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Tau Aceti
“……So you’re telling me that my son will be too weak to be a fighter?” “Yes sir. It was a miracle that your wife made I out alive. Even now she’s on the edge.” “I don’ care about the wife! I want a son that will be able to follow in my footsteps.” “Well pardon me sir, but don’t you still have Tau?” “That waste? All he does all day is read books. I have not once seen him pick up a sword unless he was told to do so. Even then, he’s still afraid of them.” “Well . .. you’re screwed then sir.” “I know that you fool!!!” Zeit furiously walked away from the doctor and ran right into a young seven year old boy who was reading a book. “I’m so sorry sir!! Here let me help you up.” “Let go of me Tau!” “Oh..hello Father.” “Watch where you’re going! Worthless fool.” “Yes sir. I’m sorry.” “Whatever. Stay out of my sight from now on. Am I understood?” “Yes sir. Father?” “WHAT?!” “What does my little brother look like?” “He’s useless, just as you are.” “When can I see him?” You can never see him! Understand?! He’s very sick and a worthless cause. Just as you are and you always will be. Plus he’ll probably be dead soon.” “I’m sorry to be such a disappointment to you Father.” “Shut up you insolent swine.” As Zeit said those last words to Tau, Tau looked down the hall and saw a doctor go into a room followed by some men who rolled a bed with a white sheet on top of it. Curious, Tau made his way to he room. When he was near enough to the room he looked up to see what room number it was. When he saw the room number, he froze. The room number was 276. That was the same room that his mother, Eienzle, was staying in. When he looked into the door, he saw the doctors picking up a body and just dropping on the bed that they had just rolled in. Tears stained the young boy’s face as he saw his mother rolled out of the room and watched silently as they disappeared into another room. He stood there for what seemed like hours before Zeit walked towards him and placed his hands on Tau’s shoulders. “I’m sorry about earlier Tau. It was wrong of me. Can you please forgive me?” Tau slowly turned to look at his father and saw that his father had been crying. “I forgive you Father.” Zeit grasped Tau in a tight hug and held onto him as if he was afraid to let go. “What are we going to do about Kent?” “Kent? Who’s that?” “…I thought it would be a good name for the baby…” “Humph. I’m thinking of giving him up for adoption.” “But you can’t!” “And why not?” “….because Mom wouldn’t have wanted that.” “Well your mom’s dead okay?! I make the rules around here and you will follow them or you can get out of my house! Am I understood?!” “..yes sir.” “Good.” Tau looked at his father with tears in his eyes and wondered what made his father so hateful to him. Was it something that he had done? What could it have been that would have turned his father into a ghoul. He remembered the days when they were happy and a family, but that was a long time ago…and it was over. All good things come to a end. Sometimes sooner than we wish. This was the conclusion he had come to when his father had turned. “I’m going see something. I’ll be back later Father.” “Take your time. Oh and while you’re gone, see if someone will adopt you and ‘Kent’. Understand?” “Yes sir.” Tau left his father and went look for his younger brother. I don’t care what he says about Kent. He’s still family and he deserves a chance. All of us do in this world. As he was walking, he saw a man in a large leather jacket talking to a nurse. After talking to the nurse for a few minutes, he saw the man’s face drop and his hands went to his face. Tau paused to look at the guy and wondered if he should go and talk to him after the nurse left. After deciding against it, he made his way to where his little brother was waiting for him. When he got there, Kent was hooked up to machines, and his little arms were covered in wires and tape. He was no bigger than a baby puppy. Tau stood there for a few minutes then the man that he saw earlier walked up beside him. Poor guy. He must’ve lost his wife. Tau looked at the man out of the corner of hi eye and was shocked to see how young he was. He must’ve been in his early twenties. His face was pale and tired, but beneath you could see the youth. When he saw the man glance at him he quickly looked away. “Which one are you here for?” Tau looked around trying to figure out who the man was talking to. After he saw that they were the only ones there, Tau looked back at the man. When he did, something shiny caught his eye. Looking intently at it, he saw that it was the handle of a sword. “uh…my brother. He’s the one hooked up to all the machines.” “I see. What’s his name?” “I call him Kent…but my father calls him useless.” “Kent is a good name…but useless, I’m not too sure about. That’s the first time that I hear that one.” “Yea…my father’s not one for…well anything at all.” “What about your mom?” “My mom died while delivering my brother.” “Oh…I’m sorry to hear that.” “…I saw you talking to a nurse earlier...what happened?” The man looked at Tau and tried to compose himself. “I lost a dear friend. She was suppose to have a baby as well, but I don’t know if the child made it through.” “I’m sorry to hear that.” “Well…stuff like that happens. We can’t prevent it. No one can.” “….my mom used to say that Elyon could.” “Elyon huh? I haven’t heard that name in quite some time. My name’s Ethiel-Vanar Kilimen You can just call me Ethiel.” “My name’s Tau. Tau Aceti. When Tau said his name, he saw Ethiel’s face change from sadness to joy. Confused, Tau just shook his head. This guy is REALLY weird. Tau….I thought that I would never see him again…but Eiezle…poor thing….what will Zeit do with the child? Tau looked at Ethiel and gave a long heavy sigh. “What’s on your mind Tau?” “My father told me to look for someone who woul adopt me and my brother while I was up here.” “Is that so….” “Yea.” “Where’s your father at right now?” “Last I saw him…I think he was going to the cafeteria.” Zeit, you pig. Always thinking of yourself. But that’s fine. Your time’s coming and you just don’t know it yet. “Why?” “Huh?” Ethiel looked at Tau as he startled because he had forgotten that the young boy was still there. “Why’d you ask where my father was?” “I still uneasy. “I’ll be right back Don’t go anywhere okay?” “Yea…if you go to my father….” Ethiel stopped to see what the boy was saying. “….just be safe okay? I don’t want to see anyone else get hurt because of my father.” “Don’t worry. I’m stronger than I look.” “I never said that you were weak!” “I know. It’s just that a lot of people think that I’m weak and that they can take advantage over me. That’s all. See ya.” With that said, Ethiel turned and inside the elevator and went to talk to Zeit. When Ethiel arrived on the first floor, he was greeted by utter chaos. Nurses were running around trying to make sure that injured patients had been treated and were finding rooms. Looking around quickly, he smelled smoke coming from the cafeteria. No.. he couldn’t have…. Afraid that his thoughts might be right, Ethiel