Short Friendships

Featuring Shasta, Silv and Hovado (NPC)
Spring, Year 754 of the New Age
Windborne, Gumtree Hollow

Silv

The herd?! All of the young colt's life had been in seclusion. On occasion some of the scouts who worked with his father would appear and that would promise a semi easier day. Unfortunately that treat was few and far between. And any daily comfort ended once his foster dam ran low on milk and his father chased her off.

Silv now stood on what seemed like a large cliff. His brutish father stood beside him and looked down below them at a large mass that was on an open plain. Dust floated into the air when colts and hinds ran around their mothers. A pang of loss hit the leggy four year old in the heart. Trying to hide his fear and sorrow from Høvado, the furry colt followed at a distance while they descended from the hollow to the open field.

Eyes wide in fear and wonder Silv noticed something very different  about the other colts. Why aren't they as shaggy as I am? The little colt cocked his head then straightened up when Høvado baked at him.

"Go on you rat. Go try and find some friends." The words fell on the fragile heart of the colt like shards of glass from the beach after a storm. Then physical pain followed when his father's teeth nipped his rump. That wasn’t as bad as he normally got, but it still hurt Silv. So the very long legs of the creamy colt carried him away towards the area of playing fawns.

Shasta

The smokey doe gave a playful nudge of her cream colored friend (an NPC) and gave him a nip on the ear. She heard the hoofsteps of another fawnling and turned her attention to the newcomer. Her friends gave the new kid an odd look before walking away, leaving Shasta and the new kid to their own accord.
"Well well well, looks like we have some fresh meat in the herd. What's your name fluffy?" Shasta gave a tug at his shaggy mane.

Silv

Silv tried at first when he walked over to seem normal, to be confident with himself. But, when he got stared at by so many fawns that he didn’t know, the confidence faltered. Milky brown eyes taking in everything, the young colt saw a greyish looking fawn approach him. She was darker up top, and where most fawnlings would have white, she had intricate, lighter grey coloring. Momentarily distracted from her different appearance, Silv was unprepared for the tug he felt on his mane.

Jumping out of startlement from the touch, it was to late for the young leggy colt to regain himself and not seem so jumpy. Silv had small scars over his body from other times that his father had grabbed him in a similar way, just much harsher. When he saw that it was only the hind nipping at him, he relaxed a bit.

“My name?” He paused, knowing that he was named at birth Slyz Matky, but he chose his own name, to go by Silv. So, for the first time ever, he used his own name in an introduction. “Silv. What is yours?”

Shasta

Shasta have a soft chuckle at the other fawn's flighty nature.
"Well Silv, welcome to the herd. Names Shasta." A lopsided smile crossed the fawn's face as she looked at the newly named Silv. She tilted her head slightly and flicked her tail.
"Why so jumpy Silv? You seem like you'd be quite confident." Her tail lightly brushed across the grass as she contemplated what could make this new fawn so fearful of interacting with others of his age.
'Probably just not used to being around other fawns that's all.' She thought to herself.

Silv

Looking around at the fawns who had gone away from him, Silv could guess several others were around four as well. This fawn though seemed just a bit younger, maybe by a year? but he didn’t know for sure about that. She was so confident. So sure of herself. It made Silv, who was taller than her, broader than her, and definitely furry than her, feel shameful that he didn’t have such confidence. Keeping from sighing he tried to answer her question, without saying what happened with his father.

“I don’t really know… I just… It’s not important.” Silv lifted up his head some and looked down at her. “What do you do around here?”

Shasta

Shasta gave a more welcoming smile and nudged him with her shoulder.
"There's plenty to do around here. Most of us just like to wrestle around see who's tougher then who. My favorite type of fun is racing but that's just me." She chuckled playfully and pawed at the ground with her sharp hooves.
"I'll be honest many fawns aren't that welcoming when it comes to new kids but they soon get used to your presence." The doe gave a slight wink before nipping at his mane again.
"What do you like to do for fun anyways? You seem like such a downer yah know." Her tail wagged behind her and ears perked up to their full height.

Silv

A frown creased the fawn’s face, his already sullen looking face due to the permenant ‘tears’ that streaked his cheeks. “I don’t have fun.” It was a rather blunt reply, but it was true. Last time he’d try to have fun was when he was two, and he had gotten such a beating for it, he hadn’t tried doing it again. But how would this doe ever understand that? No one understood, and he felt no one ever would, even after he grew up.

That was something else that terrified him. Next year he reached maturity in age, and his fawn years would be behind him. He didn’t have a clue what he was going to do, or what his father would do. Standing there in the growing sun, the creamy fawn spotted colt shivered, as he could practically feel his father breathing on his neck, but all it was was the wind.

