[PRP] Nature vs. Nurture (Shen x Lenore)

[Nori Ishida]

There was a mist hanging low over the field as the stallion meandered along, chomping at the sweet, wet grass as he walked. Ripping off a fresh sprig, he raised his head as he chewed and surveyed his surroundings to the east. He had been alone for some time, wandering the lands by himself. He couldn't even remember how long it had been since he had seen his brother. And his mother...well...

Swallowing his bite of grass, he shook his head, rustling his long mane and sending dew drops flying from the end of his muzzle. Fog curled from his nostrils as he sighed and turned his head to the west. It was so quiet. The colder months always brought such still and calm. There was no snow on the ground yet, but it was surely near. That would bring even more silence. It was Shen's favorite time of year. After a turbulent childhood, he had always sought more peace in adulthood, and winter always seemed to bring this. Smiling lightly to himself, he continued his slow and aimless wandering across the field.  

[Nori Ishida]

Shen turned as he heard a voice and saw the winged mare. He was instantly struck by her crimson color and an image of his brother flashed into his mind. He smiled briefly, fondly remembering Huojin, but quickly dashed the smile from his face when he noticed her apprehension. She appeared nervous, holding her wings close as if to shrink and make herself smaller. He lowered his head in an attempt to appear non-threatening and smiled gently at her.

"Hello there, my name is Shen. How are you?"

He was glad to see another soul. It had been quite a while and he always loved meeting new and interesting creatures from around the world. He wondered what could make this mare so anxious and certainly hoped it wasn't his presence. He knew what it felt like to be unwanted, in the worst way, and would never wish that pain and loneliness upon anybody. Least of all did he ever want to be the cause of that loneliness.  

[Nori Ishida]

Shen shook his head. "No, your mother did not send me. In fact, nobody sent me here. Moreover, I have not met your mother, at least not to my knowledge." It was clear that the mare was terrified and it seemed her mother was the source of this. Shen could understand this, to an extent. While his mother had been mean-spirited, he had never suspected she would ever send somebody to do harm to him or his brother.

Though her fear was clearly evident, Shen could see that she was slowly relaxing. She had taken several small steps towards him and he hoped that these were steps of comfort, and not those of a coming attack. Fear could push one into action and even though she did not appear hostile, he stayed aware while trying to reassure the mare that he was no threat.

"It's very nice to meet you Lenore. I promise I am not here to do you any harm." He smiled again, hoping his earnestness showed through. "What brings you to this place? Do you live near here?"