Handling his horse had become second nature for Skoll. He struggled at the beginning, unsure of how to interact with a beast at a lower level than him, but Alder was patient and had coached the boy through taking care of her and relating with her to make their partnership work. The actual skill of riding had come as well, since Hwin was used to different handlers from her time as a communal horse in the merchant pack, and the blonde boy was a quick learner. She still checked him sometimes, forgiving all but the most mundane errors and showcasing her stubbornness at inopportune moments.

Presently, for example, the bay sabino had decided that the grass was greener on the other side of the pasture, and she had to have it. The prince meant to keep her near the stables, letting her graze in sight of the building before taking her to the ring for some exercise and bonding, but she dug her hooves in the ground and refused to budge another inch. It wasn’t miscommunication this time—the boy made his commands clear and even added one of the very few, accented phrases of low speech he knew—but simple obstinacy on the part of the equine.

“Are you sure you aren’t a mule?” Skoll asked loudly, and then dropped the lead in exasperation, throwing his hands up. The horse tossed her head, jerking the rope even further from his reach, and lifted her head smugly. One normally mild eye regarded him mischievously as she turned to the side, flicking her dark tail. “Okay, you win, now what?” he asked, scowling.

In answer, the mare trotted toward him, pawing at the air with her dark hoof. Suddenly, she reached out and lipped his messy blonde hair before whinnying and whirling around, her tail carried high as she cantered away from the stables. He blinked then growled playfully and chased after her, waving his arms and herding her back toward the area. It became a game, the horse trying to figure out how to get past the boy, who did his best to block her in—both tireless in spirit and body.

Skoll breathed hard as he jumped in front of the mare, thrusting his arms out and barking when she pivoted away on her one fully black leg; the three white-socked ones moved quickly in rhythm to propel her away from her canine charge. She neighed over her shoulder at him as he scrambled to keep up—but then a chestnut shape flew after her instead with a high whinny.

Hwin half-reared, although it was only to stop herself and turn away from the eager colt. Confusion was evident in her dark eyes for a moment, but the next she reached over and aimed a playful nip at the young horse before snorting and galloping onward—revealing that she’d held back on her speed with her usual handler. She fully showcased her speed now, daring for the colt to catch up, her body fixed with her brand of stubborn determination.

The blonde boy laughed, doubled-over, with his hands braced on his knees. He maintained the position as he caught his breath, even though he still felt like he could take off again if he wanted. He was curious to know where the healthy-looking colt had come from, however, and his green eyes scanned the pasture as he lifted his head. He finally spied another wolf, a good half a foot taller than him and mottled with lupine browns and blacks.

“Hello!” Skoll called over, straightening and adopting what he hoped was gallant, princely posture. He pushed his hair out of his eyes and strode over to the stranger; a sniff told him that it was a new member, although not one he’d properly met. He grinned brightly then gestured toward the colt, who Hwin was still attempting to lead on a merry chase. “Is that your horse? He looks really good.”

The colt was in very good condition, that was for sure, and he seemed to have an ambition that might match the mare’s stubbornness. It was nice to watch them run, even though Skoll wasn’t an equine connoisseur like Alder. He’d once thought that he would want to spend his whole life taking care of them like the Marshall did, but while his appreciation for the creatures remained high, there were just too many things to do with his yet-young life to settle down and pour all of his energy into caring for the beasts. He contented himself with Hwin and on being a good handler and rider.

The blonde wolfdog chuckled at the reply as he approached the strong-looking stranger, one who certainly embodied the knight’s build and carriage that the boy dreamed he’d have growing up. He grinned as he followed his gaze, knowing that Hwin would pull out all the stops to make the foal rethink his arrogance. Caught up in watching the horses, he was startled by the other’s outstretched hand and took it quickly for a (would-be) manly shake.

“Skoll Haskel,” the prince was prompted into saying, adopting the other’s simple way of giving his name. He didn’t feel as inclined to add his title anymore, or boast of his heritage; his last name told the story, and hopefully others would find more reason to respect him besides the fact that he was a prince. “So did you just join recently?” he asked, dropping his hand at his side and pushing his unruly mane out of his eyes again. “Do you like the Court so far?” His voice adopted a hopeful edge.

