A twig broke off in the distance and Cain was instantaneously awake, an attribute he was very proud of. He whipped his hat off his face and scanned the area around the fire that still glowed dimly.
He heard rustling from the last place DG and Glitch had been. He hoped the two had figured it out and actually come clean with one another.
He had seen the looks that passed between them on almost a daily basis. He knew about it first hand, had shared that look with Adora. He pushed down the memory as he knocked the now awake Toto off his chest. The dog scrambled to get out of the way as Cain rose.
He walked closer to the ruffling noise and saw DG layed out on Glitch's coat. Her eyes were closed but he could see them roaming around under her delicate eyelids. What worried him was her whole body convulsing.
Glitch was kneeling by her head, holding it in place. His eyes were closed too, his eyes dancing behind pale eyelids. He looked like he was in pain, the same look he had on his face when Raw had searched his memories was plastered there once more.
Cain realized they were somehow reliving memories and his next thought was magic. It was the only way they could be doing what they were right now.
Even though he knew what it was, he knew no more than that and it made him feel useless, a feeling he did not like. He had no idea what he could do, if there was even anything he could do. He knew this was personal but he had no way of knowing if this was hurting them and if it was there was not much he could do to help them.
It was finally a sunny day, after two days of rain DG could finally go outside. She bounded around the palace with the energy that had been pent up and had come out at all the wrong moments. Many of the palace staff were relieved that the young princess would finally be able to go outside and tire herself out.
DG ran to the lab where she knew she would find Ambrose. He was deep in thought as he hunched over his desk, the pen in his hand furiously moving as he drew designs for this or that. He was currently working on some machine that was supposedly going to help lengthen the growing season. DG didn't fully understand it but she knew it was boring all the same.
She didn't want to startle him right now, she had before when he had been writing and he had jumped and caused the pen to make an ugly line across the neat handwriting. That was the only time she had seen him angry in any way.
When she reached his side she prayed he would not spaz like that other time and she gently put her hand on his arm. He startled only slightly this time, quite used to her breaking his concentration at the wrong time.
He looked up at her with weary eyes and said, "Hey doll."
She'd never tell anyone but she absolutely loved it when he called her doll. It was his special nickname for her just as her parents called her angel.
"Ambrose," she whined, "It's a beautiful day. The rain finally stopped and you promised me when it did that you would teach me to ride."
He remembered his promise to her as he had come home three days ago now from Central City on business for the Queen. She had awaited his arrival and as he had ridden up on his black stallion with such grace, her heart had almost stopped beating. He looked so at ease in the saddle, she could see the joy it brought him. She had immediately wanted to learn how to ride so she could do it with him.
The first thing out of her mouth had been, "Can you teach me to ride like that?"
He smiled at her, "Don't I get a hug first?" he said with a wounded air.
She had run to him then and threw her arms around him.
"I will teach you to ride tomorrow after lunch. I have some work I need to get done today."
She had nodded in understanding and looked pleased and excited at the prospect to learn something new from Ambrose. The next day it had rained from morning to night and the next day was the same. The suns had finally broken through the clouds and chased the rain away. And DG wanted to learn to ride.
"All right doll but I think you might want to put on some other clothes. I don't know how to ride side saddle so I will have to teach you how to ride astride which means you'll have to put pants on."
She nodded her head with great enthusiasm and shot out the door to go put on a pair of pants she had and would sometimes wear when she went outside to play.
She changed faster then she ever had before and was soon running through the palace again and skidded to a stop in Ambrose's lab. He smiled at her and took her hand in his.
They went down to the stables which was a massive complex of stalls and grain rooms. The stable boy met them at the door to the main barn and Ambrose said, "I will require my horse and one for the Princess."
The boy nodded and rushed into the bowels of the barn to do as he was told. DG and Ambrose sat on a bale of hay that was near one of the stalls. She loved the smell of this place, it smelled like horse, oats, straw, leather but it was such a pleasant smell. She realized it was the smell that was part of Ambrose. He must spend a lot of time here if he had taken on the smell, she thought to herself.
The boy came over leading a horse and a pony. The horse was the one she had seen Ambrose ride up on, he was the darkest shade of black she had ever seen and yet he had white on his hind leg above the hoof and a bright white diamond on his forehead. The pony was stark white and had a pink muzzle and he squinted his eyes as of it was too bright.
