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Follow AZAR'S Story (Since he came under my ownership)
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The trek up the mountain felt like it took all day, between Nico’s complaining about his stomach hurting and Carraphim’s lagging due to his injury. Toric’s incessant babbling wasn’t making things any easier, and everyone was still on edge after being attacked by that strange striped beast. By now, Nico and Fenrir had settled near the back of the group, the little perlino even managing to get the larger stallion to play with him a bit. The two grabbed at each other’s manes, and nipped at the other’s cheeks and necks.

Every now and then a squeal rose from the back; always Nico, never Fenrir. The dark stallion was the more vocal of the two when playing. Flicker had wanted to get involved, but he was adamant about staying beside Carraphim instead. The two shared comfortable silence a lot. They had an understanding of each other and didn’t seem to mind speaking an invisible language. They communicated quietly, and the colt never failed to make the dun smile. Azar took mental notes for the future. However, he wasn’t sure that he could replicate those clumsy little hops that the little guy took before stumbling and falling flat on his face. He wasn’t sure that he wanted to. Azar was grateful for Flicker. He was thrilled that Carraphim had taken the initiative and gone after the foal that morning. The light that he’d brought into all of their lives, mostly Carra’s, was unmatched.

Toric reached over to give Azar’s shoulder a jab, to which the grey stallion gasped and leapt sideways. That just made the champagne burst into hysterical laughter. “You weren’t even listening to me!” He had probably been talking the whole time that the grey was lost in his thoughts. “I said, that looks like a nice place to bed down, huh?”

He was completely immune to the irritated glare that the leader shot him, it seemed. He was unphased in every way. However, as Azar’s gaze refocused to what was beyond Toric, he spotted a cave. It wasn’t the one he was looking for, but it was bigger. It’d fit more of them far more comfortably. He blinked once or twice, shocked not only that he’d not noticed before the champagne stallion, but that he was able to focus on talking, and tripping over his own feet, and paying attention to his surroundings all at the same time. It was astounding, quite frankly.

“It does. You’re right.” He was older, more experienced perhaps? Especially if he was as fit and healthy as he was even at his age. “Good eye, Toric.” He praised with a small smile. He paused, allowing the older stallion to scout ahead as he turned back to his herd. Nico and Fenrir had stopped their wrestling by now, and were walking quietly side by side. Was that a smile that he saw upon Nico’s face? It made his heart feel warm, and he couldn’t help but grin as well.

“This looks like a good place to bed down for the storm. There’s plenty of grass outside to graze on between breaks, but I suspect this one will last a few days. We don’t need anyone getting sick.” He announced, loudly enough that everyone was able to hear. Carraphim nodded just once to acknowledge him, and Fenrir chirped out a little “great!” from the back. Flicker exploded with excitement, and bolted forward to catch up with Toric.

“Oh boy oh boy!! This is going to be amazing!!” he called. Azar watched the two carefully. He still didn’t know this stallion, but with how warmly he greeted the foal, he suspected that he had nothing to worry about. Flicker would be fine. “I’ve never seen a cave before!! What’s it like?? What are they like inside?”

“Dark.” Carraphim called from behind, going to catch up and limping the whole way. He was clearly sore, and bothered that he couldn’t keep up with the colt he’d attached himself to. Azar could see his expression fall almost like he was worried.

Worried that Flicker was going to leave him behind, more than likely. Azar’s soul hurt for him, but he didn’t say a word about the matter. He just stepped up beside him to encourage him on up the hill as the rest of the herd followed suit. Nico and Fenrir stayed close behind. Toric paused beside the cave to ask Flicker to wait. And he was obedient. He was a good foal, standing back to wait for him to call for him to come back before moving a muscle. Carraphim paused behind him, hanging his head and taking a deep breath at once. He was sore, terribly sore.

Flicker’s short attention span didn’t give Toric much time to get back to him, and at once his focus was back on his closest friend once more. “Oh no, are they that bad? You were so brave, fighting that monster. I wanna be that brave someday!” He reared up on his hind legs, spinning around and kicking out as if to demonstrate what Carra had done. “You were like- BAM And that thing was like, AAAH!” he flopped onto the ground, rolling as soon as he was down and giggling up at the dun with wide, bright eyes.

That was all it took to provoke a new smile to the beast of a stallion’s lips. He leaned his head down to give the shoulder of the colt a nuzzle, and he laughed a bit more, kicking out with his legs to try to push him away. However, he was careful. Flicker was a gentle little colt. Azar had just waited for him to nick one of those wounds and hurt him more, but that moment never came.

His head snapped up as he heard Toric’s voice from deep inside the cave. “Helloooooooo anyone out there?” He called, then chuckled dumbly. “Coast is clear, your highness!”

Azar rolled his eyes, then reached down to nudge the colt to his feet from his haunches. Flicker just squealed and squirmed again, but he rolled himself over and got up, then kicked up his heels as he bolted into the cave without a second thought. Carraphim’s eyes clouded over with worry again, and the grey beside him just gave him a look. “He’ll be fine.” he assured him with a smile. “Just let him have some rein sometimes. Hm? He’ll learn. And he always comes back.”

Carraphim just glanced at him, almost as if he was bothered that he’d been read so easily. He opened his mouth to speak, but he just nodded instead and started to limp on inside. Azar motioned for the other two stallions behind him to go ahead, and he watched the sky beyond the treeline. The clouds were gathering in thick, angry bundles. Heat lightning flashed across the tops of them, creating a brilliant light show that he couldn’t help but stand and watch for a while. It wasn’t until he heard Flicker giggling again from inside that he returned his attention to his herd.

He turned one ear back, and then the next, turning his back to the beautiful cottonwood valley to make the trip farther inside the cave to meet up with his herd. It was massive inside, and awfully dark. However, he didn’t mind. No one did, especially not Carraphim as he settled down to rest. Flicker had gone on to pester Toric instead of bothering the dun, who just needed to let himself relax for a while. He seemed to understand that, and busied himself with the next most deserving person of this torment instead.

Azar wandered no farther than where the light reached within the cave, then turned himself around to gaze back out toward the entrance again. He liked watching the storm, and he enjoyed listening for it to roll in. The winds didn’t scare him anymore in here. There was a certain tranquility to watching the chaos from the safety of indoors. It was almost surreal. He sighed and closed his eyes, settling in to rest for a bit. Behind him, the group relaxed into casual conversation.

“You said you’re an adventurer?” Nico commented. Oh so he had been listening. That just made Toric gasp in excitement. Ohhh here they went…

“Why, I thought you’d never ask!!” he exclaimed, leaping forward a step as if jumping onto a pedestal to give some sort of great speech. “Why, I’ve seen the entire valley and beyond! I’ve travelled to the highest peaks, and the deepest depths. I’ve battled the fiercest of warriors and challenged the noblest of stallions!”

“For some reason I think that might be a bit of a tall tale.” Fenrir scoffed, giving Nico a nudge with his hip to tell him he really, really wasn’t interested in standing here and listening to this bull. However, the dark stallion didn’t budge, just turning one soft brown eye toward him, then back to Toric. “You really wanna listen to this?” The little mustang chirped, stomping one foot. It made a loud clatter, and Nico actually flinched at that. Almost at once, Fenrir felt sorry, but he didn’t say it. He just settled in to listen instead.

