Arriving home around half past eight in the morning, with a loaded wagon and three new horses in tow, Col. Tavington quickly unsaddled Phantom and released him into the pasture before returning to help Aidan and Brant lead Raine, Morgana, and Prince to their stalls. Then, the three unloaded the wagon before the colonel drove it to its place near the stables and unharnessed Asmodeus and Ember, releasing them into a pasture separate from Phantom and then headed up to the house with the twins.
"Papa's home!" a mud-splattered and half-dressed Braden cried excitedly from down the hall upon seeing his father enter the house, followed by Aidan and Brant, who went upstairs to their rooms.
Col. Tavington smiled and knelt down as his son came running towards him gleefully and wrapped his arms around him, despite the mud.
"Good morning, Braden." he said, kissing his son's forehead. "What have you been up to?"
"Escaping from his mother because he doesn't want to take a bath."
Col. Tavington looked up and grinned as he saw Mary enter the hallway, hands on her hips as she glanced pointedly at her son.
"Braden..."
"He decided that he wanted to be an explorer and go 'exploring' in some of the mud-puddles around the house about fifteen minutes ago." Mary explained. "Jula went outside and chased him down. She nearly ended up just as dirty."
Col. Tavington chuckled.
"Speaking of which, how are the girls this morning?"
"Jula is fine, other than the obvious. She's been helping me in the kitchen and with Brielle. Jae is all right as well, though she woke up a bit late this morning because she was feeling dizzy, yet it passed and she too, helped out with tasks around the house this morning."
"That's good to hear. And you? How are you this morning?"
"I am fine. In fact, I'm not as tired as I was yesterday." Mary replied. "Brielle is up and Jae is watching her while I try to bathe the little heathen you're holding."
Col. Tavington laughed and handed Braden to his mother and followed them to a washroom downstairs where a washbasin was waiting.
"There you go." said Mary, pulling off the last of Braden's clothes. "Now, into the tub with you."
"But I don't want a bath!" Braden whined.
Mary wrapped her son's hands in hers, looking him straight in the eye.
"Braden, you need a bath."
Braden shook his head pursing his lips in what he believed to be firm resolution. His mother, of course, knew better.
"Listen to me, Braden; your papa brought some new horses home; if you get into the tub and get cleaned up, you may go see them."
Braden's eyes brightened and he all but jumped into the tub, splashing water all over his parents, who laughed in response and splashed him back.
"Papa, did you get big ho-ses?" Braden asked while Mary carefully soaked his hair with water.
Col. Tavington chuckled and replied, "Yes Braden, of course. Three big horses."
"Three?" Mary questioned as she began to soap Braden's hair. "You told me you were only planning on buying two?"
"Well I was, but I decided to purchase an extra gelding as well. He's of good temper, and with a bit of proper training, he'll make an excellent horse for Jula. I know we have Phantom for her to ride but I figured she could have her own. He's a white Andalusian with black skin. A truly magnificent animal."
Mary nodded approvingly.
"And for Jae?"
"A Friesian mare. Her name is Morgana. She's a perfect match for Jae."
"Did you even tell her you were getting her a horse?" Mary asked.
Col. Tavington smirked and she rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she shook her head at his typical response.
"Of course you didn't..."
"No, I didn't. Tell me, my dear, where would the fun be in that?"
"Oh William, you're impossible.." Mary said. "But you did purchase another stallion as well then?"
"Yes, and he's more mild than Asmodeus."
"A good thing.."
"It is indeed."
"Mama, I want to be done so I can go with Papa!" Braden suddenly spoke up in impatience, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he looked up at his mother with a pout on his lips.
Mary stared sternly back as she rinsed his hair and began to lather his body.
"Braden, I'm going as fast as I can whilst making sure that you still are cleaned. Now stop your pout, or a little bird will come and leave a present for you on your bottom lip."
Braden crossed his arms in front of his chest, his face taking on a red hue while Col. Tavington smirked and nodded in agreement with his wife.
"Come now Braden, let you mother finish cleaning you up so you can go see the horses." he encouraged, uncrossing his son's arms.
Reluctantly, Braden agreed and was compliant for the rest of his bath before he headed out of the washroom with his father, while Mary drained the tub and headed upstairs to find Jae in her own quarters with Brielle.
"Finally managed to get him into the tub and cleaned, my lady?" Jae asked with a smile as she slowly rocked Brielle in her arms.
"Finally..." Mary replied with a smile as she looked down at Brielle, gently caressing the top of her daughter's head. "Thankfully for me, William is quite the persuader."
