[Gift] 1.6 Frosty Evening - Alistair and Satin

So wrapped up in their work they quickly lost track of time. What little remained of the sun past the dense cloud cover and fog was stripped away as what should be evening arrived. The cold nipped at them as they finally realized the time and prepared to leave. The chill descended sooner in the season without the sun anymore and as they traveled back to the city it could even be seen all around them. Alistair allowed himself a moment to gaze at the various plants preparing for hibernation, the way the frost formed on their edges, creeping over them like a freezing blanket.

The route back was relatively safe, like all major roads for horses and carriages it was well lit and patrolled. Occasionally the two caught a shivering guard here and there from the city or nearby towns, a small greeting exchanged before continuing on their way. Alistair was excited to return to the inn, perhaps they could even buy some warm drinks to stave off the cold. Lexington had remained surprisingly large and with that it also was able to acquire and offer far more options than most despite the eternal night.

“Branch!” Harry called out and the doctor behind him just barely ducked in time to avoid it. His head was so in the clouds thinking of the warmth that awaited him that he nearly got struck in the face by the frozen tree limb. Glancing back he saw how the fresh frost dusted it too, among several other low hanging branches that had somehow failed to get trimmed along the road’s edge. He distracted himself from the embarrassing thought of his near miss by pressing his cold hands against the mare’s neck beneath him.

Satin and Daemon had both long since shed their summer coats and were mostly done growing their winter ones in by now. Alistair loved Satin’s dense winter coat as he had come to learn just how soft her breed’s hair was. Harry had given him some reading materials on them and while he still didn’t really consider himself much of a horseman he did find them fascinating.

The horses had been bred long ago for working in the cold winters to the north which was what led to such a soft, dense and of course warm coat. Ever since they’d been selectively bred further to produce the softest coat in modern times and to be even more effective against the snow and frost. He had been worried during their first winter with the mare if she would be safe outside but Harry assured him she was even better built for this than Daemon.

He saw it for his own eyes, Satin was perfectly happy running about the snow drifts of her pasture in the middle of freezing temperatures while he sat cozy inside with Harry. From his reading apparently there were loshenkas with even thicker and fluffier coats and unlike Satin, kept a gorgeous mane to rival their striking tails. He felt truly blessed to have been given a chance to encounter such a beautiful breed and on top of that, to be allowed to ride one.

Smiling, Alistair ran his fingers through the mare’s warm fur once more. She turned her head a bit to glance at him before snorting softly and looking back ahead. He could feel how warm she was, not just from their work out earlier but just in general compared to their frosty environment. He almost wished he had delved into animal sciences before the darkness, some days he couldn’t help but wonder if he might have been happier in it.

But with where things have gone, he was glad to be able to do all he had done so far. Help those he had and learn so much about the world, both the good and the bad. Satin was just one small part of it, but she was a part of it connected with him and like Harry and Daemon were, he was eternally grateful for all of them. His previous life was much like the encroaching frost tonight, so cold and lonely. The sun snuffed out and any light taken from him.

Every new entity in his life however was a new flame in the darkness, not all of them made it to this day but he held those that did closely with him. They warmed him, kept him from getting lost in the cold darkness. Sighing he closed his eyes and mentally shook his head of the deep thoughts he found himself in. Tomorrow was his show, he needed to get a good night’s rest and so did Satin. They’d be up early preparing, making both of them look their best with Harry’s help.

Alistair leaned forward once more, giving his beloved mare another set of pettings. “We’re gonna do great, right pretty girl?” Another soft snort in response that made him chuckle.

“Of course you’ll do great, I trained you.” Harry called back from ahead, his sharp hearing picking up the doctor’s words. The two laughed as they hurried back to the stables and inn to warm up.