Companions Chapter 28: Dark Horse
#29 of Companions
[Companions Chapter 28]
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WARNING! The following text contains explicit adult subject matter. It is not intended for anyone under the age of 18. If you are under the age of 18, then you must stop reading now. The author has taken steps to ensure that this story does not appear in any subject-inappropriate or age-inapropriate forum. This version has been posted with the author's permission to Yiffstar.com.
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* _COMPANIONS_
* by Evoquus
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* (c) Copyright 2003, Evoquus, All rights reserved.
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* Feedback is appreciated: [email protected]
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Rating: NC-17 for explicit sex: M/M, Human-Stallion, Anal, Oral, Violence
WARNING! THIS EPISODE CONTAINS THE MOST EXTREME, VIOLENT, AND GRAPHIC
DEPICTIONS OF DEVIANCE IN THE ENTIRE SERIES. IT IS NOT FOR THE
SQUEAMISH OR EASILY OFFENDED. PROFESSIONAL CHARACTERS ON A CLOSED
SET. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR OR PHARMACIST.
Chapter 28: Dark Horse
In the dim light of a cirrus-covered moon, the black mare with a man's soul grazed quietly in solitude. The whereabouts of Daniel's mate and the reason for this lonely nocturnal noshing was not of any importance. For all he knew, he had always been here, dwelling in the superb body of a divine species with no natural enemies, at least, not in the wilderness. A midnight snack, though not typical of Hipponaur indulgence, would not be considered out of the ordinary for this extraordinary individual, who clung to his humanity like a tick to a deer. Raiding the late-night icebox was what humans did, but Daniel also embraced his new equine destiny. As a human he might have grumbled at having to down the last cold slice of pizza because everything else in the fridge was giving birth, but as a Hipponaur, he could not be happier gulping aphid-infested ragweed. Life was good, because life was alive.
It had yet to sink in just how fortunate he was to be in this improbable situation, to have escaped the human rat race with his humanity intact; to have obtained such an exquisite Hipponaur body that, though not his own gender, made him feel welcome and comfortable; to have met, fallen in love with, and married the most handsome of soul mates; and to now face a potential eternity of love, affection, and spectacular sex. He did not dwell on these things because, quite frankly, it frightened him to do so. For the first time in his life, he was entirely happy. To examine "why" might reveal a flaw, suggesting that this dream-come-true was nothing more than an idyllic print on the wallpaper. Peeling it off could expose the dark, hidden stains underneath.
So instead, he continued his existence in blissful denial. Though the last several weeks were anything but uneventful, he looked forward to a future of calm pastoral tranquility, where the worst disaster he would ever face was the entanglement of a burr or two in his flowing black tail, and even that might be deemed fortuitous as it would give cause for some attentive grooming from his groom. Pitfalls had become opportunities; accidents serendipity. To say that Daniel Racher was content was like saying the ocean was damp.
His contentment was not shaken by a thick tule fog that gathered around his feet, obscuring Nature's fine visual presentation of the dinner plate sprouting from the Earth. No matter. God gave him four other acute senses to search for food, not to mention a very keen sixth. With his sensitive nose he continued to forage by touch and smell for edibles. The sudden presence of mist was nothing more than a slight hindrance to his ultimate goal of sating his appetite, which never seemed to diminish with each mouthful he swallowed. Along with the fog came the spooky droning of wind through the sleeping valley. The sound might have frightened him as a child, but had the opposite effect on him now. It was a soothing reaffirmation of life, and he held defiant of the superstitious wail's portent.
It was the faintest breath of a whisper brushing across his face that finally caught his attention. He raised up and stood motionless, swiveling perked ears to home in on the ethereal hush that he was not even sure he had heard.
"Hello?"
No response penetrated the opaque wall of vapor that surrounded him. Undaunted, he returned to scavenging by snout, but suddenly found the ground barren of sustenance. He continued to sniff around like a blind bloodhound until his nose met that of another equine low to the ground.
"Wraaaiiiiittthhhhhh..."
The ghostly voice was barely audible, being composed almost entirely of wind, but it had just enough timbre for Daniel to recognize who it belonged to.
"Varyl?" he said excitedly raising up again, "Is that you?"
Daniel peered into the miasma, straining to see the indiscernible image of another black Hipponaur in the dark. He shook his head to clear the mist, which swirled and separated in front of him, but revealed nothing of the great stallion.
"Wraaaiiiiittthhhhhh..."
Daniel looked down. The nose he encountered was still there, glistening in the dim haze that now swirled away from it as if billowing in reverse, revealing more of the Hipponaur lying there.
"Varyl!" Daniel whinnied delightedly. "I'm so happy to see you! Are you okay?"
As the heavy mist lifted, Daniel could see Varyl's face, Varyl's ears, Varyl's neck, and much of Varyl's mane, but nothing else of the black stallion remained, except for a few shreds of bloody gore dangling free of the confines skin. The dismembered head fixed its dead eyes upon the mare who suddenly fell silent.
"MMMMURRRRDERRRRRRrrrrrr..."
"No..."
[Companion]
"No, no..."
[Companion]
"No! No!! NO!!!"
"Companion, wake up!"
The dead black head dissolved into a more lively red one and grew a body to match. Daniel wrestled free of his incubus to reach full consciousness, but still had considerable trouble getting up. For a moment he felt paralyzed, unable to control his equine nervous system.
"Calm... Relax... Breathe."
It was sound advice from the stallion. Just hearing his voice was all that was really necessary. The initial shock faded, and with that returned muscle control. Whimpering, the mare sat up and held on to her mate, who whickered and nuzzled his calming influence. Daniel could feel the stallion's living pulse and powerful pulmonary rhythm under the warm down of a freshly groomed coat. His world came into focus once more.
"Do you want to talk about it?" said Rovaun, who could make everything right with just a few words - words that, when spoken, were far greater than the sum of their syllables.
"Husband... I just had the worst nightmare!"
"A vision?" he asked, locking necks with the mare.
"I d-don't see how it could be."
Rovaun was intrigued. "Would you like to share it? I have never experienced a true nightmare."
"No... I think I would much rather forget it."
"Companion," he said as smooth as black velvet. "You know that will probably never happen."
He pulled back to smile at the terrified mare with his loving eyes. "It was just a dream, Companion. You do not realize how blessed you are, to be able to dream of fantastic things that will never occur. I promise you will feel better if you share it."
"Maybe, but what about you?"
"Do not worry about me. I expect to find your flight of fancy fascinating."
