He grunted loudly as Lakha sent him reeling back, his hind hooves scrambling over themselves for track. Cole vaguely heard Avery’s cry as he felt his hind legs hit the bar. He then immediately launched himself like a spring at Lakha’s torso. He felt his whole spine contract as his shoulder dug itself into Lakha’s stomach. Shouts and screams erupted as both stallions flew back out the tavern and tumbled into the dirt. The vague plan in Cole’s head was to render his opponent immobile, likely by using the advantage of weight, until others came to clean things up.
Cole’s hair was getting into his eyes and mouth as he rather blindly scrambled to get Lakha’s slippery arms under control.
Bhearit:
With one hand on the door opened ajar, he was just about to step out when his other hand was clasped about the wrist. For the slightest second, he expected it to be Ashtohn, but as he looked up, he realized it was Kavani. His hearts gave a small leap at the sight.
Her soft-spoken offer was impossible to refuse. Bhearit swallowed and nodded, unable to speak himself. Perhaps some company would do him good. Company other than Ashtohn.
He opened the door wider for Kavani to step through before following her. The next few steps were in silence as they both rounded the cabin to the shelter which held the wood. Bhearit stopped a couple strides behind Kavani. He was sure they both knew that neither of them were outside for more firewood. That much was obvious. The awkwardness about the earlier drama was pretty apparent too.
Bhearit wrapped his arms loosely around himself, clearing his throat quietly as he gazed at the ground. He inhaled, “I’m—I’d like to apologize for the scene I’ve caused. The unneces’ry drama,” Bhearit said finally, looking up briefly to glance to Kavani’s face. He didn’t quite meet her eyes, but he was determined to do so soon. “I got ahead of myself, for certain…” Bhearit straightened up more, becoming aware of his posture.
He looked at Kavani. It was difficult to see the expression on her face at this time of night. “I let my feelings get the better of me, and I let it spill. I will try to do better. The last thing you and Kollin need is more instability,” he said and then paused a moment. “Not that you should rely— or do rely—on me of course. What I mean to say is that I think it would be good that you have less unstable people in your life. Ah. You know what I mean.”
Bhearit cleared his throat again, placed his hands on his hips, and then folded his arms with a heavy sigh.
Rimecrest:
He grunted as he tried to move his limbs—all of which were very heavy. He swiveled his ears around and blinked rapidly. “I feel like I’m underwater,” Rimecrest slurred. He managed to just lift one of his wings, the one he wasn’t lying on, and stretch out his flight feathers. They spread apart and trembled, sending shivers through his whole body. The colt swallowed dryly and sank his head back into the moss. His thoughts were still slow and far away.
“It’s dark. I’m—I think i’m going to sleep,” he mumbled and gave a soft sigh.
Callum:
He could feel Hassan’s eyes on him even as he looked out toward the forest. Now that the excitement had gone down, so had Callum’s energy—which wasn’t good. He was tired before, yes, but he had things to do. Active things. Now, he was just standing with two other pegasi (I think it was two I can’t remember) keeping watch over three young centaurs. He began to realize that he might not actually be any good to anyone if he couldn’t keep awake.
The three siblings had been made to lie down so that any chance of escape would be rendered more difficult. Leila remained in the middle of her two brothers: Hassan on her left and Fiell on her right. Fiell seemed to have dozed off, and Leila as well. Callum was certain the eldest had not, and he likely did not plan to sleep at all. Callum didn’t want to be outdone by this young stallion, but he felt his mind getting slower and his eyelids growing heavier. A steady throbbing had begun behind his right temple, which he knew would not go away without sleep. Callum crossed his arms and shifted his weight off of his left hind leg.
Seamus looked as much like a ghost to him as he did to Seamus. He took in the Chief’s face-framing red hair, vivid sorrel coat, and the tattoos that ran across his body. These were the features of the Chief Seamus he remembered, and yet, he couldn’t possibly imagine this as Chief Seamus.
The Chief Seamus he had known would have have abandoned Irichad’s loyal scouts to chilly deaths. The Chief Seamus he had known would never have let everyone believe that they were dead. The Chief Seamus he had known would never have hidden Lanseril’s body and buried him without a proper funeral gathering.
Was this even Chief Seamus? Or was this the ghost of the chief he had once known?
He didn’t have revolution on the mind, at least not yet.
Romie stared at the chief, confusion and anger flickering in his steely gaze. He didn’t say anything, but his gaze itself was asking a question. He wanted to know why. He wanted to understand.
@Morningmist haha! That’s awesome! I’ll have to read it!
I commented this in response to Aspi’s comment so I’ll go ahead and re-comment it to show you, as well.
Seamus will probably try to defend himself and disagree with what Carmela is accusing him of. He’ll say something along the lines of not knowing Romie and the others in the group had been alive all this time, or that Snow herd was involved. If he had known Snow herd was the one at fault, he would have bartered or even invaded Snow herd to get them back. But when the search parties found nothing, he assumed they had perished on their expedition due to natural causes. Seamus cares for his subjects and he will be relieved that Romie is alive and home. He’ll apologize for what happened to him, but he won’t take the blame. Does all that work for you?)
(I’ll let Ash reply first before I comment too much with Avery!)
Avery:
Her hearts hammered loudly in her chests when Cole pulled Lakha towards the door. The tavern had gotten quiet as centaurs disregarded their meals and conversations to watch the sudden tension unfold.
Avery swallowed and followed after Cole. She anxiously glanced between the two stallions, their anger so rich and intense she could practically feel it. Without warning, Lakha reared and struck out his sharp hooves, aiming right at Cole’s legs. Her eyes widened -immediately scared for Cole- and all she could do was cry out.
Kavani:
She finished wiping off the counter as she heard the door open softly. Bhearit appeared in the doorway, looking miserable and exhausted. She left the clean counter behind and came to stand closer to him, then slowed to a halt once Bhearit’s brother came inside.
The air was thick with awkwardness and unspoken words. Kavani shifted her weight -and unsure what else to do- offered a small wave at Ashtohn.
Her gaze found Bhearit’s again and her expression softened as she searched his eyes. Kavani hated to see him so upset and hurt.
Both brothers had lost someone dear to them, and her absence was obviously on the forefront of their minds. Kavani knew that pain all too well. Her mind thought back to her father. The weak smile he had summoned specifically for her as she sat next to his bed, clutching his hand like a lifeline and trying to hold back her tears. She remembered laying old, drab flowers over the mound of fresh dirt at the base of the tombstone. After a simple funeral in the rain, her mother had locked herself in her room for days. Maybe weeks. And locked her two young children out. Kavani was utterly alone before she had time to register and grieve her own father’s death. She remembered Kollin’s small, round face peering up at her, and trailing her around the kitchen as she tried to make some sort of dinner. Back then, there was no one to comfort her, no one to guide her or tell her what to do. How to raise her 5 year old brother when she was just a 13 year old girl. How to reason with her mother whenever she had episodes of confusion and instability. The world and all its problems has been riding on her shoulders ever since.
Since she knew Bhearit and Ashtohn’s grief, she wanted to help. To help ease the heart-wrenching pain in some way. In any way she could.
As Bhearit headed for the door, muttering something about getting more firewood, Kavani walked after him and took his wrist gently. When she spoke, her voice was steadfast with a light-hearted tenderness she only seemed to use when it came to Bhearit.
“I can go with you? Another set of hands to carry firewood?” It was a question, an offer, and he could refuse if he wanted.
Even if the task was as simple as collecting firewood, she secretly hoped Bhearit would accept her help. She didn’t want to be alone, and she hoped Bhearit didn’t either.
(Tehehehehehehe)
Fawnroot:
As soon as she entered the den, she heard Rimecrest’s voice. Her heart swelled with hope and relief. She hurried over to him and laid a comforting wing against his back. “Easy; you’re alright. I’m here.” She muzzled his forelock out of his eyes.
“How do you feel?” Fawnroot had heard the way he groaned a moment ago as he sank deeper into the moss and feather-covered ground. “Are you in pain?”
The medicine mare kept her voice calm and thoughtful as she inspected his body and checked for a fever.
During the questioning with Callum and Rayfire, Hassan did not give them any useful information. Fawnroot doubted the younger sibling’s were involved, but she was confident that Hassan was hiding something. His strange tin of “sleeping medication” was the only lead she had, so his relation to Rimecrest’s condition was concerning. Plus, his reluctance to speak honestly and his clear disdain for Pegasi didn’t exactly work in his favor. And yet, the last thing Fawnroot wanted to do was jump to conclusions and falsely blame him for something they didn’t have real evidence for.
She forced those thoughts out of her mind -they wouldn’t do her any good right now- and focused back on Rimecrest. In this moment, she was just relieved he was awake.
Lakha: His dark complexion hid the fact that Cole’s words sent the blood rushing into his face. “They don’t know anything and neither do you,” Lakha spat. It might seem bananas to a guy like Cole who had spent the last few years in Johirestown, but the people in Iraweigh cared more about the sacred monkeys than they did about sportsmanship.
He tried to see past Cole to the centaurs inside the bar. If this were to mean anything at all, they would have to be able to see him! He saw Cole’s wither’s tense, so he knew his best bet was to go low, for the centaur’s knees.
Lakha reared up and then dove down, crashing his hooves towards Cole’s knees, trying to knock him backward, through the glass doors and back into the pub.
(Don’t worry at all, Ashsong! I’ll be praying for you and I hope that 2025 will bring peace and comfort. As you said, you are not alone-these last few months have been challenging for me, too. God is with you and everything will get better!)
Avery:
She felt a little guilty about making a late entrance, but she also enjoyed their intimate moments before finally heading out. After Cole’s tournament and the long day, it was nice to finally have some time just for each other, which was cut short due to the celebratory party. However, based on the immediate cheers and applause from the fans in the tavern, she doubted many of the centaurs noticed, and their tardiness was easily forgiven and forgotten. Cole was swept up by the crowd. Drinks were hoisted into the air, hooves stomped into the ground, cheers echoed around the room, and Cole’s coach personally congratulated his triumph. Avery couldn’t stop grinning; she was deeply proud of Cole, and he deserved this party’s recognition.
She laughed at the boisterous energy that buzzed in the room, and cheered along as they toasted to his victory.
As everyone slowly calmed down and went back to their drinks and meals, Avery wandered around the tavern; partially exploring the bar and partially looking for Cole. She smoothed down her green blouse right as a warm hand snaked its way around her waist. At first, she assumed it was a drunk stallion trying to flirt with her, but as she turned to face the centaur, relief washed over her and her gaze softened at the sight of Cole.
She blushed at his comment about missing her, then leaned towards his ear to respond, “You’re very popular! This is your night and your party! You deserve to celebrate and-“ She was wholly interrupted by a slurring, drunk centaur who reeked of cider and sweat. Avery pinned her ears at him and swished her red tail defiantly. “Leave us alone!” Her voice cracked as she spoke, but she wasn’t about to let this berating stallion ruin their night. His words felt like a knife in her heart, but she tried not to show it.
It took her a moment to recognize him as Cole’s opponent from the boxing match: so, he was a sore loser looking for a fight. Avery swallowed and took a step away from Lakha.
(AAAAAAAA ASHTOHN YOU POOR DUDE! AAAAAA Bhearit, too! Someone get them some ice cream and a nap! This is hard on both of them for different reasons 😭😭)
Kavani:
She took the tea mug with a grateful smile, while Kollin sniffed the dark liquid and blinked down at it curiously. Kavani looked back to Bhearit as he handed her a piece of bread and her lips quirked slightly as he teased her about it, but she accepted the bread anyway.
A knock at the door took Bhearit’s attention, and Kavani stiffened as he moved to answer it. A somewhat familiar voice reached her ears and she frowned. Was that Bhearit’s half-brother? The one they briefly met that morning? Suddenly suspicious and intrigued, Kavani stood up straighter as she watched Bhearit carefully for any sign that she needed to step in. He didn’t need to deal with this right now.
But, in that moment, Bhearit stepped outside and closed the door behind him. The silence that followed Bhearit’s absence was deafening.
She swallowed and took her own mug of tea into both hands, staring down at her distorted reflection in the dark liquid as her thoughts drifted to Bhearit. She was tempted to go outside and see if he was alright, but that seemed like a very private and exclusively familial conversation; she didn’t wish to intrude on Bhearit’s private life more than she already had. However, she saw the drawn and tight look on his face before he closed the door; whatever they were talking about was painful for him.
Kavani sighed and glanced down at Kollin, who had taken it upon himself to sip carefully on his tea. Kavani desperately hoped that the hot, calming tea would help Kollin settle down. She rubbed the ends of his hair for a moment, and he leaned his head against her torso.
“I think Bhearit’s right about Teddy being tired; we should get him to bed. It’s past his bedtime, after all.” Technically, it was past Kollin’s bedtime, but Bhearit was smart: making it seem like Teddy was the one who actually needed sleep might be enough reason to get Kollin into bed.
The boy took one look down at his stuffed bear, before shoving the remaining portion of bread into his mouth and scampering into the bedroom without a word. Kavani followed closely behind him and helped him change into a softer shirt that he preferred to sleep in. She still didn’t like the idea of sleeping in Bhearit’s bed, while he was forced to be on the floor, but now didn’t seem like the time to argue about it.
Kollin yawned big as Kavani tucked him in. “I’m not tired. I wanna stay up!” He said as he drew the covers around Teddy, tucking in his bear just as Kavani had done for him.
“Try to sleep. Teddy needs you, and it’s been a long day. I’ll be in soon.” Kavani replied simply, and extinguished the lantern on the little bedside table. Deep, encompassing darkness filled the room and she sat in silence next to the bed, listening to the soft sounds of Kollin’s breath. Sleep weighed down her mind and the darkness of the room was so comforting that she found it difficult to move, but she didn’t want to rest until making sure Bhearit was alright. “Goodnight,” She muttered softly as she pulled herself up and closed the door behind her.
After finally getting Kollin to bed, she looked around the main room in the little hut. Bhearit was nowhere in sight. Was he still outside? She couldn’t hear anything other than the wind through the branches and the slight creaking of the house. Kavani peeked out of the nearest window and barely made out Bhearit’s paint coat illuminated by the dim light in the house. Standing across from him was his step-brother, but it was far too dark to see him clearly. Deciding to leave the brothers to have their privacy, she headed back to the kitchen where her bread and tea was left discarded. To pass the time, she started wiping down the counter with a wet rag, putting away the leftover bread, cleaning the tea kettle and Kollin’s empty mug: all while sipping on her luke-warm tea and listening for Bhearit’s voice.
(LOOOOONG DXXX)
(In order to save on time since the RP is closing, we can just skip till morning with Sun herd. I originally had an idea to make Hawkflight intervene and cause some trouble, but I don’t see much of a point to it now hehe. Unless, Ash you’d like to do it for fun or something?)
Fawnroot:
She sent one last smile over her shoulder at Callum before picking up a trot and weaving her way through the trees. The familiar meadow broadened before her and the sounds of the herd settling down for the night were all she could hear.
Her first priority was to check on Rimecrest. There was a good chance he was still unconscious, but if he was awake, he would probably be hungry and thirsty. She made her way to the medicine mare den with renewed fervor, her breath coming out from her nostrils in visible puffs.
She fanned her feathers readily as she cantered inside the den, looking for the colt.
Seamus:
An older guard opened the door and peered into the early morning light. “State your business,” He had hardly finished speaking when his eyes grew wide with recognition. His jaw fell slack as he stared dumbfounded at Romie, as if he were seeing a ghost. “Erm, I will fetch the chief. P-Please come in.” He stammered through his shock, and opened the door wide enough for them to enter.
Not wasting a second, he turned on his heels and ran down a long hallway to the chief’s office. “Sir! Your presence is requested.” He spoke rapidly as he pounded on the chief’s birch door.
Seamus came to the door not a second later, and studied the guard for a long moment and took a long swig from his coffee before responding, “Osiris, what’s wrong? You’re as pale as the snow.”
Osiris seemed to get more frantic in response to the chief’s nonchalance.
“Yessir. Please come to the throne room… You’ll want to see for yourself.”
Seamus raised a red brow at his guard, then nodded reluctantly. It was the end of the week and he was expecting an easier day; what had worked up his guard enough to elicit this sort of reaction? He made sure his jeweled band was straight on his head, before following the guard towards the throne room.
Upon entering, the guard returned to his place by the door.
Seamus tightened the bear skin around his shoulders as he inspected the two young centaurs in front of him. He immediately recognized Carmela and greeted her with a gentle nod. “What can I do for you?”
He then turned his attention to the stallion next to her. His brows scrunched together and his lips pursed. He slowly approached the young centaur as his brain tried to comprehend what he was seeing.“It couldn’t be…” Seamus tilted his head to the side as the light from the windows streamed onto the boy’s face, illuminating his features.
Seamus all but froze as recognition and confusion deepened his expression. He did not speak, perhaps he could not, or perhaps he was allowing Carmela and the ghost to explain themselves first.
(It’s so bittersweet to see this RP coming to a close!! It has been such a pleasure writing with you all- I mean that with all my heart. As we leave this page behind and continue on with other things in life, I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for reading and entertaining my novel-worthy responses 😂 Thank you for all the memories, all the laughs, all the tears, and all the love.
In a way, this role play has raised me. It’s gotten me through some rough times. YOU all have gotten me through some rough times, and you probably didn’t even know it. That may be naive of me to say, but it’s true. Even though we have never ever met in real life, you all are the best online friends I could have. I have LOVED being a member of this herd 💕💕
My characters are a part of me. There’s a little bit of me in each of my characters, in each of my replies. It’s been so rewarding to see them blossom and grow and change. And that is also thanks to all of you, who have always been so supportive and challenged me and my writing ability. As sappy as this sounds, my characters also wish to say thank you. We’ve come so far.
I remember, all those years, I was so excited to sit down at my computer and check if anyone had replied to my previous comment. I went to school daydreaming about the awesome action scenes, romantic and wholesome ships, the politics, and all the interesting characters. Those hours I spent thinking about and writing my responses, thinking about each character, and how this response could benefit the story. AND WHAT A STORY WE HAVE CREATED!!!
This Message Board, and the people I’ve had the privilege of role-playing with, will always be in my heart. That being said, even if this RP is coming to a close, I don’t think I can ask myself to leave the Message Board completely. My love for The Guardian Herd books and its author is too strong to allow me to leave just yet 😊. So, I will still be here! Rereading my favorite scenes. Commenting on other posts. Discussing my love for TGH books and characters with anyone willing to listen. If anyone is online or in need of a friend, come pop in and say hi to your friendly neighborhood Riverbreeze!
And now to save this from becoming too long and sappy, just know that in these final comments, these final thoughts from me and my characters, that you all are loved! I praise and thank God for each and every one of you!
(There really isn’t much more special than creating your own special world with good friends. We definitely appreciate all the heart you have put into this :)
(Hey guys! I hope you all are having a nice start to 2025! It was a really nice surprise to check here by chance and to see such a lovely rendition of Reba and Sultaan! I love the warm tones and I can imagine what they are just about to do next!!Thanks a bunch Ash and happy belated holidays!!!
I’ve really had fun RPing with you guys over the years and I appreciate all the creativity and patience we have shared together. As time goes on, though, I’m not as interested in the old characters I developed so many years ago and I feel like I have lost touch with what I had wanted for them in the first place. I want to reveal their endings and close off their stories. I don’t want to leave either of you hanging, so I would like to slowly maneuver my characters that are interacting with all of yours out of action without hurting any of your storylines. For my characters that have already fallen by the wayside, I’ll start sharing their endings in the next few days.
It’s been such a pleasure meeting you guys and I wish you all the best!)
(I’m not exactly sure where I want to go with Reba.)
Reba: “Well, there isn’t winter where I come from. We have a dry season and a rainy season… it’s always cold at night and hot during the day…” she said. “That doesn’t change. Maybe it’s a little boring compared to Anok, but sometimes we get a lot of rain during rainy season!!”
She finished eating, chewing her last bite slowly. Talking a lot at least made mealtimes seem longer.
(If Ash and RB are ok with it, I’d like to use this fight to close off Lakha’s storyline. For good or ill, we’ll see…)
Lakha: About an hour ago, he had stomped into the tavern, glaring frantically at anyone who tried to say anything to him. He stationed himself at the corner of the bar and ordered a succession of ciders… not hard ciders, but he made it seem as if they were. He slowed his movements and started making slurred comments to the other centaurs in the tavern, the perfect image of a drunk centaur. He gulped at his glorified apple juice, waiting for Cole and his girlfriend to show up. Lakha would reclaim his dignity and show Iraweigh once and for all that he was a mighty fighter, no matter what Russel blackmailed him into doing. Outside of the ring, he was finally free.
He watched Cole wander around the tavern from his dark corner, until he finally caught sight of him and Avery together. Lakha lurched to his hooves and made himself stumble across the tavern to where Cole and Avery stood.
“You…” he spat. “You’ve got some nerve showing up here with an ugly wench like that!” He tried to slur his words more. “A champ’un like you witha fat old lumpofacent… cent… you think you’ve got something special? You gotta load of dung!!”
Hey Aspi!! Glad to see you back even though it'll be for a short while. It's been so wonderful having you in this RP. You're such an amazing writer and all your characters I've had mine interact with have been really enjoyable. I'm sorry to see you go, but I think we all lowkey need to finish up with this RP. I'll make a post for all the character ending summaries so that they don't get lost in this page. Thanks so much for sticking around for just a little bit longer to close the storylines!
MERRY CHRISTMAS YALL IDK IF YALL ARE ALIVE BUT I AM JUST BARELY I APOLOGIZE SINCERELYYYYYY FOR THE GINORMOUS GAP OF TIME I TOOK JUST TO REPLY WITH MY COMMENTS!!! Life has just been not all that fantastic at a lot of points this year (and I’m sure I’m not the only one) but I’m VERY happy to have the free time to just RP during this break!!!!!)
Eira:
She gazed at her cousin for several moments, waiting for him to meet her gaze. In her heart, it pleased her that the stallion couldn’t do so without a hint of shame.
“I’m going home,” she said, breaking the silence at last.
The hint of shame in his face immediately vanished. “What?!” Keanar snapped.
“Yes, I’m not staying here any longer,” Eira replied simply. “I thought you’d like to know.”
“But you can’t. I’m the one who brought you here—“
“And I can get myself home perfectly well.” Eira smoothed a hair out of her face. “Your father will send someone to retrieve you soon enough.”
Keanar clutched the bars. “Eira, why must you abandon me?”
She simply shook her head. “I’m only going ahead. Besides, the Tavern is closed. Good day.”
Whatever else her cousin said she did not hear. Eira made her way quickly out of that wretched place.
Sultaan:
“I’m glad to hear that,” he signed as he took a rather large bite of bread. He brushed the crumbs off his fingers on his horse shoulder.
“You also get to experience new foods too. Although I imagine they’re not better than yours,” he added. “I’ve never been anywhere outside of Johirestown, although I’ve heard of lots of places. What’s the weather like during winter in your home?”
Callum:
“Good night,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. He gently touched Fawn’s flank before she went out of reach, his fingers just brushing her coat. It was growing thicker as the days grew cooler, he realized. Callum’s as well. Goosebumps travelled up his arms and the back of his neck as chilly evening breeze kicked up. Callum’s thin shirt wasn’t going to shield him against any sort of foul weather. He had no money with which to buy a coat in town either. Well, the last thing he needed was to stress about something he couldn’t deal with at the moment.
Hopefully tonight wouldn’t be eventful. He doubted the siblings would cause any trouble, though. Callum turned toward the direction of where they had been taken and made his way after them. (I don’t plan on making the siblings cause a middle of the night scene. So do we wanna put our characters to bed so that we go to morning? Unless you have an idea for more drama 👀👀)
Callum arrived to the area where the centaurs were being held for the night. Hassan was the first to notice him. It was too dim to see his face, or any of the siblings’ for that matter.
“I’ll be taking shifts on watch during the night,” Callum said to the pegasus guards.
He had lots of experience with this sort of thing, although he might actually be a little rusty. Especially when his mind was on other things at the moment. ( :)))) )
(Sorry it’s WAAAAYYY shorter than yours River!!!
Cole:
He shivered at Avery’s gentle touches. What a contrast compared to what he went through not long before. He massaged her lower back, unable to let go.
Cole sighed and reluctantly moved his face away, now feeling a little colder. “I guess wounded but victorious warriors don’t always smell as nice as their maidens.” He then placed a firm last kiss on her lips before pulling away at last.
(Ima just skip to where they both are heading down to the tavern after getting ready!!)
By the time they arrived at the tavern, it was a half hour later than Cole’s coach had wanted him. An eruption of laughter echoed from inside the building. Cole chuckled.
He wasn’t about to admit it just yet, but as he and Avery approached the doors, he felt more and more like turning around and going home with Avery in tow. But it was not to be so.
Suddenly the doors swung open and a rush of warm sweat and brew tinted air burst into his and Avery’s faces.
His buddy grabbed Cole by the collar and dragged him inside, causing Cole to let go of Avery’s hand. “Get in here, Cole!! We’ve been waiting ages!” Jirad, his friend, yelled. He raised Cole’s hand up.
“IRAWEIGH’S VICTORIOUS ONE HAS ARRIVED AT LAST!!”
A great roar of triumph erupted from the crowd, beer mugs swung about above heads and fists pumped into the air. Cole’s friends started chanting and slamming the floorboards with their hooves in unison.
Cole chuckled as two of his friends yanked him further into the crowd. “ALRIGHT ALRIGHT! SHUT YER MOUTHS!” Cole’s coach barked and smacked the back of a couple of the men’s heads. “Tonight we celebrate another victory of Iraweigh’s—we celebrate Cole Finau’s triumph!”
Cole smiled slightly as his coach shook him by the shoulders in a firm but proud grip. “Also wanna thank my coach for making it possible and keeping my head on straight,” he added once the clapping died down a little. More applause arose from the crowd as people focused their attention on Cole’s coach.
Someone handed Cole a mug of beer, and he drank from it before raising the mug above his head. Everyone cheered.
People then went back to their conversations and meals. Many came to congratulate Cole and slap him on the back or shake his hand.
Something was missing. Cole looked around, giving brief smiles at people who met his eyes and congratulated him.
He spotted the red ponytail among the crowd. Cole quickly weaved himself through the crowd and, once close enough, reached over and wrapped his arm around Avery’s waist, his hand resting on her horse shoulder.
“Knew I was missing somebody,” he said into her ear so that she could hear over the chaos.
Bhearit:
He watched Kollin as he tried the piece of raisin bread. When the colt’s face brightened upon tasting it, Kollin gave him a thumbs up. Bhearit sliced a bigger piece for him and handed it to him.
(I can’t remember if the teabags were already seeping or not but let’s just say the tea was ready 😭)
Bhearit quietly filled two cups full of tea, handing one to Kavani. A steady static was buzzing in the back of his mind, causing his thought process to be slow. “It’s not sweetened,” he said. “I need to purchase sugar sometime.” Bhearit dimly realized that he hadn’t responded to Kavani’s comment earlier. “Ah, no, don’t worry about eating my food. It needs to be eaten, and I’m very happy to share,” he added.
Bhearit looked up from Kollin and at Kavani, offering a small smile. He sliced another piece of bread and held it to her. “Here. It’d be… rude not to accept,” he said teasingly. Bhearit looked down at Kollin once the colt had finished his piece of bread.
“Why don’t you go get snuggled in bed with Teddy? It’s late, and I bet Teddy’s very tired,” he suggested and gently ruffled the colt’s hair. He glanced at Kavani to see if she was okay with it.
There was a knock at the door. Bhearit cleared his throat. “Be right back.” He walked over to the door and opened it.
The cold air hit his face and he shuddered. It was dark now, and so it took a few moments for his eyes to adjust. Bhearit could just make out a centaur standing there.
“Who is this?” he asked, blinking.
The centaur cleared his throat. Ah. He recognized him now.
“What do you—what are you doing here?” Bhearit asked, keeping his voice low.
Ashtohn exhaled softly, and he heard a slight tremor in his breath. “Um…” There was a long moment of silence. “Sage is… she left,” Ashtohn said finally.
Bhearit’s brow furrowed slightly as the urge to say something snarky rose in his throat. He swallowed it. “I’m sorry,” Bhearit mumbled. His nose wrinkled in disgust as angry thoughts swirled on his mind. Why now? Did his girlfriend impact him more than his own mother?
Ashtohn exhaled softly. “She, um… her family moved to Mangrove, and so she decided to go with them. She said she needed to focus on working so that she could help provide for her family better.” Ashtohn crossed his arms, tucking his hands under his biceps.
Bhearit nodded slightly, staring at the ground. He had shut the door behind him, now standing outside in the cold with his stepbrother. “Why didn’t you go?” It sounded so selfish the way he said it—like he wanted Ashtohn to have left. But in a way, deep down inside, he did.
“She made it clear that I shouldn’t be in the picture anymore,” he replied with a sigh.
“Sorry to hear that.” Bhearit’s response was too quick, too dismissive.
“Don’t you care?” Ashtohn asked. His voice came out in a sort of pitiful pleading tone, like he needed Bhearit to sympathize.
“Yeah, I do,” he replied a little indignantly. “I just don’t understand why you came here and didn’t go to dad’s, or something.”
He could almost feel Ashtohn’s attitude snap. “Why would I go to his place? He would never care or understand more than you.”
Bhearit’s ears swiveled back. “And so you come to me as a sort of last resort, plan B sort of person, hm?”
Ashtohn exhaled and rubbed his temples. “No, it’s not like that at all. I just lost my my mom and my girlfriend in the same day. I-“ he paused a moment, breathing in slowly. “I don’t have anybody...”
Bhearit clenched his jaw. “And you think I do?” he asked stiffly.
“We have each other—“
“No. You have me, but I don’t have you. I’ve never had you. You have your friends, your buddies, to go to. I’m the last person you should be seeking comfort in right now.” Bhearit let out a frustrated laugh. “If anything, I should be coming to you. You’re the older one. You’re the one I was supposed to look up to. That’s what mum told you over and over again. ‘Just because you’re step brothers doesn’t make you any less brothers at heart.’ But you had ensure that difference whenever she wasn’t watching you and me, didn’t you?”
“Now Bhearit—“
“I have guests right now, Ashtohn. I cannot help you, and you cannot help me. Our day has been an absolute wreck. I do not need you under my roof and leeching off the grace your mom taught me to have toward you. I cannot do that right now, if ever. The grief is too near and at this moment you’re bringing it over the edge. Now good night.”
Ashtohn stood there quietly. It was difficult to see his expression in the dark, but the air felt colder and heavier between them now that Bhearit had finished his speech
(AAAAAAAAA IM SORRY FOR THE WAIT 💀 this is so long UGH)
Rayfire:
He stopped abruptly as Callum’s question reverberated through the trees. It was quiet for a long time after the echoing remnants of his voice left the clearing. Nobody moved; the stallions that escorted the three centaur siblings paused with their advance and turned to look at their captain.
Rayfire grit his teeth. Why would Callum want to stay with them? Sure, he was a centaur, but what did he have to gain from watching them? Did Callum not trust his men? No, it wasn’t about the Sun herd steeds. Rayfire turned to look at Callum and studied him, narrowing his eyes and exhaling deeply. Rayfire couldn’t read his expression, but there was a glimmer of desperation and meaning in his eyes; he was serious about his question, and whatever the intent behind it, Callum seemed sincere. However, Callum looked tired, and Rayfire doubted he’d be able to stay awake for very long.
His eyes drifted down at the Pegasus mare who stood close to Callum, so close that the tips of her feathers brushed against the centaur’s side. Fawnroot looked tired too, but once she realized that Rayfire was watching her, she stood up a little straighter.
Rayfire looked back at Callum, his eyes softening, “You wish to stay the whole night? I don’t see how that’ll be beneficial to anyone, especially you.” Rayfire glanced behind him at the three foreign centaurs; perhaps spending the night with one of their own will put them at ease. “But, I am inclined to agree with you.”
Rayfire opened his wings and nodded at Callum. “Alright, I’ll allow it. But, only if you take the night in shifts with my steeds, and report to me in the morning.”
With that, Rayfire turned and nodded at his steeds to continue back to the herd as planned. He picked up a trot and headed back towards the herd, weaving his way around trees and snorting goodnight at the under-stallions whom he dismissed.
(Let me know if this is okay!!! I can change anything!)
Fawnroot:
She sighed deeply as she watched her sire leave, the sounds of his heavy hoofbeats vanishing as he moved farther from them. The clearing was quiet with only the subtle sounds of crickets and hoofbeats of centaurs and Pegasi alike who walked back to Sun herd’s meadow.
She thought about Callum’s question, and how easily Rayfire agreed, under the condition that Callum and the Pegasi stallions took shifts. “Sounds like you’ll have a long night.”
Now that they were more or less alone, Fawnroot looked up at Callum and felt her heart sink. She had hoped they could spend the night together: talking about the day, falling asleep next to each other, and waking up together, too.
But, she knew this situation was far more important than all of that, and she knew Callum felt responsible for the three siblings; just as she felt responsible for Rimecrest.
Fawnroot stamped down her selfish heart and unspoken wishes; it wasn’t fair for her to feel disappointed at a time like this. No matter how her heart ached, there was work to be done, and it had to be done separately. Callum had his duties, and Fawnroot had her’s. (HAHAHAHAHAHA I’VE MISSED THE “FORBIDDEN LOVE” BABIESSS)
She forced a smile and gently nuzzled his human shoulder, “I’ll see you in the morning. Try to get some sleep. As always, my den’s open and nearby if you, or anyone, needs something.” She wished to say more, but she didn’t. The more she said, the worse she would feel; it was best to keep it short.
The mare started walking, following the path Rayfire had taken through the trees.
Avery:
She relaxed into his warm, strong arms, allowing and trusting him to hold her up. She smiled softly as he kissed her back, and wrapped both arms around his neck and shoulders.
When he pulled away, she opened her eyes and blinked at him as color rushed to her cheeks, feeling slightly tempted to pull him back down for another kiss to hide the redness in her face.
Cole pressed his forehead against her’s and they stayed like that for a little while. In that moment, she expected him to say something stupid or silly. But, to her surprise, he stayed silent and pulled her even closer and hugged her even tighter, leaning down further to almost settle his face into her neck. She smiled again and moved her hands up his back and into his hair. She fiddled with his bun and twirled the short, wispy hairs by his ear with her pointer finger.
“You smell good,” his breath tickled her throat. Avery laughed softly as her cheeks flushed again; there was the witty-Cole response she’d been waiting for. “Th-That’s both a surprise and a relief. I thought I’d smell like stallion sweat after being in that crowd for so long.”
She tucked the loose strands of hair that had escaped from his bun behind his ear before stepping back far enough to see his face. “Come on. Now we really should get going. Unlike me and my amazingpermanent scent of goodness,” She tossed her loosened ponytail over her shoulder in a teasing, bragging manner, “you do kind of stink like sweat and blood.”
Kavani:
She could feel Bhearit watching her as she spoke of Kollin’s little games. It felt good and somewhat refreshing to talk about their childhood, especially when it’s usually a painful topic to speak of. Kavani glanced at Bhearit and her eyes widened when she realized Bhearit was smiling. Her heartbeats spiked and hammered in her chests. She was the first to look away and firmly kept her gaze downward at nothing in particular.
Kavani’s brows quirked up at his question, relieved for a subject change, and she looked down at the little loaf of bread he’d set on the counter. She was a little hungry, but the last thing she wanted was to eat his food. Especially after all Bhearit’s done for her and Kollin: she felt incredibly grateful, but also guilty and undeserving.
“Thank you, but I’m fine.“ She nodded at him, then focused on Kollin, who was still lying on his back and balancing his stuffed bear on his hooves.
“I don’t think Kollin’s ever had raisin bread. He’s not a fan of new foods, but if he’s hungry enough, he might try it.”
