Cloud was waiting. Daine had gone in, and Daine was certain to come out.
Talking mind-to-mind didn't seem to work, so she wasn't conscious yet. But
the sense of her presence that niggled at Cloud's mind was there, as
always. Cloud was not happy with the limits on what she had been doing.
She'd carried Numair here, and after that she'd done practically nothing,
spending her days lazing out in the sun, occasionally keeping up with
events, and otherwise just eating her fill of the plentiful grass. At
first, it had been a welcome break, not having to do much of anything, but
it was getting boring. Cloud was not the type of pony that contented
herself with sitting still. And now, she wanted to help. She realized the
danger, though not the particulars, and was impatient to have something
done about it.
Zek, too, was anxious and more than a little upset. He loved Daine as much as Cloud did, though he was less grudging to admit it, and he depended on her attentions. He too had seen how she was injured, and the little marmot was not pleased about it. But even before then, she had been too busy to pay much attention to him, or to the pony. Both missed her.
Suddenly, there was a muffled footstep from inside the house. Hopeful, Cloud swung her head around to look at the doorframe. But it wasn't Daine; it was the other girl, Damae. Disappointment registered, and Cloud turned away.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Damae stepped out into the sunlight with a sense of relief. Finally, she was out, feeling better, and without Medaio around. As much as she loved him, he would have kept her lying down, and she wanted to be up and about. She stretched, reveling in the way her muscles tightened and loosened in her lithe body. Looking around, Damae's gaze fell on Zek, who sat huddled into himself on a fence post, his tiny body looking like a mere lump on top of it. Barely noticeable, small as he was, the marmoset's body radiated misery. Softly, trying not to scare him, Damae went over. She could guess why he was so upset.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Two large hands closed around Zek, and he snapped his head around, frightened. Unnoticed, the girl Daine was with a lot had crept up behind him. Why hadn't he been paying attention? Now anything could happen. Berating himself, Zek felt how he soared through the air, clasped carefully in hands that weren't the ones he wanted. They carried him into the cottage, where it was dim and smelled thickly of humans. Fear, anxiety, and blood scents all permeated the air. Zek cowered, timid and afraid. And then he saw Daine, asleep, right in front of him. Ignoring Damae, who let him leap down onto the bed, and Numair, who lay curled up next to Daine, Zek leaped towards his favorite spot on Daine's neck, curled up, and fell contentedly asleep.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Cloud was surprised when Damae came out holding brushes. To be groomed was one of the pony's chief pleasures, often denied now that there was hardly time for it. Sure enough, the rough brush started raking out her coat, dislodging days of dust and sweat. Slowly, her fur took on its usual gloss, as Cloud stretched her neck out and lipped the air in bliss. A smaller brush smoothed her coat and took out finer pieces of dirt. Her mane and tail were combed, which she endured obligingly, not really caring if they were tangled or not.
As soon as she was turned loose, Cloud sought out a nice patch of dirt, and, as a laughing Damae watched, proceeded to roll in it until she was properly dirty again. Usually, after a display like that, anyone besides Daine would groom her again. Sure enough, Damae started over, but this time she worked slowly and more thoroughly, with a preoccupied air. Suddenly, a torrent of words burst from her mouth as Damae talked away the weight on her heart. She talked about Daine (". . . Don't worry; she'll be fine. She's sleeping, curled up with Numair . . ."), about herself, (" . . . I love cats. Had to leave them all at home though. They must be worried. I'll go back and check on the later . . ."), she talked about the coming army (" . . . I'm scared, really. There's so many of them, what on earth could we do? And with Daine and Numair not even awake yet . . . "), and she talked about Medaio (". . . I really love him, Cloud, I love him so much. But I'm just a friend to him, and that's what I guess I'll have to live with . . . ")
Love. Cloud knew what is was, from all of Daine's ramblings, but horses didn't feel it, apart from what she felt for Daine-but that wasn't what they meant. So, this girl wanted to be the healer's mate? Well, she could be. Cloud, with animal perception, had noticed the obvious attraction between the two, even though they themselves couldn't see it. It was like the attraction between Numair and Daine, only subtler because they kept it from each other.
