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A strange, new and exciting scent rode the buffeting, salt licked wind that day; birth. Africa had never considered how she or any other soul had come to be living, breathing beings in the world, and any memory of her own infancy was long overwritten by her mother’s manipulating dreams and fantasies. The dapple grey lifted her muzzle high so that the flare of her searching nostrils might better taste the offering as it were; so she could better determine what it meant, perhaps. Her ears stationed alertly, pricked forward with unyielding interest, and her forelock tangled and twisted around them as the cool south-easterly rushed headlong against her. The young green horse shivered catching whiff of something else entirely unfamiliar; not nearly as enticing.
Curiosity became quite overbearing and Africa found she could no longer withhold herself, moving forward quietly where the warm red sand melded into the bed of lush green grass; the contrasting boundary where desert is broken by oasis. She walked quickly, long lean black legs making good progress and she lifted her nose often to test the direction and adjust her path suitably. The sand slipped beneath her shifting weight as she passed across it, and the naturally graceful Pegasus appeared clumsy and awkward as managed her amateurish balance the best she could with a slightly opened wingspan.
Even as the lofty grey streamers amassed into a thick pregnant cloud above, Africa pressed on marvelling as she did so, at the unperceivable vastness of this desert, her homeland. She had travelled the distance between north and south in the Threshold, but Dragons Throat could not be traversed on foot in the same small timeframe. The weather did not spark desire to take flight however, and as large balls of water began to mark the dry sand around her, Africa was satisfied with her grounding. Even so early in the shower, the rain struck her flinching hide heavily, flecking the grey dapples with dark spots.
A small time later, Africa traced the growing silhouettes of life across the hazy horizon through the sheet of thickening rain. She approached with caution, sliding down the gentle slope of a dune and lowered her twitching muzzle, though the trail of scent she had been following was practically drowned with the slick taste of settling, damp dust. It did not take her long to close the gap remaining and was surprised to find the wolf she had met by chance, when she had been talking to another amongst the thistles north beyond the fire. The canine, whose name Africa could not presently recall, seemed to be collapsed and a quarter sunk beneath the sand- an obvious sign of struggle perhaps.
Aryel was the other on scene, and as the young grey Pegasus moved to her flank (comforted by the recollection that the Sergeant was of a well natured character). Her lips reached briefly and fondly to touch Aryel’s warm, steaming shoulder. With narrowing eyes, Africa assessed the confusing situation sprawled out before her. Then as her thoughtful, yet concerned gaze shifted between the motionless dogs, pups even she told herself scornfully, and the one nuzzling at the adult’s belly, she recognized the auburn wolf- Ayaka! “What happened?” The inexperienced horse whispered questioningly, though to on one in particular. The repulsive stench of blood and death was both intimidating and disturbing, causing Africa to hesitate fearfully, despite the cleansing rain’s dilution of all evidence. “Ayaka, are you alright?” She was oblivious, but already her heart felt strongly bonded to any and all who called the Throat home.
She turned her body sidewards quickly, peering upwards into the bleak cascade of water and stretched her large feathered wing so that it covered for the most part, the wolf and her child. It was all she could do, while still so uncertain about what was unfolding.
"Thinking. Speaking. Acting."
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[O] Welcome to the World [[Lupus, Elektra, Open]]
