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Description

Word Count: 1,182
Activity: healing-sleep/rest-for: SunSplaash, Silhouette
Season: Fall
Seasonal Prompt: --
Location: forest, Caputalis Isle
Herd Member(s): Silhouette
Lead Stallion: SunSplaash
Morning arrives much too slowly for SunSplaash's liking. He had struggled through a fitful sleep, plagued by constantly waking up. And by the time dawn breaks, he feels even more exhausted than he had been last night.
A soft fog had slowly crept in, misting the grassy clearing with dew drops. Everything is bathed in a dusty blue hue, even the sunlight filtering weakly through the trees is pale. It's rather cold to the point he can see his breath in the air. And despite it being the first of fall, SunSplaash has a nagging feeling in his gut that winter would be here early.
Carefully he peels away from Zynnia's side, moving slowly so as not to wake her. He stands, shaking away the dew that had collected atop his back before turning his gaze out towards his herd.
Everyone is still sleeping peacefully, curled together to try and keep warm. Shelly sleeps nestled between Star and Beetle with Rook atop the white mare's back, beak buried in the feathers on his back.
Shyloh still sleeps over near the tree, curled into herself. Twila and Pandora are in the same spot as well, Twila curled protectively around her sister. They also appear to still be asleep.
He still needs to talk with them. About everything.
With a sigh, he looks back at the huge pine tree that Silhouette is sheltered under. It's just barely light enough for him to see the white markings stretching up her side, as well as the one white marking on her back leg.
Slowly, he walks over to the tree, keeping his head low. He shivers from the cold as the fog continues encapsulating their little clearing. They need to leave, as soon as possible, but he doesn't know if they will be able to with Silhouette's current condition.
He makes it to the entrance of the hanging branches, peaking his head under them.
Silhouette is fast asleep, still lying on her uninjured side, nestled warmly in the nest the mares had made her. There's a large green leaf packed down atop her wound, keeping it protected and safe from infection.
Her breathing had eased to somewhat normal, though her brow was still furrowed with the slightest hint of pain. Though overall she looks a lot more relaxed than she had when they first found her.
"Oh kid," SunSplaash breathes out, grimacing at her state. He carefully walks towards her and lowers himself to the ground, folding his legs underneath himself. He lays by her side, gently resting his cheek atop her side, gritting his teeth to fight back the tears that threaten to mist over his eyes.
How could he have let this happen to her? He had promised that he would keep her safe, that he wouldn't let anything bad happen. If he had just stayed awake a little longer, he would've seen their argument and would have stopped it before it got out of hand. He would have prevented the two from running off into the night...he would have saved Silhouette the agony of being shot by those wretched humans.
How had he failed so badly as their lead?
Despite his best efforts, the tears still manage to spill over, rolling down his cheeks as he squeezes his eyes shut.
Silhouette could have died, and it would've been his fault.
"SunSplaash?"
The stallion immediately opens his eyes, lifting his head as he stares at Silhouette's face. Her eyes are open, though tired as she stares back at him. Her eyebrow is raised in question, her ear angled back towards him.
"S-Sil?" His voice cracks, though right now he doesn't really care how he sounds. "A-are you feeling alright? Should-should I get Shyloh?"
She gives a small shake of her head, smiling tiredly back at him. "I'm alright...jus' tired.."
SunSplaash grits his teeth as he looks back at the leaf over her wound.
"I heard everyone fighting..." Silhouette averts her eyes. "What's...going to happen to Pandora and Twila?"
SunSplaash tenses, shifting uncomfortably at the question. "I don't know."
"You...are you going to make them leave?"
Silence.
Silhouette lifts her head, wincing as she does. SunSplaash rushes to stop her, but she ignores him as she continues holding her head up. "You can't- it wasn't their fault. I...I pushed Twila, a-and-"
"No, don't even think about putting all this on yourself," SunSplaash replies heatedly. "None of this is your fault. None of it. You were worried about her, you wanted to help her feel better. And when she ran off you chased after her to make sure nothing bad would happen. It isn't your fault."
Silhouette is quiet for a moment, looking away from him. "It isn't your fault either, you know."
He's surprised by her quiet words, before quickly looking away from her. He says nothing, but he doesn't have to.
"Come on, you can't seriously think this happened because of you? You weren't even there so how-"
"Exactly, Sil. I wasn't there."
She frowns, confusion overtaking her tired eyes. "So?"
SunSplaash huffs with frustration. "It's because I wasn't there. I could've done something, I could've intervened...I could've at least stopped you from running out after her. If anything it...it should be me in your place."
"Stop."
SunSplaash looks at Silhouette. She's glaring heatedly at him, her ears pinned. "Nothing would've changed. No matter what you would have said, or tried to do. I would've chased after Twila regardless if you were there or not. And what if it had been you who was shot? We need you ya big dummy, you're our lead."
"There's Zynnia-"
"What about her? She's pregnant. Would you really feel alright with placing the whole responsibility of the herd onto her?" Silhouette's eyes pierce into SunSplaash, forcing him to look away once more.
"No..."
"Knowing you, you'd probably try to walk it off, which would end up with an even worse outcome. An infection, or-or even...death."
SunSplaash sighs, lowering his head in defeat. "I...guess you know me too well, huh?"
Silhouette chuckles quietly. "Damn straight I do. So don't beat yourself up over what happened, and definitely don't beat Twila up over it either."
"How? How can I not? Every time I look at her...if she hadn't run off..."
"The only ones you should be blaming are those humans. Twila wasn't the one who shot me. You aren't either."
"We might as well have..."
Silhouette lets out a frustrated breath. "Don't say that. Seriously, I'll have to beat you up when I'm better. Please just...it isn't her fault."
"I-I'll...try."
"That's all I ask."
They sit in silence for a long while after that. SunSplaash rests his head atop her side once more, and Silhouette finally relaxes once more, laying her head down. She's quick to fall asleep soon after, leaving SunSplaash alone with his spiraling thoughts once more.
He wants to trust her words, wants to believe them. He feels guilty for feeling such anger towards Twila, but he seriously can't help it. Maybe talking with her will help? Though he really isn't looking forward to that.
At all.

