It had been two weeks or so since the stranger came to live with her and he was slowly picking up parts of the local language although his words were still heavily accented. Despite not being able to understand each other in words, the time they had spent together (with Grace showing Deusdedit around the forest) made the pair rather efficient in communication without the use of words. A nod here, a shake of the head there - they began to rely on gestures and actions to get their point across.

As winter transits to spring and the blanket of snow slowly melts away to reveal the green grass underneath, Grace woke up one morning to find her guest missing. Patiently, she waited in her home for his return; perhaps he had gone out for a short morning stroll or even to revive himself. However, as minutes turned into an hour, the small mare could not help but worry about her new friend. After all, he was new to this area... What if he got lost? Worse, what if he was injured?

Hurrying to the outside, she looked for signs of him but found nothing, not even hoof prints to follow. Growing increasingly concerned, she trotted into the forest, calling his name often and hoping to get a reply. Gaining company after having been alone most of her life, she had quickly gotten used to it; in fact, she enjoyed it immensely. She never had close friends nor a family of her own, and there were some days where she felt so miserable by herself.

"Deus!" She cried out, trotting around the parts of the forest that she had introduced to him. Hopefully, he would be around somewhere. Ducking under a low branch, she called out again, "Deus, can you hear me? Its Grace!"

As the sun reached the highest point in the sky, her stomach grumbled hungrily; she hadn't eaten all day due to the search. Slowing down, she sighed, feeling frustrated at her failure. Out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted something purple peering out of the bushes. Her heart skipped a beat as she cantered over, half expecting Deus to be there. However, all she found was a berry bush - normally, she would be delighted at the sight of the rare winter berries, but today... She just didn't have the mood nor appetite.

Her stomach, on the other hand, had other ideas.

"Alright, alright, I'll eat something," Grace muttered to nobody in particular. Leaning over to the bush, she sniffed cautiously at a berry before grabbing it between her teeth and pulling it off the brunch. It was sweet and the seeds made it crunchy, but... It didn't feel right. As she closed her eyes, the female chewed slowly. A sharp crack - the sound of a broken brunch - caused her eyes to fling open.

"Deus?" Was her immediate assumption as she looked to the direction of the sound. To her disappointment, it was just a fox who had stepped on an old, rotten branch. Now she knew what was missing... Her companion! After experiencing companionship, eating alone seems too lonely for her to bear. She would rather eat bitter bark with a friend than sweet berries alone. letting out another sigh, the female hung her head and trotted away from the berry bush. She had completely lost the appetite to continue eating; after all, Deus could be starving out there while she's feasting!

More determined than ever to locate her new friend, she continued on her search. It soon became quite clear, however, that the usdia stallion was nowhere to be found. Giving up, the female's heart sank - she had probably been abandoned, just like her family had done, just as her old friends had done... For once in a long while, she found it hard to smile.

As Grace dragged herself home with the setting of the sun, a familiar figure outside of her home greeted her sore eyes - it was the Soquili that she had been looking for the whole day!

"Deus!" Grace exclaimed as she galloped towards him, nudging him gently with her head. She looked up, worry evident in her teary eyes before giving a smile, glad that he did not abandon her like she had thought.

"Grace?" He replied, looking confused at the way she was acting. It was... Awkward. He didn't really like being touched, and the way she looked at him? It made him want to shy away. However, a small part of him asked him to stand still as she fussed over him - he might not be good at reading emotions, but even he could see that she had been worried.

"Where have you been all day?" The female asked, articulating her words slowly, wondering if Deus might get what she was trying to express. However, the only reply she got was a confused look followed by a shake of the head; he didn't understand her words at all.

"Oh, never mind!" The female laughed sheepishly; at least he knew what 'never mind' meant! Grace smiled, giving him another quick nudge before trotting back into her home - at least he was back, safe and sound!

Once inside the cozy little cave, she realized that she could smell the ocean on Deus' pelt; was that where he went? So that was why she couldn't find him! She had searched the forest, but never thought to look for him at the coast! Giggling at her own silliness, Grace blushed as she bowed her head; it was great to have company again.

"Good night, Grace." The usdia stallion managed to speak in heavily accented Kawani as he turned to look at her. When he saw that his friend was almost completely back to normal, he couldn't help but smile to himself; she truly is a good work of God! Judging from her actions, she must had been worried...

"Night, Desu!" Grace replied cheerfully as she yawned, tired from a day of walking. Soon, she drifted off to sleep, a small smile on her lips.

"Thank you God, for Grace," Deus whispered and smiled, realizing that the word 'grace' held two meanings now - his cranberry colored friend and His mercy. Bowing his head, he closed his eyes and continued with his silent prayer, "And thank you for letting us meet on this land. Please continue to watch over and bless me. Thank you, Lord..."