Beneath the surface

[ Ryder ]

The brown paint trotted through the Bachelor city. The past few months had left him looking older than he did before the trip to Olde. He and Effie had stopped here on the way back to the herd. The group that they had been apart of had split after Bryce had attacked him, leaving his with a ragged scar down his chest. It was still pink and sore to the touch, but he had made sure that he had kept it clean. Ryder had left Effie in one of the more structurally sound buildings. She was obviously pregnant now, and they had been taking extra care to make sure she got plenty of rest and food. She was eating for two now after all. He trudged slowly through the crumbling buildings. The scar on his chest made him move a bit slower since he didn't want to open it back up. This city definitely wasn't as spectacular as the one on Olde, but it was still interesting to look at. A shrill whinny made his head snap up as a seal bay pelt darted his way. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion before he recognized who the mare was. "Rae?" He called out to the mare as she galloped his way.

Ryder smiled as Rae skidded to a halt in front of him, giving him a hug. He noticed the scrapes that riddled her pelt, and he could feel the blood that she accidentally smeared on him. As she stood back, she whinnied a question at him. Ryder grinned. He had missed the young mare and her silent but strong demeanor. "Effie and I broke off the group after Bryce attacked me. We both that it would be safer for the baby. We stopped here for supplies and such," he said, guessing that this was what the mare had wanted to ask. He looked at her scrapes. None of them looked too deep, but the fact that they were still bleeding bothered him. "Do you want me to look at those scratches? I'd hate for you get an infection or something." He said with a small smile, tilting his head toward the building where Effie was. Ryder had already dropped off some herbs there, and he was sure that Effie would be just as happy to see Rae.

Ryder followed the excited, young mare at a slower pace. He entered the building to see Rae stomping happily around the room. A grin crossed his face to see her so happy even Effie was more than pleased to see her after so long. He walked over to his small pile of herbs, looking at what he had been able to gather. He grabbed a small clump of cobwebs to stop the bleeding of Rae's scratches. Ryder motioned for Rae to sit beside Effie. "Let me look at those scratches. They're still bleeding, but they don't look too deep. Are you heading back to the herd? Maybe we can travel the rest of the together," he said around the mouthful of webs. He had been wondering what had become of the rest of the group. He supposed that Aragon and Bryce were okay even if he didn't really want to see his brother any time soon especially with how dangerous he seemed now. Ryder couldn't bring himself to expose Effie and their new foal to that. His blue eyes glanced over at his mate and her growing stomach. At this rate, the foal would be as big as him before it was even born.

Ryder nodded with a small smile. "Alright. I hope you have a safe journey back there," he said as he patted at her wounds, cleaning up some of the blood that dripped out of them. It wasn't long before they were all cleaned and patched up with moss bandages. Ryder smiled at his work. He knew that they would all see each other soon, but he couldn't help but worry about Rae. She was young, and after all they had been through together, Ryder had sort of adopted her as a younger sister that he needed to look after. Rae was strong and independent, but it wasn't safe to travel alone for so long especially if you were used to the safety of a herd. "So what are you going back for? It must be pretty important to travel all that way again." He said, looking at her with a slightly worried gaze.

Ryder nodded. It seemed that Rae would be staying for a little while at least. "Good. You'll need lots of rest for the long trek through the mountains," he said with a nod as he placed the bloodied cobwebs in a corner of the room. He sat down across from Effie and Rae with some of the left over aloe leaves. As gently as he could, he rubbed the leaf's juice along his scar. It ached and stung, but it kept the fresh wound from becoming infected. It was hard to find herbs in a place that you didn't know, but he was beginning to finally understand this new island. Too bad they might not be on it for much longer. Tensions were rising, and Ryder had a sinking feeling that it would be getting much worse soon. Things tended to get worse before they got better. At Rae's reason, Ryder nodded his head. Rae had mentioned the Bachelor stallion that she loved, and he had supported her endeavors. Love meant hope, and if Rae truly loved Ace, she should pursue him.

Once Ryder was finished dressing his own wound, he sighed in relief. The slight tingling of the herbs working their magic was a much needed relief from the pain he had been feeling lately. With his brother attacking him and hating his new family, everything seemed to be going downhill. Well... besides the fact that him and Effie were together and everyone from the group was safe. Ryder looked over at Rae and found her asleep beside Effie. The floor creaked beneath him as he stood. He kissed Effie's head as she fell into her own slumber. The brown paint walked outside, looking around at the fallen city. It was a depressing sight to see, and he could almost imagine what it must have looked like long ago. It was hard to imagine what exactly kind of place this used to be, but he imagined humans bustling around on the small streets, walking to their jobs and families. Ryder sat down on the little porch of the building, studying the landscape while the mares inside slept.

Ryder fell asleep soon after he had taken his spot on the porch. He awoke to Rae nudging him awake, placing a strange can of liquid near him. "What is it?" He asked though he knew she wouldn't be able to answer directly. He sniffed the sweet stuff before taking a small lick. The sweet taste was overwhelming, making him hum in delight. "It's really good. Where'd you find this stuff?" He asked, taking another lick. It was sweeter than any apple he had ever tasted. Maybe Effie would like some. She had been craving odd stuff lately which was pretty normally with pregnancy. Ryder motioned for Rae to have the rest as he stood up, stretching out his legs.