With that, she called Kollin over. The boy rolled his head back and looked at Kavani and Bhearit upside down. When he didn’t immediately get up, Kavani pointed at the bread on the counter. “Want to try some?” Kollin glanced from his bear perched on his hooves, to Kavani, “B-But… Teddy?”
“You can bring Teddy. He might want to try some, too.” Thanks to her encouragement, he rolled onto his side, picked up his bear, and bounded up to the counter like a deer.
“It’s raisin bread. Bhearit says it’ll be good with the tea.”
Kollin set Teddy on the counter before reaching over and picking up a crumb from the cloth. He inspected it and sniffed it, before holding it over the bear’s nose, apparently allowing the bear to smell the crumb too. With wide, uncertain eyes, he looked at his older sister. He stamped his hind hooves and pouted.
Kavani smiled at Kollin, understanding why he was upset, and reached over the counter to tousle his hair, “You don’t have to eat it, buddy. But, you might like it. Guess you’ll have to try it to find out.”
Kollin pursed his lips, obviously not too happy about Kavani’s response. He shifted his weight from side to side, then finally shrugged before popping the piece of bread into his mouth. He stood very still and chewed slowly. It was several long seconds before his face relaxed, his eyes softened, and gave a thumbs up at Bhearit.
“You like it?” Kavani asked softly, to which Kollin nodded,” Mhm! Sweet!”
Kavani summoned up the courage to look at Bhearit again, “Could he have a slice?” She asked hesitantly, “I’d hate to eat your food on top of everything else.” As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a large yawn rise in the back of her throat, but she turned her head away and tried to hold it in.
(Sorry this one is so long XDD I wanted to include Kollin but I wasn’t sure how)
(Aspi and Morningmist, I’m working on the chief’s reply now!!)
Regular Soldier: He showed Eira to Keanar’s cell, then took a post down the hall.
Reba: “No, I am thinking of how good this food is if it has olives,” she said. “But it is good without them too.” She was happy to hear that there were olives here in Anok. It would have been really tragic if she had to give the hope of having an olive ever again.
“I was just thinking…” she signed in a quick break from eating. “I am glad that there are so many good things here, like checkers, or madder flowers for dye, or olives… When my family decided to come to Anok we didn’t even know anything about life here. We had heard stories, but they were just stories, you know? It’s so different here from what I expected in some ways but so familiar in others.”
He wanted to hide his face as they walked through Irichad. He didn’t like getting all of this attention. Before he had left, he had just been a simple centaur who wasn’t given a second glance. He’d liked it better that way. In the forest, no creature had minded that he had dark secrets.
He squeezed his sister’s hand back and stared at the door. The last time he had seen this door had been when he had left on the mission…
(quick question before I reply- were the Cheif’s aware they’d have a meeting with Romeo and Carmela? I don’t think they do since it’s Romie’s first day and no one, except the people who’ve seen him in the herd, know that he’s returned. I just wanted to double check that the Chiefs weren’t aware of this meeting before I type it all out XDD)
(The chiefs are not aware. Carmela is trying to give them heart attacks. If you would like, some guards could have noticed Romie earlier and let the chiefs know, but otherwise, there was no warning.)
Fig: He left the jail building and told one of the regulars to find Eira and let her know Johirestown was waiting by for Mangrove’s instructions on what to do with Keanar, and she was free to visit him in the meantime if she wished.
The soldier went to where Eira was staying and knocked on the door.
(Do you want to act all this out? Or can we just say the soldier told Eira what was going on?)
Reba: She stopped for a moment to pray and then came to the table, resting across from Sultaan. “This looks good,” she said, digging in. It was simple food, but somehow it was simple enough to remind her of what she used to eat at home.
At that moment, she felt an intense pang for the salty flavor of olives that she used to taste on the bread of her tribe. She could almost taste it as she chewed, but now she would give up the whole meal just for one olive! “Have you ever had olives before?” she asked Sultaan.
(Wow, that was a super comment RB!)
Carmela: She and Romie walked through town. It was still early in the morning, but there were a few hardworking centaurs out and about starting their days. Romie would certainly attract a few stares and rumors, she expected, and already she thought she saw Mottel peering out of his window at them.
When the reached the great door of Chief Seamus’s hall, she squeezed Romie’s hand and then knocked on the door. What if Seamus refuses to see us? she wondered. They would have to wait out here until he did!
That was very true. He trusted Kilroy enough not to lie about what happened, but he also wasn’t very vocal about things.
He replied in Centak. “Of course.” He was making a confused expression. He had assumed that Kilroy would come with them.
This isn’t his problem, though, it’s mine. I guess we just have to hope that he doesn’t accidentally burn the house down while trying to get water to boil… He didn’t have much faith in Kilroy’s survival skills.
(Cool! I think so too! Adds some more ✨drama✨ And yeah, let’s not kill him again XDD lookin at you Hawkflight…OPALLA.
Callum feeling homesick makes me feel so sad 🥺😭)
Fawnroot:
The dun mare waited patiently for either of the three siblings to answer her. Hm… Hassan was no help, and the younger two siblings… well, they were siblings. They reminded her of Pegasi yearlings arguing over who flew faster, or who performed a better flip. The thought made her smile.
“I see. So you haven’t been here long.” She replied with a gentle nod. She suddenly felt and heard the entire Pegasi battalion behind her snort harshly and rattle their wings at Fiell’s “flying horse” comment. She held out a wing in front of Fiell, partially obstructing him from view of the insulted Pegasi, and sent a hard, defensive look over her shoulder.
“He didn’t mean anything by it.” She spoke softly, yet firmly, trying not to make a big deal out of the situation. It wasn’t until Rayfire nickered softly that the rest of the steeds reluctantly relaxed.
Once that potential disaster had dissipated, Fawnroot sighed and pressed the last piece of moss into Hassan’s arm, fully covering the wound. She stepped away from Hassan and returned to her place next to Callum, folding her sticky wings by her sides. “The sling would still be a good idea. Change the moss as needed and if it starts hurting or becoming inflamed, take a large bite of pine root and rub aloe over the top. The sap should hold for a few days, but try not to do anything too strenuous.”
Her medicine-mare approach hadn’t really worked like she hoped it would, but at least Fiell and Leila were answering questions fairly well. She glanced up at Callum, then to Rayfire, then looked west: the sun had nearly completely disappeared on the horizon and the sky was getting darker by the minute. Soon, the only light for the centaurs to see under would be the moon and stars. (Equines actually have really good night vision! Horses (and Pegasi) are so cool XDD)
In the distance, she could hear Sun herd settling down for the night: mares calling for their foals, the repeated flutter of wings folding, the rustling grass as steeds laid down.
Fawnroot felt tired, too, but she still had work to do in her medicine den.
(BAHAHAHAHAHA COLE!!! Avery’s gonna die XDD)
Avery:
She chuckled brightly as she remembered that moment months ago when they’d first met. “Okay, fine. It was romantic.” She admitted with a nod.
Back then, Cole had been so surprised she didn’t know how to swim, but the initial shock wore off when he stubbornly insisted he’d show her how. Even though they were practically strangers who had only known each other for a whopping 5 minutes. To this day, Avery can’t believe she even accepted his offer to teach her.
Avery remembered how terrified she was, how tightly she clung to Cole’s arm as he led her into deeper water and showed her how to pump her hooves alternatively to stay afloat.
She hasn’t gone swimming since then, mostly because she isn’t confident enough to do it by herself.
Avery realized she had been lost in thought and looked back up at Cole. To her surprise, he had taken a step closer, and because of the size of the room, he was directly in front of her. When did he get so close?!
His next irritatingly flirtatious statement took her completely off guard. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open slightly. Her head felt heavy and her knees threatened to buckle. “Oh my- oh my- be cool. Breathe Avery. How is he so nonchalant?! He’s so- OH MY GOSH I cannot believe he just said that- how can I ‘be cool’?!” She could feel her cheeks burn up almost immediately and her hearts skipped over several beats in her chests. Speechless and utterly stunned, she nearly dropped the tunic and fumbled it in her fingers for a moment, but never took her eyes away from Cole. “I-uh…Y-You-“ She stammered, then tried again after swallowing dryly.
“I-I’m not really sure what to say to that,” She answered truthfully, “…But,” Avery took a step closer to him and brushed her bangs out of her eyes, “If you do, then that’s totally fine by me.” She tried to flirt back, but as soon as she spoke, all her confidence fizzled out and she was left feeling even more flustered.
“Ummm- y-y’know what? We should probably get going to your place, haha! Wouldn’t want to be late to your own party!”
Kavani:
When Bhearit turned to her, his eyes looked dazed and his cheeks were flushed. Lost in thought again? She couldn’t help but wonder what he had been thinking about. His inventions? The long, tiring day? His passed step-mother?
A small smile quirked at the corner of her lips but faded when he quickly took the wood from her, apologizing sincerely with a regretful, taught expression. Her brows drew together and she tilted her head to the side, momentarily confused why he was apologizing. It took her a moment to realize he was referring to her injured shoulder. (They’re both so dumb 😑😭)
Kavani shrugged, which she immediately regretted. “Nah, don’t worry about it. Better me than you.” She didn’t bother to explain what she meant by that. Kavani stepped back to give him more room to work, and leaned against a blank wall in the kitchen. She rested her head against the wall and listened to the sounds of Bhearit clearing his throat and the clacking of flint to start the fire; it was somewhat therapeutic. Or maybe she was just tired.
She perked up at his question, before leaning into the wall again, “It’ll last a few more weeks. You’ll need more before winter, though. I can do that for you tomorrow.”
As she spoke, she glanced up at Kollin and watched as he laid on his back with his 4 legs straight up in the air and his hooves close together. Perched on top of Kollin’s hooves, the stuffed teddy bear was laying flat on its stomach, staring down at Kollin with one paw dangling over the side. Kollin was laughing and gently rocking back and forth to keep Teddy balanced and aloft.
Kavani smiled to herself, “Bhearit, come see this.”
(I’m gonna re-read the conversation between Kilroy and the chiefs to refresh my memory for the upcoming meeting with Romie! Until then, I’ll just respond with this!)
Seamus:
He awoke early, as he normally does, and sat up in bed. He rubbed his eyes with his only hand. The space next to him was cool and bare; Riona was already up. He sighed stiffly before getting up, changing, and lastly lowering the bejeweled band onto his head that signified his reign and position. Their house was quiet, which was typical this early in the morning. He headed towards the kitchen first to grab breakfast and walked down the hall brimming with memories and portraits of previous Chief's. It didn't have an official name, but ever since Seamus was a boy, he called this hallway the "Head Hall," appropriately named for the line of Chieftain portraits that were hung on either side. There was 6 in total, 3 on each side, with their faces drawn tight and their eyes forever still. Seamus hated this hall; he always felt like the past Chief's were judging him as he walked by. He only paused when he came to the last portrait: the portrait of his father. Unlike the others with their scowls and seriousness, his father was the only one depicted with a smile.
Seamus exhaled, then left behind the glaring eyes of deceased kings. He half expected to find Riona in the kitchen, but the room was his. Usually, they share a cup of coffee in the mornings. This made him frown as he remembered what had occurred the night before.
After Declan and the Jonhirestown boy left, Seamus tried to speak with Riona about her behavior. From demanding Declan bring his youngest daughter, to clearly undermining and doubting Seamus’s decisions, something had ticked her. And Riona was not the mare to tick off. Seamus’s questioning turned into a fight between them, each one believing they were right; he can’t remember the last time he and Riona couldn’t agree on something, or at least find a compromise. Her last words to him before she stormed outside still echoed in his mind: “You’re growing soft, Seamus. And soft leaders don’t win wars.”
“Where is this coming from? Irichad is not at war, Riona.” He responded gruffly, but she wasn’t having it.
“Not yet, and if you can’t see that, then you’re more blind than Conan.”
Her words stung -comparing him to Conan without hesitation, saying he had grown soft.
This wouldn’t do. Not now with the uncertainty of the winged beasts lurking in the background. Not with the festival approaching so quickly. He needed his Chieftess; they needed to show a united front and now was not the time for disagreements.
He called for a guard, “Find Chieftess Riona and tell her I’d like to talk.” The soldier bowed, then hurried off towards the training arena.
He took the bracelet into his hands and it looked it over, admiring it from all angles “This is beautiful,” he commented. “I would love to wear it.” He put the bracelet on, thinking of it as more of a stylish ornament than as a diplomatic statement.
He pawed the ground with his front hoof and stared into the distance for a moment. “Well. I suppose we had better get it over with.”
Carmela: She followed suit, cleaning off her plate and putting it away. Carefully, she adjusted Romie’s hair so he didn’t look so bedraggled. Then, she went to her dresser and came back with a slender bracelet. It was green with a silver scoring across it in silver foil in an unmistakably Irich deisgn. “This is for you,” she said. “Even though you came here with nothing, it will remind the chiefs that you belong here.”
Kilroy: He looked down, suddenly conscious of the fact that he wore no jewelry, and that his clothes were decent but plain. It would be necessary to learn the culture of appearance in Irichad… something he had never through to ask Aaron.
He ate his pancakes quickly, savoring them, but also making sure that they didn’t disappear. He was in mostly good spirits, but he had a feeling that he wouldn’t be able to keep it that way.
He washed his empty plate and dried it off. “Well,” he said softly in Irich, “I suppose I have a report to make to the chiefs.” He didn’t want to be suspicious of them, but he found that he was. Why had they not made Lanseril’s return publicly known? Or sent a rescue mission?
(OMGSH I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THAT!! Yes, I think that was apart of the agreement Fawnroot made with the Golden Meadow (or something like that- it was so long ago I can’t remember exactly) that they would be tied together once they returned to the mortal world. So any physical pain Callum felt was tied to Fawnroot, and vise versa. And, when the time came, they would die at the same time, also. (aaAAAAAA-)
However, I thought I remember a conversation that the effect would slowly ware off? Maybe I’m wrong and confusing myself 😭 Do you still want to do that soul-tied thing, Ash? I don’t have a problem, as long as you’re happy with it!)
Fawnroot:
She sighed as she stepped away from Hassan after she finished applying the pine sap. Her feathers were sticky and she hated the familiar sensation of the sap seeping into her skin.
Fawnroot felt Callum’s eyes on her: he always knew when something was bothering her. She smiled at the thought and stared into his eyes, then shook her head slowly. “It’s fine. I’ll tell you later,” she seemed to say, without actually having to speak. She knew he would understand.
Fawnroot went over to a nearby oak tree and pulled some moss off the low hanging branches. “One last thing,” She muttered around a mouth-full of moss. With her muzzle and wings, she began tenderly wrapping and sticking the moss on Hassan’s arm.
As she worked, she decided to take advantage of the quiet moment. “How long have you three been in the area? Our scouts seemed to have missed you, which is why your camp took us by surprise.” Fawnroot kept her voice easy and warm, as she normally would if she was conversing with anyone.
“Your younger brother mentioned something about meeting other Pegasi before you ended up here.” She paused to glance up at Hassan, “Did that happen recently?”
(AAAAIIIIIIEEEEEEEE OH MY GOODNESS COLE)
Avery:
As the door clicked closed behind them, the only light in the room came from a little window on the opposite side of the bed.
It was a one-centaur room: the bed against the wall underneath the window, a bedside table which held a lantern, a basin for washing, and that was about it. It was a nice, cozy room… but the fact that she could feel Cole’s heat beside her made the room even cozier.
She moved towards the table, struck a match, and lit the lantern to allow more light to brighten the room. Now that they weren’t concealed in dim light, she managed to look at Cole again as the softness of his voice sent goosebumps up her arms.
Avery forced a smile to her lips, and moved back to the end of her bed where her satchel was propped up against the wall. But, she had to squeeze past Cole to reach it, and her horse shoulder brushed against Cole’s side, her front leg momentarily pressing against his. His warmth was encompassing and she was tempted to linger -and did for a few quick seconds- then forced herself to move on.
She kneeled down to her bag and focused on answering Cole’s question. “Well… I thought you could help me decide. I’m not sure what would work best for a celebratory party at a tavern.” She opened the latch and trifled through the burlap bag, “I have a few ideas in mind, but this one is my favorite.” She found the tunic she had mentioned, pulled it out, and held it up so Cole could see.
It was a dark green tunic. The fabric looked soft and supple. Gold and white embroidery swirled up the sleeves along the seams and over the V-cut neckline. The ends of the sleeves would reach her elbows, and the bottom of the tunic was cut looser so it would swirl around her waist whenever she turned. “I wore it for my first performance in Jonirestown, and if you remember, it’s what I wore the first time we met.” She sheepishly met Cole’s gaze with a soft smile, “Remember the lake? Where you taught me how to swim? …Erm… where you tried to teach me how to swim.”
(This meeting was around the beginning of the RP, so I personally don’t remember it very well, but Avery was out walking through the woods, singing a song to herself, when she stumbled across Cole swimming in a lake. After a brief introduction, Cole took it upon himself to teach her how to swim XDD In role-play time, it was probably several months ago.)
Kavani:
“Yeah, for sure. I‘ll grab that.” She mumbled, almost smiling, and was about to turn around to head outside when his fingers tenderly rubbed against the skin of her hand. She froze: his hands felt warm and heat crept up her neck, settling in her cheeks and ears. She dared to look up and her eyes widened to find that he was already glancing down at her. Their eyes locked and Kavani felt light-headed under Bhearit’s gaze. His small, sheepish smile sent her hearts thundering. That feeling and racing inside her chest was becoming more common recently; it scared her that it was no longer completely foreign. For some reason, she only felt this way when Bhearit was involved. (Mhmmmm I wonder why 👀👀)
Without looking away from him, she replied, “I’m not cold anymore.” She spoke without thinking and she tensed again once she realized what she said, wishing she could take the words back. Luckily, Bhearit’s back was turned as he prepared the kettle and checked its water level.
“I’m fine!” Chirped Kollin’s voice from across the room.
While Bhearit was distracted, she quickly turned away and bee-lined towards the door to head outside. “I’ll…be right back with some wood.” She added softly over her shoulder. As soon as she was alone outside, she planted her palms against her cheeks and exhaled deeply. Her cheeks were burning up, but her palms were freezing cold. “Okay, okay, focus.”
She headed down toward the side of the cabin, but when she didn’t find any chopped wood, she went around to the other side. As Bhearit promised, there was a little stack of firewood. It was enough to last a few more weeks, but it wouldn’t be enough to get him through winter. Kavani tucked that thought into the foreground of her mind as she stacked a couple pieces of wood in her arms, and heading back towards the door. The wood was light and dry, and normally wouldn’t pose any issue, but the wounds in her shoulder ached and her muscles strained. The pain was manageable, but annoying. She hated how such a simple task like carrying wood was made so difficult to bare due to her injuries.
Kavani shifted all the wood into her strong arm and opened the door with her other hand. She pushed the door open with her hoof, wincing slightly but tried to hide it by the time she returned to Bhearit. “Alright. Fresh kindling, per your request.”
Fig: He shrugged. “When I talked to her, she was pretty angry and flustered. I’m sure she’s fine. Your cell is open to visitors, so she can come see you if she wants.”
Reba: “Yeah, I am… how did you know?” she joked, smiling. “I feel ok for now, so I’ll stay on my hooves a little longer.” But she suspected that later on, there would be plenty of times she would need him to baby her like this. Sultaan was so worried about her, she could see it in his face… she wanted to assure him that she would be ok, but she couldn’t.
She looked through the cabinets, trying to help with the cooking. ”Don’t worry so much… what happens happens. With your uncle’s debt, I didn’t think things could get any worse… but here we are now. We’re still here.”
He frowned, ready to protest, but then decided against it. If he was going to get out any time soon, furthering dispute with this stallion would not go in Keanar’s favor as he was the one behind bars and not Fig. It would take a fortnight or more for the message to be delivered depending on the urgency and amount of money Fig sent with the messenger.
Keanar rubbed some rust off one of the bars with his thumb. “And what of Eira, my cousin?” he mumbled. “Is she well?”
Sultaan:
He briefly touched Reba’s shoulder, almost like she was made of glass. “You should lie down when we get there. Rest,” he signed. Sultaan kept his hands hovering in readiness to steady Reba if needed as they crested the hill.
Thankfully she needed no such assistance, and so when they arrived at the doorway of his home, Sultaan moved the old rug—which was the makeshift door—out of the way so that the mare could enter. He needed to make a real door before winter came on, especially with Reba there now. In fact, Sultaan considered the option of asking Ulrani if she could stay with her. He’d see about that tomorrow. He followed in after Reba.
“I imagine you’re hungry?” he asked once the mare had turned around to see his hands.
Leila:
She was blinking back the rest of any tears that were threatening to fall just as the pegasus mare stepped toward her and gave her shoulder a small, soft nuzzle. For a moment, she was confused as to why Fawnroot had done this, but then she realized that she must have seen her tears and tried to comfort her with such an act. This realization only made Leila want to cry more than she did before, and so she turned away, her hearts now touched by such a kind gesture but also heavy with homesickness.
(Heyy I just now randomly remembered, aren’t Callum’s and Fawnroot’s souls linked somehow or smth? Like, when one has physical pain the other also feels it???)
Callum:
He paused a moment in his questioning with Fiell to watch Fawnroot as she began to work on Hassan’s wound. He wondered at how expertly and carefully the medicine mare applied the sap and other such ingredients to the wound with her wings. Of course, years of practice helped with her ability to maneuver her wingtips almost as well as centaur hands, but it was still fascinating to watch.
Callum saw Hassan stiffen slightly as Fawnroot applied the sap to the gash in his arm. He then thought he saw the centaur relax a little the way his shoulders lowered. At least Hassan was letting Fawn help him.
Once she was finished, the oldest sibling took a small step back.
When the mare finally turned around, Callum frowned upon seeing her face. She wasn’t blatantly upset, but her mood had clearly changed. He gazed at her, waiting for her to meet his eyes. When she did, Callum creased his brow slightly in questioning concern. Her demeanor was more tense as if she had either seen or remembered something very upsetting.
How he wanted to get alone with her now! But that would have to wait. Callum had been absentmindedly fingering the tear in the middle of his shirt when he saw Fiell and Leila quietly sidle closer to their older brother behind Fawnroot.
(Avery is literally SOOOO CUTE AAAA)
Cole:
He was grinning widely at Avery’s giggles and flustered comments as she rather cutely, but clumsily, tried to regain her composer. Little did she know, he was about a hair away from scooping her up and squeezing her.
Then she whipped around and faced him, her whole face bright red with blush. His smile widened more. But then she met his eyes, and time seemed to still for a moment. His grin faltered slightly as he stared down at her. Avery’s hazel eyes were bright and shining, her cheeks flushed, and her red hair a little undone from the excitement of earlier. He would have grabbed her and kissed her right there if she didn’t suddenly turn right back around and march him to her room—that is, past her room before making a 180 back to it.
Cole was a little flustered in his own way as he watched Avery struggle to even put her room key into the lock. But then she finally got it open.
He stepped inside past her and moved away so that she could come in as well. He still held her hand. The room was small, only enough for one centaur to sleep of course. But it was nice.
By now, Cole had found his speaking confidence again. “So, whatcha gonna wear?” he said and surprised himself with how low his tone was, almost a whisper. He meant it as a genuine question, but he wondered how Avery would interpret his tone of voice. Cole cleared his throat.
Bhearit:
He looked over at Kavani to respond but was immediately distracted by Kollin’s giddy giggles and the sounds of his hooves clacking against the floor as the colt pranced and kicked about. Bhearit raised his eyebrows in amazement for a moment before returning his attention to Kavani again, now feeling a little bewildered.
“Huh? Oh…” He looked down at the mugs he was holding and then at the kettle. He didn’t really want to make her do anything, but he knew she probably wanted to do at something at least, no matter how small. He’d feel the same if he were in her situation.
“Aye. Sure,” Bhearit said at last. In reality, he really had no idea what to give Kavani to do.
He hesitated a moment before turning to her and handing her the mugs. “I’m just going to start a fire in the stove,” he said quietly and then bent down, opening the stove door. He sighed when there wasn’t any kindling inside, and so he straightened again.
“Could you grab some wood, actually? It’s at the side of the cabin,” Bhearit said and took the mugs from Kavani again. Since the cups were small, his fingers just brushed against hers. Her skin felt a little cool. Bhearit glanced at her face and gave a weak, rather sheepish smile before turning to put the mugs down on the stovetop.
“Are you both warm enough?” he asked as he picked up the kettle and gave it a small shake to see how much water was inside. It still had plenty. He set it down again and began rummaging around in one of the cabinets for the flint he used to light the stove with. Bhearit’s mind kept replaying the look on Kavani’s face from a few moments before when she had asked if he was okay. He risked a glance her way over his shoulder.
Upon hearing the story of how Hassan got injured, it seems these three siblings have had a difficult time in their travels. Fawnroot sent a glance at Leila, and her heart broke for the young girl as she recognized the gleaming of unshed tears. The little centauress was clearly worried for her eldest brother, and Fawnroot spared a moment to briefly, yet tenderly nuzzle Leila on her human shoulder, offering a warm smile as she stepped away.
She listened carefully to the rest of the conversation, but her sole attention was on Hassan.
Mangrove? Was that another centaur town? She hadn’t heard of it before, and that made her nervous. Why were they leaving and going to Jonirestown? What did Fiell mean by “sort of” knowing about pegasi? An encounter with a different herd, perhaps?
She couldn’t focus on that right now: Hassan's gaping scratch on his arm was glaring at her. She stepped closer to him, being mindful to keep her movements slow as to not make him more suspicious or conceited than he already was.
Fawnroot’s treated many wounds like this before, but the problem wasn’t the gash in his arm -it will leave a nasty scar, but it will still heal- it was Hassan himself. How much would he allow her to do? He obviously wasn’t a fan of Pegasi, and would probably prefer a centaur healer to treat him instead. Even simply getting him to reveal his arm from the sling was a battle.
She inhaled slowly, “It’s deep, but it doesn’t appear too infected yet. You’ve done well with it on your own,” Which was surprising since it didn’t look very fresh, and wasn’t covered by a bandage. “However, I’m glad you showed me. I can help speed up the healing process in more ways than one.” Fawnroot turned to look over her shoulder at the closest stallion in Rayfire’s battalion. “Could you bring me some fresh water?”
The stallion blinked at the medicine mare before looking for permission from his captain, but Rayfire merely snorted and dismissed him. When the stallion returned, his large wings were cupped in front of his chest and filled with clean water.
“Thank you,” she mumbled as she set to work. She started by pouring some of the fresh water over his arm carefully, then crushed rosemary and sage in her wings to make a thick green paste. “This will clean it and help with the swelling.” She waited for a complaint or argument, but when none came, she carefully smeared the mixture over his wound, glancing at him often to make sure it wasn’t too painful. Once the entire gash was covered, she combined mint with pine sap. This was the same combination that she used on Callum and his abdomen when that nasty Opalla mare sliced him open: she got a heavy, forlorn sense of deja vu as she prepared it now.
When Fawnroot returned to Hassan, her face was tight as she stared down at her flight-feathers coated in the sap mixture she knew all too well. “This will help the skin to close and heal faster. However, it will sting since the laceration is deep and not too fresh.” This time, she hesitated longer. She wasn’t sure why; maybe she was subconsciously prepared for Hassan to stop her. (I’ll stop there before this gets too long lol)
Avery:
She kept her grip on Cole’s hand tight as she led him through the inn towards her room. She couldn’t help but giggle uncontrollably at Cole’s latest compliment. How could he say such things so easily and nonchalantly?!
Her hearts felt like they would burst out of her chests. She whirled around to face him, but she could barely look him in the eye. If she did, she fear she may never look away. “Quit it!” She playfully smacked his shoulder as her voice pitched up several octaves and cracked under the pressure. “You’re gonna give me a heart attack! You want your girlfriend a crumpled puddle of mush on the floor?!” She hissed the words, but there was no trace of malice or anger in her voice. Just pure embarrassment and playful sarcasm.
Then she made the mistake of meeting his gaze. As she predicted, she couldn’t look away. Avery swallowed and suddenly forgot where she was and what she’d been doing. His warm brown eyes staring right back at her, loose strands of his black hair falling perfectly over his face, rich tan skin with assorted scratches and discoloration from the boxing match, but the bruises didn’t distract from his features.
She still held onto his hand, and squeezed it faintly.
Avery blinked and exhaled lowly before turning away. But, she was too flustered and her brain was moving at a million miles an hour, and she marched right past her room. “N-Nope, sorry.” She turned around and pulled Cole along with her, “This one.”
Avery had to let go of Cole’s hand long enough to fish the key out of the little pouch secured at her waist. After several failed attempts at unlocking the door, it finally clicked open and she walked inside before holding it open for Cole. “C’mon in.”
(I love how Avery is one of my oldest female OC’s and yet she still gets flustered like a teenager would XDDD)
Kavani:
Ah… For a long time, Bhearit was silent and just seemed to stare at her. There were slight shifts in his expression; the softening of his brows, his ears lifting upward gently, and his eyes dilating. (Yes, she did notice that 🥺😭)
Kavani had no idea what that meant: all she knew is that she couldn’t look away. She was captivated by his eyes and the suppleness of his features; the slightest little quirk of his lips or the scrunch of his nose. (These two really have no social/romantic skills other than just staring at each other XD)
He looked almost conflicted as he finally moved and gripped the closest mug, commenting softly about Kollin’s seemingly endless energy. This made Kavani look over her shoulder at Kollin. The young colt was trotting in a tight circle in the middle of Bhearit’s living room, holding his stuffed bear high over his head as he hummed a random tune.
Kavani smiled wistfully and shrugged, “I have no idea. Maybe he has a normal amount of energy and the rest of us are just too drained and tired to keep up.”
As she spoke, Kollin started bucking and kicking his hinds legs out in random directions for no reason other than he could. He laughed as his hind hooves clunked loudly on the floorboards.
Kavani cringed and rubbed the back of her neck, “Or… maybe you’re right, and he just has a lot of energy.”
She exhaled softly and shook her head, before looking back at Bhearit. He had prepared the mugs with tea bags and started the kettle. This was probably the last thing he wanted to do after such a long day. A long day of babysitting Kollin and dealing with her mother.
Kavani but her lower lip before adding, “I’m sorry to trouble you with this. Can I help in any way?” He probably didn’t want her help, but she wanted to ask anyway.
@Ashsong (If you are ok with it, let’s go with Fig giving Keanar a slap on the wrist and using him as a example of how not to approach Pegasi.)
Fig: He laughed harshly, looking at the spoiled centaur who thought his blood made him a prince. “That’s not for me to decide… I enforce the laws of men, not boys. I wrote to the Mangrove authorities that their royal son broke Johirestown law. I’ll let your parents decide what to do with you.”
Carmela: She was glad Romie was enjoying her food. After taking a bite, she decided that they weren’t half bad and devoured her portion.
She started thinking about the next issue: how Romie would present himself to the chiefs. Should he appear dirty and disheveled, to win their favor? Polished and with bow mounted, displaying his pride? Maybe a bit of both. He could wear clean clothes and his bow, but keep his hair unwashed and his hooves scuffed. A centaur who had done his duty, but paid the price.
Kilroy: Romie really seemed to trust him, he reflecting, noticing the way the young centaur looked at him with respect. He will tell me the truth about whatever happens in that hall.
Reba: She made a face. “I haven’t felt much today. Heavy… that’s all.” It made her wonder how she would feel once the unborn child had left her body. Would the heaviness go away? Or was it something to deep inside of her, meant to stay…
She could see Sultaan’s place coming into view. The walk there didn’t feel so long now.
(I almost forgot this plotline… but wasn’t Fig going to frame Keanar for trying to ruin Johirestown’s relations with Sun Herd? I know that the Pegasi were actually from Snow Herd, but the people of Johirestown don’t know that… I think my goal had been for him to somehow use this incident to get Johirestown to declare war on Mountain Herd, and maybe claim that Keanar was an agent for Mountain Herd? It’s all a little confusing. Do you guys have any thoughts on where to take this next?)
Fig: He reached the cell where Keanar was being held, a secret location sunk into the ground in the forest outside Johirestown. None of the other councilors knew about this place. Just him… he and the regular soldiers were free to act how they pleased here.
Reba: She blushed… the way Sultaan touched her hair like it was made out of gold always made her heart flutter. ”Ok, I am glad she has a few brain cells,” she signed. ”She shouldn’t underestimate you! You’re one of the smartest centaurs around. Remember when you beat that smug jerk at checkers and won the town tournament? That was really something!”
She brushed up against his shoulders. If she had to go to school with little kids and Sultaan had to work as an indentured servant, at least she didn’t feel the pain of it now. She was glad he was here.
(BROOO IM HERE FINALLY MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS!! SO sorry about my sudden absence!!!)
(Ohhh!! I wasn’t RPing with Cole that time so I didn’t realize 😂😂 okay thanks for clearing that up!!)
Cole:
He chuckled and slipped his medallion off. He weighed it in his hand for a moment.
“Not gonna lie, I’m just hungry. I feel great, but hungry. And sticky too,” he replied with a grin. “My coach is right about telling me to clean myself up.” The boxer tied his hair back to keep it off his neck. He hadn’t quite cooled down yet.
Cole then looked down at Avery. Her cheeks were rosy from the heat and the excitement, making her golden eyes shine. He held the medal up next to her face. “Not even the purest gold can ever match your pair of eyes,” Cole murmured with a small, but affectionate smile.
(Btw how long have Cole and Avery been dating approximately?)
He then slipped the medal over her head. “It looks even better on you,” he said and began to walk back to his place with Avery’s hand clasped firmly in his.
“We can stop by the inn so that you can pick out a better outfit if you want,” Cole offered as they walked.
(Fawnroot is just SO SWEET OH MY GOSH)
Callum:
He watched Fawnroot as she approached Hassan and spoke to him in such a firm, yet gentle way. Pride welled up in his heart at the sight. He was confident that this tactic would more likely get the answers they needed in a way that wouldn’t cause trouble. Patience and compassion were Fawnroot’s best attributes, and being a medicine mare truly topped it all off.
In fact, the other two siblings seemed to visibly relax a little. Particularly Fiell. Leila wasn’t as tense as before, but she was still a bit wary.
When Callum looked at Hassan, he felt his annoyance with the stallion rise up again in his chest. Hassan just stared down at Fawnroot, not replying once again. He almost seemed suspicious, which was natural, but also something else. He then turned his injured arm slightly away from her.
“Hassan,” Callum said gruffly.
Leila:
She wasn’t terribly surprised that the pegasus mare decided to take this approach. In fact, she was happy Fawnroot did. She knew her brother needed help, despite his fairly extensive knowledge in basic medicine.
Leila watched her brother intently and chewed her lower lip. But then the big centaur, Callum, spoke Hassan’s name harshly, like he was trying to get the attention of a disobedient child.
“Hassan, please. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be,” Leila interjected quickly. Her brother looked at her. His eyes screamed anger, doubt, and shame. Leila wondered if anyone else could read him as she could. He probably appeared stubborn and foolish to the rest.
“Let her take care of it. Maybe she has something that can help your arm,” Leila said calmly. “You could only do so much.”
Hassan exhaled. “Okay.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Callum relax by the way his shoulders slumped slightly. Leila was relieved too. She had a feeling that Hassan just needed some outside prompting to get the help he knew was necessary.
Bhearit:
He momentarily forgot his disappointment and shame when bright little Kollin distracted him. Bhearit smiled slightly and reached forward, shaking the little teddy’s paw in play-greeting.
“Nice to meet you Teddy,” he said. He could feel a steady throbbing beginning in the back of his head which it slowly spread to his temples and forehead. He inhaled softly. Kollin was the only one in this whole cabin that had so much energy.
“Kollin, how would you like some tea?” he asked and glanced at Kavani who had just hung up her sheath.