“Any particular adventures you’d like to tell us about, while we’re stuck here anyway?” He asked, and Flicker gasped and cheered, dancing in an excited circle and going to stand between Nico and Fenrir at that, almost like they were all getting ready to watch some sort of display. Well, maybe they were. Toric had proven to be quite the eccentric individual thus far.

“Why, I have so many! I could talk for hours!! Did you know that there’s fire drakes up on the mountains beyond the boundaries of the valley??” Oh now Fenrir knew it was a tall tale, but he’d allow Flicker to enjoy it.

“Woaaaaah, really??” The colt chirped, bouncing up and down. Toric just fed into it, standing tall and proud, arching his neck and lifting one leg as though he was posing.

“Oh yes!! Yes indeed! They’re ferocious and fearsome beasts.” He lowered his voice suddenly, and whispered his next words. “Ohhh and they could have eaten me whole. But you know, there were a couple of ladies that needed saving. And I couldn’t just turn my back on them in a time of need could I?”

“No way!” Flicker laughed and tried to mimic his pose then. He did as good of a job as a foal his age could be expected to. “Never!! You always respect the ladies and help them when they need it.”

He said it so seriously that Azar even chuckled from his spot, glancing over his shoulder at them. By now, Carraphim was out like a light, rested against the far wall propped up just a bit. His breathing was deep and slow, however, and that revealed that he was more than just dozing, and sleeping soundly at that; even through Toric’s story. He must have been awfully exhausted.

The stallion went on, “Of course! See? You know! You’re a smart little one aren’t ya? Well listen here, alright? I had to chase those fire drakes from the mountains. They wanted to eat the pretty little dames and we couldn’t have that now could we?”

“No way!” Flicker was at least enjoying himself. Fenrir looked exasperated at best, but he corrected his expression to look semi-surprised as well as the colt looked up at he and Nico for approval. The dark stallion didn’t look as excited, but he was probably just tired at this point. He seemed rather focused instead.

“Darn right! And you know what I did?” He lunged forward, his hooves sliding on the stone. He stood up straight afterwards and then reared up, striking out with both front feet. “I pummeled that drake, right in the head whenever it brought its gaping maws low enough, dodging flames and luring it away from the lovely ladies. He chased me for miles, and my muscles were burnin before too long. I knew I couldn’t stop though! They were depending on me.”

Flicker had fallen silent, staring in awe. Toric just grinned, then leapt back the other way. “And I twisted, and I turned, and I kicked and struck until I broke away enough scales. Then, I hit the beast right where he was weak, directly between the eyes! It screamed, and it flailed and it tumbled about.” He almost seemed to demonstrate, stumbling back and forth before he finally lowered his head so it was level with the colt’s. “And then, it was still.” He whispered. “It stopped breathin. And y’know what, it took my breath away. Its body vanished like dust, and what did it leave behind?”

“A big rock!” Flicker chirped. “A bright red rock!”

“No, no little one. It left behind a little flame. And then, that flame became an apparition of a beautiful, lovely mare. She had flowing white locks of hair, and the most beautiful, shapely face you’d ever seen.” he sighed emotionally at that, swooning and stumbling back. “Ohh she was perfect. She told me that dragon had bested her own best warriors years ago. Y’know, in ancient times far before this valley’s rulers came to be. She thanked me, and bestowed upon me a gift.”

“Oh boy!! What kind of gift? Do you still have it? Where is it?” The tobiano colt bounced forward so he was standing right before the eccentric stallion again.

“Ohh no, no that artifact had far too much power for anyone to get ahold of. It was fueled by ancient magic, y’see. It could draw skeletons from the ground and angels from the skies!” he swished his tail, and made a low sound in his throat like he was trying to mimic the rumble of thunder. “And so I had to make sure it would be safe. And so one day, I took it with me out to the center of the biggest lake in all of cottonwood valley.”

He paused, allowing those words to sink in and waiting for Flicker’s eyes to light up even more. “I swam right out, and I dropped it into the water there at the deepest part as I crossed. I was so tired by the time I came back, I almost didn’t make it. To this day, that stone still resides at the bottom of that lake. I watched its light disappear far far below the water until it faded to darkness. Nothing but the fish know where it is, and me of course, but I’d be damned if I was going diving for that stone. It’s down there at least a hundred feet deep by now. No one will find it for many, many years. It’s safe.”

Flicker gasped and breathed out an amazed sigh. “Wow… I want to be an adventurer someday just like you.” He whispered. “I wanna fight fire drakes, and save pretty ladies, and meet beautiful ghost ladies!! And if I’d have gotten that stone, I’d have used it to make all the world a better place! It’d be perfect!” He hopped about in a circle, stumbling his final few strides and then blinking back at Carraphim.

“Ohhh you’ll have your chance, little one.” Toric chuckled, closing his eyes and standing still for perhaps the first time since he’d joined the little bachelor herd. “You’ll have your chance. You look awful tired now, though. Maybe you ought to lay down and take a nap.”

“Yeah… yeah I think so too.” He blinked, trying to look lively but now after all that, the exhaustion had hit him like a rock. “I’m gonna dream all about fire drakes and pretty dames!” He grinned from ear to ear, and then hopped on over to Carraphim. He flopped down against his belly where he always slept anymore. He was getting bigger by the day. Goodness he’d already grown just since that morning, it seemed. He wasn’t going to fit there much longer.

Toric just smiled after him, then glanced to Nico and Fenrir. The two were grinning at each other like they’d heard some sort of joke, but the champagne stud wasn’t offended. His purpose was to make others laugh, even if it was at his expense. He took a deep breath, then decided he wanted to ask them some things as well. Why not, right? Just to pass the time. By now, Azar had rested his head down and was watching the storm roll in through half lidded eyes. He appeared to be completely at ease now. At this point, it was just a matter of waiting.

“You look like two birds of a feather.” The old stallion chuckled. Nico felt his face heat up at once, and he looked back to him in shock.

“Wh-what do you mean by that?” He asked, and Fenrir had instantly looked away, his ears back against his head. He really, really didn’t like this guy already.

“I mean, you two look like you’re in love with each other or somethin.” Toric elaborated, and then laughed at the reaction he got out of that as well. The two looked back at each other, and Nico opened his mouth to explain, but Fenrir was the one to speak up.

“And what if we do? What’s it to you? Huh? Stay out of my business, jerk.” The haughty little perlino spat, seeming to puff up twice his size. That just made the older stallion laugh even harder.

“It doesn’t bother me one bit! I was just sayin!” He tilted his head to the side. “How’d the two of you meet, anyway?”

He was all for changing the topic. He didn’t want to sit in silence, even if the rest of the herd probably would have been just fine with that. That would be a fine topic. He wanted to know how everyone had met each other, quite frankly, but Nico and Fenrir were just the easy targets for now. Nico looked down, seeming a bit unsure about himself. “I don’t know…” He murmured. The last time they talked about where he’d come from, and the life he’d led before, he got beat up. He wasn’t really in the mood for that to happen again.

