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Wintertime in the Kawani is in full swing, and February is no exception! A strong snowstorm and cold front has blown into the lands, blanketing much of the land in white. Some areas have completely been overwhelmed by snow--and places that are typically warmer or never see the stuff have also been covered in the white stuff.
How is your Soquili handling this snowstorm? Were they caught unaware? Are they experiencing snow for the first time, or are they used to it? What do they do now that they're living in a winter wonderland?
How is your Soquili handling this snowstorm? Were they caught unaware? Are they experiencing snow for the first time, or are they used to it? What do they do now that they're living in a winter wonderland?
When the dusty-edged clouds first appeared, Cher Ami wasn't too worried. The cool coming, the frosst, while bearable, were dangerous to the little critters at her feetm huddling close to the mare until she herded them into a cave. She might've even been content, perhaps, to hunker down with them. A normal Soquili would.
Cher Ami was not normal. When others fled, Cher Ami went out on the hjunt -- not to eat, but for those in need. She hadn't been near home when the blizzard whipped in, snow blasting and blowing, causinf whorls and eddies of snowflakes as it stripped the remaining dead leaves from battered trees, the piney varieties flocked in white crystals as the mare rushed into the storm, mentally marking the area by rising, and cirling until she was sure she might find the space even snow-blinded, and she swooped into the storm to find her mother or sister, if they were out; even then, she suspected not. Cher Ami's mother was smart, sweet, and kind. Exphasis, of course, was on sweet and smart. Finny was smart too, and Cher Ami wanted to be sure they werte safe as she took herself over her family's grove some wats away, scanning through gusts and blowing snow for movement, the mare frowning.
The land was frozen in white. Snow began piling in banks and drifts and upon trees and hills, covering everything in a blanket of cold white snow. The wind whipping through the forest below was whistling and haunting as the soun d reached the mare circling above, wings pumping against the hostile gusts that, should she glide, should knock her about, buffeting her even without the skill as she continued searching. The last signs of movement from her family glen was leading into a small sheltered space nearby, and Cher Ami swooped down briefly before affirming it was protected, and with a flurry of feathers she prepared to launch herself skyward again when something running drew the mare's ear and she pinned and folded her wings to her body as a wolf ran past towards a bank, and began to dig at it frantically. He was small, black as coal and a stark contrast to the land around him, but his motion was fearful, panicked and worried, and Cher Ami immediately approached.
"Are you trying to dig out shelter, little one?" Cher Ami asked softly, and the wolf huffed, continuing to dig.
"No ma'am. My friend and I were trying to ride out the storm above -- he's wings and I ride his back - and we got knocked from the sky! He might be buried, or worse!" The wolf was frantically digging, and after a moment the mare moved beginning to dig with the wolf without hesitation, flaring her wings to shield them both as she worried and fret. The bank was deep already, a sign of how atrocious the weather was, and the pair were beginning to suspect there was nothing when it moved, groaning before a black form coughed, beginning to rise. Cher Ami soon realized how lucky the stallion weas. The tip of his muzzle, nose and all, stuck out before, resembling a stone and allowing him to breathe, but made him difficult to find. Like as not, he'd landed in the bank, or they hadn't been that high -- the latter much more likely as the stallion slowly rose with a groan, and Cher Ami stepped back.
He was large, but no larger than a typical stallion, dappled and black, leathery wings stiff for a moment as he shook himself, snow falling from thick ringlets before he groaned, and turned his head to the wolf and rumbled.
"...You alright Sil?" The male asked slowly. The wolf nodd3ed.
"I'm fine. I landed in another bank." The wolf responded, before shaking himself, the stallion shaking his head before turning his head to Cher Ami. The mare didn't cower. While he seemed at best half or quarter, the male was inclined to study the mare in silence. Her horns alone spoke of her Kalona ancestry, but after considering, he grumbled and nodded.
"Thank you. For helping Sil dig me out, miss. I'm Ul'Dah, he's Sil'Dah. My brother gave him to me." The male explained. Cheri Ami gave a slight bow herself, and beamed.
"Cher Ami, and I was happy to do it. Do you need shelter? I can lead you to a cave -- er, can you fly?" The mare blinked again as Ul'Dah stretched his wings, and then he beat them twice before nodding.
"Ah, no, I'm well. I might be fine. You've shelter to share?" Ul'Dah's ears pricked immediately as Cher Ami nodded.
"Aye. My little pets don't get eaten. Critters." Cher Ami flared her wings as Ul'Dah nodded, looking to his companion.
"You heard, Sil. Be good." Ul'Dah lowered, the wolf huffing and clambering upon his back before entwining himself in the ringlets of the male.
"I won't harm them, I get it. Can sneak out to hunt, though." Sil'Dah rumbled, Cher Ami nodding.
"That's fair. Make sure to focus on wings over gliding. It's hard work but you'll work better against the gusts."
