[FIN] How to Snatch an Orphan (Brutus & Grauen Kerze)

[Darkmoon Dancer]

This is a PRP for Brutus, owned by Darkmoon Dancer, and Grauen Kerze, owned by Nyx Queen of Darkness.
[ Link to DD's Teepee ] | [ Link to Nyx's Teepee ]


--This RP starts with a flashback, so all the italics are his memories--

 

[Darkmoon Dancer]

Brutus kicked a hunk of firewood with some ire. Glancing over at the mare hiding in the shadows some ways off, the draft growled under his breath quietly. Here he was, collecting and now sorting branches and dead trees for the grand bonfire that was to come. How had he gotten himself into this mess?
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The bulky colt had only emerged from his basket not long ago, and yet here he was nudging along a siblings' basket to hide it away somewhere. He was not yet strong enough to lift it up, so the process was slow, but even that was quite the feat when the foal had literally just barely gained control of his gangly limbs.

Upon having found out that this sibling had passed away within it's basket, Brutus simply could not have it sitting near his little sister's for the fear of her catching something from it. It may well have died because it was not strong enough, but he wasn't going to risk any sort of deadly disease being passed along. As soon as he found a suitable area to bury the basket, that was exactly what he was going to do. He was looking for some place calm, where it could lie in peace, quiet and never be disturbed.

He scooted along for an hour, maybe two, making sure that it would be far enough away that he could feel comfortable his little sister would not run across it right away. Limbs tiring, he finally came to the perfect spot. A small grove of magnolia trees would be where this never-known sibling would lie for the rest of time. And so big brother began to dig.

As the day wore on, the sky turned dark and eventually even the stars came out to watch Brutus work away at the grave. It wasn't a particularly large hole, but it was so tiring to the new colt, that he had to stop often for a breather before getting back to it.

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Shaking his head, his expression was sombre. His siblings.... Regardless, he had a task at hoof: to build this fire.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Her eyes burned dark in the night, as she remembered.

Grauen Kerze moved from shadow to shadow as best she could. It was not that she could not be in the light, but rather that she preferred the darkness. The journey she's been on was long and tedious. She had not expected it to take that long. Go and find someone willing to be a body guard for her. How hard was that?

But it had proven very hard indeed. Some were not strong enough. Some were too stupid. Some were too interested in her, and some not interested enough. All in all, each prospect had failed her so far. There was none that she had found that was worthy.

The hot flame of her anger was beginning to flame when she saw something. A foal, not small, but rather large though obviously only a few hours old. He was quite big, and he was doing some kind of labor. So obviously he was determined too. And what was more, he was alone.

Wouldn't it be easier to raise a guard than to find one suited to her? She could make him be how she wanted! She could raise him to be loyal only to her. Why had she not thought of this before? Foal were bothersome for sure. But this, this was workable. She could control him through fear until she had a better hold on him.

Now...just how to approach him.  

[Darkmoon Dancer]

Every so often, he cast a glance back over at the candle-mare. She paid him no attention, there was something or other that she was upto, he was never really sure. Though he was close to her, he did not belong here, and he did not belong with her.
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Completely, and utterly, unaware of the possible danger looming in the shadows around him, Brutus had his mind set to his task. He was going to finish burying his sibling before he could even think about what to do next. Yes, it was night now, and yes he was absolutely exhuasted, but he had a job to do, and do it he would.

Taking a step back, he cocked his head to one side, then the other, inspecting the grave from there. A nod, and he was certain it was all good. Now, how to get the basket in without disturbing it or making it tumble in ungraciously. He walked over to the basket and nudged it towards the edge of the grave. It wouldn't fall very far, that was for sure, but he also didn't want to take the chance of disturbing the dead, that just wouldn't be very respectful at all. Hopping back down into the hole, he sidled up against the side, and was hit with an idea.