Well, Damae groomed all right, so Cloud would help her.
Soon after, Medaio returned, sweaty and frowning slightly. It wasn't long until he noticed that Cloud had miraculously sprouted another pair of legs, and strangely human ones at that. Sternly, he called out,
"Damae . . ." She came out from behind Cloud, who was scheming quietly. What could she do . . .? She thought hard before coming up with something. It was just the thing, she had done it often enough to Daine and Numair.
Cloud flicked an ear towards the two. As far as she could tell, Damae was apologizing, which struck the practical pony as odd-who would apologize for giving her a much-needed grooming? Well, they were humans, after all. Who could blame them?
Sidling up to the pair, unnoticed, Cloud silently made her calculations. She would have to wait for the right point in their conversation, or the effect would be ruined. So, reluctantly, she tuned in.
" . . .from the east," Medaio was saying. "They'll be here by tomorrow evening, most likely."
"Medaio, you climbed the pillar without telling anyone?"
"I told Dareem . . ." He looked sheepish, and Damae sighed.
"Well, it's done, but really, you should know better. It was a dumb thing to do, you could have fallen off and I wouldn't have known where you were!"
"And what about what I found out? Doesn't that count for anything?" Medaio looked a bit upset now.
"But the risk involved," Damae mumbled, making and exasperated gesture at his stubbornness.
"I was only trying to help!" he cried, like a small child whose efforts aren't appreciated. Cloud saw, and , in a way, felt that Damae softened and relaxed.
"You're right," she said, "I'm sorry. I was just overreacting, that's all. I was worried. What would I do if you got yourself killed? Where else could I find a best friend?"
Damae seemed oblivious to the slight look of pain that crossed Medaio's face. Now, Cloud thought. A sidestep and a swift head-but, and Damae was falling into a startled Medaio's arms. She turned beet-red and stepped back hurriedly, but not before Cloud saw the fleeting, pleased smile on his face.
"I . . .I . . ." Damae stammered, not looking at the amused expression on his face, "I.have to go feed my cats." And she fled, leaving a contented but slightly confused Cloud, and a wistful Medaio. As he rubbed her nose slowly, Cloud knew he was wondering if she had understood his feelings.
These humans are so stupid, she thought with a despairing snort. They can't even take an obvious hint.
Zek, too, was anxious and more than a little upset. He loved Daine as much as Cloud did, though he was less grudging to admit it, and he depended on her attentions. He too had seen how she was injured, and the little marmot was not pleased about it. But even before then, she had been too busy to pay much attention to him, or to the pony. Both missed her.
Suddenly, there was a muffled footstep from inside the house. Hopeful, Cloud swung her head around to look at the doorframe. But it wasn't Daine; it was the other girl, Damae. Disappointment registered, and Cloud turned away.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Damae stepped out into the sunlight with a sense of relief. Finally, she was out, feeling better, and without Medaio around. As much as she loved him, he would have kept her lying down, and she wanted to be up and about. She stretched, reveling in the way her muscles tightened and loosened in her lithe body. Looking around, Damae's gaze fell on Zek, who sat huddled into himself on a fence post, his tiny body looking like a mere lump on top of it. Barely noticeable, small as he was, the marmoset's body radiated misery. Softly, trying not to scare him, Damae went over. She could guess why he was so upset.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Two large hands closed around Zek, and he snapped his head around, frightened. Unnoticed, the girl Daine was with a lot had crept up behind him. Why hadn't he been paying attention? Now anything could happen. Berating himself, Zek felt how he soared through the air, clasped carefully in hands that weren't the ones he wanted. They carried him into the cottage, where it was dim and smelled thickly of humans. Fear, anxiety, and blood scents all permeated the air. Zek cowered, timid and afraid. And then he saw Daine, asleep, right in front of him. Ignoring Damae, who let him leap down onto the bed, and Numair, who lay curled up next to Daine, Zek leaped towards his favorite spot on Daine's neck, curled up, and fell contentedly asleep.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Cloud was surprised when Damae came out holding brushes. To be groomed was one of the pony's chief pleasures, often denied now that there was hardly time for it. Sure enough, the rough brush started raking out her coat, dislodging days of dust and sweat. Slowly, her fur took on its usual gloss, as Cloud stretched her neck out and lipped the air in bliss. A smaller brush smoothed her coat and took out finer pieces of dirt. Her mane and tail were combed, which she endured obligingly, not really caring if they were tangled or not.
