[PRP] My Darling, My Charge (Midori and Absinthe)

[.Tortured. .Pumpkin.]

This is a PRP for my Midori and Absinthe, who's still a basket. So really just Midori. XD
Please do not post <3  

[.Tortured. .Pumpkin.]

((Not using her normal colored font due to possible eye strain.))

A cool winter's breeze rustled through naked branches high above the snowy ground, its song a mournful cry devoid of life. It was abnormal for the mare not to hear the chirping of birds, the occasional chittering of a squirrel, or even the crack of a branch beneath another's hoof when it was so clear and sunny out, regardless of the temperature. Something odd was afoot. She was sure of it.

Silently, the older mare moved onward, continuing the surveillance of her territory. The action which had been so rare in the past had become necessity as of late. Her territory had been infiltrated by malicious beings more and more, which both angered and scared the protective figurehead. She had others from the teepee take turns patrolling, giving them nothing more to go on than, "Report back to me if you see anything at all." Most of her kin chose to do this in pairs or even groups in fear of what they may find, but Midori found her walks away from the others somewhat relaxing. A raccoon that often bartered with the herd had fastened her mane around her neck for her, giving the appearance and protection of a scarf. Her full tail dragged along the ground behind her, causing her hoofprints to disappear in the snow.

The petite horse stopped, her ears perking and the corners of her mouth slowly rising to a small smile. She could hear the babbling of a nearby stream, which had been frozen solid the last time she had ventured this way. Looking around for potential threats, she made her way to the water, using her hoof to crack the layer of ice that covered the top. Gracefully, Midori dipped down toward the brook, sure to look as lovely as she could while drinking in case anybody was watching.  

[.Tortured. .Pumpkin.]

Glowing green eyes opened as the mare lifted her head from the stream, looking around carefully before shaking the droplets of water from her muzzle. After another quick survey of the area, she let out a small sigh. It was rather tedious to act ladylike all the time, just in fear of someone seeing otherwise. Of course all that went out the window when there was a foal around. She would do anything to make a child laugh. But what about herself? Grinning a little, Midori eyed the iced over stream. Moments later she was stomping on the ice, listening happily to the crunching of the crystallized water. She let out a childish giggle before remembering why she was out there in the first place.

Sighing, the dark mare shook her wet hooves and looked around for any movement. She grinned upon seeing none, happy to have gotten away with her silly little antics without any repercussions. She knew that the ruckus could draw in unwanted visitors, so she moved on rather quickly. After all, she could always come back and check this spot again.  

[.Tortured. .Pumpkin.]

As she continued along her route, Midori slowed her pace and listened more carefully. She was about to enter a clearing that was generally occupied, even during the winter months. While it was still on what she considered to be her territory, the mare had no qualms will allowing friendly passage by those who meant her family no harm. That didn't mean that her interruption would be welcomed by any who may be there, however. She inhaled heartily, the winter winds blowing by her carrying no indication of others in the area. The complete lack of life surrounding her normally busy land was more than a little off putting, and the mare wondered what sort of spirits were to blame. The mare moved forward, even more cautiously than before. She couldn't help but feel as if this were an omen.  

[.Tortured. .Pumpkin.]

The alpha mare's suspicions were soon answered as she spotted something rather bright in the distance. She furrowed her brow, her glowing eyes focused on the flash of neon she had seen. Her heart raced as she approached, worried about what it was. The possibilities flew through her mind, flip flopping between skinwalker and trinket, back and forth. But surely she'd have been able to smell a skinwalker; the wind was blowing right past the thing and toward her. As she got closer, though, her eyes widened. She raced toward the little baskets, still cautious of what may be around her. Looking at them, she realized how bizarrely similar their coloring looked to her own. Was this a trap aimed at her specifically?

Wary, she backed away from the baskets, searching in each direction for who may have planted them. Surely this couldn't be right.  

[.Tortured. .Pumpkin.]

Midori waited for hours in the distance, watching over the two bright baskets. When nothing happened and nobody came for them, she began to worry. Cautiously, she made her way back toward the lonely wicker, frowning. It was always so sad to see abandoned children, but she'd never let them stay that way for very long. She nosed at the green one, sniffed at both of them, and sighed. They didn't smell like anything at all. No Soquili, no other animal. Was it possible that they had been left by the spirits? She checked the lids. Both were sealed tightly, indicating that there was, indeed, something inside. She nudged at them to be sure. Definitely heavy enough to contain a foal.

But now, she had another predicament. How would she get them home? She sighed, making a difficult decision. Gingerly, the mare tugged at the green and black basket, freeing it from the icy ground. She nuzzled the pink one and whispered softly, "I'll be back for you, precious one." She frowned, furrowing her brow. Carefully, she covered the basket with some brush, partially concealing it from sight. Her heart ached at the idea of someone else finding it first, but she had to act now, or the fate of both of the baskets could be less than cheery. Of course, there was always the slight possibility that they did, indeed, have parents, but Midori never thought much about that.  

[.Tortured. .Pumpkin.]

It took quite some to get the basket home, but the mare had a system. No stranger to transporting baskets, Midori placed the foal capsule on her tail before slowly making her way back to the teepee. Stopping every few yards was tedious but necessary to adjust her load. The snow was incredibly helpful, as the packed path home gave a good even surface to slide on.

The mare hummed a soft lullaby to the basket as she walked, hoping the foal inside wasn't rattled by all of the movement. She didn't quite remember her time before emerging from her own little home, but she had been told by several of her children soon after they emerged and learned to speak that they were pretty cramped and didn't like the jostling, but there was often little that could be done.

Hurrying along the path, the mare realized that the sun was getting ready to set. The green gem on the basket glowed fiercely, as if one of her eyes had reflected off of it. But that not being possible with the basket still behind her, she realized the gem itself was glowing, and she wondered why the spirits would have left such a thing for her. She had asked many times before for the wishing star to give her a child, but she hadn't asked for this. It was a rather curious thing to happen, but she was glad. Taking care of others was her life. Keeping this in mind, she picked up her pace a little bit more, needing to get back to the other basket before somebody else snatched it up.

-------------------

After finally arriving home, the mare sighed. She was happy that there were other there that she trusted, and they looked at her strangely as they noticed the basket. It looked similar enough to her that they asked when she'd given birth, to which she'd snipped back, "Do you think this body has given birth lately?" Several individuals snickered, but she just rolled her eyes.

Dichali was put in charge of watching over the basket while Midori left again. Phaedra flew ahead, able to get there faster in the event that a predator or other unwanted guest had made their way into the area. It was a gamble from the beginning, but Midori was optimistic. The spirits meant for her to find these baskets. Surely they wouldn't take one away from her now.