Word Count → 469 :: tell me if I should change anything
The young hybrid saw the horse before she saw its fallen rider. She might have thought it was one from Salsola's or Inferni's wild herds, if it wasn't for the tack it was wearing. It was also far larger than she remembered any of the horses being. Ataxia gave a small, pup-like noise that conveyed curiosity. Who would be so stupid to leave their horse alone, so close to Salsola's borders?
The girl urged her own horse - a silver dappled black stallion - forward to get a better look. Her ears stood straight, alert for signs of a trap. Her sense of smell told her something was wrong before sight did, as tall wildflowers concealed the ground. Her horse flared his nostrils, and stopped ten feet from the gelding. Both horse and rider detected the odor of dried blood. "Hello?" She called out, and gave another glance around the area. It would be just her luck that someone attacked her the first time she traveled outside of Salsola since the Boreas war.
Cautiously, she slid down from her horse. Her hands passed over the dagger sheathed at her side, but she did not pull it out for fear of frightening the gelding. He was obviously agitated, and the gleam of metal in her hand might cause him to become skittish. The situation was odd enough that she considered calling for others of the Kingdom to help - they were close enough, they might hear her - but that was also out of the question due to the unknown temperament of the horse. "Hey," The dark hybrid said as she approached, talking in a calm, even manner. "What are you doing out here?"
Ataxia felt something furry beneath her foot, and glanced down before she accidentally stepped on the tail of a wounded man. This was more interesting than the horse, if only because it explained why the gelding was without a rider. She knelt down beside the tall hybrid and prodded him. "Are you alive?" She wasn't a medic, so it didn't occur to her to check his pulse. The girl only realized that he was, indeed, alive after staring at him and noticing that his chest rose and fell with each breath.
"Hmm..." Therein lied an opportunity. He was a strong man, but he was wounded and alone. Salsola would have use for someone like him, assuming she could drag him back somehow and keep him alive. Perhaps it would even help her get promoted. The dark hybrid's face spread into a smile. "There are healers in my pack. Stay still." She said, in case he was listening. It wouldn't do any good to announce her intentions and have him resist. Even as weakened as he was, it would make the task more difficult.
.heraldictxt-box {background-image:url(http://i.minus.com/isouZf6qbMVQM.png); background-repeat:no-repeat; background-position: top center; width:233px; height:178px; float:right; margin:3px; }
.heraldictxt {font-family:'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing:0px; word-spacing:2px; text-align: left; margin:0px 25px;}
.heraldictxt p.ooc {font-style:italic; font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12px; text-align:justify; text-indent:0px; padding:0px 5px;}
.heraldictxt p.ooc + p {padding:0px 5px;}
.heraldictxt .wc {text-transform: uppercase; font-weight:bold;}
.heraldictxt p {text-indent: 25px; margin:0px; padding:10px 5px;}
.heraldictxt b {letter-spacing:1px; font-family:georgia, serif; font-size:12px; letter-spacing:-.05em;}
</style>
[/html]