Between the Veil and Crown

Kylin 26

The light outside dimmed, and still, Kylin sat in the lean-to, head bowed. When the sun sunk below the tree line and doused everything in darkness, Amelia came out to see where he had gone.

He heard her step up close to him and say his name tentatively, but he didn't answer her. He could hear her say something else, but he still kept his head down. He didn't want to talk. He didn't want to process any more words.

She crouched down next to him, sensing he just wanted quiet. She stayed with him for a while, not speaking. Kylin didn't know if her presence made anything better, or if it didn't matter.

It may have been hours later before Amelia finally admitted defeat in waiting with him. She said something that he assumed was that she was available for when he wanted to talk. Then she left to go back into the house.

When Kylin finally lifted his head, he couldn't even say he had any thought during that whole time. He didn't even give any thought to the ultimatum Rei had left him with.

His muscles and back complained about the position he had stayed in for so long. He knew that he should probably walk around a little to stretch out, and then head to bed, but now that his brain was kicking into gear, he knew he couldn't do it. Now wasn't the right time.

He got to his feet slowly, a plan forming in in his head. He headed out to the pasture where Vicious was, gathering the bridle off the fence. He had meant to take care of her tack when Rei was done with him. But for obvious reasons, it was forgotten.

He softly whistled to her, hoping that she wouldn't choose to ignore him.

There was a snort, then the sound of hooves hitting the soft ground. Vicious's white patches glowed eerily in the dim light of the two moons.

He gave her a couple of pats before slipping on her bridle. Whether it was surprise at what he was doing, a break of routine, or because she was in a good mood, she let him do so without complaint or argument. He opened the pasture gate, used the fence to climb onto her back, and took off.

He had no light to guide him. Only the memory of the trails surrounding Amelia's house and Vicious's hooves thudding against the ground. When he felt he had gone far enough, he slowed her pace to a leisurely walk. He took care to make sure the reins did not go slack in his hands, as Vicious was peering her surroundings curiously, ears pricked.

The trees on the trail thinned, revealing a small brook glistening in the moonlight. Long dead leaves floated lazily along the brook. Somewhere in the distance, the sound of small animals making their final getaways before the first frost of winter could be heard throughout the bed of leaves on the forest floor. Bare branches reaches up to the sky, only partially blocking out the lights of the night above. Every once in a while, a dark shadow cut across the image, wings spread out.

The change in scenery helped clear his head enough that he felt he could address the ultimatum more honestly.

If it had been that Rei was trying to push and encourage Kylin into a specialty, it would be an urging that Kylin could understand and take as a compliment. To have the captain of the Rangers notice that there was more potential in him would normally be something of great consequence. But this wasn't an encouragement, this wasn't a nudge- this was an ultimatum. One that no Ranger Kylin knew of had been given before.

The unfairness of the situation made him tense. Vicious decided to interpret his body language as a subtle sign for to pick up the pace and she broke out into a swift trot. Her movement cause him to forcibly relax his muscles and pull her back into control.