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Description
Oh bleh. First time drawing a child, and I had to draw him without reference xD I was going to draw them from the front, but I kinda preferred this pose.

Story
Previously: [link]

The afternoon was fading into dusk as Aithne and Lee returned from hunting for the missing stallion. There had been no sign of him. Aithne was exhausted and upset, throwing herself down on the sofa and running a hand over her face. Things just went from worse to worse lately, and she was starting to wonder just how much more of it she and the stables could take. Lee went to make some coffee, sticking the kettle on to boil and propping himself up against the kitchen cabinet to look out across the yard. Everything was painted in exaggerated colours, bright purples and oranges dashed through the clouds in the sky. Lee was about to turn away when something caught his eye. He looked back again quickly, eyes widening slightly. A large black form was strolling across the car park, hooves crunching against the gravel, white mane and tail golden in the setting light. On the back of the beast was a small figure, clinging to the long mane of the stallion. Lee shouted to Aithne as he ran from the house, the woman soon right behind him as they sped out onto the car park. Rojuk halted as he heard the shouting and the running feet, tilting his head back to look at the child who was rubbing his eyes with tiredness. Rojuk whickered gently and turned to look at Aithne, his blank eyes soft for once. The woman gasped and ran up to the horse, pulling the child down from his back and hugging him close. “Oh my God,” she sobbed and she clung to the toddler. “Oh sweetie, I missed you so much.” Her watering eyes moved to look at the stallion who was watching calmly. She didn't want to know how this had happened, or why. Rojuk looked away and started walking towards the barn with long, purposeful strides, leaving the reunion to those with more emotions. Aithne watched him go, gripping the sleepy child as if he would vanish from her arms if she loosened her grip. Lee placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Let's get him inside so he can rest,” the man said quietly. Aithne nodded and turned to the house, carrying the little 3 year old as he wrapped his arms around her neck.

Aithne watched the child sleep on the sofa, curled up on the floor beside him, one of his little hands wrapped around her finger. Adam sat in the chair in silence, watching also. It was strange to have the little boy back, but as much as they wanted to hug him and kiss him for hours, he needed to sleep. They had no idea how far Rojuk had travelled with the child, or how he had been treated by that monster, but all Aiden wanted to do was sleep. “I'll make him something really nice to eat when he wakes up,” Aithne said quietly. “Maybe he'd like some cakes,” she mused as she stood from the floor. Adam reached out to stop her, one strong hand gripping her arm gently. She turned to look at him, meeting his soft hazel eyes.
“I think he'd just love a hug and a healthy meal, honey,” he said quietly, a small smile on his face. Aithne relaxed slightly and nodded, a smile spreading onto her face as she moved to sit on Adam's lap. The man wrapped his arms around her and she sighed, watching the boy's chest rise and fall gently. “Are you going to see Rojuk?” He asked quietly. The woman shook her head and closed her eyes.
“He's been quiet in my mind, very secretive for once in his life. I don't want to know what he did. I'll just leave him be until he wants me,” she muttered. Rojuk had been so graphic over the last few days about what he'd do to Kyle, putting images of decapitated bodies and bloated corpses pulled from rivers in her mind. The woman had no idea what he had done to Kyle, and she didn't wish to know. She guessed she would find out soon enough, and any ignorance she had of the event was good. As far as she was aware, Rojuk had done nothing wrong, he had just collected the child. She would tell the police that Aiden had been left outside the house when no one was looking, and just hoped that Rojuk had made Kyle's death look like suicide.

Crickets chirped merrily in the long grass as Aithne walked out across the yard towards the barn. Everything was silent, the horses all sleeping happily in their stables. Aithne was glad she had such a good team of workers, who made sure that everything ran smoothly when she wasn't around. All the horses had been trained and then bedded down as usual, because Firelight rarely ever stopped working efficiently. She only recalled one day when everything had ground to a halt, and that had been the horrible day when Zoe had passed away. It seemed such a long time ago now, but yet it also felt so raw and close. It had been over a year since Aithne had lost her best friend, and such a loss was still hard to come to terms with.
The stallions snorted and whinnied as the door slid open and the lights flickered on. Aithne walked down the aisle quietly until she reached the broken door of Rojuk's stable. The stallion was stood at the back of his stable, but turned to look at her as she approached. “Hey, boy,” she said quietly as she walked over the threshold into his little territory. He sighed and looked away, his usual uninterested self. Aithne ran a hand over his muscular shoulder and sighed too, tracing the lines of his markings. Rojuk had been there all her life, and had changed so much over the years. He had been so loving with her mother, showing her affection in so many ways. In some respects Aithne felt he still mourned the loss of his trainer and best friend, but she also suspected he felt incredibly guilty. The death of her mother had been caused by Rojuk. Aithne knew he never meant it, but also knew it weighed heavily on his mind. She watched as his blank white eyes closed slowly, her fingers running in gentle circles over his muscles. Despite the other staff working hard with him, and trying to spend quality time with him, Aithne was still the one he responded to best, but even then there was still a wall there. He just would not connect with anyone. Yet Aithne saw the image of the child riding him earlier that day, and how comfy both horse and rider had seemed. Aiden had always loved Rojuk, and had clearly climbed atop the horse without a care in the world. It also meant that Rojuk had wanted him to ride him, and must have laid down to allow the child to climb on. Maybe the big dark stallion had a soft spot for the child, maybe there was still hope that his affections would return.
Aithne wrapped her arms around the stallions warm neck, breathing in his sweet scent deeply. Tears pricked her eyes and she felt his muzzle on her back, almost as if he were hugging her back. “Thank you, Ro,” she said quietly into his satin-like mane. “Thank you for saving my baby.”

