He's a little surprised at how quickly his demand is met. He was expecting to have to make a scene. Maybe refuse to leave the stall until they decided it would be less of a hassle to let him see Shiro than not, but no, someone in charge has a few braincells to rub together because Shiro is standing on the other side of his gate smiling at him, "Hey buddy, you want to go for a walk?" Keith has the biggest stupidest grin on his face, and he doesn't even care.

As soon as the gate is open, he's out and trying to headbutt Shiro into giving him a hug. Which, much to his delight, he gets with enthusiasm, "Missed you too, now come on," Shiro says, bumping Keith to get him to turn around. Before they can go anywhere, the ranch hand escorting Shiro grabs Keith's lead. Shiro frowns, "Is that really necessary? He's not going to run while I'm here. Will you?"

Keith shakes his head, "I won't, promise," He doesn't think now is a good time for an escape, anyways. He'd like to have his arms free first, maybe get a chance to plan it out with Shiro first too.

"I'm not sure," The hand glances around, as if looking to see if there is anyone else he can pawn the decision off on.

"At least let me be the one to hold it," Shiro wheedles, leaning down to hold his hand out for the lead, "You can blame me if anyone has a problem with it."

Shiro gives the human an encouraging smile as he stares at the offered hand. Slowly he gives Shiro the rope, "Thank you," Shiro says, straightening back up. Magic, that's the only explanation for how no matter what the species, Shiro can convince anybody to do what he wants with a smile and a few words. Shiro's words are literally magic.

"Come on then," Shiro gives a playful tug on the lead, and Keith's not quite fast enough in schooling his grimace. His arms are really really sore, "Sorry," Shiro says softly, eyebrows creasing in concern, but he doesn't ask what's wrong.

The human leads the way, and Keith falls in by Shiro's right side, as close as he can and still walk comfortably. They're too close to the ranch hand for any sort of private conversation, but it seems wrong to have Shiro here and to do nothing but walk quietly, "I didn't expect them to let me see you again so easily," Wait no, that's a bad topic.

Shiro chuckles, "We were always going to see each other again. Scaring the Ramírez boy just got things moved up. He said you were a devil centaur and were going to eat him if you didn't get to see me," Keith wrinkles his nose in disgust. Some of the old mares used to tell him tales about herds that would eat anything they came across, humans, centaurs, they didn't care as long as it was made of flesh. They also apparently had razors in the place of teeth and blood red eyes. Needless to say, he'd never met one, much less liked his own meat anything but non-sentient. Shiro taps his nose, "Piece of advice. Don't scare the people in charge of your meals. He only agreed to keep feeding you because I promised him he was too scrawny for your tastes."

Keith snorts, "I'll think about it," He says, as he determines to maybe lay off the easily terrified human. Even if it's hay, he needs something to maintain his strength. Wait. "Why were you talking to him? Does he bring you your meals too?" That he could imagine. Shiro likes to talk. If his human captors were the only ones he could talk to for a year, he can't see Shiro just going mute.

"Hmmm?" Shiro hums, "No, my stable is handled by someone else," That doesn't answer his question. In fact, that brings up more. Keith's frown prompts Shiro to continue, "I won a lot of people, a lot of money. Tends to give people a friendly disposition to me, and friendly people like to talk. Everyone knows I know you, so I imagine he thought I'd be a good person to ask." That explanation doesn't sit well with him, but he's suddenly acutely aware that the ranch hand is still within earshot.

He focuses on safer path of inquiry, "Won how?" What had they been having him do? The humans here were cruel bastards, but they didn't just keep them around for no reason. They must have been getting something from Shiro this past year.

Shiro actually smiles at his question, "Races," He says, "There's not much a one armed centaur is good for, but there isn't anything wrong with my legs. I'm one of the fastest around, at least I was until you arrived." Shiro ruffles his hair, but Keith doesn't feel like returning his smile. He doesn't like any of the answers he's getting today. They're all to happy, too positive for their situation.

He needs to see some darkness, some sign that Shiro hates this place just as much he does, "How did you lose your arm?"

Shiro's face freezes, he stops in his tracks for a second, finally a reaction. Shiro shakes, then comes back to life. Starts to walk forwards again, but without the smile, "Infection," He says solemnly, "A wound didn't get treated in time, and they had to amputate." He looks over at Keith for a moment, "Nothing like that is going to happen to you."

