Chapter 11 - Chapter 10

The house became quiet once more after the long winter break was over, and Yuki, Kyo and Tohru returned to school. As soon as they had gone, on their first day back, I fwomped into a chair, and sighed heavily. “Tired?” Shigure poked his head around the door, and looked at me.



“Just a bit,” I replied. I closed my eyes and mentally cleared my head, before standing up again. I had just remembered that I had some work commissioned for in a few days. I needed to get it finished, so that it could dry properly in time. I was concentrating on this as I walked into Gure's study; to where we had decided was the best place for my easel. I was concentrating on ideas for my painting that had been commissioned by a local shop owner to hang on his wall. He wanted a watercolour that was a picture of a young woman and a horse. I did not know the person who had asked for this, or why he wanted such a picture. My job was simply to do the painting, and get paid.



I picked up a pencil, and began sketching the basic outlines for the woman and the horse, when Shigure came in and peered over my shoulder. “Whatcha doing?”



“Painting.”



“Painting what?”



“Surprisingly enough, a picture.”



“Awww, can't you come and play?”



“I need to do this, Gure, it has to be finished within the week.”



“Awww, but I'm so lonely.”



“Well, surely you can do some work too, I know your editor would be pleased if you actually did do some work.”



“That's exactly why I'm not doing any. Pleeeaaase come out with me. Please.”



“Why are you so damned determined,” I sighed resignedly as I laid down my utensils, and followed Shigure away from the study.



“Because I have something for you.”



“What do you mean, `you have something for me'? Last time you said that, you and Aaya were ten, and I was eight. Ten seconds after you said that, you poured spiders down the back of my ballet tutu. I had spider bites all over me for ages.”



“Yes, that was extremely funny, but I am actually, for once, being nice and serious this time. Come on, I managed to get us a car. Hurry up.”



I followed Shigure out of the house, and climbed into the black car next to him, both of us sitting in the back seat. As Shigure leaned over me to shut the door behind us, I leant forward and kissed him quickly on the cheek. He looked at me in surprise, “What was that for?”



“Nothing.”



He shrugged. As we drove out of the city, I looked out of the window, staring at the winter, rushing by as it passed into spring. We drove for about forty-five minutes, and when the car finally stopped, I burst out the door, and leant over beside the car, letting nearly all the food I'd eaten in the past twenty-four hours stain the ground. Shigure climbed out after me, and looked at disgust at the ground, before taking my arm and leading me into a field. I looked around for something, anything, “What is it I'm meant to be seeing?” I asked him. He pointed into a far corner of the field, and I squinted to see what it was, “A cow? You brought me all this way to see a cow?”



Shigure smiled at me, and took off his glasses, and passed them to me. As I put them on, everything became more focused. I saw at last that what I had though to be a cow, was indeed a horse. “It's a horse,” I stated.



“It's your horse,” Shigure corrected me. “He is now your horse, to train, to break in, and then do what you want with. Sell, keep. Its up to you.”



“Ummmm, ok. But why the hell are you giving me a horse?”



“Let's just say I though you needed another friend, and also, it's a late white day present.”



“Ummmmm.Ok.” I really should get used to Gure's weird whims. “Where are we keeping the horse?”



“In a field near the house, so you can go and see him whenever. In fact, we're taking him now, so you need to go and catch him…” he passed me a head collar, and I walked off in the direction of the horse. As I got nearer to the horse, I could tell that it was beautiful, and must have been expensive. He lifted his head as I got closer, and I whispered to him, softly. He looked at me, and slowly walked over, snorting slightly as he did so. I slipped the head collar over his neck and walked slowly back over to Shigure, and the horsebox that had just pulled up.



As I lead the horse up the ramp, Shigure stood at the bottom and smiled. After securely tying the horse, I walked back down the ramp, and helped shut the doors, before watching the box drive off again in the direction of home.



“Il s'appelle Mailus.”



“Bon, merci beaucoup Gure-Chan,” I said as I threw my arms around him, and buried my face in his chest. How I loved him.

You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment