I answered quickly, and tried to keep the tears from coming. I didn't want to bother him with more tears. It seemed useless, but it seemed as if the emotions just were too strong for what was left of my broken soul. He asked if I knew how, and I could only shake my head. No. No clue. I wish... then I could kill whatever it was that had done this... I thought to myself, shifting my weight a little bit.

More charades. More information. It was time to try and explain why I was mute. It was with the stomp that he looked down immediately, but he found nothing there. There wasn't a snake, there wasn't anything, just the earth. He flicked his ears forward and then looked back to my gaze. Earth? Instantly I nodded my head yes, before looking to the sky. Each additive to earth had me shaking my head. No. No. The Gods. Please... just understand... I need someone to understand. I was pleading to no one, but hoping that it would change something. I looked back towards him for a second, seeing his eyes narrow and his head tilt up slightly. Again, I pointed at the sky, at the outline of the moon. And suddenly, he seemed to have an epiphany. Earth God! I nickered once. Yes! Yes! That was it. That was it!

Onto the second portion. Two stomps and then my hawk. Second companion. Second chance. Earth God. Two. Hawk. Close. So close. Make it coherent... I thought to myself, watching as he stood there in concentration, trying to understand all that was going on. He flicked his tail back and forth as he thought and Rasta watched as the water dripped off of it.

It seemed that after a period of time he had managed to connect something. His gaze met mine, and his ears strained forward, as if he were intrigued by the idea that had fallen upon his cranium. Another hawk. Quest. I nodded my head instantly. Yes. Exactly! I thought, still nodding my head.

I flared my nostrils a little, feeling the pain in my chest again. Hearing the words said out loud hurt somehow. That twisted and torn part of my soul knowing that nothing could actually replace my hawk, my beautiful hawk. And there was a caw, as the hawk I had been chasing dropped down between the two of us, feathers mere inches from my face. I didn't flinch, I couldn't - I'd known that dive too well to flinch at it. But it was with that dive of the young hawk so amused with the equines surrounding it, that the tears began to fall from my eyes again.

It wouldn't be the same, but I needed something that would understand me unconditionally. I open my mouth to speak, to try and symbolize the muteness. But how to symbolize the seasons? TallSun. I was mute until TallSun. I snorted once, heading over towards the tall, and thick, tree that we had been standing beside. Wading into the pool I pressed my maw against it, before moving my gaze up the height of it. It's a tall tree. Maybe he'll get it. Please understand it... I thought to myself, and then I was looking back up a the sky, at the sliver of the sun still trying to shine down upon us. The Sky. The sun. Please connect the dots... please... I pleaded, repeating the motions a few times as the tears continued to well in my eyes.

I couldn't stop the burning feeling, and I couldn't squelch the pain in my heart. But I needed to continue to get the message across. I needed someone to know. I needed someone to be there for me while I tried to find a way to grieve a loss that really stole a part of myself...

I stopped, though. I forced myself to stop the motions and instead left the water that had soaked me up to bottom of my barrel, the pond deeper than I had expected. Cold. Not smart... I chastised myself and then slid up beside him, hoping he would accept me as I pressed my frame against his, trying to warm myself up - trying to warm him up as he was the one who was truly drenched. Night was falling, the weather would only get colder, and it was not smart to be drenched in this weather. It was the least I could do, when I was too weak to hold myself together. At least I could try and offer warmth to the one thing that was keeping me from the deep depths of a depression without even knowing he was doing it...