Things Lost and Found (a Waglington and Mianite fanfiction)

Chapter 19

Hi everyone! Hope your classes are all going well. :) Anyways, let's get right on into the story. We have a new POV for this chapter...

*KillerTom's POV*

I ran the course curry comb through a tangled section of Plattypi's dark grey mane as he continued munching on the alfalfa I'd put in the feed bucket attached to the wall. He could care less how rough I was with the tangled mess as long as he got his favorite treat. I finally got that last stubborn tangle out with the thick bristled brush and tossed the loose wad of hair down in the musty straw. I'd be changing the bedding out later today anyways.

Setting the curry comb aside, I rolled the black and blue sleeves of my wizard robes above my grey elbows and picked up the grooming brush to start working on removing the dried mud from his back and withers. Dust could be seen wafting through the air in the sunbeam coming through the east window with each sweep of the brush. The only other sounds in the stable were the happy munching of food and the occasional swish of a tail. "You just had to find the biggest mud hole to roll in after that storm yesterday, didn't you?" I asked the dapple grey stallion before me. He twitched a grey ear at me and continued nosing around his feed bucket for the last scraps of fodder.

As I kept raking clumps of dirt and loose hair off Plattypi, Phil walked out of the stall two down from us with Dovabutt in tow. Grooming his stallion had not taken him very long, since the bay hadn't coated himself in mud. Phil waved as he walked past, smirking at the work I still had ahead of me, and led his horse to the pasture we'd fenced off.

I'd use magic to do this in seconds, but we were trying to conserve our magic after renovating Jordan's Fortress of Fury yesterday. Our magic isn't without limits. I sighed to myself as I continued, sweat beginning to bead on my forehead. I guess I should be thankful I still have a horse to spend time grooming. We never did find Bob after the heroes came to visit. Someone—most likely Tom or Wag—didn't know how to lock a fence gate behind them, and animals had been everywhere the next morning. We'd managed to round up most of the chickens and sheep, though we definitely had fewer cows and pigs after putting everyone back in their pens. We'd found Dovabutt and Plattypi grazing near the meteor west of our home. Matt's bay was nowhere to be found. After the next blood moon, we'd given up hope of ever finding the steed.

Plattypi was nudging me impatiently with his white head and nickering by the time I was satisfied with my work. "All right boy, we're going now. Easy," I laughed as I pulled his lead rope down from its hook outside the stall door and attached it to his halter. I opened the stall and led him outside. It was approaching midday now and looked like it would be a beautiful day. All of the plants were a brighter shade of green after the rain, and the air smelled fresh and clean. I might just take Plattypi for a ride later if he doesn't roll in mud again. We strolled past our two story house and the smeltery to the gap between the mountains to the east of our tower. His hooves clicked against the stone path as we passed the Tower Heart, faintly glowing with its own pearly light. We'd fenced off a large portion of the field beyond the mountains for the horses to roam and graze during the day. We'd bring them back in at nights, tonight especially as it would be a blood moon. I turned my grey and white horse loose and bolted the fence closed. I smiled as he galloped across the field, tossing his head and acting like a colt.

I was looping the lead rope over one of the fence posts when the Tower Heart spoke to me and my brothers—wherever they were, "Wizards, one of the mortals is approaching, and he is bringing someone with him I don't recognize." The feminine voice sounded a little apprehensive, as it always did when mortals were about. I think the Tower Heart inherited a bit of our distrust for mortals and gods when we made it/her. She wouldn't talk at all if gods were nearby.