The air was changing around him. Birds quaked and fluttered in their trees, some darting over branches and vines to find their sanctuary before the storm hit. Clouds that brought the storm were now above the leafy canopy overhead and a light patter began to spit at his hide from the heavens. Tilney really didn't mind the rain, but the temperature had dropped quite dramatically; it was quite cold. He wished he had not ditched his cloak in its usual tree hollow when he left his icy home for the day.
With each passing day he explored more of his new home and the surrounding territories. The Threshold was quite a trek, but he wondered how far he could walk through it until he was not of Helovia any longer but back in the land he had come from. The prospect though of leaving and perhaps not being able to find his way back scared him profusely. Sometimes he wished he was not born so curious.

The storm was among him now and the last of the forest life were dashing for shelter. He fret for the hares an rabbits, mice and other creatures of the earth whos homes were soon to be flooded and made into mud. Tilney quickened his pace, determined to find shelter. A strange weight clung to his tail and turning his head, he noticed a small field mouse clinging desperately to the flaxen locks. A smile crossed the bronzed stags maw "hold on!" he whispered; It was time to clamber to higher ground.

Swiftly pacing his way through trees he began his journey double-back to his northern home. Over hills he began to climb, only stopping when voices were caught in his audits.
Verdent gaze searching, his emerald eyes found their way to a pair of crowned creatures like himself taking refuge in a cave. A laugh escaped his maw and he thundered over, not even taking into consideration that these two may not be very friendly. "Lovely weather" Tilney smirked as he entered the cave, shaking the rain form his hide. Glancing past his fetlocks he watched his small companion clamber from his tail and make a run for the warm depths of the cave.

Taking a closer look at the caves other visitors he noted that they too posessed large bony crowns. So far he had only met one other antlered folk since his arrival in Helovia; his friend Arah, who this ivory stallion closely resembled. The other, smaller doe was clad in an interesting collar and beautiful feathers hung from her headdress just like an lantern was strung to his. The male had a porcelain coat with black interruptions in his mane while the fae owned haunting silver eyes and an ashy cream coat. They were an interesting pair, and he wondered if they were new to Helovia just like he had been when he first crossed the threshhold. Had they come here together? Did they need a place to stay? Surely there was room at the basin.
"You look far from home" He noted to the white stag. There was a tiredness to his demenor, as if he'd been walking a very long time.
His gold ears twitched when they caught the soft scratches the shy rabbits made from behind the brutes tail. "Friends of yours?" He quizzed him, his viridescent gaze shifting to the spotted doe.

From the moment Tilney made his entry to the hollow he knew that some of the grottos party did not welcome him. The stallion had tensed on his arrival, audits flattening against his skull. It was a face Tilney was not unfamiliar with; the nose-screwing, hoof-scraping look of general displease. And so the bronze gent felt the slightest bit hurt. I am only trying to get out of the rain! Was his thought. It soon changed to an emotion this stag did not feel very often; defensive. It's not your cave anyway. The doe though seemed much more pleasant, and so Tilney took to ignoring the scowling facial expressions from the ivory stallion beside him.
The alabaster spoke and even his voice challenged tilneys strings. Is it not the duty of the strong to protect the weak?.
"Surely it is" The golden stag began "That is why you have escorted these wet rabbits to safety is it not? Soon their warren will be a flood, mess of mud and new burrows will have to be dug. It is why I carried that field mouse to this cavern also; what was she to do when her hollow filled with the gale?".

Tilney was not a fighting stallion. He used his words to fight his battles and it was not something he was ashamed of. He accepted that his combat skills were not flash and he knew his strengths were very much in other areas. He was a compassionate and creative stag, not a fearless, emotionless warrior like so many a brute wished to be. "In fact, is it not the reason you are in this cave? Us mere mortals cannot stay out in such a flurry. This cave is stronger then a thousand of you, you seek its refuge because you are weaker then father earths magnificent swell outside of it" He paused and looked to the spotted doe and still she was cheerful. She reminded him of himself a little; a little positive light. "It is why I am here. If a tree fell on my back it would break my spine in two. If I was caught in a landslide I would be burried and not found for a thousand years. I am certainly not the strongest of brutes either unlike you who is so strong; I dont think I would last long in such a gale before i froze" He was also un afraid to admit it. He was not some fight-happy stag who got his worth from challenging every male in sight. Tilneys worth came from honesty.

He wondered where such an intense question came from in the first place. He had only asked if the rabbits were his friends.
Then music filled the air. It was a pretty little laugh from the rosy filly and a smile etched its way back to tilneys face. She accused him of being rude to ask questions before giving them his name and a soft laugh of his own hummed from his maw.
"Very rude indeed, you must forgive me" Was his gentle hum. Tiva was her name and the grouchy stag was Htar. "Tiva and Htar! Its a pleasure to meet you, I am Tilney. Sorry for shoving you Htar I never meant to uh, shove"
because I just wanted to get out of the rain!