Fergus felt the ground underneath him breathing, the heart of the earth a physical thing underneath his boots as they crunched against the spring grass. His mouth was set into a snarl, eyebrows pinched together, as he stormed into the forest.

The trees welcomed him with familiarity and the sounds of birds singing into the open air, music to his pounding chest.

Anger coiled around his body like a heavy cloak, making his movement aggressive and abrupt, scaring away any life watching him with black eyes. Angus stalked him from behind, huffs escaping the horse’s mouth as he watched his owner’s rage play out.

Fergus stopped in the middle of four trees making a circle, his actions clunky as he grabbed his bow, steadying his breathing. His fingertips stilled the arrow, eyes sharpening as he released the string and watched the sharp point make itself home into a tree’s branch.

A grunt escaped his lips, dropping his arm and strutting over to the arrow. His hand curled around it before yanking it out, heart stopping when it snapped in half. Goddammit.

His shoulders dropped before he sunk to the floor, head hanging between his legs. His heart ached fiercely, burning with frustration. “Can you believe this? My own parents, forcin’ me to marry some dolled up lady. For what, appearances?” He muttered, hands coming together to hold his face.

He didn’t want nobody, and certainly not a girl he didn’t know. Angus slowly sat down, his hooves digging into the dirt, as he watched Fergus’ displeasure. “Ain’t fair. I don’t need to marry nobody, and I don’t need to listen to ‘em.”