Playing The Victims [BL]

Chapter One Hundred & Twenty-Four | Fourth World

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The clothing on their backs were only just dry as they left the confines of the rock-pool and went in search of their horse. The brutality of the weather hit them hard, and Finch's mood soured as he cursed his weak constitution. There had been no time for him to improve his physical health, as the threat of being a human sacrifice always loomed over his head.

So just keeping up with Falcon was a task. But he knew the man was taking it slow, never letting the two of them stray too far apart. Finch was a decent meal for any wolf— but he was mostly bone. Saying that, perhaps he'd be a better toy than food.

"Tracks." Falcon startled Finch out of his maddening thoughts. With that, they picked up their pace and followed what they hoped was the movements of their horse. It was only around five minutes later when Falcon brought them to a stop and told him to stay put.

The horse had gotten itself trapped whilst trying to find cover. It was already covered in a substance Finch guessed was put there by his companion. But a startled horse could be dangerous, or attract a lot of unwanted attention with its cries. So Falcon moved quickly, giving the horse a wide-berth.

As soon as he could, he stroked the horse reassuringly. He continued to try and coax it to relax so that he could work on the reigns which had snagged on a rock. It was at such an angle where if the horse pulled, the force of it could break its own neck.

Finch watched on as he clung to the nearest tree and tried to avoid the worst of the winter's breeze. He whispered to himself repeatedly, hoping that Falcon would be successful and that they could move on. He had to wonder if Zephyr had lied to him, when it came to 'always watching over you'. Because they had been greeted by one issue after another.

Fortunately untangled, the horse remained spooked. It jerked when Falcon attempted to lead it back to safety, but the experienced hunter was surprisingly patient when it came to the vulnerable animal. He took his time coaxing it, until finally it seemed to listen to its surroundings and notice that there was no longer any wolves chasing them.

"His hind leg," Finch whispered when Falcon was close enough. "He's bleeding."

Falcon looked it over, running his hand along the back of the horse to continuously reassure it. When he took a closer look, running his fingers along the side, the horse flinched. Although resilient creatures, the animal was already vulnerable after the previous attack and was at risk of further damaging itself due to stress. Which was a worry shared momentarily by the two men glancing at one another.

They had been fortunate that the wolves were hunting away from them, but there was no guarantee they wouldn't circle round and return. Or that there wouldn't be any other predator waiting for them to slip-up. But potentially abandoning the horse was out of the question.

On the horses back, was their belongings which had also been covered in mud. Falcon didn't suggest removing them, as the weight could be beneficial to aiding the horses nerves. So instead Finch instructed his companion to get something out of it for him. "Do you remember what I said Chamomile or Lavender looked like?"

Falcon turned and nodded, while continuing to stroke the horse's main.

"They can be used for other things, not just ground into medicine. If we're desperate then they can be used to calm someone when inhaled. But I guess we're now desperate enough to try it out on a horse."

Finch was vaguely taught by Falcon how to keep the horse's focus on him, while maintaining calm. But he wasn't overly keen on horses in the first place. Initially he liked them from a distance, admitting they were beautiful creatures but not ones he wanted to be on the back of, but obviously over time he had had to get used to them pretty rapidly. They were, after all, the primary means of transport in his first life.