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 Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 6:20 pm
It had been some weeks since Auster had brought Izefiah home, and the entire time he had been moping around. He was despondent and unresponsive, and no matter what Auster did, Izefiah's attitude wouldn't change. He was heartbroken, and Auster could see it now. He'd done wrong by his son. His heart ached to see him laying around, barely eating and barely moving. He'd caused Izefiah pain, and for what? To see him bonded to a mare more befitting of his station? Did that really matter if Izefiah had loved the mare? Auster was starting to think that perhaps he'd been wrong all along. Not about ground horses being below him, they still were. But perhaps he'd been wrong about that mattering when Izefiah was clearly in love.
He went to Mahdi for advice on how to fix things. He wanted Izefiah to be happy again. She was the one he trusted most, and he knew she would not hold back. "Mahdi..." he said once he had found her, his ears back a bit in shame. "I fear I have done a terrible thing."
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 6:50 pm
Mahdi was laying beside the pool when Auster approached, poking at a lone lily floating near the water's edge. She'd been gone for the last while and had only really begun to become aware of her son in law's poor mood earlier that day. It wasn’t something that had really bothered her too much. The poor boy was frequently in and out of luck and it seemed that every time he found a small bit of happiness it was gone soon after. She’d made a mental note to ask Auster if he had any clue what might be wrong with his son but when she couldn’t find him easily she’d wandered down to the water’s edge and become distracted playing with the colorful flora decorating the area.
When Auster found her she wound up just watching him approach, trying to remember exactly what it had been which she wanted to speak with him about. The frogs, maybe. There was a fairly good chance she had wanted to show him the frogs. They were croaking so loudly that she was sure Auster would see them anyways.
Where his ears down? She looked back at the lily. It couldn’t have been the frogs. It was something unpleasant. She wrinkled her nose.
When he spoke she rocked her weight forward then stood up, nearly missing squashing a frog. Must have been what had him so worried. He’d squished a frog, “It wasn’t that bad really. They are a little bit difficult to avoid. You would think they’d learn to move faster but I suppose they really haven’t or it wouldn’t be such a problem.”
She stepped over beside Auster, nuzzling him affectionately as a small gesture to try and cheer him up. She didn’t really expect it to work, and it didn’t. Auster was far too grumpy normally for the little things to have much of an effect on him. Though, lots of little things together sometimes did work.
“I’m sure everything will be fine. Why don’t we go for a walk in the woods, hmm? It will be easier to talk down there, won’t it? Away from all these noisy, squishy little beasts.”
She nudged one’s backside and it hopped only a foot away before coming to a stop again and looking up at her with a croak. The tiny little thing looked about as surly as her mate. Less mopey though.
She sighed and nuzzled Auster again, trying to lift his head, “Cheer up~ It can’t be all that bad. Whatever is wrong we’ll have it fixed up in no time.”
Without even waiting for an answer she began nudging him with her body, guiding him past the pond and toward the woods.
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 7:07 pm
 Auster wasn't exactly surprised by Mahdi's response to his words; it seemed about right, really. His eyes widened a bit as he tried to figure out what it was she was talking about now, but it only took him a moment to realize it was the frogs. There were many of them about the pool and they certainly did get underhoof. It was rather easy to step on them and squash them. He usually tried to avoid doing so, but sometimes it was rather impossible.
He gave her a faint smile as she went on about the frogs some more and nuzzled against him. Her skin felt nice against his, a real comfort even if he didn't often show it and he leaned into it. He was lucky to have Mahdi in his life. Right now that only made him feel more guilty though. He had met the love of his life, and she accepted him despite his many shortcomings. He should have let Izefiah do the same. He really was terrible father and a terrible being in general. He was quite ashamed and rightfully so.
Letting Mahdi nudge him away from the pond's edge and toward the woods, he followed her under the cover of the underbrush. It was dimmer in here, and much cooler. Auster let out a sigh and glanced sideways at his mate, wondering how she would take the news of his crime. He had a feeling that she would not be happy with him.
"Mahdi, it is not the frogs that are bothering me," he announced, his wings shifting upon his back apprehensively. Nervous as he was, they wouldn't settle. He couldn't keep them still. "I have not stepped on a frog. I have done something much worse, actually. Much, much worse."
