She watched the raccoons scamper off with relief. Mission accomplished. "I imagine we'll see them... or their babies," she said, cheerful drawl beginning to drag a bit. She was growing tired. Trekking across the world the last few days had left her hooves sore and her hunger insatiable. Good thing the heat was beginning to desiccate the grass, leaving it void of all nutrition and her without a scrap of satisfaction.

Even as the next task was announced, she found herself staring into space. Maybe he wants us all dead so he doesn't have to worry about repopulating the world. She chided herself for that one, but the little fragment of thought refused to leave her alone.

As they all wandered away, she turned to Auriel, anxiety marring her features and her usually tangled mane obscuring her eyes. Luckily, the filly was two steps ahead of her, already taking off into the great blue yonder. Cheska retrieved their bucket from a previous task and followed, wishing she had as much endurance.

"I must admit, I don't know the first thing bout buildin a ship, miss," she admitted as she closed the distance, tiny ears flicking back to her skull in embarrassment. "Don't know the second thing, either." What "materials?" Why, in her insignificant equine life, would she have need of the knowledge to build a ship? She shook her head, glancing back and forth for a clue from a cleverer horse than she. It was easy to imagine boarding the obscenely large ship and floating peacefully to safety. The reality of leaks and dangers frayed the edges of her pretty little cruise fantasy, and she was left discomfited.

She followed at a wide-stridden trot behind her partner, until once again the earth turned to sand beneath her hooves. She was never getting used to that. It was easy to set aside her sense of duty to join her pearly buckskin partner in the water. She let the cool water soothe her achy muscles and clean her dusty pelt. She splashed as effectively as she could at Auriel, coal black muzzle split in a smile.

But time grew short, and it became difficult to be so frivolous when she could see all the others toiling away in the sun. She couldn't help but draw some strength, if not excitement, from them. She was likewise more than happy to follow Auriel's lead, obediently digging out shells and scooping sand into her bucket. If she was wiser to the ways of Helovia, she'd suggest bringing just materials that the masons could use to patch holes, but those particulars were presently lost on her.

At Auriel's question, she could only shrug. "That I don't know. Guess we're gonna have to find out when we get there. Though... I'm dearly fond of this particular beach, since this is where I met you." She winked at the child, but didn't dwell on the sentimental, instead trying to redirect their efforts. "Now let's go help them fill their bucket, too," she suggested, gesturing to the nearest team. "Only way we're gettin through this is together."

Churiel sounds like a strange brunch combo of churros and burritos. I love it.