Aatos was beginning to regard Ranore as a... A friend. Strange thing it is, but it was true. As he wriggled back, he couldn't help but place his forelegs on Rabore's feathery back and lip at his small ear tufts adoringly. It was a way of expressing his affection- at least, when he could reach their ears. Cheekily, he climbed up and over to the other side of him, just in a childish attempt to annoy his new 'friend'.

Ceasing to wriggle, Aatos 'stood' to attention; ears pricked, eyes focused. How to explain this? The pictures flashed into her mind in quick succession; A spell, magic being cast, two glowing strings being twisted and him as a newborn. He didn't know any other way to describe how a spell had gone twisted and warped. His expression saddened, and he pressed closer to Ranore's light build.

@Nika
I'm so sorry- I probably didn't see that part. DX
--
Family? His family was probably long gone from the fields of flowers - not like his missed them. They thought him as much too different. He flashed towards her a vague memory of a hazy, sunny day and the silhouettes of his family, before sending another picture, a shake of his head.

Ranore watched the pair, wondering what the fawn was saying to her. He didn't mind being used as a couch, it brought back memories of his young children. So different, but very much the same. He allowed himself to relax to his side, his wing twitching into a more comfortable position as he half watched the fawn and doe, though viewing the world with one cloudy eye and one good eye was anything but relaxing.

Aatos is such a little cutie pie.

Ranore was silent for several moments, but he finally responded with the best interpretation he could think of, "Are you asking if there are other bird deer? There are in the world I came from. They vary as much as birds do."

"We were born here, Silly," he murmured with a laugh, "you won't smell our homeland on us anymore."

@Waning-sun and echo
It's alright, echo!
--
Aatos gave Ranore a lofty look - of course he knew that! Or, at least he knew that but a few seconds ago. The grey fawn's attention was diverted by the doe speaking. Upon seeing that she understood, he inclined his head with an air of dignity. He was not going to regret who he was - but if only he could speak! If he could, he would have urged the doe to say more, but all he could manage was a frantic image of him waving a leg in a beckoning fashion, and with an eager expression.

@NikaGike
It's sure be fine by me, though, we need consent (such fancy wording, niri..) from Waning-Sun and Echo. o 3o

He snuggled closer to Ranore, trying to comfort him. Aatos didn't know whether Ranore felt sad or indifferent, but he was sure if he were in the position of the owl-deer, he'd feel rather lonely without anybody else like him to fly with. A familiar sharp pricking of claws on his back - apparently the swallow deemed this owl-deer safe for now.

It's fine with me!
-------------
Echosong, slightly confused, asked the fawn, "Do... do you mean I should go on? About what?"
She nodded to Ranore. "Perhaps you'll get a chance some day."

OOC: Okay, I'm just going to reintroduce her!

She had been trailing through the Wretched Wood for a few days now. Her body was covered in cuts and scratches, and her fur dank with mud and sweat. Her hooves an body ached from walkingfor so long. She was lost, tired, and hungry. Nothing in this poisonous wood was edible. The water was thick and stagnant like tar, and the mushrooms seeps with poison. There was no grass, only dirt, dead leaves, and sharp brambles that reached out to cut the poor passerby.

Nika shivered madly; she was starving. She made the mistake before of drinking the tar water out of desperation, but luckily survived that ordeal. She began to weep, "I'll never get out of here." She wept as she walked, pushing through more brambles and sharp branches, until she caught a glimpse of something. It looked like two people standing with each other in the distance. Nika nearly jumped for joy. She began to run as fast as she could to them, running through every deadly blackberry vine, and tripping over the roots of the trees and rock to her destination. Just as she was nearing the two figures, she noticed that they weren't moving. Just as she was about to encounter them, her hind leg was jerked above her, and pulled up the tree. She was trapped.

She panicked and began struggling for her life. The old rope constricted her leg; she could feel the blood leaving her legs to her head. "Please, help me!" she begged the figures, but their response was only silence. She realized that they were two statues covered in moss and bramble vines. She hung there in sadness. This was her end, to die hanging from a tree while her only companions are two ancient statues.

"No!"

