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Things had been going well of late, perhaps a bit too well. The small band was on the move again, and the foals were adults or nearly so, but this did nothing to soothe Abhyagni's shattered nerves. The only thing that did that was going on patrol, spending some time away, although even that temporary peace was interrupted by Lakshmi.

Lakshmi. He liked her, he really did, and that was cause for concern enough. People he liked... well. They got too close, they got burned by the fire. Enfy was fine, as was Iris, Tuyet, the children... he cared for them, he really did, but not the way he cared about Lakshmi. They were friends, family, but they weren't... they weren't...

Capable of tying his tail in a knot. Making him stomp his hooves because there was an itch right under the scales on his back, one he couldn't quite reach. Want to run away forever and never come back, but rather drown than be apart from her.

Bad bad bad. Rotten enough that the herd had gotten so big, and no doubt the young ones would be leaving soon. That'd make him lonely, even if their presence had come to bother him so, and then he'd want to be on his own, a few extra patrols, and Lakshmi would follow... who knew where that would lead.

His chin itched. Abhyagni paused for a moment to rub it along his left foreleg, and waited for Lakshmi to catch up. He didn't particularly want to talk to her, to face the way she made him feel, but even a brief chat was better than having her behind him, making him want to turn and bite at his own scales, anything to quite the itch.

"There's a stream ahead," he said quietly, "I can hear it. Would you like to take a break?"

A break. Away from the herd. The very thought irked him, but he didn't take it back. Part of him... part of him wanted the patrol to take longer.

Abhyagni smiled back, distracted and unaware of how easily his own face betrayed him. "I could certainly use a drink," he said, and headed towards the stream.

The stream. Water. He shuddered slightly, thinking of the flood that had carried him away when he was but a colt. Water was necessary, yes, but that didn't mean he had to like it. What kind of idiot had he been, suggesting the stream? Still, the growing unease he felt over the stream helped rub away the unease he felt when Lakshmi was near. He made his way through the last set of bushes and froze. The water was barely ankle deep, wide enough to prevent him from walking from one bank to the other, but not too wide to cross in one leap, and yet, and yet.

And yet he was young again, little more than a foal, and his parents were screaming behind him and the water was coming to take him away and this time he really was going to drown. He stared at the water, frozen and shivering in summer sunlight that had suddenly grown cold.

"I- I'm fine," Abhyagni said with a slight flinch. Lakshmi was in the stream. In the stream. But no, the water hadn't risen around her, carried her away. Of course not, he thought bitterly, Lakshmi's the lucky one. The water won't touch her, only me.

"I'm fine," he said once more, and to prove it to stepped daintily off of the bank and into the water. One hoof. Two. Don't freeze. Three four. He stood in the middle of the stream, miserable and not quite ready to take a drink. Never mind that his throat had started to grow parched.

Abhyagni tossed his head, resenting the way Lakshmi had to comfort him, even as some of his fear eased away. Safe with her... why did she have to have so much control over his heart, his mind? Even her very presence soothed him, kept him from bolting out of the stream.

Abhyagni stiffened to full alertness as he noticed Lakshmi's uneasy expression. He shoved his fear of water to the back of his head and stood absolutely still, twisting his ears every which way. The birds were still singing, there were no ill scents on the wind - what could possibly be the matter?

"Lakshmi," he whispered tersely, "what's wrong?"

((I'd really rather not because something like that would endanger the entire herd, not just Lakshmi, and Abhyagni would have a heart attack and/or third degree burns. Talking it out would be best, and maybe we can try an RP like that later when Abhy and Lakshmi are much, much further from the main herd. Or when they're elders.))


Abhyagni nuzzled Lakshmi, trying to offer as much wordless comfort as he could. A fire. "You must be truly lucky," he said, "if the fire did not fry you in your egg. Water saved you... were you taken by a river?" He restrained himself from adding "like me." His past was his own, he wouldn't burden Lakshmi with it.

((Two jobs = very busy Kit. Sorry for the delay!))

Abhyagni smiled weakly. "You are truly a creature of water then Lakshmi. A little water flower..." He cut off that train of thought fast enough. But Lakshmi needed him, so he remained by her side, resting there. Remaining calm, despite the water. It was all right, Lakshmi was there. She'd speak to the river on his behalf. He chuckled softly to himself at the thought.

"Just a thought I had," he said with an idle smile, "about you talking to the river on my behalf." He quickly turned serious once more, however, as he asked, "Can you really do that? Talk to the river, I mean. Or is your luck your most unusual blessing," he continued with a teasing smile, "aside from..."

Aside from your eyes, the curve of your neck, your grace, your kindness... enough of that, you dolt! She'll never look at you the way you're looking at her now.