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Solitude might be lonely, but Fuego was starting to suspect that it wasn't all bad. After all, solitude meant he only had to make sense of himself and Santos! Sure, he wasn't always the best company, and sure, he often didn't know what the best course of action was, but at least he rarely found himself confusing! He couldn't say nearly as much about the green mare, whose extraordinary explanations of her sudden appearance did nothing to clear up his confusion. Only one thing was clear; she was NOT a wintery Soquili, and rather resented the suggestion!

Well, he could appreciate that; he would be put out himself if someone thought he was a wintery sort. Still, did she have to be so confrontational (never mind he had a habit of being confrontational himself)? "I know it's winter, or that it's going to be winter. But what I mean is, figuring out how to deal with winter. The cold and the ice and the no food and the misery. Do you guys have a plan, or experience dealing with it?" As Fuego looked around the group, he shrugged his shoulders expressively. Maybe it was foolish to lay his ignorance out in the open, but he was NOT going to waste this opportunity!

Looking around the little group, he noted that the black and red mare had now joined the conversation, and there were more beyond her; a pale mare with large wings, and a black and white stallion who was just...standing. Well, none of them looked threatening, so why not try to tap into their collective experiences? Maybe something positive would come out of this depressingly chilly day, after all!

"As a matter of fact, I don't have any experience dealing with this winter prep thing. We didn't have winter, where I came from, and I'd really prefer not to repeat that crappy experience."

If it was possible for snakes to roll their eyes, Santos would have been rolling his about now. As it was, he simply added in his dry way, wrapping himself a little tighter around Fuego's neck, "We are not well sssssssuited to thessssse parts, not in the cold sssssseasssson."

Veslorurn listened with interest to the group talking. The green mare confused him with her big and small monologue. Some of the soquili he noticed had friends with them. A snake, a bear, and an owl. Briefly he wondered if they were nice to have around. Finally he gathered the gist of what they had been talking about. Winter. Well of course winter; it was on it's way. He eyed the bright red stallion that seemed to be the focal of the group. He was a bit surprised to learn the other had no idea how to take care of himself in this situation.

"Then why are you?" Veslorurn blurted out. Unaware of the regard of a couple of mares he moved to the edge of the group so he didn't have to shout. "What I meant to say is, if you didn't have any experience with winter why did you come out here?" He bobbed his head. "I've lived in this area for some time. I've got shelter and I know where the food places are." The male glanced side to side at the others.

((Apologies, but I am internet-less at the moment. Writing this from my phone, bUT i miget not be able to respond until tomorrow night when I have my comp back as I fail at phone typing. Thanks for patien ce!))

She was curious about the odd gathering of Soquili that were in this little group. Her pale eyes took in each participant as she made little mental notes about each one as they took turns speaking and broadcasting their opinions. "I'm pleased to hear that I haven't interrupted anything. I do have terrible timing on occasion." Her voice held a hint of laughter as she spoke in return to his statement. She gave a warm smile as he introduced himself and his companion and assured everyone that Santos was nothing to fear. She wasn't overly concerned about the reptile though.

Amitola had made himself comfortable between Astraeas front legs and had decided to remain silent until he felt like something required his interjection. His pink gaze looking at each of the different Soquili. Some of them he had never seen before and they were curious to him. He hadn't really met anyone else besides Amadahy so this was quite a lot for him to take in.

Astraea gazed over towards Veslorurn as his sudden outburst and quick apology and rephrased question disturbed the small moment of silence everyone had seemed to be sharing. She gazed at the red stallion for a moment and looked back over towards Fuego as he replied to him. Ah, she he was from the desert. It would be quit the shock for him then. "Oh goodness. This cooler weather must be quite different for you then." She paused for a moment as he caught some movement out of the corner of her eye and spotted Kittredge approaching. "I'm fairly certain there are a few of us here that could give you ample advice about the cooler months though. Especially if you're used to nothing but heat." She wondered how he must feel being used to such warm temperatures all the time and was now being forced to experience everything else.

Her gaze turned back to Kittredge as the mare spoke up and she cocked her head slightly and seemed just as confounded as Fuego with her ranting. She, however, was familiar with tea as the two legged beings Amadahy knew well drank it on occasion. It was a warm drink and it seemed to come in multiple flavors, but she had never tried it. She doubted she ever would. "The two leggers tend to drink it quite often in the cooler months. I have never had any but I've heard of it." She said to Fuego hoping to ease his confusion, even if it was just slightly.

Amitola was now very curious with the newest addition to the group. His light gaze fell upon Kittredge as she spoke and he thought for a moment before speaking. "You are curious to me... Is tea and cake something you often indulge in?" He wondered how they got it unless they spent a great deal of time with the two leggers, but then again he was fairly certain there were other ways to acquire such thinks. Her looks where what interested him the most though.





WC: 507

Kye had spaced out for a moment thinking back about her first winter experience. It was not a pleasant one for she found out the hard way into dealing with the painfully cold windchills that liked to creep through the forest. It was not until she found an empty cave that dwelled deep down through the earth where she could stay warm. Ever since that season, she goes looking for that same old cave when the leaves starts to turn into red, yellow, and brownish in colours...

It was when Astraea had spoken that made her snap back to reality. But she sadly missed what she had sad. "Hmm? Did you say something?" she asked, rather flustered since the pale mare had just bowed her head in a greeting. "I was lost in thoughts for a bit there...."

