Vadar
Seven characteristics are in an uncultivated person, and seven in a learned one
There’s nothing left of his parents. Well that’s not exactly true: what was left of Vadar’s parents now stained his blood and skin. He was short and stocky like his father, extremely hairy legs and a thick, burdensome mane and tail. The mark of the clown king was clear on his face. He looked clownish, though he didn’t feel it. His mother lived on in the remaining fragments of his self-restraint, which were quickly wearing off as time went on.
His eyes gleamed a ruby flash when Eliana’s head rose, and Vadar quietly wondered how much longer those fragments of good could hold out against the evil inside of him. Especially when something so pretty and soft teased his quietness with a laugh. Vadar’s white-colored mouth grew into a wider sort of grin. She complimented him and answered his question politely enough that the stocky little stallion eased nearer to her golden shoulder for a look. “It’s the fucking worst.” He agreed deeply, smirking. Peeping down into the shoveled snow he could see the flowers she was talking about.
“Not worse than being a dead flower though.” Vadar shrugged and slammed his forehoof down onto the grimy, brown stem. He twisted, grinding the thing into the muddy soil. “You said your name was Elaina, right?”
Glancing through a part in his forelock, Vadar’s bright eyes flashed as he turned to look at the palomino mare again. “That’s a nice name. Nice name for a nice-looking girl.” He hummed at the back of his throat, completely unaware or entirely disregarding how odd that might sound out loud. “You’re very pretty, did you know that?”
Of course she must. The way he asked and the way he looked at her now, like a starving animal, made it seem as if he expected a certain kind of answer from the nomad mare. She smelled of nothing and no one, which made Vadar bold and left him feeling relaxed despite their surroundings. She was a lovely, sad sort of creature and she was here alone. For him. Like a golden present in the bare white snow.
@[Elaina]