#rparthurharrow

Stoker's Farm was renowned for having one of the largest acreage in the area along with a large herd of cattle. It was also known for its main cowboy, John Wyatt, who kept an eye on the herd and controlled others around him like a drill sergeant in the military. He was not someone that Nafud or Harrow liked to be around much less help, but with so many cattle having stampeded through the fencing and now were scattered out on the road, they had to help.

"Well I was wanting to get in some roping practice today," said Nafud with a little laugh as he urged his pinto along.

"Yeah well I would have just as easily gone for a nice relaxing rest on the porch with a cold glass of lemonade watching over our ranch, not out here doing this," Harrow replied in a rather grumpy tone. Nafud just smiled. "It's okay. We can still do that. Just after we do this."

Harrow focused on something down the road. "Oh, there's some people up ahead. I hope they can hear the cattle behind them and have enough smarts not to run away. These are just white-faced cows, but still."

Both Harrow and Nafud showed Mare to where the treats were. Nafud smiled as he leaned against Harrow's shoulder and said, "Arthur made the pumpkin bread and the cookies. They're seriously everyone's favorites. Seems like buying the store ones was almost a waste this year so please, Mare, take as many home as you want."

Harrow gave Nafud a little nudge with his elbow. "Nafud made the apple cider though. We used what we had grown on our trees and it turned out to be the perfect amount. Torn between coffee, hot cocoa, and apple cider."

"Personally the apple cider is the best," replied Nafud. He watched as his pinto, Checkers plodded up behind Mare, though he was quiet due to the still elevated noise. "There's someone else who absolutely loves the apple cider too."

At that Checkers gave Mare's shoulder a firm nudge and whinnied at him.

Harrow glanced at the other and smirked lightly. "Well then you have two choices. You can either stand your ground and make a case for yourself. Show that you're willing to negotiate or at the very least unwilling to go so quietly. Or… you can run."

Harrow inhaled deeply and looked to the jar that he was holding and gave it a soft shake to slosh the liquid around. "What's there to say? Apple harvesting is over for us, our horses are in good order, and I'm still having trouble sleeping after that bastard Colton Hunter tried to kill us."

He gave a smirk before drinking some of the cider. As he set it back down he looked at Doc Holliday and asked, "How 'bout you? Things going okay with you?"

"Of course there is," said Harrow. He shifted his gaze from Amet to another spot to try and ease his unrest. "There's something interesting here, I can feel it. It's something that I haven't felt in years despite living where I do. But maybe it's because of it that I sense it now."

Despite the warmth of the area Harrow was shivering. "I used to be an avatar for the god Khonshu. I could sense his presence and other gods around me. Being here is like no time has passed at all but maybe that's the reason I feel as I do. Here was where it all ended… and where it began again for me."

Harrow shot a look around him, adding in playfully, "So long as I don't have that crazy American merc on my tail trying to murder me I think I'll be fine. I will admit, I can't wait to go back to Canada."

🕯— Harrow

🧩—Mendoza

🍻—Shiloh

📜 — Nafud

"One of my favorite stories to tell is when I was getting married to Arthur and we had invited Jake Lockely to our wedding. Well, you can't invite him, or Marc or Steven, anywhere without Khonshu also being present to a degree. Well, Khonshu made himself known and to say the least, the horses were a bit unnerved by him. All except yeah, you guessed it, Tornado. So we had this little miniature horse looking up at Khonshu with this look of, 'Fight me!!,' and then Tornado just, rears up to try and kick at him. It was pretty cute to see this tiny horse fighting an actual god."

🕯— Harrow

That late autumn, early winter always brought a certain chill that Harrow could rarely escape from but unlike a week ago when the cold first hit, Harrow was all alone in Calgary. Sure he was only an hour away from his beloved husband but he might as well have been on the other side of the world. Harrow pulled the blanket closer to him and gazed at the tv that he had long since ignored. Despite the colorful characters and cheerful nature of the show, all Harrow could think about was when Colton had tried to murder his husband and his best friend.