“It’s none of your damn business.” Fenrir spat, baring his teeth at him like some sort of savage animal as he began to herd his poor dark stallion away. However, they didn’t really make it that far.

“Where are you gonna go?” Toric asked. “I just wanted to talk. It’s no biggie.”

“I don’t want to talk to you.” the little mustang grumbled irritably. “Especially not you.”

“Then let your friend talk instead.” His current opponent responded simply. Nico just tensed again at that.

“He ain’t much of a talker.” Fenrir huffed. “How many times do I have to tell you, old man?”

Toric frowned a bit at that then, and the perlino stood a bit taller with that small victory. Nico was the one to relent, however. That was to Fen’s surprise and disdain, when his dark stallion opened his mouth to speak. “It was a while ago. I’m not sure if my memory of it is that clear. It was a difficult time.”

“You can give it a try. It wouldn’t hurt, ya know.” The champagne shifted to get himself comfortable, actually planning on being quiet now it seemed. He was patient as he watched Nico think about his next words. He glanced to Fenrir, as though asking for permission. When the perlino didn’t argue, he started.

By then, clouds had gathered overhead with the threat of a snowstorm, and Nico still hadn’t pulled himself up off of the ground. He hadn’t for the past day. He’d stopped eating, and stopped drinking. He was alone, and he’d been that way since that fateful evening. Who would want him? What mare would desire him when they learned of who he really was? Would they want to deal with the nightmares? Would they be able to put up with the insecurities? Would they abandon him the second that they learned the truth?

That went for more than just mares. It went for stallions as well. No bachelor herd had taken him. None wanted him. No one wanted damaged goods, and no one wanted to have to tolerate his night terrors and whimpers when he rested. But could he really blame them? No, not at all. He wondered why no other creature, be it horse or not, hadn’t ended his life yet. It didn’t make sense. There was nothing left for him. There was no purpose that he had left to serve, so why did the universe insist upon torturing him any longer? The loneliness was enough to drive anyone mad, especially a stallion who’d been on his own for as long as he had, forced to deal with trauma alone.

That was what hurt him. That was what was the worst. It allowed him to twist it in his head and wallow in it for days on end. On his worst days, he stared into nothing, frozen by sleep paralysis as Altaïr’s daunting sneer stared back at him. He struck, and Nico couldn’t even flinch. He felt ghost pains where his wounds once were, but no blood came. No real wounds marked his flesh. None caused by anyone except for himself. As any frustrated stallion would do, he became self destructive, biting at his sides where he felt that sting until he bled.

He deserved it, he thought. He deserved to hurt. He deserved to starve. He deserved to suffer, because he’d forced multiple mares to. Foals were traumatized by the death of Tethys. His sisters were enraged with him, and likely never wanted to see him again. He often wondered if they were happier. It wasn’t uncommon for him to think of them, and remember them not fondly but in their final hours together. Criticizing, poking, prodding, insulting. Their hateful, angry words were completely justified. Nico hadn’t even fought, and he’d absorbed those nasty words and internalized them.

They’d become a part of who he was.

A coward.
A monster
A menace.
A cur.
A quitter.

There were countless more names he’d given himself, as well. Weakling, craven, deserter, malingerer, deplorable, poignant, pernicious, feeble, powerless, spineless, yellow-bellied. And he believed every. Single. One. Nico the murderer. Nico, the worst son of Azazel. Nico, the bane of his father’s legacy, the parasite of the valley, the sycophant of despair. He still believed those things to this day.

Maybe the valley didn’t want him either, and that was why it hadn’t sent anything to take him yet. No wolves, no bears, no cats. He was just alone, and not a single squirrel even passed him by. He set his head down, his breaths deep and slow, eyes focused on no point in particular. He was waiting to die. No force of nature could make him move now. Maybe the storm would just speed up the process.

He lay in silence for a long while, listening to the wind rattle through the leafless cottonwood trees overhead. He didn’t even flinch at the distant sounds of beasts passing through the forest. No, instead he half hoped that it was some predator coming his way, to see an easy target; an easy meal. What gruesome thoughts. What hopeless, terrible ideas he had. His eyes fluttered a bit as a bright creamy hoof set itself in front of his nose, just inches away. He slowly traced that leg up the figure of a horse standing over him.

He was short and furry, his hair sticking out in all directions. His eyes were scrutinizing, and his posture that of a god. He clearly thought highly of himself. He was the polar opposite of Nico, as he gazed back up at him. The rest of the world was etched in various shades of grey, but this newcomer was like a bright yellow ray of sun. He closed his eyes, unwilling to accept that light into his life. “Are you here to fight?” He mumbled, his breaths slow and strained.

“Nah.”

“Are you here to kill me?” He asked, opening his eyes again just to stare at his feet.

“Nah.” the newcomer said again.

The two remained silent, nothing but their breathing breaking the silence. This was the calm before the storm hit. It stayed that way for several painfully long minutes, Nico’s eyes fluttering shut now and then before he refocused again. He didn’t want this stallion to leave, strangely enough. He wanted him to kill him, but maybe deep inside he was hoping for something more.

“Get up.” the perlino ordered gruffly, and reached down to grab Nico by the mane. The larger stallion didn’t even react. He didn’t flinch, he didn’t squirm, he didn’t fight. He just hung limply in his hold. He was too weak to get up on his own anyway.

“I said get up.” The scrappy looking stud snapped, reaching down to bite at his neck. Nico didn’t even flinch. He just closed his eyes, letting out a deep sigh as he pressed his head down against the dead grass and decaying leaves beneath him. The smaller stallion proceeded to try multiple different things, nipping at his haunches and his hocks, coaxing him with words, threatening him. Nothing worked. Not a single thing at all could get him to budge. And so he did the last thing he could think of, and that was the very last resort.

He ducked his head under Nico’s and pulled up, up until the dark stallion was forced into a sitting position. It was awkward and his front legs shook with the effort, but he managed. The determined little perlino huffed and puffed as he turned his shoulder into the taller stallion’s chest to try to push him upright. However, he still refused to move. Either that, or he wasn’t capable. He took in a deep gasp of air, then released him suddenly, allowing him to slide back to the ground.

“You have to get up.” He snapped, stomping a hoof. “You’re not even trying.”

“Who are you?” Nico murmured, sounding delirious. His voice was no more than a sleepy whisper.

The standing stallion opened his mouth like he was going to say something nasty, but opted against it. “Fenrir.” Was all that he responded with. That was explanation enough. He wasn’t a well known stallion of the valley. He didn’t have parents with big names. No, no nothing like Nico. And what good were those names when he was lying under a broad cottonwood tree now, dying. Slowly but surely, he was dying. And he’d finally lost all strength that day.

“My name,” The dark stallion breathed and his eyes fell shut again. “Is Nico.”

“Well, Nico, I’m not leaving you here.” Fenrir’s tone was so firm that it shook something deep in the weaker stallion’s soul. A little warmth was sparked, but it passed within seconds. He made a feeble sound, his body shaking as he curled in on himself. It hurt, it hurt but he deserved it.

