Chapter 3
On this particular day they were meeting with a rather odd WME that the Soot Hooves had met on occasion. His name he did not know, but he was often referred to as The Traveler with an odd coat that looked like he was split into two different WME’s, and in a pinch he always provided a stable source of trade. As much as Ody often grumbled about raiding his cart, he knew the backlash for this socially popular WME wouldn't be worth the risk.
Asty was admiring one of the odd human objects on the side of The Travelers cart when the guy himself walked up beside Asty with a peculiar look on his face. “Don't mind me just lookin'” Asty said, the little drawl evident in his tone. “Oh, I’m aware,” The Traveler replied, a happy grin on his face “I was just thinking about how much you look like your folks, how have they been?” Asty paused and looked hard at the Traveler,” My folks?” “Yeah! I haven’t had the chance to swing by and have a chat with Hector and Androm in a long while, tell them I said hello, when I first met them, you must have only been a few weeks old, you were so small and they were so excited to have you” Asty paused for a few moments before simply reply “I’ll let them know” In a quiet voice to avoid having to answer the question properly.
He spotted Ody out of the corner of his eye with a curious expression on his face that Asty couldn't quite pin the emotion too, but he had other things a little more pressing on his mind at that moment. Ody closed his dealings with the Traveller in a slightly rushed manner before the Soot Hooves carried on their way. The bombshell information of his parents' names was not something the young stallion was expecting to hear today as part of a routine dealing. Hek he hadn't even really thought of his parents much in the past year, sure they had crossed his mind on occasion, but he had always assumed he'd been abandoned by them.
Something felt…. wrong, after hearing this information, and it began to fester within him. What *had* actually happened to his parents, why had they abandoned him, did they actually abandon him. These thoughts and questions began to gnaw away at his confidence and existence within the group the more he thought about it. And other members of his family began to show concern for how quiet and in his own noggin he’d been the past few days. He heard Al blaming it on teenage hormones, with Ollie leaping to his defense and saying his little Asty was fine.
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When Asty realized a week later during their travels that they were moving through the area where they visited yearly and claimed it is the area where Ody and the Soot Hooves had found him. It seemed to be a tradition Ody made to make the journey to this area yearly around the time he was adopted by the Soot Hooves. They would all camp out, Lucky would tell funny ghost stories, they would all reminisce over their shared heists, Ollie would try to convince himself that Asty hadn't already grown too big, and it would be a grand time. Ody always disappeared for a small portion of time during this, but they never thought much of it. But this year, with all the brooding he’d been doing, Asty was…. Curious.
After a night of shared stories, fun and reminiscing most of the SootHooves bedded down for the evening, with Asty volunteering to do the rotational watch first. He sat there staring at the fire, thinking about the smell of smoke he'd first experienced on the first day they had met, and the loud chaotic voices, why had he never thought to question it more? In the midst of his thoughts he noticed Ody slinking off out of the corner of his eye, and with a pit in his stomach Asty made the decision to follow his father into the dusk, quite as a mouse and from a distance. He wasn't sure what compelled him to do so, but there was something nibbling at the corners of his mind and it wouldn't go away.
When he saw Ody come to a stop at the edge of an impressive ravine, Asty paused a little ways back, hiding in the bushes and undergrowth. The irony of the bushes being where Ody found him did not escape Asty. They both stood in silence, Ody contemplative, and Asty, inquisitive. Then Ody began to speak.
“Hey, you two, it's been hmm, about three years now I’d imagine?... I guess I can't call you guys “you two” anymore, seeing as I learnt your names for the first time today from the damn Traveler. So then, Hector, Androm, your boy has been growing up to be quite the equid” Ody chuckled, “I don't know which of you he takes after the most, but he's a fair, strong boy, who can be quite mischievous, but I may have to blame that on some of his influences, but they cherish him regardless.” Ody paused there seemingly deep in thought, “I’m so sorry for how things turned out, and for taking the opportunity from y'all to raise him yourselves, I’m sure you’d be proud of the young man he’s become, I wouldn't give up a day spent with him for anything, but I certainly wish I could turn back time and give this back to you instead”
Asty had only been following his curiosity and the nagging feeling, he did not expect to see his father's image shatter in front of him the way it just did. Ody hadn't simply found him as an orphaned foal? But had it led to his parents' death? Asty stood paralyzed for a few moments, Ody continuing to ramble stories in the background about Asty. He didn't know at that moment what he should do, pretend he never heard this? No, that wasn't right. He could never unlearn this; he could never pretend that he came into the Soot Hooves though means other than murder. Taking a deep breath, Asty knew in this moment his life wouldn't be the same ever again.
Slowly stepping out of the bush, he approached Ody softly, and asked the question from behind his voice breaking “Is it true? What you just said” Ody turned around slowly having heard Asty approach, the odd look from earlier once again on his face, and Asty now understood it as an expression he'd never seen on his father…he meant Ody's face before, guilt. Much like the day they had met in nearly the same spot, Ody and Asty stood facing each other, only this time Asty was slightly taller than Ody and looking down at his figure instead. While they stood in stillness and silence, inside Asty he could feel every little warm moment, bonding, learnings, and time he'd thought of this WME as his father crumbled, clouded by the knowledge he'd just learnt. “Please” Asty said, almost begging “Tell me it isn't true”
Ody opened his mouth as if trying to find the words, possibly an excuse. But eventually closed his eyes tight, reset, and said the words Asty never wanted to hear “It's the truth, your parents died here the day we met you” Ody looked like he was going to continue, maybe thinking this was just going to be a hard conversation, but Asty didn't let him finish those thoughts. Taking the first lunge in what would be the first serious fight these two would ever have, Asty cursed his adoptive father, renounced him with every kick, every bite, and lamented the loss of his parents at his hooves.
It was drawn out, fierce, and both were left limping when they turned their backs on each other. Ody back towards the Soot Hooves. And Asty by his lonesome out into the wilderness, bleeding on a level more than just physically as he left everything he'd ever known, or thought he'd known and loved behind to start a new life, and swearing he’d bring them to justice for what they did too his parents 3 years ago.