The ground was soft. Autumn rains had saturated the forest floor, thickening the mud around his hooves and filling the forest with the smell of wet earth and pine. The sickly-sweet air was almost thick enough to strangle him as he traveled down a thin deer path.
 
All around him the forest buzzed with the sound of life. Bugs buzzed, and birds chirped. His hide bristled. There were too many eyes – too many watchers. Even the ones he couldn’t see, he could sense their eyes peering out from their high up nests. He was a stranger here and he could almost hear their contemptuous chatter. Luckily for them, he was only passing through.
 
Taiga was one of the only remaining lands that sat unclaimed in Beqanna. It was easy to imagine why. No person in their right mind would want to stay in a climate so cold and damp. The trees did offer ample amounts of shade, but it was too loud.
 
He pinned his ears back and shook his mane. The path before his disappeared as the ground sloped downward towards the bank of a babbling brook. Engorged with rain water, the current rushed past carrying with it fallen twigs and leaves. It was fuller than usual but not impossible to cross.
 
Thirsty, he slid down the bank until he stood hocks deep in the rushing water. The liquid was cool against his legs and shivers of delight shot through him. He’d been traveling for several nights and it felt good to stand there and let the water rush past his hot legs.
 
The Nerine was still a distance away and he was more determined than every to reach his goal. The farther he traveled the more he’d heard whispers of a mare named Hestia and her group of bitches. He had to see if the rumors were true for himself. It was almost disgusting, a mare who put herself in such a prestigious position of power. And to call yourself Amazon. Bah, it was almost laughable.
 
Perhaps he could got there and have a little bit of fun with this Hestia. He smirked callously and he quickly finished his drink. The water ran down his throat, sweet and fresh. When he lifted his head dribbles of water lingered on his chin. He snorted it away and crossed to the opposite bank. Climbing out of the water he stood and examined the paths before him.
 
That was the thing about forests. It was too easy to get lost in the labyrinth. All around him trees as wide a he himself stretched tall into the sky. Their canopies were thick and only the strongest rays of light managed to break through the thick foliage. A wild rabbit jumped into his path. For a long way the gray vermin sat to nibble on a tree nut it had gathered before it looked up to study the stallion. With big frightened eyes it bounded away into the underbrush.
 
Bored, and fatigued from his travels, he ambled lazily into the shade of one of the giant trees. Nestled within the cool space between it’s giant root system he cocked back his hind leg and rested.

He saw her. It was damned near impossible to miss her. Her black and red color drew his eyes almost immediately and her womanly charms stole his interest. He watched as ignored his presence and strode casually into the stream. Instinctively he stepped out of his resting place to better his view. She was a playful little minx, that much was obvious.
 
Casually she lowered her head and took her time drinking, her lips puckered just right. Lightning shot through his body and he knew instantly, he wanted her. Unfortunately, at the same time he realized that he would not get her. Every move she made was meant to tease and entice. It would have been frustrating if her little show wasn’t so amusing.
 
For moment he considered continuing on his travel. This mare held nothing for him and he had no interest in entertaining her little game. It was nothing but a distraction. Slowly he turned before his ears caught the sound of her legs cutting through the water. His ears flickered back followed by his gaze just in time to see her turn her backside to him strategically.
 
The bitch.
 
Oh, if he could he would gallop down the bank and take her out of spite. There had been many times that he had done such a thing to a youngling who thought herself so utterly irresistible. This mare, he sensed, simply wanted to get a rise out of him and he wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction.
 
”Are you lost?” His voice was husky and deep, just loud enough to catch her ear.

If she continued to flaunt and tease, he wasn’t sure how much longer his self-control would last. The thought of barreling down towards her to take her by force sent shock waves of pleasure through him. He wasn’t intimidated by her little show and, one could argue, she was even asking for it. He smirked as he stepped closer, clearing his view of her completely. Though her back was swung towards him he saw the glimmer of a smirk upon her chaste lips. 
 