ran into the cafeteria and saw to his horror, Zeit holding a young child up by his neck. The child’s mother was not far off trying to get through the mass of people so that she could get her son. Having seen this, Ethiel became outraged. “ZEIT!! PUT THE CHILD DOWN!!” KILIMEN!?! But how did you get here?!” “Simple. I walked through the doors.” “But….how?” “Through the doors. DUH!” “I know that you fool! You know exactly what I mean!” “Do I? If I do, then be so kind as to tell me why you’re choking an innocent child right now.” “FOOL! I’M GOING TO KILL HIM JUST AS YOU KILLED MY FAMILY LONG AGO!” “Zeit…..I didn’t realize…” “Didn’t realize or didn’t care?!” Zeit’s anger now poured out of him and Ethiel shrank back because of the enormous burst of energy that he felt from Zeit. There has to be a way to get through to him….violence isn’t the answer. It never was and it never will be. Just then, Ethiel saw something small out of the corner of his eye. Turning, he saw that it was Tau. “Tau! Get out of here!” Ethiel blocked Zeit’s view so that he wouldn’t see Tau frozen there in fear. “….but Mr. Ethiel….” “Go NOW!!!” Right when Ethiel took his eyes off of Zeit, Zeit took his opportunity and pulled out a handgun and raised it even with Ethiel’s chest. Ethiel heard the sound of the gun click and froze. ‘Zeit….please. You don’t want to do this. Lower your weapon.” “Fool! You took everything from me! My life, my wife, and now you’re trying to take my son away as well! I won’t allow it!” “Zeit….is that what you think of me? Aa thirf? All I wanted to do was help you….please….let me do that.” Slowly walking towards Zeit, Ethiel reached out his hand in a sign of peace. Zeit took the sign as an act of violence and fired his gun. “NOOO!!” The scream tore from Tau’s throat before he even realized what happened. Ethiel stood there with his mouth open in a shocked state. Seeing Zeit smile then turn away, he slowly collapsed to the floor. All he heard was confusion. People were screaming, babies were crying. Through the confusion he was able to hear a small voice. “…..Tau…..” Seeing that Ethiel was still alive, Tau ran over to his side and gently picked his head up and put it in his lap. “Oh God….Ethiel. I’m s o sorry. I should’ve never allowed you to come here and talk to him….” “….you wouldn’t have been able to stop me even if you wanted to….” “….still…I’m just so tired of people being hurt because of him…” Tau stayed by Ethiel’s side until the doctor arrived. When the doctor arrived, he silently moved off to the side. “Another fight eh Vanar? When will you learn?” “…never I guess…” “That sounds about right. Well, we’re out of room here so I’ll fix you up and bring you home. You rode or drove?” ‘….my truck’s in the back-” Ethiel wasn’t able to finish his thought before he got a blast of pain in his chest. “Okay. It’s in the back parking lot?” Ethiel shook his head yes slowly. “Okay. Well, that should do it.” Sitting up, Ethiel saw that he was already bandaged and the pain was starting to subside. Looking around, he saw Tau standing off to the side watching to make sure that no harm would come to Ethiel. I should’ve stopped him! I knew that they’d get in a fight! I knew it! Zeit just can’t be trusted! I should go before he causes anymore destruction… Turning, Tau walked down the hall and into the parking lot. Ethiel hadn’t seen Tau leave but he heard Shougo telling someone about a young boy that was walking home alone. Running as fast as his legs would carry him, Ethiel tried to catch up to Tau. He ran for hours before realizing that he was in some woods that he had never been in before. “…where am I?” Suddenly, he heard a twig snap and he turned to see a small black wolf pup standing on a fallen tree. “What are you doing here Ethiel?” “…Tau?” “Yes.” Silently walking down the tree, Tau shook his head. Well he is quite queer. Thank God I found him. “Why are you here Ethiel?” “I was worried about you.” “I don’t need your pity.” “It’s not pity. It’s worry. And what’s wrong with you anyway?” “I’m sorry…but there are some things that I’d rather not tell anyone.” “Very well. But who’s going to take care of you while your father’s on his rampage? Will you stay at your house alone?” “Why does it concern you? Will you kill me in my sleep?” “Tau…I’d never do something like that.” “How can I trust you? After all, we did just meet today.” If you only knew….there’s so much I want to tell you but I don’t know how. “Tau, you can trust me….please come live with me. At least until your father calms down.” “Very well. But what are we going to do about Kent?” “He’ll have to stay in the hospital for a few weeks until he’s strong enough to function without all of the machines….but I can take you to see him anytime you’d like. How does that sound?” “Why are you being so nice to me?” “Because….I’m just a nice guy. Now then, let’s go home.” Ethiel smiled at the thought of having someone else living with him again. The past few years had been difficult for him. Ever since he lost his wife in a divorce, he had been living by himself in a little cabin near the Smoky Mountains. Now that he had someone staying with hi, he felt all the sorrow and loneliness melt away. Tau looked at Ethiel with a questioning look in his eyes. How can this man be so nice? Hasn’t he gone through trials and sufferings? Ethiel saw the young boy slowing his pace so he slowed as well. “What’s on your mind young one?” “…I was just thinking of something….” “What about?” “…if my father doesn’t calm down, what will I do?” “You always have a home with me. I promise you that.” “….Thank you…” “Don’t mention it. Now then, we’ll swing by your place and get some of your things. Okay?” “But what if Zeit’s there? I don’t want you to get hurt again….” “Don’t worry. I’ve gotten in so many fights when I should’ve died, I lost count.” “THAT makes me feel a lot better.” “Well, it’s the truth….sometimes we don’t want to hear the truth. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t accept it.” “….yea….” “Come on. We’ll get you through this. Let’s start with the first step…getting your things.” “yea….how are we gonna get there?” “I have my truck at the hospital.” “Oh. Okay.” Looking around, Ethiel gave a nervous laugh. “One problem though….how do we get out of here?” “You mean you’ve never been in these woods?” “….not in these woods….or at least…not this part.” Smiling at Ethiel, Tau started making his was back to civilization. Tau would glance behind him every now and then only to find Ethiel walking only a few feet behind making sure that he wouldn’t get left behind. Once they got to the clearing, Tau heard something fall behind him. When he looked behind him, he saw a tree that had fallen only inches away from Ethiel. Ethiel was paralyzed with fear and was looking strait ahead. When Tau saw his face, he just had to let out his laughter. When Ethiel heard the boy’s laughter he relaxed a little bit. “Well….I guess it’s safe to say that I don’t like things that fall right behind me.” “I suppose so.” Tau could barely talk because he was laughing so hard. Ethiel quickly walked towards Tau so that he could get away