What Once was Lost

[ryderh]

Exhausted and weary, clothes torn and dirtied, Ryder made one last check to make sure the hippogriffs were comfortable. How in the world one makes a hippogriff comfortable, he didn't know, but they seemed to be perfectly fine at the moment. They certainly would be okay once Miss Davenport found them.

It had taken him a full day and a night (after the weeks of searching) to convince Darkwing to return to Hogwarts. The hippogriff didnt know him, and not knowing the formalities of approaching the creature, Ryder had wound up with a few bruises and long deep gash along his right arm from shoulder to elbow. Eventually, though, the man had figured out that a mention of Rebecca's name and a bow would settle the creature into trusting him, if only a little. In time he was able to get Darkwing back to the castle, along with a new mate. Or so Ryder assumed the other creature was.

And so, as it was, Ryder left the two creatures in the stables, toward the back where Darkwing had immediately run to upon arrival, to head back up to the castle, carefully closing the stable doors behind him. He needed some food, water, sleep, and, of course, a good bandaid. If he could make it to the castle, that is.

[Rebecca Davenport]

She swung the feed pail lazily as she made her way to the stables, to check on the two foals: A young Abraxan she had named Tony and an orphaned unicorn she called Morningstar.

"Here boys," she clucked as she opened the doors. She stopped suddenly at the noise she heard. A large growl, unlike anything the two equines could produce. The pail dropped from her hand and in its place she found her wand.

"What's there?" she hissed, aiming for the back of the dark stable. She would do some serious damage to anything ready to harm her babies.

[ryderh]

Perhaps and hour or so had passed before Ryder returned to check up on things (he wasn't sure if Becca had been to the stables yet). He had his arm wrapped up and wore a fresh change of clothes. A bag filled with raw meat hung at his side.

"Good morning, Miss Davenport," he inclined his head in greeting to the young woman as he marched past her and into the stables, paying no mind to her outstretched wand.

[Rebecca Davenport]

"Ryder! What are you doing here?" Becca hissed at him as the man just sauntered into the barn. If the idiot wanted to get eaten by whatever creature that was after her foals, fine by her. The beast would be less apt to have her babies for dinner.

[ryderh]

Ryder paused midstep and turned to face Becca. As was normal, now that he could see her, the man had take a moment before he could speak to her. He reminded himself that there was no future for the two of them, making it easier, if only slightly, to talk.

"Oh! Did you want to feed them?" he questioned, holding the bag out towards Becca. "I'm sure you know better how to do it."

[Rebecca Davenport]

THEM? There was more than one of them in there? ... And how did Ryder know that anyway?

"I'm actually trying to keep them from feeding, thank you very much!" she hissed back at the infuriating man.

[ryderh]

Ryder raised an eyebrow at Becca. She didn't even know what the creatures were and she was worried they would eat the two of them?

"Well, I'm sure you wouldn't mind them eating me," he joked, knowing very well how she felt about him at the moment. "But I'm sure they won't. See, I figured out that all you have to do..." he set the meat down and made a bowing gesture before the woman, "is bow to them and they'll let you approach."

[Rebecca Davenport]

Becca was more focused on being mad at Ryder than she was at what he was actually saying, and wasted no time in telling him so. "You're just... just INFURIATING, do you know that?" she asked. "What are you doing here anyway?"

[ryderh]

Ryder smirked. He knew he shouldn't find joy in getting Becca further upset with him, but she did look cute with her nostrils flaring.

"I came to feed the...what do you call them?" the man feined ignorance, though knew perfectly well what the creatures were called. Back when the two of them actually got along, he had enjoyed listening to the woman babble on about the creatures she worked with. "They have beaks and wings and....well, I think you should see for yourself."

[Rebecca Davenport]

"What are you talking about Ryder?" Becca asked, moving away from him with a frustrated flounce. Her wand was lowered, but she was still on her guard. She tried to convince herself that he was just talking nonsense, but she couldn't help but think there was something more to it.

[ryderh]

"Like I said, you should see for yourself," Ryder replied, gesturing towards the back of the stables once more. "Just remember not to approach too fast. They tend not to like that."

His hand unconciously lifted to his injured arm. It still hurt like the dickens, but he was eager to see Miss Davenport's reaction to the surprise. He would care better for his arm later.

[Rebecca Davenport]

She shot him one more suspicous glare before inching towards the back of the stables. As the creature emerged from the shadows, her face cleared and she looked back at the man, surprised... and touched. "Is that...?"

She turned back to the beast and bowed. When it bowed back she ran to it and threw her arms around her lost hippogriff. "Darkwing!"

[ryderh]

Ryder smiled warmly at reunited figures. He stood there watching them for long moment before turning and heading back outside. It was certainly good to see Becca smiling, but it didn't bring him the joy he had been hoping for. It was all a complicated mess. One he didn't understand.

Once outside the stables, the man leaned his lanky body against the doorframe and gazed out over the grounds.

[Rebecca Davenport]

Becca giggled like a giddy school girl as she turned back to ryder. "I thought he was lost forever after the fire! where? How did you mange to find him?" she asked, forgetting for the moment how angry she still was at him.

[ryderh]

"Hmm?" Ryder shook himself from his daze and glanced over his shoulder before stepping back into the stables and leaning against the nearest wall. He gave a small shrug, content not to explain, but feeling the need to do so once the question was asked.

"You know..." he started, shrugging again. "A buddy of mine down at the Hogshead liked to tell stories. When he started in on one about a Hippogriff sighting up north, I got suspicious and decided to check it out. I'd planned to tell you, but then....."

Ryder's voice faded out to an inaudible mumble. He stared down at his feet, trying to keep his cool and act like the grownup he should have been, but feeling more like a smile child who knew he had done something bad.