She pulled on Ambrose's arm in pure excitement and it was contagious as he began to feel it too.
Ambrose took the reins of his horse and showed DG how to do the same with the pony. She had no fear in her eyes and quickly imitated Ambrose and lead the pony out of the barn on her own with Ambrose close by in case anything went wrong.
He led them over to the nearest ring and tied his own horse on the hitching post and walked into the ring followed closely by DG with her pony.
He stopped in the middle of the ring as did DG.
"All right, I want you to put the reins over his head and make sure they aren't twisted."
She did as he instructed. He gave her a smile that told her she had done it right.
"Now, even though he may look small he is more powerful than you by far. If you need to walk around him for any reason you have to tell him where you are by running your hand on his skin. Like this."
He put his hand on the pony and walked around him, never breaking contact.
"Do you see his ears? How they are back listening to the sound of my voice and movements. He is being attentive which is what we want. Now you try."
DG mimicked Ambrose's movements around the pony with no mishap. He was proud of her, she had no fear in her eyes which would work in her favor.
"Now I think you are ready to get up on his back. You have to make sure that you remain calm no matter what happens. Horses and ponies are very receptive to our feelings and they will make what we feel what they feel."
She nodded getting bored, she just wanted to ride.
He came up behind her and picked her up.
"Put your right leg over…there you go…put your foot in the stirrup like so…how do they feel? This needs to come down…"
She started tuning him out as he fussed and fiddled with every little piece of leather.
"Now give a gentle squeeze…no don't kick, squeeze. He will feel it. There you go."
The pony started to move and at first DG's legs clenched in fear of falling but Ambrose's reassuring voice said, "Don't squeeze like that or he will think you want him to go faster. Relax into his motion, move with him, feel him walking."
She soon moved with the motion of the pony and it felt so natural to do so, like she had done it for years.
"Now give a little squeeze and loosen the reins slightly…we want him to trot…."
As he said it the pony became bouncy all of a sudden and she felt her butt leave the saddle with each stride.
"Sit back…deepen your seat…yes like that…"
She was able to control her movements in time with the pony and the uncomfortable stride became smooth.
"All right now pull back gently on the reins and make him walk…good. Let's go for a walk on the trail," he said as he walked over to his horse and mounted up.
She brought the pony over to where Ambrose waited for her and they headed out to one of the many trails that Finaqua had. They only walked and conversed about inconsequential things as friends are liable to do.
Then DG asked, "Ambrose are you married like momma and daddy?"
Ambrose was taken aback at the question, had not expected it in the least. "No I'm not doll if I was I would have invited you to the wedding…why do you ask?"
"Just curious I guess," but secretly she was relieved that he wasn't. She had been afraid he would be and then all her fantasies would mean nothing.
Ambrose still looked at her, trying to figure out where that had come from. Why was she thinking about marriage? And why would she be curious about him getting married? He had no plans on getting married to anyone anytime soon but if the Queen asked him to marry someone in order to make an alliance or for any other political reason he would.
They continued their ride in relative silence, DG still prattled on about this and that and Ambrose smiled with amusement hoping this would be the first of many rides with each other.
Raw's dreams were not dreams, they were more feelings that he was picking up and then worked themselves into dreams.
His eyes flew open at all the conflicting emotions running in his mind's eye. The emotions did not dissipate with wakefulness, if anything they increased. They hung heavily in the air. There was fear, happiness, love, anger, loneliness; all assaulting him.
He wanted to run from the feelings, they were so strong but he would not abandon his friends as he had his kind.
The feelings he was picking up, they seemed so familiar.
He looked over to Cain who was awake and looking at something obscured from his view by the trees.
He slowly walked over to stand by Cain and touched him. He was assaulted with his feelings of worry at what lay in front of him.
Raw dropped his hand and looked at what Cain was. He sucked in air through bared teeth. All the feelings were coming from Glitch and DG who were sharing memories somehow. He knew magic was involved, could feel it crackling through the air. Distantly he felt the worry from Cain dwindle as he realized that the psychic would know what to do.
The only thing was, Raw had no idea what to do. This was beyond him, but if he was needed he would do what he could.