Sacre smiled and offered a returned bump to the neck of the Frozen Light, happy, that despite their earlier differences, their closeness didn’t appear to be marred by it. The fox boy grew comfortable stood next to him and watched as new faces joined the forming crowd. Some he even recognised! Like Arah, though he didn’t know her, he remembered her from the Basin. He vaguely recognised Rohan from a Threshold incident and Alysanne from earlier, along with Raeden. Yet, there was one he was more captivated by, one who commanded his attention and one who made his heart break its usual rhythm.
Tandavi.
The Fire Dancer was here?!
There was a double coo of delight that poured from the mouths of his two fox friends, who bounded forwards, equally as excited, to dance along with Natraj. There weren’t many times that the pair got to play with one of their own kind (or as close as for Inari) and the darker vulpine was like a ball of joy to play with, he was much more fun than Sacre, (even if Sacre didn’t think so). However, for a moment, the red-eared boy was stunned to even say anything. The girl he thought he’d left in the red sands of the dragon was here in the mists of the moon! The braids, the golden markings and the familiar gaze that always captivated him, were all there. His mind, his heart, was full of affection tinged with guilt, he was the one after all who always left without a word, and the disbelief that they had crossed paths again—he had only just returned. He wondered how she’d been all this time, why she had left the warm south and if, in all of his failings, she was disappointed in him, angry with him.
Yet, her voice betrayed none of that if she felt it and Sacre couldn’t stop the unfolding vibrant, boyish smile that formed on his face to light up his bright blue eyes that hovered on the golden girl in elated disbelief. “Tandavi” he fondly sang, happy that some unseen force above had seen it fit to have them cross paths again “what are you doing here?” he laughed, repeating the question to her.
What was he doing here?
Apart from following Mauja around like a lost puppy, wallowing in self-pity and causing offense at random, Sacre didn’t really know. To find Roux perhaps, but Sacre had not seen Roux in so many seasons he worried that his twin wasn’t actually here. Though he didn’t worry for the red brother’s health, the arrow that was woven in his tail gave the fox boy a peace of mind that, even though he couldn’t see Roux, he was safe and fine. Back to the meeting, Sacre wanted to go on, ask Tandavi all the questions he had, apologise for constantly leaving and being a general arse on all counts. He wanted to reveal his heart right there, that actually he thought of her as something more than a friend, but it wasn’t the moment and Sacre was frightened she wouldn’t feel the same. That she would avoid him if he said the hearts words. In the end, he didn’t get chance to say anything as the meeting began.
There were promotions, projects and all kinds of goings on, though the fox boy keenly noted Lyanna for reference; he was a new Nurse after all. Sacre watched as one Queen stepped down and his gaze cheered when the pretty Alysanne was chosen to lead as the next monarch. It appeared, however, his sentiments were not shared by the whole of the herd and the fox boy was amazed by how quickly everything descended into senseless squabbles because of one irritated comment. They covered a range of topics and layered insult upon insult until some began to walk away. Yet, Sacre was ignorant to Nyx, to the members of the Edge and their current issues. He had already caused a fight with thoughtless comments before and was not about to enter this argument. Even if he did feel a fiery urge to protect Alysanne who had also protected him during his terrible introduction on the herd borders. At least she had plenty of champions to jump to her defence.
"Prudence should also be on that old list of virtues" he thought dryly after another believed it was wise to add their voice to the many making it feel more like a trial than a meeting. Sacre’s blue gaze eventually fell on Tembovu, the King, and the one who the fox boy felt was ultimately responsible for the mess everything had descended into. He might have an Elephant in his legend, but was he going to leave Alysanne to be flayed alive, to be discussed like she was some sort of criminal being put before a jury? There were times for opinions; times for discussions, but this was more like a battle of egos for who could come up with the best come back. So far the fox boy had learnt that the Worlds Edge dealt with its problems by bickering over them until one party was more hurt than the other. Even though he found Tembovu lacking, perhaps it was his own lacking, and that was why one was King and the other was still a boy. Or maybe he had grown too used to Gaucho’s iron grip.
Sacre detached himself from it, settling his gaze instead on the more beautiful sight of the golden Tandavi and stretched out his dark nose, trying to brush her shoulder for attention. “I think this meeting is over” he grimaced sadly, it might not be over for some, but it was for him “wanna go somewhere more quieter?” he asked. He couldn’t just leave, however, and before he left he dipped his head to Alysanne, she might not see, there was a lot going on, he would have to congratulate her later. He had also wanted to brush the side of Mauja, let him know that he was there, despite how the meeting had gone the Frozen Light still had friends to lean on, but the spotted stallion moved away from him and to the lakeside. The fox boys gaze lingered there as he considered going over, but decided this time it was best that he left the new Emissary to his thoughts, there was nothing Sacre could say in this situation, even if he wanted to.
Lost in the chaos, he turned away and left the meeting to those who still felt the need to be in it. As he walked, his gaze only flickered from the path ahead to see if Tandavi was going to follow him before he disappeared into the woodland, happy to let the bickering fade away.
He walked until he found a glade, the sun peeping though the branches, but Sacre chose to stay in the shade regardless. His dark coat was amazing at absorbing the heat and often in Tallsun he felt like he was trapped in an oven being cooked alive. Even now his mane, that was going curly in the humidity, stuck to his neck in patches where he had sweat the most. It was during times like this that he often wondered how on earth he had managed to live so well in the Dragons Throat. Thinking of his old home, the fox boy reached back and pulled the key from his mane, sighing as he did so.
He had to go back. Lest someone come looking for him. Though Sacre would never intentionally cause harm to the dragon land, just by having this on him he risked it being stolen, at least if he returned it the key was no longer his responsibility. However, still, it meant going back, explaining where he had been and why he wasn’t going to return. Maybe if he found Sikeax or Maren… "we must do it" Inari whispered into his mind, shaking his head at Sacre for even thinking of shirking their duty onto another so they didn’t have to go.
The fox boy sighed again, looking around to see if Tandavi had indeed followed him, “I know,” he mumbled dejectedly.
I hope this is okay charks! I decided to just write it all in one thread, sorry for the mini novel! :L <33
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