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Follow AZAR'S Story (Since he came under my ownership)
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Very mild explicatives used by Fenrir.

It was all wrong. Everything was wrong. It had all been wrong for so long, he couldn’t remember when it had all been okay. Maybe when he was still home with his father. Maybe when he was by his mother’s side, and when she was there to guide him and point him the right direction. He thought that he was a fine stallion. He thought that he treated his mares well. He was gentle and he was thoughtful. He tread carefully, so cautiously and so lovingly. It was by duty. It wasn’t by desire by the end. He had to protect them. Because what else did they have? He only wanted his family.

He just wanted them. That was all. And that wasn’t so terrible now was it? So what had he done to deserve what he’d gotten? Was there some sort of shame in preferring to talk over beating others with his hooves? He’d saved himself, but what had he lost…? Who had lost more than just their leader?

It wasn’t like he could just leave, after all that. When Altaïr had left the area, he’d reemerged from the hiding he’d taken to, searching for anyone who may have been braver than he. He only found one, and not in the condition he’d hoped. His cowardice proved far more detrimental than he’d ever imagined. Tethys’s body lay before him, blood dribbling from her nostrils and her body not yet cold. She hardly showed any signs of struggle. She’d fallen quickly, and died faster. But she’d believed in him. She’d trusted him. And what did she get in return?

A broken neck. His sisters didn’t stay with him after that. They were equally disgusted. “I thought you were better.” Irene murmured to him, her voice quivering painfully. “I thought you were braver than that.”

“She’d still be here.” Aurora had whispered, shaking her head with glassy eyes. “She died for you. You weren’t worth it.”

He’d not spoken a word. He stood with his head down, too shocked to cry, too humiliated and hurt to feel more than a dull throbbing in his heart. Who else would be brutally murdered like this? Who else would bear the trauma, bear the scars? Who had seen? The foals? The poor foals, who had looked up to him and wanted to be him. All that he’d managed was to let them down. He stared back at the empty eyes of his mother, even as his sisters left him alone and they parted ways. Even in death, that glossy gaze seemed to judge him, to tell him he was wrong. He stared helplessly for so long, he didn’t even know just how many minutes had passed before he managed to tear himself away.

That image still haunted him. He had nightmares of how he imagined her death. Altaïr appeared in them all too often, his terrifying gaze burning holes through his soul and striking frigid cold fear deep into his heart. He stared back up into those eyes until he struck him down with his hooves and he jerked awake in a cold sweat. Normally Fenrir’s presence warded off those horrific visions. They scared Altaïr and his mother’s dead eyes away. Tonight was different, though.

Irene and Aurora stood over him, larger than life and glowering back at him with unfeeling eyes, almost like they were not even themselves. He was pinned against a blanket of black, lying flat on his side as he had been when his attacker struck him down. He felt the sting of the wounds he had bore after that day. How he’d escaped without any scars to remind him was beyond him. Perhaps the ghost pains were curses enough.

“You killed her, you know.” Irene hissed, her voice not her own. It was like that of a snake. It almost felt like the gravity was crushing him, pulling him flat against the ground. It was as if the strength had been sucked from his bones, leaving him weak and helpless. Truly helpless…

“You killed her.” Aurora echoed. “You murdered her.”

“They all saw. You forced them to watch. Monster.”

“Monster.”

“I wish it were you instead.” Irene whispered, and he just shook his head feebly. No… no no… It wasn’t his fault! He did what he thought was right!

“I did it to save you!!” He cried. “He’d have killed me! Then you!”

His heart was in his ears, and his muscles burned as though he’d been running. Sprinting. He couldn’t breathe. It was as though he was drowning, fluid weighting his lungs and crippling him. No more words came out as they chanted at him.

“You killed her.” “Murderer.” “Coward.” “Coward.” “Coward.” “Who else will you kill next?” “It’ll be him. Don’t you know?” “He believes in him.” “Just like her.” “Just like her.”