"Somehow I suspect there is more than a little naivete in that expectation," said Daniel skeptically.
"I'll take my chances."
"If you say so," shrugged the mare, preparing for thought transfer. "Welcome to my nightmare."
Daniel took a deep breath then relived the unpleasant experience for Rovaun to digest. His Hipponaur brain remembered every detail, every nuance, every emotion, every bloody droplet darkening the dust. The stallion whinnied fearfully at the final accusation, then jerked away to break the link. Daniel tried to discern the disposition of his mate, but the stallion refused to show his face, clearly shaken for underestimating the impact of the dream.
"Husband, are you okay?"
Hyperventilating, Rovaun slowly turned back around. "Perhaps 'blessed' was not the right word."
"Oh, you poor thing," chuckled Daniel, not unsympathetically. Seeing Rovaun so disturbed did make him feel better, not only because it legitimized his own initial terror. He found it touching that something as unremarkable as a bad dream could so traumatize a living deity. His husband became a little more human that day.
Rovaun resumed his hug now to draw strength from his mate. Before this moment, the most horrific vision he had ever known was Mourne's Prophecy, which was arguably more bloody. But that nightmare ended on a positive note. This one suggested nothing but despair.
"It is just a dream," he whickered to himself and to his mate. "Your human soul is entitled to dream."
"I've had my share of memorable nightmares in my life. You already know them all as well as I do. How come this one is so troubling?"
"Scanning your memories is not the same as living them, Companion. This is the first time I have experienced a vision of this nature - one that cannot be true and one that leaves me with nothing but dread."
"Then the first thing you need to learn about a nightmare's dark cloud," said Daniel warmly in a sudden reversal of roles, "is that it has a silver lining. When you wake up, it's over, and there's no mess to clean up, because it never happened."
Rovaun took several deep breaths then sighed and smiled. "Your beautiful dreams will be equally as vivid. You may share those with me as well."
Daniel nuzzled his mate. "I do."
Appreciating the compliment, the stallion indulged in a bout of heavy Hipponaur necking for several minutes before getting back to business.
"Presuming you do not wish to have this dream again, Companion, I suggest we deal with its root cause."
Daniel bit his lip nervously. "I was afraid you were going to say that."
"I do not believe this will be as difficult as you think. It simply comes down to this: In your heart - in your soul - do you believe that Varyl is dead?"
Varyl was gone but he had taken his body with him, leaving behind no evidence of his death. The worst that Daniel could be accused of was altering Varyl's destiny, and who was to say that that was not inevitable. Daniel looked into the warm eyes of his lover and found the weight of unease lifting from him. "No... I really don't."
"Neither do I, Companion. Therefore, you cannot be responsible for a death that has never occurred. We must convince your conscience to let it go."
It wasn't that cut and dried. "I don't believe I killed Varyl, but what about Garson?"
"What about him," snorted his mate, irritated about discussing a man whose most just punishment would be that no one ever remembered he once fouled the planet with his existence.
"I shot him in cold blood in this world, and tried to do the same thing in another. Maybe that's what Varyl was trying to tell me - that erasing it was a mistake. No one deserves to forget their sins. How can I learn from the past if I don't remember what evil I am capable of?"
"Companion," said Rovaun sternly, "you are capable of impulsiveness, you are capable of recklessness, and you are capable of extreme violence. But you are NOT capable of evil, for evil is not an action, it is an essence. Evil exists in the soul, and there is no trace of it in yours. I only wish my own soul were as pure."
Rovaun lightened up. "You are defined by so much more than a few desperate and justifiable acts. You are devoted and honorable and fundamentally a good person who is entirely deserving of the title of Wraith. And now that you fully recall what you are capable of doing when facing dire circumstances, I hope it will give you the strength to act just as appropriately and decisively should you face a similar fate in the future."
Daniel closed his eyes to absorb the lecture. He believed the words were sincere, and he believed the words were mostly true. He was basically a good person who was capable of violence - calculated, perhaps - but not truly cold-blooded. He would kill himself before killing an innocent. It helped that his mate acknowledged this, but he knew that it would not make him more decisive in the future. If anything, should he ever find himself in similar peril, he would likely hesitate to act, simply out of fear of acting too quickly.
He opened his eyes again to meet the gaze of his mate. "Husband, your soul is as healthy as a horse. I have never witnessed anything about you that I would characterize as evil."
"I'm hurt that you have forgotten my Primitive so soon."
"Oh give me a break! First of all, your Primitive is not your own doing. And second, it was nowhere to be seen last night when we made love. Anyway, it doesn't count. You have been the epitome of gallantry ever since I've known you."
"There are lesser forms of evil that are just as ignominious as violence: disloyalty, dishonesty, dishonor."
Hearing Rovaun suggest that their relationship suffered from such deceit made Daniel's heart stop. His infidelities were never meant to shame his husband, but of course they did. How could they not?
"Husband,... I'm really sorry about..."
Rovaun shook his head to cut him off. "I am not referring to you, Companion. I do not consider you guilty of those sins. You are merely celebrating your new life and I encourage you to continue to do so. I was referring to myself."
"Then I don't know what you're talking about unless it happened long before we met."
He shook his head again and raised up to his mate. "It happened last night," he said sadly.
"You were with ME last night!"
"And I was disloyal, dishonest and dishonorable."
"Husband, I don't get it. We made LOVE - as man and stallion. It was the best, most enjoyable, most intimate time we have ever shared. No Primitive within light-years. Just you and me and a couple hours of awesome sex! You're much better than Par..."
Daniel bit his tongue. Now was not the time to compare lovers. Rovaun almost smiled but then became serious again.
"Do you know why my Primitive had abandoned us last night?"
The mare shook her head.
"Because..." he sighed, working up the courage to confess, "it was not you that I made love to."
"What...?"
Rovaun seemed terribly troubled by this betrayal. "You wanted me so badly, to couple without rousing my Primitive, like Parceph and Jeremiah... I could not do it any other way."
Daniel studied him, unsure of exactly what dastardly deed he was confessing.
"I pretended that you were... not human," he finally admitted.
The mare gawked at him in silence.
"... And?"
"And... that was dishonest."
"Oh come on, Husband, you're feeling guilty because of THAT!? You didn't even call out someone else's name! Who cares what you imagined me to be?"
"I care!"
"But I fantasize about you all the time. Sometimes I wonder what you would be like if you were human. I know what you look like as an Anthraun, and I'm getting a hard-on just thinking about it, Josh."