Bending his knees until he was about at half-height, he stopped and locked his muscles as best he could. Turning his head to the side he nudged and tugged at the basket until he slid it off the ground and onto his back which was about level with the edge of the grave. When it was settled between his shoulderblades Brutus was finally comfortable enough to begin slowly bending his knees further, until he was lying down in the bottom of the grave. Once there, he slowly sat up so that the basket would slide down his back until one end came into gentle contact with the wall. At that point, he could barely move, so he lifted his rump as little as he could, just enough to pull his legs forward. Tucking his muzzle under the lifted end of the basket, he gingerly turned around careful not to kick the basket. Crammed as he was, he had managed to get the basket down here gracefully, now all that was left was to get out again.

Practically standing on two legs anyways so as not to step on the basket, Brutus tensed and then put all power into his legs at once so that he could jump up and out of the grave in one fluid movement. Though... it wasn't all that fluid. His front half made it, as did his chest, but his back legs flailed once or twice before they also clawed their way back onto the ground.

After taking a moment to regain his breath, he turned around to look down into the grave. Already some dirt covering the basket from his flailing, he set to work, kicking more dirt in, finally on his last step of the burial.

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Never had he had a more depressing task to complete, as he did the day he buried his sibling. The one he worked at now looked partway done. Kindling had been put in place long ago, and he had just finished throwing the smallest of the sticks and branches onto the pile. Next would be the larger logs...  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Grauen watched for a long time as the foal buried his sibling. He was respectful, that was a good quality. He also seemed some what...careful not to disturb the dead. He could be quite a good catch for a...well not an apprentice, but an underling. She could whip him in shape. That's what she would do.

Slowly, she made herself visible to him. The glow of her eyes and candles illuminating the darkness. The light flickers on her skin, and she does not yet feel the terror she expects to feel. He is braver than she thought. Well good.

Her voice is smooth as satin as she speaks, "Hello, dear one. You're all alone..." The embers in her eyes ignite into flames.  

[Darkmoon Dancer]

Stumbling about as he organized the larger logs before deciding which would go into the fire, Brutus' mind was foggy, all these memories had him taking twice as long as he should. And yet they kept coming...
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Focused as he is, the colt can only really concentrate on one thing at a time, and at this time that thing was getting enough dirt back into the grave to cover it up. So when he was spoken to, the sound came as quite the surprise to him. He did not jump or scream or run away, but he did flinch, the smallest of reactions, followed by him turning stock still apart from his head. Turning his head to look up from the grave and find the source of the voice, he was not expecting to see what he saw.

Orange flickering flames from the eyes, and from around the head, not to mention the faint glowing images forming below that. Caught in awe, the colt did not flee, nor did he run towards the strange mirage. He stood still and his jaw dropped a little. A few moments passed, maybe even a few minutes, time felt like it was standing still for Brutus, so really it was just a guess, for all he knew he was still for months, but that was just silly.

When he finally blinked it seemed to shake loose some sort of sense and Brutus snapped his mouth closed once more and cautiously replied, "Uhmmmm.... Alone?" He was really chewing the question over, as if replaying it might help him process it and find a reply somewhere in his muddled and confused young mind. Glancing around, Brutus really couldn't come up with a counter-point. He was alone, apart from this new being and the grave at his hooves.

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Oh, he was no longer alone, that's for sure. Now even when the mare left his company -which wasn't often, to be honest- it felt like the shadows themselves were his companions. Sometimes he could even swear they had eyes and a cool, hair-raising breath. Shaking his head once more, he chuckled, he really was picking stuff up from his keeper.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Grauen Kerzi tilts her head slightly. The flickering stories on her coat seem to slow down, and she watches him for a long moment before speaking. "Your not afraid. I can feel it."

She steps closer looking at him. He's not afraid, something that's been quite rare in her experience. Feeding off of fear as given her a certain knack for finding it in others.She knows how best to scare, how to inspire fear and how to feed on it again and again. But this foal, he is not afraid. She could use him.

Her life has far too long been limited by her frail body. Here is one that is not afraid of her....if she took him now before anyone missed him, she could raise him as she chose. Not as her own, no not that. But rather...as someone who would be indebted to her. She could raise her own protector!

Had not she failed to find anyone of age worthy? What better way to find what she needed than by making it? Considering for a moment longer, Grauen spoke. "You are coming with me. Do you have a name?"  

