The day began bright and early for the dappled warrior as he carefully prodded at the sleeping tiger curled beside him. Now here's to hoping that Kiara would not tear a chunk off him for disturbing her so called "beauty rest". Early mornings had become a ritual for the pair so that they could ensure the safety of the herd's borders well before the rest of those inhabiting the Falls rose. Reaching out with his muzzle he ever so gently lipped at one of Kiara's paws that lay closest to him hoping to avoid a sudden abrupt awakening. With the slightest touch her delicate lids snapped open to reveal those icy blue eyes regarding him with calmness. With a soft sigh the brute pulled his legs from underneath himself and heaved himself back onto his feet, shaking himself to remove any built up snow from his coat. Pushing aside the evergreen's branches at the front of their cave he peered outside into the white world wondering what lay in store for them today.

More snow had fallen overnight leaving a fresh blanket of white covering everything around them. While the snow never really bothered him it was the cold temperatures that gave everything about this season a rather unpleasant feel to it. Ducking his head to the wind the grey fought through a couple drifts before finding their usual path down to the lower areas of the landscape. Today was definitely not a good day to be out in the cold for long periods of time unless you wanted to freeze your arse off. The bite of the wind coupled with the blowing snow made things all the better! Hopefully Romani would remember that it was their turn to complete the patrols. Two made the job go much quicker and that meant getting out of the freezing wind that much sooner. Though with that thought today would also be the day for something to turn up just so they would be forced to deal with it. It always seemed to be the crappiest days that something would show up out of the blue just to make that day oh so much better. Turning his back to the wind the stallion waited for his patrol partner so that they could figure out what each of them was doing and the routes they would take.


Ciceron talks
Kiara speaks

Romani

"Good morn, brother!"

Jovial. Happy. Delighted.

She was so, so happy... So happy. Finally, finally, Romani was at peace. After struggling for so long to find herself, to find her wandering heart and lock it back within her golden-red breast, the Haflinger warrior had once more found herself and where she belonged. She moved with a strength that had been devoid of her person since her first year within Helovia, so many years ago, with an assured self-confidence and defiant stature.

Even though the Hidden Falls were not the Windtossed Foothills, her original home and heartland, they were the same earth, the same soil she had once served so many moons and suns ago, simply that of a different shape... Those memories would never be forgotten, and she would serve this very land until her last breath. That was her oath; to the Falls, to her Kings. To herself.

At the stocky mare's side, Kasai's icy-blue oculars eyed the stallion and his feline, and it was with a stark shock of realization that the white tigress realized she was looking at one of her own kind.

'Roma!' Kasai mentally voiced, disbelief and surprise sliding through their precious bond like fire, 'Another me!'

Looking between the two, from the dappled stallion she had spotted in the morning light and the striped feline companion at his side, Romani had noticed that the stallion's furred companion was a white tiger, like Kasai. Younger, however. Kasai was definitely older.

A soft growl escaped the feline, although it was nothing but a sound of curiosity. A black-tipped tail flicked back and forth as the typically lazy tigress was filled with a desire of youthful playfulness, white-spotted ears tipped forward in earnest desire. How interesting....

Romani chuckled beneath her breath, sharp, intense azure oculars focusing back on the stag who was to be her patrol partner. She had been informed that his name was Ciceron and that he walked with a tigress of identical color of Kasai herself, so he should be easily found. Flipping the long palomino tresses from her gaze, the Haflinger spoke, snow crunching beneath feathered hooves as the robust creature shifted her weight.

"Have we properly met before today, brother? I can't remember, forgive me. I'm Romani, and this is Kasai." Lowering her head, the gypsy lipped at Kasai's scruff. "She is simply curious of your companion there. She has never seen one of her own kind, and we've walked these hills and valleys for many-a-years."

