Brotherly Love or Lack Thereof [Reky!]

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Ke'raza still didn't know how she'd ended up actually bonding to a simourv. It was a startling (even incomprehensible) idea considering she'd only come here a little while ago. Her and her Shire colt, Azreiax, whom she was sure would take up all of the time she didn't spend with her new bonded. How she was going to manage both at once she didn't know, but the winglet was sure she would figure it out. Eventually, she would figure it out. Sooner than eventually, because she didn't have much time before Sdapaph (her Sdapaph!) grew and became a lot more difficult to take care of. As it was, he was going to require a huge amount of care right from the start - just like an equine foal.

I am capable of looking after myself, Ke'raza, the cold voice informed her. Startled, the dark-skinned girl looked up to find Sdapaph watching her with impassive orange eyes. There was no expression in his voice, but the fact that it was present was sufficient to startle the horse trainer. She nodded mutely. I suppose, she agreed reluctantly. The blue's eyes flickered. Do not doubt me, Mine. Doubt turns even the worthiest into weaklings. I did not choose you so that you could be a weakling. His words were not hateful, but they were firm enough that Ke'raza blinked in surprise and nodded again.

She still didn't know what to do with the cold young simourv. He'd been like this since he had bonded to her and she could only assume that it was part of his personality. Truthfully, Ke'raza had always been the one to be cold and distant - she'd never had anyone else try the same thing on her. It took her by surprise, and it particularly startled her when Sdapaph said things that were entirely more cynical than she expected to hear out of a baby. He had opinions on almost everything, and most of them were sarcastic, cold, and critical. It was an unusual feeling, too, being bonded to something that wasn't a physical part of you. Almost like her bond with Azreiax, but deeper - like she'd found a part of herself she'd never known she had.

I am a part of you, Mine. As you are a part of me. Your equine is nothing but prey to me. It is not bonded to you. It is not yours as I am yours, Sdapaph pointed out coolly. His tone hardened with anger that Ke'raza could even consider that stupid animal a part of herself. Recognizing it, the winglet rose from her bed, where she had been sitting, and stared down at the hatchling. Her own eyes gleamed with hard determination. "He is not prey, Sdapaph," she growled with equal coldness, and though her voice didn't rise in the slightest, she put behind it all of the authority she had learned in her dealings with horses. "You will not think of him as such."

It is an animal, Sdapaph replied coolly. Nothing more. An animal that is not worthy of you, nor I. I will not harm it, but neither will I recognize it as yours. I am yours, Ke'raza. Not that unintelligent creature.

Ke'raza sighed and ran a hand through her short, spiked hair before meeting her blue's eyes. Her will pushed against his, and finally, without saying anything, she managed to get her simourv to back down. He snorted, and lay down on the floor next to the bed, close to His but not speaking to her. Coming from his mind was a slow wave of cold anger - irritation that she could even recognize Azreiax as a fellow being instead of a simple prey animal. Ke'raza refused to submit, feeling the need to be the boss, the leader of the herd, as she always had been. Of course, she had yet to meet her roommate... would she still be leader of the herd in Sdapaph's eyes once he met Vr'a and Beneph? She doubted it. He didn't seem like one to recognize any sort of authority except hers and perhaps a grey's. And he was unwilling even to submit to her will - even in this simple matter. But she was patient, almost infinitely so. She could wait it out even if she had to sit here on this bed for the rest of eternity.

[{r e k y}]

Having her own simourv was something entirely different from anything she'd ever felt before. Modestly, she knew she hadn't really felt anything terribly moving in her life. She'd had a low-key upbringing, one crush, and that was about it. No tragedies, no taste of love. Now, though, she felt like she was important, feeling something that only a select few ever would. She tried to commit these first bits of bondedhood to memory, so she could tell great stories about it to her family and Tilly. Would she even have any time to go visit them? She was worried about that. She'd barely even had any time to say goodbye. All she'd left for Tilly was a letter, because Tilly had been busy. She promised herself she'd make an apology in person as soon as she could. Something told her Beneph would keep her busy, though.

The little blue simourv was padding along beside His, his tiny claw clicking on the ground. He was calm and happy, and Vr'a was, too. She marveled at how beautiful he was - she still couldn't get over it and probably wouldn't for a long time. What with his brilliant colouring, his downy baby feathers, his bright eyes and his happy expression, all she wanted to was look at him. At her simourv. Her Ben. Sensing her love, Beneph let out a little coo and gave her a cheery glance before turning back to look where he was walking.

