Flower Power

Drustan

Since his discussion with the old magician, Huisha, Drustan had been intrigued with the idea of earthmoving. Particularly, the mysterious art of sensing the health of the soil. The idea was bizarre and alien, and though on some level it made vague sense, the young King had yet to consciously invoke the power. Since he could hardly green the grass or grow anything more complicated than a weedy-looking dandelion with his magic at the best of times, the fact he was considering trying anything more advanced was laughable. But recent events had got him thinking. However after spending a fruitless afternoon sat staring at the ground and getting nothing more than eyestrain, he was beginning to wonder if the incident during the fight with Lord Rafe had been a fluke, and if having a Princess at his side was the only way he was ever going to accomplish anything.

Huffing, Drustan ripped up a mouthful of grass and gave the earth between his knees a baleful glare. The pink fushia that some Lord or Lady must have grown earlier in the day peered cheerfully up at him, and Drustan grumbled. “I don’t know why you’re so happy. It’s probably going to snow tonight, and then you won’t be so chipper.” He swallowed his mouthful and peered more closely at the flower. It was a curious-looking thing and  there were others scattered about the glade in sporadic patches. All of them had that same vexatious optimism about them, and Drustan envied them. They didn’t have to worry about practicing their magic so the Kingdom didn’t notice that they hardly had a trickle of the stuff in their blood.

But hey, on the bright side, if Glenmore ever ran out of dandelions then he would definitely be the King they always needed.

Suffice it to say, Drustan was in a discontented mood that day.

Elodi

It had been an awesome day.

Elodi pranced along happily, mood only improved by the multitude of birds and flowers and smiling faces he saw along the way. Now whether these happy things really existed, or were simply visions Elodi imagined he saw due to his chipper mood was debatable, however all in all, Elodi was a happy little dukeling that day. It had all began with the fact that, for the first time in a while, his whole family had been together the night before; Mama, Gia (Mama’s friend), Beau, Vita and Solly. He couldn’t even remember the last time they had all been together, and to have had the chance to sleep cuddled up to his favouritest favourite twin with his favouritest favourite brothers curled around them had been the best thing. Ever.

As the little colt moved along he gathered the flowers that caught his eye absent-mindedly, knowing that he would need them for something. Maybe he’d run into the Ladies today, or his bestest best doe-friend Princess Landa, or Gleni or Garbi or or or maybe even some guards who might let him put flowers in their manes for luck. Oh, the possibilities were endless!

Practically tripping as he sped up in excitement, the colt paused as he heard a disgruntled snort somewhere nearby. Pricking his ears curiously, wondering who could be upset on a day as fine as this one, he cautiously tiptoed off the beaten path, large eyes searching out the source of ire.

There. And not only was there someone upset on a day as fine as this one, there was someone lying in a bed of flowers and upset on a day as fine as this one. Mind boggling. Elodi was debating approaching or leaving the grouchy stag alone, however as the stag turned and his profile became apparent, Elodi’s ears perked back up. It was father. He didn’t know the stag all that well but he had heard so much about him from the ladies and mama and his brother Gleni that the sight of the king made him both excited and fretfully nervous. He knew what some of the meaner royals whispered about him and his family behind his back, and he didn’t really want to find out if his sire might think the same things.

Then again, this was father. And nobody deserved to be all upset alone, and as his son it was kinda sorta Elodi’s responsibility to cheer him up.

Decided, the scrawny little fawn puffed out his chest and ran into the clearing - however as he realised just how much larger his sire was compared to him, he lost his bravado and shied slightly. Shyly, he moved over to the king and nervously presented his mouthful of picked flowers, eyes hopefully bright.

“I, um. For you? Since you seem sad and when I’m sad flowers make me happy and you don’t seem to like the ones around here  so I thought you might like these ones better because I thought they were pretty and maybe you will too and- Sorry.” The colt said in a rush, trailing off sheepishly at the end as he flattened his ears slightly with a shy, awkward smile.

Drustan

Distracted from his cantankerous musings by a rustle, the young King lifted his head, about to tell the would-be intruder to leave him be when he saw the creamy colt with a mouthful of flowers and familiar green eyes. His scowl was quickly wiped away with a smile as his son approached.

The pale colt presented the bouquet of flowers and Drustan chuckled, “Thank you, Elodi, these definitely do cheer me up.” He replied, sniffing curiously at the bunch. Truthfully the poor things seemed distressed, but then what flower wouldn’t after being plucked from the ground and carried around the Glenwood? It was a little bizarre, he thought, that he attributed emotions to the flowers but the more he looked at the collection of slowly wilting blossoms, the more it seemed appropriate.

Nevertheless, Elodi could have given him a dried leaf covered in slug slime and he would have been ecstatic at the gift. He didn’t get to see his children often, and with Dall’s penchant for roaming he saw Elodi and his sister even less. He glanced around for Isabaeu but the elegant filly was not in pursuit. The absence of his mother was a little troubling, but no doubt she was close. The dangers of the Glenwood were few, and this close to the Oak there would be no shortage of patrols. He had to learn to stop worrying.

