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Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 6:29 pm Post subject:

"What do you think will happen when we ride out to Amber one day? You think people will be jolly for you? Once you leave, this place will hardly be your home anymore... Wyatt, well... He would have been the anchor to keep you here. Don't blame me because you didn't say yes. If I had told him 'no, you can never marry my daughter', you would have felt rotten about it. Worse than now, if I know you any. I'm not here to dictate your life. You be your own guide. I am simply passing options along. Amber is your heritage, but that doesn't mean you don't get a shot at a life here." His tone rises quickly. He helps himself to a steaming cup of coffee.
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Arden · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 542 Location: Oklahoma

She scoffed. "This place'll always be my home, ev'n if only in my heart. Changin' tha place I hang my hat ain't gonna change that none. If'n ya think I'll turn my back on the Lone Pine or Wyatt after I'm taken to Amber, ya got another think comin'."

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 8:05 pm Post subject:

"I'm not saying Amber will be better than here. Why do you think I gave Wyatt a chance? I don't like reminding you, but there will be a time when you outlive the people here, and this place. It doesn't make them any less meaningful, you know. A life here with Wyatt is a viable option so don't go around dismissing it on the pretext of what daddy told you... You may not have said no to him, but if you had wanted it you would have said yes." Eric sighs, and in a gentler tone he says, "This is not a test you know. I did the right thing, for you..." He puts his coffee down, having decided not to have anymore after all. "If you dislike my course of action, so be it."
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Arden · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 542 Location: Oklahoma

She pursed her lips and turned to look out the window. The new group of foals were scampering around the lower pasture, playing among themselves on long, spindly legs while the mares looked on for signs of trouble.

"There ain't never been anyone for either of us but each other," she said after a moment. "Growin' up, it was jist accepted as fact that we was gonna end up t'gether. He's my best friend. I already told 'im I'll outlive him, told 'im lots of thangs. He asked ya without any illusions 'bout what he was gettin' inta with me." She turns back to Eric and added: "As long as I'm here. Can ya give me an'ther fifty years here? Seventy? The rest of his life? 'Cause if ya can, I'll send fer the preacher right now. But ya can't, can ya?"

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 8:43 pm Post subject:

"Shit," Eric says looking down. "There is a lot at stake, sure. Always. Everywhere. In Amber, here, and everywhere else. What it is you focus on is what you make worthwhile. There are things you can't change. I know you knew this was coming. Wyatt and I talked for a while yesterday and, well... I didn't mean to make things harder on you. I guess I... felt guilty."

"I took you for granted. Took it all for granted. Rebecca is coming with me to Amber when she's ready!" He laughs, shaking his head. "But when Wyatt came to me, I hadn't envisioned the possibility that I was dead wrong and that there were things here you may have wanted more. A life you could have here, that you could never have in Amber or anywhere else. It just made me realize that this is your heart, and I can't make you walk away from it all because of what I have in mind."

He walks to her and holds her and says, "I love you, Rebecca. And if you choose to stay here, I will love you all the same..." He does not let go of her.
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Arden · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 542 Location: Oklahoma

For a moment she was still in his embrace. Then she blew out a breath and relaxed with her forehead on his shoulder.

"I didn' tell him no," she said again. "But I asked 'im ta give me some time and ask again later. We'll see, I reckon. I'm right as rain with tha way things are now." She managed a small smile. "I think he's afraid you'll be comin' fer his head if I come up pregnant."

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 8:57 am Post subject:

"Ha! If only I was blessed with a grandchild before coronation, now that would be something!"

Eric clears his throat and steps back from Rebecca. He quickly retracts his previous statement, "Uhm, you know that I'm not being serious..."

...

Eric becomes serious again, "I hope the man asks you again, then. You will be better prepared to answer him once you can weigh your options for yourself. See? I always choose the wisest possible course of action in anything I undertake. Never forget that." He punctuates with a wink.
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Arden · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 542 Location: Oklahoma

"Oh, he'll ask again if'n he knows what's good fer him," his daughter said with a brief chuckle. "Or I'll jest ask 'im myself when I'm ready."

