The crackling of the fire calls to her, the twirling flames entrancing and capturing her attention. It isn't until a voice breaks the solitude she had found that her eyes flick upwards. She scans the treeline, seeing nothing but dancing pillars cast by the light of her fire. She stands tall, wings shuffling uneasily at her sides, betraying her facade of bravery. Two voices are heard, yet three forms appear. They appear haunting at first, the curves of their faces and bodies lit strangley by the orange glow. But as they near, the filly recognizes them as two colts acompanied by a winged stallion. She had been concerned, not knowing if this wood was inhabited by anything other than toothed predators, so to see creatures similar to her was comforting.

"Hello!" she chirps, a smile landing on her lips. She seems to radiate happiness as the red-tipped colt bounds towards her. Her forehooves dance on the frozen ground as she bounces, reaching out eagerly with her pink snout. As the second colt moves towards her, she calms. By his slow movement she knows he deserves a different salutation. He presses his muzzle against her feathers, and she pushes the appendage towards him gingerly, before lifting her wing up and attempting to muss his forelock. She watches him blow a puff of air at the crimson and roan boy. Though she has never seen a greeting like that before, she notices his lack of words. She tries to catch his golden gaze with her own, and nostrils flare before she imitates his gesture. Her frosted breath rises before disappearing into the night air.

Eyes then land on the golden guardian. He is magnificent, and for a moment the filly wonders if her wings will be as glorious some day as his. 

The painted child giggles at the question. "My fire is to keep me warm. It's also to make me feel better, since I'm a little scared of the dark." Though the light creates dancing shadows and uncertain forms, she knows that the fire keeps the real hunters away, and is the best she can do in her current state of solitude. 

His laughter is much brighter a noise than she would expect, and it thrills her. He makes her feel safe, and she is somewhat certain that's why he watches over the two colts. Maybe he is a proud father watching over his children? She had no way of knowing the answer, but something about him calmed her, and she felt safer than she did with nothing but the flames as guardians. "I'm Akeli!" she exclaims, more than happy to share her name with her new friends.  

"It's okay, I'm excited too! And you're a ruler? Like a king? Do you have a crown? Are you a king of this place?" Questions pour from her lips, and her tail wiggles with excitement. "I'm glad you all found me. I was starting to get lonely." Briefly, the excitement fades from her young features. She digs a toe into the frozen earth, casting her eyes to the ground as her smile breaks. She misses her mother dearly, and the loneliness that came with her search was quite a burden for the young soul. She looked up to Kaj, eyes trying to hide the concern. "Do you ever get lonely, King Kaj?" She addresses him as king, and though it might have sounded ridiculous, her teachers had always reminded her to be polite. Especially because it was her mission to enter the lands of many herds to learn there ways, she took care to never come across as rude.

Smiling again, she turns to the unicorn colt. "Do you live here?" she asks, wondering if they always run and play in these woods. She is thankful the fire is there to warm her sides, as it helps bolster her bravery. "I just got here, if that's what you mean. I don't live here. I live near a big river bend, in the Willow Valley." The babe speaks of her home, which is much farther behind her than she realizes. But she has no intention on returning, not until she completed her work, and that could take ages. "I came here to learn as much as I could before I return home. My mama told me to make plenty of friends, too."

She enjoys her current company, and hopes they stay close for the night so she doesn't need to concern herself with wolves and wildcats, but even more so hopes she may be an extended invitation to follow them home in the morning. 

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talk

With grace in her heart,
& flowers in her hair.