“Nico.” He shuddered and his neck arched back as he strained to free himself from this suffocating grip around his throat. He didn’t recognize the voice that called to him this time. Not until it was shouted. “NICO.”

He jerked upright, the real world far too bright for him to comprehend at first. He gasped for breath, his body trembling and drenched in sweat. It only took him seconds to scramble to his feet, knees shaking as he panicked. “No. No no. No you’re wrong you’re-” He gasped and his body weakened again, giving up on him as soon as he tried to take a step forward. He crumpled again, his sides heaving. Everything was blurred and dark around the edges within moments. He hardly reacted to the nose on his cheek.

“Nico, breathe. Shit. Ah damn it. Breathe. You’re alright.” One ear flicked towards Fenrir as he spoke, and he burst into another series of terrified sobs as he recalled the ominous words of the creatures that had taken the forms of his sisters in that nightmare. It’ll be him. It’ll be him next… He believes in him. Just like her… Just like her…

“I’m so s-sorry.” He whispered through his tears, laying his head flat against the grass. He still couldn’t breathe, but he made less of a show of it now as he tried to get himself under control. “I’m s-sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” He repeated himself, over and over, just like he always did on his worst nights.

“You’re alright.” Fenrir murmured, blowing out a soft gust of air across Nico’s cheek, his own slower, steadier breaths encouraging his companion to do the same. He slowly lowered himself into the grass beside him, his shoulder brushing off of the dark stallion’s knees that were drawn up close to his body like a foal. “You’re okay. Don’t be sorry. It’s alright.”

Fenrir was softer with him, at times like these. He knew when he needed tough love and when he needed to be reassured. He was good at knowing precisely where to draw the line. Nico was endlessly thankful for him. He didn’t tell him enough, and he only realized it now. And so he decided he’d let him know now.

“You’re s-so good… So good…” he whimpered, his eyes falling shut as his breaths settled slowly but surely. It took a long time, too long. At least his ears weren’t ringing anymore. He could hear the crickets, and the breathing of the perlino stallion from his side. “So good to me… I don’t deserve it. I don’t. You’re too good…”

“Nah you deserve better than me.” Fenrir chuckled, doing his best to diffuse the situation. He brushed his muzzle over the side of his neck, pushing and pulling his mane back where it belonged so it settled the way that he liked. “I’m just a little parasite and we both know it.”

“You’re no parasite, Fenrir.” Nico said slowly, sounding tired as his sense returned. He opened his eyes slowly, the one that was facing up turning lazily back towards the smaller mustang. They met gazes, and Fenrir was the first to look away, clearing his voice. “You’re far better than you give yourself c-credit for… You put up with me.” And all of my baggage.

All of that baggage, that he carried without a single word of complaint. He told the dark stallion what he needed to hear and nothing more. Never did he say a word about how Nico inconvenienced him. He never whined about how annoying he was. He watched over him tirelessly when he slept, and was always there every time he woke up drenched in sweat and in a panic. It wasn’t a wonder he looked exhausted all the time.

But he never made a fuss.

“Mmmm well you deserve me. Don’t put yourself down like that you know how it pisses me off.” Fenrir rested his head down against Nico’s shoulder and let out a deep breath. He sounded tired now that he was on the ground.

Well, maybe it was the darker stallion’s turn to watch instead. Azar and Carraphim were up, but they were far enough away that they hadn’t noticed the fuss. Flicker was curled up just behind the dun stallion’s hind legs, as he always seemed to be anymore. Nico lifted his gaze just to glance back up at them, quietly conversing in the light of the moon high up overhead. He didn’t want to sleep now anyway. He couldn’t, in fear of those terrible nightmares returning.

“I’m sor-”

“And stop apologizing, for God’s sake.”

Nico was silent after that, unsure of how to respond if it wasn’t an apology. Fenrir made a soft sound and shifted closer, clearly trying to get himself comfortable so he could go to sleep. His voice was deeper and drowsier next time he spoke. “You ain’t done nothin’ wrong.”

