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Ezekiel wasn't sure what to make of this. On one hand, if an Angeni trusted a human, than he should, too. But a past wasn't so easily forgotten, especially not one full of so much suffering. He had been so long when he had been stolen from his mother. Too young to remember anything about her other than a distant comfort in the back of his mind. He'd love to find her, again, but he didn't even know where to start. Who to ask. The other equines who had been in the human camp with him had dispersed as soon as they were all free. He didn't blame them. It hadn't been a very good place to be, at least for a unicorn. Harvested for their horns like common livestock. It bought a shiver to his spine even now, so many years later, as he stood and waited for the arrival of one such human.
Breath in and out. You can do this. Not all Kawani were bad. He knew this. A lot of them were good, even weaving baskets for newborn foals to finish their development safely inside. One entire species wasn't to answer for the actions of a few. That was unfair.
Still, he felt his muscles tense as the sound of footsteps drew nearer and a Kawani male approached him, raising his funny front foot in a gesture Ezekiel had seen at the small village he had grown up in. A greeting, right? To be friendly?
He dipped his head in response, trying to look as calm as he could.
Approaching the place he had left the other stallion, Sarathiel approached carefully, his heart beating faster. He wasn't sure how this would go down. He didn't like using his powers for trickery like this, but the Alicorn was just so insistent on treating him like some God that he couldn't make his traps in peace if he'd done this out in the open. He was pleased to see Ezekiel was calmed. Or trying to appear to be calm. He seemed to be tense and trying very hard not to be. It made the Angeni tilt his head to one side curiously, as well as showing the empathy he felt inside at whatever trauma was in this one's background.
It wasn't his place to even wonder, though. He understood having things in the past you didn't want others to know. Not that he could ask about it in this form. No. That would ruin the deception if he let on that he understood Soquili talk. Humans might understand body language of his species, but never would they understand verbal communication.
Stopping at the pile of sticks, Sarathiel clapped his hands together, wincing inwardly as the other male jumped. Okay. No sudden movements. He could do that. Maybe. Being a man was so odd. He felt...Small. Vulnerable despite the muscles along his arms, chest, and back. One kick in just about anywhere to his body and he'd be done for. Was this how humans felt when confronted with animals bigger then them who they didn't know? He felt much more sympathy for them if it was.
He held out his hands, palm upward, to show he held nothing. There was also nothing at his belt, not even a dagger that most seemed to carry with them. But than why would he need one? He was an Angeni warhorse. His hooves were much harder than the thin bits of metal Kawani used. He had no need of such tools. He couldn't help a smile when Ezekiel walked forward to sniff at his hands. Maybe his own horse smell would help calm the other down.
This human male smelled like the Angeni. Ezekiel felt a little better with that knowledge. He backed away to a respectful distance, watching as the man sat on the ground and picked up a branch. His natural curiosity was growing, despite himself, now that his fear had been proven pointless. There was none of the metallic smell of blood anywhere, so Sarathiel hadn't been hurt. Where was he, though? He couldn't ask. Humans didn't understand him. Maybe if they had, they wouldn't have hurt so many of them.
Lowering his head, he nudged the pile of sticks, tilting his head slightly in the direction the Angeni had gone and the Kawani had appeared from. Perhaps he'd understand.
Sarathiel did understand. The problem, or maybe the good thing, was he didn't know how to communicate an answer to the Alicorn. Instead, he raised a hand and pointed back in the direction, The other male seemed to understand this, as he nodded his head and than started to move away in the same direction. Oh, that was no what he had planned. Ezekiel wouldn't find him, not in the form he was looking for. How would he feel when he couldn't? Would he feel as if he'd been abandoned? It might lower his expectations of Sarathiel, but that wasn't how he'd wanted to do it. That would be worse than the betrayal of pretending to be someone else.
"No!" he couldn't help shouting, raising his hands again. The stallion stopped, confused and with a tiny bit of fear in his eyes. Oh no. Which language did he say that in? His Kawani wasn't very good. It was probably Soquili.
He put a pleasant smile on his face, gesturing to the ground as if he wanted the company of the Alicorn instead. Just keep your mouth shut and maybe this would work for however long he needed it to.
Ezekiel thought he'd heard his own language coming out of the mouth of the Kawani. Maybe he had been mistaken. It had been one note.Still, he looked down at the human with suspicion. He'd rather find Sarathiel than remain here. He looked in the direction, than back at the man, still sitting on the ground with a branch in one hand and some leather strips in the other. He sighed. Sarathiel had wanted him to keep this man company, right? He would remain until the Angeni retunred. To show this, he circled to the man's other side and docked a back foot, lowering his head in a resting stance.
The Angeni also sighed, in relief. The Alicorn was relaxing.He meant to remain here. He could finish the job as a Kawani, return where he'd come from, and go back as himself. And no one would be none the wiser!
He loved when a plan worked out well without a single hitch!
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