Each time his stomach ached with hunger, each time that his bones throbbed and his head spun, he told himself that. He reminded himself that his cowardice brought this upon himself. It was his fault that he was undesirable. It was his fault that his former herd was tormented and forced to watch the death of Tethys. It was his fault that his mares had been forced under such cruel rule, and he could only imagine the suffering they endured. It was his fault that his sisters hated him and his fault that his mother had been murdered. It was all his fault, and each twinge of pain reminded him of that fact.

I deserve it. He thought. I deserve this.

“Can’t you stand?” Fenrir’s voice cut through his thoughts again, and immediately he answered a sharp, abrupt,

“No.”

That made the perlino stiffen, and he pinned his fluffy little ears almost comically. If Nico weren’t feeling so down, and if his situation wasn’t so hopeless, he might have smiled and laughed. But not that day. No, his lips didn’t even tickle with the beginnings of a grin.

“Then I’ll take care of you.” he retorted hotly, and that strength in that answer meant to Nico that he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “And you WILL get up.”

Without further ado, he started rummaging about to find an area that hadn’t been grazed down to nothing by Nico when he’d given into his hunger now and then. He had a circle around his entire front end, but that was it. He hadn’t stood. He didn’t have the strength left. Back and forth Fenrir went, gathering up grass in his mouth and bringing it back to set before the dark stallion. He worked tirelessly, and before long there was a large pile of fresh grass for Nico to eat. But he didn’t touch it.

“Listen.” Fenrir spat after he paused before the downed stud. “If I’m going to all this work to get this for you, you’re damn well gonna eat it.”

Nico just shook his head. He couldn’t… He didn’t want to do this anymore. Eating? It’d undo all of the suffering he’d endured just to get to this point in itself. But… Fenrir cared. It was something he hadn’t felt in so long, genuine care from someone else. “You won’t want me around when you know.”

“I don’t care.” Fenrir said bluntly, cocking a hip. “I don’t give a shit what you’re sayin. I don’t give a shit what you done. I’m helping you. And you’re going to stay with me, like it or not. So eat up.”

“There’s no point-”

“Shut your trap and eat. We can talk AFTER you’re done.”

Nico swallowed hard, then hesitantly opened his mouth to take a full bite of the grass that had been gathered for him. Once he started, he couldn’t stop, and ate ravenously. Fenrir worked throughout the rest of that day to gather as much as he could before the snow came. He set it down nearby, and gave Nico what he could, spacing each meal out for him so he didn’t get sick. By the next morning, he was brighter eyed already.

The snow had started, and was coming down in thick flakes. The perlino stallion pushed the snow off of his new companion’s body as it started to pile on, and groomed him dry when he started to shiver. He sat close, and worked selflessly to ensure that he was alright. Nico hadn’t said another word since Fenrir had snapped at him earlier, but maybe it was better that way. The two rested in comfortable silence, one caring for the other, and the other closing his eyes and enjoying that sensation of closeness that he’d been missing for so, so long.

As the days passed, Nico grew stronger. He was able to stand by the following morning, albeit not for long. The snow was deep by now, and it took a lot of effort to walk through. He always wanted to return to his tree to lay down again when he was tired, so they never went far. Fenrir always brought him food, and watched over him. Anything that came their way, he scared off. He was fierce for such a little thing.

“Why didn’t you think I’d want to help you?” Fenrir asked. They’d had plenty of other conversations, but this was one that Nico was dreading. He seemed to shrink before him, standing now beneath that tree he’d been prepared to die under only a couple of days ago now.

“Because I’m a monster.” He whispered.

“Where?” The perlino dared to grin and raise a brow. “You look harmless.”

“That’s just it… I’m a coward.” He didn’t want to explain. Because then Fenrir would leave, and he wasn’t ready to part with him yet. It was nice having someone around again.

“How?” He was just going to keep pressing until he got the answer that he wanted, it seemed. Nico relented after a few moments of tense silence. He explained everything in great detail, recalling things so clearly, even the parts he’d twisted into something else in his mind, like how he’d been defeated. He downplayed it, so it didn’t seem as painful or as reasonable as it truly was. He didn’t explain that he was saving his sisters too. Those were the little details that he’d casually forgotten, because they made him seem like a better person than he thought he was.

He’d remember them over time, but for now, Fenrir only got to hear the terrible. The response that Nico got, however, was nothing like what he’d anticipated. He expected him to be revolted, to detest him, to spit in his face and tell him to get out of his sight. But instead, he just watched. He listened patiently until Nico finally broke down in tears and wasn’t able to tell him any more. And even then, he leaned his head forward to comfort him instead of push him away. That was what Fenrir was fantastic at. He was a sensitive person, despite his nasty, temperamental exterior. He was a good stallion and he knew what Nico needed, and when he needed it.

It was what kept him alive. It was what kept him moving when he wanted to lay down again. It was what helped him to forgive himself and remember the less terrible parts of his soul. Fenrir was a blessing disguised as a fuzzy, nasty little grouch with a personality ten times his size. He was lucky for him.

Nico hadn’t realized that the other two had fallen asleep as he told his story. They’d settled down as the rain started outside, lulled off by the sounds and the dark stallion’s soothing, sleepy voice. However, he wasn’t offended. He glanced about, checking in on everyone. Azar was the only one still up, keeping watch ever so diligently as he watched the rain come down. A roll of thunder brought Nico fully back to reality and he leaned his head over to nuzzle Fenrir. He was exhausted, more than likely. He’d been up and worrying over his nervous companion every night. It wasn’t a wonder that every single nightmare that he had, the perlino was always there. He was always right beside him in an instant, with soothing words and patient understanding.

And so he let him sleep, turning his head to brush his nose off of his withers ever so lovingly before he rested his head down on his neck to try to take a brief nap as well. No more than twenty minutes or so later, he thought that he heard the faint scraping of hooves, like someone was moving around. He assumed that it had to be Flicker. No one else was small enough to make such soft little sounds like that. It was just a soft pitter patter, but the pattern of the movement was absolutely that of a horse. He wasn’t worried at all. Maybe Azar wasn’t awake, and that made him feel like it was his duty to keep watch instead.

He slowly lifted one ear, and then the other. The sounds grew closer, inch by inch until they stopped completely. He slowly opened his eyes, and they settled upon a blurry figure before him. He had to blink a few times to clear his vision, but by then the figure had vanished in a flurry of footsteps. He jerked his head up and snapped his head over in the direction of where the footsteps had vanished, and just saw the tip of a fluffy tail disappear into the darkness around a corner that he’d not noticed before. It was so dark back there, he could hardly make out a thing.

Stallion: Azar#145

In response to:

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*Introducing Eco (Stuffed Animal Claimed. Already added to tracker)

Art features: Carraphim , Flicker , Toric

Story features: Azar , Carraphim , Fenrir , Nico , Flicker , Toric , Altaïr , Tethys (Deceased)

Word Count: 5,998

Aging: Flicker (3/3)

Healing: Carraphim - (2/2)

Pregnancy: N/A

Items Used: None

Companion Animals: None

Members that Own Outside Horses: LannisterHeir (Altaïr)

Other Notes: Part 1 of 2. Aging Flicker up with this one cause why not. Second healing image for Carraphim.

