As the poor man ran out of sight, she thanked the birds, and slipped into the barn. There were neighs of greeting and thanks for being rescued. Turns out the man had stolen or worse, the horses in the barn, and fleeced those who wanted to buy a horse. Making quick work of the binds and ropes, Endermon let the horses loose and told them to return home.
There was nearly a stampede as the horses joyously returned to their owners. Well all except three. Their owner got killed trying to stop the man from stealing them. She asked if any of the three horses minded a rider that could shift to other forms. A large white stallion with scars scattered along his neck said he'd been in skirmishes before and one animal man wouldn't be a problem.
She said he could always buck him off if it got too troublesome. Endermon chose the tan mare and there was a smaller chestnut horse that would be perfect for Rutus. Endermon stopped by a fruit stall and got an apple for each of the horses and led them to where the other two were waiting.
When they asked about the horses running every which way, she said she didn't know much about it. They shrugged and went about securing their bags to the horses. After getting the stuff situated to both the horses and those riding them, they got up on the horses and rode off out of town. Endermon hoped that the other horses made it back to their owners safely.
They rode for a while swapping stories about their hometowns and how things were, growing up. With everyone chatting freely, it was up to Endermon to direct the group. Not that it wasn't anyway, but now that there was more beings to oversee, she had more to worry about.
The horses said that if they went to a place where there was grass by the riverbank, that would be okay, until they could get to a decent stable. Trusting their instincts, Endermon largely let them lead to a decent spot for the night.
Dismounting, they set up camp for the night. Patting the horses, Endermon told them not to worry if two large black stallions pulling a carriage with no windows showed up, as it was a friend of hers. They whinnied, and set about grazing
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Endermon went to make a fire to get warm and make dinner. She was dismayed to see what Dresden was able to get. Fruits and vegetables that were either going bad or so badly smashed that there would be one, maybe two servings of the produce. Next time she would give him something less taxing to do.
Putting her irritation aside, she asked the other two to come help her make dinner. Once it was made, they settled in to eat. They heard the carriage approach and they waited for Shiloh to appear. It only took a few minutes, but she did lean against a tree, which had become her signature pose.
They invited her to join them and motioned to the pot where the soup was. She politely declined, saying she had just eaten. She said something about a man being on the wrong end of an animal attack. The other two started asking questions, and Endermon excused herself.
A few minutes later, Shiloh showed up and asked her what was wrong. Endermon broke down and told Shiloh what happened with the man and the horses. Shiloh said he was in a bar, complaining about a bird attack. She also went on to tell about a man who tried to fight off a bear with a stick. It didn't end well.
Endermon felt silly but Shiloh told her not to apologize for feeling empathy for people. Even those dumb enough to try to scam people. Taking a last breath to make sure she was composed, they walked back to the campfire, saying something about checking the horses.
They nodded and finished eating. Then the two went to bed. Shiloh slipped out to the road and motioned for Endermon to follow her. Endermon did so willingly. They went behind Shiloh's carriage and embraced. It was getting harder to pretend nothing was going on between them, when all Endermon wanted was to be together, unashamed.