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Post by z o k e t i on Jan 12, 2013 10:40:30 GMT -6
It was raining. Silver drops whisked down, collecting on the flowers and grass of the meadow. The landscape gleamed with wet beauty; the sound of the shower giving an almost lonely feel. The rain was light and soft, only a gentle storm. A reddish-hued figure was nibbling among the soft new shoots in the field. A young caribou cow, usually colored ginger red and cream. The rain slicked down her fur, sliding down her antlers and turning her dark tan and crimson. She didn't mind the water, in fact, rain was something she enjoyed. Her lowered head brushed against the stalks, her muzzle searching out each delicious sprig.
She was alone; at least in the general area. The expanse of the meadow easily gave space to each inhabitant. Ivershi was sure there were others near, but the misty rain and tall waving grass hid them from her view. She was content with that. Crowds did her no good; she was a very solitary creature. Although her kind were meant to live in spreading herds, she had not seen or scented any of that sort here. Other deer, yes. Caribou? Maybe one or two here and there. But whole groups, no. It was actually a good thing. She liked the peace and quiet that this place gave her.
Ivershi's ears flicked at a heavy raindrop. She lifted her crowned head and tilted it to the sky, her deep-colored eyes scanning the grey heavens. The rain continued down, with no shift in the power of the falling water. It remained as soft as ever. The deer's fur was now rain-dark and pressed against her skin, but it didn't bother her. She dropped her neck and began to graze again. At least the shower kept off the flies and other nagging little creatures. It freshened the food, as well. She loved nothing more than rain-juiced grass, especially the younger stalks. She wasn't a picky eater, in any way. That just happened to be her favorite.
The steady showers began to fluctuate, decreasing. Ivershi brought her nose to the sky again and sniffed. The wind was taking away the clouds, and with it, the rain. Already the droplets were fewer and fewer. A few rays of sunlight peeked from the belly of the clouds in the distance. It was over. The caribou twitched an ear and then dipped her head, this time not down to the ground but to the top of the grass--which was hardly a distance for a short thing like her. She lapped at some of the dewdrops gathering on the stalks. As the rest of the rain ceased and her fur began to dry, she busied herself with tasting the rain-fresh plants before they too dried.
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Post by Sem on Jan 12, 2013 20:49:32 GMT -6
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The passing rains did not bother her; such was common, during the wet seasons in the hills and mountains. Large, round ears flicked idly as the drops hit them; face pushing through the thick foliage of the forest, dark eyes greeted with a most beautiful sight; meadows - lush, green, wet meadows with the most wonderful scents and colours.
A soft sigh escaped her small maw, and she stepped forward, smal hoofs sinking into the softer grounds that went unprotected from the forest foliage, and her small body was soon to emerge with her. Small, a gentle grey-brown that faded to a lighter colour as it reached her belly; white spots coating her belly and spotting along the brown.
Black snout went to press to the grasses, and mouth opened to snag a few grass shoots, and pull them into haw maw with her pink tongue. Sweet, crispy, and fresh with the wet rains that seemed to be ceasing their fall, now. Large eyes blinked softly as she picked her head up, and softly chewed, looking around for any sort of life. Well, besides the strange birds and insects that she had encountered upon her awakening here.
She didn't even know where she was. She'd simply decided to take a rest after teaching the fawns how to properly pit themselves against a brutal male, and had sent them off to another doe to learn the tricks of sniffing out good food, especially during the winter seasons. Under a lush olive tree she had lain, and this stange place she had woken, drips of rain coming down from the tall trees rudely waking her from her brief slumber.
Aella had been wondering for quite some time, simply looking about this strange place, trying to figure out where she was and how she ended up there. And if there as anyone else besides herself that dwelled in this strange region. Rainbow rabbits and bugs that were not their original colours. She scowled at the thought, but was intruigued at the same time.
A gentle snort flew from her snout, and her stubby tail flicked, the piebald turning her head down once more to snag the delicious vegetation - only to stop halfway as eyes caught sight of a most particular creature. Taller than herself, a bit slender, and a gentle ginger colour. Just a couple meters away, and also contently muching upon the grasses.
