05-16-2017, 08:24 PM
She came in closer. He was enveloped suddenly in the smell of her, light, sweet, out of keeping with the frigid season and calling up imagery of new green life. The feel of her shoulder against his surprised him a little, as though he were waking to it, but he did not withdraw from it – realigning himself instead alongside her to bring her out of the wind. The difference made by a few inches was surprising – her warmth, or his reflecting back from her – made the winter chill almost pleasantly bearable. “Fine.” he said, softly.
He eyed the small copse of trees that she indicated. Not a bad choice, from what was available; there was enough evergreen in the small stand of trees to make a windscreen on one side, enough cover overhead in case it snowed again. Placing himself on the outside he could close off most of the open space, and their shared body heat would be massively better than the solo vigil he had been expecting. He nodded his agreement.
He shifted his weight a little, easing cold muscles back into motion, and moved toward the trees with a slow first step, pulling his chin into his chest against another gust of wind and giving Naira time to fall into step with him. Anything I can help with? He shook his head, and caught a sigh before it had a chance to slip past his lips, saying instead “I don’t think so.” His tone was brusquer than it had been so far; the coldness more accessible and comfortable than the anxiety he was concealing. He smiled an apology, trying to lessen the sharpness of his voice after the fact, catching up her warm brown eyes in his. Honesty, Seirath? Maybe try that?
“I’ve been travelling with a child that I’m…” there was a pause while he waited for the right words to come to mind “responsible for. Looks a little like you, actually, bright and pretty. But much smaller. She snuck away last night before I woke up. It was easy to follow her into this place but…” he trailed off. One set of footprints and the smell of her had been easy to track until there were too many other horses nearby. Now those things were buried in a haystack of trails, footprints, smells and altogether too many new identities. “I’m sure she’s fine.” he finished, the optimism just a little bit forced.
They walked in step together and every once in a while, Seirath would feel the brush of Naira’s shoulder against his, or his tail would brush the back of her leg as they shared the short trek across the dusted clover. The experience was alien to him. He could barely recall being so physically close to someone (apart from the filly). Even so, it did not feel alien at all.
Introspective, feeling the time passing more slowly than it really was, he looked for a way to cover over the moment. Seirath had always had an interesting relationship with the truth; he had been taught and honed not to lie, but not to tell the whole truth, either. His general distrust of others had only heightened that instinct over time. He was too anxious to be truly charming, which was the usual deflection he employed when the conversation got too personal, but he also didn’t feel that he would need any charm.
He did, however, circle back to what she had said before. “You know, or” he corrected himself “you have known Beqanna well, then? You are from here?” He laid his eyes in hers with sincere but unprepossessing curiosity. He found himself intensely interested in her answers.
He eyed the small copse of trees that she indicated. Not a bad choice, from what was available; there was enough evergreen in the small stand of trees to make a windscreen on one side, enough cover overhead in case it snowed again. Placing himself on the outside he could close off most of the open space, and their shared body heat would be massively better than the solo vigil he had been expecting. He nodded his agreement.
He shifted his weight a little, easing cold muscles back into motion, and moved toward the trees with a slow first step, pulling his chin into his chest against another gust of wind and giving Naira time to fall into step with him. Anything I can help with? He shook his head, and caught a sigh before it had a chance to slip past his lips, saying instead “I don’t think so.” His tone was brusquer than it had been so far; the coldness more accessible and comfortable than the anxiety he was concealing. He smiled an apology, trying to lessen the sharpness of his voice after the fact, catching up her warm brown eyes in his. Honesty, Seirath? Maybe try that?
“I’ve been travelling with a child that I’m…” there was a pause while he waited for the right words to come to mind “responsible for. Looks a little like you, actually, bright and pretty. But much smaller. She snuck away last night before I woke up. It was easy to follow her into this place but…” he trailed off. One set of footprints and the smell of her had been easy to track until there were too many other horses nearby. Now those things were buried in a haystack of trails, footprints, smells and altogether too many new identities. “I’m sure she’s fine.” he finished, the optimism just a little bit forced.
They walked in step together and every once in a while, Seirath would feel the brush of Naira’s shoulder against his, or his tail would brush the back of her leg as they shared the short trek across the dusted clover. The experience was alien to him. He could barely recall being so physically close to someone (apart from the filly). Even so, it did not feel alien at all.
Introspective, feeling the time passing more slowly than it really was, he looked for a way to cover over the moment. Seirath had always had an interesting relationship with the truth; he had been taught and honed not to lie, but not to tell the whole truth, either. His general distrust of others had only heightened that instinct over time. He was too anxious to be truly charming, which was the usual deflection he employed when the conversation got too personal, but he also didn’t feel that he would need any charm.
He did, however, circle back to what she had said before. “You know, or” he corrected himself “you have known Beqanna well, then? You are from here?” He laid his eyes in hers with sincere but unprepossessing curiosity. He found himself intensely interested in her answers.
Seirath - maharion