from the tree. “Come on now Mr. Ethiel. Does that tree scare you that much?” Turning around to see the tree, Ethiel shuddered. “I guess so huh?” “….Yea…I just don’t like things that fall behind me.” Turning to Tau, Ethiel gestured that they should start to get moving again. Tau followed behind Ethiel as Ethiel led the way out of the woods. After a time, Ethiel noticed that the boy was quiet. Turning around, Ethiel saw that Tau had his head down and his shoulders were shaking. “What’s the matter Tau?” For a few minutes they stood there in the quiet of the woods only to be interrupted by Tau taking in shaky breaths as he tried to stop his crying. “…why are you so nice to me Mr. Ethiel?” “What do you mean Tau?” “…everyone that I’ve ever known has put me down and criticized me because I wasn’t who they wanted me to be…why? Why are you so different?” “…I guess it’s because I know the same pain that you’re going through right now. Though it doesn’t seem like it, I grew up in similar circumstances as you. Over time I realized that the world wasn’t out to hurt me. Not everyone wanted me dead as I had forced myself to believe…” “…you thought that everyone wanted you dead?” “…for a time yes…and because of that I got in countless fights and I almost threw my life away until I met someone that helped me.” “..Oh..” “…but that’s besides my point. What I mean is that, you might think that times are hard now, but you just have to remember that somewhere out in this big world, there’s someone who’s going through more than you.” “….you remind me a lot of my mom…” “Then I’ll take that as a compliment.” Tau looked at Ethiel and saw tears in his eyes and that he was telling him the truth. It was then that he realized how much Ethiel cared for him. Wiping his eyes, Ethiel looked at Tau and smiled. “Now then, let’s get out of here and let’s get your things.” “Sounds like a plan to me.” Smiling, Tau walked besides Ethiel back to the hospital. When they got there, Shougo was waiting for them. “You took off in such a hurry Ethiel that you didn’t give me any time to give you your medicine.” “Oh. Thanks Shougo.” “No problem.” Tau looked at Shougo and couldn’t resist it. He started laughing. Shougo looked at him with a confused look on his face and shrugged his shoulders as if he was dismissing the thought. Ethiel looked at Tau and awaited for him to explain his sudden outburst. “I’m sorry….it’s just that you look gay with that headband on your head.” Tau finished his statement with a snort of laughter. Ethiel couldn’t help himself. As hard as he tried to contain his laughter, it came out. “Thank you Kilimen.” “Sorry Shougo, but Tau has a point.” “….it’s not my fault that my sister expects me to wear it.” “I understand Shougo. Thanks again for the medicine.” “Yea yea. I’m beginning to wonder if I should’ve given it to you.” “See ya Shougo.” “Bye Ethiel.” Turning to supress his laughter, Ethiel started to walk to his truck quickly. Tau followed close behind. “Who was that guy?” “His name’s Shougo Amaksa. He’s the doctor that takes care of me most of the time.” “So you really weren’t kidding when you said that you get hurt a lot huh?” “Nope. I used to fight everyday.” “What happened? Why don’t you fight anymore?” “…I got married and settled down.” “Oh…did you have any children?” WHY’S HE ASKING ME THIS?! “Yes, I did.” “I bet they’re old now.” Ethiel looked at Tau and whacked him upside the head. “WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!” “You insulted me.” “HOW?!” “You said that they were probably old. I’m 23 thank you very much.” “You’re really not THAT old.” “How old did you think I was? 50?” “More like…75.” “That’s so wrong of you.” “I’m sorry, it was suppose to be a joke.” “It’s okay. I forgive you.” Getting a mischievous look in his eye, Ethiel leaned over and messed up Tau’s hair. “Hey!” “What? Can’t an old guy have some fun every now and then?” “I guess so….do you have a radio in your truck?” “Of course. Hang on, let me unlock it first.” Unlocking the truck, Ethiel slowly slid in because his chest was starting to hurt and he didn’t want anything to happen while he was driving. “Alright then…what station do you want?” “uh…how about 96.5?” “Great. I have a little rock star on my hands.” “If you don’t want to listen to it then that’s fine with me.” “…I tell you what…I have a couple of cd’s. How about you choose one of them?” “Okay.” Ethiel handed Tau a whole case full of cd’s. Tau looked at the case with awe in his eyes. Never before in his life had he seen so many cd’s in one case before. How did he fit all of these in here? “It’s a lot of cd’s, I know. But there’s bound to be at least one cd that you’ll like in there.” “I’d say. Hmmm. How about uh...Jeremy Camp?” “That’s a good band. I used to do a few of their songs.” “Really?” “Yep. I would either be the drummer or the lead singer.” “That’s cool….I always wanted to learn how to play the electric guitar.” “That’s a hard instrument to play. Better get a good teacher.” “Well…I can kinda play by ear already. If I learn the chords then I can more than likely get it. My family has a knack for playing the piano and I just want to get out of that.” “Really? How come?” “It’s sooo BORING.” “Ah. Okay.” “I just want to get out of piano and learn the world of music….and other things.” “That’s good. Do you know how to fight any?” “Uhhhh….does running away count as fighting?” “Not quite. I was actually wondering if you would like me to teach you.” “REALLY!? I’d love that. Do you mean it?” “Of course. But you have to promise me that you’ll fight only for what is good. Don’t just fight because you know how to use a sword the right way.” “Yes sir.” Tau could hardly keep the excitement out of his voice. He was going to learn how to fight! And it wasn’t going to be like Zeit’s way. He would fight for real! Looking up, he saw that they were driving up in his driveway and that Zeit’s truck was there. About to unbuckle his seatbelt, Tau felt Ethiel’s hand come to rest on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw determination in his eyes. “Stay here okay? I’ll go get your things.” Before Tau could respond, Ethiel was already out of the truck and making his way across the yard. When he got to the door, he saw Zeit’s shadow out of the corner of his eye. Turning, he saw that Zeit was standing right beside him. “What is it that you want Vanar?” “I’ve come to get Tau’s things.” “Why?” “Because he’s going to live with me until you get some help. You really need it Zeit, and no one can get it besides you. And I won’t stand here anymore to watch you hurt my son.” “You think that your words will stop me?” “No. I know that they won’t. But I know of someone’s who will if you let Him.” “Don’t start talking to me about Eylon. I tried Him once remember?” “Ten minutes doesn’t count Zeit.” “See if I care. I can live without Him.” “Zeit…no one can live without Him. You just need to realize that. Now then, can I get the things that I need?” “Very well.” Turning, Zeit walked towards the barn. Watching him go, Ethiel let out a reath that he didn’t know that he was holding. Walking into the house, he saw that it was a