Reave hadn’t been expecting company (though given how widely traveled this particular thoroughfare is, undoubtedly he should have). His gaze is somewhere else entirely when the gasp startles him back to reality. He jerks around abruptly, barely keeping himself from lashing out with his surprise and alarm (he had already learned that lesson). His sudden movement causes mud to splatter around him, feet slipping in the damp as he attempts to steady himself while simultaneously seeking firmer ground.
It’s only when his feet finally manage to find purchase he recognizes the newcomer as a fellow equine roughly of an age to him. With a snort, he slogs to higher ground before shaking himself somewhat violently. His reply, spoken perhaps a few moments too soon, is muffled and a bit gruff from his jostled vocal chords. “Just… looking at stuff.”
Finally, after having spent the first few moments of their encounter in a decidedly graceless battle with himself, he takes a moment to actually look at her. At first glance, she seems almost painfully shy, uncertainty radiating from her like heat from the missing sun. It mixes with her fear and shame and guilt, memories drifting and jumbled, waiting to be pieced together.
That, more than anything, intrigues him. This is the first time he has encountered someone so young with such an emotional burden already weighing so heavily.
Moving closer, he tips his head as he eyes her with an openly candid expression. An expression made even more curious by the frown that has begun tugging at his lips. “Nevermind what I’m doing though,” he replies, his voice prodding. “You look like you're running away from something.”
As far as observations go, it’s perhaps not the most astute one. But he is learning.
reave
@[Rare]