Thirtisecond of Harvest, 189th Greensfounding
My Dear Diary,

Today was unexpectedly fulfilling.

I hadn't explicitly intended a day with Clousdshield, but since my every day for quite a few days past has been spent with her (and all but one of my evenings, and three of my nights, as well), I woke up with that assumption, that this day would be ~~more of the same.~~ a continuance of those delights. My father, Hearthtrust, did not waste a single second in delay, making haste to inform me otherwise, to my anger and, I assumed, eventual heartwrenching dismay.

I had desired to spend the day waiting for her availability, likely in or around the Guardship Tower. This I wished to do for however long I was required, or allowed, depending on how I chose to perceive it.

I have found my time spent in wait of my lover both agonising and delightful. I am blessed with more time than I could ever have asked for in which to fantasise idly about her; about walking with her or spending ~~hours~~ days on end held in her forelegs, comforted and attended and given affections, or even (on occasion, that is, certainly with less frequency than any other idle thoughts, but still, I must confess) time spent together as an entwined pair composed, in order of significance, of beating hearts, tangled limbs, and ecstatic sighs.

Yes, I intended to spend a portion of my day alone, with Cloudshield in my thoughts, and then the remainder of the day with Cloudshield herself, doing whatever we pleased.

Instead, my father, with the approval of my mothers (though I believe rather tacitly, in Herdmother Ivory's case), demanded that I spend several hours with him. We helped tend the fields nearby. It was my first time doing work outdoors, save perhaps carrying a small barrel back and forth as a small colt.

~~At first~~ For the greater part of the day, it was beyond tedious. It was excruciating, finishing the last of the preparations for the Harvest. Tomorrow is Leafsfall Day, and that means the Harvestfeast. After that, the Harvest itself begins in earnest.

The work was initially varied, requiring the constant attention of my irritated mind. After an hour, perhaps two, however, father found me something I was good at. Not that I performed poorly at anything, but rather that, at this task, I excelled without effort. Every Harvest, we dig up new storage cellars, move the wood flooring from the old cellars, and fill the old ones full of the dirt from the new ones, for freshness or something of that nature. Mundane work, completely mundane work, and under any other circumstance I would be very unsatisfied with the work's mundane nature.

At this point, though, to my delight, I was able to fall into a rhythm, physically, and from there I could simply let my body work as my mind wandered freely... For a while, I was concerned that my idle thoughts of time with Cloudshield would be noticed. It only took a cursory glance around to assuage my worries. It seems that many (if not most) stallions take similar measures to busying their minds while their hooves work.

By day's end, I was physically exhausted and feeling significantly more lustful than I recall feeling at any single moment in my life. I was very pleased, upon returning home, to see Cloudshield enjoying a drink with my mothers, chatting about something.

They're discussing something right now, which requires my absence. Irritating, perhaps, but understandable, and acceptable, as following their discussion and a short meal, Cloudshield will be escorting me to her home for the evening. The whole evening, until well after dawn.

Ecstatic,
Flamehearth

Author's Note

Discontinuing the main plot for a "chapter" let me just play with the character and get in his head again. It's not much, but it does something for me, so here you go. So yeah, enjoy his wangst.