Another Skin Part Five

The conversation echoed in Rupert’s mind over the following days.

“You don’t plan to sell out now do you, Rupe? We’re in this together,” Clint had said with such accusation and pain riddling his tone that Rupert barely recognized him. He’d had to frantically recoil. Swear his loyalty. It went beyond friendship now; he was tied to Clint by fear and the consequences of his choices. Clint had been the leader, he always had and now he reined that power over Rupert. They would do as many heists as Clint wanted, or Rupert would be labeled a traitor and with that title came concerns that Rupert didn’t want to dwell on.

Only the arrival of Tuesday brought reprieve to his troubled mind. His pockets were fat now and though he couldn’t flash the money like mating feathers, the offer he had prepared would serve the same gain.

He dressed quickly in the morning and hurried into market. He found Elizabeth there, as he had expected. He made his presence known with a gentle touch to her shoulder.
She turned and greeted him with a soft smile that faded, only the slightest bit, when she saw him. “Robert, isn’t it?”

Rupert would not allow himself to be deterred today. He happily replied, “No ma’am. Rupert is my name and I would humbling as you to join me for breakfast this fine morning.”

She sighed deeply, toyed with the curl of her bangs, which where new and quite elegant. “Rupert, my apologies, but I thought I’d made it quite clear that I’m not interested in dating.” She shuffled her bags from arm to arm and looked about as if longing to dart off.
“I thought you might reconsider with this being on of my last weeks in town,” he said smoothly.

Her eyes seemed to light up with interest. “Really? Where are you going?”

“A fair ways from here, a friend and I intend to start a business. We’re going to be very wealthy. He has fortunate family that intend to help us make our way.”

“Is that so?” She cocked her head with what Rupert could only read as intrigue, but her next words didn’t meet his expectations. “Well I do wish you the very best. However, my stance is unchanged. I have already eaten and I must tend to my shopping as quickly as possible.”

Rupert’s face fell and like so many times before he found himself blocking her path to keep her from stalking away. “I’ll be very rich you know. I’d be able to provide for you.”

Elizabeth looked disgusted with the slightest hint of repulsion edging onto her features. “I don’t even know you. For what reasons do you constantly choose to harass me? I’m not looking for a husband. Your money means nothing to me even if you had it on hand.”

Rupert felt his heart shattering and his finesse dissolved into pleas. “If only you’d give me a chance. Please, soon I might never see you again. I couldn’t handle that.” He reached out a hand and tried to stroke the side of her face. “You’re so beautiful.”

Elizabeth shook her head and stepped away. “You only care about the way I look. You don’t know anything about me. You’re a foul man, Rupert.”

She hurried away and he could only think of one last thing to say, one last hope and was grained into his aching soul. “Wait!” He summoned and ran up along side her.  She turned to him in a huff, granted him one last word. “I-I saw a horse.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

“A wild horse,” he said with more certainty. The image of the pelt, stored safety beneath his bed, played through his mind. “In the pastures, behind the woods. I was walking and I saw it. I know you own horses; I thought perhaps it might be of interest to you. I was going to tell you about it over breakfast.”
 
A faint look of guilt played over Elizabeth’s face. “Well, I’ll look into it. Thank you.” With that she walked away and left Rupert alone on the sidewalk.

He walked home with his head down and his hands in his pockets. How was he to seduce her as a horse? It seemed impossible. “At least I’ll get to be close to her,” he said to himself and it brought a little comfort.

That afternoon he pulled the pelt from beneath his bed. She would have had enough time to complete her shopping in town. If she intended to seek out the horse, she would do it soon. He left his house and walked into the pasture, there was no one around, and he pulled the pelt onto his lap. He imagined himself running through the forest, feeling the lapping of the breeze at his back. He remembered the strain of his flanks as he ran. Tried to picture himself as that creature again. The pelt met his skin, but this time he tugged it on, pulled it over his head like a hood and allowed it to seal around him. The darkness swallowed him again and he felt like he was moving through water, down deep in the depths where nothing could be seen.

Then the skin peeled back, let him open his eyes and the brown orbs took in the sight of the pasture from a higher plain. He shuffled his hoofs experimentally and found that they were still comfortable.

He surged forward, whinnied in satisfaction at the feeling of the breeze over his new skin. Then, trotting back and forth, he waited.

It seemed like eternity on the desperate man’s patience, but Elizabeth did come. She snuck up on him. Before he saw her he felt a rope loop his neck. In shock he reared back, kicked his front legs and struggled against the restraints. It wasn’t until he saw her face, heard her hushing coos, that he finally calmed. His hoofs found the ground and he trotted back and forth on a small patch of earth. This was what he’d been waiting for. She’d take him back to her farm.

Elizabeth seemed surprised by his sudden serenity. She approached him slowly, brought her hand to his head. He bowed it so she could reach and allow he’d soft fingers to brush through the fur of his snout. “What a beautiful stallion you are,” she said once she’d had a chance to look him up and down. “So well-behaved. Where in the world did you come from?” She knew full well that she lived on the only farm for miles around, but the horse seemed tamed and that left the possibility that he belonged elsewhere.

Without anything to go on she had no other choice, she promptly took him down to her farm.
It took until nightfall to get there and by then Rupert’s legs were tired and sore. He looked forward to taking off the pelt, but he realized as he was ushered into a stable that his ambitions would be dashed. He tried to back away; he whined and reared back, yanked hard on the rope as he resisted being pushed into confinement.

“Whoa! Easy!” Elizabeth gripped the rope in both hands and nearly left the ground as he bucked his large head. He understood that if he fought too hard he might never get another chance with her. He tried to quell his fear of the small space and allowed her to sooth him, allowed her to push him into the horrible wooden square. He’d be staying there through the night.