Roxas stood and watched the cold, heavy rain sleet down. He was cozy and safe inside the walk in shelter, along with the older herd stallion. The elderly horse was sleeping, head dropped down and eyed closed. Roxas turned to look at him for a moment. He was a beautiful horse and had probably been as good as the young black stallion in his prime. Now he was developing a sway back and was beginning to lose his teeth. Roxas had overheard Axel and Terra discussing him, and knew they planned to soften his food for him when his teeth were gone. He'd been fertile longer than most studs, but that was finally past. It was time for the young stallion to take over, but Terra was still fond of him.

Roxas sighed and looked back out into the rain, wondering when the horse festival would begin. It would be starting late this year. The drought had been interrupted by rain at precisely the wrong time. Most of the ranches that still had water tried to raise a bit of hay and other crops on their best land. It was harvest time and the rain was ruining any chance of taking in that hay. Roxas wasn't entirely clear why rain was such a problem, but he vaguely remembered Terra mentioning wet hay as a cause of fire.

Ah, give up. You're not a farmer. Roxas laughed at himself, thinking ruefully about farming. It all seemed simple from the perspective of a city boy but there was clearly a lot more to it. Market trends… Terra was always trying to predict what his customers would want and fill the need. Did most farmers try to do that? Roxas suspected they did, or at least the successful ones did.

"Roxas!" Roxas perked up at the sound of his name and briskly stepped out of the shelter, ignoring the rain. It was actually rather pleasant on his fur. Axel was standing by the fence, wearing a rather odd looking leather hat that shed the rain quite effectively. "Ready for a long ride?" Axel asked as Roxas whuffed his hair fondly. "Good, because we need to go check the range. Dax thinks he saw a wild stallion out there."

A wild stallion? Roxas was surprised but, after a bit of reflection, he could guess what had happened. Not all of the Free Lands were claimed. There were expanses of prairie that no one wanted, too far from any reliable water or with soil that was just too poor. Wild horses lived on them and a young bachelor could easily jump a fence and get into places he wasn't meant to go. Axel didn't seem very upset though.

"Terra and everyone else is looking for the stallion. It's my job to check all the unbred mares and make sure they're still unbred." Axel sounded amused by his task as he tacked the palomino up. "If they have been bred, I'll make them abort. It'll be plenty early so no harm done."

Ah.Roxas wasn't looking forward to a long ride in the rain, but spending time with Axel made it better. What's been happening with Burnt Mesa and Broken Bone Ranch? It had been weeks and he hadn't heard much about Burnt Mesa. The cattle rustling was still going on, but it had tapered off as the harvest got closer.

"Terra thinks we scared off the owner of Burnt Mesa." Axel said conversationally and Roxas flicked his ears, wondering if the redhead really could read his mind. "There was a council meeting about the water issue and Terra smiled at him a lot. He has the creepiest smile when he wants to… sort of knowing and evil at the same time, like he knows all your sins. And that asshole has a lot of sins."

I hope so. Roxas wondered if they were being a bit optimistic. The owner of Burnt Mesa might be distracted by the harvest and getting his horses and cows ready to take to the festival, but that might not last. Especially not in the middle of winter when there wasn't much to do… or would the snow keep them away? Weather in the Free Lands could be miserable from what he'd heard. Well, I'll be human again then. I can always kill him. Roxas wasn't sure if Terra would want that or not. He thought the ex-crusader might prefer to take care of his dirty work himself.

The day on the range passed pleasantly, although it involved a lot of stopping so Axel could check the mares. They came to him eagerly for treats and petting, and plenty of them tried to flirt with Roxas. His horse mind was interested but Roxas stepped on it firmly. This would be hard enough to explain already without adding some gratuitous matings on top of the ones they'd forced him to do.

Roxas blew wearily as they finally came back to the ranch. He was in very good shape, but he still felt the length of the ride in his legs. The range was huge and couldn't really be covered in a single day. Fortunately, Axel knew where to find the mare bands. Roxas sighed as the redhead began giving him a rub down.

