@themalhambirdThere’s a sort of silence across theland as summer gives way to autumn and the kingdo

@themalhambirdThere’s a sort of silence across theland as summer gives way to autumn and the kingdom is painted gold.Leaves turn yellow and red and begin falling from the trees – somewould say it is the beginning of the land’s annual death, but not inthe mind of the hunter galloping across the fields. It is merelyanother stage in the land’s life. He spurs his horse to keep up withhis query. Edward, Earl of Rutland is a master hunter, he lovesnothing more than the challenge of tracking, the endurance needed andthe sheer exhilaration of the chase. His heart pounds with the thrilland anticipation of finally catching his prey.Today he hunts the hart, pursuing thebeautiful beast all day if he must. The hart runs, eluding the manwho must mean death if he catches up. Delicate but sure hoovesdisdain the ground as the hart sprints away from the hunter afterstanding still for a moment, seemingly waiting for Edward tofoolishly think he can come closer; taunting him. Yes, come closer, omaster hunter, try to catch me. His ears twitch and he darts into theforest. Edward knows he’ll have to travel on foot now if he hopes towin the game and he dismounts quickly, not worrying about his horse,she knows the way home. Edward has come too far to let his beautifulprey escape. He loves this game.He runs part of the way, glimpsing astreak of white in front of him. He’s nearing the stream now, andthis part will require silence, or the hart will hear him and escape,and Edward will catch him, bysurprise and with no chance of escape. Adrenalin runs high in thehunter and he’s sure the stag can hear his heart pounding in hischest. He hears the slightest sound and looks up. The hart hasbetrayed himself and stands not twenty feet away, at the stream for amuch-needed drink.Edwarddoes not draw back an arrow to bring down the hart. He has left hisbow and quiver at home, as he has his dogs and other hunting gear. Hedoes not need them, for he has not set out to kill the magnificentwhite stag for the trophies of his gleaming pelt and and crown ofantlers. He has hunted for the game itself, to catch the divinething. The forest is alive with a rare feeling that can be bestdescribed as nothing less than the presence of a king. Gold leavesfall around the hart and the hunter and some kind of magic surroundsthem. The hart, faced with the hunter, does not run. He insteadlowers his head and pants for the water. He then looks up, and stepsacross the stream to his pursuer. The hunter reaches forward a handto touch the soft muzzle as he would a horse, but the hart jumpsaway, still just out of reach.Thehunter has no time to react as the hart moves back farther, thenlowers his head, and brandishing his antlers charges him. He hits theground, hunter overtaken by his prey. He’s embraced and kissed by theman who has replaced the hart. Edward ensnares his prey, wrapping hisarms around the hart transformed and returning the kisses. He runshis hands over the smooth back of his lover, brushing long auburnhair aside. This is what he has anticipated and sought all day, theend of the game. He’s exhausted now and breaks the kiss to catch hisbreath, letting his body relax and his head rest on the soft grass.The man atop him smiles and strokes his hunter’s sweaty hair.“Enjoythe chase?” he asks, looking fondly at Edward.“Ialways do,” the hunter replies, “both the chase and thegame.” The human-hart laughs quietly when the hunter kisses hischeek. He rolls the hart off him and they lay in the grass by thestream, catching their breath. The man who was in cervine form justminutes ago stretches his naked, human body out with a contented sighas his muscles stretched and got used to a different body than theone he’d inhabited all day. Edward can’t help but admire howbeautiful and peaceful he looks. At the same time, the hart takes inthe hunter’s own beauty. Edward is already a handsome man, and he’smade even more lovely hot and flushed from exertion and sun, sweatplastering his shirt to his muscles and his chest heaving for breath.They, the elegant king and the consummate hunter are made for eachother.Thehunter takes the hart’s hand and entwines their fingers. The land ispeaceful with the presence of its king, who has for now taken humanform and allowed the hunter to catch him, to master the game. For heloves this hunter – his friend, lover, sometimes playful adversary,husband, mate. They talk idly of the business of the kingdom, boththe human and wild part. They then recount their experiences oftoday’s hunt and tease each other. Edward closes his eyes and regainshis breath. The world spins around him and he still holds the hart,now knowing how the planets and stars feel circling the stationary,steady Earth. Opening his eyes, just a little, he rolls atop hishart, mumbling as he kisses his neck and catches his lips again.“Richard…” he breathes the name as if it were a prayer, spokenagainst the mouth he does not wish to leave.Timeseems a little slower, the grass a little greener and softer, thehunter a little more alive. It must be the old magic, which KingRichard lets flow freely in the forest, away from the world thatdoesn’t understand magic. There he retains what he can. He has takenthe image of the white hart as his royal badge, since his form as thehart is central to his magic, just as his hunter is central to hisuniverse in this very moment. He surrenders to Edward’s embrace, notin cervine timidity but in love and the unspoken trust between them,and he wants more and to give more. He lets his magic, usually keptdeep under control, free. The earth around them is aliveas they both take the spoils of the game. The chase is over, hunterand hart become one with kisses and gasps and names and endearmentsmoaned, tenderness in being locked in each other’s arms. Their bed isthe soft grass of the forest, they need nothing more – it isluxurious enough for the king and his mate. The hunter feels as aliveas he does during the hunt, of course he would, this is his hart. Theking who brings life to the forest as if it is now spring, spring butas gold as the autumn it replaces, just as the gold crown that takesthe place of the hart’s antlers.Exhaustedbut somehow full of strength, they lay back in the grass and relax, afew stray limbs remaining tangled. The only wounds the hunter hasinflicted on his prey are a few bite marks on the neck. Edward movesto rest his head on Richard’s chest, the king’s heartbeat blendingwith the rushing stream. The sun is going down and light is cast asif through the stained glass window of a cathedral. This space isholy too, blessed by the presence of the one anointed by the Creator.“Ilove you,” the hart says, tucking the hunter’s head under his chin,just holding him.Thehunter draws a breath and closes his eyes, basking in the hart’swords, as magic as any spell. “I love you too,” he replies,twisting his fingers in the silky hair over Richard’s pale shoulder.It has been dirtied, bits of grass and a few tiny twigs sticking init – remnants of his land. They’re both dirty from being on theground but the hunter, who loves being near the earth, doesn’t care.They’re close to the earth in a way they cannot be at court, soartificial and cultivated to the point of nothing truly growing, notas the king would truly have it, were he not constrained by the rulesof that part of his kingdom. Though the thought of a bath soon soundsvery nice.Edwardkisses Richard once more and sits up, finding his clothes and gettingdressed. Richard, who doesn’t have with him any of the fine clothinghe loves (some parts of civilization are nice. In fact a lot of itis, just not the part that would destroy the other half of hiskingdom) changes too, shifting once again to the hart. The hartnuzzles his hunter, who in turn wraps his arms around the strong neckand briefly buries his face in the soft pelt. They leave the forestin a much slower, easier way than they entered it; now walkingalongside each other rather than in the chasing game. The old magicstill follows the hart with each step he takes, and in the haughtybeauty of how he tosses his head and shows off his antlers, and inthe gentleness in his eye when he sees his companion. Perhaps thehunter will go after the game tomorrow, and perhaps the hart willagain be caught, as they are both caught in their own game of magicand love. -- source link
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