As soon as she was turned loose, Cloud sought out a nice patch of dirt, and, as a laughing Damae watched, proceeded to roll in it until she was properly dirty again. Usually, after a display like that, anyone besides Daine would groom her again. Sure enough, Damae started over, but this time she worked slowly and more thoroughly, with a preoccupied air. Suddenly, a torrent of words burst from her mouth as Damae talked away the weight on her heart. She talked about Daine (". . . Don't worry; she'll be fine. She's sleeping, curled up with Numair . . ."), about herself, (" . . . I love cats. Had to leave them all at home though. They must be worried. I'll go back and check on the later . . ."), she talked about the coming army (" . . . I'm scared, really. There's so many of them, what on earth could we do? And with Daine and Numair not even awake yet . . . "), and she talked about Medaio (". . . I really love him, Cloud, I love him so much. But I'm just a friend to him, and that's what I guess I'll have to live with . . . ")
Love. Cloud knew what is was, from all of Daine's ramblings, but horses didn't feel it, apart from what she felt for Daine-but that wasn't what they meant. So, this girl wanted to be the healer's mate? Well, she could be. Cloud, with animal perception, had noticed the obvious attraction between the two, even though they themselves couldn't see it. It was like the attraction between Numair and Daine, only subtler because they kept it from each other.
Well, Damae groomed all right, so Cloud would help her.
Soon after, Medaio returned, sweaty and frowning slightly. It wasn't long until he noticed that Cloud had miraculously sprouted another pair of legs, and strangely human ones at that. Sternly, he called out,
"Damae . . ." She came out from behind Cloud, who was scheming quietly. What could she do . . .? She thought hard before coming up with something. It was just the thing, she had done it often enough to Daine and Numair.
Cloud flicked an ear towards the two. As far as she could tell, Damae was apologizing, which struck the practical pony as odd-who would apologize for giving her a much-needed grooming? Well, they were humans, after all. Who could blame them?
Sidling up to the pair, unnoticed, Cloud silently made her calculations. She would have to wait for the right point in their conversation, or the effect would be ruined. So, reluctantly, she tuned in.
" . . .from the east," Medaio was saying. "They'll be here by tomorrow evening, most likely."
"Medaio, you climbed the pillar without telling anyone?"
"I told Dareem . . ." He looked sheepish, and Damae sighed.
"Well, it's done, but really, you should know better. It was a dumb thing to do, you could have fallen off and I wouldn't have known where you were!"
"And what about what I found out? Doesn't that count for anything?" Medaio looked a bit upset now.
"But the risk involved," Damae mumbled, making and exasperated gesture at his stubbornness.
"I was only trying to help!" he cried, like a small child whose efforts aren't appreciated. Cloud saw, and , in a way, felt that Damae softened and relaxed.
"You're right," she said, "I'm sorry. I was just overreacting, that's all. I was worried. What would I do if you got yourself killed? Where else could I find a best friend?"
Damae seemed oblivious to the slight look of pain that crossed Medaio's face. Now, Cloud thought. A sidestep and a swift head-but, and Damae was falling into a startled Medaio's arms. She turned beet-red and stepped back hurriedly, but not before Cloud saw the fleeting, pleased smile on his face.
"I . . .I . . ." Damae stammered, not looking at the amused expression on his face, "I.have to go feed my cats." And she fled, leaving a contented but slightly confused Cloud, and a wistful Medaio. As he rubbed her nose slowly, Cloud knew he was wondering if she had understood his feelings.
These humans are so stupid, she thought with a despairing snort. They can't even take an obvious hint.