"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
Sin Killer was getting bigger and more independant with each day. He had made several trips away from Paradise Beach, now -- at first, with his mother by his side, and later on his own. Now, however, he was perfectly content to stay home. He had met some strange characters, and he was feeling conflicted.
What he really wanted was to talk to his dad.
The gangly foal had been pacing near the ocean's edge, but now he stopped and lifted his head, glancing back at his beloved home. His face was full of uncertainty and a thousand questions, but he was still a little shy about getting his father's attention.
Finally he mustered the courage, and called out for Szeth. "Dad!" he called, his childish voice ringing out without a note of fear or pain. He didn't want his father to come running, thinking something was wrong. No, all he wanted was a little... bonding time.
It’s brought him great joy to watch his son grow over the past few months. Though Sin is still as gangly as ever, the young colt is no longer the shaky, unsure little thing that he’d been at birth. He’s grown in confidence, speed and size, and Szeth can already see the makings of a handsome, strong stallion in him. He really couldn’t be any more proud.
He’s pondering on the boy, wondering what his future will hold, when Sin’s voice breaks through his thoughts. He grins at the sound, and wastes no time in tracking down the boy where he stands on the ocean’s edge.
He pauses for a moment, a few feet away, taking the time to look the boy over. He knows this stage - this wonderfully innocent, playful stage - will not last forever. He wants to enjoy it while he can.
But, the boy had called for him, and he grins broadly at the colt. “How can I help you Sin?” Clearly nothing is too much amiss - Szeth cannot see any cuts or bruises anywhere on the colt’s body. Perhaps Sin has a question for him, or perhaps - and his heart warms at the thought - the boy simply wants to spend time with his father.
"Dad!" The joy in his voice was impossible to miss. The little colt's eyes lit up, and he bounded happily over to where his father had emerged. Sin nuzzled against Szeth's shoulder, grinning ear to ear, then pulled away to gaze adoringly up at his father.
"I hope you're not too busy, papa," he said, dancing backwards to give Szeth a little room. "I was thinking maybe we could spend the afternoon together...?" There was intense hope in his eyes, but his voice betrayed a bit of timidity.
It was clear that Sin Killer absolutely adored his father. Already he was doing his best to emulate the things his father did, and the only future he could envision for himself was to follow exactly in Szeth's footprints. He felt sure that he would have a few mares one day, and protect them as vigilantly as Szeth did.
But first, his highest priority was to figure out as much about the world as he could. He had entered the age of "hows" and "whys", and it was starting to exhaust his mother. She seemed to have very few answers for the myriads of Sin Killer's questions, and he was hoping his father might do a better job.
Warmth overflows his chest when he sees Sin’s little eyes light up, and his voice rise in happiness. He’d never had this chance to be so close to his other children, and to have Sin return his affections with such fervour is just so … wonderful. Magical even, though he detests the word.
As he looks down at his young son, he finds himself briefly wondering if Desirea will be willing to have a second in the upcoming season - he’s just enjoying being a father so much. He squashes the thought for the moment though, focusing his attentions back on Sin. There will be time for that discussion with Desirea later. For now, his son wants to spend time with him.
“I’m never too busy to spend time with you Sin!” Not that he’s ever busy these days. Life in the Beach is quiet and peaceful, hidden away from the traited - just how he likes it. He’s definitely enjoying this business of leading a herd.
“Did you have anything in particular in mind?” His grin widens as he looks down at the boy. “We could go exploring,” he glances briefly at the surrounding beach, “we could play a game, I could tell you some stories …” He mentally perks up at that thought, though he keeps the hopefulness from his face. There’s a story that he’s been wanting to share with the boy for some time now, one that his mother had once shared with him, back when he’d been young. But he doesn’t want to force it on Sin - he has no doubt he’ll have the chance to tell that story at some point, if not now. He’s just happy to have the chance to spend time with his little boy.
Sorry for the horrendous wait! I've been struggling with muse recently.
But people have been helping me with a few plot ideas, so hopefully that'll change soon!
