Ouranos didn’t make it a habit to befriend other hoi. It wasn’t intentional, really, but he found it difficult to connect with others when there were more exciting things on the horizon. Arete was an exception and his first true friend. The importance of friendships wasn’t lost on him, despite his more reclusive nature, and he prioritized putting aside some time every few months to loop back and visit the striped mare when things were slow. Today was one of those days, ending with the sky dark and his hooves finally stepping closer to the cave she had claimed as her own up top the snowy mountain she so loved. He was relieved to be almost there, his pelt twitching against the bitter cold and harsh, rapid winds that had kicked up once the sun set. Why she even loved these hateful mountains, he’d never know.
The stark contrast of black and brown stripes against freshly fallen snow caught his eye as he climbed the hill before her cave, and with the sight he heaved a low sigh of relief. The mare’s head snapped in his direction, his mouth parting to greet her as her eyes widened.
”Ouran!”
Wait, that wasn’t a tone of happiness or glee— she was upset. At him? No, he had only just gotten there, and she couldn’t have known he was arriving. Was that why, actually? Had he come at a bad time? His hoof remained frozen in the air as she bounded to him, her brows furrowed together once she broke the distance.
”Are-“
”Thank the deities you’re here! I don’t know what to do!”
Arete danced from hoof to hoof, anxiously tossing her head from side to side, as if checking if anyone was watching. Ouranos flicked his gaze around their surroundings, his tail lashing once. Her panicked, steadily growing agitation was rubbing off on him already.
”Calm down— deep breaths. What’s wrong?”
She huffed loudly, her head snapping to look at him with wild eyes. “Ohhhh, Ouran-“ “Ouranos.” “You won’t believe what I found on my walk today! A filly! A lone, abandoned filly! I couldn’t leave her, so she’s back home, at the cave. What do I do?”
A filly? His eyes snapped to look towards the cave, a frown present on his face. “Where are their parents?”
“That’s the thing! She says she doesn’t have any! How does a child get all the way up here, survive, and not have any parents?”
Peculiar indeed. His hoof finally lowered, settling into the unforgiving snow. “Did you ask if she had any other family? A sibling? Grandparents? She couldn’t have gotten here on her own. Or, someone dumped her.” A horrible thought, indeed, but he had heard it happened. Parents who didn’t expect a bundle of life sometimes left their little ones elsewhere, and while it was a genuinely reprehensible act, Ouranos could understand why someone might panic and find it their only option. He was glad his own folks hadn’t taken that route despite their surprise by his birth.
”No… she doesn’t seem really… socialized. I tried to talk to her more, but she didn’t talk much. I don’t know if she really knows how to, or if she’s sick, or overwhelmed, or…” Arete trailed off, her eyes absently trailing to the side. She startled, shaking her head free of whatever ponderings had taken her. “Anyway! I could use your help! You’re old— you know how to deal with kids, right?”
Usually, he was used to others comparing him to an older hoi, but this was the first time he had been directly questioned about his age! “I’m not much older than you,” he countered softly with a shake of his head. “I know I act the part— or so I’ve heard —, but I don’t have any more experience than you do. I don’t even have any younger siblings or friends who have children.”
“Oh,” Arete breathed, her shoulders drooping and gaze withering to the floor. “Sorry, I didn’t mean- you just sound like you know so much more than me, I thought… anyway, I don’t know what to do… will you help me? At least come see her and-“
“Of course,” Ouranos interrupted, his voice smooth and low to comfort. He dipped his head downwards, craning to nuzzle against her shoulder gently. He couldn’t leave her behind to figure it out on her own— if he needed her, she’d be there for him, and he had always been taught to help those you care for in times of need.
Arete exhaled a sigh of what he assumed was relief, judging by how she leaned against him and returned the affectionate gesture. “Thanks,” she murmured in return before breaking their touch. Ouranos straightened to his fullest height and waited wordlessly while Arete gathered herself. Arete tossed her head towards her cave with a quirk of her brow and was answered by a quick, affirmative nod from the starry-flanked stallion before she led the way back to her lodgings.
”What’s her name?” Ouranos questioned as they grew closer, hesitating a step back before Arete reached the mouth of the cave.
“She didn’t say.” Arete shrugged gently, her face scrunching into one of worry.
The entry to the cave was large, the light filtering into a slanted line between the separation of the cave and the snow-covered grass. Ouranos trailed after Arete, the glow of his eyes brightening as the shadows overcame them. Arete shuffled into the darkness, veering towards the left wall sharply, where light barely eked across stone. There, Ouranos could make out a small figure huddled into a tight ball, as if to make itself smaller. He squinted, his eyesight not as keen as Arete’s, despite their natural glow. In fact, he was fairly sure his sight was worse than most hoi— how ironic.
”Hey there,” Arete cooed towards the ball, bending to gently nuzzle against it. It twitched, unfurling. He could make out the edges of a head raising, turning first towards Arete and then to Ouranos’ direction. The head jolted, ears flattening into the darkness. Arete turned back and hissed softly towards Ouranos, a hoof raising to wave.
”Your eyes— they look scary in the dark,” Arete explained.
”Ah, you’re right, sorry. I can’t really control that, but I promise I’m not a bad guy,” Ouranos responded in turn, directing his last statement to what he presumed was the filly. The dark shape huffed anxiously in return, tightening back into a ball.
”Sweetie,” Arete coaxed, “He’s my friend, and we’re here to help you. Can you talk to us? Tell us what’s wrong? Why were you alone?”
Another huff, followed by a shift of movement. The filly inched away from Arete, her head resting against the darker floor.
“Please?” Arete tried again, but no answer. She hesitated before glancing back at Ouranos, who shook his head in return.
“Let’s let her be. We can try again later,” he said, turning back towards the mouth of the cave. Arete trotted after him, joining him in the light. Ouranos quickly shouldered her to the side, away from the cave and its habit of carrying voices.
”I think she needs time. You found her today?”
“Yes, like, maybe an hour or so before you got here. The only thing she told me was ‘I don’t have any’, when I asked about her parents. That’s it— I can’t get anything else out of her.”
Ouranos nodded with a frown. It sounded like the filly was stressed, at minimum. “We should come back to it later. I’ll stay and help. I don’t really have much that needs me, and I can’t just leave you to deal with this alone. Besides, I was going to visit for a few days; it’ll just be with an extra companion.”
Arete’s eyes widened, and she inhaled sharply, exhaling with a low sigh of gratitude. “Oh thank Apollo, no, thank you. I don’t have any idea what to do, and I can’t just leave her here while I go looking for whoever just left her behind. I’ll make it up to you, I swear!”
“There's really no need,” Ouranos laughed heartily, his head tossing in a mild-mannered shake. “You’d do the same for me. I’ll look real quick for anyone in the area. Can you get her comfortable and maybe get some food? I saw some berries near the trail up here— she’s probably starving.”
The two ended their conversation quickly, both departing to their individual tasks. Ouranos traveled the mountain, grimacing against the fierce, relentless cold as the sun hurried along the sky, eager to make its way to bed. He returned when the stars began to twinkle, his face a long, crestfallen frown. He hadn’t found any other hoi, which meant the filly had indeed been abandoned, at least for the night. Arete found success in her task, returning home with berries and a smattering of tiny acorns and seeds. They shared a brief, worried glance before wordlessly entering Arete’s cave to begin settling for the night.
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