Instantly, a scowl formed on Aella's maw. Horns - large, hulking horns, meant for battle and defense. Yet, when she took in a breath of air, there was a lack of the usual heavy musk that lingered on most males. An ear twitched, and her head cocked to the side. There was also no visible parts she could see that would indicate that a male was what she was looking at.
The doe could feel herself perk up slightly. Another..female? In this desolate place? So she was not alone. Her throat cleared softly as she swallowed the bit of shoots in her mouth, and dared to take a few paces forward, before stopping and letting out a loud, deep bark. An alert system among her kin, but also an attention getter. Not many deer could bark like wild dogs, after all.
"You there - tall one...Are you male, or female?"
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Post by z o k e t i on Jan 12, 2013 23:13:38 GMT -6
The wind brought a slight chill to the caribou's fur, as it met with each wet hair. Once again, it didn't bother her. There was a lot that didn't. However, that wasn't the only thing the gust carried. There was an unfamiliar odor on the breeze, similar to her own, but very different in the same. Ivershi's head jerked up and her nostrils flared as she inhaled the smell. What could it be? Another creature, wandering this same place?
She moved her decorated head around, her spread eyes searching for the owner of the scent. Ah. It was so close, she was startled she had only just noticed it. A deer, not a caribou, but some sort of relative, she supposed. It was brown, with small patches of white. Not that much smaller, but Ivershi couldn't judge on size. She knew herself to be below the average, nor was she completely full-grown. But this creature could very well be the same. She stared for a moment as it gave a sharp bark.
A strange noise, almost predatory in sound. She twitched her ears, her attention completely focused on it now. The half-chewed mouthful of grass in her jaws was quickly brought down her throat. She felt herself quiver. This was a female, yes? She searched her mind--indeed, she recalled the smaller species' does lacking antlers like their male counterparts. She found it odd, not matching with a rack, even a small one, but shrugged it off.
The other then spoke. Tall one? Ivershi's eyes blinked rapidly for a moment. She'd never heard that addressed to her before. Then again, she'd never met another deer smaller than her. The memories of caribou had always been larger, from her birth to her nearly-grown state. Only the calves born the next season had been smaller. Still, the sound of this deer's call to her was mildly pleasing, almost, in a way. The world where she was the smallest was gone--only in her thoughts. She was in a new place now.
She flicked her head down quickly, then back to its original position. An interesting question, no doubt. Maybe the other was thrown off by her rack. She probably hadn't ever seen a caribou before due to her confusion, now that Ivershi thought. At last she realized she ought to reply before the silence lengthened awkwardly. "I am a female." It was very obvious by the tone of her voice, light and soft. Only a fool would mistake it as male. She peered closer at the other deer.
Ivershi was curious to know more. She had not a friend in the world, in any world, even. Even her anti-social nature didn't prevent loneliness. Could it be solved in the form of this doe? She would wait and see.
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Post by Sem on Jan 13, 2013 6:00:23 GMT -6
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Aella grew slightly irritated. Such silence was not needed - was this creature so timid as to not even be able to answer a simple question? Was it male, or was it female? Simple, nothing to think about at all. But..It did give the small piebald a moment to look over this figure. A bit larger than herself, that large rack of antlers counting for most of that height difference. Such a delicately coloured pelt, too - where was this one from?
Aella was no idiot - of course she'd heard of the other species, even dealt with a few males that thought they could cross into their territory and attempt to claim it from the Amazons. Those were quickly disposed of. This one, however, seemed different - and when her question was finally answered, the doe's posture seemed to soften greatly, and a small smile quirked up the ends of her lips.
Such a light, airy tone to her voice, compared to herself. Delicate, but demanding. It was a nice change, compared to hearing her own voice, for the most part, and the other voices of the does. They sounded rather similar, voices delicate but booming when they desired. It was quite a pleasant sound indeed.
