I've taken myself away from the caves, away from the sanctuary, away from the musk that is the underground. I wasn't there terribly long, so I'm sure I cannot complain as much as others who were trapped there for ages. That being said, it was kind of cramping my style. I need to be able to get out and stretch my legs, even if all I do is wander. And so I've wandered and find myself... here. Whatever darkness there was.. and I've heard chatter in the caves that the darkness is receding.. whatever darkness there was, it could not have possibly touched this beautiful place. My sight is come and go, but if ever I was to see someplace beautiful it would be this. A dazzling part of the forest bathed in sunlight. I approach something I see in the distance, a structure that is tall - taller than I am - and rounded. An opening with a roof on top, and the area inside is in shadow. Whatever I am intended to call it does not immediately come to mind, but it seems.. both out of place and completely suited to the forest. Like someone built it, but forgot why they were building it here, and forgot to build anything else. At the same time, the forest seems to have reclaimed part of it, with a couple of vines growing around the structure.

I set my little nasty egg down on the forest floor and lie down next to it. We've come aways now, and out here in the open, I'm not sure if I'm more or less worried about my egg. I am its sole caretaker, and there is no one around to watch and make sure I don't fuck up. But at the same time that means there are fewer hooves to stomp on it. In the sun that passes through from above, I hope that even though the air is frigid, the sun will help warm it better than the damp caves. The chill of the caves is the sort that sinks to the bone.. but then, there were warm bodies there that helped take the edge off. I'm not sure what to think now. I lay my head down next to the egg. I'm about to close my eyes, but then I see something. The egg... it starts to shake.

"What the fuck. Eggs don't do that unless...."

My words drop off and I keep watching. I'm not hallucinating right? There's no one around to tell me if I'm seeing things. But I hope I'm not. My heart skips a beat. I nudge it gently, careful to keep the spike on my nose from penetrating the delicate shell. It shakes again, and there's a small crack as part of the shell breaks. Inside I feel like a giddy school girl. OMG BFF JILL MY EGG IS HATCHING HOLY SHIT MOTHERHOOD. No one would guess from my outward appearance, however, that I was feeling such a high. The shell breaks open more, and a piece falls to the hard, frozen forest floor. Another piece. I'm watching closely. I want to know what the fuck kind of creature I've been carrying around for so long. It's a paw.

SCREET.... A paw?

Son of a gun, it's a paw. All the possibilities for pawed creatures start running through my head. Well. Two. Canine or feline. Whatever other pawed creatures seem to fall by the wayside in my mental listing. A snout appears now.. and pushes a large chunk of shell out of the way. Half of the shell has fallen off, small pieces and larger chunks lie around the remaining half. Inside, and I see it wiggling its way out, is a little puppy. Not a puppy I would have imagined seeing back in Mother Russia, however. No.. this one definitely has something funky going on. It looks like a type of dog I used to see.. called a German Shepherd. But it's darker, almost all black. And it's eyes... those ain't normal eyes. They are green, bright green, and they GLOW. My nose, fucked up as it is, tells me its a girl. A little evil girl puppy.

I pull my head back at first. What the hell... It's neither a bird nor a snake, as Voodoo and I had hypothesized. A puppy coming from an egg. But my response isn't out of disgust or revolt. It's just... surprise. But there's a connection with this little thing that I had not been expecting, that I had not realized. This little one is mine, all mine. Though obviously not equine and not my child, she is like one to me. My companion. As it stretches out, away from the fetal position it has been in, I see that it is not just black. A marking, green and glowing like her eyes, is around her neck like a necklace, but stops just short of completion right over her spine. Her hind left leg is of the same glowing green fur, solid below the knee, then wraps up in a spiral around the limb and ends with a curl just where her belly meets her hind leg.

I don't know how long I've waited before the little creature opens her eyes and looks at me. It must have been awhile - puppies don't open their eyes that fast do they? A smile passes over my face, and the grim scarred beast that I am is softened to a loving, caring father. I press my muzzle up to the puppy's, and I feel the smallest, tiniest nudge in return.

"Damaris."

Text text text.
"Words words words."
OOC: Open, but mainly for Brit. Idk who she's posting with. (tagging @[Kaj], no need to post with him. post with anyone!) For the sake of my sanity, posting order is a lie if anyone else joins in.