wreck. Gathering Tau’s things, he quickly left the house. Seeing Ethiel approaching the truck, Tau unlocked the doors. Throwing everything in the trunk of his truck, Ethiel opened his door and slowly slid in because his chest was starting to throb now. Sitting down, Ethiel put his seatbelt on and took off. Tau stayed quiet the entire time until they came to a small cabin in the mountains. “….is this your house?” “Yes. It’s not much, but it keeps me happy.” “I didn’t mean it like that….” “I know. Don’t worry about it okay? I just have a lot on my mind right now.” “Is it Zeit?” “…yea. Come on. I’ll show you your room.” Walking quietly behind Ethiel, Tau came to a medium sized room and laid his things on the bed. He was so engrossed with taking in his new surroundings that he failed to see Ethiel pacing in the room across the hall. He only came out of it when he heard Ethiel slam down the phone. Running to see what happened, he saw Ethiel on his knees and was talking to someone that wasn’t even there. I’m living with a madman. He waited there for about ten minutes before Ethiel finally got up and smiled when he saw Tau standing in the doorway. “Who were you talking to?” “Well….His name’s Eylon.” “….my mom used to talk about Him.” “Really? What would she say?” Before Tau could respond, there was a knock on the front door. “Hold that thought okay Tau?” “Very well.” Walking past Tau, Ethiel could smell him before he saw him. Opening the door, he saw the most arrogant man that he ever knew. His brother, Sargon. “Hello, Brother.”
Tau heard the impact of something heavy hitting the wall. Getting up from where he was sitting, he walked over to the front door. When he got there, he saw a man with long blonde hair. He looked a lot like Ethiel cept for the blonde hair. Thinking that it was company and Ethiel was outside doing something, Tau opened the door. What he saw made him stop in fear.
Ethiel knew that Tau was outside before he even saw him. He heard the young boy scream. Sargon diverted his attention from Ethiel to look at Tau so that he could see what had interrupted his fun. Seeing the boy, he was confused. “He’s my son Sargon.” Ethiel tried to muster up enough strength to sound threatening, but his voice was barely audible. Determined not to let Sargon hurt his son, Ethiel stood up and placed himself between Sargon and Tau. “If you want to get to him, you have to get through me first.” Ethiel spat out the last words out at Sargon as he felt his strength returning to him. Someone…he didn’t know who or where they were, but someone was praying and he could feel the strength flowing through his veins like hot mercury. He closed his eyes so that he could savor the moment. When he opened them again, his mind was clear and he was focused on one thing. Protect his son, no matter what the cost.
Sargon saw Ethiel’s face change and became afraid. Taking a defensive stance, Sargon prepared to leave as soon as he could. “Mister Ethiel! Are you okay?” “I’m fine Tau. Go back in the house. I’ll be there shortly.” “But-” Tau left his sentence unfinished because a scream tore from Sargon’s lips. Ethiel looked at his older brother with a confused look on his face. “Brother….what’s wrong? What happened?” Before he could respond, Sargon was swept away by an unseen force. Lost in his thought, Ethiel failed to hear Tau slump to the ground and start crying. Snapping back to reality, Ethiel walked over to Tau and wrapped his arms around him in a hug. Tau grasped onto Ethiel so hard that Ethiel started to choke. “Tau….if you don’t mind letting go so that I can breathe….it would be greatly appreciated.” As soon as Tau heard Ethiel struggling to talk he released his grasp. “I’m sorry Mr. Ethiel…..I was just so happy that you were okay.” Seeing Ethiel rub his throat made Tau feel even worse about what he had done. Looking down so that Ethiel wouldn’t be able to see his tears, he silently began to cry. Ethiel heard the little sniffs that Tau was so desperately trying to hide. Looking at Tau, he felt compassion for the boy. Reaching out his hand, he cupped Tau’s chin and gently picked his head up so that he could see his face. “Listen to me Tau Aceti. You have nothing to be sorry for. You were just being a kid and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. I’d actually prefer it if you would act more like your age instead of mine….cause when you act my age…it makes me feel kinda old.” “You mean it?” “Of course. Come with me. I want to show you something.” Offering out his hand to Tau, Ethiel slowly stood up. Looking at Ethiel’s hand for a second, Tau wondered if he should accept it. After deciding that he should, he took his hand and shuddered when a thought of Zeit crossed his mind. Ethiel saw him shudder so he quickly wrapped his coat around him and lifted him off his feet and held him in a hug. Tau savored the moment while he took in Ethiel’s scent. Pushing away from Ethiel, Tau looked up into Ethiel’s face. “What was that for?” “You looked like you needed a hug.” “….thank you….” Ethiel gently lowered Tau back to the ground and looked at him. Tau couldn’t remember the last time he had been held like that. It had been such a long time since anyone had taken the time to notice him. Snapping back to reality, he saw Ethiel already making his way to some dense woods. Running to catch up with him, Tau looked up to the sky and wondered if his mom knew that he was safe. “If you keep looking up, you’ll eventually run into a tree.” Surprised by Ethiel’s voice, Tau stopped short and fell backwards. Stopping to look at Tau, Ethiel was surprised to see him on the ground. “Tau? Is everything alright?” Bending down to hear Tau’s answer, he heard him laughing. “What are you laughing at? Are you alright?” “Yes…I’m sorry. I just fell backwards and I thought it was funny.” Standing to his feet, Tau looked at Ethiel and gave him a sheepish smile. “….I wonder about you Aceti.” “What do you mean? You barely know me.” “Yes…that’s true but I would like to get to know more of you…if you’d let me.” “Of course…but please excuse me if I come off on the defensive at first.” “I understand. Don’t worry about it.” Ethiel smiled as he wrapped his arm around Tau’s shoulders. Tau pulled away at first, then welcomed Ethiel’s embrace and leaned into him. “Come on. Let’s go. I want to show you something.” “Coming” Tau smiled as he walked beside Ethiel and leaned his head on Ethiel’s hip. Ethiel automatically reached his arm out and gave him a side hug and walked with his arm around his shoulders until they got to their destination. Once they got to their destination, Tau didn’t see anything that was spectacular. All his young eyes were able to see were trees and their branches. It wasn’t until Ethiel brushed aside some branches that he saw and heard a waterfall. Running over to the water’s edge, he was surprised to see how clear the water was. It was so clear and blue that he could see almost all the way to the bottom. “What is this place Ethiel?” “This…this is where I first met your mom…” Tau looked at Ethiel with a look of disbelief. “You knew my mom?” “Yes…very well actually. She