"Ah...I apologize for not noticing earlier..I'm...Not use to seeing females with such large antlers.." She would admit with a gentle chuckle, allowing her posture to completely relax, now, and the piebald dared to step closer to this new female, rather uncaring for the antlers, impressive as they were. They posed no threat to her - though, she could imagine what such defense would do to an intruding male. She snickered at the thought, before looking around again.
"Are you alone? Is there no one else with you?" She would then question, before looking back to the light female. Eyes narrowed softly at the thought; there had better not be a male with her. She would do nothing but pity the poor girl - allowing herself to submit to such tyranny - bah!
"I am Aella, by the way...Amazonian warrior of the northern hills." The piebald would suddenly announce, giving a courteous dip of her head, and a gentle smile. "Who might you be?"
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Post by z o k e t i on Jan 13, 2013 10:39:37 GMT -6
Ivershi's lack of social skills made her slightly nervous to be in the midst of a conversation. She didn't dare try to back out. Not only would it be rude, but she was quite sure that an impression like that would make this doe less pleased to see her should they come across each other again. Oh no, she couldn't deal with that. She must stay and speak.
She was relieved at the obvious relaxation of the other. It hadn't been like she had been worried of the smaller doe, but it felt easier to interact when there was no tension left in the air. Except her own, of course. Ivershi made herself release it, letting her legs un-stiffen and her posture break slightly. She would only look spooked if she continued to stay worked up.
A quick dip of her head made a slight reply to the deer's next statement. No matter. As much as Ivershi was unfamiliar with the other's species, she didn't take offense at the question. There was no reason to stir up tension once again. The young reindeer kept her mouth closed this time, hoping her body language had suffused as a response. Her tongue flicked on the roof of her mouth, moistening the drying surface due to minor anxiety.
The other doe seemed concerned that they should be alone. That Ivershi was by herself. "No, I am alone." she replied, tilting her head slightly. Although her antlers made the movement a bit more noticeable. Her ear flicked as it brushed a tall stalk of grass, and she brought her head higher.
She studied the doe again as she introduced herself. Aella. It was a pretty, simple name. Ivershi liked it. The warrior part sparked more interest in her, and she wondered how different the other's species were from her's, in terms of groups. There was much she could ask, however she kept it to herself for the time being.
"My name is Ivershi." she answered in her quiet voice. "Ivershi of the Bhyrrmakn." For a moment she forgot who she addressed, that they wouldn't understand Ivershi's title.
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Post by Sem on Jan 13, 2013 16:35:30 GMT -6
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It was...Amusing, to see another doe act so timid towards herself. Aella was use to her herd, and the lack of social awkwardness between them. This female, however, was full of it, and Aella used up most of her will to keep from chuckling at that fact. Poor girl - there was no need to be so stiff around her; the piebald wasn't going to hurt her. It was more likely that those horns would stab at her, and on accident, at that.
Large eyes blinked, and Aella could see that tenseness in the larger doe fade slightly - not completely, but enough for the piebald to trust that she wouldn't simply be frightened off if she took another step forward.
Nose flared, taking in the strange scent that mingled around this doe; light and earthy, and not at all musky as she had suspected when she was further back. Her saying that she was alone was indeed true - Aella couldn't smell anything on the other doe. It satisfied her, knowing this.
And when a name was presented to the figure that stood before her, Aella perked slightly, head giving a slight nod in acknowledgement. "Bhyrrmakn...Such a strange title.." Aella would grunt, before she would shift, and go to circle around the larger female, eyes inspecting her figure and pose.
What a strange title indeed...Where did this one hail - from the northernmost reaches of the lands? Such bulk she had, and those antlers must have been used for something, yet she did not seem fit to fight. And her timid nature surely would not allow it to be so, right? She pondered this with a hum, before circling back around to the front of Ivershi.
"Tell me, Ivershi...Where is it that you have hailed? Such large antlers..Do all females of your kind have them?" Perhaps that question was meaningless, now - asking of where she hailed. It didn't matter, now - what mattered was where they both were now. And if there were any others about..Or if they could even escape here, and go home.