"If the rain doesn't clear within the week, we'll have to forget the hay for now and leave it to the ladies." Axel murmured, a small frown on his face. "They won't be able to harvest most of it but we can't afford to miss the fair. We buy a lot of supplies there anyway."

Ah. That made a great deal of sense to Roxas. The merchants who purchased the horses would bring loads of grain and vegetables, probably pickled or preserved. Profit on both ends of the journey, and that was what traders lived for. I can't wait to see this horse fair. Roxas had been to a horse festival once. It had been business though, and he hadn't gotten to see much. Usually there were trick riders, acrobats and all kinds of entertainment. Roxas wondered if Axel would be doing anything like that. Probably… he was sure Terra would want to demonstrate the warhorse training and Axel was his best rider. Axel led him back to the paddock, giving him a carrot and petting. Roxas noticed his smile was oddly melancholy. Was something bothering the redhead? But what?

Unfortunately there was no way to ask. Roxas watched the redhead walk slowly back to the ranch and wondered if the rain would stop. He really hoped so. The hay was important but the rain was so grey and depressing. It would do them all good to have a bit of sunshine.

Hopefully the rain would stop soon

The next day dawned bright and sunny, although there was an impending chill in the air. It still wasn't dry enough for the hay, though, and Roxas went out with Axel on the range again. Terra and several other men came back with the wild stallion. By the time he got back, the stallion had been gelded and put into the quarantine paddock.

"He won't be good for much but a riding horse." Terra said as he looked at the ex-stallion critically. The horse was completely wild and staying as far away as he could. "And training him is going to be some work. Do you think he'll be worth it?"

"Not even slightly." Axel said with a sigh, looking at the horse with an equally critical eye. Roxas breathed in his hair. The redhead was holding his reins as he looked into the quarantine paddock. "Average conformation and it'll be a lot of work to tame him."

"Do you want to do it? If not we can shoot him." Terra said seriously and Roxas gave him the evil eye. He was feeling a bit touchy on the subject of putting horses down. Probably because he was one. Axel rubbed his chin for a moment then shook his head.

"No, I'll give it a try. But not until after the fair. I don't want to miss it because this mustang broke my arm." Axel shrugged. "If he has a good mind, I can train him. We'll just have to see." Roxas looked at the horse and wondered if it would work out. He was an ugly thing, really. A big chunky head, a less than ideal shoulder and he seemed to be a bit pigeon toed. His color was an odd liverish shade that was really unflattering. Color was the least important thing for any horse, of course, but Roxas thought they were right to geld him. This wild horse just wasn't stallion material. He might make an excellent riding horse but Roxas wasn't certain he wanted Axel to try if he might get hurt.

He really had no say in the matter though. As soon as they were sure the mustang wasn't carrying any diseases, they began introducing him to the other stallions and geldings. At first they put in in a small, temporary paddock beside the bigger one so everyone could get aquainted. Roxas winced as the black stallion and the mustang squealed and struck at each other. The new horse didn't understand he'd been gelded yet. Eventually they settled down though, probably aided by the fact that there were no mares present to fight over. The new horse was herded into the stallion paddock and joined the herd. By the time he was safely settled in, several days later, it was time to begin the yearly trek to the horse fair.

Unfortunately, when they got to the horse fair, Roxas found it less stimulating than he'd hoped.

I am so bored. Roxas stood with his hip cocked towards the fence, looking out over the fair. He and the other horses not for sale were in a secluded paddock outside the fair, being watched over by several dogs. They would sound the alarm if anyone unknown to them tried to get into the paddock. A tent nearby was being used as a living quarters and Roxas could smell something savoury on the cook. Probably beef. From the one time Axel had ridden him through the fair, it seemed like everyone was eating beef. Autumn is always the good time of year. It was odd, but Roxas knew it was true. There was plenty of food for everyone , the hard work was done and the weather wasn't too cold.

Even trapped in the paddock, he could get a bit of a feel for the horse fair. There were plenty of entertainers, as he'd thought, but they were mostly amateurish. The major exceptions were a few bards travelling along with the traders. This was apparently the last stop in the harvest fairs and festivals they usually went to. After this, they'd be heading to their winters quarters. Roxas was a bit fuzzy on where exactly that would be, but suspected a few of them would be taking service with the nobles in the Steel Vales. Those posts weren't the most desirable thanks to the constant warfare, but the luxury would be worth it. Some of them might go further south, to the Hall of Tears. It was a special hall where the bards gathered and taught the next generation.

