wow this rp is really keeping this a live

also hello!

Romie:

He watched the back-and-forth between Chief Seamus and his sister with apprehension. Their strong, pointed words almost seemed to pierce through the air. A part of him wanted to cower away and continue to let Carmela speak for him. After all, he had never wanted to be in the spotlight. What he had learned from living in the wilderness was this: being silent was key to survival.

But how could he keep silent when the Chief's words were so full of venom, even if they were spoken with a calm voice?

He hadn't said a word until now. "Carmela is right," he said quietly. "We really shouldn't be celebrating." His voice suddenly grew emotional. "We should be having a funeral for Lanseril."

He met the Chief's eyes. "Kilroy and I found his hidden grave in the forest. It's because of those winged monsters that Lanseril died. But you hid the injustice that occured. You gave Lanseril's family no body to mourn. When Lanseril returned, you hid him, but when I return, you want to celebrate?" He shook his head. "I don't understand. You say that the herd's injustice to Irichad will not be tolerated, but you're tolerating it."

Lakha: “This isn’t a boxing match, idiot,” he hissed as the air rushed out of his abdomen with Cole’s blow. He grabbed a fist full of Cole’s long fluffy hair and yanked his head down, at the same time bringing up his own leg to smash Cole’s face against.

  He heard the cheers of the bar, and allowed himself to hope that finally he would remind them of what a beast he really was.

(Not sure if Cole will bring himself to fight dirty, but if so, we can introduce a Lakha fan into to the mix.)

Seamus:

He looked down his nose at Carmela as she pawed the ground and yelled in his face. The mare was not a threat, and he was more than capable of handling her himself. He allowed the girl to speak and say her piece without interruption, and he listened with an expressionless gaze. Carmela’s attitude reminded him of his youngest daughter throwing a tantrum when she wasn’t allowed to eat any more sweets.

  “I am not dismissing you or your words, Carmela. I am simply relieved that your brother has returned home, and his arrival deserves to be celebrated. Don’t you think? Or are you too caught up with blaming me and complaining to care?”

    With one swift movement, Seamus ripped off his bear skin cloak to reveal his tunic and his stump of an arm, cut off just below his shoulder. He stepped up close to Carmela, narrowing his eyes, “Take a good look, in case you need a reminder of what your ‘coward’ Chief has done for you. When I was around your age, I lead a revolution to restore our society and keep our way of life from being eradicated. I earned this by defending Irichad from a tyrant; my own uncle. I fought for my people, and therefore, for you. And I’d do it all over again if I had to.” His eyes smoldered with intensity, but he stepped back once he felt that his point had been properly made. He retrieved his discarded cloak and shrugged it on before single-handedly latching it in place.

Seamus’s voice softened, “I will always stand for Irichad, and that will never change. However, I have no wish to start a war with a foreign herd,” he stared pointedly at Carmela, “so we must be wise about how we proceed. If you pre-maturely charge in with no plan and an army in tow, you will bring war upon your homeland. The Chieftess and I will personally overlook negotiations to peacefully ensure the safe return of the rest of the group. Believe me, this herd’s injustice to Irichad will not be tolerated. And neither will your claims of my inaction or threats to my title.”

(Sorry this is a little lengthy XDD)

Carmela: She looked back and forth between Seamus and Romie, the well of rage inside of her burning out of her eyes. “How dare you…” she said, her voice a chocked whisper. She took Romie’s hand and stepped forward, willing her voice to strengthen. “How dare you dismiss what I am saying! There are 5 Irichad centaurs being held hostage by Pegasi and you want to celebrate? Bread and circuses, is it?”

  She pawed the ground, not caring if the aggressive sound alarmed the guards. She was unarmed and she was a young centauress, she doubted they would do anything to her. “Since you are too cowardly to rescue your own citizens, I will! Romie and I will tell them the truth about everything. We Irich don’t need a chief. We have enough courage to defend ourselves. Without you.”

@Ashsong

(These are my scenarios of what could happen between Cole and Lakha. Are there any that sound right to you?

-Lakha is able to beat Cole, which finally gives him the courage he needs to face Russel once and for all and rescue the sacred monkeys.

-Cole beats Lakha, which causes our troubled athlete to break down and beg for forgiveness from the bar for what he has done. Depending on how Cole and Avery respond, the bar may or may not turn on Lakha for losing the sacred monkeys.

-The fight ends with some kind of forced separation or when Lakha and Cole are both no longer able to fight. Lakha confesses what happened to Chandra.

-Lakha wins, but is too injured to go after Russel. He tries to patch things over with Cole and tell him the truth.

-Cole is able to restrain Lakha, and Lakha confesses what happened and asks for help in rescuing the sacred monkeys.

(I think the last time we spoke of this, Fawn was gonna join Callum by the siblings? Or bring some food or something like that, right? I can’t remember and I can’t find the comment… I’ll just write it out and I’ll change it if need be XDD)

Fawnroot:

She sighed lowly as Rimecrest settled into the moss. He was still exhausted and the drowsy side-effects still hadn’t worn off, which worried her. She still had very little idea what Rimecrest had eaten, or how much of it. A part of her was tempted to try and keep him awake, but she doubted it would do any good.

  Fawnroot watched the young stallion for a long moment before nodding, “Alright, but take a drink first.” Dipping one wing into a water hole, she offered it to him.

“Roll over onto your other side,” she said softly once he had drank his fill. Fawnroot gently nudged the colt onto his back, before guiding him back down onto the moss so he lay on the opposite side. “There. That should feel better.” She spoke, even though he was half-asleep and not really listening, “Call me if you need anything.”

  The mare nuzzled his ears and made sure he was comfortable before stepping back. (Knowing he passes away during the war makes this so hard to write 🥺 the babiesss)

Once he was asleep, she walked to the edge of her den and peered out. The herd was quiet as the moon rose in the sky. The medicine-mare suddenly realized that Callum must be starving. His meal of rabbit had been interrupted, so he hasn’t eaten much in hours. And who knows when the last time the three centaur siblings had eaten?

Quickly, she started gathering up food she’d stored in her den. Things like nuts, mushrooms, edible roots and leaves, and even sugarcane. The weather was getting too cold for fruit, and she didn’t want to risk foraging for berries since that’s what made Rimecrest sick. However, she was able to find some of the last apples, peaches, and oranges in her den. It wasn’t a lot, but it was something.

