To Close For Comfort

I hope this is an AW thread, haha, if not I'll delete this! ^_ ^

As fascinating as winter was, Atreyu couldn't wait for summer to return. He missed rolling in the mud and, while his coat was thick enough to protect him from the harsh winds, it was more suitable for the milder temperatures that the warmer months brought. The heavens seemed to taunt him with hints of spring, letting the sun peak through the clouds that obscured the sky, the wind easing occasionally to a casual breeze. The boy lazed by the ocean, rubbing sand and grit into his coat to itch the fleas that had taken up permanent residence in his fur.

He was content to simply spend the rest of the afternoon there, but a foreign scent caused him to jolt upright, ears pricked and his lip lifting into a territorial snarl. He quickly rose to his paws and loped towards where the smell was coming from, finding the would-be intruder lurking about the borders. For a second, he thought he had run into Aesop and was about to ask him why he smelt different, but the stranger's eyes were not green — instead they were a deep but piercing brown. Hackles bristling, the boy came to a stop at a distance, eyeing up the incredibly imposing stranger. He readied himself to request for backup, should he prove to be hostile.

"You have business here?" he called, trying to appear intimidating, though he couldn't hide the excitement in his eyes. This was his very first border intervention.