Neither of them really had a firm grasp of the time they stood there, awkwardly looking at each other. From an outside perspective, Cedar was just slumped against the wall, forlornly gazing at the horse, and the horse was simply standing in its stall, confusedly looking back at him. Both of them flicking their ears, or making other unconscious expressions from time to time. No talking. No other kinds of vocalizations. No movements to speak of. A human might have wondered what was going on there. Why the bear didn't at least try to pet the horse, or talk at it, or give it treats. SOMETHING. No-- He was just leaning against the wall, staring forlornly at the damn thing-- and it in turn, just kept right on looking confusedly back at him. In fact, that is exactly what the terrified groomsman was doing, every time he took a furtive look back inside the stables, and up from his work, which he had busied himself with in nervous occupation. The demeanor of the bearman had changed PRONOUNCEDLY from the jovial oddity he had been the night before, and into .... Something altogether fearsome and otherworldly. What *WAS* that creature even *DOING* in there!? He just kept sitting there, leaning against the wall, looking at the horse! He spat on the polishing rag, then rubbed it in the small tin of saddle soap, and continued cleaning and polishing the leather, keeping it supple and smooth and in good order. It was the prince's hunting saddle, and with the young master back, it needed to be ready to go and in top shape in a moment's notice. There was no way to ever know when it might be needed-- and he was not about to be caught with it in disarray. He was tired and frazzled after being rousted in the night by the castle's watch to see to the animals the rag-tag group of motley agents had drug in. Some of the poor animals looked like they had suffered terrible abuse at some point-- one covered all over in a wash of white blotches, marring a beautiful roan coat. The skin was completely healed, but it spoke to the animal being horribly injured at some point. It sent a shiver down his spine. He hated to see horses treated so badly. He looked back into the stable. The bear was still there. Ignoring him completely. Almost in a trance maybe. Still leaning against the wall, doing fuck-all nothing. It was unnerving. At least the bear wasn't hurting any of the animals in there, he thought to himself, before putting the saddle away. In the livery shed, he dug out the leather harness that the cart horses had been hitched with that prior night. It was by no means royal quality- Ordinary but serviceable. It too, was in need of a good cleaning. The leather felt a little dry from neglect. He gathered it up over both shoulders, then wandered back out to where he had left the tin of saddle soap, and the polishing rag, before situating the first of the collars on the sawhorse he used for these tasks and setting to work. He looked down the access in the stables one last time, and noted with a bit of alarm, that the bearman was gone. He looked around worried for a moment, hoping that the scary beast of a man was not sneaking up on him to take a bite out of him-- but he was nowhere to be seen. The mustachioed man heaved a deep breath, and felt 20 years older. He dipped the cloth in the tin, and set to work on the leather, a bit more at ease. The horses were unharmed, and so was he. The scary bearman was gone, and with luck, the day would return to normalcy.... ---- Cedar felt a little bit better. The horse was actually rather pleasant, all things considered. They had 'discussed', or rather 'shared', a great many things in the time the two of them had spent with locked together thoughts and feelings. It had been even more confused about the human's behavior and even less capable of comprehension that he had been, but the experience had taken the edge off, regardless. He no longer felt like a bear with steel trap on his foot, at the very least-- no longer intrinsically trapped by his own mind, whipping him with painful memories. Things had take more pedestrian tracks-- Cedar had shared that at some point, the horse was supposed to be going home with him. The horse was not terribly pleased by this, but cedar was understanding. Forgiving and accepting, but quite serious. He had shared with the horse his reservations about it as well, wondering where exactly he would find a place to stable it, or find food for it to eat in the winter. He had wondered if there would be enough quality forage in the tower-meadow during the winter months, and the mental perception of that place bled over the connection unintentionally and lazily, causing a moment of excitement from the creature, followed by realization it would be alone there, and then subsequent return to quiet distress at the idea of traveling with cedar. Cedar confided that the horse would not actually, TRULY be alone unless it really wanted to be, (and that if it did, he would understand)-- it could come find him at his house-- another place who's awareness just bled through the link-- whenever it felt lonely, and they could 'just be' like they currently were (locked in the connection), for however long, or short it wanted. He was always open to visits from "Friends," of which he had several-- even more context of that bled over the connection-- A tatty looking old buck elk cedar had helped get unstuck from a fallen tree after its antlers got ensnared. Several deer that liked the blackberry brambles he planted. Wolves he shared fish with once. numerous others. All of them he counted as 'friends.' At home, he was never lonely, and if he was, he could go find his dad any time he wanted-- The old man LOVED to see him stop by, even if his mom was more reserved, and even displeased if he got too close to his little siblings with her around-- but that was normal and natural for a shebear to feel. He loved her anyway. The horse, too, shared that it had made 'friends' since being brought to the stables. Images and smells of the other horses, and bits about how they behaved-- even the ones he had 'taken a fancy to', and would like very much to breed with-- drifted lazily through the connection, (making cedar blush a little under his fur and chuckle to himself), interspersed a few times by horses he himself remembered-- "Schnitzel" and "Extra Crispy" among them. Inwardly, cedar still felt worry for them, and wanted to continue caring for them, even though they were in as good health as he could put them in with magic alone. The idea that a giant bear would be able to, and even want, to do such a thing amused the horse immeasurably, and approval oozed through with it, even though the horse could not comprehend his motives. Cedar confided that he wished he had a barn built-- He would offer to take 'those two' along as well, to keep his new 'friend' company, garnering even more confused approval-- It would like that... .. Maybe Cedar could ask his dad for help with it-- He'd gladly pull in the logs needed to make a pole-barn...If it was nestled into the woods, and overgrown with bramble, it would even be warm, and protected from the wind and rain.. hidden from human sight... and so it went-- lazily drifting between topics without real structure. Just a continual stream of two consciousnesses burbling around each other in any direction that had the least resistance at any one point. It had been extremely refreshing for Cedar, but he was still nowhere close to the answers he needed. He just felt a little better, knowing that not every creature in the world was a maelstrom of competing plots, or naked cruelty under a thin facade of sanity and control, like humans clearly were. That too, had burbled over the connection-- explanation and awareness of Cedar's mixed parentage- incredulity but agreement and acceptance of fact from the horse over the fact, after it snuffed at him, and recognized the hint of human his scent carried. Bewilderment and wonder that such a thing could happen-- curiosity what that's like, but rebounded by terror at the raging storm of human thoughts conspicuously herded into the corner of cedar's mind, but perceptible through the link. It felt wonder, but also sadness and sympathy for him-- having to live with ... THAT... inside him. Eventually, he and the horse had nothing more to share that was in any way comprehensible by the other. There just wasn't anything more. Just awkward awareness of each other. He broke the link, then respectfully left the barn. He was glad the human stableman had decided to find someplace else to be for the moment, and availed himself of the opportunity to leave without saying anything... He'd probably scared that man so much that he needed new trousers-- though he didnt catch any scent of that being actual fact. Just a metaphorical depiction. He was glad to have met his horse. He'd have to think long and hard about where and how he was going to keep it, but he was glad to have made the acquaintance. Silently, he sauntered back to the castle proper, through the now daylit garden, enjoying the sun, and the beauty of the plants and flowers. He almost felt like himself again, when he made it to the giant wood and steel doors that sealed the palace. His heart sunk at the idea he would have to interact with people again so soon-- but in all likelihood, he would need to get one of them to help guide him through the rat-warren that this place was, and back to his room. He stepped through the door, and into the foyer.