K V O T H E

She enjoys my story, and i smile gratefully. In truth i had left out quite a few pieces of the tale(for it is much, much longer. And properly requires a day and a night to tell, as per custom) so as to spare her and my egg of the long story. Her words bring a smile to my lips, and then a grin filled with mischief and delight. "I have been to that land. And i can firmly say King Jax is a fair ruler, and quite the amusing host. I was a young colt 'ere we performed for the Immortal Court, and one noble had scoffed and mocked my performance. Imagine my surprise when the Immortal King himself helped me sneak into that noble's rooms and paint all his finery and furniture pink."

My grin is wide now. Oh the memories of the places i had visited would forever fill me with wonder. "I do not recall his face well, i was young and there was many exciting things to see. But i do remember seeing a painting of the Faerie, and she was beautiful." I said with a tone of wistfulness. Even as young as i had been the painting had stirred a sense of beauty and longing within my breast. To picture something like that, a creature as old as time itself, gone and never to return... as a colt i had cried for days, weeks. Now my eyes merely water.

She changes the subject to the pale sphere beside me, and i look down at it fondly, my tail curling around it on it's bed. "I know not why the giant turtle gave me this...nor do i know what lies within." But no matter what this egg held, i would care for it and tell it of kings and heroes of old, of dragons and demons and villains that were justly wronged. I would tell it of the good in the world and the bad, of lands shrouded in mystery and danger. Her praise pulls a smile to my lips. "Thank you... it's been a season or so since i last told a story, so i pardon the roughness of my telling."

She inquires about my charge's state, and i feel a sigh slip past me. "None yet... but t'is only been a fe-" CRACK. The sound is enough to make nearly all four of my hooves leave the ground, and i quickly drop my head to the egg. Was it... could it be?

It was.

A fine crack split the egg from top to bottom, and it rolled in a circle in the nest. Had i not been worried it would have been a comical enough situation to make me laugh. But as it was my only concern was seeing that this egg hatched and the babe was well. The crack widened, and then it practically exploded as whatever was inside gave a giant kick. Out of the remains rolled a small fat thing, looking quite like someone shrunk a deer, paused, then shrunk it again. The child hardly reached my ankle.

And it came from an egg. I wasn't given long to dwell on that fact, for the newborn began huffing, sides growing wider and wider and it's breaths shallower. Was it choking?! Alarm raced through me, and i turned to look to Rei in panic.

"BLAAAAAHHH!" There is such a demand, a righteous little anger in the cry that i look around in shock, until it dawns on me that the little thing at my feet was the one that was now bleating furiously, hardly gasping to take a breath in between cries. I reel in confusion, unsure of what to do. I was no mare, i had no milk... it would starve if i didn't find him something. Him. Not a doubt in my mind, especially when the loud babe rolled over after a particularly loud scream.

Tales save me he was having a hissyfit in his first five minutes of life.

@[Rei]