Alexander Macedonia

when I walk into the room there's nothing you can do
To stop me from making moves
I'm coming for you

It was the very utterance of that ancient word upon his lips that seemed to spark not only the intrigue of Frost, but also the small puppy within his arms. It's ears rose, it's head tilted ever so curiously even as his little tail never ceased it's exuberant wagging. Despite his distraction, however, the Dark Hunter still answered his steed's query on that Greek word, his explanation of just what 'Peritas' was hardly helped to clear up that....peculiar name he had chosen for his first canine. Frost's grumbling hardly went unheeded, however, even as the Hunter's fingers scratched almost affectionately at the top of the puppy's head. "I was, unfortunately, drunk when I named Peritas, but...I was drunk a lot back then." He admitted, it had been a...poor mechanism to cope with the life of being the Macedonian Prince. How great those stressors had been then....and yet how he would have given anything to go back to that life now. Alexander pushed those thoughts from his mind, the Dark Hunter all too aware of his own tendency to dwell in the vividness of the past when he was allowed to, especially those days he'd spent alongside his beloved. Rather, the Macedonian focused instead upon the lost puppy as he declared they would, temporarily, bring it with them. The very announcement seemed to prompt immediate retaliation within his horse as Frost wheeled to face him head on.

Frost's blatant refusal to carry the puppy was, as far as Alexander was concerned, entirely unfounded. The steed himself had suffered from his fair share of dirt and mud and grime from their unexpected visitation to the valley floor - it still soddened his once pristine coat. The dog's weight was entirely unlikely to be noticed in the slightest, of that Alexander was certain and yet his attempts to explain away Frost's concerns was met with the mere stamp of Frost's hoof into the still saturated ground underfoot. He watched as Frost's ears pinned back, the stallion insistent he would not allow the puppy upon his back. An audible sigh left the Dark Hunter's lips, his eyes rolled in the process. "Frost, you have yet to give me a good reason on why you won't." The Macedonian retorted, well aware that this could merely be his steed's equine half rearing its head out of fear rather than the logical side he knew existed with equal strength in the mind of the beast. He reached out for the bridle, determined to continue the race with the small puppy at his side. His efforts, however, were thwarted as the steed swung his head clear of the Monarch's reach.

A distinctly foreign curse was muttered beneath the Dark Hunter's breath before Alexander lunged forward, employing just a hint of his own supernatural capabilities in an effort to catch the stallion off guard. Frost's reactions were equally as swift, the horse only just barely capable of pulling his head out of Alexander's reach -- though not, it seemed, out of the reach of the enthusiastic puppy within his arms. The very moment the dog's tiny needle-point teeth captured onto the leather strap, he was entirely content to pull on it as if it were merely a toy to be enjoyed. A soft, bemused chuckle left Alexander's lips as he rescued those reigns from the puppy's grasp, only to praise the dog for his job well done. He, it seemed, would certainly live up to his name at this rate. The audible noise from Frost made the stallion's irritation entirely plain, though the steed hardly seemed to fight now that he was well aware of his capture. Rather, his muzzle extended outward in a hint of inquisitiveness, Peritias entirely enthusiastic in this interaction as much as he was everything else at the present moment. That high-pitched bark from the puppy's lips was, apparently, utterly terrifying as Frost abruptly swang his head back sharply, as if the puppy might somehow devour him.

A soft sound of amusement left Alexander's lips as Frost insisted the puppy was aggressive, the Dark Hunter certain the dog would hardly attack them, given how thrilled he seemed to be to remain within the King's grasp. Nevertheless, he responded to his steed's threat with a small shrug of his shoulders, "Perhaps if you listened better, then I wouldn't require him to chase you." Alexander countered as he lifted himself and the saved puppy up into the saddle, Frost hardly afforded him a moment to get comfortable before he swung back into a canter, the action purposefully meant to be a jarring display of his rebellion. This, however, was an action Alexander was willing to permit as he adjusted both himself and the dog within the saddle. He had known, after all, that his comment would hardly go without retaliation. The oceanic hue of his gaze eventually turned towards the horizon, however, before something caught his eye. It was merely a speck, really, and yet, what was more important was that it was moving. Alexander was swift to bring his steed's attention towards the other rider they'd finally found, the pair clearly making their way to the base camp the same as Alexander and Frost. The very mention of the rider saw Frost's speed increase and already Alexander reached for the GPS, his thoughts equally as focused upon the distance between them even before Frost's query came.

