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Language:
English
Series:
Part 10 of Arc of the Wolf
Stats:
Published:
2023-08-16
Completed:
2023-08-20
Words:
3,140
Chapters:
7/7
Comments:
30
Kudos:
3
Hits:
97

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Summary:

(2228 - 2242) - Before they were roommates (let alone best friends, let alone brothers), they were just two kids navigating very different lives.

Notes:

This was written for the Ficlet Flashdance on the original Ad Astra for the Twelve Trials of Triskelion. Corry's actually not quite two years older than Scotty, but the first six chapters are written with their ages parallel to one another; the last chapter, though, takes place in 2242, between the Prologue and Part I of On the Nature of Wind.

Chapter 1: Age 8

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."