Oscar had decided to go exploring on his own today, splitting off from the herd with the obligatory promise to be back before nightfall. The donkey’s heart is heavy, the sadness that has followed him since Mrs. B’s passing has only festered. The small donkey had tried to push it away, tried to fill in for the wooly rhino as the leader of the herd but all he has seemed to do is alienate Rannoch and Kryen. The quiet elk has never liked the fact that Oscar is loud and Kyren… well the reindeer still seems upset that he allowed Taiga to join their herd. Doubt weighs heavily on his mind as his small hooves carry him along a beach. Sad eyes notice the black sand under him and the donkey lifts his head to survey the landscape.

The sea laps at the shoreline, rolling in and out in a hypnotic, calming rhythm. Dotting the sand at irregular intervals are palm trees, their leaves waving against the gentle breeze that tickles the donkey’s long ears. Nugget rests on his rump, head under his wing, pretending to be asleep will Oscar allows himself to wallow in his sorrows. Looking out over the crystal waves, Oscar softly says, “I miss you Beru. I… I’m not you. I can’t keep this herd going. I’m no leader.” With a sad sigh, the donkey lowers he head, allowing the tears he held inside trickle down his nose. His long ear pin back against his neck, as the emotions take over.


"Oscar"|"Nugget"

Today Rannoch and Kyren had stayed together to graze and the little horse thing had wandered off on its own. Taiga didn't like that. These lands smelled heavily of predators and even though Oscar was only a mouthful, she wouldn't put it past something to try and eat him. So, she altered her course and followed him at a distance, giving the big eared equine his space, but also keeping guard. In the time since the trio had freed her, she'd become quite fond of the little ass. He told her that he was also called a donkey, but Taiga still liked calling him little horse thing in her mind. Oscar may have been small, but he had heart. He was mouthy and liked to tell it how it was, but he was also sweet and kind and thoughtful. So she wanted to keep him safe. She wondered if he knew that she kept him safe even when she wasn't around. Did plant eaters know anything about scent marking? She doubted it. However, every time the gargantuan feline touched the little ass, she was marking him with her scent. A big, loud "Don't touch this, it's mine" in blazing lights for all predators to see. Taiga followed Oscar to a beach and her sensitive ears picked up the end of his words. A frown pulled down the corners of the woman's maw. She padded across the sand and slid down to lay upon it, her massive frame curling around that of the little donkey. She dwarfed him with her huge, muscled form, but she ducked to place her chin upon her paws so that she could be level with him. "I think you're doing a fine job, but a group doesn't need a leader. You can all take turns," she suggested, leaving herself out of the equation. She was with the group, but she wasn't part of it. Not really. She was a killer and she ate things like them. That would always make her an outsider. "Speech"

The donkey had been too caught up in his thoughts to notice the silent predator that tracks him. Luckily, Taiga is friendly, a vigilant protector of the small herbivore. The black sand crunches under the small ass’s hooves and his long ears flick as he walks. The sun has started its descent toward the horizon, elongating shadows and cooling the air slightly. Palm trees seem to be the only pops of color along the beach, stark brown trunks and brilliant green leaves breaking up the otherwise gloomy looking beach. The landscape seems to mirror what Oscar feels as the dark shadow of sorrow covers his soul. He feels slower these days, finding even moving to be more difficult than normal. When he finally stops to look out over the rolling waves and speak to the memory of Beru, Oscar feels defeated. Why did she have to leave? Why does he have to be a failure?

Then, Taiga appears, silent paws carrying her toward the sad ass and his long ears flick up when they hear the subtle sound of sands shifting. He looks up, turning to see the massive cat moving toward him and the sad donkey quickly turns his head away, trying to hide the tears that trickle down his cheeks. Sniffing, he shakes his head in an attempt to rid the water from his face as she moves up toward him. Turning his gaze back to her, the donkey watches as she gracefully stretches out her large form to lay on the beach and curls around his small form. He feels safe here, a strange thing considering she could eat him in one swallow. But Oscar watches her lay her head on one gigantic paw and he smiles. Nugget peeks out from under his wing, offering a huge yawn before fluffing his feathers and ducking his head back beneath his wing. Even laying down, Taiga is taller than the small donkey but she has ducked her head so she can be level with him.

The small gesture shocks the ass for a moment making him realize the large predator is surprising gentle when she wants to be. Taiga’s words have Oscar’s long ears swiveling every which way, the small movements an outward expression of his uncertainty. Short legs shuffle, shifting his weight around as his flat teeth bite into his bottom lip. He had felt lost after Beru’s death, the need to protect and take care of the others the only thing driving him onward. Yet, these days, since meeting Taiga, he has found a spark of hope, something more to hold onto then just making it through the day. His accent laces each word thickly, betraying his emotions as he says, “I worry about ‘em Taiga. Their kids and my family… I have ta protect them. But…” Oscar snorts as flicks his head to indicate his small frame. He continues, “Sometimes I feel more a hinderance ta ‘em. If a predator attacked, best I could do is offer myself as a sacrifice to let ‘em escape.”

The ass tries to make it sound funny, adding a lopsided grin to the statement but the truth is, Oscar has been worried about predators attacking them. Huffing an annoyed sigh at himself, the donkey shakes his head, saying, “I don’t know. Everything is more different these days. Maybe they don’t need as much protection as much as I think they do.” A shrug of small shoulders and Oscar finds himself moving toward the lioness, the sudden need for contact overwhelming him. Sighing heavily, he looks along the beach as he leens into her soft fur, enjoying the warmth her fur offers along with her companionship. Flicking a long ear, he says, “I have worried for long Taiga. There are many animals would hurt our small herd. They are precious to me. I have to protect ‘em.”