[Darkmoon Dancer]

A scuffle behind him made his ears flick back and his eyes narrow. Looking around the area for any danger, he quickly dismissed his caution when he saw a rat skittering away. Now... what was he doing again...?
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His own voice seemed to wake him from this confusing mix of imagination and reality. How much of this vison was real and how much was in his head? But it spoke back to him... and surely if he had just made it all up it would have been a voice that he knew, or at least one that was soothing and warm. This voice was different.... cold... yet somehow alluring, like the snow at first winter's fall.

Afraid? No, he was not afraid. Unsettled, uneasy, and definitely a little confused, but not afraid. As the mare studied him, he in turn studied her. Now that she had come closer, he could see that she was not nearly as threatening as she had been in the darker shadows. Still, she was like nothing he had ever seen before... not that he had seen much of anything so far, but she was different even than anything he could have imagined. Her candles and dancing images altogether caused his sight to swim a little, if he focused too hard. He was willing to bet that many could get ensnared just like that.

More words. Going with her? Brow furrowing, the foal stamped his foot, he wasn't going with her! Tilting his head to look at her a second longer, he weighed his options. Consent to her and go, or stand his ground because he owed this mare nothing? Well that was obvious, seeing as she posed him no threat.

"I have things to take care of here. I'm not going anywhere." He said it firmly as if it were fact. After all, he had his sister to take care of, but as he didn't know this mare, he didn't want to give away that much information. He did, however, go back to pushing dirt into the grave of his other sibling. This was his current task at hoof, and though he had gotten distracted, this was what he was going to do, not go off with some mare that simply told him he was going somewhere with her.

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A small sigh escaped his lips. Sister? Did she still live? Had she too been claimed by the cruel grasp of Death? It was something he would probably never get a chance to find out while he lived here with Her.

Perking up, another noise. Better get back to this fire, he thinks to himself and sets to picking up this log, then that one and propping them up against one another around the smaller branches. Almost done now... just one more layer and maybe some adjusting to go...  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Grauen felt the fuse of her temper burn short. Who did this foal think he was to speak to her like this? He had no idea what she was capable of. But he would find out quickly.

Lashing out with her teeth, she raked them across his eye. The iron-like taste of blood dripping from her mouth disgustingly. She shook it off, as she stood over him. She had not even had to bend to reach him. "That is your warning, boy. There won't be a next time."

The haunting, cold voice spills from her mouth--no warmth despite the aura of candles around her. "So what will it be? A grave for two? Or are you coming with me?"

The lights in her eyes grow more bright, the stories on her coat shifted faster. Not even for a moment had she felt his fear. She wanted him as her protector badly. He would be a very suitable candidate.  

[Darkmoon Dancer]

Just a few more logs would be enough to make what would definitely become a massive bonfire. Nudging here and there, he evens the pile out as best he can. Big and heavy, this draft has learned about his size and is surprisingly deft for such a big boy.
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He had only a few mere seconds of pushing dirt into the grave before he got pounced, and there had not been enough warning for him to react until it was too late. As her hooves hit the ground firmly he growled and drew his head back from her, trying to tuck it in close to his own chest. Sheer agony bolted through his face straight through to his skull. The cut was deep but just barely missed his actual eye, which was now swimming in deep crimson, effectively blinding him on that side.

Planting his hooves, he stood his ground as he tried to push the pain away and consider his options now. Go with her for who-knew-what reason, or stand and fight when he could barely see through the blur of tears in his non-bloody eye. Well, she didn't leave him much choice. But he wasn't ready to go just yet.

Raising his blood-soaked face to look at the infuriated mare, Brutus spoke low but just as confidently as before. He was stating, not asking, and she could do as she wished, but he was not done here. "I will come with you, but not until I finish the burial." And with that simple statement, he turned his back on her to the small mound of dirt that was destined to fill in the rest of the grave. A burial shouldn't have taken as long as this in the first place, but Hell if he wasn't going to finish the task he had started. Pain and recovery could come later.

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Taking a few steps back Brutus unfurrows his brow and takes a look at his handiwork. It would truly be a good flame when it gets lit, he thought to himself as he pauses a moment to imagine the fire to come.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Grauen watched the blood flow down and into his eye. He was quite remarkable for one so...young. He was intelligent, stubborn, and fearless. Great qualities for what she needed him for. "Yes, pay your respects."