He looked at her for a lingering moment. Kollin’s distraction from his earlier feelings didn’t last. Oh no.The way her brow creased ever so slightly when she looked at him… she had noticed his change of behavior before. He was that obvious, that easy to read, huh? He really needed to work on his stoicism.
Bhearit gave a brief but weak smile and went over to the cupboards to get some mugs out. He could feel his nose starting to have a burning sensation. Perfect. He had a headache and a sunburn! (Ah, the joys of being pale 😭😭😭)
He cleared his throat to speak to make sure he didn’t have a shaky voice or worse, a voice crack. Actually, either one would be bad.
“Like some tea too, Kavani?” Bhearit asked with his back turned to her and her brother. He lightly touched the bridge of his nose then smoothed his finger over his cheeks. Bhearit gave a rather shaky sigh, though it was quiet. He and Kavani severely needed sleep, but Kollin was too hyper to let them. How could one have so much energy?! Was this what it was like to have children? Be tired when they weren’t? Oh boy. Bhearit didn’t know how Kavani did it, even though Kollin was her brother. He was still a child in need of raising. Kavani had been more of a mother to the boy than his own mother. How ridiculous! Ashtohn didn’t have to raise Bhearit at least. Bhearit had a dam to care for him, despite not being related at all. He hoped he had been a fairly good colt to her.
But now she was gone. In a way, both he and Kavani had similar issues. Kavani had a neglectful, crazy woman who wasn’t there for her, and Bhearit’s biological mother didn’t want to keep him. Bhearit’s ears swiveled slightly as he dismissed this train of thought. Suddenly he realized that he had no idea if Kavani had even replied.
Sultaan:
“Better that than flunking the adult class,” he replied and offered a small smile. “My day went better than expected. She isn’t particularly friendly, but that’s not what I expected anyway. She was straight to the point and does not pity me for my muteness.”
Sultaan bobbed his head slightly and then looked down the road in the direction of his home. “Shall we go? We can talk and walk,” he offered and then turned his attention to Reba again. Sultaan moved a stray curl back behind her ear, but it bounced back again. He smiled slightly. Her type of hair was very nice to him.
Kilroy: He offered to help Carmela cook, but she told him to set the table and stay out of the way. So, he practiced his Irich words and plotted for what was to come. Everything would depend on what Seamus and Riona did after speaking with Romie.
Part of him hoped that it would bring the commitment to peaceful resolution he so desperately wanted to see. But what if Romie didn’t have anything new to tell them? What if they had everything from Lanceril, and still…
Carmela: She scooped the last pancake on to a plate, then turned around to see Romie and his silly bedhead. She put her plate down and hugged him.
“Good morning,” she murmured, then stood back. She could ramble about how glad she was to spend a morning with him after so many alone, but she knew he could tell just by looking at her face. “We’ve got a lot to do today, don’t we?”
Lakha: He stomped back home after evading Chandra and the others. His family knew to give him space…
He couldn’t stay still for long. He wasn’t tired at all after the match, even though he had every right to be.
Govind: He smiled wistfully as he watched Avery and Cole reunite. This night was all theirs.
He waited for the largest masses of centaurs to leave before making his way out, unwilling to be caught in the throng.
So what now? Usually it would be time to look for the next gig, but he still needed a partner. That, or he would join a bigger performing troupe.
Reba: ”There is good news and bad news,” she said. ”Tyn Asti is letting me be in the school… but I did not do well on test, so I will need to be in class with children.” She tried to laugh. ”That will be silly, will it not? But if that is what I need to do I will do it.”
She looked at him, at his face, his hands. ”How was your day? Did she treat you ok?”
He rolled his eyes. “They’re not that bad,” he replied with a soft scoff. “I just need a routine checkup like I do after every fight.”
(I can’t remember if I ever gave Cole’s coach a name. If I did I forgot it lol) Tim huffed as he led Cole and Avery over to the medical tent. The nurses there quickly separated the boxer and his girlfriend.
Cole stood still as two nurses assessed his body for any serious injuries. The worst one was the cut from Lakha’s hooves, but even that wasn’t that bad. They cleaned it thoroughly and rubbed sap on top to keep it protected. Cole was given a wet rag to help with his lip, which was a little split and had been bleeding but otherwise alright.
Once they finished, Cole’s coach handed him a long sleeved tunic to wear. The boxer slipped it over his head.
“Go get yourself spiffed up for our celebrating tonight,” Tim told him. “Don’t be long. Be back in an hour.”
Cole nodded and then walked over to Avery. “Wanna head back to my place?” he asked as he led her out of the tent by her hand. “Or yours? We got a whole hour to ourselves.”
His fingers interlocked with hers as they both now stood outside of the medical tent.
Ludwig:
He tilted his head slightly and reached forward, grabbing Lakha’s shoulder. “Hey man, I’m serious. Let me treat you tonight,” he insisted as he turned his teammate around. Ludwig offered Lakha a sincere smile.
At that moment, Latiph walked up along with Mrs. Ki, Ludwig and Latiph’s dam. She smiled and patted Ludwig’s back. Mrs. Ki was a good deal shorter than he, not evening coming up to his shoulder.
“Hello Lakha, you did wonderful out there,” she said with a small smile.
“Oh yeah! This is my dam, Deanna, and my brother, Latiph. He was rooting for you,” Ludwig said and placed a hand on his twin brother’s back, nudging him forward slightly.
Latiph glanced at Lakha and nodded his head. “I know you still got it in you,” he said quietly. “Didn’t give it your best.”
“Latiph,” Mrs. Ki said with a frown. Then she looked at Lakha. “I’m sure you gave it your best. You were great!”
(Ima start confusing myself with these three dudes’ names- Latiph Lakha and Ludwig AAH)
Callum:
He stepped back slightly so that Fawnroot could see Hassan fully. The young stallion’s eyes fell on her, looking at her almost scrutinizingly.
“Had that for a bit,” he answered slowly.
“He’s had it for awhile,” Leila piped in. “I haven’t seen him use it in a long time.”
“Let him speak for himself,” Callum told her in a low voice. She hadn’t seen him use it for a long time? It had sounded as though he used it frequently, but now she was saying that he didn’t? Well, Hassan had said that it wasn’t exactly medicine. Obviously it wasn’t. It shouldn’t be if it was the same stuff that had knocked that Mountain Herd colt out.
Hassan inhaled slowly and adjusted his arm in the sling. He winced ever so slightly. Callum saw Leila purse her lips together in response, revealing her worry. He then turned his attention on the oldest sibling again.
“I used to put it on berries to be… edible,” Hassan said quietly and gave a small gesture with his hand toward the tin in Fawnroot’s wing.
Callum inhaled sharply. “Do you ever use it for anything outside of your own needs?” he asked with a level voice. He was not going to let himself jump to conclusions just yet.
Hassan met his gaze. “No, never,” he muttered with a frown.
“Did you just happen to drop any berries slathered in that concoction of yours not too long ago? Maybe when you found that creek nearby your campsite? Hm?” Callum could hear his sarcasm showing through his questions, though he wanted genuine answers to them. He could sense Rayfire’s own impatience as well as his own beginning to grow thin.
Hassan’s ears swiveled back slightly as he held Callum’s gaze, and he clenched his jaw.
“Hassan, you did have that small pouch of berries on hand sometimes,” Leila said quickly.
The stallion gave a small grunt in response.
Callum glanced at Fawnroot.
(KAVANI HE GONNA TAKE IT PERSONALLY NOWWWW)
Bhearit:
As he made his makeshift bed for the night, he could hear Kollin’s little chattering voice as he talked about Bhearit’s room like he was giving a tour. He must have been doing it for his toy. Bhearit smiled slightly and subconsciously vowed never to let anything or anyone take away the boy’s childhood as long as it was within his power to do so.
He could also hear Kavani’s tired voice as she spoke to her brother in briefer sentences. That was before she came out of the bedroom to Bhearit again.
He looked up just as she opened the door, and quickly he arose to his hooves, smoothing down his tunic almost instinctively.
The first thing he noticed was her face—well, actually the pillows briefly, but then her face. Bhearit felt his stomach knot slightly. Back to the indifference once again? How could he had ever hoped?
For some reason, he suddenly felt a little angry. Kavani’s display of what seemed like boredom as she lightly tugged on the corner of the pillowcase only added to his frustration. But it was not aimed at her. He felt extremely stupid for ever so much as touching her hands in the first place—especially for even hoping she would receive it.
Bhearit hoped his feelings didn’t show on his face as he took the pillows from her without much grace. (Gosh dang it. IT RHYMES) “Thank you,” he whispered hoarsely. The day had been a long and tiring one. The past few days were, and the last thing he needed was to crumble all over again.
He barely heard Kollin’s little comments about him and his inventions. Bhearit glanced toward the bedroom door and inhaled slowly. If anything, Kollin’s cuteness might make him crumble instead.
Sultaan;
He looked at Smurthi and nodded, lightly touching his chin in thanks. In this small window of freedom that he now had, he could go and hopefully meet Reba at the school. She would likely be done with her meeting with the director by now. He hoped it had went well for her.
Sultaan made his way to the schoolhouse, now lightened with eagerness to see Reba. Soon he arrived and stood outside. He could hardly wait to talk to somebody without having to use the stupid paper and pencil!
Tyn Asti:
“It’s been my pleasure. Have a good day,” he called after Reba as she made her way out of his office. He watched her leave before shutting his door after her. He had to finish up some other work before clocking out for the day. (Since it’s evening for everyone else, let’s just make it the end of the day for Rebataan and the other involved characters. If that’s okay with you Aspi!)
Smurthi: It was very satisfying to her that Sultaan couldn’t even argue with her if he wanted to. “But! As I said! Necessary!” She glanced over at Sultaan.
“Well, that’s about all I need you for today,” she said. “I’ll mark off everything you did for me today from the debt.”
Kilroy: Oddly enough, he was the first to wake up. He saw the first rays of dawn just starting to pierce through the window, and he waited patiently on his mat for the others to stir. He closed his eyes and tried to hold the dream images in his head - a mountain path, the silty lake, bananas - all from so many years ago. How many years had it been since he had last seen Hengov?
Carmela: The first thing she did when she woke up was to reach across the blankets to make sure her brother was still there. No, she hadn’t been dreaming. Incredible as it was, he was here. After so long…
But since she didn’t want to cry first thing in the morning, she got up and started to make breakfast.
Reba: She nodded. “Yes, I will. 9 o’clock.” Her fingers caressed the schedule and she offered Tyn Asti a hesitant smile. “Thank you for your help.” Then she began to exit the office.
Hopefully Sultaan was almost done working today… she wanted to talk to him and hold his eyes in her gaze for a long time. But she knew he would have work to do for their mere survival even after he was done with the moneylender, and her being away for school would only make things worse.
Lakha: He huffed angrily, but he’d have to be a super bad sport to stay angry at Ludwig, and he was only a bad sport. “Whatever,” he muttered. “Thanks for c-coming.” He shrugged off from the crowd and turned away, even through a few sports reporters were trying to ask him questions about why he lost and how it felt to have one of the worst aggregate scores out of the Anok Boxers League.
(Hey Aspi could you maybe not use words like the a-word on here? I don’t mean to make a big deal out of it, but I’d rather not there be any language! Thanks!! ^^)
(RAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS COLE’S COACH REALLY SAID “NOPE”)
Avery:
She relaxed into Cole as he leaned in closer. Even closer. “C-Cole…?” Her stammering voice was barely a whisper. Avery’s face burned when she realized what he was about to do. Butterflies thundered in her stomach, her hearts beat madly, her eyes slipped closed as their lips barely touched, before something jerked Cole to the side and they split apart.
Suddenly, they were moving and Avery stumbled and tripped over her own hooves just trying to keep up. She gasped for breath, her face red and hot. Luckily for her, Cole’s arm firmly held onto her waist and steadied her as they were being dragged away from the pressing crowd.
Avery recognized the stallion leading them as Cole’s coach. “He certainly has expert timing.” She thought bitterly, but she was too flustered for her anger to stick.
At the mention of getting Cole’s wounds addressed, she looked up at him with a bright, smug smirk. “Told you so!” She pressed her body closer to him so their horse shoulders and flanks touched as they walked.
Avery heard a sudden, angry outburst coming from behind them. She spared a look over her shoulder to see Cole’s opponent, Lakha, standing close to one of the bystanders. She thought she recognized him as a player on the other cricket team.
They were too far away to hear what was said, and Avery couldn’t read lips, but whatever it was, Lakha was heated. The player was calm, however, and seemed to be handling it.
(OOOO GET ROASTED COLE XD)
(I’ll keep it the same for simplicity’s sake!)
Fawnroot:
She listened carefully to Callum’s questions and the young centaurs’ responses as she studied the little round container she cupped in her wing. So this iswhatthey needed her for. And Leila was acting as a sort of buffer for Callum to distinguish truth from lie. Valerian root, hops, lavender. The valerian alone would be enough to make a sleeping medication.
Fawnroot lowered her head and closed her eyes for concentration as she took a deep inhale. All the familiar scents were there, just mixed together. The sweetness of the lavender, the pungent odor of the valerian root, and the harsh bitterness of the hops. Overall, it was not a pleasant smell -it made her eyes water and the inside of her nose sting- which also raised a few more questions.
Usually, hops only smell incredibly bitter when it’s over-ripe, which meant this mixture is old enough for some of the plants to turn sour. Hassan must’ve had this for a while. (That took some Google-ing XDDD)
Fawnroot was tempted to taste it. Probably not wise, but if she did ingest it, it would help her understand what this combination of plants would do. It would make her groggy, obviously, but to what extent? Was there side effects? How long would it last?
Her curiosity grew, but she ultimately decided against it. Fawnroot looked up at Callum at the same time that he looked back at her. “Yes, it does. He’s not lying.” At least not about this.
The mare paused for a moment, weighing her words. She wanted to keep an open mind and not jump to conclusions. Her gaze swiveled to Hassan, her expression blank. “I believe you.” She said simply, but went on before he could react, “How long have you had this? How much do you take to help you sleep?”
(Awww that would be cute!!)
Kavani:
She didn’t turn away, until he did. She’s never hesitated like this before. She’s always been the first to turn, first to walk away, first to leave. Why couldn’t she leave? Why was it so much harder now? (Ohhhhh YES I can definitely see a deeper meaning here 👀) What had changed? Had she changed? Had Bhearit?
Either way, it didn’t really matter right now. Kollin was calling for her, and Bhearit’s back was turned. “Yeah… you get some rest tonight, too,” And before her stupid, irresponsible heart could talk her out of it, and before Bhearit said something else to give her an excuse to stay, she marched back to Kollin.
Kavani opened and closed the door rather quickly. As soon as the door clicked shut, she backed up into it and sat down onto her haunches. She grunted faintly and pressed the back of her head and shoulders against the wooden door, leaning into it as her brows drew tight and her throat tightened.
Kavani looked down at her palms again. The image of his fingers interwoven with her’s. The feeling of his thumbs pressing against her palms. She could hear her thrumming heartbeat in her ears. “What just happened? What am I -oh gosh- what am I doing? What is this feeling?Bhearit… what have you done to me?!” (OOOOOO GIRL YOU GOT IT BAAAD)
Her hands started shaking, and she buried her head into her hands. Her face was warm and her palms were sweaty. “No! You’re not worth him, and he’s worth so much more. Why would you let him- you don’t let anyone get that close! All you’ll ever do is hurt him!”
“Um… Kavani?” A small hand tapped her head twice, and she jumped. Her head shot up and she stared into the eyes of Kollin. “O-Oh…Kollin. I’m so sorry, buddy.” She panted slightly as she struggled to compose herself from those raging, self-destructive thoughts. She cleared her throat and smoothed down her hair, before tapping his head twice in return.
She stood up before making her way over to Kollin’s backpack. “Here. T-Teddy’s in this side pocket.” She unzipped it, and pulled out the little brown bear with the missing eye, and handed him to an eager Kollin. “Ahhh! Teddy! There you are!” He embraced the toy and pressed his face into its little head. “I hope you weren’t too smushed in there. I know, I know: I don’t like the dark either, but look! This is where we’re staying tonight.” He started walking around Bhearit’s little bedroom, holding the bear outward as he spoke, “That’s the bed. Those are the pillows and blankets. Oh! This is the window; we don’t have one of those at our tent. That’s Kavani, hahaha, you already know her! This is the wooden floor; we also don’t have one of those at our tent.”
As Kollin and Teddy continued their guided tour around the little room, Kavani glanced down at the pillows. She had packed her and Kollin some pillows, so they didn’t need any. Those were Bhearit’s: he probably wanted them to sleep with tonight. Since, you know, her and Kollin were taking his bed. Another knife of guilt stabbed her in the gut.
Kavani grit her teeth and yanked the pillows off the bed and took them in her arms. She forced her expression to return to normal: her indifferent, cold normal. She inhaled deeply before opening the door again, and heading out into the main room. “Hey- sorry,” Kavani kept her voice clear and relaxed. “These pillows were on your bed. I have some for me and Kollin, so I figured you might want them.”
She kept her nonchalance, and even tugged on the corner of one of the pillows, trying to look bored. (KAVANIIIII 🤣)
“Oooohh! Teddy, come look at this!” Kollin scampered out of the bedroom. “That’s the front door. That’s one of Bhearit’s inventions. Yeah, I know! He’s the coolest. That’s another window.”
He gave a small smile and nodded. “Good. As for now, I shall give you a slip of the schedule so that you know what time to come tomorrow, yes?” he said as he pulled out a paper from a folder. He came from behind his desk and handed it to her. On the slip had a well-drawn chart with sections sorted out for each day for the next week. He pointed to the first column.
“This is the time you must be here in the morning: nine o’clock. Do you understand?” Tyn asked, looking at Reba’s face to see if she did.
(Noooo don’t take your anger out on Ludwig bro 😭😭)
Ludwig:
He glanced over his shoulder at his cricket teammate as he held back a rather large centauress. When he saw Lakha’s fuming face, his smile faded slightly.
“Ma’am get back please,” he said. Thankfully she obliged and stepped back to join her friends.
Ludwig looked at his teammate. The rage was practically palpable as Lakha stood inches from his face. “What do you mean? Of course I was cheering you on, and I’m sorry you lost, Lakha,” he said, creasing his brow slightly. “Hey. How about this? I’ll treat you to a drink and a meal tonight. You look tired.”
He smiled down at her, watching her face as she spoke. He adored every little change of facial expression she made, the way the light caught in her red hair and her golden eyes (thank you Aspi T^T), and the way her freckles dusted her cheeks so nicely. He was so focused on Avery’s face that he didn’t even hardly hear what she said.
“Mhm…” Cole murmured, leaning down closer to her face. His lips were just barely brushing against hers when Cole’s coach pushed through the crowd and grabbed his arm.
“Cole! This crowd is gonna swallow you both whole if you don’t get out of here now!” he shouted and tugged Cole back toward the ring.
Cole kept his arm wrapped securely around Avery’s waist as he was guided by his coach.
“We’re going to need to get that scrape checked out and treat whatever other injuries you’ve required as well as finalize some things before you’re off the hook. You know we’re gonna celebrate at the tavern tonight, right?” His coach went on.
Cole glanced back to see some of the officers there holding back the crowd as they walked away. Among them was Ludwig, who, despite having to hold back the crowd, was smiling happily probably because of Cole’s victory.
Callum:
He looked toward Fawnroot as she entered the room with the centaur filly kept close at her side. He nodded toward the pegasus mare in acknowledgment to her question and then held the opened tin toward her.
Callum glanced at Leila; she seemed to just barely be holding the urge to break away from Fawnroot and run to her family. The teenager’s eyes kept darting from Fawnroot and the pegasi to her brothers.
Callum turned toward Hassan, approaching him. “What does that tin consist of?” he asked. The young man didn’t meet his eyes, and was likely watching Fawnroot who now held the container.
He was silent for a bit as though sifting through answers he could choose from. “It’s a root: valerian. And hops with lavender,” he mumbled finally. (Hops being a noun, not a verb lol) His voice was deep and scratchy. It sounded almost… uncertain. Callum couldn’t tell whether Hassan was bluffing or he just couldn’t remember exactly what the ingredients were in the tin. (Also remember that just because Callum assumes something or thinks smth about Hassan doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily true lol. The most accurate interpretation you’re gonna get for now is from Leila)
Callum looked at Leila. “Is your brother telling the truth?” he asked her. The young mare looked up, meeting Callum’s gaze for a moment. She frowned slightly as though Callum was asking a stupid question.
“He is,” Leila replied simply. “That’s his medicine.”
“Then what is it?” Callum asked, turning to Hassan. He was getting a little annoyed with this stallion’s short and shallow replies.
“I don’t sleep good.”
Callum looked at Leila, who was gazing at her brother with her brows creased together. But then she met Callum’s eyes. Was she angry? Or was she annoyed with him? Callum had a feeling that Fawnroot would be better at interrogation than he since these were just children.
“How old are you all?” Callum asked finally, changing the subject.
“I’m sixteen,” Fiell replied, looking at Leila
“Fifteen,” the girl answered, having not looked away from Callum. “And Hassan is twenty-two.”
Callum nodded slightly and turned to Fawnroot. “Does it have what he said it did?” he asked. (It does. It can have something else too if you want to add anything!)
Bhearit:
He smiled slightly as Kollin called for his sister about his toy. He remembered having a special stuffed animal to sleep with. In fact, he probably had it somewhere in the house. (Ooo what if Kollin finds it?? If he does, it’d prbly be a dog or smth)
In the dimming light of the room, he could see that Kavani was incredibly flustered now and probably eager to go. He shouldn’t have touched her hands. What had he been thinking? Now things were even more awkward. He had followed his heart despite what the logical side of him had told him to do. He should have just let Kavani go. Why couldn’t he let her go? (OOO THIS MIGHT TURN INTO A DEEPER MEANING LATER ON WHO KNOWS??)
Bhearit swallowed as he looked at Kavani whose attention was now diverted to her little brother. He had honestly forgotten about Kollin.
It could never work. Bhearit rubbed his hands together and inhaled. Keep dreaming, boy. It’ll never happen.
“Right. Thanks,” Bhearit replied when Kavani had told him to get her when he needed help. He dipped his head slightly. “Have a good rest.” Why did you let yourself follow your stupid feelings? Bhearit stepped away, this time lengthening the closeness between them himself. He couldn’t imagine letting Kavani dig her fingernails into her skin. That’s why he took her hands—to stop her from hurting herself more. He could still feel her touch lingering on his skin...
Bhearit slowly turned away again and began to pick up other scraps of wood and metal which lay around. He really needed to organize this stuff.
His hands felt cold for some reason. This made him remember that the season was turning over to fall now. He walked over to a cabinet and opened it, pulling out a blanket. He’d use this for tonight.
He was relieved when the man finally relented; he was not the least interested in any excitement today.
He quickly followed after Smurthi as she began to walk away. Sultaan gave a soft grunt in response to her sarcastic comment about her vocation, walking beside her now. He wished he could reply without having to go through the tedious process of writing it down on his notepad, but a grunt was all he could do to acknowledge Smurthi’s words.
He grinned widely down at Avery when she kissed his cheek. “I guess I don’t smell bad enough for you not to kiss me,” he teased and wrapped his arms around her tightly. “Now I’m afraid I can’t let you go.”
Cole leaned his head down and buried his face into her neck, inhaling her scent. He trailed his hand up against the nape of her neck, running his fingers through her hair.
“Best part is, I’m hardly hurt at all. We can go out and eat,” Cole whispered into her ear as he twirled a stray lock of red hair around his finger.
(“Unpack their wings” makes sense tho!!)
Callum:
As soon as the stallions had set the siblings’ belongings down, he gestured at the items and looked at Hassan. “Did you poison berries?” he asked. To Callum’s slight frustration, the tall centaur didn’t seem to be fazed, and he didn’t respond. He held neither an expression of surprise nor anger, or even confusion. He almost looked… thoughtful. Fiell appeared puzzled, however, if not nervous. But he had already been nervous.
Callum leaned down and dumped open a satchel, emptying it of different assortments such as a half-empty canteen, twine, and a couple of bloodied rags. He looked up at the brothers quizzically.
Fiell swallowed. “Nosebleed.”
Callum frowned slightly. “Why would you keep this?” (Yeah Fiell. Like BROTHA EUGH WHAS THAT BROTHA)
The young centaur shook his head slightly and shrugged. “That’s my bag,” he replied quietly, as though that answered his question.
Callum nodded slightly, having a small understanding of what the young stallion meant. He then moved on to the next bag. “Neither of you answered my question earlier,” he said calmly, now on his knees as he inspected the possessions. “Did you poison any berries?”
“N-no…” Fiell answered, sounding a little confused.
Callum glanced up to see the boy’s face. Fiell’s brow creased slightly as he met his gaze.
Callum looked back down again at the items. He lifted a smaller, more dainty looking bag that had tiny yellow flowers embroidered along the flap. It wasn’t much bigger than his own hand. “Your sister’s, I assume?” he asked, opening it.
“Yeah,” Fiell replied softly.
Callum grunted and pulled out a small, leather-bound book. A charcoal pencil fell out as he removed it from the bag. He flipped through the pages briefly and then set it aside. He felt along the inside of the bag and found something small and round. A ring. Callum lifted it up to the dying light of the day to examine it. It was a wedding ring from the looks of it—gold, with some unreadable engraving. An average wedding ring.
Callum looked up at the two brothers. Fiell’s face had a conflicted expression on it, like he was remembering something he regretted or grieved over. The latter wouldn’t be too surprising if it was so. Hassan’s whole body, however, stiffened the moment Callum had picked up the ring. Looking at his face now, the oldest brother appeared almost angry.
Callum placed the things back into Leila’s bag, including the ring. Hassan seemed to relax a little once he had set the girl’s possessions aside.
There were a few other things other than clothing articles. Hassan didn’t seem to have a bag of his own, unlike his siblings. Maybe the makeshift sling he now had his arm cradled in had been his bag.
Callum lifted up a coat to move it out of the way when a small container fell from a pocket sewn on the inside of the coat. He picked it up. The container was small and flat, and seemed to be made out of tin. A circle had been scraped on the lid, like somebody had taken a sharp object and hastily scratched it on. Perhaps it was an O, or a symbol, or nothing at all.
Callum popped the lid off. Inside was a a thin layer of dark mash. He lifted the container and sniffed it. Callum shook his head slightly, blinking, and then closed the lid. This would be taken to Fawnroot for examination.
“Whose coat is this?” he asked, standing up again.
“Leila’s,” Fiell answered and looked at his brother.
Hassan only watched Callum with slightly narrowed eyes.
“What is this, Hassan?” he asked the tall centaur and held out the container for him to see.
“I don’t know,” he mumbled.
“I doubt you don’t know, Hassan,” Callum said coolly. “But in any case, I’m sure Fawnroot would, or else your sister.”
“Leave her out of this,” Hassan rasped, furrowing his brow. “She doesn’t know nothing.”
“Then what is this?” Callum pressed, stepping closer to him.
Was that embarrassment he saw? “Sleeping medicine, hm? That’s some strong medicine that knocks a steed out cold the moment it’s consumed.” He squinted at the oldest brother. They definitely needed Leila to interpret Hassan’s lack of expressions. Callum turned briefly to Rayfire. “Explains Rimecrest,” he said. “Let’s get Fawnroot and the girl in here.”
Leila:
She quietly obeyed the kind pegasus mare and took her place next to the wall. When Fawnroot offered her some sugarcane, Leila accepted it without protest. She was quite hungry, for she had been waiting for her brothers to return from hunting to eat when that big centaur had showed up with those pegasi and captured her and her brothers. What a day it has been!
Leila nibbled on the sugarcane as she watched the doctor mare care for a drowsy and rather bewildered looking pegasus. He looked different from the rest. He was shorter and stockier—fluffier too, like he lived in a cooler climate. The rest of the pegasi here were sleek and colorful. She wondered if he was also a foreigner. That mare, Fawnroot, also called her darling. Leila felt it a bit strange to hear that from someone who looked just like a horse but with wings. But it wasn’t unpleasant. In fact, it was rather nice. These pegasi were certainly intelligent creatures, but not only that, they were courteous and kind too. Leila smiled slightly at the thought.
Rimecrest:
He swayed slightly, his eyes still glassy from the drugged sleep. The young stallion leaned into Fawnroot, letting out a long, sleepy groan. “I don’t- I feel weird… I want my mama…” he slurred.
Rimecrest’s wings sagged at his sides, not tucked as they should be. His knees suddenly buckled again, and he collapsed against Fawnroot.
“What’s wrong with him?” He heard the centaur mare ask.
Rimecrest could barely take anything in, and that was the last thing he remembered as he drifted off into sleep again.
Bhearit:
What was this heavy feeling washing over him right now? What was pulling down on his hearts like a weight? Disappointment. Bhearit looked at Kavani, his brows creasing together. He wished to assure her that it wasn’t her fault, but he also knew it was probably better to simply let her go to bed.
Once again, and probably not for the last time, Bhearit was left dumbfounded—not in shock, but in uncertainty of how to respond for fear of what she would think, or how it would make the whole situation.
But he didn’t want to end the night like this. He just couldn’t.
Despite his exhaustion and his body’s screaming to rest; despite his logical side of him who advised to shut up and let Kavani go, Bhearit found a surprising and sudden amount of courage—well, no. Not courage. Determination. Yes, he was fueled by a newfound determination to set things right.
“Kavani-“ Bhearit’s voice cracked, but he ignored it. He cleared his throat and picked up the courage to step closer to her. “Kavani,” he began again with a slow inhale. “There is no need for you to apologize. Don’t pretend like I’m the only one who has put up with your family issues… who’s helped you in this distress you’re in. You were the one who helped me through my mother—stepmother’s—death. It is only right that I return the favor by helping you. Not only you, but Kollin as well.”
Bhearit paused for a moment. The whole time he was talking, he wasn’t really looking at Kavani’s face—at least, not in her eyes. He felt like he was rambling, dancing around in circles as he struggled to get to the point. Bhearit glanced at Kavani’s face, but it was too brief to read her expression as she listened.
“You don’t deserve to be caught up in my family issues either, but you were, and here I am caught up in yours. And, well, so be it. I want to help and return the favor.” Bhearit sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. However, his hand was stopped short upon meeting a tangle in his hair. He gave up and dropped his hand to his side again.
Bhearit looked down at the floor. “Nothing you said was stupid, by the way,” he said quietly. He noticed the way Kavani dug her fingernails into her palms just like she had just a few hours ago after the incident with her mother.
Bhearit found himself staring at her hands. They were dry and a little calloused, but slender—pretty in their own way. He hated the way she buried her nails into her skin. Without thinking, Bhearit reached forward suddenly and parted her hands gently but firmly, with his thumbs pressing into her palms as he did so. He then let go, if not with a little hesitation before he did. (UGH THEYRE SO AWKWARD BUT SO CUTE RAAAAAHHUGVH)
(Their innocent happiness will not last long. It is the way of the OC MUAHAHA)
Cole:
He dipped his head as a mare draped the medallion around his neck. At last, the match was over. He could now go home with few injuries, and they would not hinder him from enjoying the company of Avery.
He smiled in his victory like any other winner would, but his gaze searched the crowd for one person. A centaur handed him a canteen of water and a towel, and he gratefully took it. He paused in his search to wipe the sweat off his face and neck and to rehydrate himself before looking for his girlfriend again.
It didn’t take long for Cole to spot the gleaming red hair of Avery, and he promptly began to make his way toward her, ducking under the ropes to get to her.
The crowd was like a thick brick wall to get through, and some people he had to nudge rather hard to get them out of his way. As soon as he was within reach of Avery, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him.
Sultaan:
He was relieved when the man finally relented; he was not the least interested in any excitement today.
He quickly followed after Smurthi as she began to walk away. Sultaan gave a soft grunt in response to her sarcastic comment about her vocation, walking beside her now. He wished he could reply without having to go through the tedious process of writing it down on his notepad, but a grunt was all he could do to acknowledge Smurthi’s words.
Leila:
She looked at the pegasus mare who spoke to her in such a sweet and gentle way. Her eyes rounded slightly, her ears flicking forward. “Okay,” she said faintly.
But when Fawnroot and the other stallion argued, she then looked toward her brothers. Fiell creased his brows together, looking back at her with question and worry. Leila swallowed slightly and glanced at Fawnroot. The mare seemed to have everything under control now despite that stallion’s protest.
Leila nodded slightly at her brother, her gaze flitting to Hassan for a moment. To her, he was clearly angry; she could see it in his eyes. But when he met her gaze, he softened slightly. Leila also gave him a small nod to assure him she was okay going with the pegasus.
She inhaled quietly and turned back toward Fawnroot when she had nudged her flank slightly.
Callum:
He watched the whole interaction between Fawnroot and her sire in silence, choosing not to butt in to defend the mare. She was stubborn in a good way, and he knew she didn’t need his help. He found himself right, of course, as he watched Rayfire back down finally.
He glanced at the eldest of the three centaurs. He couldn’t tell what Hassan was thinking, but he found the siblings’ silent communication interesting. The youngest, Leila, seemed to be able to read her brothers very well. Fiell was easiest, of course; even Callum could tell what he was feeling. But Hassan… They might need Leila during interrogation if she could understand her brother so well. For now, however, they would have to do without the girl.
As Fawnroot and Leila walked away, he caught Fawnroot’s eye as she cast a quick glance back at him. He gave a small, affectionate smile upon meeting her gaze, although it was only for a fleeting moment. Callum turned back to Rayfire and the two centaurs.
He followed them quietly as they all made their way to the alcove. Soon they arrived to the chosen destination, and Callum positioned himself so that he was standing a little bit to the side but still in front of Hassan and Fiell as the two stood close against the rock.
There were a few moments of silence as Callum studied the brothers.
“Where do you come from?” he asked finally.
Fiell looked up at Hassan and then shifted his weight. “M-Mangrove,” he replied and looked down.
Callum grunted softly. “Why are you here? Are you traveling to Johirestown?” He squinted for a moment at Hassan who still stood silent.
Fiell glanced at his brother. “We’re-“
“Yes,” Hassan interrupted quickly, and Fiell looked at him in what appeared like confusion. Hassan gave him a slight frown.
Callum raised his eyebrows. Hassan’s voice was sharp, but also quiet and raspy. “So you are going to Johirestown?”
Fiell blinked for a moment. “Yeah…”
The ex-captain cleared his throat and glanced at Rayfire before looking at the two again.
“You’re both terrible liars,” he said.
Fiell looked at Callum. “No. I just wasn’t sure,” he said in an almost protesting way. “I swear we’re not lying.”
Callum crossed his arms, staring at Hassan. “How did you hurt your arm? Is it broken?”
Fiell looked at Hassan and then Callum. “Yeah. Well, no, not exact-“
“I’m asking your brother, not you,” Callum growled, not looking at Fiell. He continued to stare at Hassan, who barely held his gaze.
The tall centaur was silent for a long time before answering. “Fell,” he muttered.
Callum frowned slightly but didn’t press the subject. “Not very talkative, huh?”
He looked at Rayfire. “Have one of your steeds bring all their belongings here,” he said in a low voice.
Bhearit:
He looked at Kavani as she stepped away and hastily apologized for keeping him. For keeping him? Did she think he didn’t want her there?
Bhearit didn’t really pick up most of what she was saying next besides the part of him needing to rest—of which he agreed with. His hearts were heavy, and now he felt strangely colder since she lengthened the distance between them. The warmth of her touch still lingered on his shoulder.
Bhearit swallowed, but it got stuck in his throat. “I- you…” he trailed off. He hadn’t stopped to think of what he was going to say. He didn’t want her to go. Not really. He couldn’t ignore it.
Bhearit inhaled quietly, looking down for a moment. But what mattered was what Kavani wanted—what she needed—not what his heart wished for. He was delirious; he had to be. His emotions had been shaken up enough over the past several days, and so had Kavani’s. No need to start anything now. And besides, they all needed to rest.
