Daises | Part One [PRIVATE]
Aug 23, 2014 16:39:30 GMT -5
Post by poedogs on Aug 23, 2014 16:39:30 GMT -5
Daises
A Roleplay With ValiantShadow’s Grange and POEDOGS’s Cethin
A Roleplay With ValiantShadow’s Grange and POEDOGS’s Cethin
Cethin
The sun was only a few hours away from setting and the warm orange light bathed the meadow where currently two horses grazed. A black stallion was on his off-time and was tearing at the clovers vigorously. His scars marred his otherwise show-worthy coat.
Cethin walked along quietly, pulling up the grass and weeds into his mouth. He raised his head and stood, chewing the green plants. His ears pricked he studied the meadows. He saw a champagne stallion near him, but didn’t pay mind and dropped his head again, only paying attention to the grass he would use to relieve his hunger after such a long day.
Grange
With an irritated sigh, the small champagne stallion tried to swat away the flies. It was no good; his stumpy tail never had been long enough to protect him, and now the buzzing black insects were collecting on the mess of half-healed cougar clawmarks on his haunches. Since the wounds were still raw, it hurt too much to shiver his skin to send the flies on their way, and so they gathered on his sore hindquarters by the scores, buzzing and making his skin sting and prickle. Grunting, the stallion limped a few paces away, towards one of the tastier bunches of grass, trying to find some way of relieving the pain he was in. As yet another fly zipped past his ear, he snapped at it, his ears pinned down to his head.
What a crummy day this was; first he woke up and could hardly move because his rump muscles had tightened overnight, stiffening to the point of almost uselessness. When he finally did get down to the nearest stream to bathe his cut-up flanks, the water was so cold that it numbed him from the knees down, which was not a very comfortable feeling. Then, he had to waddle all the way over to his favorite grazing spot (which was usually uninhabited), only to find that a black stallion and a horde of flies had infested it. With a snort, Grange cropped off a mouthful of grass, chewing it viciously. The small stallion eyed Cethin, his ears half back in a warning, but his eyes showing some glimmer of interest. He hadn’t seen the stallion around much - how could he miss that beard? - and he was curious to know what his story was. Besides that, something about the black horse tickled his memory. Grange stared at the black horse, trying to place him. Finally, it hit him: Cethin looked like a mixture between Klaus and Grange’s brother, Hale. He had the black coat of Klaus, and his curly mane and tail, but he had faint spots, almost like the appaloosa blanket that covered Hale’s no-good hide. Grange shuddered, looking away. Great, the newcomer to his grazing spot looked like a mixture between two of his least favorite horses. Just add in a little of Ghost, Cain, Levi, Kyranos...and um...oh yeah, everyone else in the herd besides Apollo, Casper, Adena, Ace and - although I don’t really like her - Tauriel, Grange thought, picturing each horse in turn. With a final snort, he turned away, back to his vain attempts at brushing greedy flies off his newly-scarred flesh.
Cethin
It was hard not to notice the other stallion’s discomfort. Cethin put his head down again, but that stallion was after all part of the big messed up family everyone called the Bachelors. Cethin frowned and began to clop off to a area with taller grass. There he gathered a few of the stalks, long windblown and positively fly repelling. When he made his way back near the stallion he dropped the bundle near him, but kept his distance from the grumpy stallion. He turned away from him and then started to graze again, paying no attention yet again. He did what he could do right? Nothing more now. His tail worked fine and he swatted the flies off easily, but he also didn’t have a barrage of scars all over his rump and a stumpy little tail. “So, grump, how are you today?” He chuckled and raised an eyebrow, watching the stallion, Grange I think, out of the corner of his eye.
Grange
Grange stared down at the bundle of grass, amazed that he hadn’t thought of it himself. Perhaps he didn’t care to walk that far, so had disregarded it before it could even become a real idea. He eyed Cethin from his position in the grass, then glanced back at the pile of grass blades next to him.
“So, you’re not here to pick on me?” he said, sounding incredulous. It was common in the herd for the larger stallions to harass him, about his size, his mane and tail that never grew right, his thoughts on the herd and its leader, and the fact that thus far he had only mated Tauriel (and that was a ruse concocted by the two horses, who had agreed to lie to the herd so they could keep themselves in tact after their seventeenth birthdays), and had not shown any interest in any mare since.
Grange waited for an answer as he picked up the grass blades and began to toss his neck, waving the grass to shoo the flies away. For a makeshift tail, it worked pretty well, and he felt some relief from the horrendous beasts. With a glance back at Cethin, Grange let his ears perk up, showing that he wasn’t quite as much of a grump as he appeared to be.
Cethin
Cethin smiled, “If I’m supposed to pick on you then yes I am. But it’s blistering hot out here and I’m in no mood to be arguing.” He hated the heat and today it was unnaturally hot for the evening. He couldn’t stand it. Cethin faced Grange now, still grazing, but now watching in a more interested manner. The grass worked well for him, at least the stallion was smart. Picking up the grass and accepting help was by far the hardest thing some of the stallions could ever do. Really all it showed way the stupidity of yourself. “Your name?” He inquired. He thought he knew it, but it sucks to call someone by a name that’s not theirs. At least no one calls me Klaus. It would bother Cethin a load if anyone called him Klaus or Gemini. Not that he didn’t like the horses, mainly it was because they seemed to never know his name and since he mainly tread the outer fringe of the herd he was insulted they didn’t know him. Really it made no sense, if he stayed away from everyone there’s no way they’d know him.
Grange
“Grange,” the stallion said, offering the tiniest of smiles around the mouthful of grass, which he laid down on the ground for a moment, as the flies had given him a respite. “You’re….Cethin….right?” he asked, furrowing his brows as he tried to remember the horse’s name. Although he didn’t talk much with the other horses, he listened intently, and internalized whatever he could. Grange took a moment to look the horse over, taking in his differences and similarities to the other horses he knew. Definitely part Fresian, he decided, as the curly mane and black coat were a trademark of the breed, but he was too slender to be full-blooded.
Grange dropped his head to grab another mouthful of grass, chewing slowly as he tried to suck the moisture from the plants. It was so very hot, which wasn’t helping the burning in his flanks. For the sake of being somewhat genial, however, he pushed away these thoughts and perked his ears a little more, listening to the other horse now, trying to show that he was friendly.
Cethin
Cethin thought about the name. He had been right, good. At least he knew some names. “Yup, Cethin, look-a-like extraordinaire.” He smiled and stepped a bit closer rather than keeping his distance, “Sudden mood changes?” He said between mouthfuls. His curly mane bounced in front of his eyes as he tore at the green grass. He swished his tail again, the flies were so unbearable. He sighed and turned to wave his muzzle at them to possibly drive the beasts away. He turned his scarred face back to the champagne, Grange. Small talk never was the stallion’s specialty, but so often he got himself into chatting situations it seemed. He was slightly annoyed with himself, but his interest in the stallion kept him from walking off.
