Baylen blinked hard. Friends? He'd never really had a 'friend', in the sense of the term. Is heart fluttere, glad to know someone's out for him. He clucked in thankfulness.
''I appreciate the gesture,'' He replied to Smidgy--er--Smidgen. ''even if we don't stay close.''
Baylen got the distinct impression that the mini equine was flirting with him. He didn't know that much about horses, but he was positive that the animal was indeed acting a lot oddly. Maybe he was wrong ... but he still felt a little weird.
“I think she would probably aim for somewhere with a lot of people, actually.” Seirath reflected aloud on Baylen’s question, glancing around them once more over the space of the Field, populated as it was. He had noted the melancholic flavour of Baylen’s response to his own question. The emotion added yet another layer to the burro’s altogether interesting personality. Seirath knew that he was doing an egregiously poor job of getting to know the other in the moment and made a silent determination to make up for that at a later date.
Ironically, Baylen’s suspicions and prejudices about horses were largely shared by Seirath. It was the fuel feeding his anxiety about finding the child – and he had so far resisted thinking this part – before someone else did. The ominousness of this worry had now been offset slightly by the reminder of normal, pleasant humanity embodied by the two new acquaintances before him. He offered a strained, parent’s smile in response to Smidgen’s words. The kind of smile that said, simultaneously that’s so thoughtful of you to think of, I do want my kid to be happy and also chasing my kid around a home full of hiding places sounds like literal hell. He had spent the last few months reluctantly supervising, cajoling and entertaining Alayaya, whose only purpose in life, he was pretty certain, was to interfere in his. He had never spent a day with her where he hadn’t wistfully reminisced about the solitude she had interrupted. Seirath is not properly appreciating the irony of his current predicament. Like children tend to do, she had crept into his heart against his better judgement. He would have given anything, in that moment, to hear the lilt of her laughter on the wind, or catch a flash of her little golden tail over the grass of the Fields stretched around them but two days ago he would have been tempted to pawn her off on a family of deer hoping they wouldn’t figure out she didn’t belong until he was a few miles away. Solitude had never been a problem until it was filled with the possibility she would never interrupt it again.
While this brief reverie had passed across his mind the two other creatures before him were now interacting a little bit differently. He felt quite decidedly out of place, all of a sudden, in this little trio. Probably this was mostly due to Smidgen’s obviously sincere generosity of spirit. He felt a moment of admiration for this quality in her. However, the day was already drawing onward. The nights were longer now and he guessed there were probably only a few hours of sun remaining before the darkness would descend, and make his searching hopeless. Although he didn’t want to admit the disadvantage, he would definitely cover more ground alone, on his longer legs, than either of his companions could do, at least for the short term.
“I think it might be better if we split up, at least for now. As you know this place and the people, perhaps you could pass along the message. Maybe someone else has seen her recently, or knows what direction to start. I will try to cover more ground before the sun sets.” He didn’t think he would be able to stand here much longer, regardless, he could feel the urgency mounting in him again to start looking, to find her now. He glanced between the two of them for a moment, and then settled his gaze on the burro “Baylen, I appreciate your help and am glad to have met you – as newcomers together I hope we will meet again soon, and I feel certain we could be an asset to one another.”
“Smidgen,” he said, a grateful smile touching his lips as he swung his head low in a bow “So far your help has been a great gift, and I’m sure it will continue to be so. I will circle back through the Field regularly, if you should hear anything, or happen upon her, I hope that you will leave word for me.” Anxiety was making him look impatient, but he could not bring himself to take any more time. Although it might be fruitless, he needed to be covering ground, moving, for the physical strain made him feel he was doing something toward achieving the goal. Smidgen had given him a few good places to start, and he felt he might be able to check off one or two of them before it truly became too dark to keep up the search.
Seirath - wait
Baylen nodded. The split-up was fine by him, and he'd still look for the little filly, but he still felt a little disappointed. The burro was still alone; maybe he always would be.
Baylen glanced at Smidgen in consideration. He didn't really want to stay in the Field ... it had a dark aura disputing it's extreme comfort. And the ass didn't--he would never--want to return to the cliffs.
The wheels turned in the little equine's head and he thought. Baylen's gaze intensified as he looked at Smidgen again.
''Smidgen, could I go with you to the taiga? For at least a little while?'' Baylen's bray was polite, and slightly taut.
There is a slight tension between the trio, she notices, and it disappoints her at the thought that she put it there. This thickness in the air, awkward and a bit uncomfortable, because of something she'd said. Darn it. Making friends seems harder these days since she's become older. But she hasn't given up completely; our tiny girl is more stubborn and courageous than that. A little tension would not scare her away. So she lifts her head and maintains her friendly smile at both the males, awaiting their responses to her idea.
Baylen had inquired where Seirath thought she might go, and Smidge grins and nods along with the taller man's answer. "She sounds like me, always wanting to meet others and to try and make friends." She gives a soft laugh and a small shake of her head, relating to the girl and at the same time realizing how such a big personality is leaving her father figure with a not so positive state of mind. Poor guy, she thinks as she smiles sympathetically at him. The man presses on, still, his restlessness growing by the passing minute. She nods in understanding of the split up, having already admitted to shorter legs. Couldn't help feeling slightly disappointed, but she gets it. Besides, he was right. She'd given him some ideas of places to check and she knew the land better, so while he does that she can be looking elsewhere and spreading word of his search. It makes sense, she can agree. True, too, that the sun will set soon, so she could see the reason for his urgency now. Although, anxious as he might be, Seirath still addresses them both to thank them and politely bid farewell and hopes that he will see or hear from them soon.
Smidgen gives the man the brightest smile she can muster. "Will do, Seirath. I'm happy to help. You'll find her soon, I bet." It sounds better to her to leave a note of optimism than to say something like 'good luck' or 'I hope you find her'. So she leaves it at that as he makes his depart.
It is then that she turns her attention back to the burro before her, noting the pensive look on his fuzzy face. She frowns, tilting her head at him, perhaps gearing up to ask, but he opens his mouth first. Oh! He wants to join her to see her home? Oh, this excites her, even if he says for a little while. Easy now, Smidge! Not too rambunctious. Maybe she hadn't totally ruined the chance of friendship with this new and interesting guy. "Of course!" She smiles, trying to contain her bubbliness a bit that would otherwise have her bouncing with joy. "Yes, come see it for yourself and see if it's something that suits you." She doesn't see why it wouldn't, but hey, to each his own. Tossing her head and bouncing into the direction of the Forest, she grins and tosses over her shoulder. "C'mon then, Baylen! I'll show you the way and we can look for Aleyaya as we go." Searching could be so much more fun with company, she ponders as she trots off through the grass.
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