Emmerich was decidedly not asleep. He would have been - and he’d like to be - but for the looming shadow that dropped over him and cut him off from the sun’s warm beams. Emmerich didn’t dare twitch a muscle or peek an eyelid open. Maybe if he stayed very still, she’d get bored and piss off and he could go back to dozing.
“So?” The shadow loomed closer, snorting her stinky breath all over his face.
Emmerich grunted and squeezed his eyes shut. “I’m sleeping.”
The shadow plopped over top of him, jabbing her gangly elbows and hooves into all the soft crevices of Emmerich’s body. He grunted again and shoved her off, but there was no chance of napping now. He jerked his head up and shot his offender his mightiest glare.
Elsie, his sister, stared back at him with ridiculously large blue eyes. She grinned. “Oh good, you are awake. Are you going then?”
“Going where?” As if he didn’t know.
“To the tree, silly Goose!” Elsie bounded around him, tail swishing to and fro with obvious excitement. Her ears wiggled as she pranced. “Almost all the other nouls your age have gone off together. There's going to be no magic left because you were sleeping in.”
“That’s not how it works.” And he knew damn well all his season-siblings had left already. How could anyone miss it? Everyone shouting and running around like a bunch of asses, gossiping over who would get what gift. “I didn’t want to be stuck in line half-way down the plateau. I can wait.”
Elsie, five seasons younger than Emmerich but too damned bright for her own good, toddled closer and lifted her chin up to his. Emmerich glowered at her then looked away.
“You don’t sleep through anything.” She bounced to his side to catch his eye again. “What’s the real reason, Goose?”
“Don’t call me that. And that is the real reason.”
Elsie appeared to consider the notion for a moment, plopping onto her rump with legs akimbo. She cocked her head, brow furrowed tight. “I think you’re scared.”
“Scared of what?” Emmerich rolled his eyes, tossed his mane, and turned away from her. He’d find another sunspot to sleep in, she was being incorrigible. “I’m the one that fights off the monsters and ghoulies while you sleep. What do I have to be afraid of?”
“Nothing,” said Elsie, clambering to keep up with him. She was so much smaller than him. She’d probably always be smaller than normal.
Emmerich shoved down a pang of guilt and continued to ignore her.
“Because Grandfather Tree will give you a gift.” She butted the back of his leg, then pranced in front of him. “Even if you’re the grumpiest noul in all of Homewood.”
Emmerich skipped a pace and nearly tripped over his own hooves. He stopped, digging his feet into the soft peat, and frowned down at Elsie who returned his look with a warm smile. She was too damned smart.
“Fine.” He let out a long-suffering sigh. “I’ll go.”
“And I’ll come with you!” Elsie reared and bucked, tail flicking rapidly in excitement. “For moral support.”
“No you won’t. You’ll stay here where it’s safe.” There was no need for her to suffer the miles long trek through the barrens. “I don’t want you embarrassing me in front of all the other bucks.”
“You don’t care about that, Goose!”
He didn’t, and she knew it.
Elsie ambled out in front to lead the way and Emmerich followed her, warmth brighter than the sun glowing in his chest.
The plateau wasn’t as crowded as Emmerich thought it would be. Half a dozen young noulicorns gathered around the roots, their heads bowed in reverence. Everyone was silent here, in stark contrast to all the chatter they’d woken Homewood up with before they left. The atmosphere was solemn. Dark.
Emmerich wished he hadn’t brought Elsie along. He wasn’t even sure if foals were allowed to come here. You couldn’t get your gift until you were grown, he knew that much. No one he knew had ever come by as a youngster - oh sure, he’d heard stories, but that was bragging and fairytales.
Maybe it was dangerous for Elsie to be here?
Elsie didn’t seem perturbed. She bounded up between the massive roots and stared, awestruck, at the trunk of Grandfather Tree. He’d never seen her so quiet.
