Ashrain

6. Cleaning Hooves

Mingi left the house early to search for work in Durnatel and offer their services to any person possessing a horse that looked vaguely as if it needed new shoes. By the time Hongjoong emerged from his room to stumble into the kitchen because his grumbling stomach had woken him, Mingi's coat and boots were gone.

Hongjoong sat on the bench and chewed on a chunk of bread with closed eyes for a couple of minutes. With the food, his energy returned to him.

It took him an awkwardly long time to remember the centaur in their stables. When he scrambled to stand up, the bench scraped over the floor with a harrowing squeak. For a moment, Hongjoong stood frozen in motion, ears pricked to changes in the house. Everything stayed quiet, so he released his tense body. Extra meticulous, he tucked in his leg before standing up.

Hongjoong unlocked the door to the stables as quietly as possible. The click of the key was rackety, but nothing stirred in the stables as the door swung open. Curious, Hongjoong peered around the doorframe and into the open box Seonghwa rested in.

The sleeping position of the centaur was... clumsy. His horse body rested with his legs folded and leaned to the side adorably. However, his human body couldn't curl around his frame as a horse's neck could, so he hovered with a hunched back and crossed arms. To sleep, he tilted against a wall, straining his hip. It couldn't be comfortable.

Hongjoong couldn't help his smile. The frown on the male's sleeping face had become familiar to him by now, and he now knew its root.

The blanket the brothers had provided the day prior had fallen from Seonghwa's shoulder and bunched around his horse half. Hongjoong saw the bandage peeking through and he was glad to find no fresh blood on it.

Hongjoong retreated into the kitchen to prepare food. They still had leftovers from the stew, and he added two carrots to Seonghwa's portion. He seemed like he ate a lot.

While Hongjoong carried the food over, he ignored the stab of dread in his heart. He didn't want to worry about feeding Seonghwa. They would manage with their rent. They always did.

Hongjoong tried to be silent and leave the food by Seonghwa's side unnoticed, but the centaur's eyes batted open the second Hongjoong stepped into the stables. His head raised, black hair cascading over his bare back when he stretched his stiff neck with a groan.

With a grin, Hongjoong placed the bowl on a wooden crate Mingi didn't use and dragged it over into the bay. He hoped Seonghwa would use it as a makeshift bed for his human body.

"Did you sleep well?" Hongjoong asked, entertained by his intrigue with whether Seonghwa slept as much as a human did, or as much as a horse. Probably a healthy middle.

"I tried," Seonghwa smiled, but it ended in a grimace. "Eat with me?"

Hongjoong slowed in his movements for a moment, surprised the centaur wanted his company. Horses were herd animals, so perhaps he felt lonely? So far, he had seemed too prideful and stubborn to spend his time with the humans.

"Sure," Hongjoong said. He fetched his bowl and knelt next to the crate while he and Seonghwa ate. In his corner, Hongjoong felt tiny, but he always enjoyed sitting and cuddling with the horses that visited them. Their big, warm bodies were the best companions.

Seonghwa was more discreet than the horses Hongjoong was used to, but he tried his best to uphold a friendly facade. As they ate, he entertained Hongjoong's nosy gazes.

Hongjoong finished first and pointed his thumb at Seonghwa's leg.

"Want me to look at that? Mingi went out to buy ointments and new bandages for it, so we could leave it in the open until his return, so it gets some fresh air."