“But I have.” The dark tobiano whimpered, his breaths hitching again. That just made Fenrir lift his head to look down at him again. He sighed softly, then got up, his body creaking with the effort. However, he managed.

“Get up.” He instructed, and hesitantly, Nico obeyed. He stood with his head hanging, his body quivering in the brisk air thanks to how sweaty he was. Fenrir made no move to get close like he usually would though. Instead, he just turned away from him, guiding him towards a little grove of trees only a bit away. It was a beautiful evening, with only partly cloudy skies and a bright moon. What a shame it was that he refused to pay it any mind today.

The two stood in silence for a few long moments before Fenrir was the one to speak. “You’ve never told me about your nightmares.” He murmured. “There’s more than you’ve told me, isn’t there? There’s something else.”

Nico’s heart felt like it stopped dead, and he stiffened. He didn’t want to talk about it. He tried so hard to run from it, to forget about it but those memories snuck up on him so effortlessly, so stealthily. There was no way to stop them when they wanted to be at the forefront of his mind. Fenrir was always there. He always listened, and he’d picked him up off the ground when he didn’t want to go anymore. There was no good reason not to tell him.

“I- I don’t know if I’m ready to-” He started, but Fenrir cut him off with a deep sigh.

“When will you be ready? It’s been how many years, Nico. You need to get it out. I can’t help you if I don’t know everything that hurts you.” The perlino murmured. “Believe it or not, I sort of care a little bit about you, and want you to get better. You’re losing weight again. Is it Carraphim? He’s been a lot better lately, and he apologized for his behavior. He’s been far better since Flicker has been around. Is it me? Did I do something?”

“No-”

“Then what…?” Fenrir’s voice dropped to a whisper, and he stepped just one pace closer. Nico felt cornered, and he backed up a half a step to move away as much as his companion had come near. “What is it…?”

“I-I killed her…” He whimpered out, and the smaller stallion’s eyes softened considerably.

“Who…?” He pressed gently.

“Mother. I killed her.” He gasped and turned his head away, feeling his eyes prickle again. “I ran away. I ran away and she- Fenrir she trusted me… She believed in me…”

“You didn’t kill her,” Fenrir knew how to decipher those words. In all of Nico’s vagueness, he was able to weave his way around his words and find their meaning. “Nico, look at me.”

The dark stallion refused to even glance back up at him though. He just shuddered and looked farther away instead. “Look at me.” He said it more firmly the next time, and of course the taller of the two relented and made eye contact.

“You did not kill her. He killed her. You did not.”

“But I ran.” Nico whispered in return. “I ran… I left her… I left… I ran… I should be dead. Not her. Not her…”

“Don’t you dare say that.” Fenrir snapped suddenly, stomping one hoof. “You shut up right now, with that. You should not be dead. You belong right here, right now. This is where you’re meant to be.”

He said it so firmly that it knocked the next words that Nico had prepared right from his lips. He just gawked at him instead, and the little stallion before him huffed and turned his head away then. “Don’t you dare tell me you’d be better off dead. Don’t you dare. If you say it one more time- no. If you even think it one more time, I’ll knock some sense into you myself. Do you understand?”

Nico just nodded feebly, hanging his head again. He felt an ache in his heart now, after that confrontation. He almost felt like he was just causing Fenrir more stress than any good. The perlino sighed deeply, his posture relaxing despite all odds. He stepped closer to his companion again, who just turned his head the other way to allow him to get closer this time. He pressed his forehead against his damp neck, standing with him in silence for a while longer.

“Tell me more.” He whispered after a few moments, his eyes shutting as he rested. He’d listen attentively. Nico deserved that much, especially after he’d snapped at him as he had.

“After he left,” Altaïr. After Altaïr left… “I went back. I wanted to see if anyone had escaped or…”

“Or what you saw. Right?” Fenrir finished his sentence, lifting his head after a few more heartbeats of silence to nuzzle the dark stallion’s withers soothingly.