Kye didn't catch Fuego's introduction at all. Perhaps maybe he would repeat himself again with introductions once she gets a little closer to him... Near the Kirin stallion, her bloody eyes took notice of the snake she saw earlier. She knew all too well that snakebites were painful and quite bothersome to walk around with a swollen limb when bitten by one. So she kept her distance and stayed away from Santos. Just in case it would strike at her.

Her attention shifted again once the word "snow" was mentioned. Shaking her head as she took a quick peek up at the sky, she prayed to motherearth that those cold flakes will not start to fall anytime soon... She is pretty much ready for it but she rather likes to enjoy her days without snow.

Kye too, had to take a look around since it felt like she had spaced out for quite some time. The little group that was there already, seemed to have grown in size? The earlier ones were now joined by others and she thought she heard one mention about tea... Just what is tea anyway? And what? Cake?

She still looked left and right and behind her in hopes to keep sight of that stallion with spoopy markings. To her surprise he wasn't far away at all for he was still talking to the pale mare who had bowed at her for some reason she did not know.

She was certain he would have advanced further to the others. But there he is, chatting away with the mare and her bear. And close by. She just smiled like a stalker, her fangs protruding out of her mouth, not wanting to interrupt any of them in the midst of conversing with one another.



(( SO SORRY. I MEANT TO REPLY BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO ME THESE DAYS. ))

(( I know there are more of you guys but i have ADD it seems. feel free to talk to Kye though. ))

For his own part, Fuego found the idea anyone could ever be afraid of Santos, or ANY snake, laughable. In the desert, snakes were a part of the landscape; there weren't many creatures who could live comfortably in the blazing heat, but reptiles had always seemed to thrive. Fuego had grown up surrounded by not only snakes, but lizards, gila monsters, and, in moister areas, turtles. He hadn't expected he'd ever end up with a reptile familiar, but he'd definitely never been afraid of them.

However, since coming to the Kawani lands and meeting up with Santos in particular, he'd come to realize that snakes were somewhat less...ever-present in these parts. The greater variation in temperature no doubt accounted for that; there was no reason for the snakes to be out and about, except on cooler days when they wanted to be out in the sun. That, and there were just many more places to hide in the Kawani lands!

Chalk it up to another difference between the 'here' and the 'there,' he supposed. Kinda like 'tea' and 'cake!'

The strangely smiling mare hadn't said anything to answer his questions, but fortunately, he hadn't needed to wait. Astraea had been quick with an explanation, and Fuego gave her another nod of acknowledgement. Still, he was frowning as he considered that piece of information; how was something the two-leggers drank going to help him deal with winter? "That...seems like an unusual way to deal with the cold," he allowed, deciding that being dismissive would be setting a bad precedent. He was the one asking for help, after all; that meant he ought to be remembering his manners. Maybe the drink had magical properties? If so, he could suppose it MIGHT work...for some Soquili.

The white mare, Astraea, seemed to be the most understanding of the group, along with the dark stallion, Veslorurn. Fuego wasn't totally sure what was up with the grinning mare, Kittredge, or the mysteriously appearing mare, Absinthe, or the darkly watching mare, Kye. Maybe they were as in need of help, in their own ways, as Fuego himself! For his own part, Fuego was going to latch onto Astraea and Veslorurn for ideas, he decided, unless someone else started speaking sense he could understand soon. That wind wasn't dying down, after all, and that could only mean one thing: it was going to be snowing before they knew it!

He didn't know quite what to make of Veslorurn's comment about the Kawani land killing, though he wished he did! Given the other stallion's tone and the the way he seemed to be reacting to his own thoughts, it seemed like something Fuego and the others ought to know. So he looked at Veslorurn curiously, feeling that was a subject worth fleshing out more. "What kind of things, exactly? Rock slides? Flash floods?" He frowned, cocking his head to one side as he considered what other possible hazards there might be out there. Why hadn't he encountered these hazards before? Was he just lucky?

Though he appreciated the other stallion's offer of help; building a shelter might at least keep the wind off his back. "Thank you," he said in a tone of undisguised gratitude. Clearly, keeping his temper in check was a good thing. He was just turning back to Astraea, to ask her abut HER experiences with winter, when chaos burst onto the scene in the form of the suddenly appearing Kodama. Fuego heard him before he saw him, so he was staring in bewilderment before Kodama even came into sight.

When he did, however, it was nearly a collision. Only a quick scrabbling of the stallion's pawed feet prevented him from crashing into them, and even then, Kodama appeared to be wildly unbalanced. "Whoa, hey, are you ok?"

((So sorry, for some reason I thought I responded on Wednesday >> And sorry for the misspelling >>; ))

Kye's instincts made her jump sideways to avoid the pawed newcomer when it toppled into view upon arrival. "My that is not something I'd see everyday.." Her heart was pounding but she knew it was no walker. Its eyes did not contain the hatred and urge to murder. However, although it shone with blue ice, she didn't want to lose her life based on the assumptions with Kodama joining the small crowd.

She shook from her head first and jiggled her body until her tail was the last thing she could shake. Afterwards she just followed after Veslorurn and stuck to his side. "Excuse the sudden cling, you remind me of family," she spoke in a soft whisper. "I mean no harm but I rather be here then over there," she told him as she glanced back at the one sporting a fluffy tail and four sharp paws...

She remained huddled between the two red stallions. My what warmth they would have if they stayed close to one another in the cave she likes to hide in.

"Soon, the snow will fall. You guys better be prepared for it," she whispered out loud. Hopefully loud enough for the winged one and her bear to hear her advice.