There is not much to say, after that. Walking silently until the human reaches one of the few fenced in areas that isn't just beaten down dirt. The gate is opened, and they are gestured inside.

Shiro walks out to the middle and flops down on his side. This makes Keith smile, they used to do this all the time. He gets just the right distance then follows Shiro down. Face to face, front to front. One of the few positions he can look Shiro in the eyes without having to crane his neck. A long blade of grass pokes him in the face. He snaps his teeth trying to bite it off but can't quite reach. Shiro comes to his rescue, plucking it from the ground and tossing it away, before reaching out to rub his thumb across Keith's cheek. Keith does his best to nuzzle into his hand. Shiro's affection are one of the things he's missed the most in the past year. No one else is as genuinely and easily gentle to him.

"I wish the circumstances were better, but I'm glad I get to spend time with you again." Shiro says with unabashed fondness.

"Me too," Keith sighs, and it's not a lie. Everything he is going through is worth it to get Shiro back. Still he can't linger on the happiness this gives him. He doesn't know how much longer they have before unfriendly ears return, "Shiro, we need to get out of here."

"What?" Shiro's face scrunches in confusion.

"Escape," Keith clarifies, "You've been here longer than me. You must know some sort of weakpoints, when less humans are watching. If we can get past all the fences, I know enough of the land to get us back out to the plains." Keith says in a rush. He's been thinking hard on the problem on his own, but he's only seen a bit of the grounds and a little of how things worse.

"Oh," Shiro says quietly. His hand pulling away from Keith.

"Shiro?" Oh? What kind of answer is that? Why isn't Shiro as excited as he is?

"No, it's fine. I guess, I knew you'd leave eventually," Shiro plucks absentmindedly at some of the grass between them, "I just thought, I'd have a little bit more time with you first."

"You're coming with me." There is literally nothing that could make him leave Shiro behind.

"No, I'm not," Shiro says, shaking his head. The eyes that look at Keith are just as sad as the first day he saw Shiro in this horrible place, "I lost my dominant arm. I can't string a boy or anything requiring finesse. About all I'm good for is dragging heavy things and running races. There isn't a place out there for me anymore." Keith's gaping, mouth hanging open like a fish out water. Shiro reaches over and pushes his mouth closed, "You're going to catch flies," He says with a smile that doesn't reach his eyes.

Keith's mind is spinning, his heart hurting in his chest, "B-but I want you there, with me," It's all he's wanted for so long. He thinks he's going to cry.

"Hey now, it's alright," Shiro's hand is on his neck, squeezing reassuringly, "As long as there's no fuss, they treat me okay." Fuss? So as long as he does everything they want.

"They lock you in at night!" Shiro's hand claps over his mouth.

"Shhhh, someone will hear you," Shiro hisses.

Keith nods his understanding, and Shiro removes his hand, "How can this be a better place for you, than free on the plains with me?" Keith says, much more quietly.

Shiro scrubs at his forelock, "Say I went with you. We both escaped, somehow, without getting caught. What kind of life would I have? I can't help you hunt or trap. I'd be a liability in a fight. What would I do all day, sit around and eat grass? Waiting on you to help me with the simplest tasks?" Shiro deflates with a sigh, "I won't drag you down like that."

"We'll figure it out," He won't let Shiro waste away. They'll find a way, because they need to.

"That's a nice sentiment, but…" Shiro shakes his head, "I don't want to talk about this anymore. Can we just enjoy being out in the grass together again?"

"You're not the first person to lose an arm, Shiro. You won't be useless." He's never met another centaur without one, but he knows they exist and don't just wander off to die when it happens.

"Keith, stop. Please. No more. Not right now," Shiro looks so tired, but he can't leave off, not yet.

"No, I don't know when I'll see you again, and I'm not leaving here without you." That hasn't changed.

"Two days, we'll see each other again in two days." Shiro says, "If you're still here, we can talk about this then, but for now, please, let me just enjoy this."

Keith almost starts to argue, before he realizes he's getting no further with Shiro today, "We're talking about this again in two days." And they'll keep talking about it until he convinces him.

"In two days." Shiro agrees.

End Note:

This part was actually planned from the beginning. Looking back, I'm not sure how I ever thought I'd get away with only a three part story.

Again, Shiro's had a rough year, and before you start telling me work arounds and how people used to survive without an arm. I've already thought of them. The actual problem is not the one brought up, but having been told something so many times that he believes it.