“Yes… you’re right,” he murmured finally, looking at Kavani again. Bhearit straightened slightly. “You should sleep too. It’s been a long day… and week in general.”
He could see a sort of conflicted expression on her face, like she wanted to tell him something or that she had done something she knew he would be upset about. At least, that what it seemed to him.
Bhearit tilted his head slightly, gathering the courage to speak what he had in mind. “Kavani…” he began slowly, almost cautiously. His accent was breaking through again, and it annoyed him. He cleared his throat. “There’s no need to apologize. I’m… very glad you’re here.” Bhearit dipped his head slightly for a moment, breaking eye-contact. In a way, he felt rather relieved that he had managed to get out at least a little of what he felt. He had chosen his words carefully, and they seemed to be innocent and friendly enough to know that she wouldn’t be… weirded out. Hopefully. He couldn’t read minds, however, and definitely not Kavani’s.
Bhearit looked at her again, more slowly this time. Despite how tired she looked, and the way her hair was a little messy, Kavani was still incredibly… pretty. Yes. Pretty. Bhearit didn’t let his mind dwell on this little observation for long.
She perked her ears up as Callum subtly motioned towards something behind her. She took the hint and looked over her shoulder. Rimecrest was awake! Her eyes immediately brightened and her heart beamed with relief and joy, but she didn’t run to him just yet.
Fawnroot lowered her head and looked at the young mare with nothing but peaceful admiration. The poor thing was trembling and looked about ready to bolt. Fawnroot’s chest tightened.
“Leila, right?” She hoped to all the ancestors she was saying it right. “That’s a lovely name. I am Fawnroot. Would you mind staying with me? Your brothers are needed, but I promise you, they will be back soon.” She offered the girl a smile before nodding at Callum. One of the under-stallions, Buckweed, walked forward as if to follow them to the medicine mare den, but Fawnroot stopped him and shook her head. “A guard won’t be necessary.”
Rayfire bristled at this. “Take one just to be sure. These are foreigners, after all.”
But Fawnroot bristled right back. “You wouldn’t treat Pegasi foreigners this way. (She’s right, he wouldn’t 👀) Do you wish to frighten the poor girl even more? Look around you: the entire herd is bearing witness. We will be fine until you return. Now, I have patients to attend to.” (OHHHH SNAP)
Without waiting for a rebuttal, Fawnroot nudged the girl’s flank softly, but encouragingly. “It’ll be alright, young one. Come on,” And she herded Leila towards the medicine mare den, sparing a glance back only for Callum.
Rayfire:
He snorted harshly and ruffled his wings, golden feathers drifting to the ground around him. Was he angry because she was right, or angry because Berrysong would be so incredibly proud of her…
He didn’t think on that too long. “Let’s move.” He ordered and took the lead, heading towards the spot Fawnroot described. He had a vague idea of where it was, but without her guide, it took some poking around at different sapling trees to find the alcove.
He immediately set up a perimeter with a Pegasus steed guarding every exit point. These steeds that they didn’t need were dismissed to rejoin the herd and report to Robinfire, if need be.
He waited until the two centaurs faced him and Callum with their flanks pressed against the rock. He cocked his head to the side and allowed Callum to take the lead: he knew centaurs, knew what makes them tick, and knew the best questions to ask.
(INTERROGATION TIMMEEEE AAAAA IM SO EXCITED FOR THE ANSWERS)
Kavani:
Her eyes followed his hand as he reached up and gently touched her knuckles, his fingers tracing the back of her hand. Kavani blinked at him, trying to make sense of him, her own feelings, and the obvious weight between them. She knew he felt it too.
Kavani smiled a little. She wanted to say something else. To thank him. To ask jf he was okay from the long day. Maybe ask if he needed any help. But, before she decided on what to say, his hand fell away from her’s, lightly skimmed her forearm, before returned stiffly to his side. Kavani felt her hearts ping painfully. She looked up at him, but his eyes were on the ground.
Her hand felt cold now that Bhearit let go. She swallowed. Usually his eyes and features were so fluid and expressive, but now, he almost seemed scared… and conflicted. As if he couldn’t decide how to feel. Well, if that was the case, they felt the same way. He finally met her eyes again, and there was a raw look of unexplainable emotions burning in his gaze. It scared her. Maybe touching him and lingering was a bad idea? Definitely a bad idea.
“Sorry,” Kavani looked away and pulled her hand back faster than he had, and more careful not to touch him again. She forced her voice to be steady. “Of course. Sorry to… keep you. Do whatever you need to do.” Why was she apologizing so much? Why was she suddenly filled with a sense of guilt? She stepped back and opened the space between them. Say something, Kavani. Don’t just walk away after that. “Thank you again for allowing us to stay. Let me know if I can do anything to help and.. please get some rest.”
Avery:
Finally the match was finished! She breathed more easily now that the stallions weren’t hurdling punches and kicks at one another.
Avery clapped her hands so fast and loud that her palms hurt in a matter of seconds. She didn’t usually like screaming of any kind since it was bad for her vocal chords, but watching Cole’s victory and receiving a medal from the judges, he deserved a celebration. Her voice joined the others in the crowd as she proudly, happily stared up at Cole.
(I love the immediate mood difference between characters. Just like “ooooo angst, hidden feelings, interrogations, drama, some more angst, even more drama.” Versus.
“yayyyy my boyfriend won and everything is great!!” XDDD
Fawnroot and Kavani: 😭😡😣 “why does SHE get to be happy?!?”
His eyes lit up the moment he spotted Fawnroot approach them, and he was about to respond to her greeting when Rayfire spoke. He glanced between Fawnroot and the stallion, the tension almost palpable between them.
Callum looked down at the pegasus captain when he spoke to him. “Aye, I’d like to be present,” he replied, nodding. He gestured to Foxglen and Mapleleaf to come forward with the two centaur brothers. He looked at Fiell’s face first, which betrayed his emotions very clearly. His dark eyes were wide with curiosity and fear as he looked around. The young stallion kept close to his brother. Callum’s gaze fell on Hassan’s face. He couldn’t really read it as clearly as Fiell’s, but Hassan certainly didn't appear that shocked by all these pegasi swarming around them. At least, that’s what he seemed on the outside. He almost looked… disgusted. It was hard to tell.
Callum’s ears swiveled back slightly as many questions popped into his mind. He would use them for the interrogation, and Hassan was definitely going to answer them.
“Aye, let’s go. Lead the way, Fawn,” he said, turning toward her again. He glanced down at Leila, who was now trembling beside him. He shifted his weight from one hoof to the other.
“We’re only going to ask a few questions,” Callum reassured her. He looked at Fawnroot and nodded slightly.
At that moment, he spotted Rimecrest, who was no longer lying down. He was struggling to stand up, still dazed from the drugged berries he had eaten. Callum cleared his throat and gestured with his chin toward the colt behind Fawnroot.
(UGHHH SO CUTE)
Bhearit:
His ears were still burning from shame as he left the room. He wished he could just snap his fingers and have all his junk gone. But obviously, it was not to be so.
Bhearit was just about to continue clearing the table when Kavani called after him from behind. She grasped his shoulder and gently pulled him away from the table. He inhaled sharply in surprise as Kavani turned him around.
His own hearts were beating wildly as she spoke to him, gently berating him for treating his inventions so poorly. For some reason, Bhearit held her gaze this time. He was taken aback by the sincerity of her words, finding no lie behind her eyes as she spoke. He was aware of her hand, which still lingered on his shoulder and the way she gave it a gentle squeeze. Then she took a step closer to him, closing the distance between them more.
“Everything is perfect and fine the way it is.”
Bhearit opened his mouth slightly but found no words in it. He shut it. The young stallion didn’t necessarily agree with her statement; he simply didn’t want to argue. He had no motivation to argue.
Bhearit swallowed quietly, trying to find something to say. He looked down for a moment and inhaled before meeting her eyes again. “You’re still having my room,” he said softly. It was all he could say at the moment.
Then, slowly, carefully, Bhearit reached up, just barely touching her hand which still grasped his shoulder. Her tanned skin was cool as he brushed his fingers over her knuckles. Bhearit found his gaze no longer meeting Kavani's, rather lingering on her face. He felt his chest tighten slightly as he looked at her. Bhearit was hyper-aware of everything: her touch, the proximity of herself to him, her gaze, the way her blond hair caught the light, his own breathing…
Realizing that he was still touching her hand, he moved his hand down, his fingers brushing halfway along her forearm in the process before it finally drifted to his side again. He had to come to his senses and not let himself get carried away, no matter how dulled his commonsense was at the moment. But it was more than just tiredness that he felt. Bhearit lowered his eyes. He had suddenly felt a deep yearning, a longing for something more when he had touched her hand, and it scared him in a way. He wasn’t sure what to do with it, having never felt this way before.
Bhearit inhaled slowly, and to his annoyance, his breath quivered slightly. “I should… probably…” he trailed off as he met her eyes again. He didn’t want to break this moment, even if at the same time he did. The latter side of him wasn’t strong enough to overpower his feelings.
Following Callum’s orders, Pinegrass approached the two young centaurs and picked up the strange wooden contraption with his teeth. He gripped it tightly as he stared down at them, and the wood creaked and strained against his bite.
(Enjoy my ramblings: Horses have a VERY strong bite force. (Pegasi are no exception!) When I looked it up, their average jaw strength is about 500 pounds per square inch (based off size and breed, so potentially more!). For reference, that’s stronger than Rottweilers, Pit bulls, and German shepherds by DOUBLE. So yeah… don’t mess with them horsie chompers!)
The other battle stallions pushed the 2 young centaurs into line behind Callum.
Rayfire:
He heard the soft thuds of distant hooves echo through the trees, and by the sound of it, there were more steeds than when they had spilt up earlier. The other Pegasi around Rayfire noticed it too, and everyone stiffened as Callum’s group came into view. He marched forward to meet them by himself, his eyes bouncing between each steed. Rayfire immediately took note of the 3 strange centaurs. Children? He thought to himself, but didn’t allow his surprise and hesitation to show.
He rattled his wings and arched his neck, keeping his sharp eyes on the young ones.
Then, Pinegrass separated himself from the group and approached Rayfire. He held something large in his teeth, before dropping it at Rayfire’s hooves with a clunk. “Weapons, sir.”
Rayfire stared down at the long, wooden weapon, his expression stoic and unreadable. “Take 2 steeds and perform a full perimeter sweep on the ground. No flying. Bring anything, or anyone, to me.”
He stepped over the weapon as if it were nothing more than a root or a branch in his way, and focused on the strangers.
“Who do have we here?” His voice was rough, yet calm and slightly confused: it was a genuine question. He directed the question at Callum, but he spoke loud enough that everyone in the squad would hear.
He lowered his head to stare down at the little girl, before looking to the two older boys. He waited patiently for someone to respond.
(Is this okay, Ash? I wanted to keep it open since they’re your characters!)
(Yeah that’s fine! I probably won’t make it significant since I’m drawing a blank on ideas right now lol)
Kavani:
She finished up packing for both her and Kollin; she only grabbed the essentials. Anything else could wait until later. Kavani looked at Bhearit with appreciation. “Mhm. Fine by me. Not like the tent is going anywhere. And neither is the mess.” She tried to make it sound light-hearted and fun, but her voice wouldn’t cooperate and it came out wrong, so instead it just sounded like a sad attempt at humor. Kavani grit her teeth and crossed her arms over her chest: she looked like she was about to say something else, but she never found the words.
Kollin came bursting into the tent with an armload of toys and stuffed animals. He was breathing hard as he placed the toys against one of the back walls of the tent. “HA! Th-there! Done!” He whirled to Kavani and was immediately at her side, tugging at the hem of her shirt. “How fast was that? How fast was that?!”
Kavani smiled warmly at him and ruffled his hair. “It was so fast I forgot to count,” which was the truth. That seemed to be the right response because Kollin burst into laughter and placed his hands on his hips, looking very pleased with himself.
Kavani chuckled dryly, before looking back to Bhearit. His smile looked happy and content, but his eyes were heavy. He’s been by her side all day. Never ever once complaining, never asking about her mother’s problems- even though he must have questions. Always willing to help, always putting her needs before his own. The more she thought about it, the worse she felt: guilt stormed through her.
Kavani swallowed and quickly looked away from him. “I think we’re ready.” As she spoke, she grabbed her sheathed sword she’d left beneath a nearby tree so it wouldn’t get in her way, but now, she felt bare without it. Once she strapped it to her waist, she shrugged on the satchel and helped Kollin put on his little backpack. “What about Teddy?!” Kollin cried, but Kavani merely smiled and booped his nose. “He’s already packed.”
The siblings turned to look at Bhearit. Kollin took his hand and Kavani fell in line beside him.
Avery:
She watched with wide eyes and trembling fingers as the stallions fell hard to the ground. Lakha fought and writhed for an opening to break free, but Cole never gave him one. Before she knew it, he had his opponent almost completely pinned. The crowd roared; Nyke included, and any remaining popcorn went flying. But Avery wasn’t worried about the audience. Her eyes were only on Cole.
His rich tan skin and shiny black hair. His expression focused and set as he pressed Lakha’s face into the dirt.
She wasn’t sure if it was the blistering heat from the sun, or the long, tiresome day, but her cheeks felt like they were on fire. (Uh huh sure Avery it’s definitely the sun 🤣🤣)
She felt herself begin to smile, and it soon turned into a cheerful grin.
He pressed Lakha’s face into the dirt, beginning to move on top of him to pin him down. His breathing was ragged as he leaned his full weight on him. The audience’s screaming, if it could get any louder, seemed to grow more in volume now—or Cole became more aware of it as he pinned his opponent’s face into the ground. The sun was hot as it blazed down on him and Lakha.
Sultaan:
Sultaan’s ears twitched in response to the stallion’s loud voice. The mute centaur subconsciously frowned as he watched Smurthi interact with this disagreeable stallion. He knew this mare was certainly strong willed and could hold her ground against her clients’ complaints and arguments—she was probably used to being insulted too— but he wondered what she would do if a man like this suddenly became violent.
Sultaan’s gaze settled on Smurthi’s face as he stood at her horse shoulder. She seemed calm right now, so he didn’t let himself worry.
Tyn Asti:
“Ah, my apologies. To borrow means that you take something from somebody with their permission for a short time and give it back later,” he explained, peering at her. He appreciated her straightforwardness when she didn’t understand something. He believed she would do quite well in her studies despite the language barrier.
(The idea is that 66 reincarnations for a grain of rice means 66 times getting pooped out…)
Lakha: His hooves lost contact with the ground and he was on the dirt. He had the strength to get up. But he couldn’t get up. His hooves scrabbled, failing to gain purchase.
He saw the referee advancing on them out of the corner of his eye, like a vulture. If he didn’t get up soon, he would lose the match. Cole was still on the ground, though. The sooner his opponent got up the sooner this would all be over.
He heard Russel’s voice from the crowd. “Lakha!” was all he said, but it was all he needed to hear.
Smurthi: She read Sultaan’s notepad. “Necessary. Exactly. What I do is necessary, even if it is distasteful.” She took a short breath. “Well, come along then.”
She strode purposefully to the an address she had come to know well. One of her debtors. A lazy, irresponsible man. Not unlike Sultaan’s uncle. She rapped sharply on the door. No one answered, but she knew he was inside because of the smoke coming out of his chimney. She didn’t let up until he came to the door.
“Moneylender,” he said. “What do you want? You said you would restructure my debt!”
“I did,” she replied. “But I need your first interest payment. And I need it now.”
Reba: “Borrow…” she murmured, having understood everything thing else. “What is that word?” She had an idea that it just meant to keep temporarily, but she wanted to be sure. It seemed like Tyn Asti kept a fair system.
Carmela: She squeezed Romie’s hand one final time. “We should get some rest. Tomorrow is a big day…”
Then, Romie would have to reveal himself to the rest of the town… and the old, buried secrets of the past would rise again.
Smurthi: “Thank you,” she said as she accepted the booklet from Amos and finalized it. “I look forward to working with you.” As she and Sultaan left the forge, she fingered the agreement thoughtfully. Now that the deal was in ink, she was safe. If the war never did come or Amos refused to pay, she would bring this to the council. It was always wise to plan for the worst.
“Sultaan,” she started. “You’ve worked for me for some time now. What do you think of my trade?” It would be good to know before she took him along for the worst task of all. She needed to know if he would stay by her side.
He repeated each of the stallions’ names in his head so as not to forget them. Foxglen, Pinegrass, Mapleleaf, and Buckweed. Callum clutched the branch in his hand and walked ahead of the four. They were each trained and probably more adept than he by now, but he was going to try his best.
“Alright, follow me,” Callum told them and began to move toward the creek in the direction of the foreign encampment. “This requires stealth,” he whispered. “So watch where you step and where your wings brush up against.”
He walked a few feet ahead of the four steeds, taking care not to be a hypocrite of his own words.
Suddenly, Callum stopped and stepped behind a tree slightly. (Sucks to be centaurs and pegasi because of how big they are lolll) His ears were pointed forward, his gaze unmoving, as he stared ahead. He could see a glimpse of a flicker of flame through some brush. Inhaling deeply, he slowly made his way around the tree. Callum moved forward, but at an angle to the left where large brush between two tree trunks grew. If it hadn’t been for the campfire he spotted, he wouldn’t have seen them.
Callum motioned for the stallions to follow, but slowly. Once they did this, he motioned for them to spread out to surround this camp in a half circle. Then, cautiously, Callum made his way around to the area where his steeds did not stand- likely the only way these foreigners could escape. Or foreigner, Callum thought to himself.
Then he saw a young centaur, a centauress, reach over and snag several leaves and twigs from a bush, tossing them into the flames. No wonder it had been emitting smoke so much. The fuel she was using to feed it were fresh twigs and plants rather than dried leaves.
She wasn’t alone.
Callum’s gaze flitted to a glint of metal beside her. A long, curved dagger lay in the grass. It clearly wasn’t hers since she didn’t carry it at her side. Whoever left must have given it to her for protection.
The girl began humming to herself as she fiddled with something in her hands. Her back was turned toward him. Slowly, he walked forward, clutching the branch in his hands. It felt clumsy and foolish to hold it, but his eyes were on a different thing. Callum now stood over the girl. She had no survival instinct whatsoever. (That would be meeeeeee)
He reached down and picked up the dagger. The young mare seemed to notice and looked up with a smile. “You’re back-! oh.”
Callum pointed the blade at her neck. “Stand,” he commanded her in a low voice. Thankfully she did. She was wise enough to do so. Callum turned her around so that he was now behind her.
“Who else was with you?” he asked, keeping the long edge of the blade near her neck.
“M-my brothers, Fiell and Hassan,” she stammered. “P-please don’t hurt me.”
“Stay still and do not scream, and I shall not,” Callum said.
At that moment another centaur appeared. He was young, like this mare, but a little older. He stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing Callum holding his sister hostage.
“Hassan,” he called. “Come here.” The last centaur stallion appeared, much taller than the first, and he held in his hand an unloaded crossbow. His gaze quickly found Callum’s, and they locked eyes.
Callum whistled for the pegasus stallions to come forward. (AHHH OKAY NOW YOU CAN REPLY LOL it took me SO long trying to figure out what to do exactly without making it feel completely random. Like these new characters aren’t random either they hold some significance obvsly. That’s the main reason why I took FOREVERRRR to reply because I was stumped on what to do and I didn’t have any motivation to writeeee 😭😭 BUT HERE IT IS AT LAST)
(MUAHAHAHAAAA)
Bhearit:
“You’re my friend,” he said softly as he looked at her with a smile. His hearts practically gave a flip when she said those words. They were a simple sentence of gratitude, but they were genuine. When he saw her smile, his only broadened more. There was so much more he wanted to say, but he couldn’t find the courage to say them. The right moment would come along.
“Well,” he said, looking down again. “Let’s try our best to get everything inside the tent and stuff before the end of the day.” He began gathering up any article of cloth whether that be sheets or blankets or clothes. He brought brought them in piles in his arms inside the tent, setting them on Kavani’s mat.
“Hey Kollin,” he called. “Why don’t you get things you want to have with you at my place?” Bhearit came out of the tent again, looking around. There was so much all over the place, but at least the larger, bulkier items like the sheets and blankets were set aside. It made things look a little bit better.
He turned to Kavani. “You too. You should get whatever things you want to have with you,” he said, offering a smile. Bhearit studied her face a moment, trying to read her expression. She was tired by the way her shoulders were slightly slumped, however her face didn’t show it much. He swallowed. He hoped things wouldn’t get harder for her. Or Kollin, of course.
That was not the smoke belonging to his own fire a few hours before. He had put it out. This only added to the evidence that he was piecing together, affirming his hypothesis more. Will they ever catch a break?
He kept a steady walk toward the tree line, keeping his gaze alert and searching for any more signs of foreign presence. Once about ten feet or so among the trees, he stopped. Callum swiveled his ears, filtering out the soft snorts and occasional flutter of feathers from the steeds behind him. Other than that and the slight breeze that rustled the leaves above, nothing out of the ordinary. Only what seemed to be missing were the birds.
Callum inhaled, silently wishing for a more attuned sense of smell like the creatures he was leading. Then for a moment, the breeze kicked up, carrying a familiar and delicious smell with it. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it was definitely some sort of meat being cooked.
Callum gestured for the others to slowly follow him as he began to move forward silently. He glanced up at the trees, searching for any more signs of that pillar of smoke. Nothing.
He crept to area where he, Fawnroot, and Rimecrest had been earlier that morning. His fire was covered with dirt, and no smoke emitted. One thing that was missing was his meal he had left behind. Along with the stick too, apparently. He held up his hand and bent down, looking closer at the earth.
The dirt was scuffed up, like someone had hastily attempted to cover their tracks before leaving. Callum straightened and gazed in the direction of the creek where Rimecrest had presumably found those drugged berries.
He turned toward the others. “Someone’s been here,” he murmured. “Attempted to cover their hoof prints before running off.” Callum gestured at the scattered earth and clumps of upturned grass. “In that direction-“ he pointed toward the creek- “is where Rimecrest had likely found the berries. And nearby are those accountable for it. (I’ma stop here before I go too long)
(She and Kollin had a snack Bhearit paid for right? Prbly not filling enough tho!)
Bhearit:
“Not too hungry, but I am a little thirsty,” he replied and tucked the first half of the sheet under his chin so that he could fold it. “If you need a place to stay, mine is open.” Bhearit glanced at Kollin and then at Kavani. The mare just looked exhausted, her cheeks and nose still having a shade of pink from crying. Kollin appeared a little better though since he was focused on gather all his things at the moment.
“Well, probably not any more neat at the moment if I’m honest,” Bhearit added with a chuckle and folded the sheet over his arms. He held it for awhile, looking around. He could feel the same sort of pit in his stomach seeing the mess around him as he did whenever he took a step back to see the mess at his own place. Sometimes it was best to focus in on each individual problem and take care of them one at a time rather than taking them in all at once. Otherwise it would always lead to stress and anxiety.
In the back of his mind, Bhearit decided to take care of any and all sheets, then he would join in with anything cloth wise, and so on. Feeling a bit more determined, he placed the folded sheet on the inside of the opened lid of the trunk and then made his way over to blanket to fold it too.
“What do you want to do about food? Do you want to make something real quick while Kollin and I clean up?” Bhearit asked.
Cole:
He whistled slightly through his teeth and grinned at Lakha. “Hurt still?” he teased, taking a couple steps forward. “Maybe not since you’re probably used to getting beat up so much, huh?”
He wasn’t aiming to be in offense; he’d much rather be in defense, but if it was necessary, he would do it. All Cole needed was his opponent to get a little riled up and maybe even make a dumb mistake or two.
“They’re getting bored,” he said with a head gesture toward the audience as though it were Lakha’s fault.
Sultaan:
He glanced at Smurthi and turned to follow her as she made her leave from the smithery. He wished to ask where they were going now, although it was likely back to the office. But he had no desire to write anything like that down. He was to soon find out anyway.
Sultaan couldn’t wait to be done; already he was beginning to miss the sweet presence of Reba.
Oh yeah, character development!! Hehehe)
Tyn Asti:
He gazed at the foreign mare; he noticed the way she tensed, her eyes widening ever so slightly, and her thick accent rising a little in agitation.
“There is, but it is a much more advanced class. Harder,” he explained flatly but patiently. “There are things in the children's class that you must learn before you move on. You would be crushed in the adult class. There might be others your age who will be in the children’s class, who knows? The important thing is learning how to get along well in this new society you’re in. The adults' doesn’t help so much with that. That is, it does, but it only adds to what one has learned in the younger class.”
Tyn tapped a leather-bound folder on his desk and opened it. “Tomorrow morning- oh, I’m sorry. What would you like to do then, Miss Reba?”
The other troops nodded and a few obediently replied, “Yessir.” Rayfire huffed a breath; he seemed to be the only one particularly upset about being grounded. But, he could adapt. Even if they weren’t flying, he kept his wings open, his feathers unfurled, and he noticed many of the other steeds doing the same.
Rayfire walked a few feet away from Callum, clearly allowing him to take the lead but close enough to remain in earshot. This allowed him to immediately notice Callum’s moment of hesitation and followed the centaur’s gaze. His eyes widened and he snorted as the harsh smell of smoke burned his nostrils. The captain set his jaw and pinned his ears as the other Pegasi troops noticed the smoke, too. Stifled coughs and the sound of ruffling wings echoed from the group, but no one questioned, per their training. Rayfire glanced at Callum before sweeping his gaze back to the herd.
Many steeds were filtering into the meadow, lead by captains or brave under-stallions. It was only a matter of time before the smoke caught the herds attention, but he had faith in Robinfire and the other captains to handle the situation.
Rayfire straightened and stared into the trees. The air grew tense and thick as the group followed their captain towards the ominous smoke pillar.
Fawnroot:
“Be calm, brothers. This is only temporary. Listen to your captains and stay close to the mares.” She spoke softly to a group of nervous stallions who flared their wings in response, then turned and flew towards an elderly mare. “There’s room in the medicine mare den if you need rest.” Turned and flew to a skinny mare with two twin foals hovering over her flank. “There’s calming roots right outside my den should you need it.” Turned and flew to a few straggling newborns and nudged their shoulders towards the center of the meadow, “Come, little ones. Find your dams.” Turned and flew to a large captain who just landed. “Report to Robinfire; he will give you a job to do.”
Fawnroot made her rounds through the herd, making sure every steed knew they were safe and that everything was under control. Even though, secretly, she felt like everything was coming undone at the seams. But, she couldn’t say that. Couldn’t let her herd see that.
She spun in a slow circle, offering reassuring nickers and exchanging breath with any steed who drew close.
How she wished Callum was here; his steadiness always seemed to make everything easier. But, he wasn’t, so she would have to face this alone. Which is fine… she’s faced challenging times alone before, and she can do it again. For her herd. For him.
(HAHAHA in that case, I feel guilty about the absolute novels I make you read and respond to 😭😭)
(But seriously though, UGH BHEARIT! STOPPPP)
Kavani:
Bhearit’s kind voice and charming accent (HA) interrupted her train of thought. She blinked for a moment before looking up at Bhearit, but he was solely concerned about a sheet and kept his eyes down. Kavani sighed, “No, no, I don’t mind. You are welcome to stay. I just…” Don’t want to hurt you? Don’t want to burden you? Don’t want to involve you with my messed up life?
Are all the things she wanted to say. All the things she should admit. But, there was no way she could: she wasn’t that courageous. Kavani swallowed and frowned before turning away and finding one of her jackets on the ground. There was a large tear on the sleeve by the cuff, but she hardly noticed it. “I just don’t want you go hungry. You haven’t eaten any lunch yet.” She replied finally as she draped the jacket over her withers, ignoring the fact that neither her nor Kollin have eaten either. Her mother’s little destruction-of-property escapade interrupted any meal plans they had made.
“If you get hungry, let me know. I’d be happy to make you something; it’s the least I can do for your help.”
Lakha: He held his muscles very tense, straining against the urge to attack Cole while he wiped sweat from his face - but no, he had to let Cole beat him now.
Come on, attack me again, Lakha begged in his head. Defeat me quickly and end this humiliation. He gritted his teeth, looking around the ring to the cheering audience. Would this be the last time he saw an audience cheering?
There was still cricket, though… Russel would keep using him as long as he was on Chandra’s team.
Govind: “That’s good, you should have something to look forward to.” So long as Cole was it good enough shape to take Avery out after this match!
“Honestly, I’m not sure. I broke up with my performance partner a few days ago. I was hoping that Jocelyn would join me, but she can’t either.” He would search for a new partner… until his funds ran out.
Smurthi: She was pleased that Amos was allowing her to shake his hand. She squeezed firmly in her shake. “I look forward to working with you. I’ll make the funds available to you within a few hours. My page here will deliver the first installment.” She nodded towards Sultaan.
On one hand, it was strange to give such a large amount to a new servant to transport, but she could sense that he was honest in that he had done all the other tasks effectively. It was safer to send him to. He didn’t have a reputation as her page yet, so no one would expect someone as poor and shabbily dressed as he to be carrying so much money.
His sister's words did make him feel safer, but what he saw in her eyes scared him. She looked so very determined to make wrongs right that he doubted she would back down any time soon. What he worried was that she might focus too much on this one resolve and forget about her own well-being.
"Thank you, Carmela." He took his sister's fist in his hands and gently uncurled her fingers. "I will help you." Together, he knew, they would be strongest.
Govind: Once Avery had made her way over, he asked her, “Is Cole doing alright?” He was still moving powerfully as he had in the beginning of the match, but he was taking a lot of hits harder than before.
Hold out, big man, he wished he could tell him. But Cole would have to be an idiot not to see how badly Avery needed him to come out of this in one piece.
Smurthi: She saw that Amos was taking his time, so she followed suit. After considering for a moment, though she already knew what she wanted to say, she explained, “It’s not a matter of when you pay me back, but how. You will pay me back with 25% interest. Since we don’t know how long the conflict will last, I’ll forgo the usual monthly payment schedule and allow you to pay me what you can each month. You’ll have flexibility to pay at your own pace, so long as you don’t take more than two years after the conflict has ended.”
Carmela: She sighed and leaned over to give Romie a big hug. At least he still appreciated her touch and could still manage to let her arms wrap around him…
“I could remind you of all the guards that surround Irichad and keep us safe,” she said. “But I know it isn’t lions and bears you are afraid of.”
She squeezed her hands into fists. “Soon enough I’ll make sure you have nothing to be afraid of.”
Resolve hardened in her heart. The chiefs had failed Romie and they had failed Irichad. They promised security but in the end had left their own to die. It was time for them to go.
It’s not. It’s never okay to do a thing like that, he thought as Fawnroot nudged him toward the others. Without looking at her, he gently touched her muzzle before leaving Fawnroot’s side.
“It’s about time,” Robinfire said and splayed his wings. He didn’t seem on edge, but he was certainly growing impatient from what Callum could tell.
“Right,” the centaur muttered, turning toward the crowd of pegasi who stood awaiting orders. They were not his to govern, so he waited for one of the pegasus captains made their commands. If only Fawnroot had not told him about Rayfire, now everything was going to be a bit harder for Callum. No. If only he had not questioned her further. It was not her fault.
(KAVANI YOU BIG OL SOFTY WEEE)
Bhearit:
He met Kavani’s gaze, and her smile set his heart racing all over again as though it hadn’t been already. His lips quivered as he tried to form words to express how he felt, but he simply could not.
Bhearit wanted to hold her gaze longer, to study her face and her beautiful eyes, but he couldn’t. He had practically used up his confidence, and now he had returned to the hesitant, cautious Bhearit that he was.
“I’m, uh, glad it worked,” he managed to whisper. “I do mean it, truly.” He looked down again as a thousand thoughts flashed through his mind. My, you’ve certainly tripped all over yourself, huh, you clumsy fool? I’m mad to think it’ll work. I should tell her. No! Absolutely not. She is holding my hand, not just me holding hers. You’re practically head over hooves- I am so tired.
Bhearit’s forehead brushed up against Kavani’s neck and gave a long, quiet sigh. He stayed there for a moment.
“I- um…” he looked up again at Kavani. He swallowed. “Let me know how I can help in other ways, yeah?” His gaze drifted over her face, from the way her parted bangs flowed over her forehead, to her lightly freckled, tan cheeks, to her still glistening green eyes. Bhearit suddenly become hyper-aware of his own characteristics. His face reddened.
(It prbly hurt like heck tho for Cole)
Cole:
Air shot out of his lungs and a sharp grunt escaped his mouth. Gritting his teeth, Cole immediately struck Lakha in the ribs with two good strong blows. For some reason, his opponent’s choice to punch him in the stomach made him suddenly angry. Why? He had no idea, but it did.
Cole growled and began to circle Lakha with raised fists, ignoring the urge to wipe away his hair that stuck to his sweaty forehead.
(I figured as much considering all the red markings Reba saw on her paper)
Tyn Asti:
He raised his eyebrows. “What on earth are you doing all the way over here?” He muttered and shook his head before returning back to the papers.
“Unfortunately you did not do well in the exams, I’m afraid,” Tyn said aloud and looked at the mare. “I’m going to have to put you with the children so that you can start fresh. Is that alright?” He wasn’t sure how big the language barrier was for Rebecca, so he watched her face to see whether she understood what he said completely.
“It’s okay, Callum.” She saw the way his eyes hardened and his jaw clenched when he looked at Rayfire. His body trembled in barely contained anger. She hadn’t seen him this way, this vengeful, in a very long time. And even then, this seemed different. More personal. (HEHEHEHEHEHE) His frustration was palpable and it was directed at her own sire... If she could even call him that.
Still, Callum was upset. She frowned and swallowed; this was exactly why she had hesitated to tell him. He had enough going on as it is, he didn’t need another thing to worry about. Another thing added to the list of complications and problems.
“Hey,” She nuzzled his jaw, pulling his eyes back to her, “It was a long time ago. You don’t have to worry yourself about it. It’s fine. I’m fine. You don’t owe me anything.”
She glanced at the stallions who whinnied for Callum impatiently. “Go take care of monkey-business. Before their little pegasi heads explode.” She smiled at him endearingly, blushing slightly, and nudged his human shoulder. “Go.”
(AAAAAAAAA BHEARIT OH MY LORD “He hoped she didn’t notice as he ever so slightly smoothed his thumb over her knuckles.
“Has anyone ever told you that your eyes are- um- very beaut- quite frankly a very nice green?” BYEEEE SEE YOU IN HEAVEN)
Kavani:
She listened to him speak, to his stuttering breaths, and the way his voice quivered.
My eyes? She thought with a start and furrowed her brow. Heat traveled up her neck, and this time, there was no stopping it. Soon enough, her entire face burned as she realized what he meant. He thinks my eyes are...
Then, for the first time since her mother had gone home and left Kavani to her sorrow and torment, she lifted her head and looked right at Bhearit. She stared at him with a slightly confused gleam and cloudy haze. As if she was waiting for him to take back his words. As if no one had ever said anything like that to her before. Well... because no one ever had.
Certain that her cheeks were betraying her, she looked down at their entwined fingers and saw that Bhearit's hands were trembling. She hadn't even noticed over her own racing heart and flustered thoughts. Her expression softened and her brows twitched upward.
Kavani looked back up at Bhearit, and as soon as she found his gaze, she pressed her palms further into his and squeezed his hands tighter. A small smile cracked across her face. It didn't quite reach her eyes, but the feelings were real. "Well.." Her voice was raspy and pitchy, but Bhearit didn't seem to mind, "If-If your plan was to help me feel better, it worked."
She took one hand and placed it on top of Kollin's head, smoothing his ruffled hair. Her brother managed a small smile too, but wasn't able to stop hugging her quite yet.
