5728 Kalianah | Level 1 | Meeting

"Do the three of you go anywhere alone?" 

Came a sleepy voice from nearby. It was early in the morning - still early enough that the sun was just the softest of blushes on the eastern horizon. The trio came to a quick stop, they had not expected to come across anyone else at this hour but they weren't surprised at all by who it was. 

Wapiti emerged from some shadow-drenched shrubs nearby - the rustling noise giving her away as well as the gentle glow of some rocks hanging by her neck. Her jackalope companion Nakina emerged next, a leather sack attacked to his back that was filled with something glowing vibrant shades of green and yellow. He seemed annoyed by the interruption to whatever they had been up to - thumping one large foot against the ground as he came to a stop - but that was the only protest out of him. He'd happily follow Wapiti anywhere, even to chat to some noisy youths instead of heading right back to their beds. 

"Oh Wapiti!!" Kalianah exclaimed. "You're so funny. Why, just the other day Zeg went for a walk by himself! And now, what happened was, I just got this sudden feeling that I needed to go for a walk! Do you ever feel like that? It's very annoying. Anyway. Of COURSE Zeg and Zo needed to come with me!" 

"She woke us up trying to leave our sleeping spot." Zohariel commented, rolling her eyes with a warm smile. "Stomping around  like a Plains in breeding season."

"Funny, Nakina is often sulking because Kali here can move more quietly through a forest than he can..." Wapiti grinned at the white mare who just shrugged innocently. She had been taking extra care to make a lot of noise as she woke up. 

"I wanted my friends with me!" She explained, knowing full well that they were only teasing her. If Zeg and Zo hadn't wanted to come with her, they would have pretended to be asleep as she left. 

"Why are you awake, Mama Titi?" Zegarnald's deep voice didn't really interrupt Kalianah, but it came close to it. He knew very well how chatty the forest mare could get if she was left unchallenged. 

The arctic mare turned her head to the young stallion with an appreciative smile (for she too knew how Kali was!). "These mushroom's on Nakina's back only glow just before sunrise and it is at that time that their properties are most effective. Now that they've been harvested, they'll retain their glow and properties so I can put them to use. Perhaps even make some lanterns out of the less-useful parts!" As she spoke, Nakina twisted around to wiggle out one of the mushrooms - a great, fat, golden-yellow one - so he could show the trio of youngsters what Wapiti was talking about. 

"How wonderful!" Zohariel exclaimed, stepping forward and lowering her head a little - absolutely fascinated by this mushroom that shared a colour with her own horns and eyes!

"They're beautiful!" Zegarnald offered at the same time, his dark eyes shining with the golden light. 

After another moment spent in admiration, Wapiti nodded her head and Nakina placed the mushroom carefully back into his pouch. The mare grinned at the trio, who looked a little disappointed at the absence of the golden light. "Now, you were on your way somewhere when I interrupted and I won't keep you any longer." She shifted in the direction of the home she shared with her wife, eager to get back to sleep. "But good luck with whatever finds you! I will tell Velutina to come help you, she is good to have by your side while on a quest." 

Not a single one of the youths knew who Velutina was - but Wapiti was always trailed by all sort of creatures so it had to be one of them. 

They bid the arctic mare goodbue and continued on their way. Kalianah had a bounce to her steps that carried her a stride ahead of her friends. Not too much faster than the easier gaits they chose but just a little faster. They were here to follow her lead, though, so they did not mind. 

"Do you think Wapiti was right about us being on a quest?" Kalianah asked suddenly, stopping her movement altogether and turning so she forced her friends to do the same. 

"Maybe!" Zohariel mused. "A quest would be wonderful, don't you think?' 

"A quest for what though?" Kalianah's voice clearly displayed her frown that would have been invisible in the darkness otherwise. 

"I guess that's what we're out here to find out!" Zegarnald encouraged. "I feel like quests, the good type of quests anyway, don't just fall out of the sky... but there had to have been something that got you out of your sleep this morning. We just need to find out what it was." 

The trio often took their naps together, ever since they were yearlings and they met up. Now they were about three years old, fresh and new into the ways of adulthood, but the habit never died. Zegarnald, a tall draft stallion, was always in the middle of the two smaller mares in their arrangement and he had woken up immediately after he felt the warmth of Kalianah's body leave his side. Her absence had alarmed him and, strangely, disappointed him. He had not given much thought to how comforting it was to have the mares with him... 

But now there was Kalianah dancing off again down their path, seemingly encouraged by his answer, and the troop continued on.