unfortunate circumstance

His ears continued to ring and his senses were dulled after that lightning strike. It was too close to comfort for him, and his heart hammered in his chest. What would've happened if he had gotten struck? Would he have ended up paralyzed? Dead maybe? He shuddered at the thought of it. He didn't notice he had intruded on someone else's shelter until slowly, as the ringing went away, he started to make out the sounds of a distorted voice until it was clear. He caught the tail end of her first question, asking him if he was alright. His heart still drummed in his chest, breathing hard from trying to escape the storm and his near-death experience. "I, er, yes. I think I'm fine...it just...came out of nowhere," He tried to calm his breathing. Tried to slow his heart. But sometimes he was a creature of instinct, and he didn't feel safe in these parts. He was practically pressed up against the mountainside, though he carefully turned so as not to take up all the space. His head was lowered a bit to avoid hitting it on any overhangs. He was much taller than the wolf, after all.

He shook his head, sending water spraying off his mane and water flicking from his tail. He turned his head around to take a look at the monkey and hawk, both equally drenched from the storm. And they didn't look happy about it, either. She asked if they had gotten caught up in the storm, to which he nodded. Ears flicking nervously, but it was more for the storm than it was for the wolf. He didn't feel too threatened. She seemed polite, and she was small. Surely if she tried to attack him in such close quarters, he could just stomp her. But he didn't think that was necessary for this situation. They were both travelers, stuck together in a storm that had caught them.

His ears perked as she introduced herself as Laeta, and her companion, Mel. "I am Balian. This is Idu and Akila," He motioned to each one in turn, and they both glanced curiously at the wolf before resuming their attempts at trying to dry off. "I am a horse, yes," Honestly, he was surprised at her question! He supposed his species was rarer in these parts maybe? But then again, there were very few that he encountered that had the intelligence he and the horned stallion had. "I know there is a stallion in the west, pure white with a shimmery coat. Glows I think, and he has a horn. I've met him once a long time ago. Other than he and I, I've not run into any other horses that share the same intelligence as most of your kind."

Okay, he was calmer now. While the storm still raged outside and pelted sticks and stones near his feet, it was easier to avoid the debris while they were sheltered. Outside, he could hear the sound of shifting earth and crashing as some trees were likely being blown over, uprooted, or struck with lightning. He had never experienced a storm this strong before and wondered when it might end.

WC: 1,832/1,500

"Speech"