New place? With trademark bland disinterest I reply simply, < font color= white>"Nope." Attention shifts to the foggy mirror below. Each hot breath comes as a plume that spins around my hovering muzzle, inches from the surface. The nearest velvet listener eases toward Zahra, her cool exhale brushes against the length of one long feather. A quiet smirk flicks across these lips when she exasperates her opinion of water. So young and already so brilliant. "The place I've got in mind has loads of water." One brow rises, these gems shift to regard her compacently, "Since you seem to be continually enjoying it." During these painful weeks I'd almost forgotten how it felt to be warm and DRY.

Irises flicker with endangered warmth, the same amusment is playing across these lips in the form of a coltish smirk, "Of course it won't taste near as good," my right forehoof rose, the adolescent hairs are damp and only going to get wetter. With a slight jerk the foot crashes into the thin surface, "This." With concealed rush my mouth lowers to the glassy water and inhales quick gulps of the crisp liquid, hardly tasting its earthy flavor. "Come on." Amber chin rises, still dripping. My stomach sloshes, full, yet unsettled by the shock of such cold refreshment. "Drink up, you haven't had anything since last night." Zahra was usually quick to obey, perhaps my unarguable tone was bordering bossy -- no biggy...it wasn't like I cared what she thought of me.

I start to step aside, allowing the gilden filly ample room to drink her fill beside Bird. Below the stagnant water, a small ivory stone catches my eye. Limestone (or so I guess.) The stones around it are bland and brown, but this one is glossy, smoother looking then the topside of a waxy palm leaf. Even if the color might've caught my gaze, that alone certainly wasn't enough to hold it. Aside from it's unusual color and shine, the center is set around four stems, or leaves is a better term. Each leaf is separately branching with less than an inch from it's sister. In a sense, it looked like a big clover leaf -- smaller than the frog of a foot, yet larger and more complete than an average pebble.

Without extra ceremony I sink my muzzle below and snatch it up (along with a few of the adjacent stones that rest on either side.) Gems shift to the pale dog lapping at the pool; they turn to the heavy satchel which now lies sluggishly on the ground. The tanned leather was sturdy enough to hold plantlife, though it's deeply weathered. This winter would probably be the last good one it saw. Dropping my bounty, which consists of that ivory leaf limestone and three brackish stones, "Let me carry the bag awhile," I level a hard look at my traveling companions, wondering and sadly guessing they likely didn't understand the gravety of our situation. Traveling companions. Ha! My momma would be laughing her tail off is she saw who and what I was bedding near.

Or she'd curse me and herself for whelping such a fool headed son.

One of the two...

"We've got a long walk ahead of us..."