He stood in the trees, hatchet and knife hanging from his hips, a small canteen of water on his front and padded armor over his chainmail to ensure he could be silent, but protected. His helmet had leather covering the metal, riveted on the inside for this reason as well.
He adjusted his leather gloves. This creature had been trying for countless days now to trap him. He knew it was some kind of horse, but its habit of talking to itself was disconcerting and if these new woods taught him anything new.
The more absurd it is, the more capacity to kill it had.
Since there was just one, if he killed it, his home would be that much safer and secret. It almost sniffed his cellar out once.
He tugged his pride from the metal hangers on his back, the rod squeezed out with a tiny sound and he crouched, holding the spear in both hands and moving slowly to hold the pointed tip down. The weapon was made completely of steel, sharpened well and kept maintained with the river stones he used. He went as far as to press his own oil and treat it every now and then to prevent any rust.
Tightened, his hands watched the horse thing while it walked closer and closer.
Then Arctus slipped quietly off the moss covered branches, aiming to spear it right in the throat, he fell from a good eight feet. The horse thing moved, but not fast enough, it's face was gashed opened and blood spilled everywhere.
"I knew you'd try something, but not like this," it sputtered, "you tried to kill me."
He stood tall, aligning his wide bladed, but long headed spear to point at the equine. He reached behind him and gently pulled a small throwing knife out, a trick he learned to use a long time ago to give him a window to triumph.
His feet rushed him to her and with a yell, he thrust his spear forward, the horse jumping back out of the way, blood spilling everywhere as it did. He threw the knife and it landed true, nailing a front hoof of the creature, as he thrust his spear out far to connect again, the horse let loose some sort of cube that struck him far before his spear got close and yellow bars appeared about him, glowing.
His next view was from that of a cell, his spear still dripping with blood of the horse.
"What? How can..."
"Hey! That creature the Princess talked about is here!" He heard a voice.
Princess? No...caught by a creature to be delivered to a royal family for a spectacle? Arctus was keeping his head, that was not negotiable.
And he started bashing the rounded end of his spear against the padlock, taking care to be accurate but not to damage the sharpened head of his spear.
"Stop! We don't want to hurt you!" A...pegasus stood in front of him, barking an order at him. Arctus finally decided...
"Where am I? Whose castle is this?" ...to attempt communication, "am I still in the woods?!"
He laughed, "you can talk! And speak our language!" He stopped bashing the padlock upon the communication, "you just sit tight, she'll be by to see you soon enough."
And he resigned to pace about the cell with no windows, ensuring all his gear was still on him and primed while he walked about. Arctus, in his infinite wisdom, knew lockpicking his way out would be stupid to begin with, so making as much a ruckus as he could was the next best to find out about his enemies.
The seasoned scout looked to the abrs as he heard hooves, likely another horse creature approaching. His spear was already pointed at the entrance.
A larger horse, white coated and with a mix of soft pastel blue, green, and pink in its mane and tail came to him, a horn sprouting from its head and wings on its back, he wasn't sure of any official name to call this one.
"Oh, I guess you are as aggressive as they say you are," a softer voice than the horses he had met so far, "put your spear down, I'm not going to harm you."
He kept his stance, quiet, "just release me and leave me alone."
She chuckled, "back into the forest? That place is far too dangerous."
Her horn light up the same yellow as the bars that transported him to this new cell, he could feel something pull on his spear, "I just want to talk with you, without hostilities."
Same as what every captor ever had said to him.
"My, you are strong."
The horse things had used some kind of power to try and pull his spear through the bars, but just ended up wasting her magic. His spear did not budge from his grip.
"I...I don't think I've met anyone with that kind of strength before. What's your name?"
"Release me," he restated.
It sighed, "fine, we'll give you some food, but I want to talk. You almost killed one of my guards. We can wait until you're ready to talk without violence."
It regarded him as some sort of savage.
And after it left, a guard of these horses came by, giving him some fruits and vegetables to east before leaving. After a while, noise died down and he could tell it was dark, actual night without even seeing the sun.
And the lock clicked open nice and easy, easier than any lock he ever encountered. He took it and pocketed it himself. The door swung open, his hand holding it up to prevent squeaking.