Nico just nodded a bit. “Or what I saw. When I returned, I found her. She was dead. My sisters blamed me. I did it to protect them… He’d have killed me. He’d have killed them. We’d all be dead… I had to do it.”

Fenrir made a soft sound of acknowledgement in the back of his throat, prompting him to continue, and so he did. “That’s what my nightmares are of, sometimes. Like… like tonight. They told me terrible things. I can’t stop it it’s like… like I can’t even move. I’m just…. Bad luck. They told me that you’d be next. That I’d kill you next…”

“You didn’t kill her.” the perlino lifted his head to look back at him again. “And you’re not going to kill me. You’re stronger than they know. You’re still going. You’re pushing through, and you’ve become a pretty damn awesome stallion.”

“That’s only because I have you.” Nico muttered and turned his face away. “If I didn’t have you, I’d… I’d be nothing.”

“I just gave you a little nudge. This is all coming from you. Everything is coming from in here.” He reached his nose down to bump off of his chest, leaving his head there after he did so. “You doubt yourself too much…”

“I can’t help it.” He sighed, shaking his head slowly. “I don’t have any reason not to.”

“Well you do now. I’m giving you one.” Fenrir whispered, closing his eyes. “And it’s good enough.”

WORD COUNT: 2,707

Stallion: Azar#145

In response to: None.

Art features: Fenrir, Nico
Story features: Azar , Carraphim , Fenrir , Nico , Flicker , Altaïr , Irene , Marlett (Referred to as Aurora), Tethys (Deceased)
Word Count: 2,707

Aging: N/A
Healing: N/A
Pregnancy: N/A

Items Used: None
Companion Animals: None
Members that Own Outside Horses: LannisterHeir (Altaïr/Tethys?), Cappu-Draws (Irene), KiteProduction (Marlett)

Other Notes: Some bonding between Fen and Nico. Character building, etc going on here.

Description

Follow AZAR'S Story (Since he came under my ownership)
BEGINNING | Previous <---> Next

Very mild explicatives used by Fenrir.

It was all wrong. Everything was wrong. It had all been wrong for so long, he couldn’t remember when it had all been okay. Maybe when he was still home with his father. Maybe when he was by his mother’s side, and when she was there to guide him and point him the right direction. He thought that he was a fine stallion. He thought that he treated his mares well. He was gentle and he was thoughtful. He tread carefully, so cautiously and so lovingly. It was by duty. It wasn’t by desire by the end. He had to protect them. Because what else did they have? He only wanted his family.

He just wanted them. That was all. And that wasn’t so terrible now was it? So what had he done to deserve what he’d gotten? Was there some sort of shame in preferring to talk over beating others with his hooves? He’d saved himself, but what had he lost…? Who had lost more than just their leader?

It wasn’t like he could just leave, after all that. When Altaïr had left the area, he’d reemerged from the hiding he’d taken to, searching for anyone who may have been braver than he. He only found one, and not in the condition he’d hoped. His cowardice proved far more detrimental than he’d ever imagined. Tethys’s body lay before him, blood dribbling from her nostrils and her body not yet cold. She hardly showed any signs of struggle. She’d fallen quickly, and died faster. But she’d believed in him. She’d trusted him. And what did she get in return?

A broken neck. His sisters didn’t stay with him after that. They were equally disgusted. “I thought you were better.” Irene murmured to him, her voice quivering painfully. “I thought you were braver than that.”

“She’d still be here.” Aurora had whispered, shaking her head with glassy eyes. “She died for you. You weren’t worth it.”

He’d not spoken a word. He stood with his head down, too shocked to cry, too humiliated and hurt to feel more than a dull throbbing in his heart. Who else would be brutally murdered like this? Who else would bear the trauma, bear the scars? Who had seen? The foals? The poor foals, who had looked up to him and wanted to be him. All that he’d managed was to let them down. He stared back at the empty eyes of his mother, even as his sisters left him alone and they parted ways. Even in death, that glossy gaze seemed to judge him, to tell him he was wrong. He stared helplessly for so long, he didn’t even know just how many minutes had passed before he managed to tear himself away.