Grange
“Not usually,” the stallion said, giving a tiny smile to Cethin. “Normally, this isn’t how I am,” he said, twitching his tail out of habit, even though it had been proven useless already. “It’s just been frustrating; the heat draws the flies, and the flies make this--” he gestured to the mess of his flanks--“hurt worse,” he finished, turning back to face the black horse. He stared at Cethin for a moment, trying to figure out exactly what was going on in the horse’s brain. It was a little hard though, as he got distracted by the fluffy little beard Cethin owned. It was kind of adorable, Grange thought. Though, immediately, he squashed the thought--as he’d learned to do a long time ago. Squash it like a bug and move on, feining disinterest to make sure the thought stayed squashed.
“Why are you being so kind?” he asked, his blue eyes turned on Cethin. “That’s not really very Bachelor-like of you,” he mused, wondering if maybe Cethin had a shred of decency, like the few friends Grange had found in the herd. “Any of the other stallions found me, they’d just laugh,” he said, shrugging as he spoke matter-of-factly.
Cethin
Cethin blinked, “Yup, they would.” He thought about his reason and replied, still choosing his words carefully, “Well think about it. If you speak or act somewhat kindly to another stallion and some point in this war you are nearly killed and have to crawl to what seems like safety. Who would you like behind you, A potential friend or an enemy? I’d prefer a friend. Plus I’d hate to be on your bad side. If you survived cougars then I wouldn’t mess with you.” Cethin looked at Grange’s claw marks and decided that what he said was true. They were a mess and Cethin had no preference to fight with a stallion who had survived a cougar that made those marks. “Well this normally is how I am, well except for the constant swishing of my tail. The flies here really are strangely annoying yet still just as unbearable.” Cethin flicked another ear towards a bird. While he waited for the other stallion to respond he observed. Of course he was short and he had a very messed up rump, but his coat seemed clean and he seemed much more… what could you say? Approachable now.
---
Grange
“That’s true,” Grange said, smiling slightly as he mulled over Cethin’s words. “Perhaps, if I were smarter, I’d spend less time making enemies in this herd,” he said, shaking his neck in his horse-version of a shrug. After the loss of his brother, Grange began to speak out more and more against the cruelties that inhabited his herd. So far, he’d managed to keep on all right, but he had made some definite enemies. Despite this, he’d also made friends, and it seemed that Cethin might soon join that number...perhaps. “I can’t really say that I’m tough,” Grange said, with a low chuckle. “Just fast. I outran them...barely,” he said, picking up the grass blades to shoo away another wave of flies before dropping it to speak again. “It was my own stupid fault; I was out too late, and I got trapped in the woods after dark. They were out prowling, and they found me,” he said, grabbing a mouthful of grass and chomping it quickly. “Besides, you’ve got some scars of your own,” he said, letting his eyes rove over the black stallion’s coat, possibly a moment longer than he should have. He snapped his gaze to the bird that Cethin had seen, feigning interest in the small creature to keep his attention off the other spotted horse.
Cethin
“Those weren’t from cougars though.” He looked at the scars behind his front legs. “Grass beast. Evil little wreck of fur.” He winced remembering it and dropped the subject. “You were smart enough to accept my help with the grass earlier, which certainly says something. Some of the others would find it crazy to accept help.” Cethin nodded at Grange’s recount of the cougars and knew that if he’d been caught by some he probably wouldn’t have made it. Cethin knew that most horses wouldn’t even be able to outrun a cougar anyway. So it was surprising enough as it was.
The sun had nearly dipped out of view. Here in the meadows, not much was a problem, but now Cethin started to lift his head frequently and listen and look for anything.
Grange
Grange shuddered in sympathy as he stared at the horse’s scars. “Those do look bad,” he said, hissing in sympathy as he leaned his head out to inspect Cethin’s legs. After a second, he pulled away, trying not to seem like he was using this an excuse to get closer to the horse. “By the way….I don’t think I’ve thanked you yet,” he said, twitching one of his ears. “So, thanks. It can be pretty lonely around here without friends,” he said, smiling softly. “I guess not all the stallions in this herd are as bad as I thought,” he said, smirking slightly as he twitched his tail, this time in an amused gesture rather than an annoyed-at-flies one. He couldn’t believe that he was actually teasing the stranger, who he’d become more friendly with in a shorter amount of time than he had with most other Bachelor horses he knew. Grange was having a hard time squashing the snaking feeling that wound its way through his mind. It was a feeling he knew well, but not one he tried to encourage. But maybe, just maybe….Grange thought to himself about how outgoing the black horse had been, and how he’d volunteered to brush flies away from Grange’s cuts with his muzzle, as well as giving Grange the grass fan. That seemed….Grange tried to tell himself he was making up something that wasn’t there, but it didn’t work….more than friendly.
Cethin
Cethin smiled, “Doesn’t seem much worse than yours.” He nodded slightly to the stallion, the smile still on his face, “Not a problem.” The dark stallion could almost pick up something other than Grange’s teasing. Certainly the two were friends now if they could have such a long conversation without storming off or challenging each other. The moon had risen with the dark an it bathed the meadow in silvery light. He looked up at the silver light and said, “Up to a bit of a run?” He didn’t know if the stallion would like to or could with those wounds, but it’d help him wake up and probably scare any other animals out away.
Grange
Grange stared up at the bright, nearly full moon, watching it float gently into the sky. He smiled at Cethin, feeling a bit of a competitive edge rising within him. “I can’t promise much, but it’ll be good to stretch out my legs,” he said, taking a few warm-up steps in a half-circle, swishing his tail in a playful manner. “Perhaps you should give me a head start,” he teased, smiling at Cethin broadly. Normally, he wouldn’t show this much emotion to another member of his herd; Grange was guarded, and he rarely spoke (unless he was boycotting something the Bachelors were doing) to the other horses. Even more rarely than that did he tease or play-flirt with the Bachelors’ members. His small circle of friends usually supplied him, but Grange couldn’t deny that he felt that he was missing something. He knew what it was he was missing: someone to care for, and someone who would care for him. But he’d long ago resigned himself to never finding that. Now, under the glimmer of the moon, he caught sight of a tiny hope.
Cethin
He laughed and said, “To that hill and back? And if you should know I couldn’t do that.” He smiled and jogged in place, warming up. It wouldn’t be a long run, but with his sore legs he’d have to get ready. The other stallion was certainly his type and Cethin could see a change in attitude. All of Cethin’s friends tolerated him or joked with him, but this stallion he’d be the one. Just now he needed to confirm that. Cethin stood back lining himself up with Grange, “You ready?” Cethin certainly was and he shook his mane with excitement. He certainly wasn’t the best at flirting or anything, but what he was good at was running alongside another horse.
