Welcome to Gaia! ::

Fluttering her wings lightly, the small, rather vulnerable blind cub took another few steps, lowering her nose to the ground and sniffing lightly, whining softly as, yet again, there wasn't anything particular. Nothing to tell her where she was, what the surroundings looked like, whether there was any water near, any food. Her stomach was slightly sunken from lack of food, grumbling loudly every time she took a step. Her ears were flopped down against her head, expression understandably upset and distressed as she took another step, then another, before stopping, sitting herself down with a long, low whine.

Laini curled her tail around herself, whimpering softly. She wanted some food! Or some water! But not as much as she wanted her mommy...she was lost, and scared. Where was her mommy? Laini was so confused, and didn't understand why she couldn't remember anything. Not even her mommy, not clearly. Just a white figure, with big white wings and grey spots. And a big, warm fluffy tail that she curled around herself sometimes, and snuggled down into... She didn't even understand how she knew she was white. All Laini could see was black, everywhere she looked.

A small chirp brought Laini's attention back to the present with a small squeak, the female managing a weak smile as she turned in the direction of it, to face Jicho. He was her new friend. Or was he an old friend? She couldn't remember that, either...but he was definitely a friend. The squeak was familiar, and she managed a purr, before it broke into a whine again. Where was her mommy?

At the head of a small herd of zebra the tall, slender god, who's mane fell in two tails by the side of his face, leapt over the long grass. His tail was perked in it's usual manner, leading a herd was what he did best, he loved to pull them along with his strength, the strength that had been born of his age. He had left Sanaa for a short time, she was pregnant and he was proud of himself but he missed his herd, they were his family and he had been meaning to offer the small zebra herd access to his lands. His main herd consisted of many and was headed by the black and white klipspringer that bounded beside him.

The flash of bright colour before his eyes made him stop mid leap. He never used his wings when he lead a herd, his leaping was like that of a large antelope, Zebadie had taught him as a cub to leap through the grasses without ever harming the stems around him. He was a dab hand at leaping and he could stop on the spot should he need to, and right now, he had needed to.

The small herd of Zebra had stopped behind him nod looked at the little cub int he grass nervously. Palahala sniffs and nods to the black and white beats whom disspate around him as he approaches the small goddling. "Don't be afraid, we won't hurt you." He looks around searching for a larger god, someone whom this cub belonged "Are you lost? You're a little small to be out alone."

Jicho's chirps were the first signal of something approaching, Laini lifting her head, turning on the spot to give the effect of looking around, even if she was unable to do so. Her faded eyes were a pretty shade of blue, it was a shame she couldn't see out of them. But a voice soon followed footsteps, Laini whining softly as she shuffled backwards, away from the sound of the voice. Jicho made loud chattering noises as perched on Laini's back, trying to intimidate the large lion who'd approached her.

Afraid? She was terrified, and she couldn't help it, her small limbs shivering with the fear. She couldn't see, and there was a strange voice, a strange creature. Another whine, the distressed Goddess's wing fluttering again, as if she were going to take off. But she didn't have the energy, her stomach giving another loud rumble, tail curling tighter around her back foot, as if to reroute the pain to somewhere different, somewhere she could control it. "W-Who're you?" she managed, before her sightless eyes blinked in surprise. Lost? ...That was what she was, wasn't it?

Oh, maybe he'd seen her mommy! Rushing forwards again, Laini gasped, almost sobbing, "Have you seen my mommy? I can't find her, I-" she spoke, before she was cut off abruptly as she ran into the larger God of Prey, not paying attention to how many paces she'd ran. She rolled back again, and promptly burst into tears, everything getting to be too much for the small young cub. "I want my mommy! Why's she left? Please, please help me find my mommy..."

Palahala smiled gently as he nosed the little cub to her paws, his gentle touch and warm cheeks pressing against the youngster as he straightened her up. "Hush, huts now little one, I promise I won't hurt you." He whispers, his voice a soft monotone, full of peace and a quiet which exuded from his every pore.

"There, now calm yourself and tell me your name. I'm Palahala, the god of prey and you my little friend are?" He smiles gently though it was slowly dawning on him that perhaps the cub could not see him, he found it odd that a god may be blind but she had run in to him so wildly, and nearly every god he met commented on his hooves, young and old commented.

Zebadie trots up beside palahala and looks at the young cub with a frown "Ha I remember when you were that little Palahala." She says simply, though her voice was less bossy than usual, her motherly nature was peering through "Don't worry pet, Palahala hasn't ever hurt a fly and me, I could hardly hurt a strong little goddess like you."

The young god chuckles quietly and shakes his head "This is Zebadie, she's my Klipspringer friend, she's a bit rough around the edges but she loves cubs very much, we will help you all we can okay?"

She felt nudges, but they were gentle and kind, so she didn't run. Jicho was hissing softly, but didn't seem to think there was a dire threat in the big lion, so merely hovered above Laini as she clumsily pushed herself to her feet, a paw coming up to furiously rub away her tears. "P-Promise?" she repeated, wanting to be sure as she hiccuped, shuffling forwards a little, pressing herself against the stranger's warm, fluffy fur. It was nice, in here. It reminded her of mommy.

