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 Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:03 pm
This is an rp for myself between Roman and his father and brother (NPC's) when he was still a foal.
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Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:04 pm
“Father!” Roman squeaked as his father ventured forward, leaving his two sons behind his wake.
“Father wait! Cottus can’t keep up!” Roman’s soft blue eyes turned to his younger sibling who was trailing a good two lengths behind them, his muscles seemingly ready to give out. Cottus had never been strong in body or in health and no one really had an answer as to why this was. Often times he would begin to breath heavily and shake profusely as though his body just couldn’t take anymore. Now the colt who looked much like his brother but with a fair mane had stopped walking and lowered his head, heaving for air. Frantically Roman turned back to his father who acted as though he hadn’t even heard his son’s pleas for his brother. “Father please stop! Cottus isn’t well! Father!” Irritation passed over the foal’s face as his father barely even flicked an ear in his direction. His heart began to feel heavy in his chest as his father kept on walking toward an unknown destination, his sons invisible behind him. Shaking his head he turned back and ran to his brother whose eyes were squeezed shut and his body shivering in an invisible pain.
“Cottus,” he said gently, “are you alright?” It was obvious by the state his brother was in that he was not but the question seemed to arise within him anyway. The tenderness Roman felt for his sibling hadn’t ever been anything in question. Without hesitation he pressed his muzzle against his brother’s cheek and closed his eyes. “We can rest for a minute.” He whispered. Each day Roman found himself wondering if his brother wouldn’t wake from his sleep or would fall when walking and not rise to his feet again. He was the one who got water for his brother when he was unable to move and the one who cared for him when his father ventured off and left them on their own for days at a time. “Did…did…dad already go ahead?” Cottus wheezed in his brother’s ear. Roman turned his head in the direction he had last seen his father in only to see an empty landscape before him. “Yea.” He stated simply, attempting to keep the irritation from his voice. “S-sorry Roman..I wish I could…” Roman removed his nose from his brother’s cheek to shake his head. “No Cottus this is not your fault. We will rest here for a while, I am sure father will come back for us.”
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Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:22 pm
In truth Ardus hadn’t even heard his son’s cries; his mind had been too focused on the road ahead. He loved his boys, that was never an issue but ever since the death of his mate his mind hadn’t been as it should be. So when the little voice behind him pleaded for assistance his mind was focused on finding the one who had slaughtered his beloved. Ever since the day he came home to find her missing he had vowed to find the one who had taken her. He never told his two colts that he was trying to find the murderer of their mother, only that they had to keep on moving for it was their purpose in life to see the world around them. It wasn’t the best excuse but it was the only one he could think to tell them without revealing his true intentions. It probably wasn’t fair for him to drag them along behind him, especially with Cottus’ health being what it was. He didn’t want to leave them behind with someone else because he cared too much for them and each time he looked into their faces he saw his mate.
The sound of hooves behind him fell silent and he finally turned his head to where his sons once followed. Though most parents would feel a sense of panic when their children were no longer within their protective reach he felt nothing. He had trained Roman to be able to care for himself and his brother from anything the world threw at them. They both knew how to make an effective shelter and how to live without him for at least a week. Even with this knowledge he turned about and retraced his steps, keen on telling Roman that if his brother could not continue that they should wait it out and he would return for them in a few days. As he came around the turn he saw Roman with his nose pressed against a wheezing Cottus’ cheek. “Is he alright?” He asked from afar, concern not evident in his voice. Cottus had been ill since birth, unable to keep up with him and Roman on their travels. He cared deeply for the foal but knew that nothing he would do would help him now. “If he cannot continue the two of you should find shelter.” With that he looked in the direction he had been heading believing he was hot on the trail of what had killed his mate. “I will come for you in a few days time. Until then you will look after your brother. Speak to no one and do not leave the shelter you find.” His tone was authoritative and firm. He knew Roman would obey him; it was how he had been conditioned.
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Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:38 pm
Anger swelled in the little colt’s chest as he saw his father round the corner and nonchalantly ask whether or not Cottus was alright. This scene was one he had become accustomed to through years of the event playing over and over again. Sometimes his father would stop and care for Cottus but it wasn’t very often. Roman’s father remained to be a mysterious figure no matter how many times Roman attempted to figure him out. He claimed to love and care for his sons but when they needed him the most he would just vanish. This time he would tell his father how he truly felt, he wouldn’t be the perfect son and let him walk away without an ounce of guilt. Puffing up his small chest and stepping in front of Cottus he stared his father down, blue eyes gazing into equally as blue eyes. “Father I-“ He was cut off as his father again notified him to stay behind with his brother and find shelter. As his father looked down on him with lifeless eyes he felt the courage seeping from his body one drop at a time. “Yes sir.” The determination he had only moments before melted away as he resumed his post as his father’s obedient son. Shame filled his diaphragm and he looked to his brother, half expecting to see him roll his green eyes in disappointment. Instead he saw a foal with his head bent, lungs heaving and his body quivering. “I will take care of him.” He added as an afterthought.
