and I discovered that my castles stand
upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand
Though night is not his favorite time to be in the Field, he’s found himself here past sunset far more frequently than usual. He’s proving his loyalty – that’s what he’d say if questioned, but the truth of the answer if more complex than that. He’d rather not run into the king is closer to the truth; he’d rather not be reminded that the kingdom is well on its way to becoming a plaything of anyone in need of a subkingdom. The Challenge grounds should be getting more of his time as well, but the bay stallion is no longer sure who is or is not to be bothered, and given his Monarchs’ tendency to be close-lipped he doubts he’ll be finding out anytime soon.
And so he is in the Field, belly deep in the quickly growing grasses with the moonlight bright on his dark hide. The silver strands in his hair glow all the brighter, but the shadows hide the grizzle around his muzzle that are the only true signs of his age. His bay coat is flawless and unmarked – were it not for the grey in his hair and the feral look in his dark eyes it would be hard to believe that such a stallion is an army General.
Of course, the army consists only of himself and an absent mare; their slim numbers are another incentive for his presence here. Of the three horses that he has recently invited to the Falls, none of them are warrior prospects, at least not for several years. They need someone with experience, and so when he sees a mare with what seems to be more scars than clear skin, he turns toward her. She’s standing at the edge of the open area and so he leaves her more distance than he might usually, though he stills stands close enough to converse.
“It’s late to be out,” he says, gesturing vaguely at the bit of moon visible in the starry sky. He doesn’t add the ‘dangerous to be alone’ because life is dangerous regardless of time of day, and he finds such cautions to be more demeaning than useful warnings. “I’m Texas,” he adds, his voice a low drawl, and he manages to smile briefly before asking: “What’s your name?”
texas