I want to see Axel do his trick riding. Roxas thought to himself then winced at how whiney the thought felt. He was so impatient lately. But Axel's trick riding really was fascinating to watch. He'd been working intensely with several of the mares and could practically make them dance. And of course there were the warhorses. Roxas wanted to see the mock charges and carefully choreographed mock combats. It wasn't exactly entertainment… it was meant to showcase the horses… but it was good. Especially with Axel on one of the mares, his eyes flashing and hair glowing in the sunlight…

I've got it bad. Roxas thought ruefully as he looked for Axel again. It was still too early though, and he tried to nap a bit. The redhead would probably show up as the sun began to set. Or maybe later if he decided to join a party.

So it proved. Roxas could faintly hear someone fiddling up a storm. He resigned himself to not seeing Axel until it was full dark out, although he was sure the redhead would come visit him. Well, unless he was too drunk. Roxas couldn't help but feel a bit bitter at that thought, but shoved it away. As far as Axel knew he was a horse, and he was certainly well cared for. The women and teenagers were constantly cleaning out the paddock and making sure the water was full and clean.

Roxas was dozing when something floppy and damp startled him awake. He almost jumped but relaxed as he realized Axel was standing beside him, holding onto him for balance. He wrinkled his nose at the reek of beer coming off the redhead. Then he blinked as Axel hugged his neck.

"He's leaving." Axel said in a low voice and Roxas realized the redhead was crying. He had his face buried in Roxas' fur and he could feel the dampness from the tears. "I knew he would. I knew it but it still hurts like hell."

Demyx? Roxas nuzzled him gently, wishing for his arms! He wanted to hold Axel, comfort him, be there for him. The redhead coughed, reaching up to scratch him behind the ears.

"He's going with the bards, going to the Hall of Tears. They're going to get him an official apprenticeship. He wanted me to come but I can't." Axel said and Roxas nuzzled him again. How he wished he had hands! "Dem thinks it'd be easy but it's not. It's not… he doesn't get it. He thinks I could be managing a stable right off. Hah! I travelled a while before I settled here, that's not how it works. I'd have to start as a stable boy and I don't want to do that again. I already did it for Terra." Roxas nodded to himself. He knew Axel was right. At any noble's stable or serious horse farm, you had to work your way up. When the stable master retired or died, they promoted the chief stablehand, not some outsider. If you were very good you could advance quickly, but the pay was still nothing like what Terra offered. "And I hate cities. I've hated them since… I hate cities. He knows that but he needs to follow his dream." Axel sniffed, rubbing his nose on his sleeve before he buried his face in Roxas' fur again. "It's the r-right thing for him. I know it is but… fuck!"

Oh Axel. Roxas wished desperately to be human again. He didn't notice the sparkle of magic discharge around his feet, but he felt it as the spell abruptly failed. AH! It was every bit as painful coming as going. The red hot pain and the way his body shifted in alien ways, but he endured it with joy. It was over in only a moment and Roxas caught Axel as the redhead suddenly found himself clinging to something much smaller than a horse. Roxas smiled into his shocked green eyes.

"…I am very drunk." Axel finally said and Roxas had to laugh. He quickly shifted around, getting an arm around Axel's shoulders and began steering him out of the paddock. "Knew I shouldn't have tried Terra's special ale."

"You probably shouldn't have." Roxas agreed as he flipped open the gate. It wasn't too easy while he was trying to keep Axel steady. "Probably mushrooms in it." Earth witches tended to be masterful at making brews with unusual properties. Terra wasn't exactly a witch, but his talent would go that way. Roxas found Axel's tent and pushed him inside, following. "There's no point in explaining this to you tonight…" Roxas muttered as he shoved the redhead down onto his bedroll, undoing his shirt and running a hand through the short red hairs. Axel stared at him, eyes wide. "So we're going to do what I've been dreaming about for months." For a moment he thought about getting Axel naked, then discarded the idea. He wanted this now and all he really needed was Axel's pants down. The thought led to the deed, and Roxas grinned as he unbuttoned the redhead and found he wasn't wearing any underwear. That made things quite a bit easier. He spat on his palm for lubrication, then ran his hands over dark, sensitive skin. Axel moaned, arching up into the touch.