Grange
Grange’s teeth gleamed in the moonlight as he smiled, putting his ears back, not in anger, but in a competitive expression. “I was born ready,” he replied with a small laugh, getting ready to race. “Ready...set...GO!” he counted off, launching himself forward, though his stride was stiff from the aching of his muscles. His canter was a bit lopsided, but he managed all right, and he even picked up a bit of speed as the horses thundered towards the hill that Cethin had picked out. While Grange’s legs were focused on pumping up and down, running towards his goal, his mind wandered, racing faster than he could, even in great health. Was Cethin actually trying to flirt with him? Could that really be what this was about? He couldn’t tell if his heart was pounding because he was running or because he was excited. He knew it had to be a mixture of both. Was Cethin feeling the same? Grange almost missed the hill, so deep was he in his thoughts. Only at the top did he realize that he was halfway through with the race. Glancing about to look for Cethin, he turned for the return run.
Cethin
Cethin pumped his legs and took off at a gallop, but saw Grange in front of him. He bided his time and conserved his energy, turning at the top of the hill and beginning to race back down. He pulled up next to Grange and matched the stallion’s steps. His curly black mane whipped in the wind and his ears were pinned down as to keep the wind from battering them. “So, needed a head start right?” He spoke over the wind, just below a yell. His beard was flapping into his face and in those moments he always felt like he needed to cut it off or something. Yet this time he laughed. He matched hoofsteps with Grange and his Thoroughbred showed through for the first time in what seemed like forever.
Grange
Grange could see that Cethin was holding in his stride to match his choppy gait. “Isn’t...it….cheating if you….let me win?” he asked, his breath labored due to his having to work harder to go as fast as he normally could. He chuckled, tossing his neck, putting on a final burst of speed, mindful of the aching in his hindquarters, making sure he didn’t pull open any of the scabbed cuts and re-injure himself. Grange had to smile as he watched Cethin’s beard get caught up; it was kind of very cute how it bounced about from his chin like a furry little face-tail. As they rounded the finish line, Grange pulled up, neck-and-neck with Cethin. “Well, you’re speedy,” he gasped, trotting in a circle to slow his breathing and relax. “Good race,” he said, trying to make small talk with Cethin, not willing to take a leap from small talk to the deep thoughts that occupied his mind.
Cethin
The stallion smiled and agreed, “Yes a wonderful race.” He took a few deep breaths before settling back into an easy breathing. The moon burned bright and both the stallions were illuminated by it, “So you have anyone special in particular?” Cethin flicked an ear at him as he looked around for an especially inviting place to sit and rest. He started off at a walk to a small clover patch and sat down right on his haunches. “You coming?” He blinked and picked up a four leaf clover, “It’ll be your lucky day.” He joked waving the plant in front of him.
Grange
“Oh, uh, no, I don’t,” Grange stammered, shyly glancing sidelong at Cethin as they walked to the clover patch. Grange settled down, gingerly lying down on his side, keeping the area with the least cat claw-marks to the ground. He sighed in relief; the warmth of the earth and the coolness of the dew marking the clover felt good against his hide. “So, why is it my lucky day?” he teased, reaching out his neck to grab a mouthful of clover and rip it from the ground, chewing it happily as he glanced at Cethin again.
Cethin
Cethin smiled, “Not sure yet, you’ll know soon though since it’s already almost tomorrow.” He thought about Grange’s answer, He didn’t. Cethin could happily change that status, but when it came to asking about anything like that he was clueless. The brute was happy enough right now that he wouldn’t refuse hanging out with Grange again. Even if he wasn’t happy he couldn’t refuse the Cute stallion. Cethin smiled at himself and turned to enjoy the cold night with the other stallion.
Grange
It must have been near one a.m. when Grange began to shiver; the deep clover was covered with dew, and it had finally soaked through his thin coat, chilling him. At first, he tried to hide the chattering of his teeth, but he finally gave in, and carefully rolled over slightly, so he was closer to Cethin. He glanced at the other stallion, trying to make sure he was asleep, as he soaked up the warmth radiating from his curly black coat. A tiny smile crossed his mouth as he turned to stare at the setting moon, feeling a rush of emotions swirl around inside, warming him from the inside. He hadn’t felt this relaxed around another stallion in….well….ever. It was a new feeling, and not one he wanted to give up on. Grange analyzed the night’s events again, trying to find any telltale sign that his intuition was wrong; he expected to be disappointed, and he was surprised when he couldn’t find anything. Maybe, just maybe, Cethin actually did like him. What a crazy idea.
Cethin
Asleep, ha. Cethin heard Grange roll over closer to him and he smiled and rolled to face him. He almost had the courage to ask, but he didn’t know. And rejection would suck and ruin the whole night. But how were they to know. He already had decided that Grange may like him, but. He just didn’t know for sure. “When you look at the stars, do you ever feel they determine your destiny. Or do you feel you make it up yourself and finding that someone just happens by chance? Cethin mused, speaking quietly (for a first). He gazed at the flickering lights and thought to himself quietly. How would the other stallion respond and would he get what Cethin was slowly getting to.
Grange
“I don’t put much faith in stars or unicorns,” Grange said, sighing as he gazed up at the sky. “But I do think there has to be something, some way of knowing how things are meant to go. When you finally do stumble onto the right path, there’s the aha moment, and the doubt that you’re totally wrong. The hardest part is choosing whether or not to take that step,” he said, looking over at Cethin with wide blue eyes. He was becoming tired of speaking in riddles and rhymes, but it seemed that they were both too cautious to leap without looking. Maybe, he should be braver, like he had learned to become in regards to the herd’s ways. But this was the one place he couldn’t be brave. He’d learned to be afraid of it for far too long to break that habit now. “If we were all fated to someone,” he said softly, “why would the Slaves be treated how they are? And even the ladies? They could make something for themselves if they tried...but no one’s designing their path for them….or they are, then unicorns must be horribly cruel,” he said, musing now more than anything else. In short, he was trying to multitask: he wanted to show (without using the direct approach, because that was far too frightening an idea) that he understood and reciprocated Cethin’s feelings; let the stallion know that he chose this, and felt it was not some random act of fate and find out what Cethin thought of the Bachelors. That was the one thing Grange needed to know; everything else was sort of blurred out in a happy haze. “What do you think of the stars?” he asked softly, blinking wide eyes at Cethin.