Description

Follow AZAR'S Story (Since he came under my ownership)
BEGINNING | Previous <---> Next

The trek up the mountain felt like it took all day, between Nico’s complaining about his stomach hurting and Carraphim’s lagging due to his injury. Toric’s incessant babbling wasn’t making things any easier, and everyone was still on edge after being attacked by that strange striped beast. By now, Nico and Fenrir had settled near the back of the group, the little perlino even managing to get the larger stallion to play with him a bit. The two grabbed at each other’s manes, and nipped at the other’s cheeks and necks.

Every now and then a squeal rose from the back; always Nico, never Fenrir. The dark stallion was the more vocal of the two when playing. Flicker had wanted to get involved, but he was adamant about staying beside Carraphim instead. The two shared comfortable silence a lot. They had an understanding of each other and didn’t seem to mind speaking an invisible language. They communicated quietly, and the colt never failed to make the dun smile. Azar took mental notes for the future. However, he wasn’t sure that he could replicate those clumsy little hops that the little guy took before stumbling and falling flat on his face. He wasn’t sure that he wanted to. Azar was grateful for Flicker. He was thrilled that Carraphim had taken the initiative and gone after the foal that morning. The light that he’d brought into all of their lives, mostly Carra’s, was unmatched.

Toric reached over to give Azar’s shoulder a jab, to which the grey stallion gasped and leapt sideways. That just made the champagne burst into hysterical laughter. “You weren’t even listening to me!” He had probably been talking the whole time that the grey was lost in his thoughts. “I said, that looks like a nice place to bed down, huh?”

He was completely immune to the irritated glare that the leader shot him, it seemed. He was unphased in every way. However, as Azar’s gaze refocused to what was beyond Toric, he spotted a cave. It wasn’t the one he was looking for, but it was bigger. It’d fit more of them far more comfortably. He blinked once or twice, shocked not only that he’d not noticed before the champagne stallion, but that he was able to focus on talking, and tripping over his own feet, and paying attention to his surroundings all at the same time. It was astounding, quite frankly.

“It does. You’re right.” He was older, more experienced perhaps? Especially if he was as fit and healthy as he was even at his age. “Good eye, Toric.” He praised with a small smile. He paused, allowing the older stallion to scout ahead as he turned back to his herd. Nico and Fenrir had stopped their wrestling by now, and were walking quietly side by side. Was that a smile that he saw upon Nico’s face? It made his heart feel warm, and he couldn’t help but grin as well.

“This looks like a good place to bed down for the storm. There’s plenty of grass outside to graze on between breaks, but I suspect this one will last a few days. We don’t need anyone getting sick.” He announced, loudly enough that everyone was able to hear. Carraphim nodded just once to acknowledge him, and Fenrir chirped out a little “great!” from the back. Flicker exploded with excitement, and bolted forward to catch up with Toric.

“Oh boy oh boy!! This is going to be amazing!!” he called. Azar watched the two carefully. He still didn’t know this stallion, but with how warmly he greeted the foal, he suspected that he had nothing to worry about. Flicker would be fine. “I’ve never seen a cave before!! What’s it like?? What are they like inside?”

“Dark.” Carraphim called from behind, going to catch up and limping the whole way. He was clearly sore, and bothered that he couldn’t keep up with the colt he’d attached himself to. Azar could see his expression fall almost like he was worried.

Worried that Flicker was going to leave him behind, more than likely. Azar’s soul hurt for him, but he didn’t say a word about the matter. He just stepped up beside him to encourage him on up the hill as the rest of the herd followed suit. Nico and Fenrir stayed close behind. Toric paused beside the cave to ask Flicker to wait. And he was obedient. He was a good foal, standing back to wait for him to call for him to come back before moving a muscle. Carraphim paused behind him, hanging his head and taking a deep breath at once. He was sore, terribly sore.

Flicker’s short attention span didn’t give Toric much time to get back to him, and at once his focus was back on his closest friend once more. “Oh no, are they that bad? You were so brave, fighting that monster. I wanna be that brave someday!” He reared up on his hind legs, spinning around and kicking out as if to demonstrate what Carra had done. “You were like- BAM And that thing was like, AAAH!” he flopped onto the ground, rolling as soon as he was down and giggling up at the dun with wide, bright eyes.

That was all it took to provoke a new smile to the beast of a stallion’s lips. He leaned his head down to give the shoulder of the colt a nuzzle, and he laughed a bit more, kicking out with his legs to try to push him away. However, he was careful. Flicker was a gentle little colt. Azar had just waited for him to nick one of those wounds and hurt him more, but that moment never came.

His head snapped up as he heard Toric’s voice from deep inside the cave. “Helloooooooo anyone out there?” He called, then chuckled dumbly. “Coast is clear, your highness!”

Azar rolled his eyes, then reached down to nudge the colt to his feet from his haunches. Flicker just squealed and squirmed again, but he rolled himself over and got up, then kicked up his heels as he bolted into the cave without a second thought. Carraphim’s eyes clouded over with worry again, and the grey beside him just gave him a look. “He’ll be fine.” he assured him with a smile. “Just let him have some rein sometimes. Hm? He’ll learn. And he always comes back.”

Carraphim just glanced at him, almost as if he was bothered that he’d been read so easily. He opened his mouth to speak, but he just nodded instead and started to limp on inside. Azar motioned for the other two stallions behind him to go ahead, and he watched the sky beyond the treeline. The clouds were gathering in thick, angry bundles. Heat lightning flashed across the tops of them, creating a brilliant light show that he couldn’t help but stand and watch for a while. It wasn’t until he heard Flicker giggling again from inside that he returned his attention to his herd.

He turned one ear back, and then the next, turning his back to the beautiful cottonwood valley to make the trip farther inside the cave to meet up with his herd. It was massive inside, and awfully dark. However, he didn’t mind. No one did, especially not Carraphim as he settled down to rest. Flicker had gone on to pester Toric instead of bothering the dun, who just needed to let himself relax for a while. He seemed to understand that, and busied himself with the next most deserving person of this torment instead.

Azar wandered no farther than where the light reached within the cave, then turned himself around to gaze back out toward the entrance again. He liked watching the storm, and he enjoyed listening for it to roll in. The winds didn’t scare him anymore in here. There was a certain tranquility to watching the chaos from the safety of indoors. It was almost surreal. He sighed and closed his eyes, settling in to rest for a bit. Behind him, the group relaxed into casual conversation.

“You said you’re an adventurer?” Nico commented. Oh so he had been listening. That just made Toric gasp in excitement. Ohhh here they went…

“Why, I thought you’d never ask!!” he exclaimed, leaping forward a step as if jumping onto a pedestal to give some sort of great speech. “Why, I’ve seen the entire valley and beyond! I’ve travelled to the highest peaks, and the deepest depths. I’ve battled the fiercest of warriors and challenged the noblest of stallions!”

“For some reason I think that might be a bit of a tall tale.” Fenrir scoffed, giving Nico a nudge with his hip to tell him he really, really wasn’t interested in standing here and listening to this bull. However, the dark stallion didn’t budge, just turning one soft brown eye toward him, then back to Toric. “You really wanna listen to this?” The little mustang chirped, stomping one foot. It made a loud clatter, and Nico actually flinched at that. Almost at once, Fenrir felt sorry, but he didn’t say it. He just settled in to listen instead.

“Any particular adventures you’d like to tell us about, while we’re stuck here anyway?” He asked, and Flicker gasped and cheered, dancing in an excited circle and going to stand between Nico and Fenrir at that, almost like they were all getting ready to watch some sort of display. Well, maybe they were. Toric had proven to be quite the eccentric individual thus far.

“Why, I have so many! I could talk for hours!! Did you know that there’s fire drakes up on the mountains beyond the boundaries of the valley??” Oh now Fenrir knew it was a tall tale, but he’d allow Flicker to enjoy it.

“Woaaaaah, really??” The colt chirped, bouncing up and down. Toric just fed into it, standing tall and proud, arching his neck and lifting one leg as though he was posing.

“Oh yes!! Yes indeed! They’re ferocious and fearsome beasts.” He lowered his voice suddenly, and whispered his next words. “Ohhh and they could have eaten me whole. But you know, there were a couple of ladies that needed saving. And I couldn’t just turn my back on them in a time of need could I?”

“No way!” Flicker laughed and tried to mimic his pose then. He did as good of a job as a foal his age could be expected to. “Never!! You always respect the ladies and help them when they need it.”

He said it so seriously that Azar even chuckled from his spot, glancing over his shoulder at them. By now, Carraphim was out like a light, rested against the far wall propped up just a bit. His breathing was deep and slow, however, and that revealed that he was more than just dozing, and sleeping soundly at that; even through Toric’s story. He must have been awfully exhausted.

The stallion went on, “Of course! See? You know! You’re a smart little one aren’t ya? Well listen here, alright? I had to chase those fire drakes from the mountains. They wanted to eat the pretty little dames and we couldn’t have that now could we?”

“No way!” Flicker was at least enjoying himself. Fenrir looked exasperated at best, but he corrected his expression to look semi-surprised as well as the colt looked up at he and Nico for approval. The dark stallion didn’t look as excited, but he was probably just tired at this point. He seemed rather focused instead.

“Darn right! And you know what I did?” He lunged forward, his hooves sliding on the stone. He stood up straight afterwards and then reared up, striking out with both front feet. “I pummeled that drake, right in the head whenever it brought its gaping maws low enough, dodging flames and luring it away from the lovely ladies. He chased me for miles, and my muscles were burnin before too long. I knew I couldn’t stop though! They were depending on me.”

Flicker had fallen silent, staring in awe. Toric just grinned, then leapt back the other way. “And I twisted, and I turned, and I kicked and struck until I broke away enough scales. Then, I hit the beast right where he was weak, directly between the eyes! It screamed, and it flailed and it tumbled about.” He almost seemed to demonstrate, stumbling back and forth before he finally lowered his head so it was level with the colt’s. “And then, it was still.” He whispered. “It stopped breathin. And y’know what, it took my breath away. Its body vanished like dust, and what did it leave behind?”

“A big rock!” Flicker chirped. “A bright red rock!”

“No, no little one. It left behind a little flame. And then, that flame became an apparition of a beautiful, lovely mare. She had flowing white locks of hair, and the most beautiful, shapely face you’d ever seen.” he sighed emotionally at that, swooning and stumbling back. “Ohh she was perfect. She told me that dragon had bested her own best warriors years ago. Y’know, in ancient times far before this valley’s rulers came to be. She thanked me, and bestowed upon me a gift.”

“Oh boy!! What kind of gift? Do you still have it? Where is it?” The tobiano colt bounced forward so he was standing right before the eccentric stallion again.

“Ohh no, no that artifact had far too much power for anyone to get ahold of. It was fueled by ancient magic, y’see. It could draw skeletons from the ground and angels from the skies!” he swished his tail, and made a low sound in his throat like he was trying to mimic the rumble of thunder. “And so I had to make sure it would be safe. And so one day, I took it with me out to the center of the biggest lake in all of cottonwood valley.”

He paused, allowing those words to sink in and waiting for Flicker’s eyes to light up even more. “I swam right out, and I dropped it into the water there at the deepest part as I crossed. I was so tired by the time I came back, I almost didn’t make it. To this day, that stone still resides at the bottom of that lake. I watched its light disappear far far below the water until it faded to darkness. Nothing but the fish know where it is, and me of course, but I’d be damned if I was going diving for that stone. It’s down there at least a hundred feet deep by now. No one will find it for many, many years. It’s safe.”

Flicker gasped and breathed out an amazed sigh. “Wow… I want to be an adventurer someday just like you.” He whispered. “I wanna fight fire drakes, and save pretty ladies, and meet beautiful ghost ladies!! And if I’d have gotten that stone, I’d have used it to make all the world a better place! It’d be perfect!” He hopped about in a circle, stumbling his final few strides and then blinking back at Carraphim.

“Ohhh you’ll have your chance, little one.” Toric chuckled, closing his eyes and standing still for perhaps the first time since he’d joined the little bachelor herd. “You’ll have your chance. You look awful tired now, though. Maybe you ought to lay down and take a nap.”

“Yeah… yeah I think so too.” He blinked, trying to look lively but now after all that, the exhaustion had hit him like a rock. “I’m gonna dream all about fire drakes and pretty dames!” He grinned from ear to ear, and then hopped on over to Carraphim. He flopped down against his belly where he always slept anymore. He was getting bigger by the day. Goodness he’d already grown just since that morning, it seemed. He wasn’t going to fit there much longer.

Toric just smiled after him, then glanced to Nico and Fenrir. The two were grinning at each other like they’d heard some sort of joke, but the champagne stud wasn’t offended. His purpose was to make others laugh, even if it was at his expense. He took a deep breath, then decided he wanted to ask them some things as well. Why not, right? Just to pass the time. By now, Azar had rested his head down and was watching the storm roll in through half lidded eyes. He appeared to be completely at ease now. At this point, it was just a matter of waiting.

“You look like two birds of a feather.” The old stallion chuckled. Nico felt his face heat up at once, and he looked back to him in shock.

“Wh-what do you mean by that?” He asked, and Fenrir had instantly looked away, his ears back against his head. He really, really didn’t like this guy already.

“I mean, you two look like you’re in love with each other or somethin.” Toric elaborated, and then laughed at the reaction he got out of that as well. The two looked back at each other, and Nico opened his mouth to explain, but Fenrir was the one to speak up.

“And what if we do? What’s it to you? Huh? Stay out of my business, jerk.” The haughty little perlino spat, seeming to puff up twice his size. That just made the older stallion laugh even harder.

“It doesn’t bother me one bit! I was just sayin!” He tilted his head to the side. “How’d the two of you meet, anyway?”

He was all for changing the topic. He didn’t want to sit in silence, even if the rest of the herd probably would have been just fine with that. That would be a fine topic. He wanted to know how everyone had met each other, quite frankly, but Nico and Fenrir were just the easy targets for now. Nico looked down, seeming a bit unsure about himself. “I don’t know…” He murmured. The last time they talked about where he’d come from, and the life he’d led before, he got beat up. He wasn’t really in the mood for that to happen again.