Shasta

The doe tilted her head and plopped down on her rear, a cloud of dust puffing up from behind her as she sat down.
"How could you have never had fun? It's essential for fawns to have fun." Her ears lowered and she gave a slight sigh before smiling. She stood back up and nudged him on the chest.
"C'mon Silv. I'll show yah how to have fun." She lowered herself onto her front hooves, rear in the air and tail wagging back and forth. "A little wrestling or tag will definitely suffice."

Silv

Silv’s ears immediately went half way back in uncertainty. He was so afraid his father would appear and would punish him, and worse, hurt this young hind for encouraging him. Twitching as he stood there, his tail flicked nervously. Eyes darting around for the look of his father, Silv settled when he didn’t see the hulking mass anywhere close, so he turned his eyes back to the doe. “It improper for a colt to wrestle a doe…”

Shasta

Shasta gave a mild huff, blowing a strand of her mane out of her face. She flicked her tail slightly and tilted her head.
"You sound like a royal Silv." Shasta said with a sarcastic tone of voice. She walked around his rear and bumped him slightly before looking back up at his face. "Fine. Wanna play tag?"
She knew he'd probably be confused about it so she gave him a smile. "It's not wrestling. Believe me."

Silv

Those delicately laid back ears pinned a bit harsher at the term royal. “I am certainly not royal, nor do I ever see myself being one of them.” There, he showed emotion. For such a young fawn, his hatred was built up. His only opinion on the king of windborne as it was came from the fact that his father worshiped him. That was a clue enough to Silv that he would hate their king. Now, as a gangly four year old, Silv knew if he ever had a scrap of power to his name, he would not act upon others as being lowly, no never. Because all of his life he’d been treated that way, and he didn’t want others to feel like that. Thoughts could have consumed the colt, when he felt the hind bump his rear then ask to play tag. Ears flickering in interest, he gave a roll of the eyes. He knew what tag was. But he said nothing and nodded. “Alright. Fine.” Grinning a bit devilishly he bumped her shoulder.

“Tag you’re it!” With that the leggy colt bounded away over the grasses of the valley.

Shasta

Shasta gave a soft smile at the fawn's change of attitude. Her ears perked up when she felt Silv bump her in the shoulder and mention that she was it.
"Not cool Silv!" She laughed and raced after the cream coated fawn. She watched him bound across the endless valley and paused, letting the wind catch her mane and tail. Another burst of laughter erupted from her throat as she ran down the hill to catch the colt.
She raced up beside him and gave him a slight push with her side.
"Tag. You're it now Silv!" She laughed before quickly changing directions and bolting the opposite direction.

Silv

Bouncing up into the air at her touch the awkward and gangly colt tripped over his own legs and went sprawling into the grass. Laughing Silv quickly sprung back up and raced after the smokey doe. Silv was finally of age to use magic, though he had never tried. His father thought magic was pointless and hadn't taught the colt any.

Running with the wind whipping through his scruffy coat Silv for the first time felt the wind. Not just the wind outside him, but the wind inside as well. It ripped open in his soul and he suddenly bounded with new force after Shasta. Laughing at the power he felt in his bones Silv called to the wind, though it did nothing but made him happy. Running faster he took a nip at the hind's tail.

Shasta

The hind gave a soft chuckle when she saw the scruffy fawn fall over. She ran full speed up the hill and stopped at the top.
Her ears seemed to drop when she watched Silv get a new found strength. Her tail loaded and she bolted.
Shasta looked at the cream fawn out of the corner of her eye and watched as he picked up speed. She ran as fast as she could but when she felt the teeth of her chaser on her tail.
She yelled in slight shock and slipped over. Her ears pinned to the back of her head and she gave a an irritated huff. The hind stood up on her slightly wobbly legs and bolted after the cream colored fawn.
It seemed almost impossible to catch him with his new found strength.

Silv

When the hind tripped from him grabbing her tail Silv had to jump fast over her so he wouldn't run her over. "Sorry!" He cried to her as he ran. He kept going for a bit hearing her give chase but as her hoof beats faded Silv glanced back to see how far she was. Silv didn't want to let go of this feeling, but he knew she wouldn't catch him at this rate. So letting go of what felt like his invisible wings that flew him over the ground he made a wide arch and headed back towards her.

"Sorry... are you okay?"

Shasta

She gave a warm smile back and chuckle, her tail flicking back and forth behind her and her ears held high.
"Of course I'm okay. I've been through much worse Silv. Don't worry about me." She laughed before giving him a playful lick on the snout and tug on the mane.
She grinned devilishly though and gave him a tough headbutt on the chest.
"You're it now Silv!" She bolted away as fast as she could, disappearing into the underbrush of the forest that bordered the valley.

