Seamus looked as much like a ghost to him as he did to Seamus. He took in the Chief’s face-framing red hair, vivid sorrel coat, and the tattoos that ran across his body. These were the features of the Chief Seamus he remembered, and yet, he couldn’t possibly imagine this as Chief Seamus.
The Chief Seamus he had known would have have abandoned Irichad’s loyal scouts to chilly deaths. The Chief Seamus he had known would never have let everyone believe that they were dead. The Chief Seamus he had known would never have hidden Lanseril’s body and buried him without a proper funeral gathering.
Was this even Chief Seamus? Or was this the ghost of the chief he had once known?
He didn’t have revolution on the mind, at least not yet.
Romie stared at the chief, confusion and anger flickering in his steely gaze. He didn’t say anything, but his gaze itself was asking a question. He wanted to know why. He wanted to understand.
@Morningmist haha! That’s awesome! I’ll have to read it!
I commented this in response to Aspi’s comment so I’ll go ahead and re-comment it to show you, as well.
Seamus will probably try to defend himself and disagree with what Carmela is accusing him of. He’ll say something along the lines of not knowing Romie and the others in the group had been alive all this time, or that Snow herd was involved. If he had known Snow herd was the one at fault, he would have bartered or even invaded Snow herd to get them back. But when the search parties found nothing, he assumed they had perished on their expedition due to natural causes. Seamus cares for his subjects and he will be relieved that Romie is alive and home. He’ll apologize for what happened to him, but he won’t take the blame. Does all that work for you?)
(I’ll let Ash reply first before I comment too much with Avery!)
Avery:
Her hearts hammered loudly in her chests when Cole pulled Lakha towards the door. The tavern had gotten quiet as centaurs disregarded their meals and conversations to watch the sudden tension unfold.
Avery swallowed and followed after Cole. She anxiously glanced between the two stallions, their anger so rich and intense she could practically feel it. Without warning, Lakha reared and struck out his sharp hooves, aiming right at Cole’s legs. Her eyes widened -immediately scared for Cole- and all she could do was cry out.
Kavani:
She finished wiping off the counter as she heard the door open softly. Bhearit appeared in the doorway, looking miserable and exhausted. She left the clean counter behind and came to stand closer to him, then slowed to a halt once Bhearit’s brother came inside.
The air was thick with awkwardness and unspoken words. Kavani shifted her weight -and unsure what else to do- offered a small wave at Ashtohn.
Her gaze found Bhearit’s again and her expression softened as she searched his eyes. Kavani hated to see him so upset and hurt.
Both brothers had lost someone dear to them, and her absence was obviously on the forefront of their minds. Kavani knew that pain all too well. Her mind thought back to her father. The weak smile he had summoned specifically for her as she sat next to his bed, clutching his hand like a lifeline and trying to hold back her tears. She remembered laying old, drab flowers over the mound of fresh dirt at the base of the tombstone. After a simple funeral in the rain, her mother had locked herself in her room for days. Maybe weeks. And locked her two young children out. Kavani was utterly alone before she had time to register and grieve her own father’s death. She remembered Kollin’s small, round face peering up at her, and trailing her around the kitchen as she tried to make some sort of dinner. Back then, there was no one to comfort her, no one to guide her or tell her what to do. How to raise her 5 year old brother when she was just a 13 year old girl. How to reason with her mother whenever she had episodes of confusion and instability. The world and all its problems has been riding on her shoulders ever since.
Since she knew Bhearit and Ashtohn’s grief, she wanted to help. To help ease the heart-wrenching pain in some way. In any way she could.
As Bhearit headed for the door, muttering something about getting more firewood, Kavani walked after him and took his wrist gently. When she spoke, her voice was steadfast with a light-hearted tenderness she only seemed to use when it came to Bhearit.
“I can go with you? Another set of hands to carry firewood?” It was a question, an offer, and he could refuse if he wanted.
Even if the task was as simple as collecting firewood, she secretly hoped Bhearit would accept her help. She didn’t want to be alone, and she hoped Bhearit didn’t either.
(Tehehehehehehe)
Fawnroot:
As soon as she entered the den, she heard Rimecrest’s voice. Her heart swelled with hope and relief. She hurried over to him and laid a comforting wing against his back. “Easy; you’re alright. I’m here.” She muzzled his forelock out of his eyes.
“How do you feel?” Fawnroot had heard the way he groaned a moment ago as he sank deeper into the moss and feather-covered ground. “Are you in pain?”
The medicine mare kept her voice calm and thoughtful as she inspected his body and checked for a fever.
During the questioning with Callum and Rayfire, Hassan did not give them any useful information. Fawnroot doubted the younger sibling’s were involved, but she was confident that Hassan was hiding something. His strange tin of “sleeping medication” was the only lead she had, so his relation to Rimecrest’s condition was concerning. Plus, his reluctance to speak honestly and his clear disdain for Pegasi didn’t exactly work in his favor. And yet, the last thing Fawnroot wanted to do was jump to conclusions and falsely blame him for something they didn’t have real evidence for.
