The Laws of The Wild: Centaur Au.

Chapter 2: [Mountain.]

    He woke hours later to darkness. Mama? Mountain thought, hearing voices. He got from his bed, keeping the blanket around him. As he walked, he felt wetness. Water? Is Mama's roof leaking? I don't hear rain. . . He looked down at his hooves, eyes widening. The swamp, I'm back here again. . . He looked up and around, his mother's hut transformed into an ongoing acre of swampy water, big giant bald cypress trees, mangrove, green ash, all these trees he knew were everywhere, and what water wasn't covered with tree upon tree had azalea or buttonbush.
    His heart quickened. "Mama!" He yelled out, panic set him. He ran through the swampy terrain, screaming for Briargrass, tears leaving his eyes. "Mama! Mother!" He sobbed, hands tucked to his chest. He heard those voices again and halted.
    Mountain's ears rose. Mama and Papa! They're back! He raced across the water, calling out to them. "Ma! Pa!" He yelled once he got close enough. A stallion turned to face him, a glorious horn sprouting from his forehead, curling like a tusk.
    Mountain skidded to a halt, water spraying as he just narrowly missed a buck by his father, ears back in fright.
    "Don't you know when to give up?! We don't want you! How hard is that for you to understand?!" Mountain stared at the man, more tears in his eyes. "You're a hindrance! What good is a foal if it comes out sickly and weak, get out of here!" His father shouted.
    "Papa —"
    "I'm not your father! I wouldn't of never had such a weakling for a son! Get out of here while you're still breathing!"
    "He's showing mercy, go, get, please." A new voice spoke, Mountain looked to the mare.
    "Mama, please, I don't want to be alone!"
    But his mother just stared at him, grief in her eyes, and turned away. Mountain raced to her side but his father blocked him, grabbing hold of his shoulders and tossing him. He screamed in fright and pain as pain blossomed and grew along his back, coughing. He opened his eyes, widening them and scrambled to stand, running deeper into the swampy water with his father hot on his trail.
    He didn't know how long he had ran, but his sides burned, and his father was gone.
    I'm scared, I want my mama. . . He began to cry again, weaseling his way under and a willow tree's exposed roots, curling up. He can't hurt me here. . . The roots are too thick, his legs are too big. I want my Mama. . .
    Mountain felt someone grab him and whinnied in fright, kicking out. He began to cough again, whinnies raspy and bray sounding.
    "Mountain! Darling!"
    "No! No! Let me go! Please! You can't get me here!"
    "Mountain! It's me, sweet boy! Wake up!"
    Mountain jolted awake, eyes blinking wildly. He felt tears down his face, grabbing onto the hands that held his arm and back of his head.
    "Mountain," the frightened voice softened. "It's me, Briargrass. . ."
    "Mama?" He whined, lip trembling and threw himself around her. Briargrass held him closer and tight.
    "You were having a nightmare honey, I'm sorry, I didn't expect to stay out so late. I'm here now, I've got you."
    "I was-was in th-the swamp." He whined, sniffling. "My-my father and mother, the g-group they were th-the-there too! My fat-father tried to kill me, called me mean names!"
    "Oh darling. . ." Briargrass lifted his face to look at him, grabbing a cloth and wiped his tears away. "Your father won't hurt you here, I promise. There's nothing I won't hurt to keep you safe."
    Mountain listened to his mother, the tears and fear residing. "Can I sleep with you tonight?"
    "Of course, come on." She stood up, holding him to her chest.
    "Mama,"
    "Yes?"
    "How was the sunset? Was it pretty?"
    "It was beautiful dear."
    "Where is Lion?"
    "He went home Mountain, why?"
    "Will he be my new Papa?" Mountain asked as she tucked him into her bed. His mother paused.
    "Well, if you. . . if you want him to be."
    "I want him too, he's nice and makes you smile."
    Briargrass smiled, leaning to kiss his forehead. Mountain watched her lean heavily on the bed to lay down, sighing. He moved and squeezed onto the floor mattress with her, head tucked to her belly. She softly caressed his hair, positioning her body to make it comfortable and safe for both of them, throwing a thick blanket over her and him. She continued to caress his head until sleep took her, her hand resting on his back.