Rovaun shook his head. "No, you do not understand, Companion. I am attracted to you BECAUSE you are human. And Destiny has even seen fit to allow you to BE human for me, yet I cannot control the evil within me like Parceph can, not without betraying you. Last night was beautiful, but it was a beautiful lie."
Daniel emerged as a human to hug his mate. "That is completely ridiculous. I would hardly call it disloyal or dishonorable. And it is no more dishonest than a white lie, which is usually more endearing than the cold, heartless truth."
"Nevertheless, it is how I feel."
"When you were tenderly screwing me, were you thinking of Shianna?"
"No."
"Zhorelle?"
"Of course not!"
"Bacchus?"
"Oh, please..."
"Then you're being silly. But, to be fair to you, I'll acknowledge that your feelings are real. I forgive your disloyalty, dishonesty, and dishonor. And I insist on sharing most of the blame for rushing you like that. I know the Primitive can be a tough SOB and it was grossly unfair of me to put you in that position."
"Perhaps it was," he said with an eyebrow.
"I'm still convinced you can rein in the Blue Meanie with more practice. We'll just keep practicing until we get it right. Who cares if it takes ten, a hundred, or a thousand years? Hopefully more!"
Daniel scritched Rovaun's mane with both hands as he hugged his mate. The stallion sighed his peace in return. Perhaps he was being silly. His deception had enabled the two of them to enjoy a long and pleasurable encounter the way Destiny had foretold for a thousand years. There was nothing wrong with that, but it still needled him. His mate's fingernails on the back of his neck, though, blunted the needles' pricks to harmless oblivion.
"I love this," he whickered, returning the human's embrace. "You and I, just like this." The stallion began to sway, as he did when they danced at their wedding. Daniel caught on quickly and started up "Sea of Love" on his virtual jukebox.
"I will be human for you whenever you need it."
"I need it now," he whickered contentedly.
Daniel kissed him. "You know, Husband, I love being a Hipponaur. It feels so good in there, but its just not the same as this."
"No, Companion, it isn't," smiled the stallion, proudly.
Being the only couple on the dance floor swaying to the romantic melody, Daniel playfully tuned the mood to the optimal level of kitsch by suspending a rotating mirror ball overhead. The stallion, enthralled by his prom date, didn't even notice the sparkles dancing with them, and the human was profoundly flattered.
"If you don't mind my asking, Husband, just what did you imagine me to be, if not human?"
"It is not that I imagined you as another species, just not human enough to make me want to kill you."
Daniel laughed out loud.
"Yes, I know how absurd that sounds. Actually, it did not take much to throw my Primitive off the scent. You have already made modifications to your virtual body that make you feel less human. Your colon now behaves much like a mare's vagina. It was not difficult to convince my Primitive that it was not real."
"You're right," chuckled Daniel. "I guess I did turn my ass into a cunt. But I did it with the best of intentions."
"I am not complaining, Companion. It is convenient and very pleasurable to be fully inserted into you. I enjoyed every second of our coupling last night."
"But it's no good if you have to sacrifice your deepest desire."
"It is not a huge sacrifice, and since you have forgiven me, I have come to realize that my sin was not the marital transgression that I foolishly made it out to be."
Daniel stepped back and began seductively peeling off his clothes while The Honeydrippers played on.
"It is the middle of the night, Companion."
"I'm not putting you to sleep, am I?"
The stallion laughed and shook his head.
"Do you know what my deepest desire is, Husband? To fulfill your deepest desire."
"Companion..." gently scolded his mate, "you are doing it again. Setting me up for failure."
"Not failure - success." He stepped out of his clothes and gave the stallion a naked full body hug. "I cannot help the fact that I am married to the world's sexiest creature. Those balls of yours have already ramped up production. It would be a crime against Hipponaur for all of that hard work to go to waste."
The music faded out while the hovering ball floated off to the side and turned a bright yellow-orange.
"Pretend for the moment that we're back in my barn on the solstice." He draped his arms around the stallion's neck, and with a throaty voice, growled, "I desire you. Do you desire me?"
The stud snorted and distended instantly, the fire in his eyes being not entirely a virtual reflection. He brought his glowing orbs down to the human's chest, then pressed his nose into the tattoo of his own likeness, inhaling the virtual sweat beading on its surface.
"My Little Red Pony is close to my heart," Daniel whispered into attentive ears.
Rovaun brayed lightly with a sudden burst of emotion at the sound of those words. He dropped his head down, just as in first contact, then jutted his tongue deep between his lover's thighs and carefully drew it back along crack and balls and pulsing erection. His curled lips savored the flavor and aroma of man, then he raised his head high and trumpeted his elation.
"Companion," he cried as if discovering his mate all over again, "you ARE human!"
"I am," nodded Daniel. He was concentrating more than ever on maintaining the illusion for his mate. Even his colon had been restored to human dimensions, but that little detail he kept as a surprise for later.
Rovaun now regarded him with the same lust he had exhibited during the First Time, and he wanted nothing more than to relive that memorable moment.
"I desire you, Companion," he snorted powerfully, "but so does my Primitive, even now. I do not think I can control it."
"This human male desires you, too," he said lying down on his back with his heels in the air. "All I ask is that you try. If your Primitive should happen to win, then we'll play best two out of three, then three out of five, then four out of seven. It doesn't matter. Infinity is still a long ways off. Now mate with me, Stud."
The stallion whinnied and danced and clambered over the smaller human to position himself. Daniel reached for the desperately probing cock and placed it at his anus. Immediately it injected a heavy stream of cleansing precum, then began pushing inside but met with unexpected resistance.
"Companion," shrieked the excited equine, finding it impossible to concentrate. "Is something wrong?"
"No, Stud. It's not a free ride anymore. You're going to have to work for it. Which means you're going to like it a whole lot more."
"I c-cannot," he whined. "Primitive... too aroused..."
"It cannot harm me, Husband. Do your best to contain him."
"I-eeeeeee will... try..."
The stallion pushed in, but Daniel's restored anus refused to yield. Soon the virtual pain was too much for him.
"Husband, hold on a minute. Let me grease up the old fashioned way..."
But the Primitive would have nothing of that. The stallion lunged forward twelve inches piercing the virtual human's guts. A sharp blinding pain stabbed at Daniel's abdomen making him wince in such agony that he found it nearly impossible to breathe. The stallion above him held his position just long enough for the blood to lubricate his flaring erection then emitted an unearthly high and low pitched death grunt as he drove his murderous phallus all the way to Daniel's throat. His small intestine instantly separated from the larger, freeing the battering ram to pound, pummel and puncture spleen, liver, heart and lungs.
