[color=lightgray][h1][center][color=9AF781]Leo[/color] & [color=ab274f]Wulfric[/color]
1st part of skip day collab[/center][/h1][b]Date:[/b] Sola 22nd
[b]Time:[/b] Late afternoon[hr][hr]
Earlier today, Lord Leo had sent him an invitation for an outing in the late afternoon, which Wulfric had responded to with an affirmative. He had wanted to meet with the man regardless, as they had only spoken to each other at the ball, and even then, very briefly. The Varian lord had suggested a companionable horse ride, a notion the prince was rather looking forward to. Any discussions could wait until after that. Especially after the hours spent with paperwork, organizing the investigation team, and planning for its approach, he was quite ready for a breath of fresh air. Both literally and figuratively. After so much sitting, standing, and pacing, he was in dire need of exercise. The hour or so he’d got in in the morning felt unreasonably long ago.

They’d arranged to meet at the stables south of the athletic arena. As for Wulfric, he’d arrived on horseback from the castle; they did have a smaller stable for personal use there. His steed was a gorgeous black Andalusian named Antioch, also called Tio. They’d traversed the short distance at an intermediate walk. There was quite some traffic at this time of the day, with various eateries, cafés, and tea houses beginning to fill out as people went out to enjoy early dinner. The food stalls were also the choice for many; despite their popularity, the prince personally did not see the appeal of such snacks.

Despite the moderate crowding, the way was made for him without any indication from the prince whatsoever. Admittedly, this was pleasing. Where appropriate, Wulfric offered a curt nod, or even casually raised his hand in greeting. Instead of bothering with guards, he was simply armed himself, and he was certain that did not go unnoticed either. Aside from his status, it was a good deterrent and warning to any fools.

When he caught sight of the Varian lord, Wulfric greeted him with a warmly polite tone. [color=ab274f]“Lord Leo,”[/color] he gave a respectful nod. [color=ab274f]“Thank you for your invitation.”[/color]

A not-so-distant whistle resounded, announcing the arrival of a train at the station. [color=ab274f]“Say…”[/color] Wulfric turned to his companion with a glimmer of challenge in his gaze. [color=ab274f]“How about a race? Let’s catch up to that train before it departs. Then whoever’s first to the outer boundary of the city wins?”[/color] he suggested.

[color=9AF781]“Prince Wulfric,”[/color] A respectful nod of his head as he directed his horse towards the other man. [color=9AF781]“Far too nice a day to be spent cooped up. Thank you for accepting.”[/color] His eyes lit up at Wulfric’s suggestion. He glanced at the train pulling in, the ears atop the chestnut horse’s head twitched toward the sound but showed little concern for it. 


[color=9AF781]“A challenge? Accepted of course.”[/color] He patted Menace on the shoulder, [color=9AF781]“Think you can outrun a train?”[/color] He asked the horse who only snorted. Leo didn’t think the train would be much of a problem, the prince’s horse, however, looked like a fast one. 


Menace was, at least in Leo’s mind, a good horse. Well-muscled and an ideal hunting companion; not easily spooked, confident enough to chase down nimble prey, and strong enough to carry said prey back. While Leo would simply describe Menace as fiercely loyal, anyone else who had dealt with the creature found Menace to be a fitting name. 

The young lord took a deep breath as he lined up himself and Menace with Wulfric and his horse, waiting for the race to begin. [color=9AF781]“You know, I watched a similar-looking horse [i]almost[/i] win a race the other day.”[/color] He added, it wasn’t true competition without a little taunting. 


[color=ab274f]“I’ve definitely spent too much of today cooped up already,”[/color] he commented in agreement with Leo’s remark. He smirked at the man’s show of interest in the issued challenge, and glanced at his horse. It seemed like it’d make for decent competition to his.


He chuckled dryly at the barb. [color=ab274f]“Oh, you just keep on watching. You’ll be left in the dust,”[/color] he quipped back. Wulfric then raised a hand, and gave them the starting signal. [color=ab274f]“See you whenever you get there,”[/color] he called cheekily as he spurred on his horse.


Antioch was exceptionally trained, and they’d rode together so often, guiding him felt quite intuitive, with rider and steed both accustomed to each other’s tells. The horse worked up to a canter in no time as Wulfric led him onto a less-used path behind the education buildings. They sped along the forested path. There were some youths there, though they scattered to the side at their approach. They watched in clear fascination, and started to cheer - whether because they realized an impromptu race was occurring, or merely because it was him passing.


As they closed in on the intersection with the road to the west, the prince peered through the treeline carefully. With some calculated maneuvering, they managed to cross the more populated route safely even at their high speed. At his guidance, Tio skillfully weaved in between the buildings as well. A few hoofbeats later, and they freed themselves of those last few trees, emerging right by the railway. An easy powerful jump landed them on the other side of the tracks. Now, with no other obstacles in the way, Antioch could freely gallop.


The duo sped on the low-grassed area by the tracks. The train was still for now, but with the last passengers getting on, it would start up soon. The challenge was not to be overtaken either by machine or man. Wulfric kept entirely focused on the path ahead as they approached the train station.


