GARETH
There's some kind of light at the end
When touching the edge of her skin
The stallion focused on the task at hand, carefully weeding through the bits of debris still wound in her hair. Goodness, how had she managed to get so much foliage and various insects tied up in there when her hair was bound? It must have been an age since she last felt comfortable and safe enough to detangle her mane. Her next words confirmed as much to him, about her life being not the most courteous to those who decided their health went beyond just basic survival. He deliberately chose to ignore the admission that his actions had been the closest to pampering that she had experienced, though his mind filed that away for later with the determination that he would show her what true pampering was in the future.
His audits flicked as she spoke about the place she lived when she left her home. No, not where she lived. Where she ‘ended up’. The way her lyrics quieted, the hesitation that trembled in her voice told him that this was not a good place. Wherever she had gone clearly left an impact upon her, and he felt the pang in his chest, the desire to protect her from those memories and to make sure she knew those days were over, whatever they were.
He gently pressed his muzzle to the base of her spine where he had been detangling, trying to offer his presence as she curled into him. They stood for a long moment like that, the chill of the river pulling at their limbs and the light trill of morning birds as the rest of the forest began to awaken. Summer would be here soon and the pleasant mornings like this would soon be a distant memory, replaced by muggy heat and lazy insects.
Gareth arched his neck and pulled Pangaea in closely, teasing her only slightly with the seriousness of his tone. “Forever is a long time, I hope you know, because I do not see us parting any sooner than the end of time itself.” The smell of the saurian woman enveloped him, and he knew that those words held a ring of truth to them. He wasn’t sure how he knew them, but he did.
Noor of course would tell him it was the certainty of puppy love, and perhaps there was an element of that. After all, his heart was still aching from the loss, the betrayal of Salome. In contrast, Pangaea was like a spring bloom, a breath of the freshest mountain air. Though Gareth wouldn’t quite admit it yet, she had brought life back to the medic. She had given him a clear purpose when he most needed one. The brute was determined to keep her near him for as long as she was willing.
Amber hues watched as she parted, moving to the shore to collect the various trinkets that were utilized to keep her curls contained. A soft smile spread across his muzzle as he watched her carefully wrap up her hair into several fashions, though he figured it was more for function than looks, and bind them back with delicate gold bands. No sooner had she finished this task did her gaze turn to him, a devilish glint in her eye.
A booming laugh rumbled from Gareth’s chest as she nudged him along the riverbank towards an overhang of trees, pressing him into deeper waters. “Fair, fair,” he remarked. “I never considered pampering for myself. Too much work to do, you know. What with beautiful women swooping down from the skies to gobble up beloved companions and in need of medical attention, herbs to be mixed and courts looking after.”
He bumped her playfully with his muzzle so that Pangaea might know that his words were a gentle thing, and he held no grudge against her. His thick tail flicked back and forth as he smiled. “I think you’ll find my hair is quite different to yours, but you are welcome to try to tidy it up as best you can.”