She forced those thoughts out of her mind -they wouldn’t do her any good right now- and focused back on Rimecrest. In this moment, she was just relieved he was awake.
Lakha: His dark complexion hid the fact that Cole’s words sent the blood rushing into his face. “They don’t know anything and neither do you,” Lakha spat. It might seem bananas to a guy like Cole who had spent the last few years in Johirestown, but the people in Iraweigh cared more about the sacred monkeys than they did about sportsmanship.
He tried to see past Cole to the centaurs inside the bar. If this were to mean anything at all, they would have to be able to see him! He saw Cole’s wither’s tense, so he knew his best bet was to go low, for the centaur’s knees.
Lakha reared up and then dove down, crashing his hooves towards Cole’s knees, trying to knock him backward, through the glass doors and back into the pub.
(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!)
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.)
@Aspidistrabloom (Seamus will probably try to defend himself and disagree with what Carmela is accusing him of. He’ll say something along the lines of not knowing Romie and the others in the group had been alive all this time, or that Snow herd was involved. If he had known Snow herd was the one at fault, he would have bartered or even invaded Snow herd to get them back. But when the search parties found nothing, he assumed they had perished on their expedition due to natural causes. Seamus cares for his subjects and he will be relieved that Romie is alive and home. He’ll apologize for what happened to him, but he won’t take the blame. Does all that work for you, and Carmela’s arc?)
(Don’t worry at all, Ashsong! I’ll be praying for you and I hope that 2025 will bring peace and comfort. As you said, you are not alone-these last few months have been challenging for me, too. God is with you and everything will get better!)
Avery:
She felt a little guilty about making a late entrance, but she also enjoyed their intimate moments before finally heading out. After Cole’s tournament and the long day, it was nice to finally have some time just for each other, which was cut short due to the celebratory party. However, based on the immediate cheers and applause from the fans in the tavern, she doubted many of the centaurs noticed, and their tardiness was easily forgiven and forgotten. Cole was swept up by the crowd. Drinks were hoisted into the air, hooves stomped into the ground, cheers echoed around the room, and Cole’s coach personally congratulated his triumph. Avery couldn’t stop grinning; she was deeply proud of Cole, and he deserved this party’s recognition.
She laughed at the boisterous energy that buzzed in the room, and cheered along as they toasted to his victory.
As everyone slowly calmed down and went back to their drinks and meals, Avery wandered around the tavern; partially exploring the bar and partially looking for Cole. She smoothed down her green blouse right as a warm hand snaked its way around her waist. At first, she assumed it was a drunk stallion trying to flirt with her, but as she turned to face the centaur, relief washed over her and her gaze softened at the sight of Cole.
She blushed at his comment about missing her, then leaned towards his ear to respond, “You’re very popular! This is your night and your party! You deserve to celebrate and-“ She was wholly interrupted by a slurring, drunk centaur who reeked of cider and sweat. Avery pinned her ears at him and swished her red tail defiantly. “Leave us alone!” Her voice cracked as she spoke, but she wasn’t about to let this berating stallion ruin their night. His words felt like a knife in her heart, but she tried not to show it.
It took her a moment to recognize him as Cole’s opponent from the boxing match: so, he was a sore loser looking for a fight. Avery swallowed and took a step away from Lakha.
(AAAAAAAA ASHTOHN YOU POOR DUDE! AAAAAA Bhearit, too! Someone get them some ice cream and a nap! This is hard on both of them for different reasons 😭😭)
Kavani:
She took the tea mug with a grateful smile, while Kollin sniffed the dark liquid and blinked down at it curiously. Kavani looked back to Bhearit as he handed her a piece of bread and her lips quirked slightly as he teased her about it, but she accepted the bread anyway.
A knock at the door took Bhearit’s attention, and Kavani stiffened as he moved to answer it. A somewhat familiar voice reached her ears and she frowned. Was that Bhearit’s half-brother? The one they briefly met that morning? Suddenly suspicious and intrigued, Kavani stood up straighter as she watched Bhearit carefully for any sign that she needed to step in. He didn’t need to deal with this right now.
But, in that moment, Bhearit stepped outside and closed the door behind him. The silence that followed Bhearit’s absence was deafening.
She swallowed and took her own mug of tea into both hands, staring down at her distorted reflection in the dark liquid as her thoughts drifted to Bhearit. She was tempted to go outside and see if he was alright, but that seemed like a very private and exclusively familial conversation; she didn’t wish to intrude on Bhearit’s private life more than she already had. However, she saw the drawn and tight look on his face before he closed the door; whatever they were talking about was painful for him.