    She scooped the food into her wings and slowly trotted to their location; tucked into the forest for cover. As she got closer, she snorted to the Pegasi guards to announce her presence. One of them stopped her, but once she explained what she was doing, he begrudgingly let her pass.

   Fawnroot nickered a soft greeting to Hassan -careful not to wake his siblings- then found Callum’s gaze in the dark. “I-um-I brought some food. I thought you might be hungry.”

Avery: (I’ll let Aspi reply with Lakha before I do too much with Avery)

She shrieked as Cole and Lakha tumbled outside. “Lakha, no! Leave him alone!” Avery ran out the door and watched the two stallions tousle on the ground; kicking up dust and creating ditches and ruts in the grass from their hooves scrambling for purchase. She wanted to help, but what could she do?

   “Stop this!” She pranced nervously side to side when a large hoof sailed past her waist, and she quickly stepped back to put distance between her and the dueling stallions. She felt useless and frightened just standing and watching, but she wouldn’t dare try to get between them.

   Her head snapped towards the tavern, looking for someone to step forward and break up the fight. But, everyone in the tavern seemed entertained, and she even heard cheers of support and encouragement from a couple centaurs.

Kavani:

She listened to Bhearit without saying anything, and watched him shift awkwardly once he’d finished. He avoided her gaze almost entirely. Why was he apologizing? Did Bhearit think she was upset with him? Did he blame himself for all this?

“…I think it would be good that you have less unstable people in your life.” That did it.

  Kavani crossed her arms over her chest and slowly blinked at Bhearit. He seemed like he sincerely believed what he said was true. “Uh-huh. I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that.” When he looked at her, she raised a brow at him and pressed her lips into a thin line. “None of that made any sense. Bhearit, none of this is your fault and you have nothing to apologize for. I’m not upset with you, and I don’t mind if your brother stays over.”

   She tilted her head to the side and studied his face carefully. He looked tired, but there was something gleaming in his eyes that sent her hearts racing. She took a step closer, lowered her voice, and talked slowly to add more emphasis to her next words, “And worst of all, it pains me that you think I don’t rely on you.” She paused, swallowed, then her words started pouring out. “Bhearit, I do rely on you. Kollin does, too. You have been nothing but kind and supportive. If anyone is unstable, it’s me and my chaotic mother. My life is the definition of unsteady and hectic, but you make it seem… less so.”

  “You’ve suffered a great loss recently, so your life and relationship with your brother might be messy right now. But, that doesn’t make you a burden, or unstable. I’m…I’m here for you. Just as you were here for me.”

   Kavani felt her cheeks grow warm as she realized what she had said. It was deathly silent as the reality and weight of her words settled between them.

(BRB gonna go cry now😭😭)

Seamus:

      Seamus couldn’t take his eyes off the boy that stood before him, with a defiant stance as if Seamus was the one to blame for all this. “This is impossible. The search parties never found anything. The tracks led to cold, dead ends: they perished in an avalanche or rock slide or frostbite. And yet… here he stands.” All these thoughts rattled around in his brain as he stared face to face with a ghost of his past. Carmela was speaking, and by her tone of voice, she was upset and angry at the Chief. He swiveled an ear towards her, but didn’t look away from Romie. Her words carried around the room and each of her complaints about his leadership was a slap to the face. By the time she had finished berating him, she was almost yelling.

   Not allowing himself to feel insulted, he blinked and inhaled deeply to compose himself before finally looking at Carmela. He kept his voice calm, yet stern, “Carmela, you will not speak to me like this. I understand that you’re upset, but blaming me is not the way.” He rolled his shoulders before looking back at Romie. The boy stared up at him with a world of emotion in his eyes, and the Chief felt sorry for him, but he would not be blamed for something he had no knowledge of.

     “I sent out many search parties, but they all came back empty handed with no clues or signs about the exploration group. Due to that, we assumed you all perished due to natural causes… Carmela knows this. However, I see that this was not the case. Hear me when I say; we had no idea you and the others were alive, or else we would’ve brought you home sooner.” Seamus circled Romie, looking him over and inspecting him. The boy was extremely skinny and underweight, his coat dull and patchy, and his hooves cracked and bruised. “You obviously have been through much, and I apologize for it. Take all the time you need to rest and heal. And let me be one of the first to welcome you home, Romie.” The name felt heavy and strange on his tongue. As he passed by, he briefly laid his hand on Romie’s shoulder and offered a small smile. “The solstice is a few days away, and we will celebrate your return.”

The Chief raised his head up higher as the warning from that Jonirestown boy, Kilroy, came to his mind. He definitely needs to be careful about how he should proceed with this northern Pegasi herd.

(I’ll leave it here to allow Aspi and Morningmist to reply before this gets too long!!)

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.

(Here’s the comment n response to Fawnroot @Riverbreeze)

Rimecrest:

   He had his head lifted up slightly, his nostrils flaring as he tried to take in his surroundings. “Mama?” he mumbled. He could hear the sound of rustling feathers outside the cave. He pushed himself off the ground with his wings. “Ma?”

  The young stallion swayed as the world began to spin around him, and so he plopped down on his haunches. Drowsiness still fogged up his mind, but his memory was coming back to him. Rimecrest wasn’t in Mountain Herd. Right. He was in Sun Herd. But why was he so sleepy?

   With a groan he sank down on his side again. No one was up and about anyway, so he wasn’t missing anything. Where was Fawnroot, though? She would come in time.

Reba: “I… I am actually thinking… of how to name the baby after it is born,” she said, quietly. It didn’t involve any of the rigors of building a cradle or buying bottles or sewing baby blankets, but thinking of a name for the baby seemed like the hardest task of all. “I could give it an Anok name, so the child can… can be like other kids… Or I could call it like someone who died… I could even use a name from its father’s tribe.” She rubbed her belly, closing her eyes for a second.

  “In my culture, the custom is for the mother’s father to name the baby. But since he is gone, I need your help.”

(In the closing post, I used the name Ravima, which is Reba’s uncle’s name. Reba is open to choosing a different name, however. That name is just one option. Since they don’t know if the baby is a girl or a boy yet, that makes a little bit of an obstacle, but I’ll just go ahead and let you know she is a girl!)

Sultaan:

   He nodded quietly, watching Reba eat. “Well, winter is coming soon here, and when it does, it will certainly do a lot more than just rain,” he signed. “I don’t know what your plans are for yourself and the little one when they arrive, but just know that I will make sure to fulfill both your needs, whatever they may be.” He reached forward and lightly touched her hand that rested beside her plate.