They were on their way to their room. Since Ben was a blue, one of the smaller simourvs (though he seemed bigger than most of the other blues), they had roommates - Ke'raza and Sdapaph. Vr'a vaguely recognized Ke'raza's name, but nothing more than that. She hadn't seen them bond, or if she had, she didn't know which ones they were. She figured she'd find out soon, though, if they'd made it to the room before her.

"Hey, Ben, you remember which room it is? Do you see it?" she asked.

Beneph, happy to help, whistled and went ahead. I remember, Vr'a! Hey, I think it's this one!

[/i] Feathers poofing at his excitement to have found the room, Beneph poked his beak through the door. While Vr'a hung back at the door and meant to greet first and ask if it was alright to come in, to make sure she seemed polite and didn't offend Ke'raza and Sdapaph, Beneph forewent caution and walked right in. He parked himself on the unoccupied side of the room, curling up in a cozy ball. Vr'a hesitated. Come on, Vr'a! You're silly, just standing there. He cooed gently to her.

"Uhm... h-hello," she offered quietly to Ke'raza and Sdapaph. Mentally, she was kicking herself for stuttering like that. Way to get off on the right foot, Vr'a. "I... This is Ben. I'm Vrinta-- Vr'a. Gosh, it's gonna take a bit to get used to that. New name." She chuckled, a little pink in the cheeks from embarrassment, and meekly sat down on her bed. Beneph decided he'd climb up and sit beside her, so he uncurled himself and hopped up onto the bed. Why not? he thought. He liked to do his own thing. Pleased with his new, cushy sitting spot, he gently rubbed his cheek against Vr'a's thigh.[/size][/blockquote]

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Ke'raza didn't speak to her simourv for some time after they'd both fallen silent. Both were lost in thought - connected by that fragile link between their minds, but nothing more. Few thoughts came from Sdapaph; either he was hiding them or he simply wasn't thinking about anything particularly deep. That was fine with the winglet; she drew one leg up onto her bed and rested her elbow on top of her knee. Her chin rested on top of that; closing dark eyes, she drew in a deep breath and released a soft sigh. She wasn't sure what to make of her blue - he loved her, and she loved him unconditionally, but his personality was so radically different from what she'd expected (what had she expected?) that she found herself unable to figure out just what she was supposed to do with him. What did you say to someone who knew your every thought? Was speech even necessary?

All of these thoughts were interrupted, and they fell away from Ke'raza's mind as the door creaked open. Simultaneously her eyes reopened, just in time to find a blue simourv waltzing in to plop down on the other side of the room, curling up into a fluffy, beautiful ball of feathers. She smiled slightly behind her arm, and then lifted her head, both feet returning to the floor as the girl (her roommate, Vr'a?) stuttered a greeting.

Automatically the need to calm, gentle, tame a nervous horse kicked in, and Ke'raza smiled softly, her expression changing to become soft, welcoming, nonthreatening. You didn't threaten a horse and raise your hand against it to persuade it to trust you; you had to be kind to it, speak softly and kindly. "Hello," the dark-skinned girl murmured in return. At her feet, Sdapaph lifted his head and hissed, shifting so that he lay over his bonded's feet. He didn't touch Vr'a's mind, nor Beneph's - he let it be known by his angry orange eyes and low growls that he didn't like them. He wanted them out of here, away from his bonded. She didn't need them. Neither of them needed their roommates.

Ke'raza, catching the low threats issuing from her simourv, nudged his chest with her toe, getting his attention. His mind immediately connected with hers. Yes? His tone was snappish, suspicious. Unfazed, the horse trainer said nothing but impressed her will firmly upon him. Sdapaph was to be polite. He didn't have to like Beneph or Vr'a but he wasn't to threaten either of them - ever. Until her blue gave in and stopped hissing, Ke'raza didn't lift the mental pressure. At last he did, wordlessly, agree to be nice - for now - and she lifted the command immediately, rewarding him as she would do for an obedient horse. Without missing a beat, she shifted her attention to the other bluepair, her eyes gentle. "Ke'raza. It is strange, isn't it, having a new name?" A small smile twitched her lips up, and she nodded slightly. "This is Sdapaph." She indicated the asymmetrical blue sprawled across her feet. His expression was still hostile, cold; he extended no greeting of his own. A slight narrowing of the eyes was all that could be noticed about him as he glared at his blue brother - that, and an irritated flicking of his tail. Ke'raza touched his mind, reassuring him; he shrugged her off. A bit disgruntled, the tall girl shook her head slightly. "I... didn't really think I would bond," she admitted suddenly. "Did you?"

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