    Mountain listened to her breathing and heartbeat. My mama. . . He thought, yawning and got comfortable against her, drifting off into a dreamless sleep. He woke almost as quick as he fell asleep, blinking his eyes open as the sun shined. He was alone, but could smell food, yawning and stretching out. He hopped up and made his way to the smell.
    "Oh! Good morning Mountain." His mother said once she saw him emerge from the hallway.
    "Good morning Mama," he greeted, lifting up on his back legs for her to kiss his cheek. He smiled. "What are we doing today Mama?"
    "Well, I'm making you breakfast darling. I had to patch up Furze, he got a nasty scrap roughhousing with the other colts. If my day is clear like most days, we can go to the orchard."
    Mountain perked up. "Can we Mama?"
    "We can if my day won't be too—"
    "Briargrass!"
    His mother's head turned, abandoning the stove and raised from her hut. Mountain's eyes widened. Four wounded centaurs, one mare, three stallions.
    "What happened?!"
    "Stormbringers. They were too close to our territory." The Lead Stallion said, his son at his side. Mountain looked at them all.
    Sunrider and Lion's Ear had bleeding gashes on their sides, Lion's Ear had a scar crossing over his chest, his father had knicks on his arms. The other two, Rattler and Fawn, had equal scarring. Fawn had cuts across her fawn-like dappled coat, Rattler with a cut on his face and a limping, trembling leg which bled heavily.
    Mountain stared at them all as Strikingsnake and Cloudberry emerged at Briargrass' call and helped Rattler, the others sticking close. He watched them go into her hut, following but a hand stopped him. He looked up at his aunt, ears perking.
    "Come on, your mother and her apprentice will need all the focus they can get." Marigold turned and walked off, Mountain looked at her, then his home, and warily followed her. She placed a wing over him, caressing his hair like his mother always did.
    "Why can't I be with Mama?"
    "Because she's working, and she's got a lot of wounded men and woman to care for." Marigold explained.
    "Oh," he replied in a soft voice. "Will they be okay? Will Lion's Ear be okay?"
    "Why Lion's Ear specifically?"
    "Mama likes him, he's gonna be my new Papa." He's a great papa already, I hope Mama makes him my papa. He explained, looking down at his hooves, watching their feet. He turned his head to see a colt run his way, skidding with the biggest smile on face, his mother not far behind. Mountain's ears went back.
    "Hello you two," Marigold greeted.
    "Hello Marigold, hi Mountain!" Furze replied, his honey colored eyes shining. Mountain studied him, with his heavily freckled skin and dappled cream coat, his four white socks too.
    He's cute, but why is he so loud? It's frightening me. . .
    "Can I play with Mountain, mama? Please?" Furze asked his mother, Dandelion.
    "Ah, kid he looks shy." She replied while Mountain lowered to hide under his aunt. Furze's expression shifted, but then the smile came back and he walked around, both colts walked circles around Marigold, while she and Dandelion watched, chuckling.
    "Mountain, he's not gonna bite your head off dear, say hello."
    "Hello," Mountain said after a minute or two, tucked under Marigold with Furze between her front legs.
    "Hi! You gonna come out?"
    "No." Mountain grumbled, and Furze laughed, tugging him. The gypsy vanner colt dug his hooves into the ground, but it wasn't enough, Furze yanked him out from under Marigold and the game of run-circles-around-moms began. The pair froze when a screaming whinny rose from his mother's hut. He looked over, ears pinned and hurried to Marigold.
    An hour later, the colts soon had begun to play a game of tag, but Furze was difficult to catch and Mountain felt tired after three games. How is he so fast? He wondered, ears back. Furze was now it, and Mountain was fleeing. With a burst of speed, he turned a corner quick and into his mother's hut, watching Furze break quickly to a halt at the entrance.
    "No fair! Mama and Marigold will be mad you're in there!"
    Mountain stook his tongue out, smiling and catching his breath.
    "Mountain?" He heard, turning and trotted into a room.
    "Furze, c'mon." He whispered, looking back at the colt, who followed warily. Wisteria appeared from a hall, looking down at the pair. Uh oh.