Blood vomited out of Daniel's virtual mouth, preventing him from crying out to the lover brutalizing him from above. The Primitive delighted at the sensation of a human wriggling on a stick, and with a few more deadly thrusts, treated the Hipponaur to a powerfully explosive orgasm. But all the essence in the world could not repair the damage inflicted on a mortal in these few seconds of unchained violence.
The Primitive lingered intentionally, tantalizing the irrational stallion with thoughts of sated bloodlust, until it determined that the victim was beyond hope. Then it receded like a trap door spider back into its hidden lair until called upon again to perform another human sacrifice.
The stallion settled down, but the convulsing human could not, except to die. It took Rovaun far too long to realize something was wrong. When the spinning world came to a stop, he discovered that the mare was not breathing, her heart was in fibrillation, and her mouth trickled with blood.
"Companion!"
He pulled out of the human, who twitched and convulsed and bled out of both ends, wearing his inside-out colon like a mangled rat's tail.
"Return to your body!"
What was left of the human could not comply. Rovaun bit into his arm and dragged him over to the mare, leaning him up against her leg.
"Return to your Hipponaur BODY!"
The lifeless man slid sideways off the leg, his head and body contorting grotesquely as he slumped to the ground. In a final act of desperation, Rovaun pressed his head against the mare's and initiated a brain-hemorrhaging link.
"RETURN TO YOUR BODY!!!"
In an instant, the corpse vanished and the mare gasped back to life, coughing out a mouthful of blood having bit her tongue in the ordeal. She collapsed to her knees to concentrate on breathing for a couple of minutes. Rovaun collapsed as well, grateful that the danger had passed, and madder than a swatted hornet.
"Why do I listen to you!" he snorted, breathing just as heavily as his mate.
"Because [wheeze] you love [gasp] me."
The stallion closed his eyes and shook his head silently.
"Sorry... Husband... I don't know... what happened."
"I know what happened."
Daniel stared at him, still heaving, waiting patiently but in no particular hurry for a response.
"It is a good news / bad news thing," the stallion continued. "You are evolving, becoming truly human again."
"Virtual reality [cough] is a double-edged sword."
"Precisely. You will have to be much more cautious from now on. I might not always be there to save you."
Daniel lowered his head, terribly disappointed. He liked being immortal and he liked being human, but it seemed that he could not have it both ways. "I'm sorry..."
Rovaun lifted the mare's chin with his nose and smiled brightly.
"Companion, I could not be more delighted. I am getting my wish and you are getting yours."
Having Rovaun's support made all the difference. Maybe this wasn't so bad, just something to be managed, like hypertension. The mare looked deep into the stallion's eyes preparing to say something truly profound, but instead winked, "So how was it?"
Rovaun gave him another stern eyebrow for even thinking about asking that question, then chortled, "Fan-fucking-tastic!" causing them both to giggle uncontrollably as they locked necks.
"We'll figure out something, Husband. Our destiny will be beautiful."
"Yes it will, Companion."
Daniel faded up the rest of the song as the two equines huddled together on the ground, gently rocking each other. It was a way of saying everything was okay. Nothing had really changed. No harm done. I love you more than ever.
When the song was over, Daniel sat back to contemplate the metaphysical. "What do you think would have happened had you not intervened?"
"I do not know, nor do I wish to find out."
"Neither do I, but I don't think my soul ever became disembodied."
"Perhaps you had not completely expired."
"But if I had, don't you think it would have simply re-entered my Hipponaur body?"
"That is difficult to say. Your Hipponaur body was under tremendous stress. It appeared to be dying along with you."
"Sheesh!" he said in exasperation. "Can you think of a more stupid reason for an immortal to die? Just by imagining it? I think I need to work on that."
"Take it easy, Companion," snorted his skeptical mate. "Remember that you are dancing on thin virtual ice at the moment."
"I know, but I don't think it has to be that way. My being virtual wasn't nearly as dangerous in the beginning, so what changed?"
"You have gotten better at simulating yourself."
"And I have completely ignored my Hipponaur self in the process. My Human and Hipponaur bodies exist simultaneously, but it's still an either-or situation. I don't think that has to be the case."
"Your soul can only be in one place at a time."
"Not when it is in constant contact with the other. If I can develop an independence in my Hipponaur self while I'm virtual, then we can work more like a team rather than as master and mindless zombie. Then, if something bad happens to me when I'm human, my Hipponaur body won't arbitrarily drop dead, and might even be proactive in my rescue."
Rovaun rolled his eyes. "Whatever."
"What... You don't think that's a worthwhile endeavor?"
"I suppose it is worthwhile. I just have no idea how you plan to accomplish it - safely."
The mare stood up and backed up several yards, then Daniel emerged as a fully functional human again, and rejoined his mate.
"One step at a time, Husband. Observe."
Daniel faced the mare who stared back at him, passively. Then he shifted his vision to the darkness behind her, and she obliged him by turning her head.
"I can see Orion's Belt is just coming up."
Rovaun smiled, having to admit that the seed of possibility had already germinated.
"You see, Husband? My soul is here next to you, but there is still something going on over there. I didn't explicitly tell my physical self to move its head, but it did so anyway so that I could see what I wanted to see."
"This is not anything new, Companion. You still nearly died just now."
"I know, but it shows that I actually exist simultaneously in two forms. The Hipponaur is not soulless. Otherwise it wouldn't turn its head when I needed it to."
"I do not believe this demonstration adequately proves that conclusion. Your virtual self is in constant contact with your physical self through a link. Therefore your soul can be here, yet still be in charge over there as well. You are still only one being."
Daniel scrunched his face at his doubting spouse, then huffed, "What about now?"
"What about now?"
"I'm not linking with my body anymore. I'm linking with you."
There was no change in the mare's behavior. She remained on her feet, showing no signs of autonomic failure.
Rovaun scrutinized them both, then shook his head. "You may still be linking subconsciously."
"Fine! I will prove this to you one way or another. Follow me."
"It is still the middle of the night, Companion. Can this wait until morning?"
"Don't tell me you're getting sleepy now."
"Okay, I won't," he snorted.
Daniel marched with unshakable determination into the woods, followed closely behind by his mate.
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see."
"Make this quick, Companion. I do not like leaving your body soulless and unprotected. Amorous crickets are not the only creatures around us. There are dangerous predators about."
