His gold-and-mulberry equine form doesn’t disappear, even when he freezes. He towers over the grass like this, and the purple isn’t great camouflage. But when Ryan freezes, soon after so do the footsteps stop. The stallion shivers and then inhales deeply, and frowns at the scent of bear and hyaline and he’s quite sure he must be mistaken. The owner of the scent is downwind from him, making it faint, but also close enough for him to have heard. Ryan is sure he is mistaken, prepared to shift again to cat to defend himself against an actual bear, but the voice is as familiar as his own heartbeat and unmistakable.
“Keeper?” he calls out in response, and darts forward in that direction, eyes searching. Now that he’s looking for her specifically, the actual finding goes quickly, and he sets eyes on the mare and a quiet smile flickers across his face, but she’s not looking up to see it. Unable to contain a low hum of pleasure (the cat again…he wants to purr, but his equine body just isn’t equipped for that), Ryan closes the distance between the two of them and presses his body against hers, seeking the comfort and warmth of a friend. More than a friend. “I’ve missed you,” the stallion admits shyly, and even quieter, “I thought I was alone.”
@[Kristin]