almost didn't want to see what was going on, and would have turned to head for home if he hadn't heard the choked scream a few seconds later.
Ignoring how the night could prove to be a difficult time to travel due to his light coat color, instead worried that whoever screamed could be hurt or worse, Aten galloped in the direction of the screams, his eyes occasionally glancing down to see if he could still see the tracks in the limited moonlight.
When he could no longer see, Aten had to rely on scent. It was difficult with the snow, but the stallion managed to find something that was enough to continue leading him on. It was only when the scent started changing entirely that he was even more confused. The cougar scent was gone, now there was a horse? What in the world was going on? Aten was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost missed the horse lying in the snow some feet off to his right, her wings spread out and her breathing quick but heavy, indicating that she was still in a frantic state.
Aten hesitated for a moment, wondering how close he should get considering how the mare appeared to be right now. Finally, after a moment, he took a couple steps forward, still maintaining a few yards distance, and spoke in a quiet voice, almost a whisper, to avoid startling her.
"Are you all right...?"
@[Vastra]