Rovaun looked back at the mare, who stood motionless, but apparently alert as it observed the two of them disappear into the trees.
Daniel stomped his way through the brush as if intentionally trying to attract the attention of nocturnal carnivores. Rovaun decided to humor him for now, but his patience for his impulsive, reckless, sometimes violent companion was thinning.
The human stopped briefly to get his bearings, then decided to take a sharp left. "I don't believe we have ever explored over here. Maybe we'll find something interesting."
He walked another fifty yards then stopped suddenly.
"What is the matter, Companion?"
"I can't see anything. Can you?"
"Yes. The moon is overhead."
Daniel looked up. "So it is."
"Your human eyes do not see as well as mine in the dark."
"I know. Why do you think I brought you with me?"
"Why are we out here?"
"To prove to you that my Hipponaur body can take care of itself without me. When we go back, you'll see that it is perfectly fine, breathing normally, probably still standing, even."
"I would have stipulated to that, anyway, Companion. Again, this is nothing new."
"But if it truly has no soul right now, and I am beyond linking range, wouldn't you expect it to collapse?"
"Normally, I would say 'yes,' but..."
Suddenly every love-smitten insect within a mile's radius packed up its violin and headed south. Rovaun raised up in alarm and stood motionless, pivoting his ears like small hairy radar dishes in search of an invisible foe.
"What is it?" whispered his mate.
The stallion developed a sudden inexplicable phobia of the woods. His ears turned up the gain on the nighttime audio track, which he found particularly disquieting because there was not a thing to be heard other than his own rapid heart beat. The entire cacophonous moon-dappled forest had become deathly quiet.
"Something is very wrong." The stallion stifled a terrified whinny while shivering in the warm summer night air. "Very, very wrong."
"Did we just have an earthquake?"
"No, but something terrible has just happened. I have never felt like this before... Correction: Once before. Just after experiencing your nightmare."
"But it can't be true! Varyl isn't dead!"
"And my senses tell me... now he is. There is something evil here."
"No..."
"It is dangerous to be out here, Companion. Your body and your son are in jeopardy."
"I think you're right," said Daniel, sharing his mate's anxiety.
A twig snapped several yards away. Rovaun swung around to confront the intruder.
"Stay close to me, Companion," he whispered. "We are being stalked."
The two of them stood petrified on red alert, homing in on the slightest sounds around them. The street-smart crickets had left in their wake a thick pall of silence that rattled everyone's nerves. Even the lunar howl of a wolf would have been preferable to the unearthly stillness of a tomb. Then a slow crunch of dead leaves gave away the intruder's position. Rovaun raised up in preparation for a mental assault.
"I see it," he whispered. "A large bear behind that tree. A big one."
"Are bears nocturnal?"
"This one is. We are fortunate that it is here with us and not dining on you and Tattoo right now."
"Make it go away!"
"I plan to, but making it go away in the right direction will require a little more strategy. Give me a moment."
"What's it doing now?"
"Probably deciding which one of us to have with fries."
"This isn't funny, Rovaun. I could be really screwed here, and I still can't see."
"I am aware of that, Companion... Okay, I'm ready. Say good-bye to our uninvited guest."
Daniel strained to hear the sounds of bear feet in retreat, but they were not forthcoming.
"I don't hear it running away."
"There is a very good reason for that," he said nervously. "This one is not easily frightened. We may be in real trouble."
"Rovaun, what do we do?"
"Perhaps it will go away on it's own. If not, we may have to run for it."
"I can't run if I can't see!"
The dark head peered around the tree and stared at the cowering males. Had Rovaun been wearing pants, they would have required laundering.
"Wull, hullo, Mr. Big Ol' Scary Bear," laughed Daniel, skipping up to his faithful body and giving it a friendly scritching. "And thanks for bringing your eyeballs. Look Husband, your nightmare is here."
"You... fucking... ASSHOLE!"
"Oh don't be such a grouch, Husband. I wasn't even sure I could get it to follow us. I think this is real progress, don't you?"
Rovaun sighed to settle his stomach, knowing it was pointless to scold his mate for needlessly putting him through that. After all, it was why his life had become so interesting again. "All right, I am impressed. How did you do it?"
"That's just it. I don't really know. But I needed it to come here so that I could see where I was going, and voila."
"You never transferred your link to me?"
"Nope."
"This still does not prove your supposition, Companion. If anything, it disproves it. You are a single entity. Your virtual and physical selves depend on each other. If one is harmed, then surely the other will be, too."
"No! That can't be!"
"Why is that so difficult to accept?"
Daniel wrapped his arms around his mate. "Because this is what is real. I want it to BE real."
"It is as real as it needs to be, Companion."
"Not if it means I could physically die just by having virtual sex! I'm a Hipponaur, goddammit!"
"You are human," said the wise stallion. It was the ultimate argument that could not be debated. Daniel looked into the dark eyes of his mate, each capturing a copy of the moon above. Eyes that said, "No matter how much you piss me off, I love you."
Daniel turned to rest his cheek on the long bridge of his husband's nose while contemplating the mare that looked back at him unemotionally.
"Okay," he relented. "That's enough virtual acrobatics for tonight. I'm ready to head back."
He merged into the mare then shook his mane briefly and raised up to the stallion. Rovaun gazed adoringly at his mate.
"What now, dear Husband?"
"Do you know, Companion, that when you bring your body to life like that, it practically glows."
"Huh," he said, nonchalantly turning around to stretch his legs and not-so-subtly flash his mate. "I have to admit that this still feels pretty good."
"And I am attracted to you in an entirely new way."
"Hormonally?"
"No - well - perhaps. Mostly, it just seems like it was meant to be. Glorious Destiny has made us bond mates. When your soul resides in that body, you increase its beauty a hundred fold."
Always a sucker for flattery, Daniel nuzzled and kissed his mate, and now wasn't so sure about wanting to exist only as a human.
"Do you think Destiny will let us have our cake and eat it, too?"
"I don't see why not."
"It is definitely different in here, but not that different. I don't really know how to describe it."
"You do not have to, Companion, for I know exactly how you feel. For me, you are different, but not that different, and I am profoundly in love with both versions."
"You know, Husband, as a human male, I have certain sexual needs that you fulfill quite adequately. But as a Hipponaur female, I have an entirely different set of needs. Do you think," the mare said with a slow, seductive swish of her tail, "that you are studly enough to keep me AND myself satisfied?"
The stallion nearly strained a neck muscle rearing up to that challenge.