Roxas enjoyed the redhead's reactions, playing with him and exploring. Axel was just as he'd imagined… thin and tall, but lean and hard under his clothes. So very desirable… but something was missing, something important. And Axel was sure to have it somewhere.

"Axel, where's the lube?" Roxas whispered in his ear, nuzzling his throat. The redhead was fumbling around, trying to return the favour but that wasn't what he needed right now. "Axel! Lube!" The note of command in his voice brought the redhead back to reality.

"Uh, yeah. In my saddlebags. Right hand pouch." Roxas rolled off the bed, ignoring Axel's disappointed groan and quickly rooted through the bags. So this was what he'd been carrying…? He quickly found a wooden jar and revelled at the feeling of having fingers to wrap around it. There was a wax seal around it to keep the contents from leaking and ruining the rest of the things in the bags. Roxas broke the seal with his thumb and grunted in annoyance as the cap stuck. He understood not wanting to ruin the gear but – Ah. It came off with a pop and he was about to scoop out some when a warm hand closed over his. "Hey, gimme that. I might be drunk but I still can handle it." Axel, and he'd gotten off his boots and pants. The heavy plaid shirt hanging off his shoulders was just sexy. Roxas smiled at him.

"Okay, but I'm going to ride you." That had been his private fantasy for a while. Riding Axel the way he usually rode him. Axel swallowed and Roxas could see the naked desire on his face. Roxas pushed him back onto the bed and gasped as he felt Axel's hands on him, cool and slick. Each long, smooth stroke felt so good. "Give me some of that." He said breathlessly, searching blindly for the jar. He took a bit and began returning the favour. Axel chuckled and arched, sliding their bodies together. Oh yes. Roxas' breath hitched as Axel reached behind him, long, agile fingers gently working their way in. Roxas lowered his head, biting his lip for a moment. It stung, a touch surprising but it had been a long time. He relaxed into it with practiced ease. It was familiar and comfortable and quickly became good as Axel's fingers ghosted over that special spot inside. Roxas wasn't sure what that spot was for – his knowledge of internal organs came from spilling them – but it felt wonderful. It always felt wonderful.

But it feels better with Axel. Roxas thought, exulting in the feeling. It wasn't better because Axel was better – he'd had plenty of wonderful lovers – but because he actually cared. He cared about the redhead and wanted this. Ah! Roxas gasped as Axel moved with him, stroking him in time with every thrust. Check that. Axel is just good. The redhead knew what he was doing, hitting that special spot just enough to keep him in an agony of pleasure without letting him go over. Roxas buried his face against Axel's neck, feeling the vibration as the redhead said something. He smelled like horse and leather and smoke…

"Epona bless me…" Axel's hand was in his hair, sliding to the back of his neck and pulling him up for a kiss. Roxas moaned into his mouth as the redhead pounded into his ass, hitting his special spot just enough, just enough. "Gift of the goddess." Roxas almost laughed then gasped as Axel stroked him again. It was a logical enough conclusion given that he'd been a horse before, but so wrong it was funny.

"Axel. Axel!" Roxas panted out his name, meeting bright green eyes. It was too good, too hot, too intense! "Ah!" Roxas arched and cried out in mindless pleasure, his body caught in the throes of his orgasm. Then Axel's hands were gripping his hips, driving him down harder until he suddenly went still. Roxas could feel the pulsing heat of Axel's release and revelled in the feeling. Normally that part disgusted him a bit but now it was just right.

"Roxas." Axel's voice made his name a caress and Roxas smiled as he settled in beside the redhead. He was close to passing out, but he still managed to turn his head and smile at the blonde. "Roxas." Roxas brushed back a bit of his sweaty hair and held the redhead close.

He was never going to let go of him again.