Cole:

   His grip around Avery’s waist tightened when he saw Lakha pushing through the crowd in their direction. He was already tired from the day, and the last thing he needed was Lakha to ruin it. That was his last thought before his opponent started spitting insults toward him. But he cared less about the ones directed at himself compared to the words about Avery.

    Cole straightened to his full height, stepping in front of his girlfriend until he was nearly chest to chest with Lakha. “Why don’t you take a step outside, Lakha?” he said through a stiffened jaw. He then took a fistful of his opponent’s shirt and forcefully directed him out of the tavern, finishing with a shove out the swinging doors. By then, Cole had left Avery’s side.

   “You really think this is going to make your reputation better, Lakha? This is an embarrassment to yourself and your coach and anyone who had been rooting for you,” he remarked as he stood in the doorway. His withers twitched, his muscles tensing in readiness.

Bhearit:

   Despite having just finished his rant, something kept his hooves rooted to the earth. Something in him refused to simply let him leave, and it weighed heavily on his heart.

   Bhearit stared at the ground. The light barely reached out across Ashtohn’s hooves, illuminating his white socks less than halfway up his forelegs.

    A biting breeze caused goosebumps to skitter up his skin along his arms and throughout the rest of his body. Bhearit knew Ashtohn felt it too.

   “I’m sorry,” Bhearit mumbled, ranking lightly at the earth with one of his hooves. It helped loosen the anchorage in them, and his words seemed to do the same for his heart.

   “You can come inside… if you want. There’s no room to sleep, though,” Bhearit added. Ashtohn remained quiet, but the heavy air between them seemed to lift slightly.

   Bhearit moved back toward the door almost cautiously, opening it. He went in, keeping the door opened enough to allow his stepbrother to enter. Bhearit looked up to see Kavani standing nearby. She definitely heard his rather passionate speech to his brother, he was sure. His cheeks and nose were red from the cold and probably from emotion too.

   “I, um… yeah,” Bhearit said quietly and walked over to the blanket in the corner of the room. He bent down and smoothed it out briefly before turning around to face his guests. Ashtohn stood near the door with his arms crossed.

   “Never had so many guests here before… ever,” Bhearit said, giving a quick, awkward smile.

   He stood there for an extra few moments before making his way to the door. “I’m going to get some more firewood.”

Carmela: She lifted her head so that her round brown eyes met Seamus’s. He looked stupefied to her. Maybe some part of her had expected that when Seamus saw Romie he would have some kind of an answer, but he clearly didn’t.

  “You see him, Chief Seamus,” she said, the words tasting sweeter than the honey of a thousand flowers. “Romie is alive. You gave up on him. You tried to make me give up on him. You made my parents give up on him. You forced this whole town to give up on him.” Her voice grew louder and more emphatic as she spoke. “Now, here he is. He came back completely alone. Irichad wasn’t there for him and his companions are still gone.”

  She felt her arms tremble with rage at her sides and a great serpent rise up inside her. “Chief Seamus, you must bring them home or you lose the right to be our leader.”

  This was it. The moment she had waited for years to come, and yet she felt only anxiety inside. She looked over to Romie. Would he understand why she was doing this? So much had happened to him and she was trying to change the home he had used to know as he was only just returning to it.

(This is the goal of Carmela’s character arc, as you can see! I have scenarios in mind for whether or not she is successful in inciting Irichad against Seamus, so we can decide that together or even work out something else.)

(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.”

I LIVE!!)

(Nehhh we can just pretend that it happened ;)

Also thank you for reminding me River I completely forgot about that. She’s prbly staying somewhere else rn idk XD)

Eira:

   Her movements were brisk and direct as she made her way toward the jail where her cousin was held. She would not have to deal with this if she had just been left at home. But no, Keanar must take her everywhere with him!

   Eira was now determined to stay no longer. Keanar could take care of himself, which went alike for his friends. These were along the line of her thoughts as the mare made her way to the jail. She brushed her hair back and tied it up out of her face as she passed a cart seller who was hollering something indecipherable.

   At last Eira arrived at the building which held her cousin. There were many things she had in mind to say to Keanar, several of which would likely be better kept to herself.

Sultaan:

   He was mid chew when Reba asked him the question. It must have been in context to her, because it was very out of the blue for him.

   Sultaan swallowed. “Once a coworker of mine shared some with me,” he signed. “They were very salty.”

(If heterochrome isn’t a word, it should be!!)

Leila:

   At first, when the stallion Rayfire had been telling his steeds what to do and where she and her siblings would go, Leila’s chest had begun to clench with anxiety. It was only because of the way that stallion had commanded everything that made it alarming even though she knew that she and her siblings were just going to a different area for the night. But then the medicine mare came up to Leila and her brothers to exchange a few comforting words. Leila’s shoulders relaxed a little in response, and she even returned a small smile to show her gratitude. Fiell and Hassan even seemed to lighten slightly too, Fiell more visibly so.

   Leila then sidled closer to her eldest brother as she readied for the moment when they would be escorted to the place to sleep for the night.

Callum:

   He watched Fawnroot briefly whisper a few words to the three siblings before they left—words which he would guess were comforting based off the young centaurs’ response. He smiled quietly when he met eyes with Fawnroot as she turned back to him. Her own smile warmed his hearts as always.

   He then glanced at the three siblings surrounded by Rayfire’s steeds. Leila pressed close to Hassan’s body, but not enough to touch his injured arm. Fiell also kept near, his shoulders slouching a little as he began to move forward with the others.

   Callum blinked. Sleep was beginning to press heavily at the back of his eyes, making it hard to keep them open. Callum knew it was the same for Fawn, even without looking at her. Her soft, cream feathers brushed up against him as though she were longing to lean up against him but knew she couldn’t at the moment. Callum certainly longed for it. Just a little while more until he could.

    “Right,” he murmured more quietly than he had intended. He swallowed. “It would be good that we get our rest sooner rather than later so we can be sane in the morning.” Callum realized that his words weren’t really necessary to say at all; he wasn’t even sure why he had said them. He almost felt as though his words came out a little impatient too. Hopefully it didn’t seem that way to the others.

   Callum glanced at Rayfire. He knew what to ask but didn’t want to ask it. These captives in Sun Herd were the ones Callum had found. Not only that, they were his own race. Callum knew his part in all this and the duty that he had with it. In a way, he felt responsible for all of it.