That image still haunted him. He had nightmares of how he imagined her death. Altaïr appeared in them all too often, his terrifying gaze burning holes through his soul and striking frigid cold fear deep into his heart. He stared back up into those eyes until he struck him down with his hooves and he jerked awake in a cold sweat. Normally Fenrir’s presence warded off those horrific visions. They scared Altaïr and his mother’s dead eyes away. Tonight was different, though.

Irene and Aurora stood over him, larger than life and glowering back at him with unfeeling eyes, almost like they were not even themselves. He was pinned against a blanket of black, lying flat on his side as he had been when his attacker struck him down. He felt the sting of the wounds he had bore after that day. How he’d escaped without any scars to remind him was beyond him. Perhaps the ghost pains were curses enough.

“You killed her, you know.” Irene hissed, her voice not her own. It was like that of a snake. It almost felt like the gravity was crushing him, pulling him flat against the ground. It was as if the strength had been sucked from his bones, leaving him weak and helpless. Truly helpless…

“You killed her.” Aurora echoed. “You murdered her.”

“They all saw. You forced them to watch. Monster.”

“Monster.”

“I wish it were you instead.” Irene whispered, and he just shook his head feebly. No… no no… It wasn’t his fault! He did what he thought was right!

“I did it to save you!!” He cried. “He’d have killed me! Then you!”

His heart was in his ears, and his muscles burned as though he’d been running. Sprinting. He couldn’t breathe. It was as though he was drowning, fluid weighting his lungs and crippling him. No more words came out as they chanted at him.

“You killed her.” “Murderer.” “Coward.” “Coward.” “Coward.” “Who else will you kill next?” “It’ll be him. Don’t you know?” “He believes in him.” “Just like her.” “Just like her.”

“Nico.” He shuddered and his neck arched back as he strained to free himself from this suffocating grip around his throat. He didn’t recognize the voice that called to him this time. Not until it was shouted. “NICO.”

He jerked upright, the real world far too bright for him to comprehend at first. He gasped for breath, his body trembling and drenched in sweat. It only took him seconds to scramble to his feet, knees shaking as he panicked. “No. No no. No you’re wrong you’re-” He gasped and his body weakened again, giving up on him as soon as he tried to take a step forward. He crumpled again, his sides heaving. Everything was blurred and dark around the edges within moments. He hardly reacted to the nose on his cheek.

“Nico, breathe. Shit. Ah damn it. Breathe. You’re alright.” One ear flicked towards Fenrir as he spoke, and he burst into another series of terrified sobs as he recalled the ominous words of the creatures that had taken the forms of his sisters in that nightmare. It’ll be him. It’ll be him next… He believes in him. Just like her… Just like her…

“I’m so s-sorry.” He whispered through his tears, laying his head flat against the grass. He still couldn’t breathe, but he made less of a show of it now as he tried to get himself under control. “I’m s-sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” He repeated himself, over and over, just like he always did on his worst nights.

“You’re alright.” Fenrir murmured, blowing out a soft gust of air across Nico’s cheek, his own slower, steadier breaths encouraging his companion to do the same. He slowly lowered himself into the grass beside him, his shoulder brushing off of the dark stallion’s knees that were drawn up close to his body like a foal. “You’re okay. Don’t be sorry. It’s alright.”

Fenrir was softer with him, at times like these. He knew when he needed tough love and when he needed to be reassured. He was good at knowing precisely where to draw the line. Nico was endlessly thankful for him. He didn’t tell him enough, and he only realized it now. And so he decided he’d let him know now.