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Post by z o k e t i on Jan 14, 2013 15:20:25 GMT -6
She drew back her head as Aella repeated the title. Of course she wouldn't know. How did she forget? Ivershi dug one of her cloven hooves into the soil, making a slight indent. "It means "bright mountain snow"--the name of the herd I was in." she gave a brief explanation, her eyes darting to the other doe's face. It felt almost silly to talk about snow now, here in this warm, quiet place.
Ivershi blew out a breath quietly from her nose. She almost skittered away as the smaller deer moved, taking a circular path around the young caribou. She felt like she was being examined, and the thought made her ears twitch with slight nervousness. But Aella's slow steps and her friendly approach made it obvious that she wasn't going to harm her.
She found her head following the doe, until Aella reached the front again. There was definite curiosity emanating from the other female. She was certainly different from Ivershi--their kinds probably had never seen each other. Not til this forest, at least. Ivershi herself had never come across another cervine that had not been caribou.
Her ears flicked up as Aella spoke again. The questions weren't surprising in any way. She had almost been expecting them. "Far north. Where there are sloping hills, tough grass, blizzards of raging snow." As she described, more of the memories flooded back. Homesickness accompanied it, but she pushed that away. Dwelling on it wasn't a smart option. "Antlers...yes, some. But others do not. My mother's friend didn't have any, nor did her calves." Ivershi continued, shifting her head slightly to feel the weight of her rack on her head.
She blinked her dark brown orbs. Gazing at Aella, she was now interested in asking the other doe questions. Her confidence was growing with each moment as the conversation became more of ease. She realized that just by talking, it was helping. "What is your kind called?" she asked politely. With a slight twitch of her hoof she noted that she hadn't yet spoken what her species was known as. Maybe Aella knew, maybe not. She decided to add it just in case. "We are caribou, or reindeer as some call us."
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Post by Sem on Jan 15, 2013 21:22:00 GMT -6
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,499,true] | [atrb=background,http://i48.tinypic.com/mku93a.png,true]Bright moutain snow, eh? Interesting. She wondered, were they truly the colour of the snow? This Ivershi seemed far from that; she reminded Aella of the human pots and artifacts they often came across. Bronze, it was called. She was a light bronze, a pinkish orange. Certainly not the colour of any snow she had seen, least it be stained with the blood of a stag that got too close.
The small piebald said nothing as the taller doe spoke, and her head nodded softly at her words. She was from the far nothern regions - tundras, they were called, if she could remember correctly. She remembered the elder speaking of such a place, for she had traveled far and wide before settling in what they now called their territory.
Ears twisted forward as the doe went on to speak about her rack, and Aella seemed rather amused with such information; a certain sparkle igniting in her dark eyes, and a small smile upon her furry lips.
"Fascinating.." She would end up murmuring softly. So only a select few grew antlers..They were chosen to have these things. Why, if only such a thing were possible among the females of her clan! They'd have a great advantage over the stags, then - not that they didn't already. It would only prove their superiority over them even more than it already was. The thought made the doe almost giddy, before the question came up.
"We are called roe, but we prefer Amazon, to honor our god, and previous mothers." She would state simply with a soft sigh. Caribou, reindeer...Aella had never heard of such, nor seen any up until this very point. What mighty warriors they would make; large, bulky - though Ivershi was rather thin looking - and with both sexes containing horns? Why, battle would be glorious!
"We Amazons are strictly female ruled, and we are all borne into a warrior's status..Males take no part in our society - only to produce more females." Aella would state, figuring it to be fair to do so, given how much information Ivershi had already given herself. "Do your..herds practice the same?"
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Post by z o k e t i on Jan 16, 2013 17:07:29 GMT -6
Ivershi wasn't surprised that the other doe thought that possibility--and almost random occurrence of antlers was strange. Not only were caribou the only species that had females with full antlers, they were not quite equally spread. It was something the young deer was proud of, in a small way. Her mother had told her when she had been very young that not all caribou grew antlers. She had been surprised, having been too little to really make sense and take in the details around her. She'd always assumed that since her mother had them, they all would. But then she'd noticed that Terrilya--her mother's friend--did not possess them. And some of the other calves and their mothers did not. She had hoped she would grow some, and her mother had told her she probably would. She'd been pleased when her mother had found little stubs on her head one day.
