The starry sky above her glittered, the ground below still held warmth from the day. The still sounds of the night were all around her, crickets chirped their songs, the owls hooted their low baritone notes. The rustling of grasses shifted from the warm breeze if not from the smaller creatures of the night. The scuffling of mice could be heard within the grasses as they nibbled on summer seeds, fattening up for the cooler seasons to come. Although, this particular life would not know what that was. She had just been born a few days ago, underneath the blue moon of summer and the warm breezes, here on this very land. The soft scuffling of something different, far larger then the mice and the insect moved about, though it was simply an occasional shifting of dirt. Warm air blew between her nostrils as she slept fitfully, lids fluttering in the window of dreams, though what she dreamt was beyond her. Summer would come to an end soon, and with the ending of summer would come the cool of fall. And yet, she was alone. She had not seen her mother for two days, the last she had seen of the magnificent golden mare was when she had been disappearing into the tall grass, telling her to stay here. As the thundering hooves had gone farther and farther, the young girl could only lie in the safety of the grass and obey what her mother had told her. But now she was hungry, her stomach aching for the warmth of milk that her mother had provided for her. She sighed, nibbling the grasses around her, though they did little for her. She had not yet the teeth required to chomp and chew, her gums beginning to sore from the rougher grasses she had gotten a hold of. With a discouraged sigh, she lied her head back down on the grass, her left eye staring up at the night sky, the stars twinkling within her dark brown windows. She remained there, restless, wanting her mother, wondering when she would come back. Speech,

Obsidian

It was a lovely last night of summer. Perfect for grazing on the prairie. Emerald Valley was her favorite grazing area, but with Olympus claiming it, she wasn?t too sure they?d not hunt her if she went to eat there. So until she met someone from there who said she was off the menu, she?d settle for other places. Strong molars crushed the grass busily, and she was glad it tasted good. She knew that only a season lay between herself and winter. Her sleep hide would grow out with thick fur, and she hoped she would be toasty enough this winter. She sighed? Rather dreamily. And maybe she?d have a big warm body to stand against this winter. Mister tall, dark, and brooding, and absolutely dreamy from a mare?s point of view. The first equine she?d see in? years. A smell brushed her nose and her nostrils flared as her head lifted. She hadn?t smelled that since she was little. Foals. A foal, but no adult mare anywhere to be smelled. Not fresh at least. The spoor was old, nearly gone already. Curiosity bit her in the rump, and she started forward, head up and ears pricked. Dark blue eyes fell upon a small foal. She looked buckskin, golden body with dark points, main and tail. Stars reflected in the filly?s brown eye, the other hidden from sight. Obsidian offered a soft whicker of greeting, stepping closer to investigate this newling. By her scent, she was only days old. A mother wouldn?t leave a healthy foal behind? Or at least, that was what she had thought? ?Hello? My name is Obsidian. What?s your name?? Soft voice was gentle, but deep down she was quashing the rising excitement at the sight of another horse. This year was getting better and better.

The night would seem to drag on, though from her perspective, the little girl didn't really have a sense of time yet. She just watched the stars move, hoping her mother would return...a nearby noise would soon cause her to lift her head, a familiar sound nearby caught her attention, and for a moment she thought it to be her mother for it was a sound that her mother did to softly call to her. However, as the silhouette came closer, Rikku was surprised to see that it was not her mother, but someone else she had never met before. Nor had she ever seen another like her besides her mother, weren't all horses golden? She would stare wide eyed at the stranger, nostrils flaring as she gazed up at the giantess. She smelled pleasant, calming even. And Rikku wondered who she was. It did not take long for her to learn, for almost immediately the mare had greeted and given a name. Ears reached forward as much as possible, curiosity gnawing at her. Nostrils flared wider to take in her scent, sides heaving with each inhalation of breath she took until finally, she was satisfied. Looking up with wide eyed wonder, she responded. "R-Ri...Ri...Rikku!" Finally! Her name had left her lips. The girl gazing up excitedly at Obsidian, reached forward to get a closer whiff of the woman's snout, while at the same time her belly would protest its hunger. "M-Momma?" Speech,

Obsidian

The mare?s heart melted a bit as the wide hazel eyes of the foal found her, the filly?s small nostrils flaring to catch her scent. It was so different from how wolf pups were. Upon Obsidian?s greeting, the filly spoke her name in a fit and start sort of way. Perhaps still working out how to talk? Rikku. The little filly seemed delighted by her accomplishment, and Obsidian smiled faintly, tail swishing softly. As Rikku reached out her head toward the black mare, Obsidian responded likewise, letting the velvet nose of the foal brush against her nostrils, a warm, grass fed breath huffing out in the instinctive manner of equine introduction. She had Rikku?s scent embedded in her mind now, to be filed away with a list of all those she knew. The next word Rikku spoke caused Obsidian?s ears to prick slightly. Momma. Where was this little filly?s dam? Her head raised, high into the air, and she scanned the prairie. No sign of another mare, anywhere. Her eyes dropped to the ground, and she thought she could discern faint hoof prints in the starlight. She?d have to find Cormalin, or Sarak, maybe. Both were excellent trackers. ?No, pet. I?m not your mama. When did you last see her?? She wasn?t this filly?s mother yet, but if no dam returned, Obsidian would take her as her own. The cogs were turning in her mind like the wheels on a jig cart. Erani knew how to start a wolf?s milk flowing, when they hadn?t had pups to get it flowing for them? Could that work for a horse?

