Dmitri reluctantly slowed down to what would be a more normal speed for a horse. It would do him no good to run out of magic completely when his sister and the crown prince-er, princess were counting on him, not to mention his wife, Velene. He was no magic prodigy like his sister, nor was he a Horse Witch like his grandmother who had helped fine-tune the Copperstone Witch's Pony breed. As such, he needed to conserve his resources.
Meanwhile, he veered off the beaten road, just to be safe. His ears swiveled this way and that in order to catch the slightest hint of approaching traffic, and he sniffed the wind often to pick up any unusual scents. While he felt it unlikely to encounter rebels so far from any strategic locations, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Despite these precautions, however, he was quite surprised to find himself stumbling into company on the way.
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Gelvin Warstone was traveling along the road in his horse form, enjoying the fresh air. After his fortunate encounter with Anya, he felt it best to leave early.
He was no fool. Once the Copperstone family realized his trick, they would definitely head for the horse farm to track him down. While he had every intention of showing up to claim his rights eventually, he wanted to assess their reaction first. This meant changing locations, first of all.
So, it was a lucky happenstance that this riding school needed a Horse Witch at this time. Apparently, their resident Horse Witch had fled, and they were only operating with the help of some substitute witch they managed to find, a friend of the owners it seemed. No matter. Their need was his convenience.
Suddenly, a scent made him pause. A horse? No, something more. The telltale hint of natural magic accompanied the scent, impossible unless... No, it couldn't be.
Quickly, he moved under cover and waited, keeping downwind from the scent's source. As it drew closer, it was unmistakable. A Witch's Pony! And no hint of a rider, either! For whatever reason, it was moving at a slow pace, at least for a Witch's Pony. No doubt, it was low on magic. Even more luck! With the countryside in so much upheaval, who knew what one could find wandering the road?
Not wasting time, he moved to intercept the animal, readying a spell. Then, it was upon him. A beautiful Witch's Pony stallion, Copperstone breed no less, came bursting from the trees.