David and Babe Cavort

Interlude

The Caprinae return. The Eldest as well as a Scout. She is young, this one, but has potential. Even I can see it. Bregon sees me watching. Looks at me and I cower. Guilty, but I am not sure of what.

"Show her," he says.

She saunters towards me, the power of her growing sexuality coming off of her in waves. There is little subtlety about it. I... remember others. Who could weave desire, even my desire, into theirs? But her form is not pleasing to me, and she lacks this skill.

She is too young. Younger than me.

Younger? Than me?

I lead her across the gate, blending into the background with my glamour as we move. The young Caprinae follows, using her own arts to remain hidden. She is most careful as she passes through the gate, a small hiss of pain in her leg, as the gate removes some skin and hair. A minor cut appears. The Eldest sighs, and I see the young Caprinae’s face shift to a momentary scowl, before she recovers her composure.

When we return, the Eldest examines her. Grunts.

"What?" demands Bregon.

"I don't know. I must test her."

He sighs and waves dismissal. They leave.

 David and Babe Cavort

- Ellen -

I watched Babe standing like a sentinel at the end of our drive. The sun had just broken over the hills, burnishing him and the freshly fallen snow with rose, so that he glowed against the pristine backdrop like something out of a Botticelli. He’d been waiting there for at least a half hour, which rankled. Who were David and Takara to warrant such fervour?

Their car appeared on the horizon, causing Babe to rear up and circle a few of times, like a dog chasing his own tail. As they came down the long driveway, Babe cantered alongside, throwing up clods of dirt and snow in his wake. It was still early in the season, but the snow was already beginning to soften and turn to slush as the sun rose. 

I took a breath, irritated by Babe’s easy acceptance of them. Shigeto had the nerve to suggest that it was me who’d driven him to standing there like some sort of pariah, just because I’d tried to warn Babe that David and Takara might want more than just a solution to the gate. It was as I was getting into the meat of things, and Babe seemed to be listening, Shigeto told me to stop fighting with the boy. "I’m just explaining," I’d begun, but Shigeto had simply grabbed me by the shoulders and steered me towards the house.

"It’s time for your breakfast. Now let Babe have his oatcakes in peace."

I heard a muttered, "Thank you, Shigeto," from Babe as we were leaving, and I was about to explain to him that I was just looking out for him, but Shigeto’s grip on my shoulders was quite firm. And he’d made French toast, apparently. Unfair coercion.

Babe had been monosyllabic with me when I’d come back to the barn for chores, and simply walked out as I tried to chat with him about plans for the day. Yes, okay, I’d made some comments about Takara. But I did tell him that Shigeto had convinced me that David was not like his brother. It was entirely unreasonable for him to just walk out. But there we were — he could be as stubborn as a bull!

Now they were here, Babe trotting behind them, like some damn puppy after a treat. Irritating in itself, but then, as soon as they stopped, David stepped out of the car and made some comment accompanied by shooing motions. I felt my anger surge, and was about to step forward and give David a piece of my mind, but then Shigeto was beside me, without me hearing his approach, and he put a hand on my shoulder, "Wait".

Babe’s response to David’s behaviour was far from what I expected. Rather than some sort of dejected moping, Babe reared, towering above David’s small car, bringing his great hooves down to land in the damp earth only inches from him, the shockwave thrumming through the earth and scattering small gobbets of the now melting snow and accompanying mud onto his pants and car. Takara exited the car then, moving preternaturally fast, but paused, perhaps confused. For David simply stood there, seemingly unconcerned. He flicked away a spot of mud from his coat, his only response being a single raised eyebrow. Babe seemed to take this blasé reaction as some sort of insult and, seemingly, sideswiped David with one of his horns. Then, there was a beat of time, scarcely noticed, and David staggered back, slammed against the car, splaying in a most dramatic fashion. He held this pose for a moment, shook his head, and sprang forward, towards Babe to strike a theatrical karate pose. I could swear then that I heard Babe giggle. David yelled again and launched an awkward kick at Babe, who dodged easily. David continued with a series of absurd poses and attacks, culminating with a shove that bowled Babe over, though whether it was due to Babe's now nearly convulsive laughter, which was a most odd snorting and mooing sound. Upon his collapse Babe attempted to lie on his back, all hooves in the air, to play dead, though not really succeeding. David started laughing then, as well, and I noticed that Takara still looked tense, despite the humour the two of them shared. For once, I thought I understood how she felt.

When Babe had finished his death throes, he scrambled to his feet, still giggling. Indifferent to the flailing of hooves as Babe righted himself, David stepped close and drew a finger through some of the mud that had stuck to Babe's coat, flicked it back onto Babe, and made yet another comment, his tone and gesture haughty. Babe responded by several, surprisingly rapid, strikes of the ground near David with his front hooves, spattering David’s pants and even his coat. There was a cry of outrage and David chased Babe around the parking lot, yelling about Babe being some sort of barbarian and shaking his fist. Eventually, they both ran out of steam halfway back up the driveway and started walking back towards us, gesturing at each other and laughing. Takara spoke first, "That's what drew me to you from the beginning, your maturity and composure."