Rikku

The tender touch of Obsidian's nose to her own felt comforting. Rikku's nostrils flared more, taking in the warm scent that belonged to the black giantess. She was but a few days old, her mother having disappeared shortly after her birth, fate giving the little girl no more then a day to be with her. She was incredibly hungry, it was a wonder how she survived the days without her mother and without being eaten by a predator. Willpower, she supposed. She wanted to live, to grow up, to see everything she could. Head tilted slightly as a sneeze erupted from her, throwing her head back and causing her to squeak before shaking her head. What a blast! It had left her cross eyed for a moment before she recomposed herself. Ears streamlined forward as the mare spoke, Rikku frowning slightly at Obsidian's response. A shake of her head a nd a small shrug would answer for her...she wasn't sure when she had last seen her own mother. All she could remember was her golden sunlit pelt running into the tall grass, her hoof beats fading away before all went silent. She would then decide to rise, front legs gathering under her as she pushed up, rear in the air and front end on her knees like a clumsy bow. Once she was on all fours, her tail wagged away the grasses that clung to her, and she stumbled forth to take in the comfort and warmth of the mare as she trailed along her side, the search for food was on! She nosed Obsidina's side, not knowing that a consequence could potentially ensue for invading another horses private space, especially if it wasn't her own mother. But alas, hunger was winning over...and yet, before she would even reach to the spot, she'd stop at Obsidian's flank to rub her head upon the mare, scratching at a spot that had been difficult to reach on her own. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Obsidian

WordsRikku was a heart melting little thing. Guileless, innocent. And Obsidian?s maternal side was kicking in. As Rikku?s answer came to her in the form of a negative shake of the head and a shrug, Obsidian nodded sadly. Perhaps the dam had left Rikku here to keep her safe? ?Would you like to stay with me? I can?t promise food right away, but I can help you ease the ache in your belly.? It was then that Rikku decided to stand up. It brought back a lot of memories of when she herself was a foal. The difficulty of standing up at first. Rikku rose rump first, which had never worked out for Obsidian; she?d always flopped head over rump back into the stall straw. Or against her mother?s slender, elegant legs, which were dipped in while, the stockings becoming dappled and flecked with black, before the white fragmented away into black, to reappear on the sabino mare?s underside and flanks. She?d had a white face too, with the white fragmenting at the edges. Rikku was on her feet, and the natural lessons about personal space was obviously untaught, but Obsidian didn?t mind the contact, so she allowed it. Turning her head, she nipped lightly at the filly?s rump, catching a strand of grass that had escaped the tail, and crunched the grass up. She figured that she could teach Rikku how to drink from a stream, and that could hopefully tide her over long enough for Obsidian to set her plan rolling. ?Follow me. I have something to teach you that will help you feel less hungry. It?s not a permanent fix, but?? The large black mare turned, ambling toward a spot she knew would contain a stream.

The young girl glanced over at the black mare, deep brown eyes gazing wondrously at her new friend. Would she grow to be that big someday? A shake of her head would bring her to turn halfway to face Obsidian, her read skittering slightly away from the nip she received, though she took it as a form of play. Tail wagging, Rikku let out a soft nicker before standing with her head close to Obsidian's chest, wide eyes looking up at the mare as she nodded. She did want to go with her, she didn't want to stay here by herself. It was so...lonely. "I'm...lonely...hungry." She would murmur, hopefulness in her starlit gaze. She would lean slightly into Obsidian's form, comfort seeping over to herself. She didn't want to be alone anymore. As Obsidian moved away, Rikku followed eagerly. Stilt like legs moving easier then she previously thought, especially since she had been lying down the last long hours of the past days, but other then the occasional trip and stumble, she was fine. She proceeded to move a bit faster, this time moving at a slow trot as she ambled to and fro, but keeping no more then a yard from the mares side. She didn't know what was out here in the dark, but she didn't really like it. Night time was scary for her, the howls of creatures in the forest always causing her heart to jump. And as soon as the thought hit her, a howl would rise through the trees, causing the filly to shy away and nervously return to the starlit mares side, her shoulder touching whatever part of Obsidian she could reach, though keeping just enough room to keep her legs from tripping Obsidian. Black tipped ears flicked nervously, nostrils flaring as she tried to smell whatever was out there, but failed. "What...What is that?" "Speech"