Participants:
| Scene Title | Sheep |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Amato was falling asleep in the barn when he was interrupted by Kendall, and they have a not-so-friendly chat while being watched by sleepy sheep. |
| Date | December 27, 2010 |
Not too terribly far from the castle, a makeshift barn sits nestled in the island foliage. It was most likely never intended to house animals, but modifications have been made to do just that. The past few nights, the faint yellow glow of lamplight has blinked in the windows and doorway of the structure, signaling to those in the castle proper that, despite the season and the deceptive safety of the island and it's transient inhabitants, not all is calm after all.
Tonight is no different from the one that came before it. The wind off the river is hindered somewhat by the trees, but it still makes for a biting chill in the air. Inside, the animal warmth is supplemented by a small pot-bellied wood stove dragged here for the sole purpose of combating the harsher temperatures. The thin trail of smoke that rises from it and winds out the door with the wind is barely visible against the night sky, but even in the gray light of day, it doesn't generate enough smoke to warrant concern.
On a bed of straw laid clean as of late this afternoon, the sheep lie cuddled together for warmth to the point where they resemble rain-laden clouds rather than animals. Amato doesn't sit too far away from them, with his back against the wall and the stove to his right, his hands buried deep within the pockets of his more tattered wool coat. It's wrapped tightly around him, and the knitted scarf around his neck is coiled so that it covers part of his face as well. Lastly, a watchman's cap clings to his head to help retain heat.
While his eyelids aren't closed, they're slipping further and further over his icy blue eyes every moment.
Some days Kendall is on Pollepel, some days he's not. Having two jobs has much to do with it, three if you count what he does for Ferry. And due to his ability, he's able to go to and from the island even during the day, although he abides by the rules and only comes at night. This time, he's on the island, so he decided to go check out the barn since it was mentioned that he should learn to ride a horse. Now, being a born and bred city boy, the largest animal he's ever had to deal with was a large dog, and it was still smaller than he was. Having real animals around that were larger than him, well… it'd be a new experience. The door creaks as Kendall pokes his head in, likely letting in a nice cold breeze that disrupts the warmth of the barn. Hastily he enters, shutting the door behind him. OMG, it's warm in here! Kendall basks for the moment.
The sound jars Amato awake, and he snaps his head to stare at the intruder. The sheep don't seem to mind, reacting to the cold air by edging closer together. The mares in the next 'room', separated by a few rails of wood, snort a few beats of disapproval and shift their weight some before settling back to sleep.
Amato doesn't stand, but the way he sits up against the wall, and the piercing quality of his eyes as he looks over Kendall might mean he doesn't have to. He's easily twice the boy's age, and a lot can be conveyed in posture and tone.
One eyebrow lifts higher than the other, disappearing under the ribbed edge of his hat. "May I help you?" he asks, his voice a tense, annoyed whisper. Only a few people come down to the barn for any reason, but to do so after dark is even rarer.
"Oh, uh, sorry for bothering you, erm, I, uh…." spit it out already, Kendall, sheesh. "I just came to see the animals, uh, and I was told I need to learn to ride horses. Not now though, it's dark out and stuff." really? It's dark outside? "I just… got here, after all. It took me a little longer than I thought it would this time." pause. "I'm Kendall and I swear I'm not doing anything illegal." pause again. "Well, aside from existing, anyway." way to make a first impression, kid.
"And so what exactly did you think you would accomplish tonight?" Amato's question is fully annunciated, his lightly accented words gaining an even sharper edge with the attention to consonants. The largest of the sheep lifts her head and stares at Amato, but the de facto shepherd doesn't notice the black-eyed, baleful stare.
Slowly, and with a slight creaking of tired and cold bones, Amato rises to his feet, continuing his appraisal of the younger man, waiting far too patiently for the answer to his question.
"Well I heard it's a good idea to, uh… get to know them, or something. Let them smell you." no, that's dogs. Or maybe it's horses too? "Better than just hopping on their back, right? And…." Kendall hesitates. "They're probably asleep now, right?" the sheep are eyed curiously. "Sheep, huh? Do we eat them, or just shear them?" because that's about the limit of Kendall's knowledge of sheep.
"We let them sleep," Amato says in answer to all of the boy's questions. "Forming a bond takes time above all else, but I am sure that either mare will accommodate your needs when the time comes; however," and Amato pauses, narrowing his eyes at Kendall, "that time is not now. If you just arrived, shouldn't you be heading up to the castle? I presume there is a procedure of sorts for newcomers."
"Oh, I've been here before. I've just arrived again today." Kendall nods sagely. "I helped evacuate Gun Hill on the 8th, and fell into a coma for five days. Fortunately I was brought here for that. I've been back and forth to the mainland a few times, and I'm a part of Ferry." squint. "Are YOU supposed to be here?" he asks suddenly. Well, it is kinda suspicious, a guy sleeping in a barn among livestock.
Amato's expression doesn't change with either Kendall's boasting of deeds or even the accusation. "That's a rather deep question," he muses, his voice dropping it's edge and becoming a dryer, more dead-pan and contemplative drone. "One could argue that none of us are supposed to be here. Or that all of us are, through the machinations of God's will."
He takes a single step closer to Kendall, the room being already quite small, and he leans down to look him square in the eye. "But perhaps, if you would like the most truthful of answers, you should ask someone other than me."
Kendall blinkblinkblinks at Amato. "God's will?" he repeats, sounding somewhat incredulous. But then Amato is all looming over him, and he takes a step or two back, looking nervous. "Ah… who should I ask then?" does that mean this guy's a liar? "I don't know much about philosophy or stuff, but by 'here' I meant the barn."
"And by someone other than me, I meant someone not in the barn," Amato counters, barely raising his voice above that neutral level. He moves his eyes from Kendall to the door behind him and then back again, lifting his eyebrows with subtle suggestion. "Go on to the castle and run whatever errand it is that has brought you back here." It's warmer there anyway, even if the old place is drafty.
"I already did." Kendall frowns at Amato. "I take my responsibilities seriously. That's the first thing I did when I came here." the sheep are eyed again before he turns back to face the man. "You know, you never said who YOU are. I don't suppose you're Ryans or Huruma, are you?" Kendall's met Huruma, he just didn't know that was her.
"Ryans is the new co-head of security, and an American." Amato says dryly, reaching for the door to open it again, bringing in a howling gust of wind. "And Huruma is a very foreboding African woman. I am neither." He pauses, then stands a bit straighter.
"You, are getting to be a pest. Good night."
"Oh. Goodnight then." Kendall doesn't really have much of anything else to say to that, so 'sheepishly'(ahaha, PUN) he pulls a small ring out of his pocket and puts it on his finger. He vanishes, and then a second or two later the door closes by itself, cutting off the wind.