Silvano smiled during the handshake, and giddy pleasure warmed Skoll’s belly; the look on the man’s face was like that of acceptance, or at least the boy guessed. Despite his self-confidence, the boy was overeager to receive praise from others, spoken or not. He desperately wanted to live up to the expectations of a king’s son, and while his idolization of his father had died down from its obsessive and overcompensating levels, he was still very much proud of whom he was. Now that Liam had gone, he felt like he was the oldest remaining son and special because of it, with a lot more responsibility on his shoulders to do well.

The other shrugged at his question and explained that he’d come from Crimson Dreams, the former neighbors of the Kingdom. Ginger ears fell back into his messy mane, and he remembered feeling sick and sad at the thought of the pack just disappearing. “You knew Alder’s family, then?” Skoll asked, almost timidly. He’d liked Oak a lot, and the thought that the Marshall’s brother was now out there probably without a home made him sad. He tried to hide how upset he was, though, facing the horses again suddenly. Other young canines might get emotional, but he was a prince, and he was going to be a great warrior someday, so he couldn’t afford that.

Following the Sadira’s gesture, the creamy wolfdog smiled again. “She is,” he said, hiding the boastfulness behind his words; he was very proud that he was the first of his siblings to get a horse, even if all of them seemed to have an affiliation with the creatures. “Her name’s Hwin. She came from Cercatori d’Arte and was a gift. Alder taught me how to take care of her and ride her.” His tail gave a few flourishing wags at the thought.

Skoll could hear sadness echoing in the other’s tone, and he dipped his muzzle slightly in conclusion of that topic, staring at his feet in a very un-prince-like fashion. He still didn’t quite know the reason why Crimson Dreams had disbanded, but he knew there was no point in wishing that it had returned. At least there were plenty of other neighbors they had good relations with, such as the merchant pack he’d visited, and the warrior one where his friend came from. All he could hope for was that Alder’s family was safe and sound and dry, wherever they were.

“I think…” the blonde boy said slowly and carefully, “I think they know they can come here. Like, if they need it, the Kingdom will welcome them, so I think they’re okay if they can take care of themselves out there.” He was half trying to convince himself, but hopefully it would make the Sadira feel better, too.

Hwin slowly began to slow down, pretty lathered herself from the galloping, when she noticed that Silvano had come to collect the colt. She stopped in front of the young horse and reached over, nipping at his chestnut mane playfully, before prancing over to Skoll with a cocky toss of her head. He had to grin, only because she was generally down-to-earth, but he guessed she got her kicks from picking on younglings anyway. He gestured for her to come closer and rubbed her muzzle with a smile before tilting his head at the knight’s question.

“I’m not really training her in anything, really,” Skoll admitted. “I mean, she knows how to pull a cart already, and other than working on riding her I haven’t done very much. I don’t think she’s like, the warhorse type, if that’s what you mean.” He hesitated then ventured to ask, “Do you think I should train her in something?”

Skoll did not have the horsemanship skills that other luperci were blessed with. He loved Hwin very much, and he enjoyed the feel of their muscles working together when she galloped across the hills, but he simply didn't see himself training her to do much more than that or care for any horse besides her. He was not Alder -- and he was not even Hati, who seemed to want to follow in the Marshall's footsteps; a fact that the sun prince resented, although he tried to hide it. As these thoughts crossed his mind, his green eyes darkened, but his visage was not accustomed to holding a scowl for very long.

He especially couldn't be upset when he saw huffy Heritage. He grinned and shot a look at Hwin, just as he might glance cheekily at another canine, but the horse was content to stand and pretend that the colt didn't even exist. He hoped that didn't come back to bite her later.

"Yeah, Hwin is just a riding companion," Skoll said, glad to be able to put it into words. "I think she could take care of herself if there was trouble though," he added, because mostly he wanted it to be true. He couldn't see himself riding the mare in battle, as he'd said, but he didn't want her to become "dead flesh" just because she wasn't war-trained. He guessed she'd figure some way to stay out of trouble, though.

"What about you?" the boy blurted suddenly, his tail curling and wiggling back and forth. He realized this statement made little sense and clarified quickly, not missing a beat. "I mean, do you know how to fight? You look like you do. That's what I want to learn, myself. I want to be a soldier and protect the pack."