Often when his father was around he would teach him the importance of not arguing. He would say that an argument made a simple situation take twice as long. Without even raising his voice or using harsh words his father could quench whatever fire burned within him. He knew in the long run it would benefit Cottus if he would stay behind and care for him. He still to this day did not know where his father went or why, he even found himself wondering why his father returned to two foals that tied him down. What use were they? Shaking his head he turned back to his brother with a smile. “Come on Cottus, we need to find a place to stay.” His brother nodded as he obviously didn’t have what it took to speak at this juncture.
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Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:50 pm
After his son giving the perfect response Ardus flashed half of a smile that really had no feeling behind it. He could always rely on his son to accept without question and take his brother to someplace safe. “Good boy.” He said as he watched the foals walk away. Normally a father would give his sons an affectionate nudge on the shoulder or tell them he loved them before they went off on their own but Ardus was not the type to do so. He had found his mate’s corpse torn and bloodied and from that day on he had decided that emotion wasn’t worth the consequence one normally encountered. With a quick flap of his white wings Ardus turned his hind quarters to his vanishing offspring and began walking once again, his feet taking him wherever they believed he should go. As a wind he was capable of flight but somewhere inside he felt as though he would miss something if he merely flew over everything. He didn’t even know what he was looking for but he knew once he solved the mystery of his mate’s death he would come back as twice the father he had ever been. One day his sons would look back on this with him and smile, realizing it was all for the benefit of their fallen mother.
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Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 10:04 pm
Whatever words Roman felt like saying died as he watched his father’s figure vanish like so many times before. How he wished to tell him to stop traveling and to just be their father, to care for them and allow them to express their feelings about not having a mother. Though Roman had never met her and his father didn’t speak of her he still felt a void where she would have been. He had once asked Cottus about how he felt and he had agreed with Roman that he wished he had been able to know her. Rather than a family sharing their pain together they kept their mouths shut and traveled from one end of the earth to the other just to see the world. Roman loved how the world worked, seeing the greenery growing, hearing the birds singing about how wonderful the sun rising above the horizon was and the scent of flowers looming in the air to paint a perfect picture. His thoughts were interrupted as Cottus staggered into his side and he had to prop his brother up. “Don’t worry Cottus; I think I see a place we can stay just up ahead. Just hang in for a minute more.”
Up ahead a nook in the rocks that could hardly be classified as a cave could be seen. Roman headed straight for it believing that this would keep his brother out of the elements and both of them safe from unfriendly eyes. Without much pressure he angled his brother in the same direction and led him into the alcove. As soon as they were within the safe yet shallow walls his brother curled up into a little ball and attempted to catch the breath that so alluded him. “How are you feeling Cottus?”
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Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 9:24 pm
Cottus allowed his brother to steer him into the nook within the rocks, his vision had grown fuzzy and his head felt light. As soon as he sensed they were out of the waning sunlight he curled up in a ball and attempted to inflate his lungs for they seemed starved. Looking from the corner of his eye he observed his brother’s solemn expression and felt his heart drop within his chest. It hadn’t always been like this, there had been a time when they played together and Roman would pull pranks and laugh without limits. Everything changed so suddenly that neither of the colts could keep up with what had happened. In the middle of the night their father had roused them and told them to walk, no explanation was issued and the boys followed him without question. Even to this day they still could not see exactly what whip cut into their father’s flesh and drove him relentlessly forth. His sibling’s gruff and chilled voice pulled him from his thoughts and all at once he felt as though he were the root of Roman’s frustration. “I’ll be alright. Roman I really am sorry….if only I was stronger…maybe then dad wouldn’t leave us behind so much.”
He often felt that had it not been for him Roman and his father would have a much better relationship. He appreciated everything Roman did and continued to do for him but he couldn’t fight the feeling that he was holding his brother back and sucking the happiness from his life. Turning his eyes toward the gold and pink sky he released a sigh. Now his breathing had come much more easily and his sight seemed to have been restored. He would be kidding himself not to think that this would not be the last time he felt this way. “How long do you think he will be gone?” He asked quietly.