She watched him as he pushed the dirt into the grave of what surely must be his sibling. How far had he carried that basket here? How long had it taken this stubborn boy to dig a hole all alone? He was just the thing she needed. He finished the burial beneath her vision, his eyes closed as if maybe he felt sorrow for the one he buried. How, very interesting.

"Tell me boy," she paused delicately. "What's your name?" She should call him something more than boy. But wait no. He was hers now. He needed a name, a fierce name. Something to inspire fear in others--a new way of getting the fear she fed on.

"No matter what foolish name you had before, you're Brutus now. And I am your master, Grauen Kerze. Do you understand me boy?"  

[Darkmoon Dancer]

And it was that same name that rang through his head just then.

Brutus! Brutus! Brutus! Brutus!

Blinking a few times, he realizes that the name given to him is not being repeated in his head, but in reality, by the very being that give it to him. Tilting his head to one side he forces his eyes to focus on the here and now. It was indeed Grauen Kerze that called his name, asking for his attention. What did she need now? Glancing back down at the firepit... everything there was in order. Perhaps she wanted to commend him on the good job he did of setting that up. HA. He didn't get his hopes up for a compliment.

Looking back up at Grauen, he perked his ears forward, lifted a leg with the intention of heading her way and replied, "Yes, Grauen?" Politeness was generally a good idea until one could identify what sort of mood the mare was in. So far today had been rather normal, but there was no telling what could set her off next. Her fuse was... well he wasn't sure she even had one, if he were to be honest.
 

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Grauen Kerze came out of the cave into the small clearing where Brutus was making the bonfire. Tonight, she hoped to attract a visitor to the cave--to feed off of that visitor's fear. For months now, she had been searching for the one that she had been told would come to her. The one who could control the ancient tomes resting in the back of her cave that her guard protected.

She had trained him well. He did as she asked obediently. He was strong and attentive to the duties she needed him to do. He had never failed her yet. It was time that she showed her appreciation of him. "Brutus!" She said it softer. She was unused to speaking so kindly. But it was something she intended to practice. To find the one that could control the tomes, she had to be kinder to lure him or her...or it in.

"Brutus, my pet..." She evens out her tone, letting her pleasure seep into it. "I have something for you." She heads back into the cave to wait for him.  

[Darkmoon Dancer]

Planting his lifted foot to the ground in a forward step, Brutus didn't manage to lift his other foot right away. Frozen, he stood there a moment longer, a little dazed at the calm and even sweet nature of her beckon. Strange...

Shaking his head to clear such thoughts he responded aloud, "Right away," while in his mind he began to mull over what she could have for him. Most logically probably another task, or perhaps a snack if she was feeling nice. But that was the most confusing part, she really did seem like she was being nice. Not that he thought she was completely heartless, but this mare did have a rather cruel reputation.

It was only a moment in time, however, and he was swiftly once again lifting his hooves one at a time to follow her into the cave that had become his home since the day she snatched him away from his siblings.
 

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Grauen shuts her luminous eyes for a moment, taking a soothing breath to try to control her temper. She'd never really been in control of it. Luckily, the one time she'd truly snapped she'd only scarred around Brutus' eye rather than blinding him. It was an action she regretted. She had almost damaged her loyal guard.

And he was loyal, more loyal than she could have hoped. She had never shown him affection or overt kindness. Until now, she had never given him a gift. She watched as he approached her dwelling, a place he was usually forbidden to enter.

Taking a deep breathe, she kept her tone down. "You have been loyal to me Brutus. I thank you for that. You've been...everything I've hoped you would. You have pleased me, don't fail me now." It was the closest she'd ever come to a compliment.

Turning, she pulled a basket out of the corner where she had stored some thing. It was filled with lush sweet grass, enough for a generous meal. She pushed it toward him, her main gift on top---a collar with a small crescent moon on top. "Your mistress is pleased with you. You have earned this reward."

The shadows shifted on her coat as she watched to see what he would make of his gift.