Kavani sighed and glanced down at Kollin, who had taken it upon himself to sip carefully on his tea. Kavani desperately hoped that the hot, calming tea would help Kollin settle down. She rubbed the ends of his hair for a moment, and he leaned his head against her torso.
“I think Bhearit’s right about Teddy being tired; we should get him to bed. It’s past his bedtime, after all.” Technically, it was past Kollin’s bedtime, but Bhearit was smart: making it seem like Teddy was the one who actually needed sleep might be enough reason to get Kollin into bed.
The boy took one look down at his stuffed bear, before shoving the remaining portion of bread into his mouth and scampering into the bedroom without a word. Kavani followed closely behind him and helped him change into a softer shirt that he preferred to sleep in. She still didn’t like the idea of sleeping in Bhearit’s bed, while he was forced to be on the floor, but now didn’t seem like the time to argue about it.
Kollin yawned big as Kavani tucked him in. “I’m not tired. I wanna stay up!” He said as he drew the covers around Teddy, tucking in his bear just as Kavani had done for him.
“Try to sleep. Teddy needs you, and it’s been a long day. I’ll be in soon.” Kavani replied simply, and extinguished the lantern on the little bedside table. Deep, encompassing darkness filled the room and she sat in silence next to the bed, listening to the soft sounds of Kollin’s breath. Sleep weighed down her mind and the darkness of the room was so comforting that she found it difficult to move, but she didn’t want to rest until making sure Bhearit was alright. “Goodnight,” She muttered softly as she pulled herself up and closed the door behind her.
After finally getting Kollin to bed, she looked around the main room in the little hut. Bhearit was nowhere in sight. Was he still outside? She couldn’t hear anything other than the wind through the branches and the slight creaking of the house. Kavani peeked out of the nearest window and barely made out Bhearit’s paint coat illuminated by the dim light in the house. Standing across from him was his step-brother, but it was far too dark to see him clearly. Deciding to leave the brothers to have their privacy, she headed back to the kitchen where her bread and tea was left discarded. To pass the time, she started wiping down the counter with a wet rag, putting away the leftover bread, cleaning the tea kettle and Kollin’s empty mug: all while sipping on her luke-warm tea and listening for Bhearit’s voice.
(LOOOOONG DXXX)
(In order to save on time since the RP is closing, we can just skip till morning with Sun herd. I originally had an idea to make Hawkflight intervene and cause some trouble, but I don’t see much of a point to it now hehe. Unless, Ash you’d like to do it for fun or something?)
Fawnroot:
She sent one last smile over her shoulder at Callum before picking up a trot and weaving her way through the trees. The familiar meadow broadened before her and the sounds of the herd settling down for the night were all she could hear.
Her first priority was to check on Rimecrest. There was a good chance he was still unconscious, but if he was awake, he would probably be hungry and thirsty. She made her way to the medicine mare den with renewed fervor, her breath coming out from her nostrils in visible puffs.
She fanned her feathers readily as she cantered inside the den, looking for the colt.
Seamus:
An older guard opened the door and peered into the early morning light. “State your business,” He had hardly finished speaking when his eyes grew wide with recognition. His jaw fell slack as he stared dumbfounded at Romie, as if he were seeing a ghost. “Erm, I will fetch the chief. P-Please come in.” He stammered through his shock, and opened the door wide enough for them to enter.
Not wasting a second, he turned on his heels and ran down a long hallway to the chief’s office. “Sir! Your presence is requested.” He spoke rapidly as he pounded on the chief’s birch door.
Seamus came to the door not a second later, and studied the guard for a long moment and took a long swig from his coffee before responding, “Osiris, what’s wrong? You’re as pale as the snow.”
Osiris seemed to get more frantic in response to the chief’s nonchalance.
“Yessir. Please come to the throne room… You’ll want to see for yourself.”
Seamus raised a red brow at his guard, then nodded reluctantly. It was the end of the week and he was expecting an easier day; what had worked up his guard enough to elicit this sort of reaction? He made sure his jeweled band was straight on his head, before following the guard towards the throne room.
Upon entering, the guard returned to his place by the door.
Seamus tightened the bear skin around his shoulders as he inspected the two young centaurs in front of him. He immediately recognized Carmela and greeted her with a gentle nod. “What can I do for you?”
He then turned his attention to the stallion next to her. His brows scrunched together and his lips pursed. He slowly approached the young centaur as his brain tried to comprehend what he was seeing.“It couldn’t be…” Seamus tilted his head to the side as the light from the windows streamed onto the boy’s face, illuminating his features.
Seamus all but froze as recognition and confusion deepened his expression. He did not speak, perhaps he could not, or perhaps he was allowing Carmela and the ghost to explain themselves first.