"Why Companion," he said in his own sensual tone, "that is the essence of my husbandly duty."
The mare raised her mouth to the stallion's ear, tickled it with a temptress' tongue, and whispered, "Husband, duty calls."
In the morning, Rovaun drifted awake in the same position he had drifted asleep: on his side, mounted on his mate. This happy awakening did much to improve the morning's outlook, for the flashbacks he encountered during the previous hours' sleep were not the cheeriest that his subconscious could have chosen to relive, particularly with regard to the unpleasantness in an Arizona desert and on a lonely other world. As was typical of his dreams of his past, nothing new ever revealed itself. The historical documents always played back the same way, exactly as he remembered them. How could it be any other way? The past was forever set in unmalleable stone. Yet the beautiful moments he spent with his mate far outnumbered the uglier ones. Why could he not dream of those instead? Perhaps his subconscious chose the night's play list as a reminder to never become complacent about Destiny, to hold tight to his mate, to always remember that darkness was near, so that the light would never be taken for granted, and beauty, in its infinitely varied facets, would always be cherished.
With his nose he tussled the long black mane of the mare who continued to doze peacefully between his front legs, the bottom one having lost all sensation due to constricted circulation. The stallion didn't mind. The end of his flaccid penis remained comfortable lodged inside his lover, who had started to dream again, displaying telltale REM symptoms of lid-enshrouded eye dancing and subtle tics in leg and facial muscles. This dream was not like the night terror earlier, so the stallion felt no compulsion to wake his mate. On the contrary, the mare's subconscious fantasy was unmistakably pleasurable. The incessant clitoral winking that ensued revived the stallion's member, and the more it grew inside her, the more enjoyable grew her dream.
"Mmmm," she moaned, while gripping the horsecock and pulling it in. "Fuck me, Lover..."
"Yes, my Sweet," Rovaun whispered imperceptibly, then gently pushed in deeper, being careful not to wake and thus spoil the sexy somnolence.
The mare opened her mouth and gasped, "So... big..."
"You flatter me."
"We really... shouldn't... What if he catches us..."
Rovaun froze. Then his heart sank to Antarctica. His mate was dreaming of someone else. The mare protested his hesitation and pushed back against him.
"Don't stop..."
He was two seconds from yanking it out completely, but, against his better judgement, he started up again, though his heart wasn't in it anymore.
"Ooooohhh... yessssss..."
In his anger he considered brutally slamming into the mare, but then decided to take his own words to heart. Daniel was human. He was entitled to dream. As his husband, it was Rovaun's calling to encourage pleasant dreams. Ultimately, he decided to continue to slowly slide in and out. He would nurture the dream, but was under no obligation to make Daniel's dream date a stellar lover. Instead, he moved at a pace that would have bored his mate into a coma. Unfortunately, it didn't work.
"That's it, Stud... Mmmmm... I'm cumming... I'm cum... I'm..."
The mare raised her head holding her breath, then the unmistakable contractions of climax ringed Rovaun's phallus. When it was over, she slowly lowered and sighed in total bliss, then fell into a peaceful torpor.
"You're welcome," whispered Rovaun sarcastically.
"I love you..." his spouse whispered back, "... Husband."
The stallion gasped aloud which startled the mare awake. Daniel turned to Rovaun and then smiled and stretched. "What a great dream!" Then he noted their union and smirked, "And I see I had some help."
"I apologize for waking you," said Rovaun sheepishly.
"No need, Lover. Your timing was perfect." The mare shuddered. "Oooh! I love waking up like this."
"Would you like to tell me about your dream?"
"Okay," he chuckled. "It's kind of stupid. We were screwing around in Fred's tent like a couple of teenagers in a parent's bedroom."
"I see," smiled his tearful mate. "Did we get caught?"
Daniel looked at him curiously. "No... Is something the matter?"
"No, Companion. Perhaps I am just disappointed that I was not the first one to say 'I love you' this morning."
"Hmm," nuzzled the mare, "I guess I can forgive you this time. I'd be happy to replay it for you."
"And ruin the dream I am having now? Never."
The serenity of the morning was shattered by a chorus of wailing banshees off in the distance. Rovaun and Daniel instinctively bristled at the chilling Hipponaurs' cries.
"Companion," the fearful stallion forewarned, "someone has died!"
The two of them left their shelter to follow the cry that called to them. Several hundred yards away they found the entire clique huddled around a fallen Hipponaur. Every mare and stallion whinnied mournfully the loss of their comrade, and Rovaun went to join them, leaving Daniel to deal with the unpleasantness in his own way. He saw Jeremiah and Fred somberly standing away from the crowd and decided to join them.
"Who is it?" he whispered.
"Harlok... I think," replied Jeremiah.
"What do you mean, 'you think?'"
"See for yourself."
Several Hipponaurs departed to spread the news of the Elder's passing, leaving a gap through which Daniel could see the prostrate palomino. It was indeed difficult for Daniel to identify the body, since its head did not accompany it.
"Oh my God! What happened!!"
"He was murdered," said Fred. "And not too long ago - the body's still warm. Cut is as clean as a scalpel's. Whoever did it has a very big knife."
Jeremiah reached into his pants and pulled out an ancient pocketknife that was clearly too small to have done the job. "Here's mine. Not quite as old as me, but gettin' on up there. I think the last time I sharpened it Truman was in the White House." Then he turned to Fred. "You got a very big knife?"
Briefly taken aback by the implication, Fred flushed for a moment, then swallowed, then nodded.
"Mind retrievin' it?"
Fred headed off, leaving Jeremiah to study Daniel.
"What about you?"
"I don't have a knife."
"No, I don't expect you would. But I DO expect you'd have no trouble obtainin' one with a snap of your fingers."
"You're probably right about that," said Daniel, taking no offense, "but I swear to Hipponaur I had nothing to do with this."
"Unfortunately, Danny, your oath don't carry a whole lot of weight with some of th' other horses."
Daniel stared at him, feeling mashed into asphalt by all eighteen-wheels of a semi truck emblazoned with a big red A. Everyone knew. The shame of his own infidelities he could live with, but the thought that they also dishonored his husband in the eyes of Hipponaur made Rovaun's shame unbearable. The mare teared up in awkward silence, causing the man to regret his poorly-chosen words.
"Ah hell, Danny, it ain't as bad as I made it sound. Nobody really cares. I believe you."
"I have an alibi! I was with Rovaun all night."
"Then he has an alibi, too, don't he."