Cethin
Cethin thought a moment and then easily said, “The stars are rubbish. They guide you with their light, but they don’t determine anything for you. That you have to choose yourself and then you have to live your choice.” Cethin put it simply and then listened to Grange again. “The slaves and ladies had their destinies pre-determined by their parents and that leads all the way to history. I admire them though for not giving in and fighting each day. If I saw one escaping I wouldn’t give a care about it. She got to choose her way and then she got a new life.” Cethin had only mated once and he’d felt horrible for it since. That mare he may or may not of helped escape. “The unicorns are also rubbish if you ask me.” He joked. “I find that like you said, there’s the aha moment. Well now I’ll determine my destiny, I care for you, but do you care for me.” Cethin had finally asked and even though it had been a short while he felt connected to the other stallion. That aha moment had happened for Cethin, now did it happen for Grange?
Grange
Grange shivered, but not from the cold this time, as he gazed up at Cethin (who was taller than him, even lying down), falling silent for a moment as he soaked in all of the details about Cethin’s opinions. It was an incredible how in line Cethin’s ideals were with his own, something he never thought would happen in a herd as violent and cruel as the Bachelor herd. “I guess it’s my turn to determine my own destiny,” he said softly, as he rested his head under Cethin’s chin, Cethin’s beard flopping over his face like a black forelock. He smiled softly, looking up at Cethin to gage his reaction. “The stars don’t seem to be falling down, so I guess that’s a good sign,” the small champagne horse said softly, a smirk spreading across his face as he relaxed against Cethin’s side. “Your thoughts?”
Cethin
Must be, The much larger stallion thought with Grange’s words. “Certainly.” No stars would fall tonight it seemed they were meant to be. “A great sign.” He added with a smiled as he blew out softly. The other stallion’s warmth comforted him and he couldn’t remember a time when that had happened. It likely never had. He shifted so he was snug in the dew covered clovers and with Grange. “You know Grange, it’s quite… strange that we’d become friends. You were a grump and I wasn’t quite interested. You should thank the cougar and the flies now.” He laughed, deep and rumbling, somewhat comforting in a way.
Grange
Grange smiled as he stared up at Cethin, nuzzling his head against Cethin’s shoulder. “I guess I should thank them,” he said, glancing at the scarred skin of his flanks. Until this point, he’d seen it not as a mark of bravery, but as a livid scar that made him even less attractive to his own eyes. “So...where is this going?” he asked, turning back to look at Cethin with his electric blue gaze. “Because you called me your friend, but I don’t usually sit this close to my friends,” he said, giving Cethin a lopsided smile. “What smart retort do you have to that?” he teased softly.
Cethin
Cethin smiled, “Nothing much, it’s official we’re more than friends?” He smiled as he asked the question, obviously decided that the answer was yes already. He was getting tired though, and snuggling up to someone else would out him to sleep fast. The black stallion yawned and blinked sleepily, “Until morning?” He asked, it wouldn’t be far away.
Grange
“I think it is,” he whispered, settling down beside the Fresian cross, his breathing evening out as he drifted towards sleep. “Why only until then?” he asked, giving Cethin a teasing smile. “Besides, it’s almost dawn anyway,” he protested. “I don’t think that the herd should know about this….they’re mean enough without this knowledge,” he said, thinking of all his vast experiences with Cain’s brutes. Grange yawned softly, blinking sleepily up at the large black horse, a sleepy smile on his face.
Cethin
“No, the herd should not know,” Cethin said softly in agreement. He soaked in Grange’s warm and comfort then softly fell asleep despite his mind’s reeling. The two were obviously meant for each other, they just had to make it work. He fell into a soft rhythm, knowing there was only a few hours until he had to go spy on the Exile herd.
Grange
Grange drifted into sleep again, feeling comfortable and safe next to the curly black stallion, his head tucked between his forelegs, side pressed against Cethin. As he was drifting off, he let himself daydream, just a little. It was a dangerous thing to do; this was no laughing matter in the Bachelor herd, but he couldn’t stop himself this time. Thoughts of their race, teasing each other, and what might lie ahead danced through his mind behind his closed eyelids. He knew, in reality, it wouldn’t be as easy as he thought. Little time would be allotted for the two horses to be alone, especially since they had different ranks and differing jobs. But it could be done. He assured himself of that, as sleep finally took over completely.
Cethin
The dark stallion opened his eyes and remembered the night before and saw Grange still sleeping next to him. The stallion smiled and nudged the smaller champagne. He then stood and shook the dew out of his coat. “Wake up, cuddle buddy.” He laughed as he nudged the other stallion again. The sun was bathing the field and if the pair hurried, about five minutes apart from each other the herd probably wouldn’t suspect much. He began to fill his stomach while he waited for Grange to wake up. The stallion definitely meant something strong to Cethin already, after only a night. Now all they had to do was be able to meet up at times. This meadow would do good since it wasn’t so often inhabited.
Grange
Grange stirred, dismayed to see that it was already morning. Making his way painfully to his feet, he shook his curly mane out, littering the ground with bits of clover. Smiling in a goofy sort of way, he ambled over to Cethin’s side and began pulling up the fresh grass for a morning meal. “You should go,” he said softly, the words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. Right now he wanted to beg Cethin to stay, but that would be foolish, so he turned away for a second, composing himself. “I’ll catch up later,” the champagne stallion added, turning back to Cethin. “I’m off guard duty tonight, so, if you’re not doing anything,” like spying on the Exiles, he thought, as this was a common shared duty within the herd. It wasn’t as dangerous as it could be, but bad-tempered Exiles were still not to be trifled with, especially the ones like Rambriel with big hooves and bigger tempers. “No one has ever come here but you and my friend, Casper,” he said, glancing at the secluded meadow. It was easy to see someone coming, but because of a few small dips in the ground, it would be fairly painless to disappear from view without an intruder’s noticing. “It’s pretty quiet here,” he finished, with a shake of his mane. Falling silent, he waited for Cethin’s reply.
Cethin
“I’ve noticed,” He raised an eyebrow remembering when he had come to the place and not seeing anyone. “And of course I’ll be here tonight, should Cain not change my plans.” He smiled and nuzzled Grange affectionately before taking a last bite and beginning on his way back. “The exiles don’t do much, so plan on my being here.” He smiled at Grange a last time before continuing and disappearing into the forest.
He clopped along the forest floor rather quietly thinking about the night’s events and couldn’t help feeling warmth spread through his chest. Grange was the affection Cethin had never had and hopefully Cethin could be something for him.
Grange
Grange watched him go, feeling an unfamiliar tug on his heart as the black horse disappeared. The feeling, however, only lasted a moment, and was replaced by a spreading warmth that made him forget even the pain in his haunches for the time being. He cropped a few more mouthfuls of grass, biding his time until it was all right to return to the herd without raising suspicion. When the time finally came, he trotted back towards the bulk of the Bachelor herd, his ears pricked and his tail swinging happily. He would spend his day guarding the border (such a boring job, but at least he got to explore from time to time), biding his time until morning faded into noon, noon to late afternoon, and night fell finally.
The sun was only a few hours away from setting and the warm orange light bathed the meadow where currently two horses grazed. A black stallion was on his off-time and was tearing at the clovers vigorously. His scars marred his otherwise show-worthy coat.
