#kaoife

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No position in the bed was comfortable enough. Her mind raced with the events of the night, tying those already existing knots in her stomach even tighter the more she thought about Delphine's risky plan to the poison still sitting inside her cuirass pocket to her conversation with Kaidan. The only thing that came remotely close to a remedy was replaying one of their last conversations before they retired for the night.

After they talked at the river, Kaidan had left to attend to the horses. She accompanied him, having promised to do so when they first arrived, but also craving the companionship of her new equine friend. When she was younger, she loved spending time with her little mare, often content with standing with her while she ate, leaning against her with her ear at her withers, listening to the sounds of her chewing her grain. Where most would be averse to the scents of horses or stables, the scent of Septi would always ground Aoife and calm her if she were ever upset. Before she left home, her beloved mare was the last piece of her childhood she wanted to say goodbye to. She visited the aged Septi one last time after leaving Camlorn's gates, burying her face in her sweet smelling chestnut mane as she cried and told her everything and why she had to leave. She still carried a braided lock of her mane with her, safely tucked away in her alchemy book.

This time was no different. Though Zephyr was still new to her, she already felt their bond beginning. A few quiet moments with him before bed would surely calm her down.

They took the horses to the old, unused stables behind the inn, a place Delphine had permitted them to use since they had no other purpose, both of them working silently due to both fatigue and the next event looming over the horizon. After leaving her saddle over a piece of fence, she led Zephyr into the first stall, slipping his bridle over his ears and scratching and fluffing the flattened fur left in its place to breathe more life into it. He let the bit fall from his mouth, lazily moving his jaw with an empty mouth before licking his lips.

"I don't suppose they have any hay or grain on hand, do they?" she wondered aloud as Kaidan led Kiai into the next stall.

"I doubt it, judging by the fact that no one else owns horses around here."

She sighed with a degree of frustration, giving Zephyr a regretful pat on the shoulder as he nosed around the ground, nibbling on some grass. Kaidan closed the stall door and locked the latch, leaning on the beam between the stalls with the bridle still hung on his shoulder, reading her disappointment.

"I'll get up early and take them somewhere to graze," he resolved while she too exited the stall and latched it shut. "That way they won't go completely hungry once we set out."

She almost protested, but she was secretly grateful. Zephyr, especially, was on the leaner side and had a big appetite, and having to tote her and Aventus in the snow did him no favors in maintaining his stamina.

"Thank you…" she uttered gratefully. "That's good of you."

Weakening under her kind words and kinder face, he looked away and gave a little shrug, burying his true reaction underneath the customary gruff exterior he used with everyone else; one that was beginning to no longer fool her. "It's simply what needs doing."

"Any other man might not care about the welfare of their mounts," she noted, a corner of her mouth lifting in amusement after he snorted in response.

"Then they're foolish. A horse is like any other tool. You need to care for it. Maintain it," he stated, giving Kiai a rub on the nose as he finished his words. The smile grew on her face as she slowly walked forward, leaning her elbow on Zephyr's gate and subtly tilting her head to watch him and study his softening expression that told her the opposite.

"But Kiai isn't just a tool, is he?" she mused softly. "Not to you. You're better than the rest of them, do you know why?" He met her eyes, unsure how to answer. "Because you treat him like you treat me. A friend."

At the word 'friend', his face lowered and he broke their connection, a slight smile on his face showing itself out of regret and frustration. If only she really knew. But he could tell her. He could tell her in an instant, in this very moment. It was quiet, they were alone, and he didn't know how much time he truly had left with her. But could he? After she just reunited with an old flame? Would it come off as tasteless and inconsiderate? And besides that, would it be wise to bring such a thing up when she was about to embark on such a risky assignment? It surely would distract her. Should he take the risk?

"Not a friend…" He surprised himself, not knowing he had said the words aloud. Divines, his heart was beating so hard. It was almost completely dark, but he could see her features by light of the moons. She had paused for him to continue, but it only made him more nervous. "A companion," he finally said, ashamed he couldn't say it exactly how he wished to, though 'companion' may be sufficient enough to convey some of his feelings; or so he hoped.

To his relief, she smiled. "Yeah," she said quietly. "That's a good word too…" She went on, straightening up and hanging her bridle on a nail. "And if I'm being honest…" She threw one last smile his way as she took one, then two steps away from him. "Any man who treats an animal like that becomes much more attractive in my eyes."

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Kaidan... Babe... I'm going to hold your hand when I say this... but she's holding a GAINT green light IN your face 😩 (they'll get there eventually) Also - fun fact: 'Septi' is modeled after the horse I grew up with that also had a money adjacent name, so I thought 'Septi' would be a fun lore friendly take on her name 🥰