Cole:
He grunted loudly as Lakha sent him reeling back, his hind hooves scrambling over themselves for track. Cole vaguely heard Avery’s cry as he felt his hind legs hit the bar. He then immediately launched himself like a spring at Lakha’s torso. He felt his whole spine contract as his shoulder dug itself into Lakha’s stomach. Shouts and screams erupted as both stallions flew back out the tavern and tumbled into the dirt. The vague plan in Cole’s head was to render his opponent immobile, likely by using the advantage of weight, until others came to clean things up.
Cole’s hair was getting into his eyes and mouth as he rather blindly scrambled to get Lakha’s slippery arms under control.
Bhearit:
With one hand on the door opened ajar, he was just about to step out when his other hand was clasped about the wrist. For the slightest second, he expected it to be Ashtohn, but as he looked up, he realized it was Kavani. His hearts gave a small leap at the sight.
Her soft-spoken offer was impossible to refuse. Bhearit swallowed and nodded, unable to speak himself. Perhaps some company would do him good. Company other than Ashtohn.
He opened the door wider for Kavani to step through before following her. The next few steps were in silence as they both rounded the cabin to the shelter which held the wood. Bhearit stopped a couple strides behind Kavani. He was sure they both knew that neither of them were outside for more firewood. That much was obvious. The awkwardness about the earlier drama was pretty apparent too.
Bhearit wrapped his arms loosely around himself, clearing his throat quietly as he gazed at the ground. He inhaled, “I’m—I’d like to apologize for the scene I’ve caused. The unneces’ry drama,” Bhearit said finally, looking up briefly to glance to Kavani’s face. He didn’t quite meet her eyes, but he was determined to do so soon. “I got ahead of myself, for certain…” Bhearit straightened up more, becoming aware of his posture.
He looked at Kavani. It was difficult to see the expression on her face at this time of night. “I let my feelings get the better of me, and I let it spill. I will try to do better. The last thing you and Kollin need is more instability,” he said and then paused a moment. “Not that you should rely— or do rely—on me of course. What I mean to say is that I think it would be good that you have less unstable people in your life. Ah. You know what I mean.”
Bhearit cleared his throat again, placed his hands on his hips, and then folded his arms with a heavy sigh.
Rimecrest:
He grunted as he tried to move his limbs—all of which were very heavy. He swiveled his ears around and blinked rapidly. “I feel like I’m underwater,” Rimecrest slurred. He managed to just lift one of his wings, the one he wasn’t lying on, and stretch out his flight feathers. They spread apart and trembled, sending shivers through his whole body. The colt swallowed dryly and sank his head back into the moss. His thoughts were still slow and far away.
“It’s dark. I’m—I think i’m going to sleep,” he mumbled and gave a soft sigh.
Callum:
He could feel Hassan’s eyes on him even as he looked out toward the forest. Now that the excitement had gone down, so had Callum’s energy—which wasn’t good. He was tired before, yes, but he had things to do. Active things. Now, he was just standing with two other pegasi (I think it was two I can’t remember) keeping watch over three young centaurs. He began to realize that he might not actually be any good to anyone if he couldn’t keep awake.
The three siblings had been made to lie down so that any chance of escape would be rendered more difficult. Leila remained in the middle of her two brothers: Hassan on her left and Fiell on her right. Fiell seemed to have dozed off, and Leila as well. Callum was certain the eldest had not, and he likely did not plan to sleep at all. Callum didn’t want to be outdone by this young stallion, but he felt his mind getting slower and his eyelids growing heavier. A steady throbbing had begun behind his right temple, which he knew would not go away without sleep. Callum crossed his arms and shifted his weight off of his left hind leg.
Romie:
Seamus looked as much like a ghost to him as he did to Seamus. He took in the Chief’s face-framing red hair, vivid sorrel coat, and the tattoos that ran across his body. These were the features of the Chief Seamus he remembered, and yet, he couldn’t possibly imagine this as Chief Seamus.
The Chief Seamus he had known would have have abandoned Irichad’s loyal scouts to chilly deaths. The Chief Seamus he had known would never have let everyone believe that they were dead. The Chief Seamus he had known would never have hidden Lanseril’s body and buried him without a proper funeral gathering.
Was this even Chief Seamus? Or was this the ghost of the chief he had once known?
He didn’t have revolution on the mind, at least not yet.
Romie stared at the chief, confusion and anger flickering in his steely gaze. He didn’t say anything, but his gaze itself was asking a question. He wanted to know why. He wanted to understand.
(I’ll let Ash reply first before I comment too much with Avery!)
Avery:
Her hearts hammered loudly in her chests when Cole pulled Lakha towards the door. The tavern had gotten quiet as centaurs disregarded their meals and conversations to watch the sudden tension unfold.
Avery swallowed and followed after Cole. She anxiously glanced between the two stallions, their anger so rich and intense she could practically feel it. Without warning, Lakha reared and struck out his sharp hooves, aiming right at Cole’s legs. Her eyes widened -immediately scared for Cole- and all she could do was cry out.
Kavani:
She finished wiping off the counter as she heard the door open softly. Bhearit appeared in the doorway, looking miserable and exhausted. She left the clean counter behind and came to stand closer to him, then slowed to a halt once Bhearit’s brother came inside.
The air was thick with awkwardness and unspoken words. Kavani shifted her weight -and unsure what else to do- offered a small wave at Ashtohn.
Her gaze found Bhearit’s again and her expression softened as she searched his eyes. Kavani hated to see him so upset and hurt.
Both brothers had lost someone dear to them, and her absence was obviously on the forefront of their minds. Kavani knew that pain all too well. Her mind thought back to her father. The weak smile he had summoned specifically for her as she sat next to his bed, clutching his hand like a lifeline and trying to hold back her tears. She remembered laying old, drab flowers over the mound of fresh dirt at the base of the tombstone. After a simple funeral in the rain, her mother had locked herself in her room for days. Maybe weeks. And locked her two young children out. Kavani was utterly alone before she had time to register and grieve her own father’s death. She remembered Kollin’s small, round face peering up at her, and trailing her around the kitchen as she tried to make some sort of dinner. Back then, there was no one to comfort her, no one to guide her or tell her what to do. How to raise her 5 year old brother when she was just a 13 year old girl. How to reason with her mother whenever she had episodes of confusion and instability. The world and all its problems has been riding on her shoulders ever since.
Since she knew Bhearit and Ashtohn’s grief, she wanted to help. To help ease the heart-wrenching pain in some way. In any way she could.
As Bhearit headed for the door, muttering something about getting more firewood, Kavani walked after him and took his wrist gently. When she spoke, her voice was steadfast with a light-hearted tenderness she only seemed to use when it came to Bhearit.
“I can go with you? Another set of hands to carry firewood?” It was a question, an offer, and he could refuse if he wanted.
Even if the task was as simple as collecting firewood, she secretly hoped Bhearit would accept her help. She didn’t want to be alone, and she hoped Bhearit didn’t either.
(Tehehehehehehe)
Fawnroot:
As soon as she entered the den, she heard Rimecrest’s voice. Her heart swelled with hope and relief. She hurried over to him and laid a comforting wing against his back. “Easy; you’re alright. I’m here.” She muzzled his forelock out of his eyes.
“How do you feel?” Fawnroot had heard the way he groaned a moment ago as he sank deeper into the moss and feather-covered ground. “Are you in pain?”
The medicine mare kept her voice calm and thoughtful as she inspected his body and checked for a fever.
During the questioning with Callum and Rayfire, Hassan did not give them any useful information. Fawnroot doubted the younger sibling’s were involved, but she was confident that Hassan was hiding something. His strange tin of “sleeping medication” was the only lead she had, so his relation to Rimecrest’s condition was concerning. Plus, his reluctance to speak honestly and his clear disdain for Pegasi didn’t exactly work in his favor. And yet, the last thing Fawnroot wanted to do was jump to conclusions and falsely blame him for something they didn’t have real evidence for.
She forced those thoughts out of her mind -they wouldn’t do her any good right now- and focused back on Rimecrest. In this moment, she was just relieved he was awake.
Lakha: His dark complexion hid the fact that Cole’s words sent the blood rushing into his face. “They don’t know anything and neither do you,” Lakha spat. It might seem bananas to a guy like Cole who had spent the last few years in Johirestown, but the people in Iraweigh cared more about the sacred monkeys than they did about sportsmanship.
He tried to see past Cole to the centaurs inside the bar. If this were to mean anything at all, they would have to be able to see him! He saw Cole’s wither’s tense, so he knew his best bet was to go low, for the centaur’s knees.
Lakha reared up and then dove down, crashing his hooves towards Cole’s knees, trying to knock him backward, through the glass doors and back into the pub.
(Don’t worry at all, Ashsong! I’ll be praying for you and I hope that 2025 will bring peace and comfort. As you said, you are not alone-these last few months have been challenging for me, too. God is with you and everything will get better!)
Avery:
She felt a little guilty about making a late entrance, but she also enjoyed their intimate moments before finally heading out. After Cole’s tournament and the long day, it was nice to finally have some time just for each other, which was cut short due to the celebratory party. However, based on the immediate cheers and applause from the fans in the tavern, she doubted many of the centaurs noticed, and their tardiness was easily forgiven and forgotten. Cole was swept up by the crowd. Drinks were hoisted into the air, hooves stomped into the ground, cheers echoed around the room, and Cole’s coach personally congratulated his triumph. Avery couldn’t stop grinning; she was deeply proud of Cole, and he deserved this party’s recognition.
She laughed at the boisterous energy that buzzed in the room, and cheered along as they toasted to his victory.
As everyone slowly calmed down and went back to their drinks and meals, Avery wandered around the tavern; partially exploring the bar and partially looking for Cole. She smoothed down her green blouse right as a warm hand snaked its way around her waist. At first, she assumed it was a drunk stallion trying to flirt with her, but as she turned to face the centaur, relief washed over her and her gaze softened at the sight of Cole.
She blushed at his comment about missing her, then leaned towards his ear to respond, “You’re very popular! This is your night and your party! You deserve to celebrate and-“ She was wholly interrupted by a slurring, drunk centaur who reeked of cider and sweat. Avery pinned her ears at him and swished her red tail defiantly. “Leave us alone!” Her voice cracked as she spoke, but she wasn’t about to let this berating stallion ruin their night. His words felt like a knife in her heart, but she tried not to show it.
It took her a moment to recognize him as Cole’s opponent from the boxing match: so, he was a sore loser looking for a fight. Avery swallowed and took a step away from Lakha.
(AAAAAAAA ASHTOHN YOU POOR DUDE! AAAAAA Bhearit, too! Someone get them some ice cream and a nap! This is hard on both of them for different reasons 😭😭)
Kavani:
She took the tea mug with a grateful smile, while Kollin sniffed the dark liquid and blinked down at it curiously. Kavani looked back to Bhearit as he handed her a piece of bread and her lips quirked slightly as he teased her about it, but she accepted the bread anyway.
A knock at the door took Bhearit’s attention, and Kavani stiffened as he moved to answer it. A somewhat familiar voice reached her ears and she frowned. Was that Bhearit’s half-brother? The one they briefly met that morning? Suddenly suspicious and intrigued, Kavani stood up straighter as she watched Bhearit carefully for any sign that she needed to step in. He didn’t need to deal with this right now.
But, in that moment, Bhearit stepped outside and closed the door behind him. The silence that followed Bhearit’s absence was deafening.
She swallowed and took her own mug of tea into both hands, staring down at her distorted reflection in the dark liquid as her thoughts drifted to Bhearit. She was tempted to go outside and see if he was alright, but that seemed like a very private and exclusively familial conversation; she didn’t wish to intrude on Bhearit’s private life more than she already had. However, she saw the drawn and tight look on his face before he closed the door; whatever they were talking about was painful for him.
Kavani sighed and glanced down at Kollin, who had taken it upon himself to sip carefully on his tea. Kavani desperately hoped that the hot, calming tea would help Kollin settle down. She rubbed the ends of his hair for a moment, and he leaned his head against her torso.
“I think Bhearit’s right about Teddy being tired; we should get him to bed. It’s past his bedtime, after all.” Technically, it was past Kollin’s bedtime, but Bhearit was smart: making it seem like Teddy was the one who actually needed sleep might be enough reason to get Kollin into bed.
The boy took one look down at his stuffed bear, before shoving the remaining portion of bread into his mouth and scampering into the bedroom without a word. Kavani followed closely behind him and helped him change into a softer shirt that he preferred to sleep in. She still didn’t like the idea of sleeping in Bhearit’s bed, while he was forced to be on the floor, but now didn’t seem like the time to argue about it.
Kollin yawned big as Kavani tucked him in. “I’m not tired. I wanna stay up!” He said as he drew the covers around Teddy, tucking in his bear just as Kavani had done for him.
“Try to sleep. Teddy needs you, and it’s been a long day. I’ll be in soon.” Kavani replied simply, and extinguished the lantern on the little bedside table. Deep, encompassing darkness filled the room and she sat in silence next to the bed, listening to the soft sounds of Kollin’s breath. Sleep weighed down her mind and the darkness of the room was so comforting that she found it difficult to move, but she didn’t want to rest until making sure Bhearit was alright. “Goodnight,” She muttered softly as she pulled herself up and closed the door behind her.
After finally getting Kollin to bed, she looked around the main room in the little hut. Bhearit was nowhere in sight. Was he still outside? She couldn’t hear anything other than the wind through the branches and the slight creaking of the house. Kavani peeked out of the nearest window and barely made out Bhearit’s paint coat illuminated by the dim light in the house. Standing across from him was his step-brother, but it was far too dark to see him clearly. Deciding to leave the brothers to have their privacy, she headed back to the kitchen where her bread and tea was left discarded. To pass the time, she started wiping down the counter with a wet rag, putting away the leftover bread, cleaning the tea kettle and Kollin’s empty mug: all while sipping on her luke-warm tea and listening for Bhearit’s voice.
(LOOOOONG DXXX)
(In order to save on time since the RP is closing, we can just skip till morning with Sun herd. I originally had an idea to make Hawkflight intervene and cause some trouble, but I don’t see much of a point to it now hehe. Unless, Ash you’d like to do it for fun or something?)
Fawnroot:
She sent one last smile over her shoulder at Callum before picking up a trot and weaving her way through the trees. The familiar meadow broadened before her and the sounds of the herd settling down for the night were all she could hear.
Her first priority was to check on Rimecrest. There was a good chance he was still unconscious, but if he was awake, he would probably be hungry and thirsty. She made her way to the medicine mare den with renewed fervor, her breath coming out from her nostrils in visible puffs.
She fanned her feathers readily as she cantered inside the den, looking for the colt.
Seamus:
An older guard opened the door and peered into the early morning light. “State your business,” He had hardly finished speaking when his eyes grew wide with recognition. His jaw fell slack as he stared dumbfounded at Romie, as if he were seeing a ghost. “Erm, I will fetch the chief. P-Please come in.” He stammered through his shock, and opened the door wide enough for them to enter.
Not wasting a second, he turned on his heels and ran down a long hallway to the chief’s office. “Sir! Your presence is requested.” He spoke rapidly as he pounded on the chief’s birch door.
Seamus came to the door not a second later, and studied the guard for a long moment and took a long swig from his coffee before responding, “Osiris, what’s wrong? You’re as pale as the snow.”
Osiris seemed to get more frantic in response to the chief’s nonchalance.
“Yessir. Please come to the throne room… You’ll want to see for yourself.”
Seamus raised a red brow at his guard, then nodded reluctantly. It was the end of the week and he was expecting an easier day; what had worked up his guard enough to elicit this sort of reaction? He made sure his jeweled band was straight on his head, before following the guard towards the throne room.
Upon entering, the guard returned to his place by the door.
Seamus tightened the bear skin around his shoulders as he inspected the two young centaurs in front of him. He immediately recognized Carmela and greeted her with a gentle nod. “What can I do for you?”
He then turned his attention to the stallion next to her. His brows scrunched together and his lips pursed. He slowly approached the young centaur as his brain tried to comprehend what he was seeing.“It couldn’t be…” Seamus tilted his head to the side as the light from the windows streamed onto the boy’s face, illuminating his features.
Seamus all but froze as recognition and confusion deepened his expression. He did not speak, perhaps he could not, or perhaps he was allowing Carmela and the ghost to explain themselves first.
(It’s so bittersweet to see this RP coming to a close!! It has been such a pleasure writing with you all- I mean that with all my heart. As we leave this page behind and continue on with other things in life, I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for reading and entertaining my novel-worthy responses 😂 Thank you for all the memories, all the laughs, all the tears, and all the love.
In a way, this role play has raised me. It’s gotten me through some rough times. YOU all have gotten me through some rough times, and you probably didn’t even know it. That may be naive of me to say, but it’s true. Even though we have never ever met in real life, you all are the best online friends I could have. I have LOVED being a member of this herd 💕💕
My characters are a part of me. There’s a little bit of me in each of my characters, in each of my replies. It’s been so rewarding to see them blossom and grow and change. And that is also thanks to all of you, who have always been so supportive and challenged me and my writing ability. As sappy as this sounds, my characters also wish to say thank you. We’ve come so far.
I remember, all those years, I was so excited to sit down at my computer and check if anyone had replied to my previous comment. I went to school daydreaming about the awesome action scenes, romantic and wholesome ships, the politics, and all the interesting characters. Those hours I spent thinking about and writing my responses, thinking about each character, and how this response could benefit the story. AND WHAT A STORY WE HAVE CREATED!!!
This Message Board, and the people I’ve had the privilege of role-playing with, will always be in my heart. That being said, even if this RP is coming to a close, I don’t think I can ask myself to leave the Message Board completely. My love for The Guardian Herd books and its author is too strong to allow me to leave just yet 😊. So, I will still be here! Rereading my favorite scenes. Commenting on other posts. Discussing my love for TGH books and characters with anyone willing to listen. If anyone is online or in need of a friend, come pop in and say hi to your friendly neighborhood Riverbreeze!
And now to save this from becoming too long and sappy, just know that in these final comments, these final thoughts from me and my characters, that you all are loved! I praise and thank God for each and every one of you!
Stay awesome, my friends! Riverbreeze out!)
(Hey guys! I hope you all are having a nice start to 2025! It was a really nice surprise to check here by chance and to see such a lovely rendition of Reba and Sultaan! I love the warm tones and I can imagine what they are just about to do next!!Thanks a bunch Ash and happy belated holidays!!!
I’ve really had fun RPing with you guys over the years and I appreciate all the creativity and patience we have shared together. As time goes on, though, I’m not as interested in the old characters I developed so many years ago and I feel like I have lost touch with what I had wanted for them in the first place. I want to reveal their endings and close off their stories. I don’t want to leave either of you hanging, so I would like to slowly maneuver my characters that are interacting with all of yours out of action without hurting any of your storylines. For my characters that have already fallen by the wayside, I’ll start sharing their endings in the next few days.
It’s been such a pleasure meeting you guys and I wish you all the best!)
(I’m not exactly sure where I want to go with Reba.)
Reba: “Well, there isn’t winter where I come from. We have a dry season and a rainy season… it’s always cold at night and hot during the day…” she said. “That doesn’t change. Maybe it’s a little boring compared to Anok, but sometimes we get a lot of rain during rainy season!!”
She finished eating, chewing her last bite slowly. Talking a lot at least made mealtimes seem longer.
(If Ash and RB are ok with it, I’d like to use this fight to close off Lakha’s storyline. For good or ill, we’ll see…)
Lakha: About an hour ago, he had stomped into the tavern, glaring frantically at anyone who tried to say anything to him. He stationed himself at the corner of the bar and ordered a succession of ciders… not hard ciders, but he made it seem as if they were. He slowed his movements and started making slurred comments to the other centaurs in the tavern, the perfect image of a drunk centaur. He gulped at his glorified apple juice, waiting for Cole and his girlfriend to show up. Lakha would reclaim his dignity and show Iraweigh once and for all that he was a mighty fighter, no matter what Russel blackmailed him into doing. Outside of the ring, he was finally free.
He watched Cole wander around the tavern from his dark corner, until he finally caught sight of him and Avery together. Lakha lurched to his hooves and made himself stumble across the tavern to where Cole and Avery stood.
“You…” he spat. “You’ve got some nerve showing up here with an ugly wench like that!” He tried to slur his words more. “A champ’un like you witha fat old lumpofacent… cent… you think you’ve got something special? You gotta load of dung!!”
Go on, he thought. Punch me, you big dumb lump!!
@Aspidistrabloom A REBATAAN CHRISTMAS PRESENT FROM MEEEE MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS YALL IDK IF YALL ARE ALIVE BUT I AM JUST BARELY I APOLOGIZE SINCERELYYYYYY FOR THE GINORMOUS GAP OF TIME I TOOK JUST TO REPLY WITH MY COMMENTS!!! Life has just been not all that fantastic at a lot of points this year (and I’m sure I’m not the only one) but I’m VERY happy to have the free time to just RP during this break!!!!!)
Eira:
She gazed at her cousin for several moments, waiting for him to meet her gaze. In her heart, it pleased her that the stallion couldn’t do so without a hint of shame.
“I’m going home,” she said, breaking the silence at last.
The hint of shame in his face immediately vanished. “What?!” Keanar snapped.
“Yes, I’m not staying here any longer,” Eira replied simply. “I thought you’d like to know.”
“But you can’t. I’m the one who brought you here—“
“And I can get myself home perfectly well.” Eira smoothed a hair out of her face. “Your father will send someone to retrieve you soon enough.”
Keanar clutched the bars. “Eira, why must you abandon me?”
She simply shook her head. “I’m only going ahead. Besides, the Tavern is closed. Good day.”
Whatever else her cousin said she did not hear. Eira made her way quickly out of that wretched place.
Sultaan:
“I’m glad to hear that,” he signed as he took a rather large bite of bread. He brushed the crumbs off his fingers on his horse shoulder.
“You also get to experience new foods too. Although I imagine they’re not better than yours,” he added. “I’ve never been anywhere outside of Johirestown, although I’ve heard of lots of places. What’s the weather like during winter in your home?”
Callum:
“Good night,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. He gently touched Fawn’s flank before she went out of reach, his fingers just brushing her coat. It was growing thicker as the days grew cooler, he realized. Callum’s as well. Goosebumps travelled up his arms and the back of his neck as chilly evening breeze kicked up. Callum’s thin shirt wasn’t going to shield him against any sort of foul weather. He had no money with which to buy a coat in town either. Well, the last thing he needed was to stress about something he couldn’t deal with at the moment.
Hopefully tonight wouldn’t be eventful. He doubted the siblings would cause any trouble, though. Callum turned toward the direction of where they had been taken and made his way after them. (I don’t plan on making the siblings cause a middle of the night scene. So do we wanna put our characters to bed so that we go to morning? Unless you have an idea for more drama 👀👀)
Callum arrived to the area where the centaurs were being held for the night. Hassan was the first to notice him. It was too dim to see his face, or any of the siblings’ for that matter.
“I’ll be taking shifts on watch during the night,” Callum said to the pegasus guards.
He had lots of experience with this sort of thing, although he might actually be a little rusty. Especially when his mind was on other things at the moment. ( :)))) )
(Sorry it’s WAAAAYYY shorter than yours River!!!
Cole:
He shivered at Avery’s gentle touches. What a contrast compared to what he went through not long before. He massaged her lower back, unable to let go.
Cole sighed and reluctantly moved his face away, now feeling a little colder. “I guess wounded but victorious warriors don’t always smell as nice as their maidens.” He then placed a firm last kiss on her lips before pulling away at last.
(Ima just skip to where they both are heading down to the tavern after getting ready!!)
By the time they arrived at the tavern, it was a half hour later than Cole’s coach had wanted him. An eruption of laughter echoed from inside the building. Cole chuckled.
He wasn’t about to admit it just yet, but as he and Avery approached the doors, he felt more and more like turning around and going home with Avery in tow. But it was not to be so.
Suddenly the doors swung open and a rush of warm sweat and brew tinted air burst into his and Avery’s faces.
His buddy grabbed Cole by the collar and dragged him inside, causing Cole to let go of Avery’s hand. “Get in here, Cole!! We’ve been waiting ages!” Jirad, his friend, yelled. He raised Cole’s hand up.
“IRAWEIGH’S VICTORIOUS ONE HAS ARRIVED AT LAST!!”
A great roar of triumph erupted from the crowd, beer mugs swung about above heads and fists pumped into the air. Cole’s friends started chanting and slamming the floorboards with their hooves in unison.
Cole chuckled as two of his friends yanked him further into the crowd. “ALRIGHT ALRIGHT! SHUT YER MOUTHS!” Cole’s coach barked and smacked the back of a couple of the men’s heads. “Tonight we celebrate another victory of Iraweigh’s—we celebrate Cole Finau’s triumph!”
Cole smiled slightly as his coach shook him by the shoulders in a firm but proud grip. “Also wanna thank my coach for making it possible and keeping my head on straight,” he added once the clapping died down a little. More applause arose from the crowd as people focused their attention on Cole’s coach.
Someone handed Cole a mug of beer, and he drank from it before raising the mug above his head. Everyone cheered.
People then went back to their conversations and meals. Many came to congratulate Cole and slap him on the back or shake his hand.
Something was missing. Cole looked around, giving brief smiles at people who met his eyes and congratulated him.
He spotted the red ponytail among the crowd. Cole quickly weaved himself through the crowd and, once close enough, reached over and wrapped his arm around Avery’s waist, his hand resting on her horse shoulder.
“Knew I was missing somebody,” he said into her ear so that she could hear over the chaos.
Bhearit:
He watched Kollin as he tried the piece of raisin bread. When the colt’s face brightened upon tasting it, Kollin gave him a thumbs up. Bhearit sliced a bigger piece for him and handed it to him.
(I can’t remember if the teabags were already seeping or not but let’s just say the tea was ready 😭)
Bhearit quietly filled two cups full of tea, handing one to Kavani. A steady static was buzzing in the back of his mind, causing his thought process to be slow. “It’s not sweetened,” he said. “I need to purchase sugar sometime.” Bhearit dimly realized that he hadn’t responded to Kavani’s comment earlier. “Ah, no, don’t worry about eating my food. It needs to be eaten, and I’m very happy to share,” he added.
Bhearit looked up from Kollin and at Kavani, offering a small smile. He sliced another piece of bread and held it to her. “Here. It’d be… rude not to accept,” he said teasingly. Bhearit looked down at Kollin once the colt had finished his piece of bread.
“Why don’t you go get snuggled in bed with Teddy? It’s late, and I bet Teddy’s very tired,” he suggested and gently ruffled the colt’s hair. He glanced at Kavani to see if she was okay with it.
There was a knock at the door. Bhearit cleared his throat. “Be right back.” He walked over to the door and opened it.
The cold air hit his face and he shuddered. It was dark now, and so it took a few moments for his eyes to adjust. Bhearit could just make out a centaur standing there.
“Who is this?” he asked, blinking.
The centaur cleared his throat. Ah. He recognized him now.
“What do you—what are you doing here?” Bhearit asked, keeping his voice low.
Ashtohn exhaled softly, and he heard a slight tremor in his breath. “Um…” There was a long moment of silence. “Sage is… she left,” Ashtohn said finally.
Bhearit’s brow furrowed slightly as the urge to say something snarky rose in his throat. He swallowed it. “I’m sorry,” Bhearit mumbled. His nose wrinkled in disgust as angry thoughts swirled on his mind. Why now? Did his girlfriend impact him more than his own mother?
Ashtohn exhaled softly. “She, um… her family moved to Mangrove, and so she decided to go with them. She said she needed to focus on working so that she could help provide for her family better.” Ashtohn crossed his arms, tucking his hands under his biceps.
Bhearit nodded slightly, staring at the ground. He had shut the door behind him, now standing outside in the cold with his stepbrother. “Why didn’t you go?” It sounded so selfish the way he said it—like he wanted Ashtohn to have left. But in a way, deep down inside, he did.
“She made it clear that I shouldn’t be in the picture anymore,” he replied with a sigh.
“Sorry to hear that.” Bhearit’s response was too quick, too dismissive.
“Don’t you care?” Ashtohn asked. His voice came out in a sort of pitiful pleading tone, like he needed Bhearit to sympathize.
“Yeah, I do,” he replied a little indignantly. “I just don’t understand why you came here and didn’t go to dad’s, or something.”
He could almost feel Ashtohn’s attitude snap. “Why would I go to his place? He would never care or understand more than you.”
Bhearit’s ears swiveled back. “And so you come to me as a sort of last resort, plan B sort of person, hm?”
Ashtohn exhaled and rubbed his temples. “No, it’s not like that at all. I just lost my my mom and my girlfriend in the same day. I-“ he paused a moment, breathing in slowly. “I don’t have anybody...”
Bhearit clenched his jaw. “And you think I do?” he asked stiffly.
“We have each other—“
“No. You have me, but I don’t have you. I’ve never had you. You have your friends, your buddies, to go to. I’m the last person you should be seeking comfort in right now.” Bhearit let out a frustrated laugh. “If anything, I should be coming to you. You’re the older one. You’re the one I was supposed to look up to. That’s what mum told you over and over again. ‘Just because you’re step brothers doesn’t make you any less brothers at heart.’ But you had ensure that difference whenever she wasn’t watching you and me, didn’t you?”
“Now Bhearit—“
“I have guests right now, Ashtohn. I cannot help you, and you cannot help me. Our day has been an absolute wreck. I do not need you under my roof and leeching off the grace your mom taught me to have toward you. I cannot do that right now, if ever. The grief is too near and at this moment you’re bringing it over the edge. Now good night.”
Ashtohn stood there quietly. It was difficult to see his expression in the dark, but the air felt colder and heavier between them now that Bhearit had finished his speech
(AAAAAAAAA IM SORRY FOR THE WAIT 💀 this is so long UGH)
Rayfire:
He stopped abruptly as Callum’s question reverberated through the trees. It was quiet for a long time after the echoing remnants of his voice left the clearing. Nobody moved; the stallions that escorted the three centaur siblings paused with their advance and turned to look at their captain.
Rayfire grit his teeth. Why would Callum want to stay with them? Sure, he was a centaur, but what did he have to gain from watching them? Did Callum not trust his men? No, it wasn’t about the Sun herd steeds. Rayfire turned to look at Callum and studied him, narrowing his eyes and exhaling deeply. Rayfire couldn’t read his expression, but there was a glimmer of desperation and meaning in his eyes; he was serious about his question, and whatever the intent behind it, Callum seemed sincere. However, Callum looked tired, and Rayfire doubted he’d be able to stay awake for very long.
His eyes drifted down at the Pegasus mare who stood close to Callum, so close that the tips of her feathers brushed against the centaur’s side. Fawnroot looked tired too, but once she realized that Rayfire was watching her, she stood up a little straighter.
Rayfire looked back at Callum, his eyes softening, “You wish to stay the whole night? I don’t see how that’ll be beneficial to anyone, especially you.” Rayfire glanced behind him at the three foreign centaurs; perhaps spending the night with one of their own will put them at ease. “But, I am inclined to agree with you.”
Rayfire opened his wings and nodded at Callum. “Alright, I’ll allow it. But, only if you take the night in shifts with my steeds, and report to me in the morning.”
With that, Rayfire turned and nodded at his steeds to continue back to the herd as planned. He picked up a trot and headed back towards the herd, weaving his way around trees and snorting goodnight at the under-stallions whom he dismissed.
(Let me know if this is okay!!! I can change anything!)
Fawnroot:
She sighed deeply as she watched her sire leave, the sounds of his heavy hoofbeats vanishing as he moved farther from them. The clearing was quiet with only the subtle sounds of crickets and hoofbeats of centaurs and Pegasi alike who walked back to Sun herd’s meadow.
She thought about Callum’s question, and how easily Rayfire agreed, under the condition that Callum and the Pegasi stallions took shifts. “Sounds like you’ll have a long night.”
Now that they were more or less alone, Fawnroot looked up at Callum and felt her heart sink. She had hoped they could spend the night together: talking about the day, falling asleep next to each other, and waking up together, too.
But, she knew this situation was far more important than all of that, and she knew Callum felt responsible for the three siblings; just as she felt responsible for Rimecrest.
Fawnroot stamped down her selfish heart and unspoken wishes; it wasn’t fair for her to feel disappointed at a time like this. No matter how her heart ached, there was work to be done, and it had to be done separately. Callum had his duties, and Fawnroot had her’s. (HAHAHAHAHAHA I’VE MISSED THE “FORBIDDEN LOVE” BABIESSS)
She forced a smile and gently nuzzled his human shoulder, “I’ll see you in the morning. Try to get some sleep. As always, my den’s open and nearby if you, or anyone, needs something.” She wished to say more, but she didn’t. The more she said, the worse she would feel; it was best to keep it short.
The mare started walking, following the path Rayfire had taken through the trees.
Avery:
She relaxed into his warm, strong arms, allowing and trusting him to hold her up. She smiled softly as he kissed her back, and wrapped both arms around his neck and shoulders.
When he pulled away, she opened her eyes and blinked at him as color rushed to her cheeks, feeling slightly tempted to pull him back down for another kiss to hide the redness in her face.
Cole pressed his forehead against her’s and they stayed like that for a little while. In that moment, she expected him to say something stupid or silly. But, to her surprise, he stayed silent and pulled her even closer and hugged her even tighter, leaning down further to almost settle his face into her neck. She smiled again and moved her hands up his back and into his hair. She fiddled with his bun and twirled the short, wispy hairs by his ear with her pointer finger.
“You smell good,” his breath tickled her throat. Avery laughed softly as her cheeks flushed again; there was the witty-Cole response she’d been waiting for. “Th-That’s both a surprise and a relief. I thought I’d smell like stallion sweat after being in that crowd for so long.”
She tucked the loose strands of hair that had escaped from his bun behind his ear before stepping back far enough to see his face. “Come on. Now we really should get going. Unlike me and my amazingpermanent scent of goodness,” She tossed her loosened ponytail over her shoulder in a teasing, bragging manner, “you do kind of stink like sweat and blood.”
Kavani:
She could feel Bhearit watching her as she spoke of Kollin’s little games. It felt good and somewhat refreshing to talk about their childhood, especially when it’s usually a painful topic to speak of. Kavani glanced at Bhearit and her eyes widened when she realized Bhearit was smiling. Her heartbeats spiked and hammered in her chests. She was the first to look away and firmly kept her gaze downward at nothing in particular.
Kavani’s brows quirked up at his question, relieved for a subject change, and she looked down at the little loaf of bread he’d set on the counter. She was a little hungry, but the last thing she wanted was to eat his food. Especially after all Bhearit’s done for her and Kollin: she felt incredibly grateful, but also guilty and undeserving.
“Thank you, but I’m fine.“ She nodded at him, then focused on Kollin, who was still lying on his back and balancing his stuffed bear on his hooves.
“I don’t think Kollin’s ever had raisin bread. He’s not a fan of new foods, but if he’s hungry enough, he might try it.”
With that, she called Kollin over. The boy rolled his head back and looked at Kavani and Bhearit upside down. When he didn’t immediately get up, Kavani pointed at the bread on the counter. “Want to try some?” Kollin glanced from his bear perched on his hooves, to Kavani, “B-But… Teddy?”
“You can bring Teddy. He might want to try some, too.” Thanks to her encouragement, he rolled onto his side, picked up his bear, and bounded up to the counter like a deer.
“It’s raisin bread. Bhearit says it’ll be good with the tea.”
Kollin set Teddy on the counter before reaching over and picking up a crumb from the cloth. He inspected it and sniffed it, before holding it over the bear’s nose, apparently allowing the bear to smell the crumb too. With wide, uncertain eyes, he looked at his older sister. He stamped his hind hooves and pouted.
Kavani smiled at Kollin, understanding why he was upset, and reached over the counter to tousle his hair, “You don’t have to eat it, buddy. But, you might like it. Guess you’ll have to try it to find out.”