and I were friends for a long time…” “…then how come I never saw you come around when I was younger?” “…because…I just didn’t have the time and I was selfish.” Tau looked at Ethiel with confusion in his eyes. “What do you mean you were selfish?” Ethiel looked down and sat down on a nearby boulder. “well…truth be told…your mom and I…well…we were really close…” “I got that much…” Tau walked over to Ethiel and sat down next to him and held his hand. Ethiel looked at Tau sadly and forced a small smile. “Well…I guess I thought of myself as selfish because I wasn’t there for you and your mom…” “…So does that mean that you knew what was going on at my home?” Tau looked at Ethiel with tears in his eyes and released his hand as Ethiel stood up. “yes…and that’s what I meant by I was selfish…I’m so sorry Tau…” Tau stood up with anger in his eyes. “Not yet you’re not.” “…what do you mean by that?” Just as Ethiel was finishing his sentence, he saw Tau running away into the woods. “TAU!” Ethiel took off after Tau but because Tau was smaller than Ethiel, he easily outmaneuvered him and outran him. Ethiel ran after him for hours trying to catch his scent but it was quickly lost because of the wind. He came to notice that he was in a part of the woods where there was evil that lurked there. Too tired to move any more, he sat down on a fallen tree. “No doubt this tree has died because of the death that lurks here…” He sat for several minutes on the decaying tree until he was well rested. Standing up so that he can stretch he saw a little girl with black hair crawling towards him. Stooping down, he looked at the little girl’s pale face. “Hey there. Are you lost sweetie?” The young child looked at Ethiel and smiled as she raised her arms towards him asking him to pick her up. “Come here kiddo.” Walking over to the child, Ethiel picked her up and cradled her in his arms. “Can you tell me where you live? Where are you parents?” At the mention of the word parents, the little girl began to scream and claw at Ethiel’s face trying to get down. Ethiel kept the child in his arms and quieted her down before she did any real damage to him. “It’s alright…please, just calm down and I’ll help you alright?” The little girl looked at Ethiel and giggled as she nodded her head yes. “….ok…” Ethiel looked at the child surprised as he set her back down on the ground. “You can talk? That’s good.” “…yea.” “So what’s your name little one?” “…I’m Casey…” Ethiel looked at Casey and let a small smile come across his face as he bent down to her level. “Hi there Casey. My name’s Ethiel. Tell me, do you live anywhere around here?” Casey looked at Ethiel with tears in her eyes as she crawled into his laps. “…yea.” “Well then, where are your parents? Shouldn’t you be with them?” Casey looked up at Ethiel as the tears began to fall onto her lap. “…they were hurt really bad…the man who hurt them’s still out there…” “I’m sorry to hear that… who do you stay with?” “…no one…” Ethiel ran his hand across the child’s back and felt nothing but skin and bones. Smiling at her sympathetically, he picked her up and cradled her in his arms once again. Seeing that Casey liked that, he tried not to disturb her as he walked. “…where are we going?” “Don’t worry. I’m bringing you to my house so that I can get some food into your little stomach.” “mmmm….that sounds good…” “Really? When was the last time you had something to eat?” “…almost a week ago…” “That long? How old are you?” “…I’m six…how about you?” “I’m 23.” “wow…you’re old…” Ethiel looked at Casey with disgust in his face. “That was wrong on so many accounts…” “I’m sorry…my father was 20...” “I don’t need to know hoe old your parents were alright kiddo?” Once they reached a clearing where Ethiel was able to see the sky, he spread his four marble white wings from his back and spread them out over his head. Cupping his wings, they seemed to have caught a breeze that wasn’t there and flapped them gently until he was over the trees then he let himself fly with Casey cradled against his chest so that no harm would come to her as he was flying. Casey smiled as she felt the wind rush through her hair and felt the cool breeze on her cheeks. Looking up at Ethiel, she smiled as she stretched her arms out in the wind and pretended that she was flying. Ethiel smiled as he flew higher and let her fly. A few minutes later, they arrived home. Ethiel landed gently and curled his wings back under him as he walked into the house and layed Casey on the couch because she was already asleep. Walking into the kitchen, Ethiel sat down in a chair, his heart heavy because Tau still hadn’t returned yet. Deciding that he had better start cooking dinner, Ethiel got up and prepared a meal for the night. Setting the table for three, Ethiel went back into the living room and gently shook Casey until she was awake. Casey rolled over onto her back and looked at Ethiel through half open eyes as she yawned and rubbed her eyes. “…what is it?” “Time to eat.” Hearing the word food, Casey jumped off the couch and ran around the house looking for the kitchen. Ethiel allowed himself to smile as he motioned towards the kitchen. Casey ran into the kitchen and immediately sat down and began eating. Ethiel sat down in his chair and watched Casey eat for a little while then let his gaze drift over to the window where he was still waiting for Tau to return. Casey noticed Ethiel’s silence and put her plate down and looked at him intently. “You’re a complex person to figure out Mr. Ethiel.” Ethiel looked at the young child and gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. “And what’s that suppose to mean?” “What’s what suppose to mean?” “The little shrug of the shoulders.” “I don’t know…just felt like doing it I guess….” “Why are you looking out the window so much?” “I’m waiting for my friend to come back.” “Well why wouldn’t he be here right now? I mean, his food’s getting cold…” “…as is his heart…” Casey looked at Ethiel and was even more confused. “His heart’s getting cold? How can that be? I thought hearts were warm because they were inside of your body….” Ethiel was surprised at her remark and smiled when he realized what he had said. “yes…heart’s are suppose to be warm but when someone…” Ethiel looked at Casey and saw that she was still clueless and she kept looking at Ethiel’s plate of food that he didn’t even touch yet. Glancing at her plate, he saw that she had already licked the plate clean and was waiting for some more food. Picking his plate up, he slid it across the table for her to eat whatever was left. Casey looked at Ethiel for a brief second then devoured whatever was on his plate. Wiping her mouth, Casey got up from her chair and walked over to Ethiel’s side. Seeing the mood that he was in, she quietly slipped her hand into his. Feeling the small hand in his, Ethiel was brought back to reality and saw a small face that was looking at him. Smiling, he picked her up and held her. Wrapping her arms around his chest, Casey rested her head against his chest and listened to his heartbeat. “Are you tired little one?” “…a little…the meal made me full….” “Let’s get