Cethin walked along quietly, pulling up the grass and weeds into his mouth. He raised his head and stood, chewing the green plants. His ears pricked he studied the meadows. He saw a champagne stallion near him, but didn’t pay mind and dropped his head again, only paying attention to the grass he would use to relieve his hunger after such a long day.
Grange
With an irritated sigh, the small champagne stallion tried to swat away the flies. It was no good; his stumpy tail never had been long enough to protect him, and now the buzzing black insects were collecting on the mess of half-healed cougar clawmarks on his haunches. Since the wounds were still raw, it hurt too much to shiver his skin to send the flies on their way, and so they gathered on his sore hindquarters by the scores, buzzing and making his skin sting and prickle. Grunting, the stallion limped a few paces away, towards one of the tastier bunches of grass, trying to find some way of relieving the pain he was in. As yet another fly zipped past his ear, he snapped at it, his ears pinned down to his head.
What a crummy day this was; first he woke up and could hardly move because his rump muscles had tightened overnight, stiffening to the point of almost uselessness. When he finally did get down to the nearest stream to bathe his cut-up flanks, the water was so cold that it numbed him from the knees down, which was not a very comfortable feeling. Then, he had to waddle all the way over to his favorite grazing spot (which was usually uninhabited), only to find that a black stallion and a horde of flies had infested it. With a snort, Grange cropped off a mouthful of grass, chewing it viciously. The small stallion eyed Cethin, his ears half back in a warning, but his eyes showing some glimmer of interest. He hadn’t seen the stallion around much - how could he miss that beard? - and he was curious to know what his story was. Besides that, something about the black horse tickled his memory. Grange stared at the black horse, trying to place him. Finally, it hit him: Cethin looked like a mixture between Klaus and Grange’s brother, Hale. He had the black coat of Klaus, and his curly mane and tail, but he had faint spots, almost like the appaloosa blanket that covered Hale’s no-good hide. Grange shuddered, looking away. Great, the newcomer to his grazing spot looked like a mixture between two of his least favorite horses. Just add in a little of Ghost, Cain, Levi, Kyranos...and um...oh yeah, everyone else in the herd besides Apollo, Casper, Adena, Ace and - although I don’t really like her - Tauriel, Grange thought, picturing each horse in turn. With a final snort, he turned away, back to his vain attempts at brushing greedy flies off his newly-scarred flesh.
Cethin
It was hard not to notice the other stallion’s discomfort. Cethin put his head down again, but that stallion was after all part of the big messed up family everyone called the Bachelors. Cethin frowned and began to clop off to a area with taller grass. There he gathered a few of the stalks, long windblown and positively fly repelling. When he made his way back near the stallion he dropped the bundle near him, but kept his distance from the grumpy stallion. He turned away from him and then started to graze again, paying no attention yet again. He did what he could do right? Nothing more now. His tail worked fine and he swatted the flies off easily, but he also didn’t have a barrage of scars all over his rump and a stumpy little tail. “So, grump, how are you today?” He chuckled and raised an eyebrow, watching the stallion, Grange I think, out of the corner of his eye.
Grange
Grange stared down at the bundle of grass, amazed that he hadn’t thought of it himself. Perhaps he didn’t care to walk that far, so had disregarded it before it could even become a real idea. He eyed Cethin from his position in the grass, then glanced back at the pile of grass blades next to him.
“So, you’re not here to pick on me?” he said, sounding incredulous. It was common in the herd for the larger stallions to harass him, about his size, his mane and tail that never grew right, his thoughts on the herd and its leader, and the fact that thus far he had only mated Tauriel (and that was a ruse concocted by the two horses, who had agreed to lie to the herd so they could keep themselves in tact after their seventeenth birthdays), and had not shown any interest in any mare since.
Grange waited for an answer as he picked up the grass blades and began to toss his neck, waving the grass to shoo the flies away. For a makeshift tail, it worked pretty well, and he felt some relief from the horrendous beasts. With a glance back at Cethin, Grange let his ears perk up, showing that he wasn’t quite as much of a grump as he appeared to be.
Cethin
Cethin smiled, “If I’m supposed to pick on you then yes I am. But it’s blistering hot out here and I’m in no mood to be arguing.” He hated the heat and today it was unnaturally hot for the evening. He couldn’t stand it. Cethin faced Grange now, still grazing, but now watching in a more interested manner. The grass worked well for him, at least the stallion was smart. Picking up the grass and accepting help was by far the hardest thing some of the stallions could ever do. Really all it showed way the stupidity of yourself. “Your name?” He inquired. He thought he knew it, but it sucks to call someone by a name that’s not theirs. At least no one calls me Klaus. It would bother Cethin a load if anyone called him Klaus or Gemini. Not that he didn’t like the horses, mainly it was because they seemed to never know his name and since he mainly tread the outer fringe of the herd he was insulted they didn’t know him. Really it made no sense, if he stayed away from everyone there’s no way they’d know him.
Grange
“Grange,” the stallion said, offering the tiniest of smiles around the mouthful of grass, which he laid down on the ground for a moment, as the flies had given him a respite. “You’re….Cethin….right?” he asked, furrowing his brows as he tried to remember the horse’s name. Although he didn’t talk much with the other horses, he listened intently, and internalized whatever he could. Grange took a moment to look the horse over, taking in his differences and similarities to the other horses he knew. Definitely part Fresian, he decided, as the curly mane and black coat were a trademark of the breed, but he was too slender to be full-blooded.
Grange dropped his head to grab another mouthful of grass, chewing slowly as he tried to suck the moisture from the plants. It was so very hot, which wasn’t helping the burning in his flanks. For the sake of being somewhat genial, however, he pushed away these thoughts and perked his ears a little more, listening to the other horse now, trying to show that he was friendly.
Cethin
Cethin thought about the name. He had been right, good. At least he knew some names. “Yup, Cethin, look-a-like extraordinaire.” He smiled and stepped a bit closer rather than keeping his distance, “Sudden mood changes?” He said between mouthfuls. His curly mane bounced in front of his eyes as he tore at the green grass. He swished his tail again, the flies were so unbearable. He sighed and turned to wave his muzzle at them to possibly drive the beasts away. He turned his scarred face back to the champagne, Grange. Small talk never was the stallion’s specialty, but so often he got himself into chatting situations it seemed. He was slightly annoyed with himself, but his interest in the stallion kept him from walking off.
