As the horse loped lazily down the road the first movement Orin saw was that of a wooly shadow. So it seemed the stock was coming to greet her first. She snickered softly as she watched the sheep trot out of his yard and bleat at her, though he would only trek so far down the path until he was out of his comfort zone and stopped. No matter, Spot spanned the gap between them in only a few more steps. “Good afternoon, Axel,” she chimed, amused, but on the horse’s back she was too high up to reach down and pat his head like she normally would. Then her eyes flicked up to see Vox moving about the yard. Mars’s little pets made very good sentries, it seemed.
Her ears perked up as she got closer, and when Axel stopped his baaing she could hear the sounds of arguing inside. Sighing softly yet with a half smile, she shook her head. Though a fight raged on, the voices were alike, and she wondered what it would be like having a sibling you couldn’t get along with. It was unfortunate, because Mars and Bartholomew were closer than she and Niro could ever be, yet they were both so, so far apart.
The stallion had alerted his master of the visitor by now, and just as she reined Spot to a halt Mars appeared in the doorway. He seemed surprised or confused, or both, that she was there. She offered a warm smile as if to reassure him that she was really there, although an illusion could have easily done the same thing.
“Hi Mars, and Bart,” she added both names coolly, knowing that the other was likely still around since they had just been fighting. “I like your guard sheep,” she joked as Mars stepped up next to Spot, then she held her arms out and wriggled her fingers. “Help me down?” She was already slower than normal, her children growing fast inside of her. Orin was normally such a skinny, lithe thing that even a few pounds made her sluggish. Plus, she just liked it when people did things for her.
The cloak that obscured her body was heavy and it was getting hot in the sun. She would need to take it off soon, which was of little matter because he would know soon enough anyway. Mostly the cloak served to keep from broadcasting her vulnerable state to strangers while she traveled.
“Thins are… changing…” She said, a short pause to choose the right words, her voice a little less playful now as a note of worry laced her words. Her golden eyes sought those sky-blue ones. Orin knew he wasn’t stupid, and she knew what he must be thinking. “I’ll tell you about it all but first I’m thirsty, and I think Axel is going to chew a hole in my cloak.” She glanced down to see the ram chewing on the corner of the fabric, and grabbed it and yanked it away from him quickly. She had this cloak forever, and although she was fond of the scampy sheep she wasn’t interested in a holey cloak.
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