you to bed then.” “…ok…” Casey suppressed a yawn as Ethiel picked her up and brought her to a room and lay her gently under the covers and tucked her in and said good night. “Mr Ethiel?” “Yes? What is it?” “well..I just wanted to umm…thank you for being so nice…” Smiling, Ethiel ran his hand across her forehead and took her hand and stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. “It’s no problem. Get some rest now.” Standing up, Ethiel walked back into the kitchen and sat back down on one of the dining chairs as he watched outside the window waiting for any movement. After waiting for half an hour, he got up and started to clean up the kitchen. Once he was done, he went outside to his barn. Whistling through the crisp air, he smiled when he heard the sound of hoof beats running towards him. Shortly after hearing the hoof beats, he saw Storm running to meet him. Storm skidded to a stop right in front of Ethiel and gently pushed his head into Ethiel’s chest asking for Ethiel to rub his ears. Seeing what Storm wanted, Ethiel automatically picked his hand up and began to rub his ears. “So what’s on your mind Ethiel?” “….well….” Storm looked at Ethiel as he let out a sigh and nuzzled him letting him know that he was still there and he hadn’t gotten an answer yet. “Sorry Storm…there’s just a lot on my mind right now….” “I can see that…but what I can’t see is how it’s affecting you…not yet at least.” “You think that everything gets me stressed out.” “But don’t most things?” “…I suppose so….” Storm snorted as he smelt something that wasn’t right. “What’s wrong?” “…part of the forest is burning.” Storm raised his head and lifted his top lip so that he could take the scent in better and wrinkled his nose in distaste once he got a good whiff of the smell. He motioned for Ethiel to get on his back. Ethiel got on his back and leaned forward as Storm took off running towards the fence. At the right timing, Ethiel nudged Storm with his heels giving him enough encouragement. When Storm felt the urge, he lifted his front feet off the ground and bunched his hind legs under him and in one graceful leap, he was airborne with Ethiel on his back. Landing on the other side of the fence, Storm took off running towards the forest and steered clear of the trees that had branches too low for Ethiel. “What part of the forest is it Storm?” “I believe it’s the East section…” Ethiel sighed as he felt Storm approach the burning trees. Once Storm came to a stop, Ethiel slowly slid off his back and immediately began looking for any animals that were trapped because of the fallen trees and the roaring flames. Storm ran around to the other side of the fire and began looking for trapped victims as well. Ethiel found a frightened little fawn that was trapped between a fallen tree and the flames. Jumping over the fallen tree, Ethiel ran to the little fawn and gently placed his hands under the fawn’s stomach. Turning his back to the flames, Ethiel could feel the sting of the heat and braced himself and the fawn to jump over the fallen tree. Taking a good jumping stance, he picked the fawn up in his arms and ran towards the tree with the fire closing in all around them. Shielding the young deer’s eyes, he judged his distance to jump then ran towards the tree and at the last possible instant, he spread his wings out and jumped over the fallen tree and landed safely on the other side. Letting the fawn go, he urged him to run and get away. The fawn bolted through the woods as another tree fell where they were standing only seconds before. Ethiel shielded himself with his wings as ashes flew towards him. Beginning to cough, Ethiel made his way back to the outskirts of the forest. Sinking to his knees, Ethiel placed his hand over his mouth and began coughing as his body tried to get the smoke out of his lungs. Suddenly, he heard a twig snap. Looking up, he was surprised to see Tau standing there with Zeit by his side. Fear slowly crawled into his face as he saw Zeit move his hand towards his sword. JJJJ Ethiel looked at Tau for a brief second and nodded his head to let Tau know that he understood. “I knew that you being my friend was too good to be true…but I still love you Tau.” Tau looked down as his tears fell from his eyes. He understands…he knows why I had to do this…please…forgive me Ethiel.. Tau walked over to Ethiel and knelt by him and placed his hand on his shoulder. “…I’m sorry…it wasn’t my choice…” “…you always have a choice Tau…don’t let anyone ever take that away from you…you’ll always have choices to make…sometimes they’ll be wise…” Ethiel looked from Tau to Zeit and let out a long heavy sigh before he started coughing again. “..and sometimes they will be foolish and you will regret them in the years to come…” Zeit looked at Tau and Ethiel. He walked over to Tau and grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him back. “Stay out of this boy. This is between me and him now.” Zeit unsheathed his sword and picked Ethiel up and forced him to stand. Zeit placed the cold, steel metal on Ethiel’s neck and let a sinister smile creep across his face. Ethiel’s eyes never left Zeit’s as he silently prayed to Eylon. Tau stood to his feet and screamed incoherently at Zeit. Zeit lowered the sword from Ethiel’s neck and looked at Tau. “What’s wrong with you boy?” Ethiel saw his opportunity and seized his chance to get away. He dropped his weight on Zeit’s arm, causing him to let go. He dodged Zeit’s attacks and countered with his own as he drew his own sword. Ethiel went into his wolf form and latched his jaws around Zeit’s leg. Zeit screamed in pain as he went into his wolf form and sank his teeth into Ethiel’s neck and rolled over on top of him. Ethiel kept a firm grasp on his opponent and sank his teeth in deeper until Zeit’s leg snapped. Zeit let Ethiel go in surprise from the pain that he had just felt going through his leg. Ethiel snarled as he saw Zeit go back into his human form and he picked his sword up. Jumping away from Zeit, Ethiel landed on his feet and snarled at Zeit allowing Zeit see his own blood drip off of his fangs onto the cold ground that they were standing on. Tau watched helplessly as his father fought his friend. He didn’t know who he should help. Fear over came him as he fell to the ground with his head in his hands trying to block out the terrible screams and the tearing of flesh when they would attack each other. Ethiel looked at Tau then looked back at Zeit. “What nonsense have you filled his head with this time Zeit Aceti?” “Nothing that an old mutt like you would understand. It’s the way of the dragon and he shall learn it.” “He doesn’t have to learn anything if he doesn’t want to and you know that.” “Petty words from a fodder that’s about to meet his death.” Zeit quick-stepped Ethiel’s attack and countered with his own causing Ethiel to loose his balance and fall to the ground. Zeit placed the heel of his worn out boot on Ethiel’s head and pressed down until he saw Ethiel’s face twist with pain. Zeit bent forward and drew his sword and placed in on Ethiel’s neck. “Are there any last words that you would like to say