fandomhighdorms | The Stables: Saturday morning

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The Stables: Saturday morning

Karal was a little late this morning, but Molly was with him, so hopefully Trenor would forgive him. He slid the stable door open and walked inside, calling a greeting to the horse.

Trenor snorted and tossed his head, fidgeting in his stall, and Karal frowned. "It is all right," he said soothingly as he grasped his halter. "Molly has many apples for you, just as I promised."

[ooc: open first for Molly, and then for a beastie with great nasty pointy teeth, ning ning ning.]

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Molly set down the bag of apples between her feet and pulled out two. "So many apples," she said and held one out in each hand, making sure her fingers were flat so they wouldn't accidentally get nipped.

Trenor calmed at the sight of the apples and he sniffed at it before delicately lifting it off Molly's hand, nodding his head up and down while he bit it in half, sending the other half tumbling to the stable floor.

"Greedy," Karal laughed, before patting his neck and going to get his breakfast ready.

Molly giggled at Trenor and gave him a pat before holding out the other apple. "I really did bring five kinds," she told the horse. "There is a great Farmer's Market not too far from where we live."

Trenor was happily crunching up the apple, getting apple bits and horse slobber about the place, and when he was done he grabbed for the new one.

"He is going to get as fat as pony, I fear," Karal told her ash brought the feed bucket over. "And there was a Farmer's Market? I didn't realise that they had such things here." He scratched Trenor's neck. "We have those back home."

Molly nodded. "Yeah, in the summer it's nice to get stuff fresher than you can get it in a store."

Karal nodded and unlatched the stall door, swinging it open to walk in and pour breakfast into Trenor's feed bucket.

Trenor, ears pricked forward, shoved his nose into it and proceeded to ignore Karal as he stroked his neck. "I think we will not take Trenor to one. He would eat everything, and then he would no longer fit in his stall."

There came a sniffing noise from the entrance to the stable. Something had caught the scent of the horse.

A reptilian head poked around the corner. It gave a cry when it saw them, possibly signaling for others to come help catch breakfast.

At the sound, Molly looked over at the entrance. She blinked. "Old Lace?"

Trenor threw up his head,nostrils flared, eyes rolling to show the whites, and backed up so fast he hit the back of the stall. "Trenor, what--" He paled when he saw the creatures. "Sunlord protect us."

The Deinonychus stepped into the entrance, claws clicking on the floor. The figure in front of it wasn't running which gave it pause. It called out again and waited for back up.

Molly looked closely at the dinosaur and noticed the subtle differences. She moved to stand in front of Trenor's stall. "Karal, stay in there and just try and keep Trenor calm. I can handle this one." Two? Maybe not so much.

Karal snatched at the lead rope, quickly clipping it to Trenor's halter, turning to stare at the beast. "Molly, please be careful," he called softly, obediently staying where he was even as his heart started to pound.

Trenor was trembling, muscles tense, and Karal took deep breaths to stop from joining him. He could feel him wanting to bolt, and tightened his hold on the lead.

The dinosaur walked further into the stable as answering calls sounded behind it. It shrieked again, trying to get Molly to run.

Crap. More of them. Molly threw a quick glance over her shoulder at the smaller exit of the stable and then at Karal before turning back to face the deinonychus. "Okay, change of plans," she said, keeping her tone level. "I'm going to go throw this one at whoever is coming to help him and you and Trenor go out the back."

Her eyes were glowing. Karal stared, then forced himself to ignore it, it wasn't important. Trenor was on the verge of total panic; if that happened, he was going to get hurt. "Come on, Trenor," he said, soothingly, trying to reassure him, trying to coax him forward.

He took one step, two, then froze and planted his front feet, unwilling to go closer to the creatures, his horsie brain knowing they were going to eat him. "Molly? It may not be so easy."

"I'll get this one further away," Molly said and ran at it, hoping to surprise it and get in a hit.

Food running at it was a surprise and Molly landed a punch on the Deinonychus' jaw, making it stumble to the side.

Hearing the calls of hopefully only two others, Molly picked up the dinosaur and carried it to the exit. "Please go now!" she called to Karal. "I'll meet you in the garage."