   But he was tired. He was tired and he felt selfish. Callum didn’t want to ask—

   “Would it be best if I stayed with the three tonight?” he said at last, looking at Rayfire.

(YEASSSSS AVERYYYYYY)

Cole:

   He grunted softly in surprise, but didn’t move away. His hearts immediately sprung into a rabid hammering in his chest, and he could feel heat rise to his cheeks. Behind all his flustered astonishment was a fleeting feeling of pride for Avery’s sake.

   Once Cole had gathered enough of his senses, he drew her close in a tighter embrace, allowing his right hand to travel up her back and rest at the nape of her neck. There Cole lightly smoothed his fingers through her hair as he tilted his head to the side a little to deepen the kiss more. He longed to stay this way forever.

   Cole inhaled quietly through his nose and departed his lips from hers gently, but just barely. It was hardly an inch. He then rested his forehead against Avery’s. Cole had the urge to say something witty or funny, but he remained silent, deciding to let them both relish the moment without any words.

    He wrapped his arms fully around her so that her head was nestled against his shoulder. There were a lot of things he wanted to say, but he simply lowered his face so that he was nearly pressed up against her neck. Cole inhaled deeply, tightening his embrace.

   “You smell good,” he murmured, his voice very muffled against her skin.

It’s okay!!)

Bhearit:

   He looked at Kavani as she spoke. A curious feeling came over him as he watched her. Yet again, it was that warmth rising in his heart. Kavani’s green eyes seemed to sparkle as she fondly spoke of her brother.

   Bhearit suddenly realized that he was smiling too. Such little snippets of the siblings’ pasts only made him feel closer to them. It was nice. Plus, Kollin seemed to be very creative if not smart as well. He could take seemingly insignificant and unconnected things and make something wonderful out of them. (😉)

    Bhearit looked at the stove when Kavani made the comment about the fire growing. “No, I don’t think so. I just need to heat the water and let the tea sit,” he replied after her question.

   He walked over to the stove again and set the kettle on top. It would take awhile for the water to be warm enough. Bhearit grabbed another log and tossed it into the stove before shutting the door finally.

   He then turned back to Kavani, looking at her rather expectantly for a moment as though she was going to tell more about Kollin.

    “Ah,” he said suddenly, his brows raising slightly. “Are you hungry?” Bhearit asked. He walked over to a cupboard and opened it to get out bread wrapped in cloth. He placed it on the counter. “It’s, uh, raisin bread. It’s great with tea.”

Kilroy: After Romie and Carmela left, he studied his dictionary for a while and then decided to take a walk around town. Maybe he could get a better idea of the language here by people-watching.

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!

(If I remember correctly, I think Ben closed the Tavern after Colchi passed away so he could emotionally recover, and clean his room. I’m sure he’d let her stay as a guest, but I don’t think the Tavern is open to the public/customers)

(Haha!! I had a blast writing that part! And it totally makes sense for centaurs to have heightened senses compared to humans!! XDD I love that detail!)

Fawnroot:

    She quietly sighed in relief and shifted her weight on her front hooves, secretly glad that Callum had taken the initiative to dismiss everyone as it was getting late. Her first priority was to check on Rimecrest, then to make sure the rest of her patients, and the herd for that matter, were settled and comfortable for the night. Hopefully, after all that, she’d finally be able to speak with Callum alone. Fawnroot desperately wanted to talk to him, to hear his thoughts about the day. Some how she knew that he wanted that, too.

     “Right.” Her father’s voice spoke up, forcing her from her thoughts and reminding her that the day wasn’t done yet. Rayfire turned to face his battalion of steeds. “We’ll keep the three foreigners on the edge of the meadow, and use the east side of the medicine mare den for cover. You four are first watch,” He pointed to a different group, “Second. And I’ll take the third and last watch with Shadowtail and Dewglen. The rest of you; find your families and get some sleep. I expect to see everyone back in position by sunrise. Understood?”

   Affirmative snorts answered him almost in perfect unison.

“Good. Let’s head back to the herd.”

The four stallions Rayfire had put on first watch separated from the rest of the squad and flew over to the siblings. Two landed behind them, one hovered over their heads, and the biggest stallion of the four took the lead.

   Fawnroot swiveled her attention back to the three centaurs and whinnied to the escort, “Wait! Before you go-“ She trotted towards them and lowered her head so she spoke mainly with Fiell and Leila, but her voice was loud enough so Hassan could hear as well, “Get some good rest, okay? Don’t cause any trouble. You’ll be guarded near my den, so if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. If not, see you in the morning.” She finished with a warm, kind smile, before backing away again and allowing Rayfire’s steeds to guide the centaurs back to the herd.

Fawnroot stepped close to Callum. She smiled at him as his brown and gold heterochrome eyes shined through the dim, blue aura of late evening.

(idk if heterochrome is a word… I don’t think it is but it sounded cool and the perfect way to describe Callum’s eyes, so we’re going with it XDDD)

Avery:

  She faintly remembered dropping her tunic to the floor, but she wasn’t thinking clearly as Cole wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Avery opened her mouth to respond, but Cole stooped lower and she forgot everything, except him and how close he was. “Are you trying to get away so soon?” At that moment, Avery was thankful for his strong arms holding her to him, because without them, she would’ve sank to the floor in a big, red mushy puddle.

   How dare Cole be so dang good at nonchalantly flirting! It was going to be the death of her; she was certain of it.

   Avery smiled shyly and glanced down at his lips that were inches away from her. Cole was so unbelievably close with that adorably stupid and flirtatiously smug look on his face. Seconds felt like hours, but then, he straightened and pulled away, leaving her face flushed and her head reeling.

Now that was just mean. This big, annoyingly handsome jerk! Even as Cole spoke of leaving, he didn’t let go and his hands stayed glued around her.

    How could she even think about leaving? It wasn’t fair! If anything, the last thought on Avery’s mind was leaving, and the thought of stepping out of his embrace was inconceivable.

   She placed one hand on top of his wrist at her waist, then reached up with the other to touch his face and cup his cheek. Avery smoothed her thumb under his eye and gently brushed over a bruise he’d earned during the fight. “You love to tease me, don’t you?” She said softly, nearly a whisper as she studied his face. Avery took a step closer so their horse chests nearly touched. She moved her hand away from his cheek, tenderly traced down his neck, before settling on his chest.

   “Well… I guess we’ll be late.” Before she could talk herself out of it, and before her hearts could explode, she grabbed a fistful of his shirt and carefully pulled him lower. Avery lifted her head and exhaled deeply, her eyes fluttered shut at the same moment that her lips gently planted against his.

(TEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! -currently screamingggggg-)

Kavani:

   She chuckled softly, “He’s something, isn’t he?” Unbeknownst to her, a small, tender smile softened her facial features, and her eyes beamed with unspoken affection as she watched her brother play.

   “Ever since we were little, he’s found odd ways of entertaining himself. Once, when we were still living with our mother, he made up an entire game out of marbles, a towel, and a spoon. I don’t remember how to play it, or what the rules were, but I do remember how much fun it was. We played it together for hours.” Kavani chuckled again, then cleared her throat softly. She wasn’t sure why she’d just told Bhearit all that, especially since it didn’t really relate to anything. She just started talking and couldn’t stop, which was definitely unlike her.

   Kavani rubbed her eyes with one hand, “That was dumb, Kavani,” she thought to herself bitterly. She exhaled fiercely and glanced at the stove behind Bhearit. He had gotten a fire going in the furnace, and by now the kindling was burning and producing a good amount of heat that she could feel from where she stood.

    She pointed at the stove, “Fire’s growing.” She said simply, then bit the inside of her cheek before adding, “Need any help?”

(WAAAAAA I’m sorry this is much shorter than Bhearit’s!)

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.

Keanar:

   He grunted softly, giving a small nod. He was practically holding his breath from this dim, dank cell he was held in. Disgusting. He couldn’t wait to get out.

(Is Eira is at the Tavern rn I can’t remember?)

Sultaan:

   He brushed breadcrumbs off his hands. “The boys will likely be a bit rowdy, while the girls shy or curious,” he signed. “Depending on what age group you are put in.”

   He didn’t sign for a bit as he placed the cheese, bread, and apple slices onto a platter. The mute centaur then placed it onto the table along with with two other plates for each of them before turning back to Reba.

   “But each child is different, some likable and unlikable. You can’t really know until you’ve spent enough time getting to know them,” he added finally.

   Sultaan gestured for Reba to come over to the table.

(Oh yeah pegasi def have good night vision for sure!! I’m certain centaurs do too, but def not as good as pegasi. Compared to humans, centaurs have better senses I imagine :3 also the way Fawnroot had to quietly but sternly tell the other pegasi to chill out was so funny 😭😭 I could imagine it clear as day)

Callum:

   He watched Hassan rather ungracefully slide his arm back into the makeshift sling of his. Callum then looked back down at Fawnroot as she approached his side again.

   The light was fading now, casting everyone in a dim shade of blue as the stars began to become more visible in the darkening sky. Callum exhaled through his nose. Everybody else seemed to notice the oncoming night as well by the way how no one spoke for a few moments.

   Callum finally broke the silence by clearing his throat. “Well, we can continue our business in the morning. I’m sure everyone is tired from the excitement of the day,” he said, forcing himself to straighten up more.

    “It’ll probably be a good plan to get these three situated in a safely guarded environment for the night,” Callum added and gave a nod toward the siblings.

    Leila leaned slightly into Hassan, resting her head carefully against him since she was on the side of him where his injured arm was.

    Fiell inhaled softly, looking down.

    Callum felt a small pang of guilt, once again being reminded of the fact that these three were still children. At least, Fiell and Leila were. Hassan didn’t seem much more of an adult in any case. They all would likely cooperate better once having a good night’s sleep.

   Callum glanced down at Fawnroot. He could see the way her wings sagged slightly, indicating how tired she was. But also how resilient she was as well since it was only just barely so. He wasn’t going to rest until she was, that was certain.

Cole:

   He chuckled as he watched Avery stumble over her words. Once again, her cheeks were back to that bright shade of red.

   “There, you almost got it. Silly,” Cole teased and shook his head, amused by her attempt to flirt back. It worked, but it didn’t leave him flustered like he left her. In fact, the way she was acting only made it harder for him not to squeeze her.

  How he wished there wasn’t a party that night!

  Cole looked down at Avery, unable to wipe a big smile off his face. “But I’m glad it’s fine by you because I’d probably do it whether you liked it or not,” he said and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him.

   Cole then leaned down close to her face, his eyes half-lidded as he looked into hers. “Are you trying to get away so soon?” he murmured, tilting his head slightly to the side. He remained there for a bit with a small, flirtatiously smug smile on his face.

    “But yeah, you’re right,” Cole said finally and straightened. “We should get going or else we’ll be late.” He didn’t let go of her waist, however, as though he was waiting for her cue.

(No no it’s therapeutic Kavani 👀👀)

Bhearit:

  Bhearit didn’t respond to Kavani’s answer to his question about how much kindling he had. His mind had wandered again, but this time it was on a more puzzling path.

   Better me than you. What did that mean? Was she saying she had higher pain-tolerance than he? Well, that would more than likely be true. But the context to say it didn’t make sense. It almost seemed like she was saying that she deserved her wound, but that didn’t make much sense either.

   Bhearit cupped his hands over the small flame that had finally began to catch on the kindling and softly blew on it, encouraging a larger one.

   Could it be that Kavani had meant that she would rather that she be the one with an injured arm than him because she cared—?

   “Bhearit come look at this.” Bhearit’s ears perked up at the sound of his name, and he promptly turned around to look at Kavani who was standing a bit away from him. Bhearit suddenly felt strange at how quickly he had responded to his name. Perhaps it was the way Kavani had said it so quietly—softly. It had sent a a warm spark through him, causing his attention to snap to her.

   Bhearit blinked in puzzlement and got up. He quietly made his way over to Kavani.

   “What?” he asked and then followed her gaze to Kollin. Bhearit gave a soft huff of surprise. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed the colt before.

   “Didn’t know we had such a talented centaur among us,” he said with a quiet chuckle. Kollin’s stuffed bear was balanced rather precariously atop his four hooves. It was a wonder at how well the colt kept balance on his back without rolling over.

(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.

Fig: “Sure. She can give you a better dressing down than me,” he said. He turned to leave.

Reba: “I can visit her before school tomorrow. Or after,” she said.

She smiled to herself a little bit. “What do you think the students will be like?” It was so strange to think that they were closer to her unborn child’s age than her own… it would be a learning experience in more ways than one.

It was unfortunate that Sultaan hadn’t much schooling, but she knew she would he happy enough if the other students were like him.

(IM HERE FINALLY BRUHHH 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️)

Keanar:

   He nodded and leaned back slightly, his hands still on the bars. At least she seemed well, despite being angry.