(It’s so bittersweet to see this RP coming to a close!! It has been such a pleasure writing with you all- I mean that with all my heart. As we leave this page behind and continue on with other things in life, I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for reading and entertaining my novel-worthy responses 😂 Thank you for all the memories, all the laughs, all the tears, and all the love.
In a way, this role play has raised me. It’s gotten me through some rough times. YOU all have gotten me through some rough times, and you probably didn’t even know it. That may be naive of me to say, but it’s true. Even though we have never ever met in real life, you all are the best online friends I could have. I have LOVED being a member of this herd 💕💕
My characters are a part of me. There’s a little bit of me in each of my characters, in each of my replies. It’s been so rewarding to see them blossom and grow and change. And that is also thanks to all of you, who have always been so supportive and challenged me and my writing ability. As sappy as this sounds, my characters also wish to say thank you. We’ve come so far.
I remember, all those years, I was so excited to sit down at my computer and check if anyone had replied to my previous comment. I went to school daydreaming about the awesome action scenes, romantic and wholesome ships, the politics, and all the interesting characters. Those hours I spent thinking about and writing my responses, thinking about each character, and how this response could benefit the story. AND WHAT A STORY WE HAVE CREATED!!!
This Message Board, and the people I’ve had the privilege of role-playing with, will always be in my heart. That being said, even if this RP is coming to a close, I don’t think I can ask myself to leave the Message Board completely. My love for The Guardian Herd books and its author is too strong to allow me to leave just yet 😊. So, I will still be here! Rereading my favorite scenes. Commenting on other posts. Discussing my love for TGH books and characters with anyone willing to listen. If anyone is online or in need of a friend, come pop in and say hi to your friendly neighborhood Riverbreeze!
And now to save this from becoming too long and sappy, just know that in these final comments, these final thoughts from me and my characters, that you all are loved! I praise and thank God for each and every one of you!
(There really isn’t much more special than creating your own special world with good friends. We definitely appreciate all the heart you have put into this :)
(Hey guys! I hope you all are having a nice start to 2025! It was a really nice surprise to check here by chance and to see such a lovely rendition of Reba and Sultaan! I love the warm tones and I can imagine what they are just about to do next!!Thanks a bunch Ash and happy belated holidays!!!
I’ve really had fun RPing with you guys over the years and I appreciate all the creativity and patience we have shared together. As time goes on, though, I’m not as interested in the old characters I developed so many years ago and I feel like I have lost touch with what I had wanted for them in the first place. I want to reveal their endings and close off their stories. I don’t want to leave either of you hanging, so I would like to slowly maneuver my characters that are interacting with all of yours out of action without hurting any of your storylines. For my characters that have already fallen by the wayside, I’ll start sharing their endings in the next few days.
It’s been such a pleasure meeting you guys and I wish you all the best!)
(I’m not exactly sure where I want to go with Reba.)
Reba: “Well, there isn’t winter where I come from. We have a dry season and a rainy season… it’s always cold at night and hot during the day…” she said. “That doesn’t change. Maybe it’s a little boring compared to Anok, but sometimes we get a lot of rain during rainy season!!”
She finished eating, chewing her last bite slowly. Talking a lot at least made mealtimes seem longer.
(If Ash and RB are ok with it, I’d like to use this fight to close off Lakha’s storyline. For good or ill, we’ll see…)
Lakha: About an hour ago, he had stomped into the tavern, glaring frantically at anyone who tried to say anything to him. He stationed himself at the corner of the bar and ordered a succession of ciders… not hard ciders, but he made it seem as if they were. He slowed his movements and started making slurred comments to the other centaurs in the tavern, the perfect image of a drunk centaur. He gulped at his glorified apple juice, waiting for Cole and his girlfriend to show up. Lakha would reclaim his dignity and show Iraweigh once and for all that he was a mighty fighter, no matter what Russel blackmailed him into doing. Outside of the ring, he was finally free.
He watched Cole wander around the tavern from his dark corner, until he finally caught sight of him and Avery together. Lakha lurched to his hooves and made himself stumble across the tavern to where Cole and Avery stood.
“You…” he spat. “You’ve got some nerve showing up here with an ugly wench like that!” He tried to slur his words more. “A champ’un like you witha fat old lumpofacent… cent… you think you’ve got something special? You gotta load of dung!!”
Hey Aspi!! Glad to see you back even though it'll be for a short while. It's been so wonderful having you in this RP. You're such an amazing writer and all your characters I've had mine interact with have been really enjoyable. I'm sorry to see you go, but I think we all lowkey need to finish up with this RP. I'll make a post for all the character ending summaries so that they don't get lost in this page. Thanks so much for sticking around for just a little bit longer to close the storylines!