It was then that two other Deinonychus appeared just outside the table. Molly threw the one she was holding at the other two in hopes of knocking them down.

Trenor refused to go forward, half-rearing and nearly dragging Karal off his feet. With a brief prayer, he shoved the stall door open and swung up onto his back.

"I'm sorry," he muttered and dug his heels in, hard, and Trenor lunged forward, nearly out of control, slipping as Karal wrenched his head around and set him towards the back door.

The small, people sized back door. This was going to hurt.

Wrapping one hand in his mane, Karal tucked his legs in, sucking in a breath as they scraped against the door frame, and then they were out in the open and bolting for the dorms.

Molly let out a big sigh of relief once she knew Karal and Trenor were out. Now she just needed to keep these three dinosaurs occupied and hoped that there were no others in the short run from the stables to the garage.

She ran outside and picked up the nearest tail. Using the dinosaur as a bat, she swung repeatedly at the other two.

Which was pretty effective for knocking all three out. They wouldn't be much of a threat to anyone for a while.

The garage was a good idea, it was a fantastic idea, unfortunately Trenor wasn't listening, and the only way Karal could keep him anywhere near the dorms was by forcing him to run in a circle.

If he got off to open the doors, he'd lose him, so all he could do was stay on, keep him circling, and try and calm him.

Still keyed up from fighting, Molly ran up and opened the garage door.

Karal managed to point Trenor at the garage and they ran inside, Trenor sliding to a halt, snorting and dancing. "Molly! Are you hurt?"

Molly pulled the door shut and went over to try and help calm Trenor. The glow had started to fade out of her eyes. "No, I didn't get hit at all," she said a little sadly. "They look just like Old Lace. I know how to handle her."

Karal slid off Trenor's back, who was still trembling, but with the doors closed was starting to calm. "That is a dinosaur? That is what you used to ride?"

Molly nodded. "Old Lace was special though." She didn't want to explain genetic modification right now. "She was... bonded to a friend of mine. Now she is bonded to Chase. She's rather eat doughnuts than people. She still likes to rough house though."

"Those creatures, dinosaurs, they are not supposed to be here, are they?" He stroked Trenor's neck, rubbed his nose, and he slowly lowered his head, snorting at the floor. "They would have eaten Trenor. They would have eaten all of us."

Molly just nodded and stroked Trenor's neck on the other side.

"I forgot that this place was no safer than any other," he said quietly. "I forgot, and now I remember." Karal gave her a small smile. "Thank the Sunlord you were with me, Molly, else I think we'd both have been eaten. Thank you for protecting us."

Molly didn't even want to think about what would have happened if she hadn't been there. She smiled back. "I'm glad I was there too."

She moved around Trenor so that she could hug Karal. "I have to go back out," she said quietly.

Karal hugged her tightly. "I know," he said. "It is what you must do. I," he shook his head, "I will go to the library. That is what people who cannot fight do when this happens. I learned that my first week here. Perhaps I can help in some way."

Molly stretched up and kissed him. "I'll come there when I get too tired to fight anymore," she told him.

"I will wait there for you," he said after he kissed her. "Be as careful as you can. If Altra turns up, I will send him to find you, to help if he can. Let me get Trenor settled here, and then will you walk with me to the library?" Karal wasn't stupid, he knew he likely wouldn't get there on his own.

Molly nodded. "I'll wait and I'll be careful when I'm out fighting."

With a quick smile, Karal turned to the problem of Trenor. This was no place for a horse, but it was better than the inside of a dinosaur. With a murmured apology, he tethered him to a workbench and cleared everything pointy or edible away. "Water, you need water, and you never got your breakfast," he said, looking around the garage.

There was a bucket, reasonably clean, and he filled it, placing it carefully where he hopefully wouldn't step in it, and turned to Molly. "That is the best I can do."

"After I walk you to the library, I'll check to see if the stable is clear and I'll get him some food and his apples," Molly said. "I think he needs the treat."

"Thank you." He kissed her cheek and held out his hand. "We'd best go."

Molly took his hand and grinned at him again. "Ready when you are," she said.

He suspected he might never be ready, but that had yet to stop him. "Then that is now," he said, and followed her out of the garage and to the library.

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The Stables: Saturday morning

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