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 Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 7:55 pm
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Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 8:12 pm
Cole lay on the bank of the river, watching various flowers float down the stream while he nibbled on the sweet and sour vegetation that grew nearby. So far it had been a glorious summer. Warm, but not too hot, with only the occasional light rain showers. It did his old bones well to be living in such a mild region. It was really too bad it wasn't like this all the time.
Times like this he couldn't help but think of his family. So many of them he hadn't seen in ages. Duer dropped by on occasion but really that was all.
A rather large branch floated down the stream and lodged on a rock. It didn't bother him at first, but after a while all the debris that floated downstream began piling up at the branch. Bit by bit it was destroying his show. He pulled himself up with a grunt then made his way into the shallow water to try and move the branch. At first he'd planned simply to dislodge it and let it go upon it's merry way, but he quickly realized that it would simply clog up the stream a bit further down. No, better to drag it out entirely. He waded in a bit deeper so he could get a grasp on a thicker, stronger part of the branch, then pulled. It was heavy and didn't move at first, but soon he had it budging, bit by bit with every heave ho he gave it.
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Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 8:28 pm
Duer had set off that morning with the hope that he would find his father lounging in one of his usual spots. He'd gotten it into his head that his father should learn to fly before he got too old to be able. There was a good chance it wasn't possible at all at this point, but flight seemed as though it would be such an adventure. He would never be able to do it himself but maybe he could live vicariously through his dad. How the old horse had made it so long without even trying confused Duer to no end. It wasn't as though he was afraid of heights or anything. At least, not so far as Duer knew.
Finding Cole by the stream wasn't a surprise. The old man often spent his time lounging in that very spot. The fact that he was hauling a branch the size of himself out of the water caught Duer off guard. He approached slowly, trying to get a bearing on what his dad was doing before the old horse realized that he was watching. Fortunately, his dad's hearing had started going a while ago and it really wasn't difficult at all to keep himself quiet enough.
The branch snagged on the rocky shore and finally Duer had to laugh, "Hah! Dad! What are you doing? Building a bridge?"
He moved closer, intending to help out with whatever it was Cole was up too.
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Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 8:45 pm
The sudden sound of his son's voice caused him to let go of the branch and slingshot back, causing a misstep that nearly had him slipping on the alge and falling headfirst into the water. After a few long moments of frantic scrambling to get his footing back he turned back to look at the new arrival. Despite the his recent attempt at slapstick comedy he had a huge smile on his face. Duer was always a welcome sight. While they hadn't always gotten along in the past, they'd long since come to terms and really grown to appreciate each other's company.
"Duer! It's been too long, boy! Have you met that special lady yet? I can't wait forever for my grandkids, you know. And, well it would be good for you to have a nice mare about as well. Always did me well anyhow."
He looked back at the river then added, without waiting for a response, "There's a tree shedding it's flowers up stream and I've been spending the better part of the morning watching them drift by. Then this stupid branch drifted down and clogged up the whole show. Trying to drag it out onto the shore but it won't budge!"
He gave it another good tug for good measure and to prove his point. Then he looked down, "Ah. Stuck on the rocks. Could you lift up the one end so I could pull it the rest of the way out? Come on, you can take a teeny bit of water, can you not? You are not made of sugar, my boy!"
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Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 8:53 pm
"Of and the things to be doing on a nice day like this," he sighed as he slipped down into the water. "You are watching bruised petals float down this mucky old stream. How's your hearing, old man? I probably could have bitten your tail without you hearing me sneak up behind you!"
He nearly stumbled on one of the slick stones himself, then laughed, "Heh, ok, this branch here? Ok, I'll lift it, then on the count of three we both pull back, got it? Just knock your back hoof on that rock over there three times."
He bit down, then waited for the count. One, two, three, pull! The wood came out easily, and the built up flower petals all floated off downstream together in one unified clump.
Once the branch was out of the water he dragged it a bit further away from the shore while his father settled back down in his regular spot.
"Really now," he laughed. "I tease but I didn't realize just how much of an old man you've become lately." After a pause he added, "There is a girl. And she's, oh dad, she's really something. I never really thought I'd be so lucky as to find a girl like that." He laughed again, "No grandkids yet though. You'll have to be a bit more patient for that. Someday though... And I'll bring them around to visit their grandfather as often as possible, promise."
He sighed, "But hey, I've been thinking. There's a chance they'll have wings just like you, right? Don't you think it might be a nice idea if they had someone in the family who could teach them to fly?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 11:24 pm
Cole grunted as he flopped back down onto his usual spot. Flying? Duer full well knew he didn’t have any intention to learn how to fly. Really now, where was he getting off coming along and randomly deciding that Cole should fly just in case?
He looked up at his son, “If they have wings then I am sure there are plenty of folks who would be plenty able to teach them how to fly. Eager even. I am proud to be land bound. I have heard too much hate whispered between those who think they are better than everyone else just because they can do a loop-de-loop around a damn cloud. If you want me to teach them something useful I will teach them tolerance! And swimming. I would be just fine with teaching them how to swim.”
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Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 11:33 pm
Duer couldn’t help but give his dad an awkward half smile. Seriously. When would this old man ever grow up? He knew his dad didn’t really see the world as black and whites but sometimes it really did feel that way. And when his dad was in the mood to just shoot something down he wouldn’t change his mind.
“You don’t have to have your head stuffed so far into a cloud that you can’t see the ground to learn to fly. Besides, by your own admission it would be good for them to learn from someone who doesn’t have all that prejudice inside them. I know you would be a good role model.
“Still, I won’t force the issue. If you insist on not flying then I’m sure you will still make a great role model from the safety of the good old solid earth.”
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Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 11:48 pm
“There are lots of good flying folks who are well capable of teaching your children how to fly,” he sighed. “I will tell you what. If you have a kid with wings and neither of us can find a single soul willing to teach them how to flap without plummeting to the earth I will swallow my pride and learn to do it so I can drag your little tykes up into the big blue yonder along with me. Deal?”
He smiled at his son, a crucial question, yet one which still had an obvious answer, crossing his mind, “Does your lady friend even have wings? You realize the chance of your kids having them is fairly low if neither of you have them, right? And if she does, why don’t you have her teach my future grandkids how to fly?”
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Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 11:53 pm
Duer rolled his eyes as he settled down next to his dad, “Deal, and well no. She’s wingless like me, I think her whole family is for that matter. So maybe you are right and it won’t matter at all.”
For a while he stared out at the water. It was more relaxing than he’d expected. Maybe when he was getting old he’d come out here himself and watch things drift by. Heck, based on what he’d heard about the terrors of child rearing maybe there was some way he could make a game out of it so he could take a break while his kids tired themselves out.
“Fine then. You can teach them how to swim. But there will be no getting out of that one whether or not any one of them has wings,” he grinned, knowing full well getting out of dealing with the kids had never been his dad’s intention.
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Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 10:52 pm
“Deal, then,“ he nodded once then turned back to the river. The clutter was beginning to catch on the rocks again, but the effect was pretty. If he could spend the whole year watching clutter pile up on the streams rocks he would gladly do so.
“When do I get to meet this little lady?“ he grinned turning to look at his son. “Is she a pretty one? Something to make your old mother jealous? Hm? Strong? Well tempered?“
He leaned a little closer to his oldest son. The answers to these questions did not really bother him too much, he just liked seeing the younger stallion squirm a bit sometimes. And while he was indeed bold, he was not really the type to brag extensively about his love life and conquests.
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