G A R E T H
The brute stood there, knees beginning to shake. Whether it was from sorrow or from the sudden rush of anger - a feeling usually foreign to him- he was unsure. He let the delicate woman finish her thoughts and allowed the silence to stretch far between them. A cool breeze rustled the feathers at his hooves, bringing with it a slow moving cloud. He watched as the shadow moved across the grassy expanse of the glen him and his once childhood friend shared. It seemed an eternity before the fingers of the night clutched at the brightness of the moon and dimmed her light.
It was as if Caligo herself thought that this exchange should be had in secret. Under cover of darkness. Hidden away from everyone and everything. The thought broke him, and a dark, raspy chuckle started low in his throat. Once it started, though, it quickly boiled over and what could only be the sound of madness and heartbreak ripped from his chest in a torrent.
Gareth had always been a gentle soul. Had always been patient and kind. But this explanation she had given him, it twisted something deep in his gut and turned him over. Anger was often something he kept to himself, never to indulge in with his size. His strength would just have run rampant. Perhaps he would have held more control had Noor been with him. Perhaps he would have not allowed things to hurt this much had he honestly healed and not just poorly bandaged the wounds on his heart.
“That is such bullshit, Salome,” he spat the words, callously. Perhaps it was the fact that he could barely see her form now as the moon desperately tried to seek shelter from the two. He drew himself up to his full height, his vocals shaking with the rage of a broken man, tears still flowing freely.
“How selfish could you possibly be?” He took a single step forward, closing the distance between them to half in that single stride. “How absolutely childish. If you had truly wanted to ‘spare me’ whatever in all the nine hells that could possibly mean,” He took another step, now just in front of her, towering. The heat from his body, the pounding of his heart surely a beacon in the darkness for her. Surely this predator woman would have had no trouble seeing him in ways he could not possibly fathom.
Gareth dropped his voice low, a dark whisper. “You wouldn’t have shown your face to begin with. You would not have promised me answers and then left.” His knotted tail flicked viciously behind him, the thick thud against his rump somewhat grounding.
“So start by being honest with yourself first, Salome. I believe that you were a coward then, but I also believe you are a coward now. You speak of trust, but you harbor none. You want my trust?” His voice broke, and all the anger that had brought him to her simply left his body. He slumped as if all the energy had been pulled like a string, unraveling him. The moon started to break free from the clouds and the first thing illuminated was her.
He ached to reach down and press his muzzle to her, to make sure that she was real. He had heard from so many that the unhealed heart finds ways to force you to face your demons, so it was possible this was just one such occasion. Seeing her, to be this close to her for the first time in all of these years, it stripped him down to that young colt who laid eyes on her the very first time.
Gods was he tired. Tired of pretending he didn’t still love her. That he had moved on, and held no space for her. He was damaged by her actions, and still further by her words, but his own tongue lashing would do nothing to soothe either of them. It merely left more wounds on the heart.
The great brute’s knees finally buckled and he went to the ground, now face to face with the vampire woman. His words came in a weak, airy breath. “How on earth do I trust you again?”
"Speech" | @Salome |