"That's what she wants! She wants me to give up and die! Well, I won't have it!" She reached for the earth and dung her hooves into it, pulling her body down, and slowly making her way to the statues. She gripped one hoof behind one, and then the other. As hard as she could she pulled herself, bending the branch, until...SNAP! The branch broke, and the force pushed her forward beside the statues.

It was suddenly warm. Bewildered, she opened her eyes that she had shut when the branch broke, and looked around. It was a lovely, golden birch forest. The bark of the trees were a paper white with the beautiful black designs that were drawn into the white. Blue hyacinths grew all over in little clusters, and the birds flew and danced in them. She was in awe. In the distance, she could hear the flow of water. Her throat was dry, and she slowly stood up. The branch and rope was still attached to her leg, but she didn't care. As she walked, she dragged the dead, black branch behind her. It was heavy, but all she wanted was water.

There were voices in the distance, and her ears pricked toward them as she walked. She could figure out how to get the rope and branch off in her own. Who knows how friendly the natives are?

When she saw the pond in the distance, she began to dash to it; the branch dragging grass and dirt with it, but she didn't care. Her hooves reach the edge of the grand pond, the soft soil seeping through her hooves. She brought her lips to the water, and began to drink, not knowing that there was a small group of three behind her.

Whee! Join the lazy pica too! It's just because I seem to gravitate towards Pica more that Aatos is not a very active character.

Alerted to a furious rustling and thumping, Aatos lifts his head quickly - was something wrong? But no - here was a doe crashing through the undergrowth wildly with something that looked like a branch trailing behind her. He didn't get a good enough look-see to clearly identify this doe before Ranore blocked his sight of view.

Echosong was about to reply to Aatos's question, when a loud noise of someone or something crashing through bushes made her startle. Ears pricked forward, she turned and saw a doe dashing down to the pond, dragging a tree branch behind her. She turned to Ranore. "I think so. She might be hurt."

OOC: Ha ha, yes! xD!

She looked away from them, she didn't want to disturb them, or scare the little fawn, considering that she saw her reflection and looked horrible. Her hair was a mess, slicked with the tar from the Wretched Wood. Her fur had dried blood from her cuts, with tar and leaves as well. Her face was dirty with a few cuts, and dried blood. "It's best not to approach" she thought.

Echosong stepped forward cautiously. "Are you alright, miss?"

OOC: Lol, sorry, just thought I'd bump it. xD!

She looked at the three. "Yes, I'm alright," she said,"Just a little banged up. Thank you, though." She bowed curteously at them although her muscles ached. "If I may ask, what is this place?"

When the little fawn approached her then bolted off it made her want to cry. She looked at herself, and back at them. She didn't mean to scare the little fawn off.

"Never mind," she said a few tears rolling down her face,"I'll just be taking my leave. Thank you for your concern though."

When the little swallow flew towards her she flinched back as shut her eyes. She had been attacked by a swarm of birds in the Wretched Wood. She felt the little swallow's feet on her hair.

She looked at the young fawn,"Isn't there a river running around here? I don't want to taint the pond."

"The Forest?" she thought.

"That's very kind of you," she said bowing her head. "I'm sorry I disturbed your family." She felt the little swallow shuffle in her hair; it made her smile.

Family...? Ranore glanced at the fawn and the doe, but started off in the direction of the idol. Maybe for a couple of seconds he could believe that he had a family.
"Yeah...it's right over here," he added, ignoring her family comment.

She followed quietly behind them, minding not to stand so close because of her stench. "Thank you. It has been a long while since I have seen kind faces."

She gently turned her head, and looked at the little fawn. "I'm sorry for startling you," she said softly.

Echosong stopped at the idol, the misty spray from the water getting her fur damp. "Here it is. It may look a little odd at first.", she cautioned the doe, wondering if the strange appearence of the fountain would unsettle her.

"Yeah...there are many here. Some come and go though, I don't know if they really count." he replied, pausing to stare at the idol for a few moments before shaking himself and trotting over to settle at the base of the rock.

Finally, Aatos was curious enough to begin sending pictures. The Idol, clean water, the blood and tar, and a questioning head tilt. Though, he wasn't sure whether he got his message over entirely.