A voice, not his own, filled his head and he instinctively flinched. Shit, he growled, knowing full well that she was privy to his every thought. Two could play at her game and so, with a teasing smile, he decided not to waste his breath on her. You’re one of them. He didn’t mind displaying his contempt for her abilities. 
 
Fuck it. If she wanted to play games he was happy to oblige. Nerine wasn’t going anywhere and this scarlet and midnight mare was asking for it. Her taunting did nothing but encourage his advances as he joined her in the water. She flicked her tail and his eyes helplessly found their way to her back end. 
 
Nerine? He played at innocence. My, what a coincidence… He was circling her now, studying every part of her. He pinned his ears partially back as he tightened the circle with every round until only a breath of air remained between them.

The forest was eerily quiet without the sound of their voices to fill up the empty spaces. Theirs was a sparring match more than a game and as the tension grew between them his excitement mounted. It was clear that she was making a show of himself and he was enjoying every second of it. He couldn’t find it in himself to care that she could see his thoughts. Let her.
 
He stopped in front of her, staring into her black eyes. Her complete lack of emotion was fascinating to behold, but the spark of a tease was undoubtedly there. The black and red mare was an oddity in more ways than one. His interest rose and fell like the changing of the tides. There was no doubting that this mare had every intention of leading him on only to deny his advances once she grew bored of their flirtation.
 
Her rough inquiry brought a sly smile upon his lips. She wanted to know more than her own abilities could discern for themselves, apparently. Well, he was happy to let the mystery remain so. Ignoring her feeble insults he backed away and climbed back up the bank towards the trail once again. Pausing, he looked back over his shoulder.
 
”Well, love,” he spoke despite himself. ”This has been fun, but, my business won’t complete itself.”
 
He didn’t expect her to follow him, he knew she wasn’t the type. Just as he enjoyed toying with the lesser sex she enjoyed exerting her special talents over unsuspecting ‘man whores’. She was exactly the reason why he was so drawn to Nerine.
 
Mares who thought themselves above reproach. Who thought themselves clever enough to ensnare stallions such as himself. He had no desire to waste another second being teased by such a character.

Arithmetic wasn’t what he’d expected from the husky mare and, quite honestly, nothing she did seemed normal to him. She wanted to play a game that he had already grown bored of. As joined him on the bank her watched her with ears pricked forward. As her lips traced along the track of his spine it became abundantly clear to him that she was willing to try anything to convince him to stay. His irritation grew as her attempts led her to the nape of his neck only to end just as abruptly as she had started. As she pulled away deeper onto the path he remained glued to his spot.
 
He snorted defiantly and tossed his tail with a irate bob of his white face. ”I think you are mistaken, madam,” he said condescendingly. His ears pinned back as he moved threateningly towards her. He knew he didn’t have to finish his sentence. The telepath would know his thoughts and his degrading opinion of her.
 
 
Any mare that flaunted herself so promiscuously was not worth taking. There was no sense of accomplishment in cavorting with a slut who happily threw herself at the first stallion she happened upon. Innocence was a treasure – and one he enjoyed far too much to waste his precious energy on her. That wasn’t to say that he didn’t enjoy the occasional consensual romp. In fact, her preferred that. There was pleasure in courting a shy mare, in convincing her to allow his advances. It was the slow art of romancing that he enjoyed over a mare such as the one who had found him trapped in the menagerie of partially charred trees.
 
It seemed to him that she had some sort of false perception of his intentions in Nerine. If she honestly thought that he presumed to romance the bitch queen herself – he laughed despite himself. He was many things but stupid was not one of them. No, he was simply curious and the coast was notably warmer than the inland and with winter just on the horizon…
 
He shook himself from his thoughts having temporarily forgotten that the mare, whose name still remained a mystery despite her advances, was privy to them. There was no need for him to explain himself. Let her believe what she wanted to about him. He would happily play the part of ‘man whore’, but that was the only satisfaction she would get from him.