Grange
“Not usually,” the stallion said, giving a tiny smile to Cethin. “Normally, this isn’t how I am,” he said, twitching his tail out of habit, even though it had been proven useless already. “It’s just been frustrating; the heat draws the flies, and the flies make this--” he gestured to the mess of his flanks--“hurt worse,” he finished, turning back to face the black horse. He stared at Cethin for a moment, trying to figure out exactly what was going on in the horse’s brain. It was a little hard though, as he got distracted by the fluffy little beard Cethin owned. It was kind of adorable, Grange thought. Though, immediately, he squashed the thought--as he’d learned to do a long time ago. Squash it like a bug and move on, feining disinterest to make sure the thought stayed squashed.
“Why are you being so kind?” he asked, his blue eyes turned on Cethin. “That’s not really very Bachelor-like of you,” he mused, wondering if maybe Cethin had a shred of decency, like the few friends Grange had found in the herd. “Any of the other stallions found me, they’d just laugh,” he said, shrugging as he spoke matter-of-factly.
Cethin
Cethin blinked, “Yup, they would.” He thought about his reason and replied, still choosing his words carefully, “Well think about it. If you speak or act somewhat kindly to another stallion and some point in this war you are nearly killed and have to crawl to what seems like safety. Who would you like behind you, A potential friend or an enemy? I’d prefer a friend. Plus I’d hate to be on your bad side. If you survived cougars then I wouldn’t mess with you.” Cethin looked at Grange’s claw marks and decided that what he said was true. They were a mess and Cethin had no preference to fight with a stallion who had survived a cougar that made those marks. “Well this normally is how I am, well except for the constant swishing of my tail. The flies here really are strangely annoying yet still just as unbearable.” Cethin flicked another ear towards a bird. While he waited for the other stallion to respond he observed. Of course he was short and he had a very messed up rump, but his coat seemed clean and he seemed much more… what could you say? Approachable now.
---
Grange
“That’s true,” Grange said, smiling slightly as he mulled over Cethin’s words. “Perhaps, if I were smarter, I’d spend less time making enemies in this herd,” he said, shaking his neck in his horse-version of a shrug. After the loss of his brother, Grange began to speak out more and more against the cruelties that inhabited his herd. So far, he’d managed to keep on all right, but he had made some definite enemies. Despite this, he’d also made friends, and it seemed that Cethin might soon join that number...perhaps. “I can’t really say that I’m tough,” Grange said, with a low chuckle. “Just fast. I outran them...barely,” he said, picking up the grass blades to shoo away another wave of flies before dropping it to speak again. “It was my own stupid fault; I was out too late, and I got trapped in the woods after dark. They were out prowling, and they found me,” he said, grabbing a mouthful of grass and chomping it quickly. “Besides, you’ve got some scars of your own,” he said, letting his eyes rove over the black stallion’s coat, possibly a moment longer than he should have. He snapped his gaze to the bird that Cethin had seen, feigning interest in the small creature to keep his attention off the other spotted horse.
Cethin
“Those weren’t from cougars though.” He looked at the scars behind his front legs. “Grass beast. Evil little wreck of fur.” He winced remembering it and dropped the subject. “You were smart enough to accept my help with the grass earlier, which certainly says something. Some of the others would find it crazy to accept help.” Cethin nodded at Grange’s recount of the cougars and knew that if he’d been caught by some he probably wouldn’t have made it. Cethin knew that most horses wouldn’t even be able to outrun a cougar anyway. So it was surprising enough as it was.
The sun had nearly dipped out of view. Here in the meadows, not much was a problem, but now Cethin started to lift his head frequently and listen and look for anything.
Grange
Grange shuddered in sympathy as he stared at the horse’s scars. “Those do look bad,” he said, hissing in sympathy as he leaned his head out to inspect Cethin’s legs. After a second, he pulled away, trying not to seem like he was using this an excuse to get closer to the horse. “By the way….I don’t think I’ve thanked you yet,” he said, twitching one of his ears. “So, thanks. It can be pretty lonely around here without friends,” he said, smiling softly. “I guess not all the stallions in this herd are as bad as I thought,” he said, smirking slightly as he twitched his tail, this time in an amused gesture rather than an annoyed-at-flies one. He couldn’t believe that he was actually teasing the stranger, who he’d become more friendly with in a shorter amount of time than he had with most other Bachelor horses he knew. Grange was having a hard time squashing the snaking feeling that wound its way through his mind. It was a feeling he knew well, but not one he tried to encourage. But maybe, just maybe….Grange thought to himself about how outgoing the black horse had been, and how he’d volunteered to brush flies away from Grange’s cuts with his muzzle, as well as giving Grange the grass fan. That seemed….Grange tried to tell himself he was making up something that wasn’t there, but it didn’t work….more than friendly.
Cethin
Cethin smiled, “Doesn’t seem much worse than yours.” He nodded slightly to the stallion, the smile still on his face, “Not a problem.” The dark stallion could almost pick up something other than Grange’s teasing. Certainly the two were friends now if they could have such a long conversation without storming off or challenging each other. The moon had risen with the dark an it bathed the meadow in silvery light. He looked up at the silver light and said, “Up to a bit of a run?” He didn’t know if the stallion would like to or could with those wounds, but it’d help him wake up and probably scare any other animals out away.
Grange
Grange stared up at the bright, nearly full moon, watching it float gently into the sky. He smiled at Cethin, feeling a bit of a competitive edge rising within him. “I can’t promise much, but it’ll be good to stretch out my legs,” he said, taking a few warm-up steps in a half-circle, swishing his tail in a playful manner. “Perhaps you should give me a head start,” he teased, smiling at Cethin broadly. Normally, he wouldn’t show this much emotion to another member of his herd; Grange was guarded, and he rarely spoke (unless he was boycotting something the Bachelors were doing) to the other horses. Even more rarely than that did he tease or play-flirt with the Bachelors’ members. His small circle of friends usually supplied him, but Grange couldn’t deny that he felt that he was missing something. He knew what it was he was missing: someone to care for, and someone who would care for him. But he’d long ago resigned himself to never finding that. Now, under the glimmer of the moon, he caught sight of a tiny hope.
Cethin
He laughed and said, “To that hill and back? And if you should know I couldn’t do that.” He smiled and jogged in place, warming up. It wouldn’t be a long run, but with his sore legs he’d have to get ready. The other stallion was certainly his type and Cethin could see a change in attitude. All of Cethin’s friends tolerated him or joked with him, but this stallion he’d be the one. Just now he needed to confirm that. Cethin stood back lining himself up with Grange, “You ready?” Cethin certainly was and he shook his mane with excitement. He certainly wasn’t the best at flirting or anything, but what he was good at was running alongside another horse.