-----------------------
~References Used~

-Poses
-i.pinimg.com/564x/4c/12/d0/4c1…

-Background
-None Used

Description

Word Count: 1,182
Activity: healing-sleep/rest-for: SunSplaash, Silhouette
Season: Fall
Seasonal Prompt: --
Location: forest, Caputalis Isle
Herd Member(s): Silhouette
Lead Stallion: SunSplaash
Morning arrives much too slowly for SunSplaash's liking. He had struggled through a fitful sleep, plagued by constantly waking up. And by the time dawn breaks, he feels even more exhausted than he had been last night.
A soft fog had slowly crept in, misting the grassy clearing with dew drops. Everything is bathed in a dusty blue hue, even the sunlight filtering weakly through the trees is pale. It's rather cold to the point he can see his breath in the air. And despite it being the first of fall, SunSplaash has a nagging feeling in his gut that winter would be here early.
Carefully he peels away from Zynnia's side, moving slowly so as not to wake her. He stands, shaking away the dew that had collected atop his back before turning his gaze out towards his herd.
Everyone is still sleeping peacefully, curled together to try and keep warm. Shelly sleeps nestled between Star and Beetle with Rook atop the white mare's back, beak buried in the feathers on his back.
Shyloh still sleeps over near the tree, curled into herself. Twila and Pandora are in the same spot as well, Twila curled protectively around her sister. They also appear to still be asleep.
He still needs to talk with them. About everything.
With a sigh, he looks back at the huge pine tree that Silhouette is sheltered under. It's just barely light enough for him to see the white markings stretching up her side, as well as the one white marking on her back leg.
Slowly, he walks over to the tree, keeping his head low. He shivers from the cold as the fog continues encapsulating their little clearing. They need to leave, as soon as possible, but he doesn't know if they will be able to with Silhouette's current condition.
He makes it to the entrance of the hanging branches, peaking his head under them.
Silhouette is fast asleep, still lying on her uninjured side, nestled warmly in the nest the mares had made her. There's a large green leaf packed down atop her wound, keeping it protected and safe from infection.
Her breathing had eased to somewhat normal, though her brow was still furrowed with the slightest hint of pain. Though overall she looks a lot more relaxed than she had when they first found her.
"Oh kid," SunSplaash breathes out, grimacing at her state. He carefully walks towards her and lowers himself to the ground, folding his legs underneath himself. He lays by her side, gently resting his cheek atop her side, gritting his teeth to fight back the tears that threaten to mist over his eyes.
How could he have let this happen to her? He had promised that he would keep her safe, that he wouldn't let anything bad happen. If he had just stayed awake a little longer, he would've seen their argument and would have stopped it before it got out of hand. He would have prevented the two from running off into the night...he would have saved Silhouette the agony of being shot by those wretched humans.
How had he failed so badly as their lead?
Despite his best efforts, the tears still manage to spill over, rolling down his cheeks as he squeezes his eyes shut.
Silhouette could have died, and it would've been his fault.
"SunSplaash?"
The stallion immediately opens his eyes, lifting his head as he stares at Silhouette's face. Her eyes are open, though tired as she stares back at him. Her eyebrow is raised in question, her ear angled back towards him.