MERRY CHRISTMAS YALL IDK IF YALL ARE ALIVE BUT I AM JUST BARELY I APOLOGIZE SINCERELYYYYYY FOR THE GINORMOUS GAP OF TIME I TOOK JUST TO REPLY WITH MY COMMENTS!!! Life has just been not all that fantastic at a lot of points this year (and I’m sure I’m not the only one) but I’m VERY happy to have the free time to just RP during this break!!!!!)
Eira:
She gazed at her cousin for several moments, waiting for him to meet her gaze. In her heart, it pleased her that the stallion couldn’t do so without a hint of shame.
“I’m going home,” she said, breaking the silence at last.
The hint of shame in his face immediately vanished. “What?!” Keanar snapped.
“Yes, I’m not staying here any longer,” Eira replied simply. “I thought you’d like to know.”
“But you can’t. I’m the one who brought you here—“
“And I can get myself home perfectly well.” Eira smoothed a hair out of her face. “Your father will send someone to retrieve you soon enough.”
Keanar clutched the bars. “Eira, why must you abandon me?”
She simply shook her head. “I’m only going ahead. Besides, the Tavern is closed. Good day.”
Whatever else her cousin said she did not hear. Eira made her way quickly out of that wretched place.
Sultaan:
“I’m glad to hear that,” he signed as he took a rather large bite of bread. He brushed the crumbs off his fingers on his horse shoulder.
“You also get to experience new foods too. Although I imagine they’re not better than yours,” he added. “I’ve never been anywhere outside of Johirestown, although I’ve heard of lots of places. What’s the weather like during winter in your home?”
Callum:
“Good night,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. He gently touched Fawn’s flank before she went out of reach, his fingers just brushing her coat. It was growing thicker as the days grew cooler, he realized. Callum’s as well. Goosebumps travelled up his arms and the back of his neck as chilly evening breeze kicked up. Callum’s thin shirt wasn’t going to shield him against any sort of foul weather. He had no money with which to buy a coat in town either. Well, the last thing he needed was to stress about something he couldn’t deal with at the moment.
Hopefully tonight wouldn’t be eventful. He doubted the siblings would cause any trouble, though. Callum turned toward the direction of where they had been taken and made his way after them. (I don’t plan on making the siblings cause a middle of the night scene. So do we wanna put our characters to bed so that we go to morning? Unless you have an idea for more drama 👀👀)
Callum arrived to the area where the centaurs were being held for the night. Hassan was the first to notice him. It was too dim to see his face, or any of the siblings’ for that matter.
“I’ll be taking shifts on watch during the night,” Callum said to the pegasus guards.
He had lots of experience with this sort of thing, although he might actually be a little rusty. Especially when his mind was on other things at the moment. ( :)))) )
(Sorry it’s WAAAAYYY shorter than yours River!!!
Cole:
He shivered at Avery’s gentle touches. What a contrast compared to what he went through not long before. He massaged her lower back, unable to let go.
Cole sighed and reluctantly moved his face away, now feeling a little colder. “I guess wounded but victorious warriors don’t always smell as nice as their maidens.” He then placed a firm last kiss on her lips before pulling away at last.
(Ima just skip to where they both are heading down to the tavern after getting ready!!)
By the time they arrived at the tavern, it was a half hour later than Cole’s coach had wanted him. An eruption of laughter echoed from inside the building. Cole chuckled.
He wasn’t about to admit it just yet, but as he and Avery approached the doors, he felt more and more like turning around and going home with Avery in tow. But it was not to be so.
Suddenly the doors swung open and a rush of warm sweat and brew tinted air burst into his and Avery’s faces.
His buddy grabbed Cole by the collar and dragged him inside, causing Cole to let go of Avery’s hand. “Get in here, Cole!! We’ve been waiting ages!” Jirad, his friend, yelled. He raised Cole’s hand up.
“IRAWEIGH’S VICTORIOUS ONE HAS ARRIVED AT LAST!!”
A great roar of triumph erupted from the crowd, beer mugs swung about above heads and fists pumped into the air. Cole’s friends started chanting and slamming the floorboards with their hooves in unison.
Cole chuckled as two of his friends yanked him further into the crowd. “ALRIGHT ALRIGHT! SHUT YER MOUTHS!” Cole’s coach barked and smacked the back of a couple of the men’s heads. “Tonight we celebrate another victory of Iraweigh’s—we celebrate Cole Finau’s triumph!”
Cole smiled slightly as his coach shook him by the shoulders in a firm but proud grip. “Also wanna thank my coach for making it possible and keeping my head on straight,” he added once the clapping died down a little. More applause arose from the crowd as people focused their attention on Cole’s coach.
Someone handed Cole a mug of beer, and he drank from it before raising the mug above his head. Everyone cheered.
People then went back to their conversations and meals. Many came to congratulate Cole and slap him on the back or shake his hand.
Something was missing. Cole looked around, giving brief smiles at people who met his eyes and congratulated him.