Kollin pursed his lips, obviously not too happy about Kavani’s response. He shifted his weight from side to side, then finally shrugged before popping the piece of bread into his mouth. He stood very still and chewed slowly. It was several long seconds before his face relaxed, his eyes softened, and gave a thumbs up at Bhearit.
“You like it?” Kavani asked softly, to which Kollin nodded,” Mhm! Sweet!”
Kavani summoned up the courage to look at Bhearit again, “Could he have a slice?” She asked hesitantly, “I’d hate to eat your food on top of everything else.” As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a large yawn rise in the back of her throat, but she turned her head away and tried to hold it in.
(Sorry this one is so long XDD I wanted to include Kollin but I wasn’t sure how)
(Aspi and Morningmist, I’m working on the chief’s reply now!!)
Regular Soldier: He showed Eira to Keanar’s cell, then took a post down the hall.
Reba: “No, I am thinking of how good this food is if it has olives,” she said. “But it is good without them too.” She was happy to hear that there were olives here in Anok. It would have been really tragic if she had to give the hope of having an olive ever again.
“I was just thinking…” she signed in a quick break from eating. “I am glad that there are so many good things here, like checkers, or madder flowers for dye, or olives… When my family decided to come to Anok we didn’t even know anything about life here. We had heard stories, but they were just stories, you know? It’s so different here from what I expected in some ways but so familiar in others.”
Romie:
He wanted to hide his face as they walked through Irichad. He didn’t like getting all of this attention. Before he had left, he had just been a simple centaur who wasn’t given a second glance. He’d liked it better that way. In the forest, no creature had minded that he had dark secrets.
He squeezed his sister’s hand back and stared at the door. The last time he had seen this door had been when he had left on the mission…
Fig: He left the jail building and told one of the regulars to find Eira and let her know Johirestown was waiting by for Mangrove’s instructions on what to do with Keanar, and she was free to visit him in the meantime if she wished.
The soldier went to where Eira was staying and knocked on the door.
(Do you want to act all this out? Or can we just say the soldier told Eira what was going on?)
Reba: She stopped for a moment to pray and then came to the table, resting across from Sultaan. “This looks good,” she said, digging in. It was simple food, but somehow it was simple enough to remind her of what she used to eat at home.
At that moment, she felt an intense pang for the salty flavor of olives that she used to taste on the bread of her tribe. She could almost taste it as she chewed, but now she would give up the whole meal just for one olive! “Have you ever had olives before?” she asked Sultaan.
(Wow, that was a super comment RB!)
Carmela: She and Romie walked through town. It was still early in the morning, but there were a few hardworking centaurs out and about starting their days. Romie would certainly attract a few stares and rumors, she expected, and already she thought she saw Mottel peering out of his window at them.
When the reached the great door of Chief Seamus’s hall, she squeezed Romie’s hand and then knocked on the door. What if Seamus refuses to see us? she wondered. They would have to wait out here until he did!
Romie:
That was very true. He trusted Kilroy enough not to lie about what happened, but he also wasn’t very vocal about things.
He replied in Centak. “Of course.” He was making a confused expression. He had assumed that Kilroy would come with them.
This isn’t his problem, though, it’s mine. I guess we just have to hope that he doesn’t accidentally burn the house down while trying to get water to boil… He didn’t have much faith in Kilroy’s survival skills.
He waved and followed Carmela.
(Cool! I think so too! Adds some more ✨drama✨ And yeah, let’s not kill him again XDD lookin at you Hawkflight…OPALLA.
Callum feeling homesick makes me feel so sad 🥺😭)
Fawnroot:
The dun mare waited patiently for either of the three siblings to answer her. Hm… Hassan was no help, and the younger two siblings… well, they were siblings. They reminded her of Pegasi yearlings arguing over who flew faster, or who performed a better flip. The thought made her smile.
“I see. So you haven’t been here long.” She replied with a gentle nod. She suddenly felt and heard the entire Pegasi battalion behind her snort harshly and rattle their wings at Fiell’s “flying horse” comment. She held out a wing in front of Fiell, partially obstructing him from view of the insulted Pegasi, and sent a hard, defensive look over her shoulder.
“He didn’t mean anything by it.” She spoke softly, yet firmly, trying not to make a big deal out of the situation. It wasn’t until Rayfire nickered softly that the rest of the steeds reluctantly relaxed.
Once that potential disaster had dissipated, Fawnroot sighed and pressed the last piece of moss into Hassan’s arm, fully covering the wound. She stepped away from Hassan and returned to her place next to Callum, folding her sticky wings by her sides. “The sling would still be a good idea. Change the moss as needed and if it starts hurting or becoming inflamed, take a large bite of pine root and rub aloe over the top. The sap should hold for a few days, but try not to do anything too strenuous.”
Her medicine-mare approach hadn’t really worked like she hoped it would, but at least Fiell and Leila were answering questions fairly well. She glanced up at Callum, then to Rayfire, then looked west: the sun had nearly completely disappeared on the horizon and the sky was getting darker by the minute. Soon, the only light for the centaurs to see under would be the moon and stars. (Equines actually have really good night vision! Horses (and Pegasi) are so cool XDD)
In the distance, she could hear Sun herd settling down for the night: mares calling for their foals, the repeated flutter of wings folding, the rustling grass as steeds laid down.
Fawnroot felt tired, too, but she still had work to do in her medicine den.
(BAHAHAHAHAHA COLE!!! Avery’s gonna die XDD)
Avery:
She chuckled brightly as she remembered that moment months ago when they’d first met. “Okay, fine. It was romantic.” She admitted with a nod.
Back then, Cole had been so surprised she didn’t know how to swim, but the initial shock wore off when he stubbornly insisted he’d show her how. Even though they were practically strangers who had only known each other for a whopping 5 minutes. To this day, Avery can’t believe she even accepted his offer to teach her.
Avery remembered how terrified she was, how tightly she clung to Cole’s arm as he led her into deeper water and showed her how to pump her hooves alternatively to stay afloat.
She hasn’t gone swimming since then, mostly because she isn’t confident enough to do it by herself.
Avery realized she had been lost in thought and looked back up at Cole. To her surprise, he had taken a step closer, and because of the size of the room, he was directly in front of her. When did he get so close?!
His next irritatingly flirtatious statement took her completely off guard. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open slightly. Her head felt heavy and her knees threatened to buckle. “Oh my- oh my- be cool. Breathe Avery. How is he so nonchalant?! He’s so- OH MY GOSH I cannot believe he just said that- how can I ‘be cool’?!” She could feel her cheeks burn up almost immediately and her hearts skipped over several beats in her chests. Speechless and utterly stunned, she nearly dropped the tunic and fumbled it in her fingers for a moment, but never took her eyes away from Cole. “I-uh…Y-You-“ She stammered, then tried again after swallowing dryly.
“I-I’m not really sure what to say to that,” She answered truthfully, “…But,” Avery took a step closer to him and brushed her bangs out of her eyes, “If you do, then that’s totally fine by me.” She tried to flirt back, but as soon as she spoke, all her confidence fizzled out and she was left feeling even more flustered.
“Ummm- y-y’know what? We should probably get going to your place, haha! Wouldn’t want to be late to your own party!”
Kavani:
When Bhearit turned to her, his eyes looked dazed and his cheeks were flushed. Lost in thought again? She couldn’t help but wonder what he had been thinking about. His inventions? The long, tiring day? His passed step-mother?
A small smile quirked at the corner of her lips but faded when he quickly took the wood from her, apologizing sincerely with a regretful, taught expression. Her brows drew together and she tilted her head to the side, momentarily confused why he was apologizing. It took her a moment to realize he was referring to her injured shoulder. (They’re both so dumb 😑😭)
Kavani shrugged, which she immediately regretted. “Nah, don’t worry about it. Better me than you.” She didn’t bother to explain what she meant by that. Kavani stepped back to give him more room to work, and leaned against a blank wall in the kitchen. She rested her head against the wall and listened to the sounds of Bhearit clearing his throat and the clacking of flint to start the fire; it was somewhat therapeutic. Or maybe she was just tired.
She perked up at his question, before leaning into the wall again, “It’ll last a few more weeks. You’ll need more before winter, though. I can do that for you tomorrow.”
As she spoke, she glanced up at Kollin and watched as he laid on his back with his 4 legs straight up in the air and his hooves close together. Perched on top of Kollin’s hooves, the stuffed teddy bear was laying flat on its stomach, staring down at Kollin with one paw dangling over the side. Kollin was laughing and gently rocking back and forth to keep Teddy balanced and aloft.
Kavani smiled to herself, “Bhearit, come see this.”
(I’m gonna re-read the conversation between Kilroy and the chiefs to refresh my memory for the upcoming meeting with Romie! Until then, I’ll just respond with this!)
Seamus:
He awoke early, as he normally does, and sat up in bed. He rubbed his eyes with his only hand. The space next to him was cool and bare; Riona was already up. He sighed stiffly before getting up, changing, and lastly lowering the bejeweled band onto his head that signified his reign and position. Their house was quiet, which was typical this early in the morning. He headed towards the kitchen first to grab breakfast and walked down the hall brimming with memories and portraits of previous Chief's. It didn't have an official name, but ever since Seamus was a boy, he called this hallway the "Head Hall," appropriately named for the line of Chieftain portraits that were hung on either side. There was 6 in total, 3 on each side, with their faces drawn tight and their eyes forever still. Seamus hated this hall; he always felt like the past Chief's were judging him as he walked by. He only paused when he came to the last portrait: the portrait of his father. Unlike the others with their scowls and seriousness, his father was the only one depicted with a smile.
Seamus exhaled, then left behind the glaring eyes of deceased kings. He half expected to find Riona in the kitchen, but the room was his. Usually, they share a cup of coffee in the mornings. This made him frown as he remembered what had occurred the night before.
After Declan and the Jonhirestown boy left, Seamus tried to speak with Riona about her behavior. From demanding Declan bring his youngest daughter, to clearly undermining and doubting Seamus’s decisions, something had ticked her. And Riona was not the mare to tick off. Seamus’s questioning turned into a fight between them, each one believing they were right; he can’t remember the last time he and Riona couldn’t agree on something, or at least find a compromise. Her last words to him before she stormed outside still echoed in his mind: “You’re growing soft, Seamus. And soft leaders don’t win wars.”
“Where is this coming from? Irichad is not at war, Riona.” He responded gruffly, but she wasn’t having it.
“Not yet, and if you can’t see that, then you’re more blind than Conan.”
Her words stung -comparing him to Conan without hesitation, saying he had grown soft.
This wouldn’t do. Not now with the uncertainty of the winged beasts lurking in the background. Not with the festival approaching so quickly. He needed his Chieftess; they needed to show a united front and now was not the time for disagreements.
He called for a guard, “Find Chieftess Riona and tell her I’d like to talk.” The soldier bowed, then hurried off towards the training arena.
Kilroy: As he saw Carmela and Romie preparing to leave, he asked, “Romie… please tell me what happened after, ok?”
He knew Romie wouldn’t lie about what was about to happen behind closed doors… but he wouldn’t necessarily disclose everything.
Carmela: Her eyes flitted between the men, but she didn’t know what they were saying. She trusted Romie, though. That was enough.
“Ok, let’s go,” she said, squeezing his hand one more time as they left the jewelry shop.
Romie:
He took the bracelet into his hands and it looked it over, admiring it from all angles “This is beautiful,” he commented. “I would love to wear it.” He put the bracelet on, thinking of it as more of a stylish ornament than as a diplomatic statement.
He pawed the ground with his front hoof and stared into the distance for a moment. “Well. I suppose we had better get it over with.”
Carmela: She followed suit, cleaning off her plate and putting it away. Carefully, she adjusted Romie’s hair so he didn’t look so bedraggled. Then, she went to her dresser and came back with a slender bracelet. It was green with a silver scoring across it in silver foil in an unmistakably Irich deisgn. “This is for you,” she said. “Even though you came here with nothing, it will remind the chiefs that you belong here.”
Kilroy: He looked down, suddenly conscious of the fact that he wore no jewelry, and that his clothes were decent but plain. It would be necessary to learn the culture of appearance in Irichad… something he had never through to ask Aaron.
Romie:
He ate his pancakes quickly, savoring them, but also making sure that they didn’t disappear. He was in mostly good spirits, but he had a feeling that he wouldn’t be able to keep it that way.
He washed his empty plate and dried it off. “Well,” he said softly in Irich, “I suppose I have a report to make to the chiefs.” He didn’t want to be suspicious of them, but he found that he was. Why had they not made Lanseril’s return publicly known? Or sent a rescue mission?
(OMGSH I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THAT!! Yes, I think that was apart of the agreement Fawnroot made with the Golden Meadow (or something like that- it was so long ago I can’t remember exactly) that they would be tied together once they returned to the mortal world. So any physical pain Callum felt was tied to Fawnroot, and vise versa. And, when the time came, they would die at the same time, also. (aaAAAAAA-)
However, I thought I remember a conversation that the effect would slowly ware off? Maybe I’m wrong and confusing myself 😭 Do you still want to do that soul-tied thing, Ash? I don’t have a problem, as long as you’re happy with it!)
Fawnroot:
She sighed as she stepped away from Hassan after she finished applying the pine sap. Her feathers were sticky and she hated the familiar sensation of the sap seeping into her skin.
Fawnroot felt Callum’s eyes on her: he always knew when something was bothering her. She smiled at the thought and stared into his eyes, then shook her head slowly. “It’s fine. I’ll tell you later,” she seemed to say, without actually having to speak. She knew he would understand.
Fawnroot went over to a nearby oak tree and pulled some moss off the low hanging branches. “One last thing,” She muttered around a mouth-full of moss. With her muzzle and wings, she began tenderly wrapping and sticking the moss on Hassan’s arm.
As she worked, she decided to take advantage of the quiet moment. “How long have you three been in the area? Our scouts seemed to have missed you, which is why your camp took us by surprise.” Fawnroot kept her voice easy and warm, as she normally would if she was conversing with anyone.
“Your younger brother mentioned something about meeting other Pegasi before you ended up here.” She paused to glance up at Hassan, “Did that happen recently?”
(AAAAIIIIIIEEEEEEEE OH MY GOODNESS COLE)
Avery:
As the door clicked closed behind them, the only light in the room came from a little window on the opposite side of the bed.
It was a one-centaur room: the bed against the wall underneath the window, a bedside table which held a lantern, a basin for washing, and that was about it. It was a nice, cozy room… but the fact that she could feel Cole’s heat beside her made the room even cozier.
She moved towards the table, struck a match, and lit the lantern to allow more light to brighten the room. Now that they weren’t concealed in dim light, she managed to look at Cole again as the softness of his voice sent goosebumps up her arms.
Avery forced a smile to her lips, and moved back to the end of her bed where her satchel was propped up against the wall. But, she had to squeeze past Cole to reach it, and her horse shoulder brushed against Cole’s side, her front leg momentarily pressing against his. His warmth was encompassing and she was tempted to linger -and did for a few quick seconds- then forced herself to move on.
She kneeled down to her bag and focused on answering Cole’s question. “Well… I thought you could help me decide. I’m not sure what would work best for a celebratory party at a tavern.” She opened the latch and trifled through the burlap bag, “I have a few ideas in mind, but this one is my favorite.” She found the tunic she had mentioned, pulled it out, and held it up so Cole could see.
It was a dark green tunic. The fabric looked soft and supple. Gold and white embroidery swirled up the sleeves along the seams and over the V-cut neckline. The ends of the sleeves would reach her elbows, and the bottom of the tunic was cut looser so it would swirl around her waist whenever she turned. “I wore it for my first performance in Jonirestown, and if you remember, it’s what I wore the first time we met.” She sheepishly met Cole’s gaze with a soft smile, “Remember the lake? Where you taught me how to swim? …Erm… where you tried to teach me how to swim.”
(This meeting was around the beginning of the RP, so I personally don’t remember it very well, but Avery was out walking through the woods, singing a song to herself, when she stumbled across Cole swimming in a lake. After a brief introduction, Cole took it upon himself to teach her how to swim XDD In role-play time, it was probably several months ago.)
Kavani:
“Yeah, for sure. I‘ll grab that.” She mumbled, almost smiling, and was about to turn around to head outside when his fingers tenderly rubbed against the skin of her hand. She froze: his hands felt warm and heat crept up her neck, settling in her cheeks and ears. She dared to look up and her eyes widened to find that he was already glancing down at her. Their eyes locked and Kavani felt light-headed under Bhearit’s gaze. His small, sheepish smile sent her hearts thundering. That feeling and racing inside her chest was becoming more common recently; it scared her that it was no longer completely foreign. For some reason, she only felt this way when Bhearit was involved. (Mhmmmm I wonder why 👀👀)
Without looking away from him, she replied, “I’m not cold anymore.” She spoke without thinking and she tensed again once she realized what she said, wishing she could take the words back. Luckily, Bhearit’s back was turned as he prepared the kettle and checked its water level.
“I’m fine!” Chirped Kollin’s voice from across the room.
While Bhearit was distracted, she quickly turned away and bee-lined towards the door to head outside. “I’ll…be right back with some wood.” She added softly over her shoulder. As soon as she was alone outside, she planted her palms against her cheeks and exhaled deeply. Her cheeks were burning up, but her palms were freezing cold. “Okay, okay, focus.”
She headed down toward the side of the cabin, but when she didn’t find any chopped wood, she went around to the other side. As Bhearit promised, there was a little stack of firewood. It was enough to last a few more weeks, but it wouldn’t be enough to get him through winter. Kavani tucked that thought into the foreground of her mind as she stacked a couple pieces of wood in her arms, and heading back towards the door. The wood was light and dry, and normally wouldn’t pose any issue, but the wounds in her shoulder ached and her muscles strained. The pain was manageable, but annoying. She hated how such a simple task like carrying wood was made so difficult to bare due to her injuries.
Kavani shifted all the wood into her strong arm and opened the door with her other hand. She pushed the door open with her hoof, wincing slightly but tried to hide it by the time she returned to Bhearit. “Alright. Fresh kindling, per your request.”
Fig: He shrugged. “When I talked to her, she was pretty angry and flustered. I’m sure she’s fine. Your cell is open to visitors, so she can come see you if she wants.”
Reba: “Yeah, I am… how did you know?” she joked, smiling. “I feel ok for now, so I’ll stay on my hooves a little longer.” But she suspected that later on, there would be plenty of times she would need him to baby her like this. Sultaan was so worried about her, she could see it in his face… she wanted to assure him that she would be ok, but she couldn’t.
She looked through the cabinets, trying to help with the cooking. ”Don’t worry so much… what happens happens. With your uncle’s debt, I didn’t think things could get any worse… but here we are now. We’re still here.”
(Just so y’all know, from the 24-27 ima be gone so I’ll try to get in my replies as must as possible before then XD)
Keanar:
He frowned, ready to protest, but then decided against it. If he was going to get out any time soon, furthering dispute with this stallion would not go in Keanar’s favor as he was the one behind bars and not Fig. It would take a fortnight or more for the message to be delivered depending on the urgency and amount of money Fig sent with the messenger.
Keanar rubbed some rust off one of the bars with his thumb. “And what of Eira, my cousin?” he mumbled. “Is she well?”
Sultaan:
He briefly touched Reba’s shoulder, almost like she was made of glass. “You should lie down when we get there. Rest,” he signed. Sultaan kept his hands hovering in readiness to steady Reba if needed as they crested the hill.
Thankfully she needed no such assistance, and so when they arrived at the doorway of his home, Sultaan moved the old rug—which was the makeshift door—out of the way so that the mare could enter. He needed to make a real door before winter came on, especially with Reba there now. In fact, Sultaan considered the option of asking Ulrani if she could stay with her. He’d see about that tomorrow. He followed in after Reba.
“I imagine you’re hungry?” he asked once the mare had turned around to see his hands.
Leila:
She was blinking back the rest of any tears that were threatening to fall just as the pegasus mare stepped toward her and gave her shoulder a small, soft nuzzle. For a moment, she was confused as to why Fawnroot had done this, but then she realized that she must have seen her tears and tried to comfort her with such an act. This realization only made Leila want to cry more than she did before, and so she turned away, her hearts now touched by such a kind gesture but also heavy with homesickness.
(Heyy I just now randomly remembered, aren’t Callum’s and Fawnroot’s souls linked somehow or smth? Like, when one has physical pain the other also feels it???)
Callum:
He paused a moment in his questioning with Fiell to watch Fawnroot as she began to work on Hassan’s wound. He wondered at how expertly and carefully the medicine mare applied the sap and other such ingredients to the wound with her wings. Of course, years of practice helped with her ability to maneuver her wingtips almost as well as centaur hands, but it was still fascinating to watch.
Callum saw Hassan stiffen slightly as Fawnroot applied the sap to the gash in his arm. He then thought he saw the centaur relax a little the way his shoulders lowered. At least Hassan was letting Fawn help him.
Once she was finished, the oldest sibling took a small step back.
When the mare finally turned around, Callum frowned upon seeing her face. She wasn’t blatantly upset, but her mood had clearly changed. He gazed at her, waiting for her to meet his eyes. When she did, Callum creased his brow slightly in questioning concern. Her demeanor was more tense as if she had either seen or remembered something very upsetting.
How he wanted to get alone with her now! But that would have to wait. Callum had been absentmindedly fingering the tear in the middle of his shirt when he saw Fiell and Leila quietly sidle closer to their older brother behind Fawnroot.
(Avery is literally SOOOO CUTE AAAA)
Cole:
He was grinning widely at Avery’s giggles and flustered comments as she rather cutely, but clumsily, tried to regain her composer. Little did she know, he was about a hair away from scooping her up and squeezing her.
Then she whipped around and faced him, her whole face bright red with blush. His smile widened more. But then she met his eyes, and time seemed to still for a moment. His grin faltered slightly as he stared down at her. Avery’s hazel eyes were bright and shining, her cheeks flushed, and her red hair a little undone from the excitement of earlier. He would have grabbed her and kissed her right there if she didn’t suddenly turn right back around and march him to her room—that is, past her room before making a 180 back to it.
Cole was a little flustered in his own way as he watched Avery struggle to even put her room key into the lock. But then she finally got it open.
He stepped inside past her and moved away so that she could come in as well. He still held her hand. The room was small, only enough for one centaur to sleep of course. But it was nice.
By now, Cole had found his speaking confidence again. “So, whatcha gonna wear?” he said and surprised himself with how low his tone was, almost a whisper. He meant it as a genuine question, but he wondered how Avery would interpret his tone of voice. Cole cleared his throat.
Bhearit:
He looked over at Kavani to respond but was immediately distracted by Kollin’s giddy giggles and the sounds of his hooves clacking against the floor as the colt pranced and kicked about. Bhearit raised his eyebrows in amazement for a moment before returning his attention to Kavani again, now feeling a little bewildered.
“Huh? Oh…” He looked down at the mugs he was holding and then at the kettle. He didn’t really want to make her do anything, but he knew she probably wanted to do at something at least, no matter how small. He’d feel the same if he were in her situation.
“Aye. Sure,” Bhearit said at last. In reality, he really had no idea what to give Kavani to do.
He hesitated a moment before turning to her and handing her the mugs. “I’m just going to start a fire in the stove,” he said quietly and then bent down, opening the stove door. He sighed when there wasn’t any kindling inside, and so he straightened again.
“Could you grab some wood, actually? It’s at the side of the cabin,” Bhearit said and took the mugs from Kavani again. Since the cups were small, his fingers just brushed against hers. Her skin felt a little cool. Bhearit glanced at her face and gave a weak, rather sheepish smile before turning to put the mugs down on the stovetop.
“Are you both warm enough?” he asked as he picked up the kettle and gave it a small shake to see how much water was inside. It still had plenty. He set it down again and began rummaging around in one of the cabinets for the flint he used to light the stove with. Bhearit’s mind kept replaying the look on Kavani’s face from a few moments before when she had asked if he was okay. He risked a glance her way over his shoulder.
Fawnroot:
Upon hearing the story of how Hassan got injured, it seems these three siblings have had a difficult time in their travels. Fawnroot sent a glance at Leila, and her heart broke for the young girl as she recognized the gleaming of unshed tears. The little centauress was clearly worried for her eldest brother, and Fawnroot spared a moment to briefly, yet tenderly nuzzle Leila on her human shoulder, offering a warm smile as she stepped away.
She listened carefully to the rest of the conversation, but her sole attention was on Hassan.
Mangrove? Was that another centaur town? She hadn’t heard of it before, and that made her nervous. Why were they leaving and going to Jonirestown? What did Fiell mean by “sort of” knowing about pegasi? An encounter with a different herd, perhaps?
She couldn’t focus on that right now: Hassan's gaping scratch on his arm was glaring at her. She stepped closer to him, being mindful to keep her movements slow as to not make him more suspicious or conceited than he already was.
Fawnroot’s treated many wounds like this before, but the problem wasn’t the gash in his arm -it will leave a nasty scar, but it will still heal- it was Hassan himself. How much would he allow her to do? He obviously wasn’t a fan of Pegasi, and would probably prefer a centaur healer to treat him instead. Even simply getting him to reveal his arm from the sling was a battle.
She inhaled slowly, “It’s deep, but it doesn’t appear too infected yet. You’ve done well with it on your own,” Which was surprising since it didn’t look very fresh, and wasn’t covered by a bandage. “However, I’m glad you showed me. I can help speed up the healing process in more ways than one.” Fawnroot turned to look over her shoulder at the closest stallion in Rayfire’s battalion. “Could you bring me some fresh water?”
The stallion blinked at the medicine mare before looking for permission from his captain, but Rayfire merely snorted and dismissed him. When the stallion returned, his large wings were cupped in front of his chest and filled with clean water.
“Thank you,” she mumbled as she set to work. She started by pouring some of the fresh water over his arm carefully, then crushed rosemary and sage in her wings to make a thick green paste. “This will clean it and help with the swelling.” She waited for a complaint or argument, but when none came, she carefully smeared the mixture over his wound, glancing at him often to make sure it wasn’t too painful. Once the entire gash was covered, she combined mint with pine sap. This was the same combination that she used on Callum and his abdomen when that nasty Opalla mare sliced him open: she got a heavy, forlorn sense of deja vu as she prepared it now.
When Fawnroot returned to Hassan, her face was tight as she stared down at her flight-feathers coated in the sap mixture she knew all too well. “This will help the skin to close and heal faster. However, it will sting since the laceration is deep and not too fresh.” This time, she hesitated longer. She wasn’t sure why; maybe she was subconsciously prepared for Hassan to stop her. (I’ll stop there before this gets too long lol)
Avery:
She kept her grip on Cole’s hand tight as she led him through the inn towards her room. She couldn’t help but giggle uncontrollably at Cole’s latest compliment. How could he say such things so easily and nonchalantly?!
Her hearts felt like they would burst out of her chests. She whirled around to face him, but she could barely look him in the eye. If she did, she fear she may never look away. “Quit it!” She playfully smacked his shoulder as her voice pitched up several octaves and cracked under the pressure. “You’re gonna give me a heart attack! You want your girlfriend a crumpled puddle of mush on the floor?!” She hissed the words, but there was no trace of malice or anger in her voice. Just pure embarrassment and playful sarcasm.
Then she made the mistake of meeting his gaze. As she predicted, she couldn’t look away. Avery swallowed and suddenly forgot where she was and what she’d been doing. His warm brown eyes staring right back at her, loose strands of his black hair falling perfectly over his face, rich tan skin with assorted scratches and discoloration from the boxing match, but the bruises didn’t distract from his features.
She still held onto his hand, and squeezed it faintly.
Avery blinked and exhaled lowly before turning away. But, she was too flustered and her brain was moving at a million miles an hour, and she marched right past her room. “N-Nope, sorry.” She turned around and pulled Cole along with her, “This one.”
Avery had to let go of Cole’s hand long enough to fish the key out of the little pouch secured at her waist. After several failed attempts at unlocking the door, it finally clicked open and she walked inside before holding it open for Cole. “C’mon in.”
(I love how Avery is one of my oldest female OC’s and yet she still gets flustered like a teenager would XDDD)
Kavani:
Ah… For a long time, Bhearit was silent and just seemed to stare at her. There were slight shifts in his expression; the softening of his brows, his ears lifting upward gently, and his eyes dilating. (Yes, she did notice that 🥺😭)
Kavani had no idea what that meant: all she knew is that she couldn’t look away. She was captivated by his eyes and the suppleness of his features; the slightest little quirk of his lips or the scrunch of his nose. (These two really have no social/romantic skills other than just staring at each other XD)
He looked almost conflicted as he finally moved and gripped the closest mug, commenting softly about Kollin’s seemingly endless energy. This made Kavani look over her shoulder at Kollin. The young colt was trotting in a tight circle in the middle of Bhearit’s living room, holding his stuffed bear high over his head as he hummed a random tune.
Kavani smiled wistfully and shrugged, “I have no idea. Maybe he has a normal amount of energy and the rest of us are just too drained and tired to keep up.”
As she spoke, Kollin started bucking and kicking his hinds legs out in random directions for no reason other than he could. He laughed as his hind hooves clunked loudly on the floorboards.
Kavani cringed and rubbed the back of her neck, “Or… maybe you’re right, and he just has a lot of energy.”
She exhaled softly and shook her head, before looking back at Bhearit. He had prepared the mugs with tea bags and started the kettle. This was probably the last thing he wanted to do after such a long day. A long day of babysitting Kollin and dealing with her mother.
Kavani but her lower lip before adding, “I’m sorry to trouble you with this. Can I help in any way?” He probably didn’t want her help, but she wanted to ask anyway.
@Ashsong (If you are ok with it, let’s go with Fig giving Keanar a slap on the wrist and using him as a example of how not to approach Pegasi.)
Fig: He laughed harshly, looking at the spoiled centaur who thought his blood made him a prince. “That’s not for me to decide… I enforce the laws of men, not boys. I wrote to the Mangrove authorities that their royal son broke Johirestown law. I’ll let your parents decide what to do with you.”
Carmela: She was glad Romie was enjoying her food. After taking a bite, she decided that they weren’t half bad and devoured her portion.
She started thinking about the next issue: how Romie would present himself to the chiefs. Should he appear dirty and disheveled, to win their favor? Polished and with bow mounted, displaying his pride? Maybe a bit of both. He could wear clean clothes and his bow, but keep his hair unwashed and his hooves scuffed. A centaur who had done his duty, but paid the price.
Kilroy: Romie really seemed to trust him, he reflecting, noticing the way the young centaur looked at him with respect. He will tell me the truth about whatever happens in that hall.
Reba: She made a face. “I haven’t felt much today. Heavy… that’s all.” It made her wonder how she would feel once the unborn child had left her body. Would the heaviness go away? Or was it something to deep inside of her, meant to stay…
She could see Sultaan’s place coming into view. The walk there didn’t feel so long now.
(I almost forgot this plotline… but wasn’t Fig going to frame Keanar for trying to ruin Johirestown’s relations with Sun Herd? I know that the Pegasi were actually from Snow Herd, but the people of Johirestown don’t know that… I think my goal had been for him to somehow use this incident to get Johirestown to declare war on Mountain Herd, and maybe claim that Keanar was an agent for Mountain Herd? It’s all a little confusing. Do you guys have any thoughts on where to take this next?)
Fig: He reached the cell where Keanar was being held, a secret location sunk into the ground in the forest outside Johirestown. None of the other councilors knew about this place. Just him… he and the regular soldiers were free to act how they pleased here.
Reba: She blushed… the way Sultaan touched her hair like it was made out of gold always made her heart flutter. ”Ok, I am glad she has a few brain cells,” she signed. ”She shouldn’t underestimate you! You’re one of the smartest centaurs around. Remember when you beat that smug jerk at checkers and won the town tournament? That was really something!”
She brushed up against his shoulders. If she had to go to school with little kids and Sultaan had to work as an indentured servant, at least she didn’t feel the pain of it now. She was glad he was here.
(BROOO IM HERE FINALLY MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS!! SO sorry about my sudden absence!!!)
(Ohhh!! I wasn’t RPing with Cole that time so I didn’t realize 😂😂 okay thanks for clearing that up!!)
Cole:
He chuckled and slipped his medallion off. He weighed it in his hand for a moment.
“Not gonna lie, I’m just hungry. I feel great, but hungry. And sticky too,” he replied with a grin. “My coach is right about telling me to clean myself up.” The boxer tied his hair back to keep it off his neck. He hadn’t quite cooled down yet.
Cole then looked down at Avery. Her cheeks were rosy from the heat and the excitement, making her golden eyes shine. He held the medal up next to her face. “Not even the purest gold can ever match your pair of eyes,” Cole murmured with a small, but affectionate smile.
(Btw how long have Cole and Avery been dating approximately?)
He then slipped the medal over her head. “It looks even better on you,” he said and began to walk back to his place with Avery’s hand clasped firmly in his.
“We can stop by the inn so that you can pick out a better outfit if you want,” Cole offered as they walked.
(Fawnroot is just SO SWEET OH MY GOSH)
Callum:
He watched Fawnroot as she approached Hassan and spoke to him in such a firm, yet gentle way. Pride welled up in his heart at the sight. He was confident that this tactic would more likely get the answers they needed in a way that wouldn’t cause trouble. Patience and compassion were Fawnroot’s best attributes, and being a medicine mare truly topped it all off.
In fact, the other two siblings seemed to visibly relax a little. Particularly Fiell. Leila wasn’t as tense as before, but she was still a bit wary.
When Callum looked at Hassan, he felt his annoyance with the stallion rise up again in his chest. Hassan just stared down at Fawnroot, not replying once again. He almost seemed suspicious, which was natural, but also something else. He then turned his injured arm slightly away from her.
“Hassan,” Callum said gruffly.
Leila:
She wasn’t terribly surprised that the pegasus mare decided to take this approach. In fact, she was happy Fawnroot did. She knew her brother needed help, despite his fairly extensive knowledge in basic medicine.
Leila watched her brother intently and chewed her lower lip. But then the big centaur, Callum, spoke Hassan’s name harshly, like he was trying to get the attention of a disobedient child.
“Hassan, please. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be,” Leila interjected quickly. Her brother looked at her. His eyes screamed anger, doubt, and shame. Leila wondered if anyone else could read him as she could. He probably appeared stubborn and foolish to the rest.
“Let her take care of it. Maybe she has something that can help your arm,” Leila said calmly. “You could only do so much.”
Hassan exhaled. “Okay.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Callum relax by the way his shoulders slumped slightly. Leila was relieved too. She had a feeling that Hassan just needed some outside prompting to get the help he knew was necessary.
Bhearit:
He momentarily forgot his disappointment and shame when bright little Kollin distracted him. Bhearit smiled slightly and reached forward, shaking the little teddy’s paw in play-greeting.
“Nice to meet you Teddy,” he said. He could feel a steady throbbing beginning in the back of his head which it slowly spread to his temples and forehead. He inhaled softly. Kollin was the only one in this whole cabin that had so much energy.
“Kollin, how would you like some tea?” he asked and glanced at Kavani who had just hung up her sheath.
He looked at her for a lingering moment. Kollin’s distraction from his earlier feelings didn’t last. Oh no.The way her brow creased ever so slightly when she looked at him… she had noticed his change of behavior before. He was that obvious, that easy to read, huh? He really needed to work on his stoicism.
Bhearit gave a brief but weak smile and went over to the cupboards to get some mugs out. He could feel his nose starting to have a burning sensation. Perfect. He had a headache and a sunburn! (Ah, the joys of being pale 😭😭😭)
He cleared his throat to speak to make sure he didn’t have a shaky voice or worse, a voice crack. Actually, either one would be bad.
“Like some tea too, Kavani?” Bhearit asked with his back turned to her and her brother. He lightly touched the bridge of his nose then smoothed his finger over his cheeks. Bhearit gave a rather shaky sigh, though it was quiet. He and Kavani severely needed sleep, but Kollin was too hyper to let them. How could one have so much energy?! Was this what it was like to have children? Be tired when they weren’t? Oh boy. Bhearit didn’t know how Kavani did it, even though Kollin was her brother. He was still a child in need of raising. Kavani had been more of a mother to the boy than his own mother. How ridiculous! Ashtohn didn’t have to raise Bhearit at least. Bhearit had a dam to care for him, despite not being related at all. He hoped he had been a fairly good colt to her.
