Broken Antler Fen fire & smoke

His wandering has taken him rather far from @Midar, a tendency that has become more frequent lately — but he makes sure he never puts too much distance between them. I'm just restless, he tells himself, trying to ignore the voice in the back of his head murmuring that his justification is only a sign of guilt. He's been avoiding his husband, and he knows it.
Thankfully, the scent of a stranger reaches him just in time to distract him from that particular train of thought. He starts to follow it automatically, grateful for the opportunity even if he isn't certain he's up to being social. A chuff slips from him when he spots the stranger stretched out beneath a tree, and he suddenly wonders if he even remembers how to have a proper conversation anymore. I guess I'll find out, he thinks, trying his best to look friendly as he slows to a stop several yards from the stranger.