Kilemin? Perhaps to Eylon? If he exists then why doesn’t he save you? Call down this so called ‘god’ of yours to save you.” Zeit’s voice had mockery in it. Ethiel closed his eyes and said a silent prayer to Eylon asking him to show Zeit mercy in the events to follow his actions. Ethiel looked up at Zeit and saw a face that was twisted in anger and hate. But he also saw brokeness. Eylon had opened his eyes so that he could see why Zeit was the way he was. Ethiel could feel the same betrayal that Zeit had felt. He could feel his pain and his anger flowing through him. Closing his eyes to try to smother his crys, Ethiel asked Eylon to please take the pain away. Zeit looked at Ethiel with distaste in his eyes. “You’re a weakling Vanar. You always were and you always will be.” Zeit placed the tip of his sword into Ethiel’s neck. Ethiel winced as he felt his blood come from the open wound. Just as Zeit was about to finish him off, he heard something that sounded like a horse. Shaking his head, he pushed the blade deeper into Ethiel’s neck. Just as he did that, he felt his chest sting as though 100 lbs had fallen on him. Turning around, he saw a white horse with a long flowing mane and tail looking at him with one foot raised in the air. Seeing that he was in trouble because of his injury, Zeit looked at Ethiel one last time then kicked him in the side and fled into the woods. Storm saw his opponent leaving and took off after him in a high speed chase. Tau saw everything that had happened to Ethiel and slowly walked towards his still body. Afraid that Zeit killed him, he immediately began to cry when Ethiel didn’t move. Ethiel was able to hear the young boy crying behind him, but was unable to move because of the shock that he had just felt. He knew now why Zeit was the way he was. The things that he went through as a child…the pain he had endured on his own. “Please….Mister Ethiel…please….answer me….” “….I thought I had asked you not to call me Mister….” Ethiel didn’t mean the answer to come out so weak, but it did and he saw Tau’s expression. “Are you going to be ok?” Tau walked over to Ethiel and knelt down by his head. Ethiel looked at Tau and forced a small smile. “yea….I’ll be fine…I think….I just need to get back to the house…” Tau looked at Ethiel and tried to figure out a way to help him without hurting him even more. Sadly, he found that there was nothing he could do that wouldn’t cause him pain. “…I can’t help you without hurting you even more….” Ethiel forced himself into a sitting position and held his hand over his neck. Tau immediately went to his side and tried to help him as much as he could. Ethiel stood to his feet and took a couple of steps forward as he felt some of his strength returning to him. Whistling, he called Storm to come back from his hunt. Tau wrapped his arms around Ethiel’s waist as he tried to support some of his weight. Ethiel felt some of his weight disappear and he decided to take a little bit more off of himself. Leaning onto Tau, he felt some of his pain subside. Soon, he heard Storm running up from behind them. Skidding to a stop, Storm looked at Ethiel sadly. “…he got away…I’m sorry Ethiel.” Ethiel looked at Storm and let a small smile spread across his face. “Don’t worry about it Storm…can you please just get me home safely?” Storm looked at Ethiel and nodded his head yes as he lowered himself to the ground. With Tau’s help, Ethiel got on Storm with some minor difficulties. Storm stood to his feet and made sure that Ethiel would stay on. Tau walked besides Ethiel to make sure that he would be safe. Finally, after what seemed like hours of torment, Ethiel was able to see his house. Once Ethiel got to the porch, he slid off of Storm’s back and fell to his knees. Seeing Ethiel fall, Tau immediately went to his side and helped him stand back up. Ethiel stood on wobbly legs as he slowly walked into the house and layed down on the couch. For several minutes he looked at the ceiling, waiting for the room to stop spinning. Tau sat down next to the couch and watched Ethiel for any signs that he was in pain. Finally, Ethiel was able to turn his head to Tau. Tau looked at Ethiel with tears in his eyes. Ethiel strained to pick his arm up, but he did and he gently wiped the tears away from Tau’s eyes as he smiled softly at him. “…are you ok Mister Ethiel?” “…I’ll be fine with some rest…can you call Shougo?” “Of course…what’s his number?” “…342-9094...” “…ok. I’ll be right back.” Tau left Ethiel and went call Shougo. Meanwhile, Ethiel layed his head back down and tried to keep the room from spinning but try as he might, he couldn’t get it to stop. He knew that if Shougo didn’t get there soon, he would be in trouble. Running back to Ethiel’s side, Tau took Ethiel’s hand and held it. Ethiel looked at Tau with worry in his eyes. “…what did he say Tau?” “He said that he’ll be here as soon as he can.” “…that’s good….” “Yea…are you going to be ok?” “…why’d you do it Tau? Why’d you go back to Zeit?” “….I wanted to try to stand up to him like you had but….it didn’t work….” Ethiel shook his head sadly as he closed his eyes and sighed. “…I only stood up to Zeit because I didn’t want him to hurt you anymore…” “But why? Why’d you try to help me?” Ethiel looked at Tau with tears in his eyes. He wanted to tell Tau that he was his father, but he knew that it wasn’t time. “…I had a son once…I lost him a while back and I guess that you remind me of him…” “Oh…please don’t cry Mister Ethiel. I don’t like to see people cry…” Tau gently wiped the tears from Ethiel’s eyes and smiled when Ethiel closed his eyes and sighed. Ethiel opened his eyes whenever he heard the sound of little bare feet walking on the tiled floor. Smiling, he looked towards the hall and saw Casey sucking her thumb and looking at them quietly. Picking his hand up, Ethiel motioned to Casey that it was safe for her to come out and he wanted her to go to him. Casey ran across the room and ran straight into Ethiel’s awaiting arms. Ethiel picked her up and gently layed her down next to him. “…who’s she?” Ethiel looked at Tau and realized that Tau had never seen Casey before. Smiling, Ethiel introduced Tau to Casey. “Tau, this is Casey. I found her in the woods last night. She’ll be staying with us for a little while.” “..she looks kinda young…” “She’s five. I expect you to treat her with respect though.” “Of course. Can I get you anything Mister Ethiel?” “You just can’t stop can you?” “Stop what?” “Stop calling me Mister. Just call me Ethiel. Please?” “Very well….I didn’t think that it bugged you that much…I’ll stop…I was just trying to be respectful…” “I understand and I appreciate it a lot…but for tonight….let’s just call it a night…I’m tired and I don’t want to concentrate anymore…” Ethiel placed his hand on top of his head and sighed trying to calm himself down. Smiling to reassure Tau, Ethiel got up and gently picked Casey up who was already asleep. Walking into his room, Ethiel layed Casey down and layed down next to her. Tau followed Ethiel into the room. When he say Ethiel lay down in the bed, he turned and started to walk away. Sitting up, Ethiel saw Tau