Hearing that shot, seeing Nafud collapse and Colton soon after made Harrow's breath slow. He recalled the blood and Nafud's still open-eyes as he lay there, lifeless on the grass. If it hadn't been for the magic and that miracle, Harrow would have lost the will to live but even now it hurt. The fear haunted him, even moreso when he didn't have his husband to pull into his arms and reassure with kisses. Being alone trapped Harrow in the thought that what had happened remained true and that his beloved would be gone forever.

🧩—Mendoza

If there was one truth that Mendoza didn't want to admit, it was that he was scared. Sure, being scared of death was only natural, but after dangling over the edge of it for days and just barely being saved from it frightened Mendoza in a way that he had never expected. He tried to brush it off with smiles, but they never lasted. A numbness had stolen that spark, that joy he always carried with him before Colton's attack. How could he feel safe again after what had happened? Colton had simply appeared in their field. What would stop him from doing it again? What if this time Colton attacked and there was no second chance? Death was a scary thing.

🍻—Shiloh

"Dragon riders don't get drunk," replied Shiloh curtly. He hadn't stirred at all from his spot on his dragon's back, too much lost in the warmth of the fading summer to care about the amusement behind the question.

Her head was swimming with thoughts, all of which were slowly drowning her. Faith looked up to the ranch she'd just been dropped off in front of, and she felt the lump in her throat. Pain was radiating from the long, jagged wound that ran up her back. She supposed now, it was a scar. It was nearly fully healed, but felt so open. So exposed. Like anything else could just open her back up, just like that demon had. Her petite hands shook as she shouldered her bag and she steeled herself, slowly making her way up the front steps. Dr. Dubois had apparently pulled some strings with some friends of hers here, and gotten them to allow the raven haired young woman to stay here awhile as part of her physical therapy. The good Doctor kept reminding her that it wasn't just about learning to walk again. It was about her mindset....

Knocking, she waited until the door opened and she offered a half hearted smile. One that didn't reach her eyes. If anything trying to smile made her feel sick. It was so very fake.

"Hi....I'm Fai.... Onyx." Her name wasn't Faith anymore. She couldn't stand the idea of hearing that name again. Not after how it has sounded coming from that demon's lips. Faith Winters was dead.

"My name is Onyx Snow. I believe you were expecting me. Dr. Dubois said she let you know I was coming."

Life at the ranch was as busy as it always was. Billie was practicing with Goody and Tornado on the jumps set up in one paddock with Nafud working on a horse and trying to help it. On the porch a couple of chickens clucked and bokked at Onyx, unbothered by her presence as they cleared the porch of any tasty bugs that they could grab. Over in a pen along the side of the house that couldn't be seen, sheep could be heard, except for one that went, "BeeeAHHeeeeehhHH!"

The door opened and Harrow offered Onyx a warm smile. "Good to see you, Miss Snow! I take it you had no problems finding us? I know up here it can be pretty easy to get turned around and a bit lost. I'd offer to shake your hand except…"

He looked down at the small tan rabbit sitting all cozy in his arms. "We just had this little gal brought to us and I couldn't get her to stop hopping into my arms. Come in, come in."

As they went into the large ranch house, immediately to the right of the door was an area where boots and shoes were left. "It's pretty relaxed here right now. With the fundraiser over with and the cattle drive not for another two weeks, we're in a bit of a lull so you came at the right time. Plenty of opportunity to rest and to recover. Can I get you anything?"

There was a lot to go over and quite frankly, Nafud was more of the guest-welcoming type than he was, but Harrow knew that Nafud was trying to help the poor horse that was brought to them and sometimes the horse had to come first.

"As I'm sure Dr. Dubois said, we do have ranch hand bunks and so we've got one set up for you. It's only a little ways from the house here but it should be all nice and cozy. It's got an air conditioner so you won't get too hot in this heat."