“You’ve grown fast since I last saw you,” he said with a fond smile, “How are your mother and sister?”

Elodi

Elodi’s ears pricked and his face brightened considerably as the king spoke, and - considering himself now proper invited, since his peace offering had been accepted - he flopped unceremoniously across the stag’s forelegs; more than happy to start nattering on about one of his favourite topics.

“They’re good! Mama got a new friend so she’s really happy and I was kinda sorta scared of Gia at first coz she was kinda really really big and dark, she’s actually really really nice and she lets me braid her mane. And and Beau is good too! She convinced mama to let her spend more time with the Ladies during the day, so we usually walk in towards the Oak together, and she’ll go meet the Ladies, and I’ll go exploring with Garbi or Gleni.” He paused and widened his eyes comically, peering up at his father with doe eyes from his lower vantage point. “Did you know Gleni was a prince?” He whispered, clearly awestruck by the idea. “I din’t even know but then Garbi told me and Gleni said it was true too.” He said cheerfully, playing with one of the growing flowers with a hoof.

“So I told him he couldn’t have any flowers ever again, ‘coz princes don’t wear flowers, but he got upset so I got him a whooole bunch, just like I got for you.” He finished, puffing his thin chest out proudly.

Pausing as he ran out of things to say, he frowned as he remembered why he had initially come by and he crawled out of the king’s grasp, peering owlishly into his face. “Father, why are you sad? Is it coz somebody said something mean to you?” He asked, with a very serious expression. “Mama says if someone’s mean to you you should smile and walk away. Or give them itchy flowers.” He said, nodding sagely.

Drustan

Smiling fondly as the young Duke nattered his way at the speed of Áillte’s light through at least three different subjects, he nodded and hummed and ahhed at the appropriate junctures, enjoying for once to talk to someone who was enthusiastic and not droning on about the relative dampness of one glade compared to the next, and something really should be done about the amount of small pebbles on the trail from here to there.

While he hadn’t a clue who ‘Garbi’ or ‘Gia’ were, he was glad to hear that Elodi had seemingly made friends with one of his brothers, Glenor. Both were pale sons, and both needed firm friendships growing up to stand strong against the herd’s particular dislike of pale stags.

Drustan briefly wondered if Elodi’s fascination with flowers was a good sign for his future magic, though Drustan could only imagine he must have inherited said affinity from his mother. Óganach forbid anyone should notice how poorly he got along with flowers. The bloom that Elodi toyed with seemed relieved at least when the colt ceased pawing at it, and Drustan gave a chuckle as his creamy son peered into his face with those emerald green eyes. Elodi had his grandmother’s eyes, his father’s eyes.

“Itchy flowers, hum? Your mother is wise,” Drustan licked his son’s forehead, smoothing down a cowlick of fur. “I’m not sad, Elodi, I... I just have a lot of things to think about.” He explained. “That’s why I don’t get to see you often, but always remember that there’s nothing I’d rather do than sit here with you, and all your brothers and sisters.” He flashed a mischievous smile, “Maybe I will take your advice, and find some itchy flowers to drop on stags I don’t like.”

Elodi

The little colt beamed at his father’s words though he tried to wrinkle his nose to hide the expression. Flicking his tail in short, erratic bursts of happiness, he abandoned terrorising the flowers in favour of tucking himself in between the larger stag’s legs again. Glancing around furtively, he leaned up towards Drustan’s ear.

“...I know where to find some.” He whispered furtively with wide eyes before leaning back, ears pricked and eyes wide. “I can drop them on some mean ol’ stags for you, if you like. You can’t do it yourself, they’d suspect that. But I did it once for Vita when some meanie bucks were making fun of him and his ‘black blood’, whatever that means. So I snuck around with Garbi an’ we got them.”

In hindsight, Elodi would probably realise that confessing the trouble he got up to with his friends probably wasn’t the best idea, however excited to help his sire out as he was, he felt determined to prove he had the necessary skill set to do so.

“Vita was pretty mad at us afterwards though, we got really scolded for that. He said we shoulda just ‘turned the other cheek,’ or something weird like that. But then I saw Vita scaring off some colts that were mean to me too, so he can’t really get angry at me for doing the same.” He said, with a tendril of huffiness threading through his voice.

He paused, looking pouty for a moment at the recalled scolding, however his expression soon cleared as his thoughts turned in other directions, and he looked up at Drustan with big eyes and an even bigger smile. “Do YOU have any brothers, father?” He asked eagerly, tucking his tail under his sire’s elbow joint as he sought an area of commonality between them.

Drustan

His son’s mention of ‘black blood’ had made his ears flick back in concern, though he supposed there was a lot he didn’t know about the duke’s mysterious tall mother. He made a mental note to find out more about Elodi’s older siblings, though from the sound of the Vita’s behaviour Drustan imagined he would be thanking him soon for looking after his younger brother, tainted blood or not.

