He seemed so lost in thought. His muscles tense, head raised. Strong. Like nothing was going to harm me - if there had been anything there that would have, at least. But, for the life of me I could not find a way to get his attention. His tail was sticking to the curves of his haunches, flinching as his muscles twitched in nerves. Then, one flick and some of the water drops hit my flesh in a manner that only made me want to gain his attention again.

A sigh escaped my maw. He had to think I was too afraid to speak. Idiot! But I supposed it was a logical train to follow when they had held a conversation not that long ago. I stomped, feeling the dirt envelope my hoof with a hard "thump" and then a "squish" as I raised it out of the gush I had accidentally placed it in. The only response given to me, though, was a flick of his ear. Not a turn of his head, no eyes, not even his frame inching in closer to mine. What if I'd stomped to try and kill a snake? Huh? Want me dead? I grumbled to myself, before almost laughing at the thought. Of course he would think it was worse. If I came in that fast then there couldn't be a snake that I'd be running away from.

And then his eyes, they were focusing on the tree tops. Cougar? He thinks it's some sort of wild cat? Also logical, I supposed, but still not the point. He was getting tenser every second though, and the last thing I wanted was for him to have a heart attack because I had tried to answer his first question a little bit too late. A slight turn of his frame, and I have stomped the ground again, feeling the mud from the pond cling to my pelt and I attempted to shake it off in agitation. He ignored it again, and so this time I took it upon myself to inch forward. Dammit. Alleo. PAY ATTENTION! I wanted to scream at him, but I knew the words would not come, not when I had nearly choked myself not that long ago while trying to say his name - only so that he didn't try and find whatever the boogieman he thought was following, the nonexistent boogieman.

So I tugged on his hair, trying to get him to look at me. and, when he finally did I managed to meet his gaze completely, orbs focusing upon his unmatched pair. And, then he seems to only stare, his jaw dropping ever so slightly. I tilt my head, eyebrows furrowing before I his voice hit my ears. Can I see him, an emphasis on the word see. I nod my head, lifting my maw to try and brush his own eyes to make certain he knew i was agreeing with the sight. Yes. I can see. But I can't talk. I thought to myself, watching as he continued to stare at me, as if there was something wrong. My audits flicked backwards, hurt sliding into my eyes, into the features of my face. There will always be something wrong with me. Something that will push everyone away from me, deem me broken and unusable. It seems the gift of sight... I shouldn't have gained for Alleo almost looks like he wishes I hadn't been given it... I thought to myself, my legs shuffling me back a few steps as I squeezed my orbs shut and shook my head.

I should have expected nothing less. No one would understand. I would be shunned away again. And this time, with a form of anger and depression suffocating me with no way to get rid of it. And then his voice again, seeming to have broken out of the trance. He realized I had lost my voice. Good job. Now can you read my mind? I plead in my cranium, ears falling back not in anger but in weakness, my head nodding slowly before I placed my maw upon my marking.

He spoke of how he had told me that I had it. But, it was when I lifted my head to the sky that he seemed to have fallen silent. And that silence had my throat burning and breaking. Oh. How deeply alone. The hawk was gone. He was not circling around. He named the bird upon my haunch and then asked if I was looking for one. Again, I nodded my head a little before shaking my head as I saw the young bird fly across the opening between the trees only to disappear a second later. I'm looking for mine... I'm looking for what killed mine... I thought to myself and as I looked back toward him everything was blurry. I could feel the salty tears as they slid down my cheeks, dripping off of my face and to the ground. He said not to cry, but I couldn't stop it. I could feel him coming closer though, because my sight was completely hindered by the tears that were swarming around my orbs. And, as he reaches out toward my face I simply close my eyes, allowing him to brush away the tears that I'm trying to stop from continuing.

The more air that I drink in the easier it is to breathe without a burning in my throat making my eyes water. A gentle nod of my head as I take in two quick breaths in succession and try and bury my face against his shoulder for a moment, as if it would stem the flow of the salty liquid that continued to fall from my eyes.

One minute, two minutes, three minutes, and finally the heaves in my chest had subsided, and the tears were no longer falling. Slowly, I pulled my head back from his shoulder and tugged on a piece of his hair again, trying to ensure that I had his attention again as I attempted to find a way to explain just what I had been doing, just why I was crying, just why I was broken.

I waited a few seconds, trying to meet his gaze before I, once again, touched my maw to the hawk marking, lipping at it's wings a couple of times before resting my maw against my beating heart. A couple of seconds there, a few deep breaths, and then I am reaching toward where his heart is, where the soul is kept. Companion. Alleo. Companion. I don't know how to explain... I thought to myself, my orbs peering up towards him, distress in my eyes as I wonder if he'll understand. How do I explain the loss without words? How do I explain the flood of memories that I just cannot escape...