"Aye, aye." Ul'Dah nodded, before following Cher Ami airborn.
The air was cold even high over the trees. Cher Ami circled, wings pimping as she waited for Ul'Dah to catch up, and wjen hew did, he moved with effort. His wings were large, spreading wide as he pumped them, but not as swiftly as Cher-Ami; his wings were taloned and leathery, and required a slightly different method to avoid injury, but Sil'Dah, riding his back, seemed accustomed to avoiding adding unnecissary dragh to his companion, and Cher Ami soon swept in front of them to lead. The winds, high above, were as bad as below, if not worse. The duo was buffetted and flung about mercilessly, adjusting for the changes. Soon enough, the mare realized they needed to do some creative flying, but she wasn't sure if Sil'Dah could hold on as she moved, slowing down for Ul'Dah to catch up and look to the mare immediately.
"How's Sil's grip?" Cher Ami asked, bay about by a partyicularly nasty gust. Ul'Dah considered, then bared teeth in a sly toothy smile.
"He can hold on. You noticed the wind picking upo as well, eh?" The stallion asked, and Cher Ami nodded.
"It's bad. We'll beed some creative flying to make it to my place." She acknowledged, and Ul'Dah tossed his head, more mane reaching his lupine ally deftly.
"Bite on Sil, we're gonna need to go into some fancy flyin'." The stallion called. Cher Ami was most impressed as Sil'Dah shifted, fangs bared a moment before biting down on his mane and tugging lightly to signal he had hold. Cher Ami was used to carrying critters, keeping them in her male or in a basket, but a friend to help carry or ride seemed... Nice! Immediately, the mare nodded when Ul'Dah nodded first, before she shot ahead. Ul'Dah shot after, and swiftly their flight patterns changed; an exen, buffeted and betted flight suddenly included flying at a bank angle without turning, diving sharply under rougher air before swopping up to match altitude, and rolls to shake the snow. Occasionally, Sil'Dah seemed to dangle, but always reasserted his grup, sinking further into Ul'Dah's mane as the pair moved. Soon enough, Cher Ami sighted the landing point for her shelter and dove, landing swiftly and moving to afford Ul'Dah space to land behind her, the stallion and mare folding their wings with only a bit of fidgeting to shake the snow off from the winds as Sil'Dah finally let go of the stallion's mane and slide down, looking around. The area around the cavern was forested and though the snow blanketed all and the trees were barren, the wolf spied some burrows with a keen eye that looked promising; Ul'Dah was similar, appraising bushes for edible foliage before nodding absent approval slowly before Cher Ami led them inside and it was soon plain it was, in fact, a "shelter in a pinch" with room enough for four Soquili, and the entire cave was stone and dirt tracks. Sil'Dah's nose twitched before he spied Cher Ami's critters, and when they didn't run, he trot over, plomping down to share his body heat. Ul'Dah gave a rumbling chuckle before approaching slowly, laying down beside his friend and the small animals as Cher Ami approached.
"Sorry there's not more for heat. It was the first space I found." The bold mare apologized. but Ul'Dah shrugged with an air of laziness.
"It's fine." The Stallion said softly. "It's better than outside and we can huddle as needed."
"We're huddling, but unlike you two we are tiny." Now out of the elements, Sil'Dah felt somewhat sassy, Ul'Dah laughing as Cher Ami just flicked her ears before frowning.
"So how did you two fall out of the air?" The mare asked, laying beside Ul'Dah for some heat herself. Ul'Dah sighed.
"Wind. We were staying by treetops for a space to enduyre, and, well, the wind knocked us about. Got seperated from Sil falling, but luckily we landed in snow. No injuries. Well, must've whacked my head on a tree, I got knocked out. No idea how long I was out." Ul'Dah spread a leathery wing over the smaller creatures and Cher Ami nodded sagely. It was Sil'Dah who protested.
"Too long! You were out too long!" The wolf complained, Ul'Dah snorting at him.
"Well excuse me, duchess, but I didn't just decide to get knocked out." He nosed the wolf teasingly, getting licked in retaliation before the stallion laughed, looking to Cher Ami.
"I met him as a foal and he was a pup. My brother and I met him and his brother, and, well, we've never parted since. You?"
"Oh, the bunnies?" Cher Ami paused. "I look after small animals in need. They don't talk or anything, but they help comfort others. I like helping."
"Well, you have our thanks. Mind if we..." Ul'Dah motioned with his head for sleep and Cher Ami perked.
"Oh, no, not at all, get some rest. Ah... I'm Cher Ami." The mare responded. Ul'Dah shrugged again, but didn't speak, lowering his head to sleep as Sil'Dah settled with the smaller animals for similar, and, in the quiet, Cher Ami sighed, watching a gust blow past before laying her head upon her own forelegs for sleep as well, falling asleep soon enough.
WC: 1716