The stag tucked his son snugly under his chin and sighed contentedly, “I do have a brother,” he said, “His name is Lonán; your brother Vita sounds a lot like him. Lonán was always getting me out of trouble when I was your age.” He smiled wistfully at the memories; simpler times. “I used to have another brother but... well he’s gone now. He was a very bad brother.” He huffed and cuddled the young duke close. If Donnaghán were to ever return, his family would be in danger, and as much as he wished he could go back to being just a Prince and not a King, he prayed to Óganach that the chestnut brute would remain missing indefinitely.

“You should be careful though, Elodi. Picking fights with biggers stags can be dangerous. That’s how I got the scar above my eye, and I got this one just last moon,” he gestured at the puckered but healing slashes on his left shoulder. “I should have listened to my big brother,” he added with a wry smile.

Elodi

Elodi’s mouth formed a small ‘o’ as he looked with wide eyes at his sire’s scars as each was pointed out, frowning slightly as he tentatively brushed his muzzle across the skin around the healing lacerations. His ears laid back slightly as he imagined the scary fight that must have caused them, eyeing the large horns that adorned his father’s head. Father’s looked really really big, but then if the meanie other stag managed to hurt father then his must be even bigger.

Elodi’s mind boggled at the thought.

Frowning thoughtfully, he pricked his ears eagerly and wriggled out of his father’s grasp, turning to look with critical eyes at the little bouquet he had given the larger fawnling earlier. Some of the flowers were looking a little wilted - though still delightfully vibrant in colour - however he could only choose the best… Aha!

The pale colt leaned in to neatly pluck the healthiest looking flower from the bunch before turning to his sire with a smile. Rearing up onto his hind legs, he leaned against the king’s neck to keep his balance as he carefully slotted the bloom into one of the rungs of the expansive dark antlers, smiling proudly at his handiwork as he returned to all fours. “There! It’s for luck, see.” He said, nodding sagely. “Now you CAN’T take it out - it’ll stay there till you really reaaaaally need help, then when you don’t need no luck no more, it’ll fall out by itself.” He said, crawling back into his comfortable spot against Dru’s neck.

Drustan

The stag watched as the little colt got to his feet, and tilted an ear curiously as his son picked out a flower from the bouquet. Out of all of them it seemed the least affected by its ordeal so far, though it still lacked the incessant cheerfulness of the flowers still rooted around them. Holding still as Elodi rose up on his hind legs, wary of catching the young buck with a sharp tine, the flower was no longer within his eyeline though curiously he seemed to feel the stem brush his nerve-deadened antlers. As Elodi secured the bloom onto the main beam of his antlers, Drustan could almost imagine the green stem of the flower curling tighter and holding itself in place. It even seemed to cheer up as he smiled.

His expression had lost all unease, and he fixed Elodi with a warm smile, nuzzling his son’s poll as he came to settle back between his knees. “Thank you, Elodi,” he said, draping his neck down and over the fawn to hold him snug against him once more. He looked at the pink fuchsias around him, their ridiculously cheerful faces, and smiled back. The flowers didn’t just look happy,  they were happy. Another glance at the wilted bouquet and they seemed thirsty. This was what Huisha had meant by his ‘plant empathy’, knowing how the foliage felt, sensing their needs. Knowing what they wanted was a precursor to being able to give it to them, the magician had said. The bloom lodged in his antlers must be feeding on his magic, which was why it was happier. Which meant there was magic to feed on.

With a great sigh, Drustan tickled his son’s ears affectionately. “You’re a good boy, Elodi. And you’re right - flowers do make me feel happier - especially because they’re from you.” He chuckled, the idea that his magic may not be so useless as he’d thought making him rather giddy. “Perhaps I won’t need those itchy flowers after all,” he muttered with a sideways smile.

Elodi

Elodi beamed at his sire's words, realising with satisfaction the weird, dark shadows in his father's eyes were... if not gone, at least faded. He opened his mouth to say something in response, however an indistinct noise somewhere in the distance made him pause and prick his ears in the direction of the sound. "...Vita?"

Frozen, unsure of if the call had simply been his ears playing tricks on him, Elodi let out a squeak as he heard the call again, closer. Turning to look with big eyes up at the king, he smiled shyly, his ears flicking back uncertainly. "Um... I need to go home now." He said bashfully, looking a bit put out. Untangling himself carefully from the larger stag's legs, he executed an awkward little bow - trying to look proper as he'd been taught - before scampering off.

Pausing, he looked back over his shoulder and - after a split second's hesitation - went back over to the king, pressing his forehead affectionately to the darker fawnling's cheek. "Bye, father." He said softly with a steadier grin before setting off in a trot once more, his steps a lot bouncier as he greeted the golden buck that had appeared at the treeline.

Moments later, the king was once more alone within the clearing, however the flowers that lay around him remained as a tangible sign of the little duke's impromptu visit.