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Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 9:35 pm
Cottus’ apology only made his frustration deepen; it surely wasn’t his fault that their father was living in a mysterious haze. Turning toward his brother he shook his head and attempted to keep the exasperated tone from dominating his voice. “This isn’t your fault Cottus, how many times do I need to tell you? Dad just….I don’t know.” Though within the depths of his mind he knew it had something to do with their mother he couldn’t seem to bring that to light as an excuse for neglecting ones offspring. Cottus had been ill forever but it hadn’t really gotten bad until they had begun traveling. He could never and would never forgive his father for what he had put the two of them through. Subjecting Roman to midnight fights in order to ‘prepare him’ for something unknown. Before his father had begun acting so strangely he actually was able to say he lived a normal life. Playing with other foals, expression joy constantly and just being a youngster. Now if he and his brother but spoke too loudly their father would jump all over both of them, telling them that they would cause him to lose the trail. He would never forgive him!
“I don’t know, I don’t think we should hold our breath though. We just have to keep hidden until he gets back and everything should work out nicely.” The words were sour in his mouth as he answered his brother’s inquiry. He had learned to never count on his father being back quickly, it just seemed as though he wasn’t concerned about his sons and their welfare. “Are you warm enough or should we share body heat?” Before his father had dragged them all over the place he would have said something more facetious but it seemed the playfulness within him had been drained dry.
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Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 9:48 pm
The fact that he had aggravated his brother didn’t escape Cottus’ notice even though he could tell it was supposed to be a secret. Resting his head on the loose dirt that made up the floor of the nook they hid in he closed his eyes. “You know dad cares about us Roman, he may not act like it but I am sure he does.” Even though his father didn’t always do right by them Cottus still felt that his father cared for them and that he was struggling with something. “I’m sure he has reasons for what he is doing.” It wasn’t Cottus’ style to hold grudges or allow anger to fill his heart; his life was going to be too short for that. Though he would never tell his brother or father, he sensed that his illness had been getting worse and it was only a matter of time before it stopped him in his tracks completely. Knowing how Roman had changed and how dark he had seemingly become he wouldn’t want to add any more to his plate. “You shouldn’t be angry with him, just try and forgive him brother.”
“I am warm enough.” He replied quietly. He knew no matter what he said or did his brother would never forgive their father. It was his hope that someday his brother would lighten the load on his heart and come to understand that their father was in pain, a pain which he could not escape without first accomplishing a mission. Rolling on his side he stretched out his legs and opened his eyes to see stars from the mouth of the niche. “You should try to get some sleep Roman.”
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Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 10:04 pm
Just hearing his brother speak of forgiving their father for ignoring Cottus’ illness and for constantly drilling useless information into Roman’s head caused his stomach to churn. Cottus had always had a big heart and what Roman called a soft mind. His father hadn’t done anything to merit forgiveness and he continued to wrong them almost every day that passed. If he wasn’t messing them up he was ignoring them entirely. “How can you say that?! FORGIVE him! Cottus he always ignores the fact that you are sick! He leaves us when we need him the most without so much as barking out orders!” Shaking his head he kicked at the earth, causing a cloud to float up into the night air and vanish. For a moment he smugly thought that his father reminded him of dust floating about. Dust cared for no one and it kept on going regardless of what others wanted. “I’m not tired.” Though in his mind this was said without heat it came out rather snippily and he looked to his brother with regret in his eyes. “I’m sorry Cottus; I just can’t sleep right now. You go ahead I am going to keep watch.” Taking a few steps forward he planted himself at the mouth of the nook, his eyes keeping a constant visual.
His father had taught him how to properly defend a position for when he and his brother were left to fend for themselves. One would think that when a family member, such as a mother, was murdered the father would be twice as concerned for the family he had left. A humorless grin painted his expression as he thought to himself. His father wasn’t one bit concerned for them; he only cared about walking and uprooting his foals. “Just forget about dad Cottus, you and I are all we’ve got.” He muttered.
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Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 10:14 pm
The scene that played out before him now was the scene he had seen many times before. Each time their father left them like this, which was more times than even he could count now, his brother fell more and more into a pit of anger and indifference. It hurt him to watch the transformation from a playful, sarcastic foal into a creature made of stone but there was nothing he could do about it except for to keep spouting his beliefs in the hopes that his brother would hear him. His mouth remained shut for he knew if he were to say anymore that his brother would only grow more upset. He could sense the mound of emotions his brother had been pushing down into a deep dark space within his body and he often found himself wondering how and when those emotions would spill out. “You really should get some sleep too Roman; we will need our strength for the morning. We should try to catch up to dad.” He barely managed to say around a yawn. He shifted once more as he heard the light footsteps of his brother as he took a guard’s position. “Maybe tomorrow we can go swimming like we always used to. Do you remember that?” A smile crept up on his face and he found himself laughing at the happy memories.
The figure at the mouth of the shallow cave looked twice as grown up as it should have. His brother should be snuggled up right beside him like in the old days, both of them twitching as their dreams took hold and their minds flew into a world of fantasy. Now upon stiff muscles, and shoulders that were obviously being pressed down upon by a great weight, his brother stood staring into the night. Not only had Roman been deprived of joy by this nomadic lifestyle they had developed but he had also been deprived of his foalhood. Both of them had but it was clear that this bothered one more so than the other. Cottus was just content knowing he had a family, even if it was messed up.