Amazon. Aella had mentioned that earlier. Ivershi didn't know if that meant something, as did her title. It sounded as though it was the name of a god. She didn't want to clarify. The conversation was already moving on. A breeze fluttered past, and she sniffed lightly. The air was still dense and damp from the recent rain shower. It felt cool and soft, and thankfully wasn't very humid.
She pricked her ears as Aella continued. Curiosity glimmered in her dark orbs. She was surprised slightly at the very different practices of the roe deer's herd. Females led their society. She thought it odd, to be led by a single gender--her caribou had a partnership of male and female that guided her group. "No...ours is very different." she replied softly, ears twitching lightly. "We had a pair, male and female, who led the herd. They were supported by a council of equal bulls (males) and cows (females)." she was sure Aella wouldn't be impressed; the other seemed to be very against bucks.
Ivershi shifted her hind legs, for they were brushing against an irritating scratchy stalk of grass. She was still thinking, over Aella's words and all that had happened. It was good, talking to this deer, learning and exchanging information. She found herself enjoying it, actually.
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Post by Sem on Jan 18, 2013 3:27:52 GMT -6
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[just pointing out to perhaps some lurkers out there that this thread IS open! :3 feel free to jump in with aella and ivershi, if you wish!]
Aella damn near scowled, when Ivershi answered her question. A shame! A god damned shame...Equal or no, coping with bulls in her herd, even having them on some sort of, what, council? Bah! This poor girl! Forced to submit to such disgusting tyranny! Aella pitied her, now. Perhaps it was good that she was cast ot this strange place - away from such a twisted way of life!
Her snout scrunched in distaste, and instead Aella took her eyes from Ivershi, adn looked around instead, wondering a little ways from the female in order to bend her neck down, and snag a few shoots into her maw. She gave them an idle chew, the dew from the rain wetting her mouth in a comfortable manner. Her head picked up again, and she looked back to the caribou.
"A damn shame, that you've had to grow up with that...You would have made an excellent warrior, among the Amazons." She cooed softly with a grunt, turning back to look around at their surroundings. A shame indeed...This female was soft, and had grown use to working with males all her life, instead of just during the mating seasons. Even then they played just a small role.
Ah well. Things were different in different regions, religions. She could not blame this poor sod for being unfortunate enough into being borne into a society that did not reflect her own. Though, perhaps she could show this girl a thing or two about what it was like to be overpowering towards their male counterparts? Those antlers would prove her handy, should she be in some sudden danger. Did she know how to fight against predators, other stags? ...Question was, were there even any such things, in these strange forests? Aella had not seen nor smelled any, since her own strange arrival.
"..Tell me...Do you know where we are?" She would ask, then, ears flicking softly as she turned back to face Ivershi once more. "I mean...How did you get here? I...I just..woke in this strange forest...I curled up under an olive tree for a short nap after training the fawn and...Woke up here."
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Post by z o k e t i on Jan 19, 2013 21:38:19 GMT -6
Ivershi noticed the look upon her companion's face. Of disgust. It was strange to her, the thought of males as in the way that Aella said. But she respected that, for it was what the roe deer had grown up with. She personally liked her own history, where males and females were treated fairly. To her, that seemed like the best way to live. However, she wouldn't judge her companion's.
An excellent warrior? That compliment pleased her. Ivershi wondered if she was just saying that. From her looks, maybe. Still, it was nice. She glanced back at her gingery-flecked fur, her long, skinny legs and cloven hooves. She didn't look that much of a strong fighter, but her small, almost delicate appearance held other advantages, she knew. One of the bulls in the herd had given training to all the calves, how to defend themselves. Ivershi had been particularly good with agility, and she had been able to move her antlered head around to block and swing better than some.
