honest_johns | (no subject)

(no subject)

Whatever's ahead and whatever's on your mind, there's chores that must be done. And animals don't understand excuses or 'later.' Susan learned that from her da, Alain from his parents and Cort and Vannay, but both of them learned it well.

Which is why, even now, Alain is in the stable as he is every afternoon, parceling out grain. Susan did morning chores, but she's helping out, or mayhap just keeping her hands busy; either way, she's sitting on a bale of hay, mending a worn stirrup leather.

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Gavroche is on his way to the stables, to visit whoever happens to be there. He smiles, seeing Susan and Alain, and calls out a greeting.

Susan looks up from her work and smiles at him, trading a quick glance with Alain.

"Long days and pleasant nights, soh -- how do'ee fare?"

"Good!" He hops up easily onto one of the surfaces and sits, legs dangling.

"Aye?" Alain smiles at him, bending to scoop grain from the feed bin into a bucket. "Any news from the House of Arch?"

"Not really", he says cheerfully. "Ingress is working for the paper, did you see?"

Ingress told Tom that Gavroche was going to the stables today. He enters quietly, nodding to Alain and Susan, as he walks up behind his little boy. He loves Gavroche and would no more see him hurt than Ingress, especially not so soon after the tears shed for Meg.

He'll be here, when he's needed.

"Aye," she says quietly to Gavroche, even as she nods back to Tom. "She's an 'ace reporter,' she said."

Susan's look is more than a little wistful, thinking of the small blue-haired girl who'd so cheerfully told her about writing of Eddie and Bernard and ice cream, here in this very stable.

How long ago was that? She can't quite remember.

"She is! She's going to interview Charlie."

"Is she?" Alain smiles, though it too goes crooked and faintly wistful. "And she'll do well with it, I've no doubt." He wonders whether they'll get a chance to read it.

He nods to the bucket of grain he's just filled. "Want to dip out Kiseki's share, while I do Epona's?"

Gavroche nods, hopping down from his perch, and darts over to grab another dipper.

She nods to Tom, who leans against a post, watching silently, and continues working on the stirrup as she watches Alain and Gavroche.

"Ye'll be close with Kiseki, say true -- he's fast friends with those that feed him."

Lightly said, lightly enough.

"Yeah, he's a good horse, aren't you?" Gavroche almost croons to Kiseki.

"Oui," Alain says with a small smile.

"A good lad, and friendly with many."

Grain rattles into Epona's feed bucket, and she noses Alain's hands aside greedily.

"He's a dear, dear creature," Susan says softly. "And-- and he's from Paris, Gavroche, ye ought to favor him well enough for that alone."

(would you like him, Sue? for I'd give him to you)

A pause. "Even if he does try to eat Caspian's hair."

"I could ride him, sometimes, maybe", Gavroche suggests.

And here they come to it.

Alain settles on another hay bale, hands dangling between his knees.

"You're big enough," he agrees quietly, "and Kiseki's gentle for leading. Mayhap you could ask Caspian about it, sometime."

Gavroche blinks. "Caspian? Why Caspian?"

"Because Kiseki's to be his," Susan interjects softly, with a helpless glance at Alain. "As the care of the stables will be, as well."

"We've news for you, as well."

Soft and sober.

He hates this.

"I've spoken of the clearing, some, have I not?"

Once, he would have been absolutely sure. It's blurring; he thinks he has.

"I... think so." He isn't completely sure either, but he does think so. He's tense, now, waiting for the news.

Tom comes closer now, placing a hand on his little boy's shoulder, but not interrupting.

None of this is easy. But then, the world is not easy, either.

Alain's eyes flick to Tom -- apology, and gratitude that he's here for Gavroche -- and back to the boy.

Gently, "We have to go soon, Gavroche. To the clearing at the end of the path."

Gavroche goes very still, and there's a choked note in his voice when he speaks.

"...how soon?"

"Very soon."

Susan says it quietly, but there's no uncertainty in the soft words.

"We-- we don't know exactly when, but... it's to be soon, aye."

He looks down, and says nothing.