David just laughed. "Are you upset? Would you like a big hug?" And he spread out his now mud-smeared arms for an embrace.

"Thank you for your oh-so romantic offer, but I think I'll decline."

"Oh, dear," commented Babe," has the romance declined so quickly?"

"Who can compete with such magnificence?" was Takara's dry reply, as she eyed Babe's mud- smeared hide.

Only then did Shigeto release my shoulder, and he stepped forward, "Well, how delightful that you have offered our guests such a gracious greeting. And you wonder why we have been reluctant to introduce you to be polite company."

"My boyish charm combined with my worldly sophistication would delight anyone who met me," countered Babe.

"That sounds like something that David would say," said Takara with a roll of her eyes. "How delightful that I have two such... gentlemen in my life." David leaned forward to give her a careful kiss on the cheek without smearing her with mud. She accepted, seemingly grudgingly, but I saw a quirk of a smile on her lips.

" Well," I said, striding forward,” I'm glad that we've all had a chance to air our grievances, and in such a mature and productive manner."

"So, does that mean you'll help us out with all our issues?" asked David. He was still standing next to Babe, and really, it was hard to take the man seriously, considering that he and Babe were still giving each other the occasional shove, and grinning. Well, Babe wasn’t grinning per se, but something about his posture suggested it. Really, the immediacy of their bond was uncanny.

"I suspect that only a therapist could do that," I countered.

Takara favoured my remark with a tight smile, and said, "While I agree David may be beyond hope," and here there was a “Ha,” from Babe and a simultaneous "Heyyyy," from David, Takara continued smoothly, "but I’m sure that someone of your abilities would be capable of a great deal. I’m sure that if we were to work together, we could correct past mistakes and maybe even avoid future catastrophes."

I felt a surge of irritation, both her shameless segue and, to my ears, a bit of condescension. "How kind of you to offer to tell us how we can solve your problem."

My comment seemed to find its mark, and Takara kept a smile on her face, but the required effort meant that it was more bared teeth than good humour. "It's my pleasure," she responded. "I like to keep my eye on the target."

"And what do you see that as being, exactly?"

"Closing the gate, not just warding it."

"And again, what makes you think I have either the knowledge or power to do that? What Babe did, assuming that it was him, was likely the result of that ancient magic, some hangover from his bloodline."

"Some of it, sure," said Takara, "but don’t give me that poor little witch girl bullshit." There was no trace of a smile now — for whatever reason, my comment had really pissed her off.

"I don’t know who or what you think I am," I began, my voice rising.

"Do you think I’m blind?" spat Takara. "That I’m an idiot?"

Everything went still then, Babe, David, Shigeto. There was a pause, and the scent of ozone. I realized that we were a hair’s breadth from some sort of violence.

Takara seemed to realize this as well, and that her temper had gotten the better of her. I was actually more confused than angry at her tone, but still wary, gathering some of the farm’s power, not knowing what she intended. She looked around, took in the tension in the air, and sighed, her voice quiet only through sheer force of will. "I’m not blind, Ellen. I can see what you’ve done here, on the farm. And look, I genuinely don’t care about what you're up to here with this," and her lips curled with a distaste that spoke of something rancid, "place. This farm, this experiment, whatever you want to call it."

"Just what in the seven hells do you mean by that?"

Takara just gestured, her hand sweeping in an arc to take in the farm. "C’mon Ellen, it’s obvious enough that you’re messing about with some sort of prep for a big spell, and that Babe is the centrepiece of that. I mean, look at the way you’ve diverted the ley-lines from their natural paths to surround the farm. And I don’t know how you did it, but they’re filled with as much power as I’ve ever seen. Truly, I’m impressed. Just as I am with Babe, and the amount of power that you channel through him without it affecting him negatively." And here she paused, and gave a half grin, as if trying to shift the mood, "unless you include an unusual fondness for horsing around in the mud."

"That’s bulling around, if you don’t mind," said Babe, but his tone lacked his earlier humour.

Still, she played along. "Thank you for the clarification," acknowledged Takara soberly.

"It was my pleasure," said Babe. "I’m pleased that you’re willing to engage in a civil discourse. Back and forth of wits and all that. We’re all civilized folks here, yes?"

"Of course," said Takara, nodding towards Babe. He, apparently, did not invoke her ire.

"Excellent, now why don’t I show David around the farm, my home," and here he gently struck his hoof against the ground, and I felt the thrum of power move through the land. I was unsurprised to see that Takara felt it, but when David’s eyes went wide, well, that was a surprise.

"Um," was David’s ever so insightful response.

"Oh, c’mon David," said Babe, "You really think we’ll be able to have any sort of conversation until these two get over themselves?" He rolled his eyes.

I noticed David try to catch Takara’s eye, then mine, but there was no way I was going to be distracted from her. I didn’t trust her an inch. But something seemed to be communicated, and by some silent consensus, all the males in the area vacated. Cowards.