Daniel said nothing more, wondering if the man truly believed him or was just humoring the slut. Jeremiah patted the mare's neck affectionately. "We find that knife and we'll have our killer."
A few minutes later, Fred returned looking upset and even more empty-handed. "It's gone."
"What!?"
"My knife is missing," he said loud and clear. It caught the attention of several other Hipponaurs, including Azgard.
"That is a shame," said Jeremiah with an uncharacteristic hint of cynicism.
"What do you mean 'missing'?" asked Daniel.
"WHAT WORD DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?!" Fred shouted angrily, clearly upset that his knife was quite likely the murder weapon in question, which now made him the prime suspect.
"Well..." stammered Daniel, "could that knife have been used to cut off Harlok's head?"
"I don't know! Maybe. But only if Harlok just laid there and let the killer decapitate him."
"He would not do that," said Azgard in a backhanded attempt to defend his mate.
"Less'n he was already dead or incapacitated," suggested Jeremiah. "Can you determine the cause of death?"
Fred looked at the body and blood that had muddied the ground where the rest of the horse should have been. He shook his head. "Not definitively. But given the spatter, my guess is that he was alive when his head was removed."
More horrified whinnies erupted as a result of Fred's less-than-tactful analysis.
"What about footprints?"
"Unfortunately, our grieving friends trampled that evidence," said Jeremiah out of the side of his mouth. Then he looked down in disgust. "I had a feeling today was gonna be crap. Never should've crawled out of bed."
"What do you mean?"
He waved it off. "Oh you know, just dreamin' about all the shit what's been goin' on with Varyl and all."
"You had a dream about Varyl last night?" Daniel pressed urgently.
Jeremiah looked up at him, wondering why that was so interesting, but then decided it really wasn't worth wondering about. "No, I mean the other dude that looked like him, Mourne, and everything that happened to us over there... with him... wherever we were. You were there, you know the story."
"Oh," said Daniel, declining to reveal his own dream. It had not occurred to him that the head that spoke of murder could have been Mourne's. One thing was certain, it wasn't Harlok's.
Jeremiah took a deep breath and puffed out his cheeks. "Well, these fellers are gonna need our help to bury him. Danny, do you think you can muster up some shovels and pick axes to help us dig the old guy's grave?"
"Are we just going to bury him here?"
"Unless you got a better place in mind that's worth draggin' him to."
With that, Daniel was quick to agree that this place was as good as any, probably better because the ground was reasonably soft. He emerged from the mare to join the other two humans in their unpleasant toil, turning up shovels of dirt while the grieving Hipponaurs expressed their genuine appreciation for their assistance.
"I don't suppose you could whip up a virtual backhoe," muttered Fred.
"Sorry, Fred. It's hard enough just keeping track of three shovels."
"Quitcher bellyachin'," said Jeremiah. "We'll be done in less than an hour."
He had timed it just about right. An hour later, the body was in the seven-foot grave, and all were paying their respects with a minute of silence. Then, one-by-one, each Hipponaur dropped a mouthful of fresh grass into the grave before departing. Fifteen minutes later, the men were smoothing over the mound where a large hole had once been.
"That ought to hold him," said a macabre Jeremiah, tamping the dirt with the back of his shovel.
"Are you expecting him to go somewhere?" asked Daniel.
"In search of his head, of course," said Fred.
"Show some respect, all of you," scolded Azgard.
The men apologized then quietly finished up.
Hipponaurs left their graves unmarked, a custom that Daniel evidently disregarded in a parallel world. Markers were unnecessary because Hipponaurs, with their unshakable memories, did not need reminders. However, the main reason for leaving the grave unadorned was primarily a matter of prudence. It was unwise to attract attention to a race that was not supposed to exist.
Jeremiah stepped off of the mound and nearly collapsed, far more exhausted from the exertion than he had let on.
"Are you all right, Companion?" asked Parceph.
"I'm okay, Partner. Just stumbled."
Parceph looked after him like an overprotective mother. "Perhaps you should lie down for a while."
"Maybe I will hit the hay for forty."
"I could use a rest, too," said Fred.
Daniel collected the shovels from the weary humans, who looked at him with a hint of spiteful envy for having the stamina of a horse. "If it'll make you happy, I can go take a nap."
Jeremiah chuckled and then slapped him on the butt as he headed back. "See ya later, Buddy. And thanks for your help."
Daniel remained by the mound, leaning on the shovels while watching Parceph and Jeremiah trail off. Fred stood by in uncomfortable silence with his hands in his pockets, smoothing out dirt clods that were within reach of his shoe.
"Somebody killed him, Fred," said Daniel, knee-deep in thought.
"It wasn't me."
"I know. It wasn't any of us."
Fred turned to his mate. "Does this happen very often?"
"No, Companion," said the Clydesdale somberly. "It has never happened."
"The question is," said Daniel, "if we don't do anything about it, will it happen again?"
"I think it was a mistake to have buried the body so soon. We might have found more evidence."
"I don't think our equine friends would have appreciated an autopsy, Fred. There wasn't much we could do. Maybe if we find the knife, we'll find the killer's fingerprints."
"MY fingerprints are already on it!"
"Of course they are, Fred. Take it easy. You didn't even know Harlok. What possible motive would you have?"
"None."
"Exactly."
Daniel rubbed his chin on a shovel handle while Rovaun came up to him appearing very troubled.
"Husband, do you think this could have been done by another Hipponaur."
"Very doubtful, Companion. We lack the dexterity to wield a blade as efficiently as was done in this case. No... I am certain the culprit is human."
"That doesn't leave us with very many suspects."
"I am aware of that."
"Do you know of anyone who might have wanted Harlok dead?"
"He had no enemies that I know of."
"Not even political enemies? Being an Elder, he was bound to piss off someone. And what about all of the incompatible bond mates he arranged?"
"None of us blamed the Elders for doing their duty," said Azgard. "We all understood the wisdom of population control. He was probably most disliked by his own bond mares."
"How many did he have?"
"Nine."
"NINE!? Well, there are nine suspects for you."
"No, Companion. His bond mares are all living contented lives in other countries and continents. May I have a private word with you on another matter?"
"Uh... okay. Catch ya later, Fred, Azgard."
Daniel waved good-bye as he merged back into the mare. Fred pulled a hand out of his pocket and briefly flashed a palm before shoving it back in.
"What is it, Husband?"
Rovaun waited until they were out of earshot. "Your nightmare, Companion. It cannot have been coincidence."
"But it wasn't Harlok. It was Varyl... or maybe Mourne."