    "What are you two doing in here?" She asked, spotted ears perking. She looked similar to Briargrass, with all the straps and hooked belts for pouches and bags on her. She was holding a crate, but Mountain couldn't see good on what was inside.
    "We were playing tag! And then I became it, and then Mountain ran in here!"
    Tattletail. Mountain frowned.
    "Mountain, fortunately your mother is just finishing with Sunrider, you can go in but do be quiet, okay?" Mountain's face lit up, smiling. Wisteria smiled back. "Down the hall, first door to your left little brother." She teased, brushing her wing to him before trotting away.
    Mountain went down the hall, the strict smell of vinegar, crushed herds, and sickly sweet honey choking his nose. Incense or the patients? Which one is Lion's Ear?
    He looked into the room, finding his mother with Sunrider, chatting quietly while she disinfected the gash on his side, patted it dry and spread a tiny amount of poultice over it, grabbing a needle and thread and carefully stitched it closed.
    The lead stallion groaned. "You've handled worse, Sun." Briargrass chuckled.
    "Doesn't make this any less unpleasant, doctor." Sunrider replied, chuckling to bite back the pain. "Oh, hello you two."
    "Hi," Furze said meekly. Briargrass looked over, ears lifting.
    Mountain tentatively walked in. "Sorry mama,"
    His mother sighed. "You came at a decent time, I'm just finishing up." She looked back at her stitching. Mountain watched too.
    Will I do this some day with Wisteria? But that'd mean Mama won't be a healer, mm. . .
    "How are the others?"
    "Rattler is fast asleep with Fawn while his leg heals, Fawn is doing well, took the cleaning and switching like a champ."
    "A whining champ," Lion's Ear grumbled from nearby.
    "A champion nonetheless."
    "Then, who screamed?"
    Briargrass sighed. "Rattler. His leg was horrible. I had to. . . I had to amputate."
    Mountain's eyes widened, his blood running cold. He heard Furze gag from beside him. She leaned on Sunrider to stand, huffing. He looked at his mother's missing leg, how scarred and torn it was, and felt his heart pound with fright.
    She walked to Lion's Ear, talking to him in whisper. She helped him to stand, and both mare and stallion walked from the room. Mountain watched them.
    "Mama, can I go see Fawn and Rattler?"
    "Yes dear, you can, they're the next door over. Please be careful and quiet," she looked back at him. He nodded and trotted to the next room with Furze at his side, both looking in.
    Fawn and Rattler were curled up together, heads resting on the other's hind quarters. Mountain quietly walked in with Furze at his side, looking at Rattler's bandaged leg which was cut higher up then his mother's, deep tended to gashes in his remaining thigh. Fawn had cleaned, stuffed cuts around her body, though some were longer, larger, and needed to be stitched.
    "What do you want, foals." A gruff voice rose, Rattler turned his head.
    "We just wanted to see you both, how you're doing."
    Rattler scoffed. "Crippled like Briargrass now. I can't do my job correctly if I need help walking, or standing. I'm too young to retire."
    Mountain's ears pinned, face flushing in anger. "Don't insult my Mama. She's the one who healed you."
    "Kid." Rattler lifted, looking back at him fully. "I didn't insult your mother, I'm stating —"
    "You called her crippled."
    "What? Would you prefer broken?"
    "I'd prefer you don't talk about my Mama like that."
    Rattler scoffed, turning away and laid back down. Fawn now looked at them, woken by the arguing.
    "Hello little ones, do forgive him, he's cranky from pain,"
    "I'm not cranky."
    "You are, Rattler."
    The man scoffed, Fawn flicked him on the ear and looked at the two again. "How's Sunrider? Lion's Ear?"
    "They're good," Mountain replied.
    "Miss Briargrass just finished up with Sunrider, she took Lion's Ear off somewhere, I don't know." Furze finished. Fawn smiled.
    "Oh? Those rascals,"
    Mountain frowned in confusion. Rascals? Them? "Rascals?"
    "Yes! They were practically gone all night when it was near sunset, a guard said they didn't get back till the moon was halfway into the sky." She explained, smiling. "Seems you've got a father, little one."