Grange
Grange’s teeth gleamed in the moonlight as he smiled, putting his ears back, not in anger, but in a competitive expression. “I was born ready,” he replied with a small laugh, getting ready to race. “Ready...set...GO!” he counted off, launching himself forward, though his stride was stiff from the aching of his muscles. His canter was a bit lopsided, but he managed all right, and he even picked up a bit of speed as the horses thundered towards the hill that Cethin had picked out. While Grange’s legs were focused on pumping up and down, running towards his goal, his mind wandered, racing faster than he could, even in great health. Was Cethin actually trying to flirt with him? Could that really be what this was about? He couldn’t tell if his heart was pounding because he was running or because he was excited. He knew it had to be a mixture of both. Was Cethin feeling the same? Grange almost missed the hill, so deep was he in his thoughts. Only at the top did he realize that he was halfway through with the race. Glancing about to look for Cethin, he turned for the return run.
Cethin
Cethin pumped his legs and took off at a gallop, but saw Grange in front of him. He bided his time and conserved his energy, turning at the top of the hill and beginning to race back down. He pulled up next to Grange and matched the stallion’s steps. His curly black mane whipped in the wind and his ears were pinned down as to keep the wind from battering them. “So, needed a head start right?” He spoke over the wind, just below a yell. His beard was flapping into his face and in those moments he always felt like he needed to cut it off or something. Yet this time he laughed. He matched hoofsteps with Grange and his Thoroughbred showed through for the first time in what seemed like forever.
Grange
Grange could see that Cethin was holding in his stride to match his choppy gait. “Isn’t...it….cheating if you….let me win?” he asked, his breath labored due to his having to work harder to go as fast as he normally could. He chuckled, tossing his neck, putting on a final burst of speed, mindful of the aching in his hindquarters, making sure he didn’t pull open any of the scabbed cuts and re-injure himself. Grange had to smile as he watched Cethin’s beard get caught up; it was kind of very cute how it bounced about from his chin like a furry little face-tail. As they rounded the finish line, Grange pulled up, neck-and-neck with Cethin. “Well, you’re speedy,” he gasped, trotting in a circle to slow his breathing and relax. “Good race,” he said, trying to make small talk with Cethin, not willing to take a leap from small talk to the deep thoughts that occupied his mind.
Cethin
The stallion smiled and agreed, “Yes a wonderful race.” He took a few deep breaths before settling back into an easy breathing. The moon burned bright and both the stallions were illuminated by it, “So you have anyone special in particular?” Cethin flicked an ear at him as he looked around for an especially inviting place to sit and rest. He started off at a walk to a small clover patch and sat down right on his haunches. “You coming?” He blinked and picked up a four leaf clover, “It’ll be your lucky day.” He joked waving the plant in front of him.
Grange
“Oh, uh, no, I don’t,” Grange stammered, shyly glancing sidelong at Cethin as they walked to the clover patch. Grange settled down, gingerly lying down on his side, keeping the area with the least cat claw-marks to the ground. He sighed in relief; the warmth of the earth and the coolness of the dew marking the clover felt good against his hide. “So, why is it my lucky day?” he teased, reaching out his neck to grab a mouthful of clover and rip it from the ground, chewing it happily as he glanced at Cethin again.
Cethin
Cethin smiled, “Not sure yet, you’ll know soon though since it’s already almost tomorrow.” He thought about Grange’s answer, He didn’t. Cethin could happily change that status, but when it came to asking about anything like that he was clueless. The brute was happy enough right now that he wouldn’t refuse hanging out with Grange again. Even if he wasn’t happy he couldn’t refuse the Cute stallion. Cethin smiled at himself and turned to enjoy the cold night with the other stallion.
Grange
It must have been near one a.m. when Grange began to shiver; the deep clover was covered with dew, and it had finally soaked through his thin coat, chilling him. At first, he tried to hide the chattering of his teeth, but he finally gave in, and carefully rolled over slightly, so he was closer to Cethin. He glanced at the other stallion, trying to make sure he was asleep, as he soaked up the warmth radiating from his curly black coat. A tiny smile crossed his mouth as he turned to stare at the setting moon, feeling a rush of emotions swirl around inside, warming him from the inside. He hadn’t felt this relaxed around another stallion in….well….ever. It was a new feeling, and not one he wanted to give up on. Grange analyzed the night’s events again, trying to find any telltale sign that his intuition was wrong; he expected to be disappointed, and he was surprised when he couldn’t find anything. Maybe, just maybe, Cethin actually did like him. What a crazy idea.
Cethin
Asleep, ha. Cethin heard Grange roll over closer to him and he smiled and rolled to face him. He almost had the courage to ask, but he didn’t know. And rejection would suck and ruin the whole night. But how were they to know. He already had decided that Grange may like him, but. He just didn’t know for sure. “When you look at the stars, do you ever feel they determine your destiny. Or do you feel you make it up yourself and finding that someone just happens by chance? Cethin mused, speaking quietly (for a first). He gazed at the flickering lights and thought to himself quietly. How would the other stallion respond and would he get what Cethin was slowly getting to.
Grange
“I don’t put much faith in stars or unicorns,” Grange said, sighing as he gazed up at the sky. “But I do think there has to be something, some way of knowing how things are meant to go. When you finally do stumble onto the right path, there’s the aha moment, and the doubt that you’re totally wrong. The hardest part is choosing whether or not to take that step,” he said, looking over at Cethin with wide blue eyes. He was becoming tired of speaking in riddles and rhymes, but it seemed that they were both too cautious to leap without looking. Maybe, he should be braver, like he had learned to become in regards to the herd’s ways. But this was the one place he couldn’t be brave. He’d learned to be afraid of it for far too long to break that habit now. “If we were all fated to someone,” he said softly, “why would the Slaves be treated how they are? And even the ladies? They could make something for themselves if they tried...but no one’s designing their path for them….or they are, then unicorns must be horribly cruel,” he said, musing now more than anything else. In short, he was trying to multitask: he wanted to show (without using the direct approach, because that was far too frightening an idea) that he understood and reciprocated Cethin’s feelings; let the stallion know that he chose this, and felt it was not some random act of fate and find out what Cethin thought of the Bachelors. That was the one thing Grange needed to know; everything else was sort of blurred out in a happy haze. “What do you think of the stars?” he asked softly, blinking wide eyes at Cethin.
Cethin
Cethin thought a moment and then easily said, “The stars are rubbish. They guide you with their light, but they don’t determine anything for you. That you have to choose yourself and then you have to live your choice.” Cethin put it simply and then listened to Grange again. “The slaves and ladies had their destinies pre-determined by their parents and that leads all the way to history. I admire them though for not giving in and fighting each day. If I saw one escaping I wouldn’t give a care about it. She got to choose her way and then she got a new life.” Cethin had only mated once and he’d felt horrible for it since. That mare he may or may not of helped escape. “The unicorns are also rubbish if you ask me.” He joked. “I find that like you said, there’s the aha moment. Well now I’ll determine my destiny, I care for you, but do you care for me.” Cethin had finally asked and even though it had been a short while he felt connected to the other stallion. That aha moment had happened for Cethin, now did it happen for Grange?