The whistle resounded once again, signaling the train’s departure. It was easy enough to overtake it - for [i]now[/i]. The mechanical noise drowned out all other sound, but the prince’s steed merely flicked its ears back in annoyance, otherwise not bothered. [color=ab274f]“Come on,”[/color] Wulfric urged him on. That train would accelerate, and inevitably, it would be able to overtake him eventually. It was just a matter of getting to the designated goal [i]faster[/i] than either it or their rival Leo.


Prince Wulfric gave the signal, and with a shout and a snap of the reins, Leo and Menace were off. Everything else faded. There was Leo, his horse, and the path ahead, the rest was just background noise. Hooves smacked against the ground, the wind blew against his skin. Slight adjustments to the reigns directed Menace who matched Leo’s focus. Wulfric knew the terrain better and split off onto a side street just off the main road. By the time Leo noticed it was too late to follow. 


So straight down the much busier Victorian avenue, he rode. The busier street slowed him down even as Menace avoided obstacles before Leo even needed to give direction. Chasing deer in the woods was not too different from this. Swerving around pedestrians who stood like confused trees, not quite bright enough to simply move out of the way. Behind him, an agitated cart pusher shouted about wares spilled into the street as a result of the disruption. It was barely audible over the sound of the train whistle which took precedence. When one enters a contest, even a friendly one, with a man like Wulfric, anything less than best efforts would be an insult. 


Menace galloped forward, nearing the trees that aided in blocking the sounds of trains for the townspeople. Pounding hooves gave way to a moment of silence as the horse leapt across the train tracks. Wulfric and Antioch were already on the other side, galloping ahead with an impressive lead. 


The two horses continued to gallop ahead of the train as it started to move. Antioch maintained a solid lead, a clear advantage had been earned by the man who chose the wiser path. Menace fought hard to close the lead, and while the chestnut steed did not tire easily, he could not outpace the swifter horse. Leo was not losing to a train, he kept his form aligned with the horse. His shouts were barely heard over the train whistle that encouraged the steed to move faster as the finish line was in sight. 


The train chugged behind both riders, gradually beginning to accelerate. It was right on their tailends, and even with the advantage of their initial speed and the distance already gained it was slowly but surely catching up. It was a short distance behind them, just on their tail-end.

However, the goal was right there!


With the gained lead, Wulfric and his steed breezed past the city’s walls. There was no one in front of them, which meant–


[color=ab274f][i]Yes![/i][/color]


The surge of exhilaration prompted him to continue, just to see how long they could hold against the train. But the machine was tireless, limited only by the fuel available and its design - and the latter proved beyond doubt that it was man’s inventive ingenuity which prevailed against any animal. In the next few meters, it accelerated past what any horse could possibly ever hope to achieve.


It clattered past them, the noise overwhelming for a moment, steam billowing above it as reverberations could be felt in one’s bones. As it passed them by, Wulfric had the momentarily insane idea of jumping [i]onto[/i] the train for some reason. Smiling at the ridiculous whimsy, he commanded Antioch to slow down.


Mount and rider watched for a moment as the machine continued onwards, growing smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared beyond the horizon.


Then, the prince motioned for Tio to turn around, and the duo slowly approached their competitors. [color=ab274f]“Well, that was fun.”[/color] Despite the entirely casual statement, there was a clear wildness in his gaze. A sign of his thrill, and the unquenched desire for [i]more[/i]. But the prince’s posture was so thoroughly relaxed and languid, it truly was questionable if he was simply unaware of it, or ignoring it.


As Wulfric continued past the finish line, Leo followed close behind him, until the train pulled ahead and continued out of the city. He watched the screaming hunk of metal barrel through the forest, impressive in its speed, obnoxious in its sound. He relaxed back into the saddle and Menace slowed his pace as they caught up to Wulfric. He offered Menace some congratulatory pats for having bested the train.


Leo took a deep breath and savored the air as Menace began to walk at a leisurely pace. [color=9AF781]“Far better way to travel, fresh air, proper appreciation for the scenery, and an active role.”[/color] When riding a horse, or even in a carriage, the rider had a measure of control over the journey. [color=9AF781]“A sorry day, when men lose appreciation for the journey and simply sit and wait for it to end.”[/color] He added.


[color=ab274f]“I can’t think of a more enjoyable way to travel than riding,”[/color] Wulfric agreed, stroking Tio’s neck appreciatively. [color=ab274f]“But if speed is of the essence, then a train is the better choice. Though, it does seem a matter of convenience and comfort for most,”[/color] he commented.


[color=ab274f]“That was a good showing, Lord Leo,”[/color] he then complimented. Because despite his home advantage, Leo and Menace had done well. [color=ab274f]“We should do this again sometime,”[/color] he suggested. 


[color=9AF781]“A clever victory.”[/color] Leo complimented Wulfric’s careful navigation. [color=9AF781]“And a stunning horse.”[/color] He added, admiring the creature for a moment. A striking image the other horse and rider made, the fair-haired prince and midnight-coated steed. [color=9AF781]“I’d never turn down a challenge.”[/color]


[color=ab274f]“Thank you,”[/color] he smirked, allowing the other man to admire him and his trusty steed. [color=ab274f]“And I shall be looking forward to that.”[/color]
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