   “Can you tell her that I must speak with her?” he asked after a moment’s silence.

(Don’t say that things can’t get worse Reba you gotta know what happens every time someone says something like that!!)

Sultaan:

   He unwrapped a half loaf of barley bread and set it down. He drummed the wood of the counter for a few moments, swishing his tail as he stood there.

   Sultaan then looked over at Reba. “You should go see Ulrani soon anyway,” he signed, his brow creasing slightly. As each day had passed since he met Reba, especially ever since he found out about her pregnancy, the mute centaur had become steadily more and more determined to protect her as much as he could. And along with that protection, to love her.

   Sultaan gazed at Reba thoughtfully and a little worriedly. He knew only so much about this sort of thing. He made a mental note to ask Ulrani some questions next time he saw her.

   The stallion then returned to preparing the meal: bread, nuts, and apple.

(THEY WOULD DIE AT THE SAME TIME 😭😭 I didn’t think of that!!! I don’t remember any conversation about the soul-tied thing wearing off over time, but I think it’d be very interesting just to keep it! We’re not making our characters die anytime anyway XD. I mean, Callum already died but we’re not doing that again cuz that would be rly dumb lol)

Callum:

   He felt himself relax a little when she gave him a small smile, seeming to say that it could wait. At least it didn’t seem too important.

   Callum watched Fawnroot as she turned away to apply some finishing touches to her work. Fiell and Leila stood near their brother now, one on each side. Both looked at Fawnroot when she asked Hassan about their length of stay in Sun Herd and possible previous interactions with pegasi.

   Of course, none of the siblings answered immediately. Fiell and Leila glanced at Hassan before looking at each other as though to see who would give in to reply to Fawnroot’s questions. (When the doctor asks you a question and you’re with your mom so you look at her to answer 😭😭)

    Callum saw Fiell clenched his fists slightly, and then Leila let out a reluctant sigh when neither of her brothers chose to answer.

   “We were in that area for like a night before you came across us,” she said at last, crossing her arms and giving a brief but pointed glance at her brothers. “And we didn’t meet any pegasi before this. I don’t know why Fiell made it sound like we did.” Leila then frowned slightly at her second oldest brother.

   Fiell looked at her. “I meant that we knew of flying horses, not that we actually met them,” he said, a hint of defensiveness in his tone. Leila gave another sigh. Hassan remained silent. (Lol none of the centaurs are aware of what an insult it is to be called a horse to pegasi 😂)

   Callum felt the urge to smile as he found the interaction a little amusing. It reminded him of his conversations he had had with his own siblings at times. Sometimes things got heated as well. He found himself feeling a little homesick again, so he dismissed the trail of thought.

    “Anyway,” Leila said, looking at Callum and then at Fawnroot.

   Callum was watching Hassan now who was quietly rubbing his horse shoulder, not seeming to be paying attention to anything around him.

(Hahahahahaha that’s very interesting way to meet!!)

Cole:

   His awareness of his proximity to Avery was heightened when she brushed up rather firmly against him, and he would have sworn she lingered there before moving to where her clothes were. The room was most certainly cozy. Not really built for two centaurs, especially for a big boxer such as himself. But then again, it worked put particularly well at the moment.

   Then Avery pulled out the tunic she was planning to wear, and Cole’s eyes rounded slightly upon seeing it. “Yeah, I remember,” he replied when she had mentioned wearing the shirt the first time they met. A small smile spread across his face. It was crazy how fast time had gone. He was certain that, one day, he’d be reminiscing about this very moment with Avery in his own home—their own home.

   “That was a pretty creative but desperate way to get to know you—teaching you to swim.” He grinned slightly.

   “But hey, it was pretty romantic, wasn’t it?” he teased, his gaze flicking over her chosen attire she was holding.

   Cole nonchalantly took a step closer to her. “By the way, just to warn you, I don’t think I’ll be able to leave you alone the whole night if you wear that,” he joked, but mostly meant what he said. It actually didn’t matter what she wore, even if it was the rather tired looking tunic she was wearing now. (COLE IS SO FLIRTATIOUS LIKE BOI CHILL HAHAHAHA 😭👀👀👀)

Bhearit:

   What was that reaction he thought he saw when Kavani had locked eyes with him again? He couldn’t really think clearly at the moment anyway, but he was certain he saw her cheeks flush. And that subtle way her green eyes had widened when she met his after touching his hand briefly when exchanging the mugs… oh man. Now looking back on it, he felt his heart start to beat faster. Kavani had always been so cool and collected before, all until the events of this day with her mother. He wouldn’t call her a mess, but she seemed to react more openly to things than usual. And why was it mostly involved with things that he did? Did today’s events crack her stoic facade a bit?

   Bhearit himself openly reacted to things easily on a normal basis, not being very good at keeping his feelings hidden. But Kavani not only seemed to be more transparent, but also more… warm?

   Bhearit finally noticed that his hands were clutching the stove while he had been processing these things. He inhaled deeply and straightened.

   “Fresh kindling, per your request.” Bhearit almost jumped. He hadn’t even noticed Kavani come in. Again. He kept zoning out. Bhearit really needed to go to bed soon.

   He turned around. He hoped his face wasn’t flushed or anything.

   “Ah, thank you,” Bhearit said rather softly, then cleared his throat. He noticed the way Kavani was holding the stack of wood in one arm instead of both. At first he was a little puzzled, but then he remembered her shoulder.

   Bhearit cursed under his breath and quickly took the kindling from her. “I completely forgot. I’m so sorry,” he said, shoving the wood into the stove. He faintly realized how he didn’t really give context to his apology, but he didn’t elaborate. Kavani would probably understand.

   He took out a small pouch and retrieved a shard of flint and small cylinder of steel. The flint was rather small. He’d have to get more soon as winter was rapidly approaching.

   Bhearit cleared his throat again before speaking. “How’s the woodpile looking?” he asked and knelt down before the stove opening. He began to briskly strike the flint against the piece of steel over the wood.

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.

Keanar:

   He clutched the bars and peered out to see Fig as the centaur approached his cell. “How long must I be kept here?” he asked.

Sultaan:

   He gave a small smile as Reba brushed her shoulder against his. “I don’t know about the smartest,” he signed. “But I try my best. Plus, I have someone by my side.”  Sultaan glanced down at the mare, liking the way the light caught the frizz of her dark hair. His gaze drifted down over her body and settled on her horse half. It was growing rounder by the day.