But now she was gone. In a way, both he and Kavani had similar issues. Kavani had a neglectful, crazy woman who wasn’t there for her, and Bhearit’s biological mother didn’t want to keep him. Bhearit’s ears swiveled slightly as he dismissed this train of thought. Suddenly he realized that he had no idea if Kavani had even replied.
Sultaan:
“Better that than flunking the adult class,” he replied and offered a small smile. “My day went better than expected. She isn’t particularly friendly, but that’s not what I expected anyway. She was straight to the point and does not pity me for my muteness.”
Sultaan bobbed his head slightly and then looked down the road in the direction of his home. “Shall we go? We can talk and walk,” he offered and then turned his attention to Reba again. Sultaan moved a stray curl back behind her ear, but it bounced back again. He smiled slightly. Her type of hair was very nice to him.
Kilroy: He offered to help Carmela cook, but she told him to set the table and stay out of the way. So, he practiced his Irich words and plotted for what was to come. Everything would depend on what Seamus and Riona did after speaking with Romie.
Part of him hoped that it would bring the commitment to peaceful resolution he so desperately wanted to see. But what if Romie didn’t have anything new to tell them? What if they had everything from Lanceril, and still…
Carmela: She scooped the last pancake on to a plate, then turned around to see Romie and his silly bedhead. She put her plate down and hugged him.
“Good morning,” she murmured, then stood back. She could ramble about how glad she was to spend a morning with him after so many alone, but she knew he could tell just by looking at her face. “We’ve got a lot to do today, don’t we?”
@Ashsong @Riverbreeze(phone) (Are you guys still interested in Lakha coming after Cole again later tonight?)
Lakha: He stomped back home after evading Chandra and the others. His family knew to give him space…
He couldn’t stay still for long. He wasn’t tired at all after the match, even though he had every right to be.
Govind: He smiled wistfully as he watched Avery and Cole reunite. This night was all theirs.
He waited for the largest masses of centaurs to leave before making his way out, unwilling to be caught in the throng.
So what now? Usually it would be time to look for the next gig, but he still needed a partner. That, or he would join a bigger performing troupe.
Reba: ”There is good news and bad news,” she said. ”Tyn Asti is letting me be in the school… but I did not do well on test, so I will need to be in class with children.” She tried to laugh. ”That will be silly, will it not? But if that is what I need to do I will do it.”
She looked at him, at his face, his hands. ”How was your day? Did she treat you ok?”
Cole:
He rolled his eyes. “They’re not that bad,” he replied with a soft scoff. “I just need a routine checkup like I do after every fight.”
(I can’t remember if I ever gave Cole’s coach a name. If I did I forgot it lol) Tim huffed as he led Cole and Avery over to the medical tent. The nurses there quickly separated the boxer and his girlfriend.
Cole stood still as two nurses assessed his body for any serious injuries. The worst one was the cut from Lakha’s hooves, but even that wasn’t that bad. They cleaned it thoroughly and rubbed sap on top to keep it protected. Cole was given a wet rag to help with his lip, which was a little split and had been bleeding but otherwise alright.
Once they finished, Cole’s coach handed him a long sleeved tunic to wear. The boxer slipped it over his head.
“Go get yourself spiffed up for our celebrating tonight,” Tim told him. “Don’t be long. Be back in an hour.”
Cole nodded and then walked over to Avery. “Wanna head back to my place?” he asked as he led her out of the tent by her hand. “Or yours? We got a whole hour to ourselves.”
His fingers interlocked with hers as they both now stood outside of the medical tent.
Ludwig:
He tilted his head slightly and reached forward, grabbing Lakha’s shoulder. “Hey man, I’m serious. Let me treat you tonight,” he insisted as he turned his teammate around. Ludwig offered Lakha a sincere smile.
At that moment, Latiph walked up along with Mrs. Ki, Ludwig and Latiph’s dam. She smiled and patted Ludwig’s back. Mrs. Ki was a good deal shorter than he, not evening coming up to his shoulder.
“Hello Lakha, you did wonderful out there,” she said with a small smile.
“Oh yeah! This is my dam, Deanna, and my brother, Latiph. He was rooting for you,” Ludwig said and placed a hand on his twin brother’s back, nudging him forward slightly.
Latiph glanced at Lakha and nodded his head. “I know you still got it in you,” he said quietly. “Didn’t give it your best.”
“Latiph,” Mrs. Ki said with a frown. Then she looked at Lakha. “I’m sure you gave it your best. You were great!”
(Ima start confusing myself with these three dudes’ names- Latiph Lakha and Ludwig AAH)
Callum:
He stepped back slightly so that Fawnroot could see Hassan fully. The young stallion’s eyes fell on her, looking at her almost scrutinizingly.
“Had that for a bit,” he answered slowly.
“He’s had it for awhile,” Leila piped in. “I haven’t seen him use it in a long time.”
“Let him speak for himself,” Callum told her in a low voice. She hadn’t seen him use it for a long time? It had sounded as though he used it frequently, but now she was saying that he didn’t? Well, Hassan had said that it wasn’t exactly medicine. Obviously it wasn’t. It shouldn’t be if it was the same stuff that had knocked that Mountain Herd colt out.
Hassan inhaled slowly and adjusted his arm in the sling. He winced ever so slightly. Callum saw Leila purse her lips together in response, revealing her worry. He then turned his attention on the oldest sibling again.
“I used to put it on berries to be… edible,” Hassan said quietly and gave a small gesture with his hand toward the tin in Fawnroot’s wing.
Callum inhaled sharply. “Do you ever use it for anything outside of your own needs?” he asked with a level voice. He was not going to let himself jump to conclusions just yet.
Hassan met his gaze. “No, never,” he muttered with a frown.
“Did you just happen to drop any berries slathered in that concoction of yours not too long ago? Maybe when you found that creek nearby your campsite? Hm?” Callum could hear his sarcasm showing through his questions, though he wanted genuine answers to them. He could sense Rayfire’s own impatience as well as his own beginning to grow thin.
Hassan’s ears swiveled back slightly as he held Callum’s gaze, and he clenched his jaw.
“Hassan, you did have that small pouch of berries on hand sometimes,” Leila said quickly.
The stallion gave a small grunt in response.
Callum glanced at Fawnroot.
(KAVANI HE GONNA TAKE IT PERSONALLY NOWWWW)
Bhearit:
As he made his makeshift bed for the night, he could hear Kollin’s little chattering voice as he talked about Bhearit’s room like he was giving a tour. He must have been doing it for his toy. Bhearit smiled slightly and subconsciously vowed never to let anything or anyone take away the boy’s childhood as long as it was within his power to do so.
He could also hear Kavani’s tired voice as she spoke to her brother in briefer sentences. That was before she came out of the bedroom to Bhearit again.
He looked up just as she opened the door, and quickly he arose to his hooves, smoothing down his tunic almost instinctively.
The first thing he noticed was her face—well, actually the pillows briefly, but then her face. Bhearit felt his stomach knot slightly. Back to the indifference once again? How could he had ever hoped?
For some reason, he suddenly felt a little angry. Kavani’s display of what seemed like boredom as she lightly tugged on the corner of the pillowcase only added to his frustration. But it was not aimed at her. He felt extremely stupid for ever so much as touching her hands in the first place—especially for even hoping she would receive it.
Bhearit hoped his feelings didn’t show on his face as he took the pillows from her without much grace. (Gosh dang it. IT RHYMES) “Thank you,” he whispered hoarsely. The day had been a long and tiring one. The past few days were, and the last thing he needed was to crumble all over again.
He barely heard Kollin’s little comments about him and his inventions. Bhearit glanced toward the bedroom door and inhaled slowly. If anything, Kollin’s cuteness might make him crumble instead.
Sultaan;
He looked at Smurthi and nodded, lightly touching his chin in thanks. In this small window of freedom that he now had, he could go and hopefully meet Reba at the school. She would likely be done with her meeting with the director by now. He hoped it had went well for her.
Sultaan made his way to the schoolhouse, now lightened with eagerness to see Reba. Soon he arrived and stood outside. He could hardly wait to talk to somebody without having to use the stupid paper and pencil!
Tyn Asti:
“It’s been my pleasure. Have a good day,” he called after Reba as she made her way out of his office. He watched her leave before shutting his door after her. He had to finish up some other work before clocking out for the day. (Since it’s evening for everyone else, let’s just make it the end of the day for Rebataan and the other involved characters. If that’s okay with you Aspi!)
Smurthi: It was very satisfying to her that Sultaan couldn’t even argue with her if he wanted to. “But! As I said! Necessary!” She glanced over at Sultaan.
“Well, that’s about all I need you for today,” she said. “I’ll mark off everything you did for me today from the debt.”
Kilroy: Oddly enough, he was the first to wake up. He saw the first rays of dawn just starting to pierce through the window, and he waited patiently on his mat for the others to stir. He closed his eyes and tried to hold the dream images in his head - a mountain path, the silty lake, bananas - all from so many years ago. How many years had it been since he had last seen Hengov?
Carmela: The first thing she did when she woke up was to reach across the blankets to make sure her brother was still there. No, she hadn’t been dreaming. Incredible as it was, he was here. After so long…
But since she didn’t want to cry first thing in the morning, she got up and started to make breakfast.
Reba: She nodded. “Yes, I will. 9 o’clock.” Her fingers caressed the schedule and she offered Tyn Asti a hesitant smile. “Thank you for your help.” Then she began to exit the office.
Hopefully Sultaan was almost done working today… she wanted to talk to him and hold his eyes in her gaze for a long time. But she knew he would have work to do for their mere survival even after he was done with the moneylender, and her being away for school would only make things worse.
Lakha: He huffed angrily, but he’d have to be a super bad sport to stay angry at Ludwig, and he was only a bad sport. “Whatever,” he muttered. “Thanks for c-coming.” He shrugged off from the crowd and turned away, even through a few sports reporters were trying to ask him questions about why he lost and how it felt to have one of the worst aggregate scores out of the Anok Boxers League.
(RAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS COLE’S COACH REALLY SAID “NOPE”)
Avery:
She relaxed into Cole as he leaned in closer. Even closer. “C-Cole…?” Her stammering voice was barely a whisper. Avery’s face burned when she realized what he was about to do. Butterflies thundered in her stomach, her hearts beat madly, her eyes slipped closed as their lips barely touched, before something jerked Cole to the side and they split apart.
Suddenly, they were moving and Avery stumbled and tripped over her own hooves just trying to keep up. She gasped for breath, her face red and hot. Luckily for her, Cole’s arm firmly held onto her waist and steadied her as they were being dragged away from the pressing crowd.
Avery recognized the stallion leading them as Cole’s coach. “He certainly has expert timing.” She thought bitterly, but she was too flustered for her anger to stick.
At the mention of getting Cole’s wounds addressed, she looked up at him with a bright, smug smirk. “Told you so!” She pressed her body closer to him so their horse shoulders and flanks touched as they walked.
Avery heard a sudden, angry outburst coming from behind them. She spared a look over her shoulder to see Cole’s opponent, Lakha, standing close to one of the bystanders. She thought she recognized him as a player on the other cricket team.
They were too far away to hear what was said, and Avery couldn’t read lips, but whatever it was, Lakha was heated. The player was calm, however, and seemed to be handling it.
(OOOO GET ROASTED COLE XD)
(I’ll keep it the same for simplicity’s sake!)
Fawnroot:
She listened carefully to Callum’s questions and the young centaurs’ responses as she studied the little round container she cupped in her wing. So this is what they needed her for. And Leila was acting as a sort of buffer for Callum to distinguish truth from lie. Valerian root, hops, lavender. The valerian alone would be enough to make a sleeping medication.
Fawnroot lowered her head and closed her eyes for concentration as she took a deep inhale. All the familiar scents were there, just mixed together. The sweetness of the lavender, the pungent odor of the valerian root, and the harsh bitterness of the hops. Overall, it was not a pleasant smell -it made her eyes water and the inside of her nose sting- which also raised a few more questions.
Usually, hops only smell incredibly bitter when it’s over-ripe, which meant this mixture is old enough for some of the plants to turn sour. Hassan must’ve had this for a while. (That took some Google-ing XDDD)
Fawnroot was tempted to taste it. Probably not wise, but if she did ingest it, it would help her understand what this combination of plants would do. It would make her groggy, obviously, but to what extent? Was there side effects? How long would it last?
Her curiosity grew, but she ultimately decided against it. Fawnroot looked up at Callum at the same time that he looked back at her. “Yes, it does. He’s not lying.” At least not about this.
The mare paused for a moment, weighing her words. She wanted to keep an open mind and not jump to conclusions. Her gaze swiveled to Hassan, her expression blank. “I believe you.” She said simply, but went on before he could react, “How long have you had this? How much do you take to help you sleep?”
(Awww that would be cute!!)
Kavani:
She didn’t turn away, until he did. She’s never hesitated like this before. She’s always been the first to turn, first to walk away, first to leave. Why couldn’t she leave? Why was it so much harder now? (Ohhhhh YES I can definitely see a deeper meaning here 👀) What had changed? Had she changed? Had Bhearit?
Either way, it didn’t really matter right now. Kollin was calling for her, and Bhearit’s back was turned. “Yeah… you get some rest tonight, too,” And before her stupid, irresponsible heart could talk her out of it, and before Bhearit said something else to give her an excuse to stay, she marched back to Kollin.
Kavani opened and closed the door rather quickly. As soon as the door clicked shut, she backed up into it and sat down onto her haunches. She grunted faintly and pressed the back of her head and shoulders against the wooden door, leaning into it as her brows drew tight and her throat tightened.
Kavani looked down at her palms again. The image of his fingers interwoven with her’s. The feeling of his thumbs pressing against her palms. She could hear her thrumming heartbeat in her ears. “What just happened? What am I -oh gosh- what am I doing? What is this feeling? Bhearit… what have you done to me?!” (OOOOOO GIRL YOU GOT IT BAAAD)
Her hands started shaking, and she buried her head into her hands. Her face was warm and her palms were sweaty. “No! You’re not worth him, and he’s worth so much more. Why would you let him- you don’t let anyone get that close! All you’ll ever do is hurt him!”
“Um… Kavani?” A small hand tapped her head twice, and she jumped. Her head shot up and she stared into the eyes of Kollin. “O-Oh…Kollin. I’m so sorry, buddy.” She panted slightly as she struggled to compose herself from those raging, self-destructive thoughts. She cleared her throat and smoothed down her hair, before tapping his head twice in return.
She stood up before making her way over to Kollin’s backpack. “Here. T-Teddy’s in this side pocket.” She unzipped it, and pulled out the little brown bear with the missing eye, and handed him to an eager Kollin. “Ahhh! Teddy! There you are!” He embraced the toy and pressed his face into its little head. “I hope you weren’t too smushed in there. I know, I know: I don’t like the dark either, but look! This is where we’re staying tonight.” He started walking around Bhearit’s little bedroom, holding the bear outward as he spoke, “That’s the bed. Those are the pillows and blankets. Oh! This is the window; we don’t have one of those at our tent. That’s Kavani, hahaha, you already know her! This is the wooden floor; we also don’t have one of those at our tent.”
As Kollin and Teddy continued their guided tour around the little room, Kavani glanced down at the pillows. She had packed her and Kollin some pillows, so they didn’t need any. Those were Bhearit’s: he probably wanted them to sleep with tonight. Since, you know, her and Kollin were taking his bed. Another knife of guilt stabbed her in the gut.
Kavani grit her teeth and yanked the pillows off the bed and took them in her arms. She forced her expression to return to normal: her indifferent, cold normal. She inhaled deeply before opening the door again, and heading out into the main room. “Hey- sorry,” Kavani kept her voice clear and relaxed. “These pillows were on your bed. I have some for me and Kollin, so I figured you might want them.”
She kept her nonchalance, and even tugged on the corner of one of the pillows, trying to look bored. (KAVANIIIII 🤣)
“Oooohh! Teddy, come look at this!” Kollin scampered out of the bedroom. “That’s the front door. That’s one of Bhearit’s inventions. Yeah, I know! He’s the coolest. That’s another window.”
(KOLLIN IS SO CUTE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE)
(ALSO IM SO SORRY THAT WAS SO LONG DXX)
Tyn Asti:
He gave a small smile and nodded. “Good. As for now, I shall give you a slip of the schedule so that you know what time to come tomorrow, yes?” he said as he pulled out a paper from a folder. He came from behind his desk and handed it to her. On the slip had a well-drawn chart with sections sorted out for each day for the next week. He pointed to the first column.
“This is the time you must be here in the morning: nine o’clock. Do you understand?” Tyn asked, looking at Reba’s face to see if she did.
(Noooo don’t take your anger out on Ludwig bro 😭😭)
Ludwig:
He glanced over his shoulder at his cricket teammate as he held back a rather large centauress. When he saw Lakha’s fuming face, his smile faded slightly.
“Ma’am get back please,” he said. Thankfully she obliged and stepped back to join her friends.
Ludwig looked at his teammate. The rage was practically palpable as Lakha stood inches from his face. “What do you mean? Of course I was cheering you on, and I’m sorry you lost, Lakha,” he said, creasing his brow slightly. “Hey. How about this? I’ll treat you to a drink and a meal tonight. You look tired.”
Cole:
He smiled down at her, watching her face as she spoke. He adored every little change of facial expression she made, the way the light caught in her red hair and her golden eyes (thank you Aspi T^T), and the way her freckles dusted her cheeks so nicely. He was so focused on Avery’s face that he didn’t even hardly hear what she said.
“Mhm…” Cole murmured, leaning down closer to her face. His lips were just barely brushing against hers when Cole’s coach pushed through the crowd and grabbed his arm.
“Cole! This crowd is gonna swallow you both whole if you don’t get out of here now!” he shouted and tugged Cole back toward the ring.
Cole kept his arm wrapped securely around Avery’s waist as he was guided by his coach.
“We’re going to need to get that scrape checked out and treat whatever other injuries you’ve required as well as finalize some things before you’re off the hook. You know we’re gonna celebrate at the tavern tonight, right?” His coach went on.
Cole glanced back to see some of the officers there holding back the crowd as they walked away. Among them was Ludwig, who, despite having to hold back the crowd, was smiling happily probably because of Cole’s victory.
Callum:
He looked toward Fawnroot as she entered the room with the centaur filly kept close at her side. He nodded toward the pegasus mare in acknowledgment to her question and then held the opened tin toward her.
Callum glanced at Leila; she seemed to just barely be holding the urge to break away from Fawnroot and run to her family. The teenager’s eyes kept darting from Fawnroot and the pegasi to her brothers.
Callum turned toward Hassan, approaching him. “What does that tin consist of?” he asked. The young man didn’t meet his eyes, and was likely watching Fawnroot who now held the container.
He was silent for a bit as though sifting through answers he could choose from. “It’s a root: valerian. And hops with lavender,” he mumbled finally. (Hops being a noun, not a verb lol) His voice was deep and scratchy. It sounded almost… uncertain. Callum couldn’t tell whether Hassan was bluffing or he just couldn’t remember exactly what the ingredients were in the tin. (Also remember that just because Callum assumes something or thinks smth about Hassan doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily true lol. The most accurate interpretation you’re gonna get for now is from Leila)
Callum looked at Leila. “Is your brother telling the truth?” he asked her. The young mare looked up, meeting Callum’s gaze for a moment. She frowned slightly as though Callum was asking a stupid question.
“He is,” Leila replied simply. “That’s his medicine.”
“Not medicine,” Hassan corrected promptly. “Not really…”
“Then what is it?” Callum asked, turning to Hassan. He was getting a little annoyed with this stallion’s short and shallow replies.
“I don’t sleep good.”
Callum looked at Leila, who was gazing at her brother with her brows creased together. But then she met Callum’s eyes. Was she angry? Or was she annoyed with him? Callum had a feeling that Fawnroot would be better at interrogation than he since these were just children.
“How old are you all?” Callum asked finally, changing the subject.
“I’m sixteen,” Fiell replied, looking at Leila
“Fifteen,” the girl answered, having not looked away from Callum. “And Hassan is twenty-two.”
Callum nodded slightly and turned to Fawnroot. “Does it have what he said it did?” he asked. (It does. It can have something else too if you want to add anything!)
Bhearit:
He smiled slightly as Kollin called for his sister about his toy. He remembered having a special stuffed animal to sleep with. In fact, he probably had it somewhere in the house. (Ooo what if Kollin finds it?? If he does, it’d prbly be a dog or smth)
In the dimming light of the room, he could see that Kavani was incredibly flustered now and probably eager to go. He shouldn’t have touched her hands. What had he been thinking? Now things were even more awkward. He had followed his heart despite what the logical side of him had told him to do. He should have just let Kavani go. Why couldn’t he let her go? (OOO THIS MIGHT TURN INTO A DEEPER MEANING LATER ON WHO KNOWS??)
Bhearit swallowed as he looked at Kavani whose attention was now diverted to her little brother. He had honestly forgotten about Kollin.
It could never work. Bhearit rubbed his hands together and inhaled. Keep dreaming, boy. It’ll never happen.
“Right. Thanks,” Bhearit replied when Kavani had told him to get her when he needed help. He dipped his head slightly. “Have a good rest.” Why did you let yourself follow your stupid feelings? Bhearit stepped away, this time lengthening the closeness between them himself. He couldn’t imagine letting Kavani dig her fingernails into her skin. That’s why he took her hands—to stop her from hurting herself more. He could still feel her touch lingering on his skin...
Bhearit slowly turned away again and began to pick up other scraps of wood and metal which lay around. He really needed to organize this stuff.
His hands felt cold for some reason. This made him remember that the season was turning over to fall now. He walked over to a cabinet and opened it, pulling out a blanket. He’d use this for tonight.
(Recomment for @Aspidistrabloom !!)
Sultaan:
He was relieved when the man finally relented; he was not the least interested in any excitement today.
He quickly followed after Smurthi as she began to walk away. Sultaan gave a soft grunt in response to her sarcastic comment about her vocation, walking beside her now. He wished he could reply without having to go through the tedious process of writing it down on his notepad, but a grunt was all he could do to acknowledge Smurthi’s words.
HERES MY COMMENTS AT LASTTTTT WEEEEE—)
AUGH I LOVE THEM SM!!!)
Cole:
He grinned widely down at Avery when she kissed his cheek. “I guess I don’t smell bad enough for you not to kiss me,” he teased and wrapped his arms around her tightly. “Now I’m afraid I can’t let you go.”
Cole leaned his head down and buried his face into her neck, inhaling her scent. He trailed his hand up against the nape of her neck, running his fingers through her hair.
“Best part is, I’m hardly hurt at all. We can go out and eat,” Cole whispered into her ear as he twirled a stray lock of red hair around his finger.
(“Unpack their wings” makes sense tho!!)
Callum:
As soon as the stallions had set the siblings’ belongings down, he gestured at the items and looked at Hassan. “Did you poison berries?” he asked. To Callum’s slight frustration, the tall centaur didn’t seem to be fazed, and he didn’t respond. He held neither an expression of surprise nor anger, or even confusion. He almost looked… thoughtful. Fiell appeared puzzled, however, if not nervous. But he had already been nervous.
Callum leaned down and dumped open a satchel, emptying it of different assortments such as a half-empty canteen, twine, and a couple of bloodied rags. He looked up at the brothers quizzically.
Fiell swallowed. “Nosebleed.”
Callum frowned slightly. “Why would you keep this?” (Yeah Fiell. Like BROTHA EUGH WHAS THAT BROTHA)
The young centaur shook his head slightly and shrugged. “That’s my bag,” he replied quietly, as though that answered his question.
Callum nodded slightly, having a small understanding of what the young stallion meant. He then moved on to the next bag. “Neither of you answered my question earlier,” he said calmly, now on his knees as he inspected the possessions. “Did you poison any berries?”
“N-no…” Fiell answered, sounding a little confused.
Callum glanced up to see the boy’s face. Fiell’s brow creased slightly as he met his gaze.
Callum looked back down again at the items. He lifted a smaller, more dainty looking bag that had tiny yellow flowers embroidered along the flap. It wasn’t much bigger than his own hand. “Your sister’s, I assume?” he asked, opening it.
“Yeah,” Fiell replied softly.
Callum grunted and pulled out a small, leather-bound book. A charcoal pencil fell out as he removed it from the bag. He flipped through the pages briefly and then set it aside. He felt along the inside of the bag and found something small and round. A ring. Callum lifted it up to the dying light of the day to examine it. It was a wedding ring from the looks of it—gold, with some unreadable engraving. An average wedding ring.
Callum looked up at the two brothers. Fiell’s face had a conflicted expression on it, like he was remembering something he regretted or grieved over. The latter wouldn’t be too surprising if it was so. Hassan’s whole body, however, stiffened the moment Callum had picked up the ring. Looking at his face now, the oldest brother appeared almost angry.
Callum placed the things back into Leila’s bag, including the ring. Hassan seemed to relax a little once he had set the girl’s possessions aside.
There were a few other things other than clothing articles. Hassan didn’t seem to have a bag of his own, unlike his siblings. Maybe the makeshift sling he now had his arm cradled in had been his bag.
Callum lifted up a coat to move it out of the way when a small container fell from a pocket sewn on the inside of the coat. He picked it up. The container was small and flat, and seemed to be made out of tin. A circle had been scraped on the lid, like somebody had taken a sharp object and hastily scratched it on. Perhaps it was an O, or a symbol, or nothing at all.
Callum popped the lid off. Inside was a a thin layer of dark mash. He lifted the container and sniffed it. Callum shook his head slightly, blinking, and then closed the lid. This would be taken to Fawnroot for examination.
“Whose coat is this?” he asked, standing up again.
“Leila’s,” Fiell answered and looked at his brother.
Hassan only watched Callum with slightly narrowed eyes.
“What is this, Hassan?” he asked the tall centaur and held out the container for him to see.
“I don’t know,” he mumbled.
“I doubt you don’t know, Hassan,” Callum said coolly. “But in any case, I’m sure Fawnroot would, or else your sister.”
“Leave her out of this,” Hassan rasped, furrowing his brow. “She doesn’t know nothing.”
“Then what is this?” Callum pressed, stepping closer to him.
The centaur inhaled sharply. “It’s… it’s my… it’s sleeping medicine. It’s mine.”
Was that embarrassment he saw? “Sleeping medicine, hm? That’s some strong medicine that knocks a steed out cold the moment it’s consumed.” He squinted at the oldest brother. They definitely needed Leila to interpret Hassan’s lack of expressions. Callum turned briefly to Rayfire. “Explains Rimecrest,” he said. “Let’s get Fawnroot and the girl in here.”
Leila:
She quietly obeyed the kind pegasus mare and took her place next to the wall. When Fawnroot offered her some sugarcane, Leila accepted it without protest. She was quite hungry, for she had been waiting for her brothers to return from hunting to eat when that big centaur had showed up with those pegasi and captured her and her brothers. What a day it has been!
Leila nibbled on the sugarcane as she watched the doctor mare care for a drowsy and rather bewildered looking pegasus. He looked different from the rest. He was shorter and stockier—fluffier too, like he lived in a cooler climate. The rest of the pegasi here were sleek and colorful. She wondered if he was also a foreigner. That mare, Fawnroot, also called her darling. Leila felt it a bit strange to hear that from someone who looked just like a horse but with wings. But it wasn’t unpleasant. In fact, it was rather nice. These pegasi were certainly intelligent creatures, but not only that, they were courteous and kind too. Leila smiled slightly at the thought.
Rimecrest:
He swayed slightly, his eyes still glassy from the drugged sleep. The young stallion leaned into Fawnroot, letting out a long, sleepy groan. “I don’t- I feel weird… I want my mama…” he slurred.
Rimecrest’s wings sagged at his sides, not tucked as they should be. His knees suddenly buckled again, and he collapsed against Fawnroot.
“What’s wrong with him?” He heard the centaur mare ask.
Rimecrest could barely take anything in, and that was the last thing he remembered as he drifted off into sleep again.
Bhearit:
What was this heavy feeling washing over him right now? What was pulling down on his hearts like a weight? Disappointment. Bhearit looked at Kavani, his brows creasing together. He wished to assure her that it wasn’t her fault, but he also knew it was probably better to simply let her go to bed.
Once again, and probably not for the last time, Bhearit was left dumbfounded—not in shock, but in uncertainty of how to respond for fear of what she would think, or how it would make the whole situation.
But he didn’t want to end the night like this. He just couldn’t.
Despite his exhaustion and his body’s screaming to rest; despite his logical side of him who advised to shut up and let Kavani go, Bhearit found a surprising and sudden amount of courage—well, no. Not courage. Determination. Yes, he was fueled by a newfound determination to set things right.
“Kavani-“ Bhearit’s voice cracked, but he ignored it. He cleared his throat and picked up the courage to step closer to her. “Kavani,” he began again with a slow inhale. “There is no need for you to apologize. Don’t pretend like I’m the only one who has put up with your family issues… who’s helped you in this distress you’re in. You were the one who helped me through my mother—stepmother’s—death. It is only right that I return the favor by helping you. Not only you, but Kollin as well.”
Bhearit paused for a moment. The whole time he was talking, he wasn’t really looking at Kavani’s face—at least, not in her eyes. He felt like he was rambling, dancing around in circles as he struggled to get to the point. Bhearit glanced at Kavani’s face, but it was too brief to read her expression as she listened.
“You don’t deserve to be caught up in my family issues either, but you were, and here I am caught up in yours. And, well, so be it. I want to help and return the favor.” Bhearit sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. However, his hand was stopped short upon meeting a tangle in his hair. He gave up and dropped his hand to his side again.
Bhearit looked down at the floor. “Nothing you said was stupid, by the way,” he said quietly. He noticed the way Kavani dug her fingernails into her palms just like she had just a few hours ago after the incident with her mother.
Bhearit found himself staring at her hands. They were dry and a little calloused, but slender—pretty in their own way. He hated the way she buried her nails into her skin. Without thinking, Bhearit reached forward suddenly and parted her hands gently but firmly, with his thumbs pressing into her palms as he did so. He then let go, if not with a little hesitation before he did. (UGH THEYRE SO AWKWARD BUT SO CUTE RAAAAAHHUGVH)
(Their innocent happiness will not last long. It is the way of the OC MUAHAHA)
Cole:
He dipped his head as a mare draped the medallion around his neck. At last, the match was over. He could now go home with few injuries, and they would not hinder him from enjoying the company of Avery.
He smiled in his victory like any other winner would, but his gaze searched the crowd for one person. A centaur handed him a canteen of water and a towel, and he gratefully took it. He paused in his search to wipe the sweat off his face and neck and to rehydrate himself before looking for his girlfriend again.
It didn’t take long for Cole to spot the gleaming red hair of Avery, and he promptly began to make his way toward her, ducking under the ropes to get to her.
The crowd was like a thick brick wall to get through, and some people he had to nudge rather hard to get them out of his way. As soon as he was within reach of Avery, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him.
Sultaan:
He was relieved when the man finally relented; he was not the least interested in any excitement today.
He quickly followed after Smurthi as she began to walk away. Sultaan gave a soft grunt in response to her sarcastic comment about her vocation, walking beside her now. He wished he could reply without having to go through the tedious process of writing it down on his notepad, but a grunt was all he could do to acknowledge Smurthi’s words.
Leila:
She looked at the pegasus mare who spoke to her in such a sweet and gentle way. Her eyes rounded slightly, her ears flicking forward. “Okay,” she said faintly.
But when Fawnroot and the other stallion argued, she then looked toward her brothers. Fiell creased his brows together, looking back at her with question and worry. Leila swallowed slightly and glanced at Fawnroot. The mare seemed to have everything under control now despite that stallion’s protest.
Leila nodded slightly at her brother, her gaze flitting to Hassan for a moment. To her, he was clearly angry; she could see it in his eyes. But when he met her gaze, he softened slightly. Leila also gave him a small nod to assure him she was okay going with the pegasus.
She inhaled quietly and turned back toward Fawnroot when she had nudged her flank slightly.
Callum:
He watched the whole interaction between Fawnroot and her sire in silence, choosing not to butt in to defend the mare. She was stubborn in a good way, and he knew she didn’t need his help. He found himself right, of course, as he watched Rayfire back down finally.
He glanced at the eldest of the three centaurs. He couldn’t tell what Hassan was thinking, but he found the siblings’ silent communication interesting. The youngest, Leila, seemed to be able to read her brothers very well. Fiell was easiest, of course; even Callum could tell what he was feeling. But Hassan… They might need Leila during interrogation if she could understand her brother so well. For now, however, they would have to do without the girl.
As Fawnroot and Leila walked away, he caught Fawnroot’s eye as she cast a quick glance back at him. He gave a small, affectionate smile upon meeting her gaze, although it was only for a fleeting moment. Callum turned back to Rayfire and the two centaurs.
He followed them quietly as they all made their way to the alcove. Soon they arrived to the chosen destination, and Callum positioned himself so that he was standing a little bit to the side but still in front of Hassan and Fiell as the two stood close against the rock.
There were a few moments of silence as Callum studied the brothers.
“Where do you come from?” he asked finally.
Fiell looked up at Hassan and then shifted his weight. “M-Mangrove,” he replied and looked down.
Callum grunted softly. “Why are you here? Are you traveling to Johirestown?” He squinted for a moment at Hassan who still stood silent.
Fiell glanced at his brother. “We’re-“
“Yes,” Hassan interrupted quickly, and Fiell looked at him in what appeared like confusion. Hassan gave him a slight frown.
Callum raised his eyebrows. Hassan’s voice was sharp, but also quiet and raspy. “So you are going to Johirestown?”
Fiell blinked for a moment. “Yeah…”
The ex-captain cleared his throat and glanced at Rayfire before looking at the two again.
“You’re both terrible liars,” he said.
Fiell looked at Callum. “No. I just wasn’t sure,” he said in an almost protesting way. “I swear we’re not lying.”
Callum crossed his arms, staring at Hassan. “How did you hurt your arm? Is it broken?”
Fiell looked at Hassan and then Callum. “Yeah. Well, no, not exact-“
“I’m asking your brother, not you,” Callum growled, not looking at Fiell. He continued to stare at Hassan, who barely held his gaze.
The tall centaur was silent for a long time before answering. “Fell,” he muttered.
Callum frowned slightly but didn’t press the subject. “Not very talkative, huh?”
He looked at Rayfire. “Have one of your steeds bring all their belongings here,” he said in a low voice.
Bhearit:
He looked at Kavani as she stepped away and hastily apologized for keeping him. For keeping him? Did she think he didn’t want her there?
Bhearit didn’t really pick up most of what she was saying next besides the part of him needing to rest—of which he agreed with. His hearts were heavy, and now he felt strangely colder since she lengthened the distance between them. The warmth of her touch still lingered on his shoulder.
Bhearit swallowed, but it got stuck in his throat. “I- you…” he trailed off. He hadn’t stopped to think of what he was going to say. He didn’t want her to go. Not really. He couldn’t ignore it.
Bhearit inhaled quietly, looking down for a moment. But what mattered was what Kavani wanted—what she needed—not what his heart wished for. He was delirious; he had to be. His emotions had been shaken up enough over the past several days, and so had Kavani’s. No need to start anything now. And besides, they all needed to rest.
“Yes… you’re right,” he murmured finally, looking at Kavani again. Bhearit straightened slightly. “You should sleep too. It’s been a long day… and week in general.”
He could see a sort of conflicted expression on her face, like she wanted to tell him something or that she had done something she knew he would be upset about. At least, that what it seemed to him.
