[PRP] Saviour [Cuauhcoatl & Ikinya]

[mindsend]

Cuauhcoatl blinked, eyes wide, "Ah! Y-yes, of course.. Need to make the basket safe and warm -- but not too warm, and tend to your wounds..." He reached up into the tree with his nose, carefully nipping a few pears from the tree for them both before walking indoors with the two still on his back.

Little had changed in the two weeks Ikinya was away, so little in fact it seemed that perhaps he hadn't spent much time in it. He moved over to the platform his bed was on and lowered himself so the basket was level with the large, cushy matress, "... I've been practicing my human form a little... I have an order for a friend of mine, who's mate is expecting, and he couldn't trust the native he trades with to produce them..."  

[Tirokio]

"That would be best...." Ikinya gave him a half hearted smile as they headed inside after gathering a few pears to eat later; but truth be told she was far from hungry. If it wasn't for the pain of her wounds, it would have been from the butterflies wreaking havoc in her tummy. How does one even go about confessing love...to let alone someone who wasn't even of the same breed? Although their conversation before that he could and was accepting of love in many forms, it still made the whole situation even more nerve wracking than it would be for most.

Once inside and prepped, Ikinya took the hint and gently pushed the basket off of Cuauh onto the mattress, walking off after the basket was safe closer against the wall. "You're going to deliver her foals?" She looked curious, although her one leg seemed awfully sore as it probably twisted a way it shouldn't have while the skin walker was attacking. Laying down carefully on the mattress, her eyes once more met with her hooves before lingering to the basket.

She just didn't seem herself.  

[mindsend]

"Well... I'm just to provide gifts for the foals to be given -- While most gather them from natives, its something of a tradition for Mecho's old herd..." He smiled softy, before frowning a little at her, "The basket will be safe here... Let me look you over and see what that blasted demon did to you.."

He had noticed the limp and carefully inspected the leg that hurt, "hmmn.. It looks like you strained your muscle. You're not going Anywhere for a while if I have anything to say about it.. Your cuts are shallow -- with the proper salve they wont even scar. I should have some -- will keep you from getting them infected... " He moved over to a shelf covered in bottles and covered pots, inspecting the writing on them, "I'll need to wrap your leg and you'll need to keep it elevated.. I'll give you something that will help with the pain and let you sleep.."  

[Tirokio]

"I know it will be...." Of course she did, up here with Cuauhcoatl seemed as hard to get to as it was to go to heaven, which was one of the feelings she had of their current abode. It hadn't changed a bit, everything was just as she remembered leaving it...had he been gone? Truth be told she wasn't listening completely to what he had to say, just a few words here and there after he'd looked at her leg.

"I....I don't..." She stammered, finding that awkwardness rise up in her chest again as her face burned under her hair. "..want t-to sleep. Not yet." She hadn't come all this way, lived through a skin walker attack just to come here and sleep. She was going to tell him, make him understand even if it killed her!

"C-cuauh....what do you think of me? I....I know we don't know each other very well....and I seem to be very burdensome since we met from needing some shelter to....today's events...." Once more she found the mattress very interesting to look at, anything to keep from seeing what she feared would be in his eyes.  

[mindsend]

Cuauhcoatl felt his heart bob, sinking then rising into his throat, forcing him to swallow it down as his eyebrows vanished into the crest of his headdress, head turning towards Ikinya. His eyes were wide and doleful, expression gentle as his mind flickered to and fro, unsure of how to respond.

It was something that had been, in a way, bothering him to no end while she had been away. He had been both restless and lethargic, unable to stay still but not wanting to go anywhere. He then couldnt stay in the cabin -- everything reminded him of her. Her scent was in his bed, in the walls, on his scrolls.

And yet even when he fled, wandering the Kawani lands, he couldn't keep himself well distracted from thoughts of her. He kept himself busy, and at times he wouldn't think of her, but the oddest little things kept bringing her back, even as he practiced his human form once more in the company of his friend, Mecho. It had been awkward, but he had built up his strength in it again so it was tolerable -- He only occationally lacked the right number of digets on his hands or became something of a hybrid of the original horse tailed satyrs and a faun, or simply kept his brilliant colors.

However, it had reminded him of how he had offered to braid her hair, and how she grew uncomfortable shortly after that with him. And he took to traveling once again, searching for materials but also thinking, trying to figure out what it was that made his heart hurt so.

It wasn't until he had mistaken another mare of similar markings and colors for her that he realized he longed not just for companionship with anyone, but longed for Ikinya's Comanionship in specific. And he had sought for her where they first met, but she was long gone, no one had seen an usdia mare of her description, so he had returned to the mountains, uncomfortable in his own skin.

"I... Well, I don't think of you as burbem-burdensome a-at all, Ikinya.. I-I-I.. Well, T-to be honest..." He shifted slightly, then let out a slow breath, forcing himself to relax, and gave her what he hoped was a comforting smile, "To be honest, I actually c-care quite deeply for you."  