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Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 10:35 pm
Roman’s ear flicked back as Cottus mentioned catching up to their father. Even if they were able to he didn’t really want to. The less time he spent with his father the better off they were, sometimes he just wished that his father would stay gone. “Yea.” His response was strained and simple, he knew Cottus would never be able to keep up a fast enough pace to catch up to their ‘wonderful’ father. He still couldn’t understand why his brother showed such love and devotion to a father who didn’t show him the same things. If it were up to Ardus his sickly son would already be absorbed into the earth never to see the sunrise again. A ‘humph’ noise came from him as a thought arose, Ardus probably wouldn’t have even noticed the death of his son. It was more likely that he would have kept on walking not realizing his son was no longer there until he deemed it necessary to look behind him. Thoughts of his father moved to the back of his mind as his brother brought up the old days. It would have been true once to say he acquired a light feeling in his chest when reflecting upon those happy memories. Now he felt nothing, no pain, no happiness, no grief for a lost time, he was just numb. “I remember.” He responded, trying to sounds as though he were reflecting fondly for his brother’s sake. He let the topic die at that, making no promises about swimming. The fun and joy it once brought had vanished. It was the same with the starts twinkling at night; they just were not so impressive anymore.
The thought of sleep was tempting but Roman knew he had a far more important job to do. He was the only one who could keep his brother alive, who could protect him from danger. There were times he felt angered at his brother, even envious because his father hadn’t taken such an interest in him. Cottus was not forced to train all night, was not told he would let his brother be killed if it were up to him. Due to the absence of Ardus it was Roman’s job to protect his younger brother. After all, Cottus was all Roman had. “I will be fine. You need the rest.”
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Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 10:54 pm
Roman may have thought that curt responses hid what he was truly thinking but Cottus had known him far too well for that. He would have prodded him some more if he thought it would do any good but knew it was like poking a sleeping bear. Unable to become comfortable on his side he curled himself into a ball, his wing covering his legs and forming into a cocoon of warmth and safety. When his brother was set on something it was like trying to break through a particularly thick tree trunk. Even if Cottus were to beg him to go to sleep he knew it would not happen. Now was one of many times he felt his illness was nothing more than a burden on his brother. If not for his sickness they could take turns watching the entrance, perhaps he would have even been taught how to hold his own in combat. Instead he was constantly being nursed by his brother and told to sleep or rest. At times this got on his nerves but knowing that life was short he would let it go. “Promise you won’t stay up all night?” He said with a small smile.
Before a reply entered his ears he felt his eyelids begin to grow heavy and they fell. Into a warm darkness he plunged, dreaming of his lovely mother nuzzling him tenderly. Roman was learning to fly with his father, a giant grin plastered on his face and his body seeming to be a lot lighter than it was now. He could tell that in this world he had no illness and every member of his family was content with the life they were leading. This dream made his heart soar; all he wanted for those he loved was happiness and the fondness of the world he so greatly treasured. Life was a beautiful thing and it should be treated as such, not as a forced measure meant to be dealt with from day to day.
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Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 11:06 pm
‘Promise you won’t stay up all night?’ The words bounced around in Roman’s head like a pebbled being raked along the bottom of a riverbed. Of course he would stay up all night, what kind of question was that? It was his duty, what his father expected of him and what was necessary for protecting his younger brother who would surely be dead if not for him. He hated his father, feeling nothing but anger and disappointment at the very mention of his name and yet he still did exactly as he was told. ‘Arguing serves only to drag something simple out.’ His wise father had once said. Squeezing his eyes shut he fought off the black rage building in his chest, knowing full and well it was a destructive and weak force. What good was crying or getting mad? He had tried both with his father and it had gotten him nowhere. He had begged and pleaded for him to settle in a place they could call home, to stop when his brother was feeling ill but that didn’t ever happen. Opening his eyes he looked to the mundane sky. His brother often commented on how beautiful it was but to him it was the same old sky, looking down on them and laughing.
Turning to look at his brother’s sleeping form he observed the light breathing and even a grin forming on his maw. How could he be so happy? He had a father who cared little for him and a brother who did nothing about it. Roman watched as day after day his brother was dragged on some Four Winds forbidden rode even with his illness. He watched each time as the breath became harder and harder for him to catch and as his body grew weaker and weaker until finally he has to stop. Even after witnessing that Roman did little more than call after a father he knew would not turn around. “I’m sorry Cottus…” He whispered into the crisp night air. “I’m sorry.”--- THE END ---
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