As Aella spoke again, the young caribou pricked up her wide ears and returned her attention to the smaller doe. She collected her spreading thoughts. Her memories flicked back to when she too had come into this strange place. "I had a similar entrance." she responded, lifting her head as she scanned the meadow. She had materialized, or whatever sort of transportation, over under the shelter of the trees on the other side of the field. It had been a sudden shock. "I do not know where this place is, in comparison to my home." Ivershi dropped her gaze back to the other doe.
She snorted out a small breath of air as she shoved away some of the painful thoughts of her family. She had no idea if she'd ever see them again. Probably not, unless she could somehow find a way home. Maybe there was. She'd just have to find out. But for now, she might as well make the best of it.
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Post by Sem on Jan 22, 2013 0:29:29 GMT -6
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Aella seemed to perk once more, with Iverhi's voice speaking up as softly as it did, speaking of a similar encounter with herself and this strange place. Though a frown settled on her maw once more; lost, then. They were both lost, left to roam these lands in hopes that they wouldn't be eaten by potential predators, or chased off.
Well, if there were even any predators to try to eat them, or others to bother wasting their energy chasing them off - or, at least, the little whirlwind herself. Aella was bound to be a terror to these lands; if she were to stay stuck here, she would no doubt try to establish her own territory. Try to keep her culture alive, even in this strange place. Perhaps there were other does about, that would wish to join her, and become Amazonian themselves.
This, she knew not, but it would have been a delightful thought to keep, for now.
"Hmm..Then that makes two of us.." She would murmur softly, before her tail flickered softly behind her. Hooves dug into the soft ground, then, and a rough grunt flew out of her nose, before she kneaded at the moist ground. Standing about was making her antsy, and irritated. Being so idle, for so long, even in the company of another! Aella did not wish to leave this female, but she would not stand about like some sort of drone, open for all to see her and possibly attack.
"Tell me, Ivershi. Would you like to go for a stroll?" Aella would turn her head back towards the taller caribou, then, and a brow arched on her forehead. Exploring was ideal, at this point; perhaps she would run into others, and maybe she would be able to claim a chunk of land for her own - not to mention find out where in the hell she even was.
And why such...strange animals seemed to flourish here - even now, she could spot the most oddly coloured squirrel, more near the edge of the forest, just beyond where Ivershi was standing. A bright purple, with a pink stomach and blue eyes. And it had..what, little horns? Dark eyes narrowed in response, and she just growled softly and turned back to the other female.
"I know not of you, but standing out in the open for so long makes me wary...Makes my nose twitch." The piebald would mention, shifting on her hoofs. She just wanted to sprint about, stretch her muscles, get her blood flowing. A good spar would do her wonders, now, as well. But she would not challenge the caribou.
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Post by z o k e t i on Jan 23, 2013 18:04:43 GMT -6
The young caribou wondered if there were any others trapped here. This was a lovely place, but it would be no paradise if they were locked here. Ivershi did not like being plucked out of her life and thrown here, with no say in the matter. Still, she couldn't do much about it now, not unless they found a way to escape.
She truly hoped that she could. Although it might seem a fawn-like, she very much missed her family. Her mother, her father, even her rowdy older brother. Somehow she had forgotten how much she missed them. Where there any others of her kind here? Would that even soothe her pain, or just aggravate it? Ivershi wished she could instantly fix these problems. But she knew better than to just complain and mope. Maybe something good would come out of this. Making friends, perhaps?
Ivershi blinked at her companion's comment. Yes, that sounded ideal. A good plan to explore their new surroundings. Maybe find a way home. Unlikely, but couldn't harm anything to try. The ginger-flecked caribou cow gave a slight nod. "That is better than standing around here." she grunted in soft tones.
She tossed her head, reliving the muscles of being still for long. This pretty meadow was beginning to sour for her. The grass tasted fine, but almost too good. Or maybe Ivershi was just being suspicious. It seemed fine here. Except for the fact that she had no idea where "here" was in relation to her home. She snorted softly.
"Let us go, then." The caribou rumbled, turning to scour the distance. She began to step in the randomly-chosen direction, cloven hooves making little noise on the soft, grassy ground of the meadow.
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