Rebecca's expression grew stern. "But don' ya ever go and do somethin' like that without askin' me again."

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 3:13 am Post subject:

Eric quickly answers, "You got it!" and kisses her forehead.

~~~

[Do the Time Warp!]
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Arden · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 542 Location: Oklahoma

[It's just a jump to the left...]

It was the morning after Coronation. Rebecca was wide awake before the fingers of dawn's orange caressed the horizon. Apparently her relatives liked to sleep in, because she didn't find anyone about as she prowled the castle of cold stone and too few windows. She had finally gone outside to check on Demon. It was there she discovered the Royal Stables.

Rebecca waved off another helpful stablehand as she walked slowly among the stalls. There were some of the most beautiful examples of horseflesh she had ever seen in the most astonishingly gorgeous stables she had ever imagined. Seriously -- who put stained glass windows in a stable?

Apparently the Royal Family of Amber.

She snorted as she paused to read a brass name plate beside one of the stalls that identified the horse, breed, and its owner. The Percheron in front of her paused in its eating to regard the woman. She had never heard of the bred, but she knew it was a draft horse. A damned big one. She stood on the bottom rail of the stall door and offered the horse one of the big sticks of peppermint she carried around for Demon and whatever other horses she came across. The beast sniffed at her and the candy before carefully taking it from her hand. Rebecca smiled and murmured quietly to the surprised horse.

She discovered his name - Lothiar - was taken from a famous iron hulled clipper. It suited the Roan Bay, and was appropriate to its owner. He preened when she called him a handsome fella, and she was reminded of Gerard. Rebecca promised to return for another visit later, and told him she would pass on his message to Gerard without actually telling Gerard it was a message from his horse. She had no intention of letting the world know she could converse with horses.

Rifling through her pockets for a butterscotch, she didn't notice as she passed from the regular stalls to the "Special Stalls" Not until she looked up at the sound of a horse blowing a strong breath out of its nose. She looked to her right and froze. Then she lifted her eyes up.... and up some more.

Rebecca's jaw dropped. "Great fiery damn," she breathed.

The Grey was a giant of a horse. The hoof she could see through the slats of the reinforced stall door was bigger then her head. It swung it's great head around to regard her and she froze again. Was this even a horse? She looked at the plate beside the stall. No breed was listed. But his name and owner were and she remembered her father making a joke or two about the size of Julian's horse. Jokes that didn't exactly reflect well on Julian's self image, and said volumes about his personal insecurities.

Rebecca walked slowly closer to the stall and kept eye contact with the beast. This was a Knight's horse. One that could easily carry a fully armored man for long distances, in extended battles. Demon could do serious damage with his hooves, but Morganstern's had to several times worse. From his weight alone, if nothing else. She had an insane desire to ride him, to thunder across open plains for miles on that broad back. Hell, a body could lay down and take a nap on his back.

She pushed her hat back, the chin cord catching and sliding down to her neck so her hat rested between her shoulder blades. Rebecca glanced up the aisle to make sure there were no stable hands in range. Then she took a step closer and gave the mighty stallion an respectful nod.

"Mornin'," she said in the language only she and the horses knew.

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 5:45 pm Post subject:

The Great and Mighty Morgenstern regarded his visitor for several moments, taking a heavy step back, then simply said coldly, "Greetings."
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Arden · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 542 Location: Oklahoma

She wasn't discouraged by his reaction. Horses were all different, and reacted different when faced with someone who could actually speak with them.

"I'm Rebecca," she offered. "Can't say I've ever come 'cross any horse like yerself, an' I'm a horse rancher, so I've seen a lot. Might I ask ya some questions?"

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 5:55 pm Post subject:

"You might." Morgenstern took the time to process everything she said to him before answering, it seemed.
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Arden · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 542 Location: Oklahoma

Normally she would stand on the rail of the stall door to talk to a horse, but this would literally bite her head off if he took a mind to. So she stayed a ways back instead until she was more sure of him.

Rebecca cocked her head to one side and pondered where to start. "Yer not Amber born an' bred, are ya?"

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:55 pm Post subject:

"Not entirely... You?" His voice was like a rock, like the voice of mighty giants.
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