FebruarOC Day 1: Anthron
shhh don't think about the date. shhh
Anthron wasn't supposed to be here.
He was supposed to be further down the road, following the directions his parents had given him to the stable his family had patronized for years. Good bloodlines and very dependable companions. All of their horses had been bought there.
Except now he was here at an out of the way auction field, if it could be called that, among a small crowd as the most sorry looking nags were presented to them. Most of them old or broken down. Some of them had promise. Maybe. The men buying most of them had the look of butchers. Anthron frowned as more and more of the horses were destined to be nothing more than meat for the needy or for dogs. The younger ones with wild, rolling eyes and more than a few kicks sold to people that Anthron hoped would spend the time to calm them. Its all they needed. A good firm hand for a couple of years and they could likely be the best damn horses known towns over.
That didn't quite explain why he was here. He didn't know why he was here, exactly. A feeling when he saw the rough painted sign. Which was a really silly reason if he thought about it too long. And to avoid thinking about it too long, he focused on the horses in front of him.
Leaning on the rough fence, Anthron watched the men to the right where the last of the horses to be shown were. There'd been a commotion during the last couple of horses now. A lot of swearing, muffled shouting, and good bit of movement. Nothing too clear came this way, outside of the swearing. And by now, the crowd had thinned out with muttering that the options available were poor prospects and that better could be found elsewhere. Only a few determined people remained and were also becoming spectators to the commotion as more and more time elapsed between the last horse and the current time.
Finally figures appeared to be coming towards them. It appeared to be multiple men around a horse. And as they got closer, it became very apparent that they were scared of the horse. Long ropes kept the men from kicking distance, with one to lead the horse, and two to haul back should it charge. Which it did often.
The crowd around Anthron pulled away from the fence, fearful of the large animal as it charged into place, churning the dirt with his hooves. Anthron was the only one to stay put and he was enthralled by what was before him. It was hard to tell what colour the stallion was, he was covered in so much dust and dirt. Drying spots spattered his face and chest with the red of freshly drawn blood, just bright enough to not disappear into the rest of the dirt.
"To be sold...as is," the auctioneer managed to get out as the stallion kicked out. "Starting price?"
"I'll take him."
The flustered man stared at Anthron. "The bidding-"
"I don't care. I'll take him. No one here is going to beat a hundred gold marks right in your hand as soon as I get over this fence."
In the absence of protests and only muttering among the small crowd behind him, Anthron hopped the fence. The stallion snorted and kicked out once again before going for another charge. The two men holding him back groaned as the heaved on the ropes looped around the stallion thick neck. Quick on his feet, Anthron dodged snapping teeth and got a good hold on the rough halter on the stallions head. He looked at the closest of the men. "Let go of the ropes."
"Are you crazy?!"
"Maybe," he replied, shrugging slightly and holding tight as his horse threw his great ugly head up. "Just let go of the ropes. It's not good for his breathing."
"His breathing? This beast has injured three men and stomped a mutt into the ground. We aren't worried about his breathing!"
"I am. Let go or I'll have you arrested for injuring my horse!"
The tension in the ropes lessened immediately and his stallion stomped in place, but Anthron swore he saw some of the tension in his face and neck disappear as well. Petting the great head, he crooned a little under his breath to inform the stallion that he was, in fact, the ugliest horse he'd ever seen while he used one of the ropes to fashion a proper lead.
His parents would be pissed about this. But in this moment, he didn't care. He had his horse.