Next: [link]

Image & characters © =mapal
Pose Ref: [link]

Description
Oh bleh. First time drawing a child, and I had to draw him without reference xD I was going to draw them from the front, but I kinda preferred this pose.

Story
Previously: [link]

The afternoon was fading into dusk as Aithne and Lee returned from hunting for the missing stallion. There had been no sign of him. Aithne was exhausted and upset, throwing herself down on the sofa and running a hand over her face. Things just went from worse to worse lately, and she was starting to wonder just how much more of it she and the stables could take. Lee went to make some coffee, sticking the kettle on to boil and propping himself up against the kitchen cabinet to look out across the yard. Everything was painted in exaggerated colours, bright purples and oranges dashed through the clouds in the sky. Lee was about to turn away when something caught his eye. He looked back again quickly, eyes widening slightly. A large black form was strolling across the car park, hooves crunching against the gravel, white mane and tail golden in the setting light. On the back of the beast was a small figure, clinging to the long mane of the stallion. Lee shouted to Aithne as he ran from the house, the woman soon right behind him as they sped out onto the car park. Rojuk halted as he heard the shouting and the running feet, tilting his head back to look at the child who was rubbing his eyes with tiredness. Rojuk whickered gently and turned to look at Aithne, his blank eyes soft for once. The woman gasped and ran up to the horse, pulling the child down from his back and hugging him close. “Oh my God,” she sobbed and she clung to the toddler. “Oh sweetie, I missed you so much.” Her watering eyes moved to look at the stallion who was watching calmly. She didn't want to know how this had happened, or why. Rojuk looked away and started walking towards the barn with long, purposeful strides, leaving the reunion to those with more emotions. Aithne watched him go, gripping the sleepy child as if he would vanish from her arms if she loosened her grip. Lee placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Let's get him inside so he can rest,” the man said quietly. Aithne nodded and turned to the house, carrying the little 3 year old as he wrapped his arms around her neck.

Aithne watched the child sleep on the sofa, curled up on the floor beside him, one of his little hands wrapped around her finger. Adam sat in the chair in silence, watching also. It was strange to have the little boy back, but as much as they wanted to hug him and kiss him for hours, he needed to sleep. They had no idea how far Rojuk had travelled with the child, or how he had been treated by that monster, but all Aiden wanted to do was sleep. “I'll make him something really nice to eat when he wakes up,” Aithne said quietly. “Maybe he'd like some cakes,” she mused as she stood from the floor. Adam reached out to stop her, one strong hand gripping her arm gently. She turned to look at him, meeting his soft hazel eyes.
“I think he'd just love a hug and a healthy meal, honey,” he said quietly, a small smile on his face. Aithne relaxed slightly and nodded, a smile spreading onto her face as she moved to sit on Adam's lap. The man wrapped his arms around her and she sighed, watching the boy's chest rise and fall gently. “Are you going to see Rojuk?” He asked quietly. The woman shook her head and closed her eyes.
“He's been quiet in my mind, very secretive for once in his life. I don't want to know what he did. I'll just leave him be until he wants me,” she muttered. Rojuk had been so graphic over the last few days about what he'd do to Kyle, putting images of decapitated bodies and bloated corpses pulled from rivers in her mind. The woman had no idea what he had done to Kyle, and she didn't wish to know. She guessed she would find out soon enough, and any ignorance she had of the event was good. As far as she was aware, Rojuk had done nothing wrong, he had just collected the child. She would tell the police that Aiden had been left outside the house when no one was looking, and just hoped that Rojuk had made Kyle's death look like suicide.

Crickets chirped merrily in the long grass as Aithne walked out across the yard towards the barn. Everything was silent, the horses all sleeping happily in their stables. Aithne was glad she had such a good team of workers, who made sure that everything ran smoothly when she wasn't around. All the horses had been trained and then bedded down as usual, because Firelight rarely ever stopped working efficiently. She only recalled one day when everything had ground to a halt, and that had been the horrible day when Zoe had passed away. It seemed such a long time ago now, but yet it also felt so raw and close. It had been over a year since Aithne had lost her best friend, and such a loss was still hard to come to terms with.
The stallions snorted and whinnied as the door slid open and the lights flickered on. Aithne walked down the aisle quietly until she reached the broken door of Rojuk's stable. The stallion was stood at the back of his stable, but turned to look at her as she approached. “Hey, boy,” she said quietly as she walked over the threshold into his little territory. He sighed and looked away, his usual uninterested self. Aithne ran a hand over his muscular shoulder and sighed too, tracing the lines of his markings. Rojuk had been there all her life, and had changed so much over the years. He had been so loving with her mother, showing her affection in so many ways. In some respects Aithne felt he still mourned the loss of his trainer and best friend, but she also suspected he felt incredibly guilty. The death of her mother had been caused by Rojuk. Aithne knew he never meant it, but also knew it weighed heavily on his mind. She watched as his blank white eyes closed slowly, her fingers running in gentle circles over his muscles. Despite the other staff working hard with him, and trying to spend quality time with him, Aithne was still the one he responded to best, but even then there was still a wall there. He just would not connect with anyone. Yet Aithne saw the image of the child riding him earlier that day, and how comfy both horse and rider had seemed. Aiden had always loved Rojuk, and had clearly climbed atop the horse without a care in the world. It also meant that Rojuk had wanted him to ride him, and must have laid down to allow the child to climb on. Maybe the big dark stallion had a soft spot for the child, maybe there was still hope that his affections would return.
Aithne wrapped her arms around the stallions warm neck, breathing in his sweet scent deeply. Tears pricked her eyes and she felt his muzzle on her back, almost as if he were hugging her back. “Thank you, Ro,” she said quietly into his satin-like mane. “Thank you for saving my baby.”

Next: [link]

Image & characters © =mapal
Pose Ref: [link]