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Claude was, previously, enjoying a very nice outing with his brother. However, something he said had set off Claude's already frayed nerves. Perhaps it was innocent, and Suichii most likely didn't deserve it. Claude would apologize later, but at that moment he was just too angry with everything to be bothered with morality. He stomped through the new mud, mixed by the fresh rains. Brown splattered up his newly muscled legs, almost unseen among the busy orange and red of his pelt. Scarlet would be furious that he had gotten himself so busy. He didn't care. He'd deal with that when it came. For now he just tried to get out all of his aggression, pounding the negative feelings through his legs and into the ground, where they would be rendered moot.
The therapy did it's job. Soon the stomping became useless and he was no longer smarting with irritation. The only down side was that he felt really bad for hurting his brother as he did. He knew Suichii would forgive him, he always did. Suichii was far too good, and often Claude didn't believe his stories of a past stained red with sin. Claude felt even worse know Suichii would happily forgive him. Why couldn't the stallion just hold a grudge for once? That would be easier to deal with. He was so consumed in his thoughts that he didn't realize that in the process of walking he'd become quite lost. This was not normal, since he was almost always on his guard. He huffed and swiveled his ears to the front of his head, searching for any sound.

A small voice caught Claude's attention. Ever suspicious, he assumed her to be used as bait and observed her from behind heavy brush. He watched for a moment, sounds of water hitting the earth around her head not brought on by raindrops making him drop his guard. Carefully, so as not to alarm the poor filly, Claude stepped forward. He tucked his wings as tight to his sides as he could, dipping his head to make himself eye level with her to as to make himself look smaller. He grinned gently, moving forward into the clearing, staying in the light so she could better see him. "Hello there," he cooed gently, grinning softly, "might I ask what such a pretty little girl is doing out here on her own. Certainly you have a guardian." He looked up and around to search for an adult around them, seeing only forest. He pursed his lips, looking back down at the filly, noting her red eyes. He decided not to mention them, instead saying, "well, for someone who seems to be lost you are very brave. At your age I would have been in tears by now." He folded his legs under him, settling into the grass around him. Once comfortable he turned his attention back to the filly. "My name is Claude." He grinned, raising a wing to gently touch the side of her face. "Now, little one, tell me where you belong, and I will take you home. No need to fuss."

Claude's eyebrows rose as the filly declared her independence. He brought his wing back, not wounded in the least. If anything he was happy she was so wary of strangers. He nodded to her, speaking gently so as not to alarm the already jumpy filly. "Well, if you're sure, and you sound to be. I can see my presence here is not needed." He grinned gently to her, bowing his head deeply. "However, if only so I can sleep tonight, I'd feel better if I stayed here until you're guardian comes back. I'd hate to get wind of a filly attacked when I could have stopped it." He settled back into the moist grass as he spoke. "After all, this part of the forest is no place for a lone filly. By the way... might I ask your name, little one? By the looks of it you are fast growing into adult hood, I can practically see it as I sit here. Little one is not a proper name for such a fast growing filly."

“Kai.” Claude repeated the name softly. “Well Kai, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He grinned to her, nodding softly. “Tell you what; I’ll make you a deal. I live not too far from here, Kai, with my wife, Istas. If, when the sun has sunken below that tree line,” he pointed to the tops of the trees to the west, “your friend has not returned, I will take you home with me, get you fed, and settled in for sleep. In the morning we’ll go looking for him. How does that sound?” Granted, Claude knew he sounded like a predator. But he also knew this little filly was far too young to be left alone like this, and the thought made his blood boil. “That gives us about… oh I’d say an hour. Sound good to you?”