   Sultaan blinked and looked at Reba’s face. “How do you feel?” he signed and then gestured at her horse half.

Leila:

   She watched her brother’s face intently as his eyes never left Fawnroot. She silently urged Hassan to give an answer to the medicine mare’s question, but he didn’t seem inclined to. He was fidgeting with the makeshift sling as he watched Fawnroot gather different medicinal herbs and roots.

   “We were hunting—Hass and I,” Fiell said and cleared his throat. “He fell down a steep slope while carrying a deer. A dead tree branch got him in his arm, but stopped him from going further.” Fiell’s brow creased slightly. “Couldn’t get the deer back though.”

   Hassan clenched his jaw as he finally began to slide his injured arm out of the sling. He gingerly cradled it in his other hand. Leila inhaled quietly and looked away. There was a deep gash that started halfway up his forearm and across the crook of his elbow, ending at his bicep. The skin around the wound was swollen and irritated. It would have been far worse if Hassan didn’t know medicine already, but Leila knew it needed stitches, as did he.

   Leila then made the mistake of looking back at her brother again, and a lump formed in her throat. She just wanted to go home, to have a real bed for once. Tears started to make her vision blur a little as she stared at the ground. Johirestown wasn’t far away; that’s what Fiell had said. Why had their aunt been so adamant that they leave Mangrove? They had been doing fine! Hassan had explained that there would be more opportunities for his line of work, and it would be less expensive to live there, but she knew him. Those couldn’t be the only reasons why. At least their aunt would meet them there. If she and her siblings were let go.

Callum:

   Callum gritted his teeth slightly as Hassan removed the sling from his arm. It would definitely need stitches. And why did it not have any sort of bandage around it? There were a lot of questions he wanted to ask this centaur, but now wasn’t the time since Hassan was just barely complying with Fawnroot’s wishes, and no thanks to Callum.

   He glanced over at the other two siblings. Leila looked like she was about to cry the way her lower lip trembled. And Fiell looked about ready to fight or bolt.

   “Where do you all come from again?” Callum asked Fiell to avert attention away from Hassan and Fawnroot.

   The teenaged centaur looked up. “Oh, um… Mangrove,” he replied and nervously shifted his weight from one hoof to the other.

   “Right,” Callum replied with a nod and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. His skin was rough with the beginnings of a beard. Only reminded him how long it had been since he had lived in a centaur society. He dismissed that train of thought.

   “Mangrove huh? Why would you leave there to go to Johirestown? Isn’t Mangrove wealthy?” Callum asked, looking at Fiell again.

   The boy looked ready to break into a sweat. “Ah, well. Doesn’t mean everybody’s wealthy, yeah?” he answered with an awkward chuckle.

   Callum gave a small smile. “Good point. Did you know about pegasi before this?”

   “Yeah, sort of.” Fiell looked like he was about to add something else, but he didn’t. Callum sighed softly. These short, shallow answers certainly ran in the family.

(That’s what I thought but I wasn’t sure lol)

Cole:

   He couldn’t wipe a smile off his face at the sight of Avery’s blushing cheeks. They only made the color of her eyes pop more.

   “No, but we’ll stop by the inn first to pick up an outfit for you,” he replied and gave her hand a squeeze.

   Cole avoided any main roads to the inn to keep away from paparazzi. It took an extra 20 minutes, but it was worth it.

   Cole opened the door for Avery once they arrived. He didn’t let go of her hand as he let her lead the way to her room. He gave a nod to the innkeeper as he walked slightly behind Avery.

   “Honestly, you can make about anything look amazing on you,” Cole said with a chuckle.

(KOLLIN I SWEAR IMA DIE OF YOUR CUTENESS AAAAA)

Bhearit:

   He inhaled. Great, Kavani had answered him and he hadn’t heard her at all.

   Bhearit tilted his head slightly to the side and forced himself to meet Kavani’s gaze. For a split second, he felt something warm spark in his heart when he looked into her eyes, and his pupils dilated slightly. But then that feeling quickly turned into a small pang of nervousness when he read the look on her face. Oh no, she’s concerned. She can see right through you. He silently cursed in his mind. The seconds were ticking by and his lips wouldn’t unglue themselves and move!!

   Bhearit closed his fingers around one of the mugs he was holding despite having set it down. He felt a rush of surprise rise up inside as he managed to hold Kavani’s gaze for this long despite the torrent of feelings he had going on.

   Okay okay.

   “I don’t know how Kollin has so much energy,” he whispered faintly at last and managed a smile. He knew he hadn’t answered Kavani’s question, but what could he do? He couldn’t hardly think clearly right now.

   Bhearit realized that he had been slouching, and so he rolled his shoulders back until he was straight again. He was gonna mentally hold his breath and push through it until his guests were finally in bed and he was too.

   “Alright,” Bhearit muttered to himself and looked down again. He opened a tin that held the small teabags and cleared his throat as he dropped one in each mug. There was a nagging feeling in his stomach as he stood next to Kavani. It was the urge to say something, to do anything to break the tension. But what?

   Bhearit began to move over to the kettle that sat on top of the wood stove. Another thing his stepmother had gotten for him.

(Awww, how sweet of Carmela! I have to disagree with Kilroy there! I love Romie and Carmela’s relationship!)

Romie:

The pancakes smelled absolutely delicious. Without even taking a bite, he could tell that these were baked with lots of love. “Thank you.” He smiled lightly at his sister, then at Kilroy. “You’re right, Carmela. I think we got very lucky, too, as we have an accomplished diplomat to help us,” he said in Irich. He didn’t know much about Kilroy’s life in Johirestown, so he chose to believe the best.

He joined them at the table and tucked into his pancakes. Soooo goooodddd…!!!

(AAAAAAAAA SO SORRY!! I had an absolute nightmare of a week! 😭)

Fawnroot:

  Under his serious, stubborn gaze, she kept her eyes soft and her expression relaxed and inviting. She felt slightly uncomfortable being stared at in such a manner, but she tried not to take it personally.

His siblings were appreciative of her offer to help, but Hassan still seemed uneasy and avoidant. Why was he the only one who seemed suspicious of her, and the Pegasi in general? It made her wonder what these 3 siblings have gone through before coming to Sun herd.

    Between Callum and Leila’s interjection, Hassan reluctantly agreed. Fawnroot smiled down at Leila, “Thank you, Leila.”

