Marco slowed a little as he spoke, whinnying softly in reply, You're probably right he thought grudingly, though his breathing was starting to become more laboured, whinnying again in answer to his second question.
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"Alright, then. I have no idea what you just said, but I'm thinking you're agreeing with me. Why don't we stop over there," Oci pointed towards a little dip in the ground by the path, "and sleep? At least of a few hours."
Marco gave another niegh of agreement, heading where the other directed, and stopping, his head dropping tiredly as he waited for the other to get off so he could shift back and flop.
Oci slid off the horse and inspected the place he'd indicated. It was quite shadowy and getting even darker as the little light offered by the sun faded away. "Okay, I think if we hide in here, then I could cover us with shadows. Then, at least, any monsters out here can't see us."
Marco shifted back as soon as the other slipped off, flopping back, his breathing heavy, "Sounds… like a…. good plan… to me.." he got out.
"Do you want any food, or do you just want to sleep?" Oci asked, twirling his hands as he talked. Whisps of shadows gathered around his hands, obscuring them from view. He flicked his fingers towards Marco, and the shadows flew towards him, weaving together to form a sort of blanket. From the outside, Marco was completely invisible.
Marco hummed, getting used to the sensation of the shadows surrounding him, "Nah…. I'm okay.." he said, having caught his breath by now. "You okay with continuing to ride like that?" he asked.
"Okay, then." Oci pulled the backpack off of his back and pulled an apple from it. "Yeah, I'm good. Will you be that tired tomorrow, since it's only half a day?" He asked, looking at the place he knew Marco was– even though he couldn't see him, which was slightly weird– and taking a bite of the apple.
"Depends on how hard I'm pushing it." said Marco, lying on the grass and looking up at the sky.
"So, you'll probably be fine, then." Oci nodded and dropped onto the grass next to Marco, suddenly appearing as he passed through the layer of shadows. "Why don't you get some sleep? I'll keep watch, make sure nothing appears in the night to eat us."
Marco hummed, "Sure… wake me if you need a break…" he said softly, curling up where he was, shifting into a cat in the process.
"Okay." Oci nodded, already planning on letting Marco sleep for as long as possible. After all, he was the one doing all the work at the moment. Oci wasn't sure if the shadows hiding them would stay if he went to sleep, and he wasn't about to take that chance. He stretched out and made himself comfortable, listening to the sounds of the forest as he slowly ate his apple.
Marco took only a moment to fall asleep, though within the next hour he was pressed up against Oci's leg for warmth, his bony self curled up into a tiny black and blue ball.
Oci looked down at Marco and smiled softly. He really made a cute cat. When Oci had finished his apple, he carefully placed the core on the ground next to him and continued to watch. The night went quickly, though Oci was ashamed to say it was probably because he'd nodded off a few times during that time. When the first rays of pale light filtered through the leaves, he snapped his fingers, banishing the shadows.
Marco slept soundly curled up against the other in a tight bundle. He was a bit thin, easily displayed by his thin, sleek coat.
Oci waited until the sun– as weak as it was in there– was higher before starting to wake Marco. "Hey, shifter, we should go now. Unless you want to let the king live?" He gently poked Marco in the side.
Marco let out a plaintive mew, getting up and stretching, giving him a sleepy glare before shifting back, "I know…" he murmured, feeling a bit fuzzy, and numb all over. Frowning for a moment, he hummed softly, "Do me a favour and slap me will you?"
"Slap you?" Oci asked, raising his eyebrows. "Gladly." He slapped Marco across the face, with a little more enthusiasm than seemed necessary. "Okay, then. Breakfast?" Oci held the backpack full of food towards Marco.
Marco grunted a little, before breathing a sigh of relief, "Thanks… I was beginning to think I actually couldn't feel anything…" he said softly, "And yeah.. food would be nice.." he said, settling himself crosslegged.
"Did you get overtaken by the aura of Death? Or were you just cold?" Oci handed the backpack to Marco after grabbing another apple for himself. "Would you be open to sharing a loaf of bread with me?" He asked, tossing the apple in the air before taking a bite.
"The first one, just a little." he said softly, "Must've seeped in a little while I slept…" he sighed, taking the backpack, "And no, I wouldn't mind." he said softly, taking out a loaf and breaking it in two, passing one half to Oci, before pulling out a muffin and munching on it.
"Wonderful." Oci accepted the piece of bread and grinned at him. "Enjoying that muffin? They're wonderful, aren't they? Blueberries are the best fruit, and if you don't like them, I will fight you." He laughed and finished off his apple.
Marco hummed, "Blueberries are a pretty good fruit.." he said softly, pushing down a surge of emotion. His little sister had been eating berries when everything fell to pieces. Sighing, he quickly finished the muffin and munched on the bread.
"Thank you." Oci grinned at Marco and took a big bite of bread. "How are you feeling today? Ready to fight deadly creatures?" He asked when he'd finished chewing.
"As ready as I'll ever be." he said softly, finishing his half of the loaf quickly, leaning back to wait for Oci.