“You’re s-so good… So good…” he whimpered, his eyes falling shut as his breaths settled slowly but surely. It took a long time, too long. At least his ears weren’t ringing anymore. He could hear the crickets, and the breathing of the perlino stallion from his side. “So good to me… I don’t deserve it. I don’t. You’re too good…”

“Nah you deserve better than me.” Fenrir chuckled, doing his best to diffuse the situation. He brushed his muzzle over the side of his neck, pushing and pulling his mane back where it belonged so it settled the way that he liked. “I’m just a little parasite and we both know it.”

“You’re no parasite, Fenrir.” Nico said slowly, sounding tired as his sense returned. He opened his eyes slowly, the one that was facing up turning lazily back towards the smaller mustang. They met gazes, and Fenrir was the first to look away, clearing his voice. “You’re far better than you give yourself c-credit for… You put up with me.” And all of my baggage.

All of that baggage, that he carried without a single word of complaint. He told the dark stallion what he needed to hear and nothing more. Never did he say a word about how Nico inconvenienced him. He never whined about how annoying he was. He watched over him tirelessly when he slept, and was always there every time he woke up drenched in sweat and in a panic. It wasn’t a wonder he looked exhausted all the time.

But he never made a fuss.

“Mmmm well you deserve me. Don’t put yourself down like that you know how it pisses me off.” Fenrir rested his head down against Nico’s shoulder and let out a deep breath. He sounded tired now that he was on the ground.

Well, maybe it was the darker stallion’s turn to watch instead. Azar and Carraphim were up, but they were far enough away that they hadn’t noticed the fuss. Flicker was curled up just behind the dun stallion’s hind legs, as he always seemed to be anymore. Nico lifted his gaze just to glance back up at them, quietly conversing in the light of the moon high up overhead. He didn’t want to sleep now anyway. He couldn’t, in fear of those terrible nightmares returning.

“I’m sor-”

“And stop apologizing, for God’s sake.”

Nico was silent after that, unsure of how to respond if it wasn’t an apology. Fenrir made a soft sound and shifted closer, clearly trying to get himself comfortable so he could go to sleep. His voice was deeper and drowsier next time he spoke. “You ain’t done nothin’ wrong.”

“But I have.” The dark tobiano whimpered, his breaths hitching again. That just made Fenrir lift his head to look down at him again. He sighed softly, then got up, his body creaking with the effort. However, he managed.

“Get up.” He instructed, and hesitantly, Nico obeyed. He stood with his head hanging, his body quivering in the brisk air thanks to how sweaty he was. Fenrir made no move to get close like he usually would though. Instead, he just turned away from him, guiding him towards a little grove of trees only a bit away. It was a beautiful evening, with only partly cloudy skies and a bright moon. What a shame it was that he refused to pay it any mind today.

The two stood in silence for a few long moments before Fenrir was the one to speak. “You’ve never told me about your nightmares.” He murmured. “There’s more than you’ve told me, isn’t there? There’s something else.”

Nico’s heart felt like it stopped dead, and he stiffened. He didn’t want to talk about it. He tried so hard to run from it, to forget about it but those memories snuck up on him so effortlessly, so stealthily. There was no way to stop them when they wanted to be at the forefront of his mind. Fenrir was always there. He always listened, and he’d picked him up off the ground when he didn’t want to go anymore. There was no good reason not to tell him.

“I- I don’t know if I’m ready to-” He started, but Fenrir cut him off with a deep sigh.

“When will you be ready? It’s been how many years, Nico. You need to get it out. I can’t help you if I don’t know everything that hurts you.” The perlino murmured. “Believe it or not, I sort of care a little bit about you, and want you to get better. You’re losing weight again. Is it Carraphim? He’s been a lot better lately, and he apologized for his behavior. He’s been far better since Flicker has been around. Is it me? Did I do something?”

“No-”

“Then what…?” Fenrir’s voice dropped to a whisper, and he stepped just one pace closer. Nico felt cornered, and he backed up a half a step to move away as much as his companion had come near. “What is it…?”

“I-I killed her…” He whimpered out, and the smaller stallion’s eyes softened considerably.