Silv

Grunting slightly from surprise and the hit from her head Silv watched a moment, stunned, then laughed and went after her. “You better run!! I’ll get you for that!” His laugh was free. IT held a twinge of his voice that would soon deepen, but it was still airy for the moment. Bounding over the plain, Silv leaped over some bushes and gave chase, trying to follow her scent so he wouldn’t lose her in the shadows.

Twigs snapped and leaves rustled on the trees above Silv as he sniffed and rooted around, looking for her. “Where are you…”

Shasta

The hind's ears rose a little and she slowly backed into the underbrush, tail wagging back and forth.
She rose on her forelegs and kicked the branches nearby before bolting in the opposite direction of the snap.
She turned around with a wide smile on her face before ramming into the muscular body of another fawnling. She looked up and was met with the hard brown eyes of a full grown stag.

Silv

Ears perked in a lively fashion when he heard a loud crash of twigs. Smiling he took off after the sound thinking he had her know. "Watch out oh-" Sliding to a stop before the crushed bush Silv could feel the presence.

Suffocation consumed Silv. A grown male. A big, angry, brute was close. His head lowered and his ears pinned. He couldn't be sure it was his father, but what other stag could ever give of the feeling of murder without saying a word? Silv walked through the broken bush and looked around for the stag, and Shasta.

Shasta

The hind's eyes widened to the size of saucers as she stared at the stag. Her tail curled between her haunches and she stood there, motionless.
'I gotta get out of her somehow...' She said to herself as the options quickly flooded her mind. The option the sounded the best in her opinion. Run!
She turned tail and bolted away from the stag. Knowing the terrain of the forest well, she was able to keep a far distance from the huge male.
She panted in agony and her ears perked up when she saw Silv.
"Run! No questions now just run!" She shrieked, head butting him.

Silv

Pain flooded the colts chest when he saw Shasta running towards him in fear. It had to be his father. Anger started to boil in the colt when she screamed at him and butted him to run. How could his father do this to her? She hasn't done anything! The crashing sounds of hooves started to approach. The gait was familiar.

"Run Shasta!" While he pushed the doe away from him he started to run shakily towards the sound of crushing twigs. It wasn't long till he saw the dark golden coat of his father. He didn't look any angrier than normal, but his regular expression would scare any fawn.

"Father! Stop!" Silv had never asked anything of his father. "She's my friend!" The words left his mouth before he could stop them, and he saw the sinister sneer come to the approaching stag's face.

Shasta

The doe ran a couple feet ahead but promptly hid in the underbrush that scattered the forest floor. With tail held tightly against her side, Shasta's ears pricked up so she could get a good clue on what was going on.
She could see the large stag break through the clearing and look upon Silv. The words that Silv emitted shocked her. That stag, was his father.
The cruel sneer that was plastered on the golden male's face sent shivers up Shasta's spine. No father should ever look that menacing.

Silv

"Did you speak boy? I thought I raised a mute." The voice was deep and it rung with vibrato. Hard, cold eyes bore down on Silv. "You know it to be impossible to have a friend. Why is that?" The brute walked towards a shaking Silv.

Silv looked up in fear at his father but he didn’t back away. "Speak boy. Why can't you have friends?"

Tears threatened to pour as the fawn opened his mouth. "I can't have friends because I'm the low unwanted scum of a tramp. And I'm lucky to be alive because you took me after mama died..." The words hurt. Every time Høvado made Silv say those words it broke the little colt a bit more each time.

Silv use to imagine he wasn't blood related to this monster, but there was no mistaking the similar builds they shared, or the excessive hair they grew. The young colt wondered if he would ever escape his father's torment.

Shasta

Every word that the stag uttered made Shasta more and more angry. Her tail flicked back and forth and the sentence that Silv uttered only made her fur bristle.
The hind pawed at the ground, wanting to give the stag a piece of her mind but she knew it wouldn't affect her in the end. It'd hurt Silv. She had to do something, anything to protect Silv from his dastardly father. But what could she do? She's just a three year old hind whose horn isn't even fully developed.
A rush of adrenalin took hold of her, instincts clouded by the want to protect her friend. She leapt in front of Silv, and stood her ground. She looked at the ground making sure not to make eye contact with either of the males.

Silv

It was pure fear. It just jolted down the colt's spine and made him freeze. <>What was she doing?<> Though there was a law against killing another fawnling, sometimes he thought his father would gladly break that rule to get rid of a problem. Now it just happened that Høvado's greatest annoyance, Silv, was being protected by a hind!