He spotted the red ponytail among the crowd. Cole quickly weaved himself through the crowd and, once close enough, reached over and wrapped his arm around Avery’s waist, his hand resting on her horse shoulder.
“Knew I was missing somebody,” he said into her ear so that she could hear over the chaos.
Bhearit:
He watched Kollin as he tried the piece of raisin bread. When the colt’s face brightened upon tasting it, Kollin gave him a thumbs up. Bhearit sliced a bigger piece for him and handed it to him.
(I can’t remember if the teabags were already seeping or not but let’s just say the tea was ready 😭)
Bhearit quietly filled two cups full of tea, handing one to Kavani. A steady static was buzzing in the back of his mind, causing his thought process to be slow. “It’s not sweetened,” he said. “I need to purchase sugar sometime.” Bhearit dimly realized that he hadn’t responded to Kavani’s comment earlier. “Ah, no, don’t worry about eating my food. It needs to be eaten, and I’m very happy to share,” he added.
Bhearit looked up from Kollin and at Kavani, offering a small smile. He sliced another piece of bread and held it to her. “Here. It’d be… rude not to accept,” he said teasingly. Bhearit looked down at Kollin once the colt had finished his piece of bread.
“Why don’t you go get snuggled in bed with Teddy? It’s late, and I bet Teddy’s very tired,” he suggested and gently ruffled the colt’s hair. He glanced at Kavani to see if she was okay with it.
There was a knock at the door. Bhearit cleared his throat. “Be right back.” He walked over to the door and opened it.
The cold air hit his face and he shuddered. It was dark now, and so it took a few moments for his eyes to adjust. Bhearit could just make out a centaur standing there.
“Who is this?” he asked, blinking.
The centaur cleared his throat. Ah. He recognized him now.
“What do you—what are you doing here?” Bhearit asked, keeping his voice low.
Ashtohn exhaled softly, and he heard a slight tremor in his breath. “Um…” There was a long moment of silence. “Sage is… she left,” Ashtohn said finally.
Bhearit’s brow furrowed slightly as the urge to say something snarky rose in his throat. He swallowed it. “I’m sorry,” Bhearit mumbled. His nose wrinkled in disgust as angry thoughts swirled on his mind. Why now? Did his girlfriend impact him more than his own mother?
Ashtohn exhaled softly. “She, um… her family moved to Mangrove, and so she decided to go with them. She said she needed to focus on working so that she could help provide for her family better.” Ashtohn crossed his arms, tucking his hands under his biceps.
Bhearit nodded slightly, staring at the ground. He had shut the door behind him, now standing outside in the cold with his stepbrother. “Why didn’t you go?” It sounded so selfish the way he said it—like he wanted Ashtohn to have left. But in a way, deep down inside, he did.
“She made it clear that I shouldn’t be in the picture anymore,” he replied with a sigh.
“Sorry to hear that.” Bhearit’s response was too quick, too dismissive.
“Don’t you care?” Ashtohn asked. His voice came out in a sort of pitiful pleading tone, like he needed Bhearit to sympathize.
“Yeah, I do,” he replied a little indignantly. “I just don’t understand why you came here and didn’t go to dad’s, or something.”
He could almost feel Ashtohn’s attitude snap. “Why would I go to his place? He would never care or understand more than you.”
Bhearit’s ears swiveled back. “And so you come to me as a sort of last resort, plan B sort of person, hm?”
Ashtohn exhaled and rubbed his temples. “No, it’s not like that at all. I just lost my my mom and my girlfriend in the same day. I-“ he paused a moment, breathing in slowly. “I don’t have anybody...”
Bhearit clenched his jaw. “And you think I do?” he asked stiffly.
“We have each other—“
“No. You have me, but I don’t have you. I’ve never had you. You have your friends, your buddies, to go to. I’m the last person you should be seeking comfort in right now.” Bhearit let out a frustrated laugh. “If anything, I should be coming to you. You’re the older one. You’re the one I was supposed to look up to. That’s what mum told you over and over again. ‘Just because you’re step brothers doesn’t make you any less brothers at heart.’ But you had ensure that difference whenever she wasn’t watching you and me, didn’t you?”
“Now Bhearit—“
“I have guests right now, Ashtohn. I cannot help you, and you cannot help me. Our day has been an absolute wreck. I do not need you under my roof and leeching off the grace your mom taught me to have toward you. I cannot do that right now, if ever. The grief is too near and at this moment you’re bringing it over the edge. Now good night.”
Ashtohn stood there quietly. It was difficult to see his expression in the dark, but the air felt colder and heavier between them now that Bhearit had finished his speech
(AAAAAAAAA IM SORRY FOR THE WAIT 💀 this is so long UGH)
Rayfire:
He stopped abruptly as Callum’s question reverberated through the trees. It was quiet for a long time after the echoing remnants of his voice left the clearing. Nobody moved; the stallions that escorted the three centaur siblings paused with their advance and turned to look at their captain.