"Yes, and I believe we may have misinterpreted it's purpose."
"Varyl called me a murderer. That seems pretty straight-forward to me."
"That is also what I thought, at first. But think, Companion - did he say 'murderer' or 'murder'?"
Daniel stopped to read his mate and consider the word in question. "I can't really tell. He just sort of trailed off at the end. What difference does it make?"
"It makes ALL the difference, Companion. The former is an accusation. The latter... is a warning!"
Daniel's spine started tingling again. "Do you think Varyl was trying to warn me about Harlok?"
"I think that is a distinct possibility."
"But why wasn't he more specific! Why couldn't he... Oh SHIT!" Daniel's equine jaw dropped as he stared at his mate. "Husband... last night - when the crickets all stopped... your feeling of dread - that's when it happened. And we were heading right for him! If I hadn't suddenly turned left, we would have ended up right here. We might have prevented the whole thing!!"
Rovaun looked away to consider that possibility, then shook his head. "Or in a parallel world, become victims ourselves."
"Oh come on. There's no way that would have happened."
"We don't KNOW what happened! Somehow the killer overpowered a perfectly healthy stallion. Perhaps there is more than one person involved. But something else has me worried. Harlok was not even supposed to be here. He left as an emissary to spread the word of Varyl's passing."
"Then what was he doing back here?"
"The only reason I can think of for Harlok returning so soon, is that he had even more urgent news to deliver to us from the other clique."
"Oh no... do you think other Hipponaurs have been killed?"
"That is my fear, though it is all conjecture at this point."
"Okay, so what do we do now?"
"I don't know... Remain vigilant. Look for evidence of intruders among us. There is not much else we can do."
"Do you think Fred or Jerry had anything to do with it?"
"They are the only humans here. They have to be suspects."
"What about me?"
Rovaun snorted. "Of course you are not a suspect!"
"Why not?"
"Because of the simple undeniable fact that you were with me during the entire window of opportunity. I was happily plugged in, remember?"
"My physical self was with you."
"Your virtual self cannot travel this far."
"Not consciously."
"Do you WANT to become a suspect!? Fine! You are now on the list!" Then he calmed down to sympathize with his self-doubting mate. "But you are at the very bottom, with a thousand John Doe's ahead of you."
The mare pressed her forehead into the stallion's neck. "Thanks for believing in me."
"I just lied to you, Companion," he said as the two of them continued back to camp. "You are still not a suspect."
"You seem so very certain."
"I am. The creature that did this is evil. You are not."
"I won't deny that I am very glad to hear you say that. I just hope you're right. You know what, I agree with your suggestion about searching for evidence. We need to form a posse. You go on ahead and get the others organized. I'll start looking around here."
"No one should be left alone, Companion."
"Which is exactly why I want you to escort Shianna. Don't worry about me. I have a shotgun for protection."
"As I recall, it was less than effective the last time you pulled its trigger."
"I'll be fine. Go. Let's meet back here in two hours."
Rovaun stopped to snort at his mate. "Why don't you just admit that you are up to something and you don't want me around?"
"I am up to something and I don't want you around, but I promise it won't be dangerous."
Rovaun gave him a silent lecture for a few seconds, then kissed him. "I love you, Companion. Be careful."
"I love you, too, Husband. I will."
The two headed off in different directions with different agendas. When Daniel was convinced he was alone in the woods, he stopped, then emerged from the mare carrying a very large, very sharp knife. Holding it up, he examined its flawless edge, then carefully ran his thumb along the honed steel. It startled him to see the blade sink effortlessly into his virtual flesh without a hint of pain, at first. Seconds later, a rivulet of blood seeped from the laceration and ran down his arm, followed soon after by a throbbing ache. He merged his hand into the mare then slowly pulled it out again, completely healed.
"I'm not sure if that was a valid test, but you sure seem sharp enough."
He found a young redwood with a trunk two inches thick. The knife easily removed the outer green bark, but required some effort to cut through the heartwood. Not a great deal of effort, though. He swung the knife like a machete, knocking off three or four inches of trunk each time. Not every swing made it through, but enough of them did. He could not rule out this knife as the murder weapon. But what was more frightening, was that he had never in his life held such a blade in his hand before. He had simply asked his brain to produce a big sharp hunting knife, like the one he had seen years ago in a Crocodile Dundee movie, and the uncanny organ in his skull didn't disappoint. The blade and handle were entirely generic, and entirely effective. Was it simply a credit to Hipponaur mental gymnastics that this virtual knife came out exactly as intended? Or was the reason it was so easy to produce due to the fact that his brain already had previous experience in such matters...
The weapon in his hand began to make him nervous. He imagined that any misstep or stumble or sneeze could find the knife embedded in his leg or neck. So he vaporized it and concentrated on finding its wielder. The first place to look was in the mirror.
He studied the mare closely, searching for an expression, a hint of emotion, anything to suggest that he might not be alone.
"Are you in there, Zhorelle?"
There was no response. He put a hand on the side of her face and caressed her cheek. She continued to gaze back at him with eyes that did not seem dulled. Eyes that were, in his opinion, quite exquisite. Daniel leaned close to examine her perfect face. It only just now dawned on him what a heart-stoppingly beautiful creature she was.
"My God, you are lovely."
His thumb brushed her right eyelid, which responded by closing momentarily until the virtual digit no longer violated its personal space. Was that just a reflex? Or was it a conscious act!
Daniel spoke very slow and deliberate to the equine. "Do - you - know - who - killed - Harlok?"
Again there was no response.
"Show me who did it!"
He stared into her orbs and saw something - an image. Was it the killer or his own reflection? He moved in to within three inches of the round glassy globes and then recognized who it was. It was himself, of course. Just what the physical laws of light reflection and refraction would have predicted.
"So are you saying I am the killer, or are you not saying a goddamn thing at all."
The mare, of course, offered no insight as to either.
"This is obviously the wrong approach," he sighed.
It continued to nag him that there was something in her eyes that was screaming at him, but it was just beyond his grasp.
Those gorgeous eyes. Windows to the soul... windows to... who's soul? He stared at them again.
"Who is in there?"
After a while, Daniel felt himself becoming less concerned about who was lurking behind them, and more infatuated with the miraculous creature, herself. He reached under her chin to lightly touch one of God's pitifully few examples of perfection.
"So stunning..."
[End of _COMPANIONS_ Chapter 28: Dark Horse]
[Next in series: Chapter 29: Darker Horse]