Silv was rooted to the spot. He couldn't even get words to come out of his open mouth. The brute on the other side of Shasta though had no issue with speaking. "Get out of the way little girl. This is between me and my son. And if you don't go I'll make Slyz Matky's life a living hell." The last words dropped in volume so they hummed deadly on the ears. The young colt shivered at the use of his name and tried to plead with his eyes for Shasta to go home and get away from his father.

Shasta

Shasta's shoulders heaved and she gave Silv a stubborn look as if saying 'I'm not moving..' She looked back down at her hooves and flicked her tail. The hind took in a ragged breath and let it come out in a light sigh.
"You're cruel..." She murmured, a gust of wind blew a piece of her mane out of her face.
"You're the reason he's so timid! Aren't you?! You heartless bastard!" Her voice rose in anger looking into the golden stag's eyes.
"Why are you so cruel?! Why...." Her voice trailed off and she gave a slight hiss on the word "why."

Silv

Irregular beats fluttered in the young colt’s chest, and he was close to passing out when his father let out a low below, tired of the hind that showed him resistance. Silv watched and started to go weak in his legs. “Move it.” Hovado wasn’t having it anymore. Nipping the filly on the rear, the large stag walked forward, like he would walk straight into her if she didn’t budge from her spot.

“You,” the gruff voice was now aimed at Silv. “Get moving. We’re headed home. I made a mistake in letting you come to the herd with me.” The growl was menacing, and he pushed Shasta aside with his body. The young colt ran off in front of his father, but gave a last glance back at Shasta, sorrow deep in his eyes.

Shasta

Shasta gave a disobedient grumble and flicked her tail. She walked out of the way, her ears still held high showing her proud nature.
She gave Silv a mournful glance and sighed, her ears dropping when she saw the sorrow in his deep brown orbs. She watched him slowly fade into the darkness of the forest and gave a pained sigh.
When her new friend and his cruel father were out of sight she plopped onto the earth and contemplated what the hell she just did.
"Did I really put my life on the edge for a colt I barely even know? Hell that stag could've easily trampled me, but why didn't he?" She thought out loud. She stamped the ground and gave an angered bleet. "I'm done with this! I need to help Silv somehow..."
She bolted in the same direction as Silv and the stag, the scent they left behind still in the undergrowth.

Silv

Head low and ears pinned Silv walked just in front of his father, being pushed along at times by the nip of his father’s sharp teeth. It went on in silence when his father suddenly barked at him to run. Stride lengthening, Silv took to the wind and ran as fast as he could up the hollow. Fear gripped his heart, for if he didn’t give it his all he knew he’d be in for a beating later. His hooves began to glide on the ground, the wind pushed him up gently and Silv felt once more that soaring feeling. But it didn’t last long as his father’s rough gait kept pulling his concentration away.

The large stag behind him blundered after him, and then nudged him in a new direction to run through a stream, washing away their trail. Hovado wasn’t dumb, he knew when a stubborn headed doe might follow and try to help his son. The next meeting though would prove too hard for the golden stag to control his anger, and he wasn’t going to be charge with murder, not today at least.

So onward they ran, up in the stream, then out on the opposite side. Time took forever, but Silv just kept running and running. He hoped that Shasta wouldn’t follow. He was going to be enough trouble as it was, he didn’t want her getting hurt because of him as well.

Shasta

A sense of dread washed over her when she reached a small clearing with broken branches. Her ears lowered to being adjacent with her neck and she gave a huff.
"Oi what have I gotten myself into? Do I really want to risk life and limb for a fawn I barely know?" She spoke to herself. Shasta pawed at the ground and her ears perked. "I got it! I just have to keep their scent fresh until night fall. This better work cuz I am not facing that grumpy father anymore..."
She followed their scent trail but not as fast as she had been, she only needed their scent, nothing more.
She paused when she reached a stream, her ears falling loosely at her neck again as she gave an irritated sigh. "This brute may be tough and aggressive but he's anything but dumb. Well tactic wise."
Shasta sat upon the moist earth, her hooves sinking slightly in the mud, as she tried to think of another way to help Silv.

Silv

Being pushed onward Silv kept running, his chest heaving and his eyes burning with tears from the sting of the wind. He could feel his father right behind him, but he tried to ignore the harsh breathing and seething anger that leaked from the brute. Instead he thought about how the first time in his life he’d laughed. He’d played. For once Silv had enjoyed himself. He would keep that moment forever with him. Maybe it would only last as a memory for a few more hours, because he didn’t know what his father would do to him once they reached their den that was enclosed by rocks. Silv was sure though that he would get a beating of a life time.