Caprice
#2 of Out in the country
Axle begins feeling for Robert
Alright, so here's chapter two, it's a bit more verbose, which is hopefully a good thing. As before, please look for things that could be better and comment. I'm still finding my style as a writer and learning the mechanics of fiction writing, I'd have a much easier time of it if I got some criticism.
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Robert, it's a good kind of name, but I wasn't sure what to do with it. My mind was still all giddy from that moment of meditation, shattered by the buck's apparition. With a physical shudder my mind clicked back into a more ordinary mode of thought and I pulled a wide grin across my face. Shyly, he shifted the long canvas bag on his shoulder, it didn't look heavy, but the way he carried it gave it a weight of importance.
I slid off the rock, it's surface smoothed by the eons, my thick tail swishing as my footpaws hit the leaf litter. "It's nice to meet you Robert. I would say I was sorry for being on your rock, but I'm not, it's one of the most fantastic places I've ever been. My name is Axel and I'll let you have your solitude for now, but you have to meet me here tomorrow at this same time." I gave him a significant look before turning and taking off at a run through the trees.
The last thing I saw of the Robert was the expression on his narrow but elegant face pull to somewhere between confusion, curiosity, and if I dared believe it, excitement.
Keeping my pace I headed back towards Aunt Diana's house, the light was already starting to fade from twilight into true night. From behind me the sound of horsehair against steel strings cut through the evening air. I wouldn't know it's name for a while, but it was Paganini's caprice no.24. The strain of the violin pulled me to a stand still, my eyes closed. Transfixed, I stood there, swaying like one of the birches surrounding the boulder, which I knew now was a stage. When he referred to it as being his rock, he was being more truthful than I could have ever expected.
The air had gone cold with the onset of night and it caught in my throat as the music caught in my soul. I was awash in its rise and fall, no more than a piece of flotsam drifting far out at sea. Every note was perfect, projecting some mote of the boy's soul with every draw of the bow. It was intoxicating.
I was unsure how much time had passed, but it was too soon that everything fell to silence. Even the birds were quiet, as if in reverence. Not even the wind dared to move and break the silence.
My breath broke free from my chest and sound slowly began to return to the world. My feet heavy, I continued on up to the house. I didn't know why I asked the buck to meet me the next day, I had no reason, but I did have a feeling. One of my guiding insights had always been to do what felt right, because it probably wouldn't be wrong. That was something Aunt Diana taught me. What I did know was that he was beautiful and seemed to fit into that clearing and he brought much light into the world there. That's what drew me to him more than anything, he seemed more real, even just in the few seconds I was with him, than anyone I'd ever known.
* * *
Early the next morning, when the dew still clung to everything, Aunt Diana and I were in the stables. She taught me how to approach the horses so they would feel safe. I could feel the animal's power and depth of emotion and I realized then that I was going to have an amazing day.
After saddling the horses, Aunt Diana led us up into the hills. We traced trails up and down and across the hills, there were dark places in the trees where the smell of the earth was thick, and meadows full of wildflowers and dashing clouds. At the top of one narrow valley there was a lake surrounded by limestone cliffs on one side and marshlands on the other, the water was as clear as glass and almost black in it's depth. My more basic instincts urged me to swim, to dive into the water, but it was already past three and we had to turn towards home.
Thinking of my afternoon plans, to meet Robert again, I asked Diana what she knew of him. She didn't know much; his mother was active in the community, his father made and sold hard apple cider. She thought there might be a few other fawns in the family, but wasn't entirely sure. There wasn't much she knew about Robert himself, only that he worked at the general store in town.
It took several hours to make it back to the barn, even by what I was assured was the shortest trail. By the time we had the horses brushed down and back in their stalls it was almost time for me to go meet the buck in the woods, but I decided I had time for a bath first. The smells of saddle leather and horse sweat hung off my clothes and bits of sappy flora clung to my fur, not a good impression to give in our first real conversation. Before I could go looking for the tub Diana called for me to wait.
She told me that she had to go into town for most of tomorrow, but I was welcome to ride more if I liked. With an almost mischievous look she passed me a heavy piece of folded paper. In it's worn folds was an old brass compass, its metal tarnished with age but clean from frequent use, and laced with blue enamel. It was not the compass that was the real treasure here though, rather it was the delicately inked map on the paper's surface. It was marked with the trails we had ridden earlier, and many more, the local roads, peoples homes, and notes on the character of the land and water. All across the page there were many Xs with little notes detailing special places, far more than I could take in at a glance. Diana said she had drawn it all herself, that she had been adding to it since she was young.
"Alright, have fun exploring tomorrow, go meet your new friend." I wrapped my arms around her, thanked her for the treasure map and headed for the house.
* * *
I was under the water, the walls of the massive clawfoot tub cradling me. From under the water I could see the steam curl away from the surface in the most delicate wisps. I had some time before I needed to be out in the birches. I had time enough for this; the water had always felt like home to me. Ever since I was a pup, the tub was where I would go to think, everything just seamed more clear.
I wondered if Robert would even like me, the thought that my attraction to him could be unrequited was saddening, but fleeting. I couldn't know, for now anyways, so there was no sense in worrying about it. I knew I already liked him though, his face, his body, and even more the way he carried himself. The music that rolled off his violin last night didn't hurt either.
Barely disrupting the surface of the water, I slipped up to a seated position, the water slicking off my fur. I'd been under for several minutes, wasn't even short of breath. I wanted to go for a real swim, someplace where the water was deep, like the lake I'd seen earlier that day. Maybe tomorrow I would take a horse out to the lake, Diana did say I could ride on my own, and I had a map. I decided to try and talk Robert into joining me.
It was almost time to go see him, the light coming in through the steamed window was starting to turn yellow and fade. I pulled myself out of the water and toweled off, the towel quickly wicked the water from my fur. I hung it around my narrow waist, pulled the drain plug, and hurried up to my attic room. With the door shut behind me, I dropped the towel to the floor, letting my fur air dry and letting my nudist side flaunt. The same tabby cat from the morning before, who seemed to spend most of her time in the window seat of my room, watched indifferently as I sorted through my woefully small bag of clothes.
A few minutes later I had hung all the rejected clothes in the ancient wardrobe across from the bed and dressed in sensible yet attractive outfit. After brushing a little sage into my fur and dropping the old compass and the map in a deep pocket I said goodbye to the cat and danced out the door, an encouraging mew followed me down the hall.
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Well there it is, remember to comment and critique. Thanks for reading!