walking away. “Hey…where are you going?” Turning back around, Tau saw Ethiel rubbing his head. “…I was going to go sleep on the couch…” “Why would you do that? There’s plenty of room in the bed…” Tau walked over to the bed and sat down on the corner. “…are you sure? I don’t want to be in the way…” “Don’t worry about it Tau. You won’t be in the way. Besides, if you sleep on the couch, you’re going to get cold because of the temperature drop. It’s suppose to get colder tonight.” Reaching over, Ethiel gently grabbed Tau and placed him on the side of him and tucked him in underneath the covers. Tau smiled and rested his head on Ethiel’s shoulder and let out a sigh. “What’s on your mind?” “…not too much….I was just thinking about Zeit….” “What about him?” “…is there anything we can do to help him?” “…I’ve tried…believe me…I have…” “But it wasn’t enough…” “Well Tau…we can’t force people to change…they have to change on their own…whether or not they want too…well, that’s up to them…” “yea…I wish that it wasn’t…” “I know what you mean.” Looking at Ethiel, Tau wondered what Ethiel’s eyes had seen over the years and how much knowledge he must have. Seeing Tau look at him, Ethiel smiled and gave Tau a quick hug reassuring him that everything was alright. “…you said that you knew my mom….how’d you know her?” “Well….we were just old friends. A friend of mine introduced me to her because she had known your mom for a long time. Let’s just say that my friend tried to hook me and your mom up.” “Did it work? Did you go out with her?” “…a couple of times, yea.” “Why didn’t you stay with her?” “Well Tau…I guess it was just because we saw each other as friends and we didn’t want to loose our relationship because of a stupid fight.” “You got in a fight?” “…yea….” “What about?” “…it was something stupid…I can’t remember what it was now….just to show how stupid it was I guess…” “…I’m sure that there was a reason for the fight….and I’m sure it wasn’t stupid. Mom didn’t get in fights for nothing…” “….I know…” “…that day at the hospital…who were you really there for?” “…I was there for your mom…and for Kent…as well as you….I knew that Zeit would be there and he wouldn’t be too happy…” “So you came to protect us?” “Yes…I had promised your mom that once she passed on, I’d look after you and any other children she had.” “…when was the last time you saw her?” “…when you were three….” “That long ago?” “….unfortunately….I got very busy and I didn’t have the time to go visit any more…I wish I could’ve…but I could never find the time. And I wouldn’t call her on the phone because I was afraid that Zeit would answer.” “….oh….I wish that you were my dad…” “How come?” “…well…you’re a lot nicer than my dad…and you’re a lot cooler than he was and ever will be.” “Thanks…I guess.” “You’re welcome. Hey Ethiel?” “Yea?” “Thanks for being here for me…it really means a lot to me….” “No problem kiddo…now get some rest…I’m getting kinda tired.” “Has Shougo gotten here yet?” “No. But I’m sure he’ll be here soon. Don’t worry about it. J” Tau nestled himself close to Ethiel’s side and closed his eyes and breathed in Ethiel’s scent. Taking one last smell, Tau drifted off into a deep sleep. When he awoke the next morning, Ethiel was already up and Casey was still sleeping. Getting out of bed, he walked around the house and started looking for Ethiel. Walking into the kitchen, Tau automatically smelt something delicious. Turning around, Ethiel saw Tau poking his head in through the door and looking at him. “Are you getting hungry?” “um hmm… what are you cooking?” “Breakfast.” Tau walked over to the kitchen snack bar and sat down on a stool. “What kind of breakfast?” “The good kind.” “….are you always so complicated?” “Yeap. It’s eggs, ham, and biscuits with your choice of jelly.” “Hmmm…sounds good. Are you a good cook or a bad one?” “…well…so far no one has died of my cooking….at least, not that I’m aware of….” Ethiel looks at Tau and gives a sheepish smile. Tau looked at Ethiel and began to wonder what made this guy tick. “Is there anything that upsets you Mr. Ethiel?” “Plenty of things.” “Like what? For the past few days that I’ve been here, you’ve always been happy.” “Well….I don’t like it when my friends are hurt and there’s nothing I can do about it to help…another thing I don’t like is being manipulated…I can’t stand that.” “I see.” “Can you go tell Casey that it’s time to eat?” “Sure.” Smiling, Tau got down from the stool and went to find Casey. Looking into each room, he couldn’t find her. “Where is she Ethiel?” “She should be outside. If she’s with a white horse, then she’s safe. If she’s around a black horse….get her out of there.” “Alright.” Walking outside to the back yard, Tau saw Casey standing by a white horse. The white horse had his ears pinned back and his teeth were bared. Looking to see what the horse was threatening, Tau saw the black horse running across the yard with his ears back and he was charging right at them. Going into his wolf form, Tau ran over to Casey and picked her up and ran back onto the porch. Giggling, Casey looked at Tau and began to pull on his fur. “Ow…Casey stop…that hurts.” Shock overcame the little girl as she fell backwards and looked at Tau when he went back to his human form. Turning his head, Tau saw the two horses clash together and fall to the ground which caused the ground to shake. “Ethiel! The horses are fighting!” Not long after Tau called for Ethiel, he heard him coming down the hall. Ethiel walked outside and grabbed his bull whip and ran out to where the horses were fighting. Snapping the whip, he watched as the two horses calmed down and watched as the black horse left with his tail between his legs. Walking over to the white horse, he gently began to run his hands over him to check his injuries and to see if there were any broken bones. When he was satisfied, he began to rub the horse’s head. The horse gave a soft nicker and nuzzled his neck affectionately. “Come on Storm. Let’s get you back in the barn for the night.” Walking on the side of the horse, Ethiel opened the back gate and led his horse into the barn and fed him and locked him in a stall. “See you tomorrow my boy.” Kissing the horse on the nose, Ethiel turned around to see Tau looking at him. “What? You never saw a grown man tell his horse goodnight?” Shaking his head no, Tau looked past Ethiel and saw the horse lay down in his stall. Smiling, Tau watched silently as Ethiel started to walk back towards the house. “How’s Casey?” “She’s fine. She was sitting on the porch when I left her.” “Very well. Lets get back so that we can take a nap…” “That sounds good to me.” Hugging Ethiel, Tau smiled as he thought of all the good times he will have with his new friend. Ethiel smiled then laid down on the couch and covered himself with the balnkets. Tau watched him quietly, not knowing what he should do. Ethiel looked over at him and smiled then motioned for him to go and join him. Smiling, Tau ran and jumped into Ethiel’s arms and curled up and fell asleep.
 one hundred nights · Wed Jul 15, 2009 @ 05:04pm · 0 Comments |
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