Grange
Grange shivered, but not from the cold this time, as he gazed up at Cethin (who was taller than him, even lying down), falling silent for a moment as he soaked in all of the details about Cethin’s opinions. It was an incredible how in line Cethin’s ideals were with his own, something he never thought would happen in a herd as violent and cruel as the Bachelor herd. “I guess it’s my turn to determine my own destiny,” he said softly, as he rested his head under Cethin’s chin, Cethin’s beard flopping over his face like a black forelock. He smiled softly, looking up at Cethin to gage his reaction. “The stars don’t seem to be falling down, so I guess that’s a good sign,” the small champagne horse said softly, a smirk spreading across his face as he relaxed against Cethin’s side. “Your thoughts?”
Cethin
Must be, The much larger stallion thought with Grange’s words. “Certainly.” No stars would fall tonight it seemed they were meant to be. “A great sign.” He added with a smiled as he blew out softly. The other stallion’s warmth comforted him and he couldn’t remember a time when that had happened. It likely never had. He shifted so he was snug in the dew covered clovers and with Grange. “You know Grange, it’s quite… strange that we’d become friends. You were a grump and I wasn’t quite interested. You should thank the cougar and the flies now.” He laughed, deep and rumbling, somewhat comforting in a way.
Grange
Grange smiled as he stared up at Cethin, nuzzling his head against Cethin’s shoulder. “I guess I should thank them,” he said, glancing at the scarred skin of his flanks. Until this point, he’d seen it not as a mark of bravery, but as a livid scar that made him even less attractive to his own eyes. “So...where is this going?” he asked, turning back to look at Cethin with his electric blue gaze. “Because you called me your friend, but I don’t usually sit this close to my friends,” he said, giving Cethin a lopsided smile. “What smart retort do you have to that?” he teased softly.
Cethin
Cethin smiled, “Nothing much, it’s official we’re more than friends?” He smiled as he asked the question, obviously decided that the answer was yes already. He was getting tired though, and snuggling up to someone else would out him to sleep fast. The black stallion yawned and blinked sleepily, “Until morning?” He asked, it wouldn’t be far away.
Grange
“I think it is,” he whispered, settling down beside the Fresian cross, his breathing evening out as he drifted towards sleep. “Why only until then?” he asked, giving Cethin a teasing smile. “Besides, it’s almost dawn anyway,” he protested. “I don’t think that the herd should know about this….they’re mean enough without this knowledge,” he said, thinking of all his vast experiences with Cain’s brutes. Grange yawned softly, blinking sleepily up at the large black horse, a sleepy smile on his face.
Cethin
“No, the herd should not know,” Cethin said softly in agreement. He soaked in Grange’s warm and comfort then softly fell asleep despite his mind’s reeling. The two were obviously meant for each other, they just had to make it work. He fell into a soft rhythm, knowing there was only a few hours until he had to go spy on the Exile herd.
Grange
Grange drifted into sleep again, feeling comfortable and safe next to the curly black stallion, his head tucked between his forelegs, side pressed against Cethin. As he was drifting off, he let himself daydream, just a little. It was a dangerous thing to do; this was no laughing matter in the Bachelor herd, but he couldn’t stop himself this time. Thoughts of their race, teasing each other, and what might lie ahead danced through his mind behind his closed eyelids. He knew, in reality, it wouldn’t be as easy as he thought. Little time would be allotted for the two horses to be alone, especially since they had different ranks and differing jobs. But it could be done. He assured himself of that, as sleep finally took over completely.
Cethin
The dark stallion opened his eyes and remembered the night before and saw Grange still sleeping next to him. The stallion smiled and nudged the smaller champagne. He then stood and shook the dew out of his coat. “Wake up, cuddle buddy.” He laughed as he nudged the other stallion again. The sun was bathing the field and if the pair hurried, about five minutes apart from each other the herd probably wouldn’t suspect much. He began to fill his stomach while he waited for Grange to wake up. The stallion definitely meant something strong to Cethin already, after only a night. Now all they had to do was be able to meet up at times. This meadow would do good since it wasn’t so often inhabited.
Grange
Grange stirred, dismayed to see that it was already morning. Making his way painfully to his feet, he shook his curly mane out, littering the ground with bits of clover. Smiling in a goofy sort of way, he ambled over to Cethin’s side and began pulling up the fresh grass for a morning meal. “You should go,” he said softly, the words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. Right now he wanted to beg Cethin to stay, but that would be foolish, so he turned away for a second, composing himself. “I’ll catch up later,” the champagne stallion added, turning back to Cethin. “I’m off guard duty tonight, so, if you’re not doing anything,” like spying on the Exiles, he thought, as this was a common shared duty within the herd. It wasn’t as dangerous as it could be, but bad-tempered Exiles were still not to be trifled with, especially the ones like Rambriel with big hooves and bigger tempers. “No one has ever come here but you and my friend, Casper,” he said, glancing at the secluded meadow. It was easy to see someone coming, but because of a few small dips in the ground, it would be fairly painless to disappear from view without an intruder’s noticing. “It’s pretty quiet here,” he finished, with a shake of his mane. Falling silent, he waited for Cethin’s reply.
Cethin
“I’ve noticed,” He raised an eyebrow remembering when he had come to the place and not seeing anyone. “And of course I’ll be here tonight, should Cain not change my plans.” He smiled and nuzzled Grange affectionately before taking a last bite and beginning on his way back. “The exiles don’t do much, so plan on my being here.” He smiled at Grange a last time before continuing and disappearing into the forest.
He clopped along the forest floor rather quietly thinking about the night’s events and couldn’t help feeling warmth spread through his chest. Grange was the affection Cethin had never had and hopefully Cethin could be something for him.
Grange
Grange watched him go, feeling an unfamiliar tug on his heart as the black horse disappeared. The feeling, however, only lasted a moment, and was replaced by a spreading warmth that made him forget even the pain in his haunches for the time being. He cropped a few more mouthfuls of grass, biding his time until it was all right to return to the herd without raising suspicion. When the time finally came, he trotted back towards the bulk of the Bachelor herd, his ears pricked and his tail swinging happily. He would spend his day guarding the border (such a boring job, but at least he got to explore from time to time), biding his time until morning faded into noon, noon to late afternoon, and night fell finally.
---
Please note that this thread is a private RP between ValiantShadow's Grange and POEDOGS's Cethin. We do not appreciate posts made to this thread. This thread is solely for the members of Chevalin-Wanderlust to enjoy reading. Thank you for understanding!
-POE
Part Two's Scheduled Release: Undecided
Please note that this thread is a private RP between ValiantShadow's Grange and POEDOGS's Cethin. We do not appreciate posts made to this thread. This thread is solely for the members of Chevalin-Wanderlust to enjoy reading. Thank you for understanding!
-POE
Part Two's Scheduled Release: Undecided