Looking away from her again, he tipped his head up and studied the sky between the leaves of the branches overhead. "Surely you have noticed Izefiah's disposition as of late?" he asked, his voice wavering a bit. He hated to admit that he was wrong, but in this situation he could see no other solution. He couldn't let Izefiah continue to fade away. "He has become depressed. He will not eat or speak and he sleeps all the time. Not even Adaeze is able to rouse him from his despair. I do not know what to do."
He scuffed a hoof along the ground, kicking at a root. "I fear that I am the cause of his melancholia. No, that isn't correct. I know that I am the cause. I have done a terrible thing to him, Mahdi. And I am afraid I cannot fix it." He dared to sneak a glance over at her once more, actually frightened for how she may react to the news that he had purposely sabotaged his son's relationship. The disaster with the other mare Neela had likely been his fault as well, but indirectly. He hadn't actually split them up himself.
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 7:37 pm
She giggled, "Auster, what could you have done to him that you..."
Her face lit up, "That's it! I was trying to discover the cause of your son's sullen mood since I've returned but I was distracted by all the life about the pond. It's really a good thing they have you and Astrophel. I'm really quite a terrible mother. What happened?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 7:38 pm
Auster shifted his weight from side to side, still kicking at the root. He took a minute or two to answer, trying to come up with some way to say what he needed to say and have it not sound absolutely heartless. Unfortunately there was no such way. The only thing he could do now was admit the truth and repent.
"Mahdi, do you recall why Izefiah left? He was angry with me and said that my beliefs were the reason that the mare he was in love with had moved on and chose another?" He bit his lip and cleared his throat somewhat nervously. He was certain it would sound all the worse once he'd said it out loud.
"I went to look for him. Before I found him however, I came across a young mare, a mare without wings. I asked her if she had see Izefiah, and she told me she had, that she was actually waiting there for him. They had admitted their feelings for each other and were courting. I-I may have told her that Izefiah was betrothed to another." There. It was done.
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 7:55 pm
She stopped dead in her tracks and turned to look at him. Her eyes were wide and flicked back and forth as she studied his face. Her mouth was pulled into an awkward, lopsided smile.
"I don't understand. Are you really so cruel as that?"
A twig snapped as she stepped back and away from him, "I thought you were better. I thought we had agreed that this was poison! Would you have him mated to a skinwalker so long as she could fly?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 7:56 pm
Auster looked down at the root he had been kicking at, staring at it intently. "I know," he muttered, drawing his leg back to kick it rather hard. It jarred his hoof, but he just frowned at it. "I didn't intend to, it just came out. If she stayed with him, he would have remained there and he would not have come home! I just wanted my son back, is that so wrong?"
Her next words hit him like a physical blow, making him flinch. "No, of course not! I just, I just..." He closed his eyes tight, squeezing them. "I don't know. I shouldn't have ever opened my mouth. He was happy, and look what I have done to him!"
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 8:06 pm
She stomped a hoof and shook her head, the little bells in her mane striking disharmony with her tone.
"Why are you wasting time speaking with me? Go fix this, Auster! Find that girl and set things straight!"
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 8:11 pm
"I don't know where to find her, Mahdi," Auster muttered, shaking his head. He was still practically cowering away from her. "She could be anywhere."
He chanced to sneak a look over at her. She was angry. He'd never seen her so angry. "I need to make things right, I know. I have done a terrible wrong. I can't bear to see Izefiah like this."
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 8:45 pm
"Auster," she scowled. "You have done a terrible thing and you will need to go to great lengths to set things right! How do you not see this? Has your heart shriveled away entirely? How is it that you still consider yourself to be an angeni."
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 8:46 pm
Auster shrunk away from her more. "I know, Mahdi! I know!" he cried, flicking his tail with agitation. Not at her really, more at himself than anything. She was right after all. "I need to fix this. I will fix this. Izefiah deserves happiness. I only wish that I had realized his idea of happiness didn't need to match mine before now." He would go to the end of the earth if it meant bringing happiness back to his son.
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 8:47 pm
She stepped forward, "I see it now. Oh what a fool I must have been to be blind to it before. You even said it yourself. More than once!"
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Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 8:49 pm
"I didn't realize what extent the affect of my words would have when I said them," Auster said, glancing through the bangs that fell upon his face as he cowered away from her. "I did not know what it would do to Izefiah. I was foolish and selfish and wrong. I hurt my son. I should protect my children, not harm them. You do not know how deeply I regret this."
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