Bhearit tilted his head slightly, gathering the courage to speak what he had in mind. “Kavani…” he began slowly, almost cautiously. His accent was breaking through again, and it annoyed him. He cleared his throat. “There’s no need to apologize. I’m… very glad you’re here.” Bhearit dipped his head slightly for a moment, breaking eye-contact. In a way, he felt rather relieved that he had managed to get out at least a little of what he felt. He had chosen his words carefully, and they seemed to be innocent and friendly enough to know that she wouldn’t be… weirded out. Hopefully. He couldn’t read minds, however, and definitely not Kavani’s.
Bhearit looked at her again, more slowly this time. Despite how tired she looked, and the way her hair was a little messy, Kavani was still incredibly… pretty. Yes. Pretty. Bhearit didn’t let his mind dwell on this little observation for long.
UUUUUGGGHHHH SORRY I’M HERE!!!)
Fawnroot:
She perked her ears up as Callum subtly motioned towards something behind her. She took the hint and looked over her shoulder. Rimecrest was awake! Her eyes immediately brightened and her heart beamed with relief and joy, but she didn’t run to him just yet.
Fawnroot lowered her head and looked at the young mare with nothing but peaceful admiration. The poor thing was trembling and looked about ready to bolt. Fawnroot’s chest tightened.
“Leila, right?” She hoped to all the ancestors she was saying it right. “That’s a lovely name. I am Fawnroot. Would you mind staying with me? Your brothers are needed, but I promise you, they will be back soon.” She offered the girl a smile before nodding at Callum. One of the under-stallions, Buckweed, walked forward as if to follow them to the medicine mare den, but Fawnroot stopped him and shook her head. “A guard won’t be necessary.”
Rayfire bristled at this. “Take one just to be sure. These are foreigners, after all.”
But Fawnroot bristled right back. “You wouldn’t treat Pegasi foreigners this way. (She’s right, he wouldn’t 👀) Do you wish to frighten the poor girl even more? Look around you: the entire herd is bearing witness. We will be fine until you return. Now, I have patients to attend to.” (OHHHH SNAP)
Without waiting for a rebuttal, Fawnroot nudged the girl’s flank softly, but encouragingly. “It’ll be alright, young one. Come on,” And she herded Leila towards the medicine mare den, sparing a glance back only for Callum.
Rayfire:
He snorted harshly and ruffled his wings, golden feathers drifting to the ground around him. Was he angry because she was right, or angry because Berrysong would be so incredibly proud of her…
He didn’t think on that too long. “Let’s move.” He ordered and took the lead, heading towards the spot Fawnroot described. He had a vague idea of where it was, but without her guide, it took some poking around at different sapling trees to find the alcove.
He immediately set up a perimeter with a Pegasus steed guarding every exit point. These steeds that they didn’t need were dismissed to rejoin the herd and report to Robinfire, if need be.
He waited until the two centaurs faced him and Callum with their flanks pressed against the rock. He cocked his head to the side and allowed Callum to take the lead: he knew centaurs, knew what makes them tick, and knew the best questions to ask.
(INTERROGATION TIMMEEEE AAAAA IM SO EXCITED FOR THE ANSWERS)
Kavani:
Her eyes followed his hand as he reached up and gently touched her knuckles, his fingers tracing the back of her hand. Kavani blinked at him, trying to make sense of him, her own feelings, and the obvious weight between them. She knew he felt it too.
Kavani smiled a little. She wanted to say something else. To thank him. To ask jf he was okay from the long day. Maybe ask if he needed any help. But, before she decided on what to say, his hand fell away from her’s, lightly skimmed her forearm, before returned stiffly to his side. Kavani felt her hearts ping painfully. She looked up at him, but his eyes were on the ground.
Her hand felt cold now that Bhearit let go. She swallowed. Usually his eyes and features were so fluid and expressive, but now, he almost seemed scared… and conflicted. As if he couldn’t decide how to feel. Well, if that was the case, they felt the same way. He finally met her eyes again, and there was a raw look of unexplainable emotions burning in his gaze. It scared her. Maybe touching him and lingering was a bad idea? Definitely a bad idea.
“Sorry,” Kavani looked away and pulled her hand back faster than he had, and more careful not to touch him again. She forced her voice to be steady. “Of course. Sorry to… keep you. Do whatever you need to do.” Why was she apologizing so much? Why was she suddenly filled with a sense of guilt? She stepped back and opened the space between them. Say something, Kavani. Don’t just walk away after that. “Thank you again for allowing us to stay. Let me know if I can do anything to help and.. please get some rest.”
Avery:
Finally the match was finished! She breathed more easily now that the stallions weren’t hurdling punches and kicks at one another.
Avery clapped her hands so fast and loud that her palms hurt in a matter of seconds. She didn’t usually like screaming of any kind since it was bad for her vocal chords, but watching Cole’s victory and receiving a medal from the judges, he deserved a celebration. Her voice joined the others in the crowd as she proudly, happily stared up at Cole.
(I love the immediate mood difference between characters. Just like “ooooo angst, hidden feelings, interrogations, drama, some more angst, even more drama.” Versus.
“yayyyy my boyfriend won and everything is great!!” XDDD
Fawnroot and Kavani: 😭😡😣 “why does SHE get to be happy?!?”
(ITS NEVER TOO MUCH RIVER!! >:DD)
Callum:
His eyes lit up the moment he spotted Fawnroot approach them, and he was about to respond to her greeting when Rayfire spoke. He glanced between Fawnroot and the stallion, the tension almost palpable between them.
Callum looked down at the pegasus captain when he spoke to him. “Aye, I’d like to be present,” he replied, nodding. He gestured to Foxglen and Mapleleaf to come forward with the two centaur brothers. He looked at Fiell’s face first, which betrayed his emotions very clearly. His dark eyes were wide with curiosity and fear as he looked around. The young stallion kept close to his brother. Callum’s gaze fell on Hassan’s face. He couldn’t really read it as clearly as Fiell’s, but Hassan certainly didn't appear that shocked by all these pegasi swarming around them. At least, that’s what he seemed on the outside. He almost looked… disgusted. It was hard to tell.
Callum’s ears swiveled back slightly as many questions popped into his mind. He would use them for the interrogation, and Hassan was definitely going to answer them.
“Aye, let’s go. Lead the way, Fawn,” he said, turning toward her again. He glanced down at Leila, who was now trembling beside him. He shifted his weight from one hoof to the other.
“We’re only going to ask a few questions,” Callum reassured her. He looked at Fawnroot and nodded slightly.
At that moment, he spotted Rimecrest, who was no longer lying down. He was struggling to stand up, still dazed from the drugged berries he had eaten. Callum cleared his throat and gestured with his chin toward the colt behind Fawnroot.
(UGHHH SO CUTE)
Bhearit:
His ears were still burning from shame as he left the room. He wished he could just snap his fingers and have all his junk gone. But obviously, it was not to be so.
Bhearit was just about to continue clearing the table when Kavani called after him from behind. She grasped his shoulder and gently pulled him away from the table. He inhaled sharply in surprise as Kavani turned him around.
His own hearts were beating wildly as she spoke to him, gently berating him for treating his inventions so poorly. For some reason, Bhearit held her gaze this time. He was taken aback by the sincerity of her words, finding no lie behind her eyes as she spoke. He was aware of her hand, which still lingered on his shoulder and the way she gave it a gentle squeeze. Then she took a step closer to him, closing the distance between them more.
“Everything is perfect and fine the way it is.”
Bhearit opened his mouth slightly but found no words in it. He shut it. The young stallion didn’t necessarily agree with her statement; he simply didn’t want to argue. He had no motivation to argue.
Bhearit swallowed quietly, trying to find something to say. He looked down for a moment and inhaled before meeting her eyes again. “You’re still having my room,” he said softly. It was all he could say at the moment.
Then, slowly, carefully, Bhearit reached up, just barely touching her hand which still grasped his shoulder. Her tanned skin was cool as he brushed his fingers over her knuckles. Bhearit found his gaze no longer meeting Kavani's, rather lingering on her face. He felt his chest tighten slightly as he looked at her. Bhearit was hyper-aware of everything: her touch, the proximity of herself to him, her gaze, the way her blond hair caught the light, his own breathing…
Realizing that he was still touching her hand, he moved his hand down, his fingers brushing halfway along her forearm in the process before it finally drifted to his side again. He had to come to his senses and not let himself get carried away, no matter how dulled his commonsense was at the moment. But it was more than just tiredness that he felt. Bhearit lowered his eyes. He had suddenly felt a deep yearning, a longing for something more when he had touched her hand, and it scared him in a way. He wasn’t sure what to do with it, having never felt this way before.
Bhearit inhaled slowly, and to his annoyance, his breath quivered slightly. “I should… probably…” he trailed off as he met her eyes again. He didn’t want to break this moment, even if at the same time he did. The latter side of him wasn’t strong enough to overpower his feelings.
(AAAAAA-)
(Tehehehe very personal indeed XDD)
(YAAAAA IM HERE LETS DO THIS)
Pinegrass and other battle stallions:
Following Callum’s orders, Pinegrass approached the two young centaurs and picked up the strange wooden contraption with his teeth. He gripped it tightly as he stared down at them, and the wood creaked and strained against his bite.
(Enjoy my ramblings: Horses have a VERY strong bite force. (Pegasi are no exception!) When I looked it up, their average jaw strength is about 500 pounds per square inch (based off size and breed, so potentially more!). For reference, that’s stronger than Rottweilers, Pit bulls, and German shepherds by DOUBLE. So yeah… don’t mess with them horsie chompers!)
The other battle stallions pushed the 2 young centaurs into line behind Callum.
Rayfire:
He heard the soft thuds of distant hooves echo through the trees, and by the sound of it, there were more steeds than when they had spilt up earlier. The other Pegasi around Rayfire noticed it too, and everyone stiffened as Callum’s group came into view. He marched forward to meet them by himself, his eyes bouncing between each steed. Rayfire immediately took note of the 3 strange centaurs. Children? He thought to himself, but didn’t allow his surprise and hesitation to show.
He rattled his wings and arched his neck, keeping his sharp eyes on the young ones.
Then, Pinegrass separated himself from the group and approached Rayfire. He held something large in his teeth, before dropping it at Rayfire’s hooves with a clunk. “Weapons, sir.”
Rayfire stared down at the long, wooden weapon, his expression stoic and unreadable. “Take 2 steeds and perform a full perimeter sweep on the ground. No flying. Bring anything, or anyone, to me.”
He stepped over the weapon as if it were nothing more than a root or a branch in his way, and focused on the strangers.
“Who do have we here?” His voice was rough, yet calm and slightly confused: it was a genuine question. He directed the question at Callum, but he spoke loud enough that everyone in the squad would hear.
He lowered his head to stare down at the little girl, before looking to the two older boys. He waited patiently for someone to respond.
(Is this okay, Ash? I wanted to keep it open since they’re your characters!)
(Yeah that’s fine! I probably won’t make it significant since I’m drawing a blank on ideas right now lol)
Kavani:
She finished up packing for both her and Kollin; she only grabbed the essentials. Anything else could wait until later. Kavani looked at Bhearit with appreciation. “Mhm. Fine by me. Not like the tent is going anywhere. And neither is the mess.” She tried to make it sound light-hearted and fun, but her voice wouldn’t cooperate and it came out wrong, so instead it just sounded like a sad attempt at humor. Kavani grit her teeth and crossed her arms over her chest: she looked like she was about to say something else, but she never found the words.
Kollin came bursting into the tent with an armload of toys and stuffed animals. He was breathing hard as he placed the toys against one of the back walls of the tent. “HA! Th-there! Done!” He whirled to Kavani and was immediately at her side, tugging at the hem of her shirt. “How fast was that? How fast was that?!”
Kavani smiled warmly at him and ruffled his hair. “It was so fast I forgot to count,” which was the truth. That seemed to be the right response because Kollin burst into laughter and placed his hands on his hips, looking very pleased with himself.
Kavani chuckled dryly, before looking back to Bhearit. His smile looked happy and content, but his eyes were heavy. He’s been by her side all day. Never ever once complaining, never asking about her mother’s problems- even though he must have questions. Always willing to help, always putting her needs before his own. The more she thought about it, the worse she felt: guilt stormed through her.
Kavani swallowed and quickly looked away from him. “I think we’re ready.” As she spoke, she grabbed her sheathed sword she’d left beneath a nearby tree so it wouldn’t get in her way, but now, she felt bare without it. Once she strapped it to her waist, she shrugged on the satchel and helped Kollin put on his little backpack. “What about Teddy?!” Kollin cried, but Kavani merely smiled and booped his nose. “He’s already packed.”
The siblings turned to look at Bhearit. Kollin took his hand and Kavani fell in line beside him.
Avery:
She watched with wide eyes and trembling fingers as the stallions fell hard to the ground. Lakha fought and writhed for an opening to break free, but Cole never gave him one. Before she knew it, he had his opponent almost completely pinned. The crowd roared; Nyke included, and any remaining popcorn went flying. But Avery wasn’t worried about the audience. Her eyes were only on Cole.
His rich tan skin and shiny black hair. His expression focused and set as he pressed Lakha’s face into the dirt.
She wasn’t sure if it was the blistering heat from the sun, or the long, tiresome day, but her cheeks felt like they were on fire. (Uh huh sure Avery it’s definitely the sun 🤣🤣)
She felt herself begin to smile, and it soon turned into a cheerful grin.
Cole:
He pressed Lakha’s face into the dirt, beginning to move on top of him to pin him down. His breathing was ragged as he leaned his full weight on him. The audience’s screaming, if it could get any louder, seemed to grow more in volume now—or Cole became more aware of it as he pinned his opponent’s face into the ground. The sun was hot as it blazed down on him and Lakha.
Sultaan:
Sultaan’s ears twitched in response to the stallion’s loud voice. The mute centaur subconsciously frowned as he watched Smurthi interact with this disagreeable stallion. He knew this mare was certainly strong willed and could hold her ground against her clients’ complaints and arguments—she was probably used to being insulted too— but he wondered what she would do if a man like this suddenly became violent.
Sultaan’s gaze settled on Smurthi’s face as he stood at her horse shoulder. She seemed calm right now, so he didn’t let himself worry.
Tyn Asti:
“Ah, my apologies. To borrow means that you take something from somebody with their permission for a short time and give it back later,” he explained, peering at her. He appreciated her straightforwardness when she didn’t understand something. He believed she would do quite well in her studies despite the language barrier.
(The idea is that 66 reincarnations for a grain of rice means 66 times getting pooped out…)
Lakha: His hooves lost contact with the ground and he was on the dirt. He had the strength to get up. But he couldn’t get up. His hooves scrabbled, failing to gain purchase.
He saw the referee advancing on them out of the corner of his eye, like a vulture. If he didn’t get up soon, he would lose the match. Cole was still on the ground, though. The sooner his opponent got up the sooner this would all be over.
He heard Russel’s voice from the crowd. “Lakha!” was all he said, but it was all he needed to hear.
Smurthi: She read Sultaan’s notepad. “Necessary. Exactly. What I do is necessary, even if it is distasteful.” She took a short breath. “Well, come along then.”
She strode purposefully to the an address she had come to know well. One of her debtors. A lazy, irresponsible man. Not unlike Sultaan’s uncle. She rapped sharply on the door. No one answered, but she knew he was inside because of the smoke coming out of his chimney. She didn’t let up until he came to the door.
“Moneylender,” he said. “What do you want? You said you would restructure my debt!”
“I did,” she replied. “But I need your first interest payment. And I need it now.”
Reba: “Borrow…” she murmured, having understood everything thing else. “What is that word?” She had an idea that it just meant to keep temporarily, but she wanted to be sure. It seemed like Tyn Asti kept a fair system.
Carmela: She squeezed Romie’s hand one final time. “We should get some rest. Tomorrow is a big day…”
Then, Romie would have to reveal himself to the rest of the town… and the old, buried secrets of the past would rise again.
Smurthi: “Thank you,” she said as she accepted the booklet from Amos and finalized it. “I look forward to working with you.” As she and Sultaan left the forge, she fingered the agreement thoughtfully. Now that the deal was in ink, she was safe. If the war never did come or Amos refused to pay, she would bring this to the council. It was always wise to plan for the worst.
“Sultaan,” she started. “You’ve worked for me for some time now. What do you think of my trade?” It would be good to know before she took him along for the worst task of all. She needed to know if he would stay by her side.
(AAAHH IM HERE 😭😭😭 IM SO SORRYYYYYY)
Callum:
He repeated each of the stallions’ names in his head so as not to forget them. Foxglen, Pinegrass, Mapleleaf, and Buckweed. Callum clutched the branch in his hand and walked ahead of the four. They were each trained and probably more adept than he by now, but he was going to try his best.
“Alright, follow me,” Callum told them and began to move toward the creek in the direction of the foreign encampment. “This requires stealth,” he whispered. “So watch where you step and where your wings brush up against.”
He walked a few feet ahead of the four steeds, taking care not to be a hypocrite of his own words.
Suddenly, Callum stopped and stepped behind a tree slightly. (Sucks to be centaurs and pegasi because of how big they are lolll) His ears were pointed forward, his gaze unmoving, as he stared ahead. He could see a glimpse of a flicker of flame through some brush. Inhaling deeply, he slowly made his way around the tree. Callum moved forward, but at an angle to the left where large brush between two tree trunks grew. If it hadn’t been for the campfire he spotted, he wouldn’t have seen them.
Callum motioned for the stallions to follow, but slowly. Once they did this, he motioned for them to spread out to surround this camp in a half circle. Then, cautiously, Callum made his way around to the area where his steeds did not stand- likely the only way these foreigners could escape. Or foreigner, Callum thought to himself.
Then he saw a young centaur, a centauress, reach over and snag several leaves and twigs from a bush, tossing them into the flames. No wonder it had been emitting smoke so much. The fuel she was using to feed it were fresh twigs and plants rather than dried leaves.
She wasn’t alone.
Callum’s gaze flitted to a glint of metal beside her. A long, curved dagger lay in the grass. It clearly wasn’t hers since she didn’t carry it at her side. Whoever left must have given it to her for protection.
The girl began humming to herself as she fiddled with something in her hands. Her back was turned toward him. Slowly, he walked forward, clutching the branch in his hands. It felt clumsy and foolish to hold it, but his eyes were on a different thing. Callum now stood over the girl. She had no survival instinct whatsoever. (That would be meeeeeee)
He reached down and picked up the dagger. The young mare seemed to notice and looked up with a smile. “You’re back-! oh.”
Callum pointed the blade at her neck. “Stand,” he commanded her in a low voice. Thankfully she did. She was wise enough to do so. Callum turned her around so that he was now behind her.
“Who else was with you?” he asked, keeping the long edge of the blade near her neck.
“M-my brothers, Fiell and Hassan,” she stammered. “P-please don’t hurt me.”
“Stay still and do not scream, and I shall not,” Callum said.
At that moment another centaur appeared. He was young, like this mare, but a little older. He stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing Callum holding his sister hostage.
“Hassan,” he called. “Come here.” The last centaur stallion appeared, much taller than the first, and he held in his hand an unloaded crossbow. His gaze quickly found Callum’s, and they locked eyes.
Callum whistled for the pegasus stallions to come forward. (AHHH OKAY NOW YOU CAN REPLY LOL it took me SO long trying to figure out what to do exactly without making it feel completely random. Like these new characters aren’t random either they hold some significance obvsly. That’s the main reason why I took FOREVERRRR to reply because I was stumped on what to do and I didn’t have any motivation to writeeee 😭😭 BUT HERE IT IS AT LAST)
(MUAHAHAHAAAA)
Bhearit:
“You’re my friend,” he said softly as he looked at her with a smile. His hearts practically gave a flip when she said those words. They were a simple sentence of gratitude, but they were genuine. When he saw her smile, his only broadened more. There was so much more he wanted to say, but he couldn’t find the courage to say them. The right moment would come along.
“Well,” he said, looking down again. “Let’s try our best to get everything inside the tent and stuff before the end of the day.” He began gathering up any article of cloth whether that be sheets or blankets or clothes. He brought brought them in piles in his arms inside the tent, setting them on Kavani’s mat.
“Hey Kollin,” he called. “Why don’t you get things you want to have with you at my place?” Bhearit came out of the tent again, looking around. There was so much all over the place, but at least the larger, bulkier items like the sheets and blankets were set aside. It made things look a little bit better.
He turned to Kavani. “You too. You should get whatever things you want to have with you,” he said, offering a smile. Bhearit studied her face a moment, trying to read her expression. She was tired by the way her shoulders were slightly slumped, however her face didn’t show it much. He swallowed. He hoped things wouldn’t get harder for her. Or Kollin, of course.
(Awww Fawnroot T^T)
Callum:
That was not the smoke belonging to his own fire a few hours before. He had put it out. This only added to the evidence that he was piecing together, affirming his hypothesis more. Will they ever catch a break?
He kept a steady walk toward the tree line, keeping his gaze alert and searching for any more signs of foreign presence. Once about ten feet or so among the trees, he stopped. Callum swiveled his ears, filtering out the soft snorts and occasional flutter of feathers from the steeds behind him. Other than that and the slight breeze that rustled the leaves above, nothing out of the ordinary. Only what seemed to be missing were the birds.
Callum inhaled, silently wishing for a more attuned sense of smell like the creatures he was leading. Then for a moment, the breeze kicked up, carrying a familiar and delicious smell with it. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it was definitely some sort of meat being cooked.
Callum gestured for the others to slowly follow him as he began to move forward silently. He glanced up at the trees, searching for any more signs of that pillar of smoke. Nothing.
He crept to area where he, Fawnroot, and Rimecrest had been earlier that morning. His fire was covered with dirt, and no smoke emitted. One thing that was missing was his meal he had left behind. Along with the stick too, apparently. He held up his hand and bent down, looking closer at the earth.
The dirt was scuffed up, like someone had hastily attempted to cover their tracks before leaving. Callum straightened and gazed in the direction of the creek where Rimecrest had presumably found those drugged berries.
He turned toward the others. “Someone’s been here,” he murmured. “Attempted to cover their hoof prints before running off.” Callum gestured at the scattered earth and clumps of upturned grass. “In that direction-“ he pointed toward the creek- “is where Rimecrest had likely found the berries. And nearby are those accountable for it. (I’ma stop here before I go too long)
(She and Kollin had a snack Bhearit paid for right? Prbly not filling enough tho!)
Bhearit:
“Not too hungry, but I am a little thirsty,” he replied and tucked the first half of the sheet under his chin so that he could fold it. “If you need a place to stay, mine is open.” Bhearit glanced at Kollin and then at Kavani. The mare just looked exhausted, her cheeks and nose still having a shade of pink from crying. Kollin appeared a little better though since he was focused on gather all his things at the moment.
“Well, probably not any more neat at the moment if I’m honest,” Bhearit added with a chuckle and folded the sheet over his arms. He held it for awhile, looking around. He could feel the same sort of pit in his stomach seeing the mess around him as he did whenever he took a step back to see the mess at his own place. Sometimes it was best to focus in on each individual problem and take care of them one at a time rather than taking them in all at once. Otherwise it would always lead to stress and anxiety.
In the back of his mind, Bhearit decided to take care of any and all sheets, then he would join in with anything cloth wise, and so on. Feeling a bit more determined, he placed the folded sheet on the inside of the opened lid of the trunk and then made his way over to blanket to fold it too.
“What do you want to do about food? Do you want to make something real quick while Kollin and I clean up?” Bhearit asked.
Cole:
He whistled slightly through his teeth and grinned at Lakha. “Hurt still?” he teased, taking a couple steps forward. “Maybe not since you’re probably used to getting beat up so much, huh?”
He wasn’t aiming to be in offense; he’d much rather be in defense, but if it was necessary, he would do it. All Cole needed was his opponent to get a little riled up and maybe even make a dumb mistake or two.
“They’re getting bored,” he said with a head gesture toward the audience as though it were Lakha’s fault.
Sultaan:
He glanced at Smurthi and turned to follow her as she made her leave from the smithery. He wished to ask where they were going now, although it was likely back to the office. But he had no desire to write anything like that down. He was to soon find out anyway.
Sultaan couldn’t wait to be done; already he was beginning to miss the sweet presence of Reba.
Oh yeah, character development!! Hehehe)
Tyn Asti:
He gazed at the foreign mare; he noticed the way she tensed, her eyes widening ever so slightly, and her thick accent rising a little in agitation.
“There is, but it is a much more advanced class. Harder,” he explained flatly but patiently. “There are things in the children's class that you must learn before you move on. You would be crushed in the adult class. There might be others your age who will be in the children’s class, who knows? The important thing is learning how to get along well in this new society you’re in. The adults' doesn’t help so much with that. That is, it does, but it only adds to what one has learned in the younger class.”
Tyn tapped a leather-bound folder on his desk and opened it. “Tomorrow morning- oh, I’m sorry. What would you like to do then, Miss Reba?”
Rayfire:
The other troops nodded and a few obediently replied, “Yessir.” Rayfire huffed a breath; he seemed to be the only one particularly upset about being grounded. But, he could adapt. Even if they weren’t flying, he kept his wings open, his feathers unfurled, and he noticed many of the other steeds doing the same.
Rayfire walked a few feet away from Callum, clearly allowing him to take the lead but close enough to remain in earshot. This allowed him to immediately notice Callum’s moment of hesitation and followed the centaur’s gaze. His eyes widened and he snorted as the harsh smell of smoke burned his nostrils. The captain set his jaw and pinned his ears as the other Pegasi troops noticed the smoke, too. Stifled coughs and the sound of ruffling wings echoed from the group, but no one questioned, per their training. Rayfire glanced at Callum before sweeping his gaze back to the herd.
Many steeds were filtering into the meadow, lead by captains or brave under-stallions. It was only a matter of time before the smoke caught the herds attention, but he had faith in Robinfire and the other captains to handle the situation.
Rayfire straightened and stared into the trees. The air grew tense and thick as the group followed their captain towards the ominous smoke pillar.
Fawnroot:
“Be calm, brothers. This is only temporary. Listen to your captains and stay close to the mares.” She spoke softly to a group of nervous stallions who flared their wings in response, then turned and flew towards an elderly mare. “There’s room in the medicine mare den if you need rest.” Turned and flew to a skinny mare with two twin foals hovering over her flank. “There’s calming roots right outside my den should you need it.” Turned and flew to a few straggling newborns and nudged their shoulders towards the center of the meadow, “Come, little ones. Find your dams.” Turned and flew to a large captain who just landed. “Report to Robinfire; he will give you a job to do.”
Fawnroot made her rounds through the herd, making sure every steed knew they were safe and that everything was under control. Even though, secretly, she felt like everything was coming undone at the seams. But, she couldn’t say that. Couldn’t let her herd see that.
She spun in a slow circle, offering reassuring nickers and exchanging breath with any steed who drew close.
How she wished Callum was here; his steadiness always seemed to make everything easier. But, he wasn’t, so she would have to face this alone. Which is fine… she’s faced challenging times alone before, and she can do it again. For her herd. For him.
(HAHAHA in that case, I feel guilty about the absolute novels I make you read and respond to 😭😭)
(But seriously though, UGH BHEARIT! STOPPPP)
Kavani:
Bhearit’s kind voice and charming accent (HA) interrupted her train of thought. She blinked for a moment before looking up at Bhearit, but he was solely concerned about a sheet and kept his eyes down. Kavani sighed, “No, no, I don’t mind. You are welcome to stay. I just…” Don’t want to hurt you? Don’t want to burden you? Don’t want to involve you with my messed up life?
Are all the things she wanted to say. All the things she should admit. But, there was no way she could: she wasn’t that courageous. Kavani swallowed and frowned before turning away and finding one of her jackets on the ground. There was a large tear on the sleeve by the cuff, but she hardly noticed it. “I just don’t want you go hungry. You haven’t eaten any lunch yet.” She replied finally as she draped the jacket over her withers, ignoring the fact that neither her nor Kollin have eaten either. Her mother’s little destruction-of-property escapade interrupted any meal plans they had made.
“If you get hungry, let me know. I’d be happy to make you something; it’s the least I can do for your help.”
Lakha: He held his muscles very tense, straining against the urge to attack Cole while he wiped sweat from his face - but no, he had to let Cole beat him now.
Come on, attack me again, Lakha begged in his head. Defeat me quickly and end this humiliation. He gritted his teeth, looking around the ring to the cheering audience. Would this be the last time he saw an audience cheering?
There was still cricket, though… Russel would keep using him as long as he was on Chandra’s team.
Govind: “That’s good, you should have something to look forward to.” So long as Cole was it good enough shape to take Avery out after this match!
“Honestly, I’m not sure. I broke up with my performance partner a few days ago. I was hoping that Jocelyn would join me, but she can’t either.” He would search for a new partner… until his funds ran out.
Smurthi: She was pleased that Amos was allowing her to shake his hand. She squeezed firmly in her shake. “I look forward to working with you. I’ll make the funds available to you within a few hours. My page here will deliver the first installment.” She nodded towards Sultaan.
On one hand, it was strange to give such a large amount to a new servant to transport, but she could sense that he was honest in that he had done all the other tasks effectively. It was safer to send him to. He didn’t have a reputation as her page yet, so no one would expect someone as poor and shabbily dressed as he to be carrying so much money.
(TBC)
Romie:
His sister's words did make him feel safer, but what he saw in her eyes scared him. She looked so very determined to make wrongs right that he doubted she would back down any time soon. What he worried was that she might focus too much on this one resolve and forget about her own well-being.
"Thank you, Carmela." He took his sister's fist in his hands and gently uncurled her fingers. "I will help you." Together, he knew, they would be strongest.
Govind: Once Avery had made her way over, he asked her, “Is Cole doing alright?” He was still moving powerfully as he had in the beginning of the match, but he was taking a lot of hits harder than before.
Hold out, big man, he wished he could tell him. But Cole would have to be an idiot not to see how badly Avery needed him to come out of this in one piece.
Smurthi: She saw that Amos was taking his time, so she followed suit. After considering for a moment, though she already knew what she wanted to say, she explained, “It’s not a matter of when you pay me back, but how. You will pay me back with 25% interest. Since we don’t know how long the conflict will last, I’ll forgo the usual monthly payment schedule and allow you to pay me what you can each month. You’ll have flexibility to pay at your own pace, so long as you don’t take more than two years after the conflict has ended.”
Carmela: She sighed and leaned over to give Romie a big hug. At least he still appreciated her touch and could still manage to let her arms wrap around him…
“I could remind you of all the guards that surround Irichad and keep us safe,” she said. “But I know it isn’t lions and bears you are afraid of.”
She squeezed her hands into fists. “Soon enough I’ll make sure you have nothing to be afraid of.”
Resolve hardened in her heart. The chiefs had failed Romie and they had failed Irichad. They promised security but in the end had left their own to die. It was time for them to go.
Callum:
It’s not. It’s never okay to do a thing like that, he thought as Fawnroot nudged him toward the others. Without looking at her, he gently touched her muzzle before leaving Fawnroot’s side.
“It’s about time,” Robinfire said and splayed his wings. He didn’t seem on edge, but he was certainly growing impatient from what Callum could tell.
“Right,” the centaur muttered, turning toward the crowd of pegasi who stood awaiting orders. They were not his to govern, so he waited for one of the pegasus captains made their commands. If only Fawnroot had not told him about Rayfire, now everything was going to be a bit harder for Callum. No. If only he had not questioned her further. It was not her fault.
(KAVANI YOU BIG OL SOFTY WEEE)
Bhearit:
He met Kavani’s gaze, and her smile set his heart racing all over again as though it hadn’t been already. His lips quivered as he tried to form words to express how he felt, but he simply could not.
Bhearit wanted to hold her gaze longer, to study her face and her beautiful eyes, but he couldn’t. He had practically used up his confidence, and now he had returned to the hesitant, cautious Bhearit that he was.
“I’m, uh, glad it worked,” he managed to whisper. “I do mean it, truly.” He looked down again as a thousand thoughts flashed through his mind. My, you’ve certainly tripped all over yourself, huh, you clumsy fool? I’m mad to think it’ll work. I should tell her. No! Absolutely not. She is holding my hand, not just me holding hers. You’re practically head over hooves- I am so tired.
Bhearit’s forehead brushed up against Kavani’s neck and gave a long, quiet sigh. He stayed there for a moment.
“I- um…” he looked up again at Kavani. He swallowed. “Let me know how I can help in other ways, yeah?” His gaze drifted over her face, from the way her parted bangs flowed over her forehead, to her lightly freckled, tan cheeks, to her still glistening green eyes. Bhearit suddenly become hyper-aware of his own characteristics. His face reddened.
(It prbly hurt like heck tho for Cole)
Cole:
Air shot out of his lungs and a sharp grunt escaped his mouth. Gritting his teeth, Cole immediately struck Lakha in the ribs with two good strong blows. For some reason, his opponent’s choice to punch him in the stomach made him suddenly angry. Why? He had no idea, but it did.
Cole growled and began to circle Lakha with raised fists, ignoring the urge to wipe away his hair that stuck to his sweaty forehead.
(I figured as much considering all the red markings Reba saw on her paper)
Tyn Asti:
He raised his eyebrows. “What on earth are you doing all the way over here?” He muttered and shook his head before returning back to the papers.
“Unfortunately you did not do well in the exams, I’m afraid,” Tyn said aloud and looked at the mare. “I’m going to have to put you with the children so that you can start fresh. Is that alright?” He wasn’t sure how big the language barrier was for Rebecca, so he watched her face to see whether she understood what he said completely.
Fawnroot:
“It’s okay, Callum.” She saw the way his eyes hardened and his jaw clenched when he looked at Rayfire. His body trembled in barely contained anger. She hadn’t seen him this way, this vengeful, in a very long time. And even then, this seemed different. More personal. (HEHEHEHEHEHE) His frustration was palpable and it was directed at her own sire... If she could even call him that.
Still, Callum was upset. She frowned and swallowed; this was exactly why she had hesitated to tell him. He had enough going on as it is, he didn’t need another thing to worry about. Another thing added to the list of complications and problems.
“Hey,” She nuzzled his jaw, pulling his eyes back to her, “It was a long time ago. You don’t have to worry yourself about it. It’s fine. I’m fine. You don’t owe me anything.”
She glanced at the stallions who whinnied for Callum impatiently. “Go take care of monkey-business. Before their little pegasi heads explode.” She smiled at him endearingly, blushing slightly, and nudged his human shoulder. “Go.”
(AAAAAAAAA BHEARIT OH MY LORD “He hoped she didn’t notice as he ever so slightly smoothed his thumb over her knuckles.
“Has anyone ever told you that your eyes are- um- very beaut- quite frankly a very nice green?” BYEEEE SEE YOU IN HEAVEN)
Kavani:
She listened to him speak, to his stuttering breaths, and the way his voice quivered.
My eyes? She thought with a start and furrowed her brow. Heat traveled up her neck, and this time, there was no stopping it. Soon enough, her entire face burned as she realized what he meant. He thinks my eyes are...
Then, for the first time since her mother had gone home and left Kavani to her sorrow and torment, she lifted her head and looked right at Bhearit. She stared at him with a slightly confused gleam and cloudy haze. As if she was waiting for him to take back his words. As if no one had ever said anything like that to her before. Well... because no one ever had.
Certain that her cheeks were betraying her, she looked down at their entwined fingers and saw that Bhearit's hands were trembling. She hadn't even noticed over her own racing heart and flustered thoughts. Her expression softened and her brows twitched upward.
Kavani looked back up at Bhearit, and as soon as she found his gaze, she pressed her palms further into his and squeezed his hands tighter. A small smile cracked across her face. It didn't quite reach her eyes, but the feelings were real. "Well.." Her voice was raspy and pitchy, but Bhearit didn't seem to mind, "If-If your plan was to help me feel better, it worked."
She took one hand and placed it on top of Kollin's head, smoothing his ruffled hair. Her brother managed a small smile too, but wasn't able to stop hugging her quite yet.