“It’s none of your damn business.” Fenrir spat, baring his teeth at him like some sort of savage animal as he began to herd his poor dark stallion away. However, they didn’t really make it that far.

“Where are you gonna go?” Toric asked. “I just wanted to talk. It’s no biggie.”

“I don’t want to talk to you.” the little mustang grumbled irritably. “Especially not you.”

“Then let your friend talk instead.” His current opponent responded simply. Nico just tensed again at that.

“He ain’t much of a talker.” Fenrir huffed. “How many times do I have to tell you, old man?”

Toric frowned a bit at that then, and the perlino stood a bit taller with that small victory. Nico was the one to relent, however. That was to Fen’s surprise and disdain, when his dark stallion opened his mouth to speak. “It was a while ago. I’m not sure if my memory of it is that clear. It was a difficult time.”

“You can give it a try. It wouldn’t hurt, ya know.” The champagne shifted to get himself comfortable, actually planning on being quiet now it seemed. He was patient as he watched Nico think about his next words. He glanced to Fenrir, as though asking for permission. When the perlino didn’t argue, he started.

By then, clouds had gathered overhead with the threat of a snowstorm, and Nico still hadn’t pulled himself up off of the ground. He hadn’t for the past day. He’d stopped eating, and stopped drinking. He was alone, and he’d been that way since that fateful evening. Who would want him? What mare would desire him when they learned of who he really was? Would they want to deal with the nightmares? Would they be able to put up with the insecurities? Would they abandon him the second that they learned the truth?

That went for more than just mares. It went for stallions as well. No bachelor herd had taken him. None wanted him. No one wanted damaged goods, and no one wanted to have to tolerate his night terrors and whimpers when he rested. But could he really blame them? No, not at all. He wondered why no other creature, be it horse or not, hadn’t ended his life yet. It didn’t make sense. There was nothing left for him. There was no purpose that he had left to serve, so why did the universe insist upon torturing him any longer? The loneliness was enough to drive anyone mad, especially a stallion who’d been on his own for as long as he had, forced to deal with trauma alone.

That was what hurt him. That was what was the worst. It allowed him to twist it in his head and wallow in it for days on end. On his worst days, he stared into nothing, frozen by sleep paralysis as Altaïr’s daunting sneer stared back at him. He struck, and Nico couldn’t even flinch. He felt ghost pains where his wounds once were, but no blood came. No real wounds marked his flesh. None caused by anyone except for himself. As any frustrated stallion would do, he became self destructive, biting at his sides where he felt that sting until he bled.

He deserved it, he thought. He deserved to hurt. He deserved to starve. He deserved to suffer, because he’d forced multiple mares to. Foals were traumatized by the death of Tethys. His sisters were enraged with him, and likely never wanted to see him again. He often wondered if they were happier. It wasn’t uncommon for him to think of them, and remember them not fondly but in their final hours together. Criticizing, poking, prodding, insulting. Their hateful, angry words were completely justified. Nico hadn’t even fought, and he’d absorbed those nasty words and internalized them.

They’d become a part of who he was.

A coward.
A monster
A menace.
A cur.
A quitter.

There were countless more names he’d given himself, as well. Weakling, craven, deserter, malingerer, deplorable, poignant, pernicious, feeble, powerless, spineless, yellow-bellied. And he believed every. Single. One. Nico the murderer. Nico, the worst son of Azazel. Nico, the bane of his father’s legacy, the parasite of the valley, the sycophant of despair. He still believed those things to this day.

Maybe the valley didn’t want him either, and that was why it hadn’t sent anything to take him yet. No wolves, no bears, no cats. He was just alone, and not a single squirrel even passed him by. He set his head down, his breaths deep and slow, eyes focused on no point in particular. He was waiting to die. No force of nature could make him move now. Maybe the storm would just speed up the process.

He lay in silence for a long while, listening to the wind rattle through the leafless cottonwood trees overhead. He didn’t even flinch at the distant sounds of beasts passing through the forest. No, instead he half hoped that it was some predator coming his way, to see an easy target; an easy meal. What gruesome thoughts. What hopeless, terrible ideas he had. His eyes fluttered a bit as a bright creamy hoof set itself in front of his nose, just inches away. He slowly traced that leg up the figure of a horse standing over him.

He was short and furry, his hair sticking out in all directions. His eyes were scrutinizing, and his posture that of a god. He clearly thought highly of himself. He was the polar opposite of Nico, as he gazed back up at him. The rest of the world was etched in various shades of grey, but this newcomer was like a bright yellow ray of sun. He closed his eyes, unwilling to accept that light into his life. “Are you here to fight?” He mumbled, his breaths slow and strained.

“Nah.”

“Are you here to kill me?” He asked, opening his eyes again just to stare at his feet.

“Nah.” the newcomer said again.

The two remained silent, nothing but their breathing breaking the silence. This was the calm before the storm hit. It stayed that way for several painfully long minutes, Nico’s eyes fluttering shut now and then before he refocused again. He didn’t want this stallion to leave, strangely enough. He wanted him to kill him, but maybe deep inside he was hoping for something more.

“Get up.” the perlino ordered gruffly, and reached down to grab Nico by the mane. The larger stallion didn’t even react. He didn’t flinch, he didn’t squirm, he didn’t fight. He just hung limply in his hold. He was too weak to get up on his own anyway.

“I said get up.” The scrappy looking stud snapped, reaching down to bite at his neck. Nico didn’t even flinch. He just closed his eyes, letting out a deep sigh as he pressed his head down against the dead grass and decaying leaves beneath him. The smaller stallion proceeded to try multiple different things, nipping at his haunches and his hocks, coaxing him with words, threatening him. Nothing worked. Not a single thing at all could get him to budge. And so he did the last thing he could think of, and that was the very last resort.

He ducked his head under Nico’s and pulled up, up until the dark stallion was forced into a sitting position. It was awkward and his front legs shook with the effort, but he managed. The determined little perlino huffed and puffed as he turned his shoulder into the taller stallion’s chest to try to push him upright. However, he still refused to move. Either that, or he wasn’t capable. He took in a deep gasp of air, then released him suddenly, allowing him to slide back to the ground.

“You have to get up.” He snapped, stomping a hoof. “You’re not even trying.”

“Who are you?” Nico murmured, sounding delirious. His voice was no more than a sleepy whisper.

The standing stallion opened his mouth like he was going to say something nasty, but opted against it. “Fenrir.” Was all that he responded with. That was explanation enough. He wasn’t a well known stallion of the valley. He didn’t have parents with big names. No, no nothing like Nico. And what good were those names when he was lying under a broad cottonwood tree now, dying. Slowly but surely, he was dying. And he’d finally lost all strength that day.

“My name,” The dark stallion breathed and his eyes fell shut again. “Is Nico.”

“Well, Nico, I’m not leaving you here.” Fenrir’s tone was so firm that it shook something deep in the weaker stallion’s soul. A little warmth was sparked, but it passed within seconds. He made a feeble sound, his body shaking as he curled in on himself. It hurt, it hurt but he deserved it.

