Chapter Text
The pony was a sturdy Welsh pony, and Montgomery liked him already. He was pretty, a sort of dappled brown color, and he had big dark eyes with a nice look in them. His neck was arched over the wood door of his stall, and he whickered when they came in, and of course, the first thing Montgomery did was beeline over there to give him an apple slice.
He didn't really know how to fit in Uncle Charlie's household, and he didn't really have anything in common with his cousins, but he liked the horses and ponies. They were all well-socialized and good-natured, and when he had to stay here, he would spend hours in the stables with them. He'd learned to ride when he was four, and sometimes he would even climb up on one, though he wasn't actually allowed to go riding alone at all.
"Our new lad," Charlie said, reaching out to scratch the pony's forehead. "Take a fancy, Montgomery?"
"Aye," Montgomery stepped closer, and when the pony put his head down, he buried both hands in the dark brown mane. That made the boy grin; a sudden, beaming grin.
"Well, I'll tell ye what." Charlie crouched down, smiling and eying his nephew. "If ye promise tae see tae him when ye get back, ye can take him out."
"Alone?" Montgomery looked over, both eyebrows up.
"Aye." Charlie stood up, patting the pony. "Stay in the pasture, though."
He had to know how much that made the lad's day.
"You're not a pebble," Andy said, looking at the tiny blue crab hiding amongst the pebbles, so perfectly camouflaged that it looked like one to predators and just about everyone else.
The tiny crab, not even as big as his dad's thumbnail, didn't move. There were hundreds of them on the shoreline, glistening like minuscule rocks. Andy sat on a big rock, not wanting to accidentally step on any on the beach. Lots of them would die, wouldn't make it through moulting or through predators, or through weather, or people walking, but he didn't see any point to making it harder for them.
"I know, you have to pretend to be a pebble, but I see you." Andy rested his chin on his crossed arms, belly cooled by the stone, the sun heating up his back. He felt a sudden rush of affection for this particular little crab, staring at him and holding perfectly still, waiting to be eaten. "I won't hurt you. I promise."
Sharpest_Asp on Chapter 1 Wed 16 Aug 2023 07:11PM UTC
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SLWalker on Chapter 1 Wed 16 Aug 2023 07:45PM UTC
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daraoakwise on Chapter 1 Tue 17 Oct 2023 08:30PM UTC
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SLWalker on Chapter 1 Wed 18 Oct 2023 12:42AM UTC
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