"He is indeed." Jae said as she shifted Brielle to rest against her side, cooing softly to her as she continued to rock slowly from side to side.
Just then Col. Tavington, ran by in the hallway, chasing a clean but completely naked Braden to his room, pausing only long enough to get a glimpse of Jae holding Brielle before hurrying off towards Braden who was leaving a pathway of water drips to his room. Mary glanced over at her husband just before he disappeared from view and then turned back to Jae and shook her head, a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips.
"Like father, like son.."
Jae laughed softly.
"I can see that. I wonder how Brielle will turn out.. she already looks like you."
Mary grinned sheepishly as she ran a hand through her currently half unbound curly black hair.
"Well we'll just have to see, won't we?"
Jae nodded with a smirk and replied, "I guess so, but my bet is that she'll turn out like you too."
Mary shrugged.
"She could, however, I already see a glint of her father in her."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Only after he chased Braden twice around the house and up the stairs to his room was Col. Tavington able to corner his son in his room and tackle him into his clothes before setting him on his shoulders and starting back out of the house to the stables when a post rider trotting up to the front of the house on a dapple gray horse caught his attention.
"Col. Tavington..." said a young man with light brown hair dismounted and started towards the colonel with a brown parcel in hand, along with a couple of letters, one of which was attached to the parcel.
"Thank you." the colonel took the parcel and letters from the post rider, quickly paid him his dues and then dismissed him as he pried Braden's hands from his eyes and broke the seal of the letter attached to the parcel.
"Well well, what do we have here?" Col. Tavington whispered softly as his eyes flew deftly over it.
Jae will be wanting to see this...
"Papa, can we go now?" Braden asked, an air of impatience in his voice. "I want to see the ho-ses."
"Alright, Braden.." Col. Tavington sighed. "But please, stop boxing my ears because you want to go!"
Braden let out an annoyed huff and held onto his father for support as they started towards the stables once more. However, just as they reached the entrance, Edward came riding up.
"Will, I need to talk to you."
Col. Tavington raised an eyebrow.
"Can it not wait?"
Edward's eyes narrowed.
"Will, please."
Col. Tavington sighed and consented reluctantly as he lifted Braden off his shoulders.
"But Papa, I want to see the ho-ses!" Braden said in disappointment.
"Braden, I'm sorry, but I'll have to show you later."
Braden scowled and was about to retort when Aidan appeared from inside Morgana's stall and said, "Pardon me, sir, but I can show Braden the horses, if it's all right with you."
Col. Tavington nodded and gestured for Braden to go over to Aidan while he and Edward walked off together, away from the stables.
"Hello. Braden." Aidan said as he stepped out of Morgana's stall.
Braden stopped, regarding him with curiosity.
"Come on, it's all right."
Aidan knelt down and held out his hand. Slowly, Braden started towards him and finally, with a hesitant look, took his hand.
"There, that's a good boy." Aidan said warmly.
Braden looked up and gave him a crooked smile. Then he looked over at Morgana.
"Did Papa get that hos today?" he asked, gesturing at the Friesian mare.
Aidan nodded and picked him up, holding him out so that he could stroke her nose.
"This is Morgana."
"Mo-gana.." Braden repeated, stroking her face as her coal black eyes stared at him intently.
Aidan laughed softly, carrying him over to the Andalusian.
"And this is Prince."
Braden giggled and reached out to pet the gelding.
"Pwince..."
"I want down, please." he said after patting Prince on the nose.
"Alright..."
Setting Braden back down on the ground, Aidan was about to take him over to see Raine when Braden looked up at him with a mischievous smile and then took off running out the back of the stables.
"Braden!" he called, taken off guard by the toddler's sudden escape.
Quickly gathering himself, Aidan ran after Braden as he sped around the corner of the stables and ducked out of sight.
"Goddamn it.." Aidan muttered angrily to himself, halting just outside the back entrance of the stables as his eyes darted around, searching for any sight of the little sprite, Braden.
Sure enough, he spotted him... right in the pasture with Asmodeus, making his way swiftly towards Col. Tavington's moody stallion.
"Shit...Braden, get back here!" Aidan yelled, but the little boy paid him no heed; instead, he walked right up to Asmodeus and wrapped his arms around the horse's nose.
Aidan inhaled sharply, fearing the worst, but instead, received a shock as Asmodeus allowed Braden to hang on for a moment before lifting his head up a little ways off the ground and tossing him gently off. Braden screeched with glee, walked back over to Asmodeus, and grabbed his nose once more. The stallion gently threw him off again, walking over to him and shoving him playfully with his nose.
Meanwhile, Aidan began to make his way towards Asmodeus and nearly succeeded in getting into the pasture when suddenly the stallion pulled away from Braden and looked straight at him with unnerving eyes that seemed to see right through him.
"Easy boy..." Aidan spoke softly as the stallion began to tense. "Braden, come here.."
Braden, who was rolling on the ground near Asmodeus, didn't listen.
"Braden.."
Carefully climbing the fence, Aidan chose to approach the large stallion from a distance.
"Easy, Asmodeus..." he said softly, taking cautious steps forward. "It's all right, boy."
Asmodeus snorted, pinning his ears back as he backed up and pawed the ground; Aidan continued to walk towards him.
"Easy... it's all right..."
The stallion stopped pawing the ground, eyeing Aidan again with another haunting look that held the same intensity and depth to it as the gaze of his master. This unsettled Aidan greatly, yet he refused to completely back off.
"Braden," he tried again in a firm voice, "come here. Now."
Braden sat up and looked at him, scowling slightly before reluctantly making his way over to Aidan, who snatched him up and carried him quickly towards the fence, unaware that Asmodeus had quietly followed them, ears still pinned to the back of his head. Repositioning Braden so that he could climb the fence Aidan hopped up and had almost swung his right leg over when Asmodeus barreled into him, knocking him off the fence in an effort to get him out of his 'territory' more quickly; unfortunately, Aidan fell back into the pasture. Braden screamed in fright and began to cry as he and Aidan crashed to the ground, while Asmodeus loomed above them. Swiftly, he lunged forward at Aidan and bit him hard on the shoulder.
"Ahhh! F-" Aidan didn't have time to finish the stream of curse words he was about to release as he quickly dodged one of Asmodeus' hooves as it nearly crashed down on his ribs while Braden continued to scream and cry with terror.
"Let go! I want Papa!" he cried as he made a fierce attempt to wriggle out of Aidan's grasp.
But it was to no avail for the poor little young master. He remained tightly in Aidan's hold as they rolled out of the way of more blows from Asmodeus as the infuriated horse snapped at Aidan who yelped yet again as the stallion landed a nasty bite on the side of his arm before he caught him him low on the right side of his ribs with his left front hoof .
"Asmodeus! I'm-not-hurting-Braden!" he cried desperately, dodging more blows and trying to ignore the searing pain in his ribs as he tried to get Braden under the fence.
The horse snorted and made to lunge again at Aidan when a voice yelled, "ASMODEUS!"
Asmodeus stopped in mid-lunge and pulled up sharply, looking over at a fuming Mary Tavington who was making her way at breakneck pace towards the pasture while Aidan still laid on the ground, flat on his back, hardly daring to move or breathe.
"My god..." Mary's voice began to shake as she saw her son by the fence, crying loudly. "Braden!"
Braden looked up and immediately got to his feet, running headlong into his mother's arms as she wrapped them protectively around him as he continued to cry.
"Hush, hush, darling, it's all right." Mary said soothingly, stroking Braden's hair and kissing his cheek as she tenderly wiped his tears away.
Then, releasing her son once he calmed, she made her way into the pasture to where Aidan still lay, wincing in pain as Asmodeus stood over him, snorting and pawing the ground next to his head. Quckly shoving the horse out of the way whilst muttering a few choice words under her breath, Mary bent down next to Aidan and asked, "Where did he strike you?"
"In the ribs..." Aidan answered in a slightly strained voice. "He got me on the arm and shoulder as well, but it's the ribs that hurt the most.
Mary nodded and moved her hands up to his ribs, assessing the damage. After a few minutes, she looked up and said in a wry voice, "Well, you're lucky. Nothing is broken; just badly bruised. It seems that Asmodeus was just warning you."
Aidan frowned.
"My lady, if it isn't too bold of me to ask, why does the colonel still keep a horse like him around? He could kill someone."
Mary gave him a consenting nod.
"It is true, he could. But you see, Aidan, Asmodeus is rarely this aggressive. He saves that for other horses. Sure, he's moody, and he bites at times, yet on the whole, he's a very good horse. And he has come to be very protective of Braden, as you may have seen, due to William's training."
"Well I could see that." Aidan replied dryly. "I'll do well to avoid Asmodeus for a while.."
"Indeed. Perhaps later he'll come to know you better. But in the meantime, why don't you get yourself up to the house?"
"Alright..."
Slowly sitting up, Aidan waited until Asmodeus was well away from him before he finally got to his feet and headed off to the house, more than eager to get away from Col. Tavington's unpredictable stallion.