Small head turns so Oscar can capture her eyes with his. There is genuine gratitude in his cyan eyes as he says, “I’m glad you’re with us Taiga. I really am. I know I feel safer with ya around.” A gentle smile flits across his features before he turns his head to look back over the beach. After a moment, Oscar says, “Ya know you’re are a member of our herd too. That means we look out for you and you get to help with being a leader too.” They are a strange herd, a bunch of herbivores and one massive predator but, the small donkey realizes, he wouldn’t want any other herd.


"Oscar"|"Nugget"

It was obvious that there was a lot on the little horse things mind and so Taiga was silent while he worked through it, verbalizing here and there as necessary. The striped woman listened intently, catching every syllable, every inflection, every ounce of confusion and pain and worry. She felt for him. She truly did. The poor guy felt helpless to protect his herd and that was partially due to his size. That was something that she couldn't feel, being as big as she was, but she could try to put herself in his hooves and understand. Oscar mentioned how he felt as though he might be a hindrance and the feline scoffed. "There's more to leading than protecting, you know. There's kindness, understanding, care..." As the little donk settled in against the felines snow and charcoal side, she raised her head and swiped her big pink tongue along his cheek. "You have all of that in spades." Taiga shifted, encircling the tiny equine as though she was a living sofa that he could lean against. "They both care for you, I can see it." She liked to think that she was pretty observant. The lioness knew all too well that there were things in the world that would hurt them. The thought of it made her anxious. Aside from Kyren, the other two had welcomed her openly and the cat had grown fond of them. What would happen when she was fully healed and left them on their own once more? Would some pack or pride try to bring the trio down? It made Taiga feel sick to her stomach. Oscar then turned his attention to her, thanking her and going even further. The feline's cheeks felt warm with the compliments and she gave her blocky skull a shake. "None of you need to look out for me, okay? Just let me look out for you while I'm here." Would it bother him to know that she planned to leave when she was finished healing? The cat's ears swiveled backwards, flashing the white spots upon their backs. "I was chased away from my pride. I wouldn't be a very good leader." "Speech"

Taiga listens as Oscar speaks and the small donkey realizes just how much he likes having her around. When she speaks, Oscar listens, moving to lean into her side. The large cat raises her head and swipes her big tongue across his cheek, stunning the donkey for a moment. The words that follow break the shock and cause a huge smile to spread across his face. She curls around him and he leans further into her, enjoying the warmth her fur, and friendship, has to offer. The herd has been traveling in the snowy north for so long and Oscar is not built for the cold. Sure, he gets fuzzy but, after a while, the snow gets old. It is nice to have such a large, furry creature to snuggle into against the cold. He continues to speak, laying it all out while unconsciously leaning further and further into her side. Long ears flick as he speaks, a content sigh escaping once he finishes.

The massive cat shakes her skull, saying they don’t need to look for her and it is Oscar’s turn to scoff. However, he allows her to finish speaking, watching her ears swivel backward as she speaks of being chased away. The donkey stands there for a moment, staring at Taiga dumbly. Finally, he shakes his head slowly, long ears flopping lazily from side to side. Irish laced tones say, “There is more to looking out for ya than just protecting. As a herd we help each when we need it. Sometimes that means listening, other times it means making sure ya don’t something stupid. With all that said, we do like have ya around Taiga. You are a part of this herd and we don’t want ya to go.”

The donkey has seen how her paw is healing, knows she will be leaving their small herd soon… but he didn’t want that. So, Oscar says, “We’re a strange sort but we want ya to be part of it. Please join our herd Taiga. Rannoch likes ya and Kyren… well he will come around. Just, please stay with us. You complete our group.” The small ass offers her a warm smile, before adding, “Your herd were a bunch of idiots. They don’t deserve to have such an amazing lady like ya.” He throws her a wink, quietly hoping that she agrees to stay with them while trying to push away the fear that she may decide to leave them.


"Oscar"|"Nugget"

Taiga lay there and listened to the little donkey as he spoke. It was clear that he wanted her to stay with the group, but the feline was a little apprehensive. What would the other lions think? Red eyes blinked, then her brow drew together. Ah, but there were no other lions. Not anymore. Not in this place. Could she manage to make herself part of these plant eaters? She'd feel special, if anything, not having to compete with other predators. She'd be the lone meat eater in a bunch of flower grazers. Interesting concept. Oscar then asked her flat out to stay with the group and the lioness' ears pulled back, flashing the white spots behind them. He was laying it on thick for sure. Taiga thought about it for a short while, looking out over the water while mentally mulling. If she did leave, she would most likely always wonder what happened to the trio. What if one of them ended up dead? Hunted by predators? Something that she could easily have rescued them from. Well, she'd feel horrible about it now wouldn't she? Taiga cast a sidelong glance down at the little donkey that was nestled against her. So small and trusting. She could have snapped his spine with one paw. She could have bitten straight through his neck with one chomp. Yet there he was, curled up in a little ball, asking her to stay with him. Stay with them. He wanted her to be a part of his herd. Taiga inhaled deeply and released a long sigh. Where else did she have to go, really? "Okay," she finally spoke. She'd stick with the trio. She'd be a part of their 'herd,' if only to keep them safe from the things in the world that wanted to eat them. "Speech"