[Tirokio]

Closing her eyes as the silence between the pair seemed to grow thick with each passing moment that he pondered his response, the little mare had almost missed when he actually started to speak in that nervous stammer he had when they'd first met. Was he really so nervous? Risking a chance look, she met his gaze to see that soft and warm smile she loved so much; it brought back a comfort she'd left behind when she was returned to the shore.

Yet as her ears picked up on his words, and the meaning behind what he said the bewilderment on her face could not be hidden. Nor could it display how incredibly happy it made her feel while her heart clenched tightly in her chest.

For a few moments even she didn't know how to respond, but as always she let instinct guide her as weakly she stood on wobbling legs as she kept her eyes locked on his own.

"It....it was such a mistake, to leave here. I realized it soon after you dropped me off, Cuauh. I was looking for an easy way out of my uneasiness and uncertainty, but its not something I want at all. It may have taken me being gone from you to realize it fully...." Ikinya confessed since like he, it had nagged at the back of her mind the entire trip back, how could she have been so foolish to think that running would really stop her heart from stopping its freefall?

"I left because I realized I was falling for you, Cuauhcoatl....and it took you leaving for me to understand I had already began to love you, and I've run s-so far....as f-fast as I could to get back here to you!" Her voice cracked, stumbling a jump off the mattress to nearly fall once she landed on her bad leg but caught herself; making the short distance to nuzzle her face into the top of his leg to draw in all that was Cuauh...everything she loved so much.  

[mindsend]

"Ikinya!" When she had jumped, the sunset colored angeni had moved in an attempted to catch her, and thus what she nuzzled instead was the bridge of his nose, tipping it under slightly and nudging up to support her weight, keeping it off of the injured leg, "You need to be careful, such an injury could worsen and seriously hurt-"

He then paused, realizing what she had said as she jumped, eyes widening. Love

That word sounded right to him. The pieces clicked into place and he smiled warmly, eyes closing as he nuzzled gently against her chest, "I missed you, Ikinya.. And y-you put words to what I had been unable to figure out what I was feeling..." He then nibbled slightly at her good front leg affectionatly, careful not to send her standing on her injured leg, "I love you as well.."

They stayed that way for quite a while before he remembered what he had been doing before hand, "N-Now, lets get you off that leg and get those wounds tended while we figure out w-what to do from here..."  

[Tirokio]

Blinking for a moment as she could feel the tickle of his father head dress against her ears, the little mare looked down to see she'd connected with his nose instead...giving a warm but sheepish little smile. At least he got it, and understood since she wasn't sure how long she could try and explain her feelings before she too would get a bad stutter....surely it wouldn't be as cute on her as it was him.

"I missed you too.....so much. My heart ached after you were gone...I can't recall when i've been happier..." She spoke softly, her leg's pain pushed into the depths of her mind as all she wanted was to be consumed by every thought, emotion that was him.

However, Cuauhcoatl wasn't on the same train of thought.

"Ah...That might be wise. Your neck will be sore sooner or later." Shifting her body weight onto the side and sliding off his face onto her good leg, the mare wobbled a bit but kept standing as she waited for some instruction on how he was going to help here and where she needed to be.  

[mindsend]

Stepping back from her for a moment, the large stallion closed his eyes. There was a sudden shimmer of light over his body that shrunk down until he was, quite suddenly, a tall, broad shouldered human.

Or, at least partially human. While he had practiced while she was gone, it was still uncomfortable, and imperfect due to his being rusty after years of being only in his horse form. Shuddering, four small wings fluttered against his back and he checked out his still somewhat horselike back legs, and four digit fingers, wobbling at the sudden change before taking a careful step forward and squatting, scooping Ikinya up carefully, speaking softly in Soquilian, "I-i-it's ok. I'll put it in a splint and add some salves..." he smiled softly, petting a hand along her muzzle, "And I'll braid your hair like I promised..."  

[Tirokio]

To say that it was a shock was an understatement when her beloved glowed and his body twisted and turned into the demi human before her. Immediately her eyes folded back and she felt like backing up, but remained still for both her leg's sake as well as his. It's still him...it's still him... Ikinya kept reminding herself, flinching a little as he had bent to pick her up.

However as familiar words crossed her ears she relaxed, afraid for a moment she wouldn't be able to understand him and allowed the bridge of her muzzle to press into his hand.

"I trust you..." She admitted, not really sure what he was going to be doing anyways. Sneaking a glance up to her hair, she let out a soft whinny of a chuckle. "That would be wise before rats move in....thank you." She beamed.  

[mindsend]

Setting Ikinya gently on the bed, Cuauhcoatl staggered around slightly, obviously not used to walking on two legs, as he gathered the tools. It didn't take long for her leg to be splinted and wounds salved and dressed, even with out of practice fingers. It wasn't until after Ikinya's hair and fur was lovingly brushed out and braided that Cuauhcoatl finally settled down himself, shifting back to the more comfortable Soquili form.

Yawning, he carefully draped a wing over her and the small basket she had dragged to safety, "...Tomorrow's a new beginning... Together heading into a new future." he smiled softly, nibbling affectionately at her shoulder, "Lets make it a good one."

[FIN]