Rayfire grit his teeth. Why would Callum want to stay with them? Sure, he was a centaur, but what did he have to gain from watching them? Did Callum not trust his men? No, it wasn’t about the Sun herd steeds. Rayfire turned to look at Callum and studied him, narrowing his eyes and exhaling deeply. Rayfire couldn’t read his expression, but there was a glimmer of desperation and meaning in his eyes; he was serious about his question, and whatever the intent behind it, Callum seemed sincere. However, Callum looked tired, and Rayfire doubted he’d be able to stay awake for very long.
His eyes drifted down at the Pegasus mare who stood close to Callum, so close that the tips of her feathers brushed against the centaur’s side. Fawnroot looked tired too, but once she realized that Rayfire was watching her, she stood up a little straighter.
Rayfire looked back at Callum, his eyes softening, “You wish to stay the whole night? I don’t see how that’ll be beneficial to anyone, especially you.” Rayfire glanced behind him at the three foreign centaurs; perhaps spending the night with one of their own will put them at ease. “But, I am inclined to agree with you.”
Rayfire opened his wings and nodded at Callum. “Alright, I’ll allow it. But, only if you take the night in shifts with my steeds, and report to me in the morning.”
With that, Rayfire turned and nodded at his steeds to continue back to the herd as planned. He picked up a trot and headed back towards the herd, weaving his way around trees and snorting goodnight at the under-stallions whom he dismissed.
(Let me know if this is okay!!! I can change anything!)
Fawnroot:
She sighed deeply as she watched her sire leave, the sounds of his heavy hoofbeats vanishing as he moved farther from them. The clearing was quiet with only the subtle sounds of crickets and hoofbeats of centaurs and Pegasi alike who walked back to Sun herd’s meadow.
She thought about Callum’s question, and how easily Rayfire agreed, under the condition that Callum and the Pegasi stallions took shifts. “Sounds like you’ll have a long night.”
Now that they were more or less alone, Fawnroot looked up at Callum and felt her heart sink. She had hoped they could spend the night together: talking about the day, falling asleep next to each other, and waking up together, too.
But, she knew this situation was far more important than all of that, and she knew Callum felt responsible for the three siblings; just as she felt responsible for Rimecrest.
Fawnroot stamped down her selfish heart and unspoken wishes; it wasn’t fair for her to feel disappointed at a time like this. No matter how her heart ached, there was work to be done, and it had to be done separately. Callum had his duties, and Fawnroot had her’s. (HAHAHAHAHAHA I’VE MISSED THE “FORBIDDEN LOVE” BABIESSS)
She forced a smile and gently nuzzled his human shoulder, “I’ll see you in the morning. Try to get some sleep. As always, my den’s open and nearby if you, or anyone, needs something.” She wished to say more, but she didn’t. The more she said, the worse she would feel; it was best to keep it short.
The mare started walking, following the path Rayfire had taken through the trees.
Avery:
She relaxed into his warm, strong arms, allowing and trusting him to hold her up. She smiled softly as he kissed her back, and wrapped both arms around his neck and shoulders.
When he pulled away, she opened her eyes and blinked at him as color rushed to her cheeks, feeling slightly tempted to pull him back down for another kiss to hide the redness in her face.
Cole pressed his forehead against her’s and they stayed like that for a little while. In that moment, she expected him to say something stupid or silly. But, to her surprise, he stayed silent and pulled her even closer and hugged her even tighter, leaning down further to almost settle his face into her neck. She smiled again and moved her hands up his back and into his hair. She fiddled with his bun and twirled the short, wispy hairs by his ear with her pointer finger.
“You smell good,” his breath tickled her throat. Avery laughed softly as her cheeks flushed again; there was the witty-Cole response she’d been waiting for. “Th-That’s both a surprise and a relief. I thought I’d smell like stallion sweat after being in that crowd for so long.”
She tucked the loose strands of hair that had escaped from his bun behind his ear before stepping back far enough to see his face. “Come on. Now we really should get going. Unlike me and my amazingpermanent scent of goodness,” She tossed her loosened ponytail over her shoulder in a teasing, bragging manner, “you do kind of stink like sweat and blood.”
Kavani:
She could feel Bhearit watching her as she spoke of Kollin’s little games. It felt good and somewhat refreshing to talk about their childhood, especially when it’s usually a painful topic to speak of. Kavani glanced at Bhearit and her eyes widened when she realized Bhearit was smiling. Her heartbeats spiked and hammered in her chests. She was the first to look away and firmly kept her gaze downward at nothing in particular.
Kavani’s brows quirked up at his question, relieved for a subject change, and she looked down at the little loaf of bread he’d set on the counter. She was a little hungry, but the last thing she wanted was to eat his food. Especially after all Bhearit’s done for her and Kollin: she felt incredibly grateful, but also guilty and undeserving.