   Fawnroot turned her attention back to Hassan and stepped closer to his arm. She couldn’t see much due to the sling, but it definitely seemed tender and sore. “Can you take the sling off? I’ll need to take a closer look in order to help and diagnose properly.”

   As she spoke, she started gathering basic roots and plants that she’d probably need: aloe for pain relief, rosemary for anti-inflammatory, sage to fight off infections, and a few others like marigold, mint, and pine roots.

   As she foraged and dug up roots, she kept her ears on Hassan. “Can you tell me what happened?” She walked back over to Hassan with her wings full of remedies.

  (Not very long! I don’t remember exactly but if I had to guess, maybe about a month?)

Avery:

   She stared up at Cole when he complimented her eyes. She always thought her eyes were hazel, but Cole just nonchalantly compared them to actual, brilliant gold. Was it possible for her cheeks to turn even more pink?

   Avery looked down at her hooves sheepishly as they walked along, “Aren’t you a charmer?” She muttered with a smile but kept watching her hooves alternate and the terrain go by beneath her.

  Her ears perked up as Cole slid his medal over her head. She was slightly surprised by its weight as it hung from her neck. With her free hand, she lifted the circular pendant to inspect it, turning it over and feeling the outside edges with her fingertips.

   She summoned up enough courage to look at Cole again, even though her face was still burning hot from his flattery and compliments. She grinned at him and nodded in appreciation, “Yes, please. I’d rather not socialize in such a depressing outfit.”

  Changing the subject, she asked, “Is your place very far?”

Kavani:

   She smiled at Bhearit softly, even though his back was turned. He was a genius: some hot tea might help Kollin settle down and help them to get some decent sleep. Hopefully. They both desperately needed it.

  “Tea would be great, thank you.”

Kollin came over to stand close to Kavani and tugged on her tunic. “Hmm… have I ever had tea before?” He asked quietly with his head low, as if he was embarrassed of his question.

   She rubbed his head and pushed her lips to one side. “Not that I know of. We don’t have a kettle and I doubt mother would-“ She paused as she mentioned their dam. Of course her mother had never made Kollin tea before: she could hardly feed herself and form rational thoughts, much less brew tea.

  Realizing she had trailed off, she shook her head and blinked to clear her heavy mind and focus back on Kollin. “No, Kollin I don’t think you’ve ever had tea.”

   She watched his face as he considered her words. He looked away, bit his lip, then drummed his fingers against her horse withers. “… What even is it? Isn’t tea a letter? How do you drink a letter? Can you drink other letters? I wonder what “X” tastes like.” (KOLLIN 😭) Kollin looked back up at his sister with wide eyes, blissfully expecting an answer and explanation from her.

   Kavani was too tired for this. She sighed slowly and rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands. “No, no… Well, yes. I mean- you’re kinda right. T is a letter but Bhearit is making tea, and it’s spelled t-e-a. So it’s pronounced like the letter, but it’s not actually the letter.” Hopefully she explained that well enough.

However, Kollin looked even more confused. “So… Bhearit is making Tee-a. If it’s spelled t-e-a, then… why don’t you pronounce the a?”

    Kavani stared down at Kollin with an utterly blank expression. She was really too tired for this. “The a is silent.” It’s all she could think of to appease Kollin’s curiosity, and thankfully, it worked. He seemed satisfied by that because he didn’t ask a follow-up question. He clutched his stuffed bear closer to his chest and leaned against her side.

    Kavani looked back up at Bhearit, “We’ll take two mugs, please.” She felt slightly guilty for not answering him immediately especially since he was the one who had offered them tea. But, it didn’t seem like he noticed: his body was still, and even though she couldn’t see his eyes, she knew him well enough to tell he was lost in thought. “Bhearit?” She spoke a little louder, “Did you hear me?” She was tempted to tap his shoulder, but quickly changed her mind: not after what had happened the last time they touched.

   Instead, she came to stand beside him at the counter. Not close enough to touch, but close enough to clearly see his face. “You okay?”

(I think I remember that! That would make an interesting plot line and it would add another twist/reason for Fig to be serious about war. I’m not sure what Mountain herd’s mentality is towards centaurs- it might not make sense for Keanar to be an “agent” for them, even if it isn’t true. When brought up to Sun herd, they might be able to see that as a lie, or at least as a mistake. Especially based on the fact that Coalwkng and a couple foals were taken to Mountain herd because Mountain herd disagreed with Coalwing’s decision of allowing centaurs (if I remember that correctly- let me know if I’m wrong!)

Then again, I don’t think Sun herd knows the reason for why Coalwing and the foals were taken. Just that they need to get them back.

I’d honestly forgotten about that plot line with Keanar and the Snow herd steeds. If those two scouts make it home, they’ll likely tell their leaders and captains and by time word gets around… I doubt Snow herd will take that attack lightly. If anything, I could see Snow herd growing resentful and aggressive towards the centaurs themselves, which creates even more problems.

These are just my initial thoughts. What do you think, Ash? Aspi?)

Carmela: She pushed a plate of pancakes into Romie’s fiddling hands. “My pancakes weren’t very good the last time you ate them,” she said. “I think they are yummier now.” She had practiced cooking the last few years, even though she didn’t have any passion for it… she wanted to impress Romie when he returned.

She sat down at the table. “We’ll get through today together. The worst part is behind you.”

Kilroy: He nibbled at a pancake, watching the siblings. It was a little sweet and buttery for his taste. Both their relationship and the food.

Romie:

In response, he hugged his sister again and looked over her shoulder. He could practically see the wheels turning in Kilroy’s head. Carmela seemed much the same way. Both of them were very heavily focused on the events of today.

A part of him wanted to pretend like he wasn’t going to talk to the Chiefs today. He wanted to hide from his past a little bit longer.

You can’t hide any more, Romie, his conscious told him. You might not like the answers the Chiefs are going to give you, but how long did you hug yourself in those Ice Caves, yearning to know why and whyand why?

Eventually, he stepped back from his sister. “Yeah. Big day.” He fiddled with his hands, feeling odd without his trusty bow at the ready.

(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?”

Romie:

During his time in the Ice Caves and living in the wilderness, he had become a very light sleeper. However, now that he was back home in Irichad and so close to his sister, he felt safe enough to sleep deeply. He did not wake up when Carmela touched him or got up to make breakfast.

He woke up naturally to the delicious smells of food being prepared. He took his time to get up and trotted into the kitchen area. His hair was slightly messy, the marker of a good night’s sleep.

@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?”