Each time his stomach ached with hunger, each time that his bones throbbed and his head spun, he told himself that. He reminded himself that his cowardice brought this upon himself. It was his fault that he was undesirable. It was his fault that his former herd was tormented and forced to watch the death of Tethys. It was his fault that his mares had been forced under such cruel rule, and he could only imagine the suffering they endured. It was his fault that his sisters hated him and his fault that his mother had been murdered. It was all his fault, and each twinge of pain reminded him of that fact.

I deserve it. He thought. I deserve this.

“Can’t you stand?” Fenrir’s voice cut through his thoughts again, and immediately he answered a sharp, abrupt,

“No.”

That made the perlino stiffen, and he pinned his fluffy little ears almost comically. If Nico weren’t feeling so down, and if his situation wasn’t so hopeless, he might have smiled and laughed. But not that day. No, his lips didn’t even tickle with the beginnings of a grin.

“Then I’ll take care of you.” he retorted hotly, and that strength in that answer meant to Nico that he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “And you WILL get up.”

Without further ado, he started rummaging about to find an area that hadn’t been grazed down to nothing by Nico when he’d given into his hunger now and then. He had a circle around his entire front end, but that was it. He hadn’t stood. He didn’t have the strength left. Back and forth Fenrir went, gathering up grass in his mouth and bringing it back to set before the dark stallion. He worked tirelessly, and before long there was a large pile of fresh grass for Nico to eat. But he didn’t touch it.

“Listen.” Fenrir spat after he paused before the downed stud. “If I’m going to all this work to get this for you, you’re damn well gonna eat it.”

Nico just shook his head. He couldn’t… He didn’t want to do this anymore. Eating? It’d undo all of the suffering he’d endured just to get to this point in itself. But… Fenrir cared. It was something he hadn’t felt in so long, genuine care from someone else. “You won’t want me around when you know.”

“I don’t care.” Fenrir said bluntly, cocking a hip. “I don’t give a shit what you’re sayin. I don’t give a shit what you done. I’m helping you. And you’re going to stay with me, like it or not. So eat up.”

“There’s no point-”

“Shut your trap and eat. We can talk AFTER you’re done.”

Nico swallowed hard, then hesitantly opened his mouth to take a full bite of the grass that had been gathered for him. Once he started, he couldn’t stop, and ate ravenously. Fenrir worked throughout the rest of that day to gather as much as he could before the snow came. He set it down nearby, and gave Nico what he could, spacing each meal out for him so he didn’t get sick. By the next morning, he was brighter eyed already.

The snow had started, and was coming down in thick flakes. The perlino stallion pushed the snow off of his new companion’s body as it started to pile on, and groomed him dry when he started to shiver. He sat close, and worked selflessly to ensure that he was alright. Nico hadn’t said another word since Fenrir had snapped at him earlier, but maybe it was better that way. The two rested in comfortable silence, one caring for the other, and the other closing his eyes and enjoying that sensation of closeness that he’d been missing for so, so long.

As the days passed, Nico grew stronger. He was able to stand by the following morning, albeit not for long. The snow was deep by now, and it took a lot of effort to walk through. He always wanted to return to his tree to lay down again when he was tired, so they never went far. Fenrir always brought him food, and watched over him. Anything that came their way, he scared off. He was fierce for such a little thing.

“Why didn’t you think I’d want to help you?” Fenrir asked. They’d had plenty of other conversations, but this was one that Nico was dreading. He seemed to shrink before him, standing now beneath that tree he’d been prepared to die under only a couple of days ago now.

“Because I’m a monster.” He whispered.

“Where?” The perlino dared to grin and raise a brow. “You look harmless.”

“That’s just it… I’m a coward.” He didn’t want to explain. Because then Fenrir would leave, and he wasn’t ready to part with him yet. It was nice having someone around again.

“How?” He was just going to keep pressing until he got the answer that he wanted, it seemed. Nico relented after a few moments of tense silence. He explained everything in great detail, recalling things so clearly, even the parts he’d twisted into something else in his mind, like how he’d been defeated. He downplayed it, so it didn’t seem as painful or as reasonable as it truly was. He didn’t explain that he was saving his sisters too. Those were the little details that he’d casually forgotten, because they made him seem like a better person than he thought he was.

He’d remember them over time, but for now, Fenrir only got to hear the terrible. The response that Nico got, however, was nothing like what he’d anticipated. He expected him to be revolted, to detest him, to spit in his face and tell him to get out of his sight. But instead, he just watched. He listened patiently until Nico finally broke down in tears and wasn’t able to tell him any more. And even then, he leaned his head forward to comfort him instead of push him away. That was what Fenrir was fantastic at. He was a sensitive person, despite his nasty, temperamental exterior. He was a good stallion and he knew what Nico needed, and when he needed it.

It was what kept him alive. It was what kept him moving when he wanted to lay down again. It was what helped him to forgive himself and remember the less terrible parts of his soul. Fenrir was a blessing disguised as a fuzzy, nasty little grouch with a personality ten times his size. He was lucky for him.

Nico hadn’t realized that the other two had fallen asleep as he told his story. They’d settled down as the rain started outside, lulled off by the sounds and the dark stallion’s soothing, sleepy voice. However, he wasn’t offended. He glanced about, checking in on everyone. Azar was the only one still up, keeping watch ever so diligently as he watched the rain come down. A roll of thunder brought Nico fully back to reality and he leaned his head over to nuzzle Fenrir. He was exhausted, more than likely. He’d been up and worrying over his nervous companion every night. It wasn’t a wonder that every single nightmare that he had, the perlino was always there. He was always right beside him in an instant, with soothing words and patient understanding.

And so he let him sleep, turning his head to brush his nose off of his withers ever so lovingly before he rested his head down on his neck to try to take a brief nap as well. No more than twenty minutes or so later, he thought that he heard the faint scraping of hooves, like someone was moving around. He assumed that it had to be Flicker. No one else was small enough to make such soft little sounds like that. It was just a soft pitter patter, but the pattern of the movement was absolutely that of a horse. He wasn’t worried at all. Maybe Azar wasn’t awake, and that made him feel like it was his duty to keep watch instead.

He slowly lifted one ear, and then the other. The sounds grew closer, inch by inch until they stopped completely. He slowly opened his eyes, and they settled upon a blurry figure before him. He had to blink a few times to clear his vision, but by then the figure had vanished in a flurry of footsteps. He jerked his head up and snapped his head over in the direction of where the footsteps had vanished, and just saw the tip of a fluffy tail disappear into the darkness around a corner that he’d not noticed before. It was so dark back there, he could hardly make out a thing.

Stallion: Azar#145

In response to:

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*Introducing Eco (Stuffed Animal Claimed. Already added to tracker)

Art features: Carraphim , Flicker , Toric

Story features: Azar , Carraphim , Fenrir , Nico , Flicker , Toric , Altaïr , Tethys (Deceased)

Word Count: 5,998

Aging: Flicker (3/3)

Healing: Carraphim - (2/2)

Pregnancy: N/A

Items Used: None

Companion Animals: None

Members that Own Outside Horses: LannisterHeir (Altaïr)

Other Notes: Part 1 of 2. Aging Flicker up with this one cause why not. Second healing image for Carraphim.