The Heart Caves are warm, heat from deep within the earth keeping the many caverns at a constant temperature and humidity while outside the horrors of Frostfall begin to leech the life out of anything uncovered and uninsulated. 'Cold.' A voice complains from the vicinity of the old stallions nonexistent crest. "Me too." The elder answers.

For the better part of the day the pair have languished in an isolated pocket of summer-like conditions, save for the absence of light, in a small pocket of air among the winding tunnels and solid rock walls of the underground labyrinth. Here they've avoided the bitter cold of dawn and the lingering chill of morning and only now that the sun has had several hours to thaw the world do they consider moving outdoors. 'Hungry.' The voice pipes in again, its limbless body wriggling over the blacks reclining head and neck to tease the fuzz of one hairy, black ear with its flicking tongue.

The stallion sighs a sound of annoyance, but stretches his lanky body in preparation for rising, his long legs curling and uncurling, neck arching so that the flesh on either side bulges out and fills in the usual hollows for just a moment. He even flicks his tail once, ensuring that the thing hasn't fallen dormant in its disuse, and then he fumbles his way to all fours in his usual absence of grace, joints popping and clicking in protest. Once upright, he shakes himself from nose to tail, rippling the auburn curtain of his beard.

"Mice or chicks?" He asks casually, now used to the pythons diet of small, vulnerable things. He's never had a problem with the workings of the circle of life, the food chain, whatever you'd like to call it, but knowing that something happens and taking an active role in completing the process are two very different things and had taken some getting used to initially. He grimaces, inner asshole asking why he should have a problem with sending baby rabbits and other fluffy things to their death when he's already sent his own children and plenty of grown men and women to theirs. He pushes the thought away.

The light from outside the main entrance of the caves is sudden and piercing as the old black rounds a corner and approaches the threshold. He squeezes his eyelids shut for a moment, letting the adjustment of his eyes be more gradual as he steps out into the gentle cool of afternoon, unaware that his intended path might not be clear of other travelers.



"Alby talks" 'Strom talks'
OOC // @Rikyn Feel free to PP him walking into Rikyn or Duir if you so choose.