when I pretend everything is what I want it to be

I look exactly like what you had always wanted to see

The Thief was well acquainted with the look of mischief present upon Lena’s face. He had witnessed the particular glint of devilry in the eyes of many others, and knew exactly what it entailed; this was not going to be a leisurely walk in the meadow, enjoying the sun and the respite of Lena’s soft spoken company- it was going to be a game. He cocked his head as the mare shared a glance with her companion, some scheme passed along in their suspicious reticence while Roland could only guess at what they had in mind. He shifted on his feet, a wary smile curving his lips as he watched and waited. Lena confirmed his suspicions when she spoke, tossing a crafty grin his way. Before he could react the Time Mender had bolted from his side, leaving his gaze settled upon the blossoms waving in the wind, the whispering of grass filling his ears as the mare cantered away, Imogen leading like a comet winding recklessly between the wild flowers. Roland turned to watch, only standing still a moment longer- to gather his bearings- before he dug his hooves into the soil and pushed himself after her, racing to match her stride.

It had been a long time since he’d allowed himself to divert from the ever important path of service, but now he did. They had done this in the caves too, skirting about the edge of the underground stream, playing beneath the lights, before Lena had drawn him into the cool water, gamboling over the rocks and forcing waves against his sides, filling the empty, hollow silence with the soothing sound of her laughter. It had been his only respite from the shadows. Now she tore him from his thoughts again, held all of his worries in her grasp and left him behind, void of concern or burdens as he ran to catch up. Roland pressed himself into a gallop, the grass just a hurried blur beneath his hooves. He might have felt foolish, if his mind were focused on anything but overtaking the dark mare ahead of him; but her joy was contagious, and he didn’t let his insecurities weigh heavy on his mind as he raced towards her side.

As the breeze tugged at his mane and swept the grass along in rolling waves, Roland neared his target, steadying his gait to prevent stumbling against her. The Thief couldn’t remember the last time he’d ran simply for the sake of running. His eyes flicked down to the excited blur of Imogen, locating the kitsune so he could avoid careening into her. He drew up alongside Lena, smiling devilishly to himself as he danced a step closer for a moment, closing the distance between them before, with a final push, he reached out in attempt to bump their shoulders together. Then he dug his heels into the dirt and pivoted, turning away from her side and capering off, out of reach. His tail snapped behind him as he threw a glance back, to check if she were following or maintaining her own course. He had often played tag as a child, ungracefully stumbling into another foal, or knocking their short horns together before tearing off in another direction. He smiled at the memory and continued his hurried pace, determined to avoid being caught.

@[Lena]