Two fates entwined

Taking the carrot and moving away Rose kept an eye on the man not particularly very trusting of him, after all in her mind she had no real motive to. The boy provided carrots and since he was smaller he was less of a threat, thinking things over and deciding she wanted more food she found there was another piece of carrot waiting for her in his hand. Picking it out of his palm and snorting to herself the ginger and black tail whisked from side to side flicking at the flies as best as it could with how matted and filthy it was. Her mane wasn't much better, filled with burs and knots, dreadlocks caked with mud barely moved when she tossed her head in annoyance at the flying insects that tried to bite her sides. Kicking out when too many landed on her, the ginger mare pawed at the ground ignoring the cloud of dust it created wanting the flies to just go away already.

The movement forward had the mare flattening her ears and backing up not impressed with the feeling of being rushed, over the next few days she proved to be very stubborn and untrusting however she made no attempt to hurt the boy like she did the man whenever he tried to enter the round pen that was quickly becoming her space. One cloudy afternoon that was warm with a few light spots of rain Melissa showed up again for the first time in a few months, wandering around unable to find Julian she eventually visited the round pen in time to see him manage to touch the mare's shoulder and rest his hand there without getting grumped at. The red hide of the mare was unmistakeable along with the messy brand on her shoulder "Julian why do you have Rose here? Ice said she'd killed her" the familiar voice made Rose perk up distracted from the boy to the female that she knew, Melissa and Killian had slipped down to bring her extra food every now and then which was what had gotten them all in trouble and Rose sent away. Melissa's heart warmed slightly at the thought of being able to inform her brother that the mare they had a vague relationship with was alive, well and mostly okay and most importantly in safe hands.

"Yes her name is Rose, she used to be a person but is stuck as a horse thanks to Ice testing things on her. I believe she is deeply scarred from all of the abuse she has gone through, she likes whiskey so you could probably bribe her with that. We once stole her a bottle and she told us all these stories" not entering the round pen, she instead watched as Rose briefly lost interest in her before the 'w' word was mentioned and the mare lost all of her worry and aggression becoming almost soft and kind in hope that she'd be allowed some of what she craved. Trying to whisk her matted tail and remove some flies, in the end, the red animal turned her head and neck to itch where they were, before sidling up to the boy investigating him wondering if he had some of what she wanted. Shoving her nose in his pockets and finding only carrots that suddenly weren't good enough, Rose proceeded to check Melissa snorting rudely when there was no whiskey present and skulking off to the other side of the round pen where she proceeded to scratch at the flies.

Flicking her tail and turning her head to itch her side, the red mare perked her ears figuring out that the rather serious girl seemed to be friends with the boy. When he asked if she could talk, and noting the look on Melissa's face, the creature decided to speak for herself for the first time “When she wants to” used to not being listened to she’d stopped speaking to people and the only reason she spoke now was because of how relaxed Melissa was around him. Force of habit had her itching the messy ugly brand on her shoulder, sick of the flies she stamped angrily and whisked her heavily matted tail over her sides as best she could to be rid of them. Melissa folded her arms and sighed to herself, never really able to understand why anybody liked the bad-tempered foul-mouthed animal “You’ll find she has a tendency to curse and insult like nothing else on this planet” speaking dryly she ducked out of the round pen and leaned against the rails, she would have to let killion know that she was here and alive, perhaps not very well but alive.

The mare listened to the pair of them talking, snorting to herself when the boy mentioned his father not having agreed to having gotten her out of that yard if he'd known. Better that he didn't know then, watching them closely she visibly perked up when he mentioned the whiskey. Melissa nodded quietly resting her forehead against one of the blanks of wood that made up the round pen "I think it will do her good to be here, away from everyone back there" while she didn't like the creature she was also jealous of her, what she wouldn't give to be free, for her brother to be free.