It was odd to see such strange things on the walls of the cave. It wasn't the first time that the old rhino had seen cave paintings, but it was the first time she'd seen them since her family had been sucked beneath the icy ocean. Bad vision aside, Beru could see the herd of two horned creatures etched into the wall. With a little huff, the russet colored lady turned away from the wall and found a nice, flat place to hunker down. Outside the cave, a storm raged. Snow was being dumped from the skies. No doubt the entrance to the cave would be buried by morning, but Beru would make short work of it. Casting her honeyed gaze to the side, the old woman's gaze fell upon her pair of companions. "Better tuck in," she advised in her kind, grandmotherly tones. "This storms bound to be a long one." Laying on her belly with her legs somewhat crossed before her, the rhino cast her friends a smile. Cold weather was nothing for her, but they might be a little less acclimated to it. She didn't mind sharing body heat with them if they needed it. "Speech"

Oscar watches Mrs. B closely as she looks over the paintings on the cave wall. His eyes flick to the place where Mrs. B stops to study a painting. Sadness tugs at his heart for her, remembering the stories she has told them of how the ocean stole her family. When she moves to lay down, Oscar casts a glance to Kyren, checking to see if the deer is alright. The kid can push his buttons sometimes but Oscar still loves his little misfit family. He offers the tall deer a smile, turning back to face Mrs. B as her speaks. The fuzzy coat Oscar has acquired helps with the cold but, on nights like this, he still prefers to share body heat. Stepping up to her side, Oscar pauses to place his nose on the cave painting she had been inspecting.

Closing his eyes, Oscar silently thanks her family for sharing Mrs. B with him. The circumstances that brought Mrs. B into his life are tragic but she took him in, gave a purpose and a reason. This is his family now and he thanks those who shared these two with him. Opening his eyes, Oscar steps away, trying to hide the tear that leaks out of his eye. Carefully, the donkey lays down next to Mrs. B, curling up and leaning into her warm fur. He shares what little warmth he has to offer. After he is settled, Oscar says, “I havn’t seen a storm like this in a long time. Wha’ da you think we’ll find in the morning?” The donkey leans into her, trying to take her mind of the past and root it in the here and now.

"Oscar"

The reindeer’s antlers were velvety soft and growing daily bit by bit.  His cream-colored coat is thick and great protection from cold but this storm is one even he has no desire to be out in.  Beru had found them this little hide-away  Lowering his head the reindeer shook his coat, casting off the snow that had doggedly clung to him in the storm.

His own gaze went to the wall and he moved in closer, looking from one image to another.  “Are those meant to be like me?” It was funny, the streaks of color were amazingly in the shape that could represent deer of one type or another.  The human images made no sense to him, a pattern of something without reason.  Some type of predator with teeth was running in another spot. “who made these Mrs.B?”  It had to be made.  Sure, there were cracks and markings on rock walls but these weren’t like that, too specific, too different on the color patterns.

Watching Mrs.B lay down and then Oscar moving towards her, the reindeer took a last curious look at the drawings before moving to the duo.  Snow was perfectly normal but it was far enough out of true winter that this storm was catching him without Kyren’s extra fuzzy coat.  Letting out a slow sigh he moved to hunker down next to Beru and Oscar.

 Kyren lay with his legs underneath him, head tilted so that it leaned up against Beru’s side. The stone floor would feel cold to his head after all but with Beru’s warm wooly frame he could stay perfectly warm.  “It is an odd time for a storm like this,” Kyren agreed and then added on, “what we’ll find tomorrow? Snow, a lotta snow.”  One way or another Kyren would go out in it tomorrow morning.  He had no intention to go a day without food just because of a ‘little’ snow.  

Glancing from Beru over to Oscar, Kyren tilted his head so that a velvety antler touches Oscar for a light poke, “Smile more.”  It was a mild tease that wasn’t so much about humor as just trying to distract Oscar from his own dismal thoughts.  


"Speech"

As Beru hunkered down, Oscar and Kyren moved over to look at the wall. The old woman made herself as comfortable as she could manage before the other two came to join her. The stone floor was cold, but the trio would be warm in no time. The tiny donkey came to join her, laying against her side, though he questioned openly as he did so. "We're just lucky, I suppose," the old cow said good naturedly, a smile on her face. "Oh, I suppose we'll find a lot of snow, now won't we?" Snow didn't bother her, but if it snowed as much as she imagined it might, they would have to dig themselves out. Kyren made a comment about the drawings then asked who made them. Beru Exhaled through her wide nostrils and motioned towards the painted wall. "There used to be tall, hairless monkeys roaming the land. They would do all sorts of strange things. I imagine they did this too," she admitted. The reindeer came and lay beside her, giving the little donkey a good natured poke before settling down. "Aye, it's a strange time for a storm, but there it is and we must deal with it." A yawn pulled from the big woman, her maw opening to flash flat teeth worn down with age. "We'll deal with all of that in the morning, shall we?" Giving herself a little wiggle to get more comfortable, the rhino cow lowered her head to rest upon one bent ankle. Closing her warm honeyed eyes, she feigned drifting off to sleep. In all actuality, she waited for Kyren and Oscar to fall asleep most nights before she fell asleep. It was the motherliness in her. She worried for them and herbivores had to worry more than most. "Speech"