@[Ciceron]

Got a rebel soul with a whole lot of gypsy

Sighing deeply the stallion watched as a flurry of white steam rose from his nostrils only to dissipate into the cold just as rapidly. Waiting was always the part that he hated but over time it had become easier and just as much of his job as dealing with intruders. Time was the only thing that made things seem to stretch on forever when it had really only been ten minutes. The illusion of passing time plagued everyone at some point of another and was as common as those pesky flies in the summertime. At this point though he would much rather deal with the buzzing pests and warm weather as opposed to the frigid cold. Tilting his ear to the slightest sound of crunching snow he turned his head wondering who might be out and about at this hour. Silver eyes swept kindly over the mare he assumed would be Romani given the brief description he had received prior to their meeting. Nodding his massive head politely in greeting he waited for the girl to finish her sentence before returning the greeting. While she looked strangely familiar he could not accurately tell if he had met her before or not. Perhaps in the past?

Kiara's thoughts invaded his mind as he looked down to see her staring over at Romani's companion with keen interest and reserved speculation. Many questions flitted through her mind before she finally settled on a question as a chuff sounded from her chest. "Play?" Unable to contain his amusement at watching the normally stoic/reserved Kiara left rather dumbfounded by meeting another of her kind he could only reply as he saw fit choosing to answer the mare's questions first. " I do not recall us meeting before but I could be wrong. My name is Ciceron and this here is Kiara." He replied warmly nodding his head towards where Kiara sat clearly not paying any attention to anyone but Kasai. Her posture was bubbling with excitement and wonder at finally finding someone similar to that of herself. "Kiara hasn't met any either so she is equally as curious as your Kasai." He mused with a warm laugh.

Unable to hold herself back Kiara bounded forward a couple steps before pausing again to regard her new friend playfully as she batted her tail back and forth. It was like watching a colt discover the world for the first time only much more amusing. A low growl left her throat before she bounded another step closer flopping her front paws down onto the snow as if to lay down only with her hind limbs still standing upright. She was eager to figure out what this new tiger was all about and determined to instigate a game of some sort in the process.



Ciceron talks
Kiara speaks

Romani

Ciceron; that was his name. A brief thought back into the list of names and faces she had encountered over the years in Helovia came up blank, but perhaps she had just simply forgotten... Wandering did that, she supposed.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Ciceron. I'm glad our patrol will be in good company."

Dark lips turned upwards in a jovial, genuine smile, sapphire orbs watching as Kiara flounced closer after a few moments of careful, curious scrutiny. Kasai remained standing beside Romani's side, head tilting, whiskers forward and eyes watching the other tigress with poorly concealed excitement. A typically lazy creature by nature, Kasai cared little for other companions unless they had wings, or unless they were Suli and Merlin. Kiara, however, was something else entirely; one of her own, the reflection that often greeted her whenever the tigress would get a drink or go for a swim, and Romani could tell that she just didn't know what to make of it all.

Still, a bit of play would do her good.

When Kiara bounded ever-so-closer, Kasai's tail flicked left, then right, and she took a daring step forward, ears perked, as though the act of 'play' was a strange, foreign concept. The tigress shifted from paw to paw, ears flicking, tail twitching, pink nose scenting the other striped feline as though curious of her. It was clear Kasai held a few reservations of the situation, but Romani wasn't about to let her beloved companion miss out on such a opportunity.

Go on, Sweet, Romani soothed through their mental connection, finding no reason to speak out loud, She wishes to play. Looking up and reconnecting her gaze to the vivid silver oculars of the horned, dappled stag in front of her, the palomino gypsy spoke pleasantly. "Well... Shall we begin our patrol? We can scout, and these two mischievous creatures can play."

Kasai let out a large huff, furred breast robust for the briefest of moments before she lowered her front end to the ground, tail flicking out behind her, and growled softly towards Kiara before darting into a rather large drift of snow to her right, flouncing and pouncing and appearing a moment later, paws lifted and outstretched in an attempt to pounce on Kiara.

Excitement rippled through the white tigress' bond and Romani chuckled. "Let the games begin." Turning her robust body, the mare attempted to shake the frost crystals from her golden-red hide but to little avail, and simply offered Ciceron a warm smile. "Shall we?"

@[Ciceron]

Got a rebel soul with a whole lot of gypsy