The dim room, in which she stood with Shadow’s unusual son, told little of the turmoil outside. Across the world beyond their clammy, unlikely refuge, Frostfall had descended its bitter blanketing breath- frigidness still worse than any Africa had been witness to; rivers had been turned to ice, forests stripped of life and the oceans flanking the coast chewed mercilessly to erode sand and soil, exposing rugged rock cliffs that would inevitably start to crumble and wash away. Unbeknownst to the dappled Pegasus, the desert; the region so loved and pandered to, had also succumbed to the ferocity of the season and the life blood therein had been turned to ice. Even if the herd had been brazen enough to hold their ground against the darkness, potentially, they could have suffered nature’s very own fury instead. The days were shorter, and the sun’s luminosity had weakened terribly- the world she cherished had been transformed, and through it was draped that untameable sickness.

Her yellow eyes flicked quickly towards Kari as his long, scrawny legs folded beneath him; he shrank suddenly, and a soft snort rattled the velveteen flaccidness of her narrow pink-snipped nose. The gentle flames engulfing the mottled thick tangle of mane along her crest danced lethargically as her neck curled, pallid complexion dipping so that the twitch of her lips could fondle the nearest part of him tenderly. She knew not of his ability to draw memories and experiences from the mind and so remained oblivious as she openly sought to caress him. In the meantime, silence grew steadily around them and other sounds before unnoticed- the low drone of voices in the neighbouring chamber, the placid drip, drip of a slightly leaking wall, the gentle gurgle of the fountain behind, all suddenly seemed to close snugly and tightly about them. It was relaxing, and Africa felt the lines of concern ease from her taut dappled canvas.

Soon enough the blue eyed colt asked another question, and at once Africa felt a light-hearted chortle froth across her tongue- so curious was this child; his need for knowledge seemed so vast and she wondered with a silly smile if his brain had even the capacity to store so much. She could see as her eyes waded quietly around his small collapsed body, that it seemed not to be a particularly strained question; Kari barely stirred in place, and his gaze seemed from her set back perspective, looked fixed- somewhere ahead. "There are lots of ways to make the Gods happy," she cooed softly from above, lifting her mouth first from his warm hide. "While we stilled lived in the desert, I tended the Sun God’s fire, feeding it offerings that I thought might please him- wonderfully coloured feathers, the last seasonal flowers to bloom, the smoothest sea-stones washed ashore… Gifts are a fine way to show your appreciation."

His face lifted and Kari appeared to overbalance comically, as he strained to find her face looming overhead- she didn’t move for him to topple backwards, instead reached with one white stockinged leg to brace him.


[Note: Permission given should Kari happen to
-find- her memories, whenever, whatever ;)]

Africa