That certainly wasn’t the impression he wanted to make when seeing his friend again. If Shepherd Caito and Gabriel hadn’t rushed forward and started yelling at him and the Nightmares, everything would have been fine.

Aerithen had felt such joy at seeing Damien again that he’d nearly rushed forward to hug the young man. It always hurt to leave him when the season began to cool and the caravan had to leave.

'Dear one, do not listen to those fools. They don’t know how special it is to have your friendship. And it seems even more special to have his. Would you tell me who he is to you?' Pembe nudged her muzzle against his back from where she walk walking behind him.

After the fiasco of Everyone-Yell-At-Aerithen, Damien had told him and the herd to follow. Aerithen knew his friend was only trying to help, but it still made him feel singled out. Yet he’d followed after the prince anyway, Pembe and the rest of the herd not far behind, and soon it was like a strange parade of humans and Nightmares down the road with Damien leading the procession.

“Not now. Maybe later at the mansion.” He saw Damien turn his head before him, and wondered what had grabbed his attention.

“Who’re you talking to, Aeri?” Oh. Damien didn’t know about his and Pembe’s speaking method.

“Uh, just Pembe.” And because he wasn’t a big enough idiot, he pointed his thumb over his shoulder towards the mare in question like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “She was asking me to tell her about you. I think she’s curious about why you stood up for me.”

'Not the exact reason, but the more obvious one.'

“And if you’ll quit being so nosy maybe I’ll tell you.” Aerithen hardly had to look to speak to her. It had long since become a habit, unlike when he first thought she spoke through eye contact.

She’d found that rather funny when he explained why he stared at her so much in the beginning.

Aerithen was suddenly gliding about an inch above the ground as Pembe lifted him by the back of his shirt and jacket. It was something akin to a mother cat picking up her kitten by the scruff and moving it, though instead of love, it was done in annoyance.

'I am not being nosy. I am simply trying to figure out who this man is to you. It is obvious that you care for him and he you. But I have only just met him, and I cannot speak with him as I am currently bonded to you. So, if you would be kind enough to tell me your relationship to him before I blindly lead my herd into what could possibly be a trap, I would gladly appreciate it.'

Aerithen couldn’t help but roll his eyes and look at Damien ahead of them. He had turned back to watch the street traffic, but it was almost pointless as people would run to the other side of the street when they caught sight of the Nightmares.

“He’s been my best friend since we were children. Every year when the caravan came to the campground here, my parents would either take me to the royal family’s mansion to play with him, or they would watch both of us at the campground for the day. As we got older and didn’t have to be watched as much, we would go into town to the park and play with other kids, or we would go to the sweet shop or the diner and get something sweet. Well, Damien would get something, but he would always share with me since I never had any money with me. He’s always been looking out for me.” He smiled at the memories. “Sometimes, if it got too late in the evening, I would stay in the mansion with the Waters’ and spend the night. And Damien always made sure I was comfortable, even after we were supposed to already be asleep…”

'Go on.'

Aerithen hummed in thought. “When we were about nine, Dawud and his family joined the caravan, and soon all three of us were inseparable here in the city. Then it was Dawud and I the rest of the year...and now it’s just me.” He sighed. It was time to tell the Prince about their loss.

“Damien.”

“I already know.” Aerithen snapped his head up from where it had hung in despair to look at the man in front of him. No, Damien was beside him now. Those emerald eyes bore into his, and Aerithen couldn’t help but use his majik. Though he hated to see the amounts of sadness and frustration whirling within the other man’s soul, he knew there was nothing he could do to ease the turmoil.

“Dames?”

“I know he’s gone, Aeri.”