It was easy to feel at home here. She found herself springing merrily after Rasta, her gait more bounce than step, her heart more ocean that glacier. She passed the journey by making a few silly faces at little Ettore. Here, she chattered at a passing creature. There, she leaned down to sniff at a flower along the path. Strictly a visitor, she was careful to disrupt nothing. When she returned... if... if she returned, she would not return with a reputation for marring the immaculate beauty of this place. She wanted it to remain exactly as it was for exactly as long as its generous herd needed.

Between exchanges, it was easy to imagine racing through the wider spaces, leaping rocks and collecting a thousand of those little flowers, drying them through the warmer months and passing them out on the coldest day of Frostfall.

She instinctually warmed to the sound of laughter floating back to her in response to her question. It was a reflex developed over time. As a filly, she'd always found her mother's laughter sweeter than her milk. She grinned to hear its chime once more, but listened to both ladies with rapt attention.

She nodded along obediently, curious but a bit skeptical. In her experience, hawks and eagles and owls had every reason to avoid the heavy hooves and swift teeth of her kind. The only ones who dared stay close too long were carrion birds, who insatiably devoured the flesh of the fallen. Foul creatures, she thought, who would desecrate the dead. It made her wonder how long said bond with an ordinary creature was meant to last. Until they were independent? Until they were weaned? She briefly imagined a horse trying to nurse something with jagged teeth and- She shuddered. Enough of that for one day.

She'd underestimated her thirst. When presented with a cool, clean source, she drank greedily, until water dribbled from her chin and her blood no longer felt sluggish in her veins. She was tempted to extend her gratitude again, but she didn't want to be excessive, so she just indulged herself a little smile.

With one necessity sated, another crept up to take its place. She yawned, stifling it against her shoulder. Again, her ears flicked back in embarrassment, her expression sheepish. She tried not to linger, instead looking back to Africa once more. "It's so lovely here, I can't imagine how you ever talk yourself into leavin."

count] 513
tags] @[Rasta]
ooc] bleh.