“Who…?” He pressed gently.

“Mother. I killed her.” He gasped and turned his head away, feeling his eyes prickle again. “I ran away. I ran away and she- Fenrir she trusted me… She believed in me…”

“You didn’t kill her,” Fenrir knew how to decipher those words. In all of Nico’s vagueness, he was able to weave his way around his words and find their meaning. “Nico, look at me.”

The dark stallion refused to even glance back up at him though. He just shuddered and looked farther away instead. “Look at me.” He said it more firmly the next time, and of course the taller of the two relented and made eye contact.

“You did not kill her. He killed her. You did not.”

“But I ran.” Nico whispered in return. “I ran… I left her… I left… I ran… I should be dead. Not her. Not her…”

“Don’t you dare say that.” Fenrir snapped suddenly, stomping one hoof. “You shut up right now, with that. You should not be dead. You belong right here, right now. This is where you’re meant to be.”

He said it so firmly that it knocked the next words that Nico had prepared right from his lips. He just gawked at him instead, and the little stallion before him huffed and turned his head away then. “Don’t you dare tell me you’d be better off dead. Don’t you dare. If you say it one more time- no. If you even think it one more time, I’ll knock some sense into you myself. Do you understand?”

Nico just nodded feebly, hanging his head again. He felt an ache in his heart now, after that confrontation. He almost felt like he was just causing Fenrir more stress than any good. The perlino sighed deeply, his posture relaxing despite all odds. He stepped closer to his companion again, who just turned his head the other way to allow him to get closer this time. He pressed his forehead against his damp neck, standing with him in silence for a while longer.

“Tell me more.” He whispered after a few moments, his eyes shutting as he rested. He’d listen attentively. Nico deserved that much, especially after he’d snapped at him as he had.

“After he left,” Altaïr. After Altaïr left… “I went back. I wanted to see if anyone had escaped or…”

“Or what you saw. Right?” Fenrir finished his sentence, lifting his head after a few more heartbeats of silence to nuzzle the dark stallion’s withers soothingly.

Nico just nodded a bit. “Or what I saw. When I returned, I found her. She was dead. My sisters blamed me. I did it to protect them… He’d have killed me. He’d have killed them. We’d all be dead… I had to do it.”

Fenrir made a soft sound of acknowledgement in the back of his throat, prompting him to continue, and so he did. “That’s what my nightmares are of, sometimes. Like… like tonight. They told me terrible things. I can’t stop it it’s like… like I can’t even move. I’m just…. Bad luck. They told me that you’d be next. That I’d kill you next…”

“You didn’t kill her.” the perlino lifted his head to look back at him again. “And you’re not going to kill me. You’re stronger than they know. You’re still going. You’re pushing through, and you’ve become a pretty damn awesome stallion.”

“That’s only because I have you.” Nico muttered and turned his face away. “If I didn’t have you, I’d… I’d be nothing.”

“I just gave you a little nudge. This is all coming from you. Everything is coming from in here.” He reached his nose down to bump off of his chest, leaving his head there after he did so. “You doubt yourself too much…”

“I can’t help it.” He sighed, shaking his head slowly. “I don’t have any reason not to.”

“Well you do now. I’m giving you one.” Fenrir whispered, closing his eyes. “And it’s good enough.”

WORD COUNT: 2,707

Stallion: Azar#145

In response to: None.

Art features: Fenrir, Nico
Story features: Azar , Carraphim , Fenrir , Nico , Flicker , Altaïr , Irene , Marlett (Referred to as Aurora), Tethys (Deceased)
Word Count: 2,707

Aging: N/A
Healing: N/A
Pregnancy: N/A

Items Used: None
Companion Animals: None
Members that Own Outside Horses: LannisterHeir (Altaïr/Tethys?), Cappu-Draws (Irene), KiteProduction (Marlett)

Other Notes: Some bonding between Fen and Nico. Character building, etc going on here.