“Thank you, but I’m fine.“ She nodded at him, then focused on Kollin, who was still lying on his back and balancing his stuffed bear on his hooves.
“I don’t think Kollin’s ever had raisin bread. He’s not a fan of new foods, but if he’s hungry enough, he might try it.”
With that, she called Kollin over. The boy rolled his head back and looked at Kavani and Bhearit upside down. When he didn’t immediately get up, Kavani pointed at the bread on the counter. “Want to try some?” Kollin glanced from his bear perched on his hooves, to Kavani, “B-But… Teddy?”
“You can bring Teddy. He might want to try some, too.” Thanks to her encouragement, he rolled onto his side, picked up his bear, and bounded up to the counter like a deer.
“It’s raisin bread. Bhearit says it’ll be good with the tea.”
Kollin set Teddy on the counter before reaching over and picking up a crumb from the cloth. He inspected it and sniffed it, before holding it over the bear’s nose, apparently allowing the bear to smell the crumb too. With wide, uncertain eyes, he looked at his older sister. He stamped his hind hooves and pouted.
Kavani smiled at Kollin, understanding why he was upset, and reached over the counter to tousle his hair, “You don’t have to eat it, buddy. But, you might like it. Guess you’ll have to try it to find out.”
Kollin pursed his lips, obviously not too happy about Kavani’s response. He shifted his weight from side to side, then finally shrugged before popping the piece of bread into his mouth. He stood very still and chewed slowly. It was several long seconds before his face relaxed, his eyes softened, and gave a thumbs up at Bhearit.
“You like it?” Kavani asked softly, to which Kollin nodded,” Mhm! Sweet!”
Kavani summoned up the courage to look at Bhearit again, “Could he have a slice?” She asked hesitantly, “I’d hate to eat your food on top of everything else.” As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a large yawn rise in the back of her throat, but she turned her head away and tried to hold it in.
(Sorry this one is so long XDD I wanted to include Kollin but I wasn’t sure how)
(Aspi and Morningmist, I’m working on the chief’s reply now!!)
Regular Soldier: He showed Eira to Keanar’s cell, then took a post down the hall.
Reba: “No, I am thinking of how good this food is if it has olives,” she said. “But it is good without them too.” She was happy to hear that there were olives here in Anok. It would have been really tragic if she had to give the hope of having an olive ever again.
“I was just thinking…” she signed in a quick break from eating. “I am glad that there are so many good things here, like checkers, or madder flowers for dye, or olives… When my family decided to come to Anok we didn’t even know anything about life here. We had heard stories, but they were just stories, you know? It’s so different here from what I expected in some ways but so familiar in others.”
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.
He wanted to hide his face as they walked through Irichad. He didn’t like getting all of this attention. Before he had left, he had just been a simple centaur who wasn’t given a second glance. He’d liked it better that way. In the forest, no creature had minded that he had dark secrets.
He squeezed his sister’s hand back and stared at the door. The last time he had seen this door had been when he had left on the mission…
(quick question before I reply- were the Cheif’s aware they’d have a meeting with Romeo and Carmela? I don’t think they do since it’s Romie’s first day and no one, except the people who’ve seen him in the herd, know that he’s returned. I just wanted to double check that the Chiefs weren’t aware of this meeting before I type it all out XDD)
(The chiefs are not aware. Carmela is trying to give them heart attacks. If you would like, some guards could have noticed Romie earlier and let the chiefs know, but otherwise, there was no warning.)
Fig: He left the jail building and told one of the regulars to find Eira and let her know Johirestown was waiting by for Mangrove’s instructions on what to do with Keanar, and she was free to visit him in the meantime if she wished.
The soldier went to where Eira was staying and knocked on the door.
(Do you want to act all this out? Or can we just say the soldier told Eira what was going on?)
Reba: She stopped for a moment to pray and then came to the table, resting across from Sultaan. “This looks good,” she said, digging in. It was simple food, but somehow it was simple enough to remind her of what she used to eat at home.
At that moment, she felt an intense pang for the salty flavor of olives that she used to taste on the bread of her tribe. She could almost taste it as she chewed, but now she would give up the whole meal just for one olive! “Have you ever had olives before?” she asked Sultaan.
(Wow, that was a super comment RB!)
Carmela: She and Romie walked through town. It was still early in the morning, but there were a few hardworking centaurs out and about starting their days. Romie would certainly attract a few stares and rumors, she expected, and already she thought she saw Mottel peering out of his window at them.
When the reached the great door of Chief Seamus’s hall, she squeezed Romie’s hand and then knocked on the door. What if Seamus refuses to see us? she wondered. They would have to wait out here until he did!
(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.
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!)
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.
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.