Rei stares back at the prince for a few seconds after he announces his idea as to why the animals don't like him. [i]'I have always considered it may be that. However I think it is more the taint of may aura than the actual smell of all the blood I have spilled. I think it must be confusing for the animals to smell me, and sense a killer. Something normally so kind and familiar feeling like a butcher'[/i] He nods slowly in response to the assessment before turning his attention to the men with the horse. He can her what they are saying very clearly but keeps his gaze on the animal. [i]'It matters not to me what they think of me, or the prince for that matter, however their words are questionable. If they are willing to speak aloud such thoughts about the prince, they may be willing to aid an assassin for the right price. Or even on accident for that matter'[/i]

His eyes fall from the horse to the prince. Now with his back to the fae he watches the motion curiously, wondering if it is some sort of signal to him. [i]'No. It is more like he is tense over something'[/i] Looking over the area he doesn't see anything suspicious, so his attention falls back to Alessandro. Stepping to the side slightly he figures out what the fist means. [i]'By their words and his tenseness, I believe he is upset. Perhaps his ego took a blow to head them speak of him like that. Or me for that matter. After all, I know humans hate when their deeds are judged by others, especially when judged so harshly'[/i] He decides not to follow the prince for now, knowing it will only upset the animal further, and instead turns his attention to the stable. However he does keep one ear on the prince and the men.

[i]'I should travel well back from him, perhaps it will relax in time once it figure out I am not coming any closer'[/i] He listens to the prince snap at the men and wonders why he would say such thing. [i]'He knows very well that it is my fault, so why does he blame them? Perhaps they really do stink and it just adds to the upset of the big black horse'[/i] When the animal rears a hand goes to his blade and he turns his full attention on to the prince and the animal. He would rather kill the thing than have the prince thrown off and break his neck or something of the like. His fingers tense around the handle but as he watches the young man work he relaxes his grip. When it drops back down he makes sure the blade is clear of it's scabbard so it wouldn't stick if he decided to draw it. His eyes are like a hawks as it continues to fit and his body remains keyed up should the prince fail to contain it.

When at last it does settle his fingers slide from his handle an instant before the prince looks to him and his eyes regain their disinterested haze. From the stable door he can hear the workers whispering among one another and while he gives the prince a nod to indicate he heard him, he listens intently to what they are saying.

“Did you see that?! He really did look like a killer just then!”

“Yes but he wasn't looking at the prince, was he?”

“No, he was, at the horse, but why?”

“He was going to kill it, wasn't he? To protect the prince?”

The whispering continues even as a stout looking man walks out of the stable, the dapple gray's reins in his clammy hand. As he turns to look at the man he feels a faint bit of satisfaction as he jumps and stumbles a little. [i]'Well, if something like that is enough to change their minds even a little, then I'd say the upset animal is worth it'[/i] Glancing at Alessandro real quick he makes sure he's got the right idea before the groom stops in front of him, his hand shaking as he hold out the reins. “Thank you.” he murmurs softly, taking the reins gently from the man as to not scare him any further. The groom bows slightly to him, then deeper to the prince, then doing his best to make it look like he's not, flees back to his fellows in the stable.

Rei ignores the staff as they set up whispering again, having the good sense to do it out of sight of the prince now that SilverWind is out of the stable, and instead he moves as swiftly as he can to get ready for the ride. Bringing the reins over her head, his short stature not making that easy, he settles them against her neck before reaching up to make sure his hat is secure. [i]'If we are to be riding, it will have to stand up to the breeze'[/i] Once he's sure it's not going to fall off any time soon he forgoes the stirrup altogether he leaps nimbly into the saddle. She doesn't seem to react at all to the sudden movement an instead lowers her head to pick at the ground a bit. The grooms saddling her had done their best to put the stirrups in the right place for Rei and as he slips his boots in he sees they did a very good job guessing his height.

Rei seems to relax into the saddle and suddenly her head comes up. She doesn't look startled, just alert. [i]~Listen up lady. We are going to be following the big black one today. We can greet properly later. For now, just do not knock me off, and keep up. I will let you lead, but do not get too close.~[/i] Her ears move around as if she's listening to something, but Rei's words to her are not something one hears with their ears. Because she already is open to him, speaking to the mare like this is very simple magic for him. True, this is the only time he can communicate with animals, when they already like him, but it is a useful skill none the less, and he has trained it best he can. Her head bobs up and down a bit, one hoof pawing the ground. His little communing with the mare finished he takes up her reins and looks to the prince. “Ready. Lead the way.” None of the palace staff noticed what had happened, the magic interaction slight, and invisible to the human eye, but with their whispers the continue to speculate about the young assassin turned bodyguard.