It was an easy ride down a well-worn, well-loved path. Either of them could probably find their way on a pitch-dark night, and as it was with the beginning of morning light beginning to peek through the trees America had plenty of time to look around and notice the animals beginning to stir. Some of the last robins were singing and fresh fallen leaves crunched beneath Carrot's hooves. She began to pull him lightly, asking to go faster.
"You wanna run?" He asked, smiling, "Maybe you're less burnt out than we give you credit for." She whinnied and shook her head, "Alright, then, let's do this!"
He shook the reins, gave her a light kick, and leaned down against her neck. She took off like she was a filly again. America laughed and shook his head, allowing himself to forget his problems in lieu of enjoying the wind in his hair and the feeling of having Carrot gallop beneath him. It had been a while since they ran like that together, but they remembered. He knew Carrot and Carrot knew him. When they moved they moved as one, hurtling through the trees in a direction they were both absolutely certain of.
She slowed back to a trot as they began to climb the hill. America felt much lighter and slightly breathless. They reached the crown of the hill at just the right time. The sky was flecked with reds and purples although the sun wasn't quite above the treetops. America turned his head to get the full view and took a deep breath. There was no better lookout for miles, nowhere that anyone but an eagle could see so clear for so far. He slid from Carrot's saddle and sat on the edge of the cliff. What was normally an endless sea of green appeared almost completely orange and yellow. It was hard to say if it was simply the light or if fall was really coming that quickly. Carrot followed him, stopping a safer distance away from the edge like she always did.
"Do you remember the first time we came here?" He asked, "You got us totally lost." She made a disapproving noise, "You did! And then I noticed this hill and I thought maybe I could figure out where we were. I didn't think we'd get a view like this!" He laughed. "God… That was fifteen years ago, wasn't it?" He stared out at the trees, feeling suddenly heavy and cold. He hopped to his feet and brushed off his behind.
"But it's been fun, right? At least most of the time, I mean. At least when it was just us and we didn't have to deal with the Jeffersons." He placed a hand lightly on her flank, "I'm sorry I had to use you like that, but you remember what it was like. It wasn't always this easy." He allowed his hand to slide down so that it was at his side again. He walked back out to the edge, training his eyes on the horizon in the hopes of the sun appearing to distract him.
"What was it like for you?" He asked softly. "What was it like to come back home and know that you weren't just you anymore? Were you happy? Sad? You didn't really seem to mind one way or the other." He swallowed, "I wish it was like that for me too. I'm scared, carrot. I'm really, really scared."
"How did you do it?" He asked, turning and walking back towards her, "It didn't bother you one bit until you were about to foal. But me, I-" He looked away, "Why am I even talking to you about this? You're a stupid horse! You probably didn't even know!"
She reached over and nipped his hair affectionately. America wasn't sure if she was trying to tell him she understood, or if she had just sensed that he was unhappy and was trying to cheer him up in the only way she knew how.
"It's not even like I'm worried about anything physical. England's gonna take just as good care of me as I did of you. It's just…" He took a deep breath, "I'm not ready, Carrot. I can't take care of a kid. I'm pretty much a kid myself! I'm too young. I just can't-" He turned and buried his face in her neck, inhaling her warm, earthy scent.
He couldn't help it anymore. He let himself cry, sobbing hard against her short, bristly fur. She, at least, was willing to wait for him.
A Year of Surprises [4b/12]
It was an easy ride down a well-worn, well-loved path. Either of them could probably find their way on a pitch-dark night, and as it was with the beginning of morning light beginning to peek through the trees America had plenty of time to look around and notice the animals beginning to stir. Some of the last robins were singing and fresh fallen leaves crunched beneath Carrot's hooves. She began to pull him lightly, asking to go faster.
"You wanna run?" He asked, smiling, "Maybe you're less burnt out than we give you credit for." She whinnied and shook her head, "Alright, then, let's do this!"
He shook the reins, gave her a light kick, and leaned down against her neck. She took off like she was a filly again. America laughed and shook his head, allowing himself to forget his problems in lieu of enjoying the wind in his hair and the feeling of having Carrot gallop beneath him. It had been a while since they ran like that together, but they remembered. He knew Carrot and Carrot knew him. When they moved they moved as one, hurtling through the trees in a direction they were both absolutely certain of.
She slowed back to a trot as they began to climb the hill. America felt much lighter and slightly breathless. They reached the crown of the hill at just the right time. The sky was flecked with reds and purples although the sun wasn't quite above the treetops. America turned his head to get the full view and took a deep breath. There was no better lookout for miles, nowhere that anyone but an eagle could see so clear for so far. He slid from Carrot's saddle and sat on the edge of the cliff. What was normally an endless sea of green appeared almost completely orange and yellow. It was hard to say if it was simply the light or if fall was really coming that quickly. Carrot followed him, stopping a safer distance away from the edge like she always did.
"Do you remember the first time we came here?" He asked, "You got us totally lost." She made a disapproving noise, "You did! And then I noticed this hill and I thought maybe I could figure out where we were. I didn't think we'd get a view like this!" He laughed. "God… That was fifteen years ago, wasn't it?" He stared out at the trees, feeling suddenly heavy and cold. He hopped to his feet and brushed off his behind.
"But it's been fun, right? At least most of the time, I mean. At least when it was just us and we didn't have to deal with the Jeffersons." He placed a hand lightly on her flank, "I'm sorry I had to use you like that, but you remember what it was like. It wasn't always this easy." He allowed his hand to slide down so that it was at his side again. He walked back out to the edge, training his eyes on the horizon in the hopes of the sun appearing to distract him.
"What was it like for you?" He asked softly. "What was it like to come back home and know that you weren't just you anymore? Were you happy? Sad? You didn't really seem to mind one way or the other." He swallowed, "I wish it was like that for me too. I'm scared, carrot. I'm really, really scared."
"How did you do it?" He asked, turning and walking back towards her, "It didn't bother you one bit until you were about to foal. But me, I-" He looked away, "Why am I even talking to you about this? You're a stupid horse! You probably didn't even know!"
She reached over and nipped his hair affectionately. America wasn't sure if she was trying to tell him she understood, or if she had just sensed that he was unhappy and was trying to cheer him up in the only way she knew how.
"It's not even like I'm worried about anything physical. England's gonna take just as good care of me as I did of you. It's just…" He took a deep breath, "I'm not ready, Carrot. I can't take care of a kid. I'm pretty much a kid myself! I'm too young. I just can't-" He turned and buried his face in her neck, inhaling her warm, earthy scent.
He couldn't help it anymore. He let himself cry, sobbing hard against her short, bristly fur. She, at least, was willing to wait for him.