It only took a moment for Alexander to stare at that small screen before he glanced upwards and towards the horizon, a small hill obscuring his view of the other side where the camp surely rested. "Only a mile and a half." He responded, entirely aware it fell within his steed's capabilities. Already he could feel Frost tugging at the reins, the steed itching to give it his all and yet...with the time limit for the race's conclusion for the day lingering, the base camp on the horizon, and the first glint of competition, Alexander saw no reason not to allow his stallion a chance to expunge that energy he had been carefully keeping in check. He allowed that pace to quicken into a full on gallop, as Frost near flew across the steppes. The very sound of his hooves hitting the grassland clearly garnered the attention of their competitor as he quickly urged his mount onwards to match that breakneck pace. Alexander almost pitied the smaller pony, the mare brave in her efforts to draw even with the far bigger horse though the Dark Hunter knew the inevitable outcome of this race. Nevertheless, Alexander leaned forward ever so slightly, reducing the drag his own body provided as Frost dug his heels in all the more, his ears pinned back in sheer determination. Peritas remained as thrilled as he had been thus far, the puppy's tongue lolling out of his mouth as his ears flopped in the wind.

Already Alexander could spot the base camp fast approaching, the outline of the yurts so quickly coming into focus as they raced onwards. The sound of hooves quickly garnered the attention of the competitors that had already made it to the camp. The pair of horses remained side by side until they hit the base of the hill, the incline required far more than the mare was able to offer at such speeds and steadily, quite as Alexander anticipated, Frost began to gain distance. How quickly the large draft made it up the hill, the steed galloping into the base camp ahead of their competition before he began to slow. The sound of a voice behind him caused a charming simper to brush across the Macedonian's features. "It was nice to finally have some competition." He responded with a warm hint of laughter upon his lips as he reached out to shake the hand of his good-natured opponent. "We look forward to it." Alexander offered, making every effort to appear the good sport. He let Frost make his way towards the nearest bucket of water, the Dark Hunter swung from the saddle, gathering up the barking puppy in his arms before a single hand patted down the steed's neck. "Don't drink too much, Frost." He warned the stallion, watching acutely as the steed gulped down the water in the bucket.

It was the sound of another familiar voice that drew the Dark Hunter's gaze upwards and away from his steed. His hand lifted, waving comradly at the other competitor that had joined his small cliche at the beginning of the race. It was nice to see such friendly faces when the Derby held far more ill intentions in his future. The very thought of Khan only seemed to cause the man himself to materialize, even if Alexander himself hadn't noticed the vampire at the other end of the camp. It was Frost's head rubbing into his shoulder that momentarily distracted him, the Macedonian made some effort to lightly shove his horse off of him, even if those words had been heard. "We actually picked up a stray a few miles out, I wouldn't want him bothering you tonight." The Dark Hunter responded to that offer with an easy grin and a gesture down towards the horse in his arms, how quickly the little puppy seemed to garner the attention of not only his fellow competitors but several of the Mongolian staff members - Peritas more then content to bask in their affection, though most things seemed to thrill the puppy. Nevertheless, he provided a sufficient enough excuse to set up his own tent on the edges of the camp, the Dark Hunter purposefully ensuring that they remained on the opposite side than Khan.

As those evening hours outside of the allowed race time dawned upon the base camp, it became a near flurry of activity as the Mongolian families cooked nothing short of a veritable feast for the few competitors present. There were no more than six of them, Alexander, in turn, forced to share the table with the vampiric man he so detested, even if he wholly ignored the Mongolian's presence altogether. In the aftermath of dinner, the Dark Hunter managed to attend to not only the mud that had caked his own shirt, but also the rescued puppy - the women within the camp more than eager to ensure their unexpected guest was washed, dried, groomed, and well fed. He had only just paused at Frost's side to ensure the untacted horse was equally as comfortable before the oceanic hue of his gaze shifted towards Khan's tent. "Stay alert Frost, remember he's a vampire...the night is when he thrives." Alexander paused, only to glance at the small puppy that yawned as it sat next to the Hunter's feet. "Or at least provide a good distraction for our horse-eating dog to take him out." He added almost teasingly before affectionately patting the stallions nape. "Good job today, good night Frost."