"S-Sil?" His voice cracks, though right now he doesn't really care how he sounds. "A-are you feeling alright? Should-should I get Shyloh?"
She gives a small shake of her head, smiling tiredly back at him. "I'm alright...jus' tired.."
SunSplaash grits his teeth as he looks back at the leaf over her wound.
"I heard everyone fighting..." Silhouette averts her eyes. "What's...going to happen to Pandora and Twila?"
SunSplaash tenses, shifting uncomfortably at the question. "I don't know."
"You...are you going to make them leave?"
Silence.
Silhouette lifts her head, wincing as she does. SunSplaash rushes to stop her, but she ignores him as she continues holding her head up. "You can't- it wasn't their fault. I...I pushed Twila, a-and-"
"No, don't even think about putting all this on yourself," SunSplaash replies heatedly. "None of this is your fault. None of it. You were worried about her, you wanted to help her feel better. And when she ran off you chased after her to make sure nothing bad would happen. It isn't your fault."
Silhouette is quiet for a moment, looking away from him. "It isn't your fault either, you know."
He's surprised by her quiet words, before quickly looking away from her. He says nothing, but he doesn't have to.
"Come on, you can't seriously think this happened because of you? You weren't even there so how-"
"Exactly, Sil. I wasn't there."
She frowns, confusion overtaking her tired eyes. "So?"
SunSplaash huffs with frustration. "It's because I wasn't there. I could've done something, I could've intervened...I could've at least stopped you from running out after her. If anything it...it should be me in your place."
"Stop."
SunSplaash looks at Silhouette. She's glaring heatedly at him, her ears pinned. "Nothing would've changed. No matter what you would have said, or tried to do. I would've chased after Twila regardless if you were there or not. And what if it had been you who was shot? We need you ya big dummy, you're our lead."
"There's Zynnia-"
"What about her? She's pregnant. Would you really feel alright with placing the whole responsibility of the herd onto her?" Silhouette's eyes pierce into SunSplaash, forcing him to look away once more.
"No..."
"Knowing you, you'd probably try to walk it off, which would end up with an even worse outcome. An infection, or-or even...death."
SunSplaash sighs, lowering his head in defeat. "I...guess you know me too well, huh?"
Silhouette chuckles quietly. "Damn straight I do. So don't beat yourself up over what happened, and definitely don't beat Twila up over it either."
"How? How can I not? Every time I look at her...if she hadn't run off..."
"The only ones you should be blaming are those humans. Twila wasn't the one who shot me. You aren't either."
"We might as well have..."
Silhouette lets out a frustrated breath. "Don't say that. Seriously, I'll have to beat you up when I'm better. Please just...it isn't her fault."
"I-I'll...try."
"That's all I ask."
They sit in silence for a long while after that. SunSplaash rests his head atop her side once more, and Silhouette finally relaxes once more, laying her head down. She's quick to fall asleep soon after, leaving SunSplaash alone with his spiraling thoughts once more.
He wants to trust her words, wants to believe them. He feels guilty for feeling such anger towards Twila, but he seriously can't help it. Maybe talking with her will help? Though he really isn't looking forward to that.
At all.

-----------------------
~References Used~

-Poses
-i.pinimg.com/564x/4c/12/d0/4c1…

-Background
-None Used