Emmerich strode carefully to her side and followed her gaze. “You’ll get your gift too, y’know.”
“I know.”
And whatever she did with it, she’d be amazing. She’d have to be. She was Elsie.
“So?” The shadow loomed closer, snorting her stinky breath all over his face.
Emmerich grunted and squeezed his eyes shut. “I’m sleeping.”
The shadow plopped over top of him, jabbing her gangly elbows and hooves into all the soft crevices of Emmerich’s body. He grunted again and shoved her off, but there was no chance of napping now. He jerked his head up and shot his offender his mightiest glare.
Elsie, his sister, stared back at him with ridiculously large blue eyes. She grinned. “Oh good, you are awake. Are you going then?”
“Going where?” As if he didn’t know.
“To the tree, silly Goose!” Elsie bounded around him, tail swishing to and fro with obvious excitement. Her ears wiggled as she pranced. “Almost all the other nouls your age have gone off together. There's going to be no magic left because you were sleeping in.”
“That’s not how it works.” And he knew damn well all his season-siblings had left already. How could anyone miss it? Everyone shouting and running around like a bunch of asses, gossiping over who would get what gift. “I didn’t want to be stuck in line half-way down the plateau. I can wait.”
Elsie, five seasons younger than Emmerich but too damned bright for her own good, toddled closer and lifted her chin up to his. Emmerich glowered at her then looked away.
“You don’t sleep through anything.” She bounced to his side to catch his eye again. “What’s the real reason, Goose?”
“Don’t call me that. And that is the real reason.”
Elsie appeared to consider the notion for a moment, plopping onto her rump with legs akimbo. She cocked her head, brow furrowed tight. “I think you’re scared.”
“Scared of what?” Emmerich rolled his eyes, tossed his mane, and turned away from her. He’d find another sunspot to sleep in, she was being incorrigible. “I’m the one that fights off the monsters and ghoulies while you sleep. What do I have to be afraid of?”
“Nothing,” said Elsie, clambering to keep up with him. She was so much smaller than him. She’d probably always be smaller than normal.
Emmerich shoved down a pang of guilt and continued to ignore her.
“Because Grandfather Tree will give you a gift.” She butted the back of his leg, then pranced in front of him. “Even if you’re the grumpiest noul in all of Homewood.”
Emmerich skipped a pace and nearly tripped over his own hooves. He stopped, digging his feet into the soft peat, and frowned down at Elsie who returned his look with a warm smile. She was too damned smart.
“Fine.” He let out a long-suffering sigh. “I’ll go.”
“And I’ll come with you!” Elsie reared and bucked, tail flicking rapidly in excitement. “For moral support.”
“No you won’t. You’ll stay here where it’s safe.” There was no need for her to suffer the miles long trek through the barrens. “I don’t want you embarrassing me in front of all the other bucks.”
“You don’t care about that, Goose!”
He didn’t, and she knew it.
Elsie ambled out in front to lead the way and Emmerich followed her, warmth brighter than the sun glowing in his chest.
----
The plateau wasn’t as crowded as Emmerich thought it would be. Half a dozen young noulicorns gathered around the roots, their heads bowed in reverence. Everyone was silent here, in stark contrast to all the chatter they’d woken Homewood up with before they left. The atmosphere was solemn. Dark.
Emmerich wished he hadn’t brought Elsie along. He wasn’t even sure if foals were allowed to come here. You couldn’t get your gift until you were grown, he knew that much. No one he knew had ever come by as a youngster - oh sure, he’d heard stories, but that was bragging and fairytales.
Maybe it was dangerous for Elsie to be here?
Elsie didn’t seem perturbed. She bounded up between the massive roots and stared, awestruck, at the trunk of Grandfather Tree. He’d never seen her so quiet.
Emmerich strode carefully to her side and followed her gaze. “You’ll get your gift too, y’know.”
“I know.”
And whatever she did with it, she’d be amazing. She’d have to be. She was Elsie.