Palahala? She hid her face in his fur, suddenly feeling quite embarrassed as she mumbled, "Laini. And Jicho's my friend." Jicho gave a chirp to comfirm the statement, landing on a small rock net to Palahala, tired of hovering. Laini's eyes were unfocused, staring a little to the left of Jicho, making it quite clear she couldn't see. Her eyes were faded, another clue, although it could've just been a paler colour of what her true eye colour should have been. Another hiccup, sobs and whines having subsided, although the rumbling of her stomach was still roaring strong.

More footsteps and she squeaked, pressing herself closer to Palahala, away from the new voice that had suddenly appeared. Too suddenly for Laini's liking, it had spooked her. "Who's that!?" she gasped, still fearful despite the motherly, gentle voice it seemed to be. It didn't sound like they'd hurt her, but until Palahala introduced her Laini didn't relax. She nodded to show she'd understood, a weak smile offered in greeting, before she turned her blind eyes to look up at Palahala - or at least where she thought his head was. In reality, she was quite a bit off, instead looking to the right of his head, up to the sky. "You'll help me find my mommy, Paluh...Palidh..." she repeated his 'name' several times, before finally whining again, finding it too difficult to pronounce. That, and she'd forgotten it.

Palahala chuckles quietly, "you don't have to be frightened little one, and you can call me Pala, most do, it's much easier to pronounce." he smiles a gantlet smile and looks down at the little frightened cub nestled against his fluffy chest. She was so tiny. It made him wonder if he was ever that small, well Zebadie said he was, he supposed his own cubs would be that small too. Strange, it felt very strange to imagine his own cubs.

"tell me, do you know your mommys name?" He whispers his soft brown eyes looking over the cub, she looked thin and frail, the need to protect thundered in his ears, he was herd beast, and he could easily adopt smaller things to protect under his domain, in reality this poor little cub could easily fall in to his domain, she was prey to larger beasts.

"You know you are a goddess don't you?" he whispers, moving his head a little so that his fluffy warm mane fell over the little creatures back, "do you know what you are laini?" he asks, it was a simple but complicated question, he wasn't sure if the young cub could answer.

Pala? Laini nodded, offering a weak smile as she pushed herself closer into the warm fur Palahala provided - warmth, protection, security. She felt safe here. Any big meanies would be too scared to eat her if she was with Pala, 'cause he was so big. Or at least that was the impression she got. She used her paws to carefully feel around, frown creasing her eyebrows as pawpad came into contact with a hoof, another paw coming up to run over it. How odd...she wasn't sure what she was feeling, and blind eyes searched fruitlessly for any hint. She snuggled further down into the fur, leaving Palahala's hooves be as she simply warmed herself up in his long, fluffy fur.

"Thank you, Pala," she whispered, words almost carried away by the wind they were so quiet. Pala wasn't her mommy. But he was safety and kind and not wanting to eat her, so that was good. Laini wanted to find her mommy. She wanted to find the ghostly white figure so, so desperately. But Pala was nice - maybe he could be her daddy, for the time being. Laini strived her memory, searching. Did she have a daddy? She couldn't remember one. All she could remember was her mommy. And she wasn't here. "Pala," she whispered, still very quiet and shy, "Will you be my Daddy? Just...Just until I find Mommy."

She shook her head, furiously blinking back tears as her mother was mentioned. "No. I only know that she's white. And my mommy. I want my mommy, Pala." A single tear fell, followed by another, before the young Goddess began to bring a paw up to stem the flow. She snuggled closer to him still, nodding at his next question. A Goddess...she knew she was special, and the term sounded familiar. "I...I think I'm the Goddess of Sight," she hiccuped through her tears, the words seeming to flow together in a way that triggered something inside of her - an affirmative reaction. She was right, she knew, even though at the same time she didn't have a clue. "I...I just want my mommy."

The big hooved god smiles gently, good she knew, that was one thing now to calm her. "Hush now, I promise I will look after you until we find your mother okay?" He nuzzles the little cubs chin upwards and grooms the tears form her cheeks. "You can come and stay with me in my herd, Zebadie likes to look after orphans, don't you zebadie."

The klipspringer chuckles "Yeah, no kid urn mothered no child left by the wayside, Palahala always takes int he little ones that need help." She smiles and touches the little goddling' side gently "Stop ay crying now little one, we'll take care of you."

Palahala gives a little nod and nudges the cub to her paws "I'll carry you okay, you'll have to climb on my back but I'll help you. Sight, is a very big domain you should be very proud of yourself." He rmbles a friendly grumbling purr and cheeks her over as he nudges her to her paws."You know, gods like us, we don't need to eat, it's a part of being a god, only mortals have to eat, you don't have to be hungry, if you don't want to."

Laini sniffed, eyes shining with tears she wasn't able to see. He promised? His nuzzles and caring, affectionate grooming caused the cub to begin purring - it was quite and broken, but there. The vibrated felt unfamiliar, but she liked it, so continued, purrs gradually growing a little louder. Was this what her mommy would do, when she found her? Laini certainly hoped so, this felt nice. "Herd?" she repeated, unfamiliar with the term, staring blindly up at Palahala (or at least where she thought/hoped he was). "What's that?"

The sound of the female creature was introduced again, and Laini felt Jicho rumbling in a growl where he had now settled, hugging close to her stomach where it was warmest. She offered a smile, hoping to appease the Klipspringer, although she was genuinely grateful. It was nice, for Pala and his friend to look after her. His touches were so gently, so caring. She couldn't help but smile, knowing she had such nice creatures looking after her.

She gave a surprised squeak when she was pushed to her paws, Jicho giving an irritated chatter, but Laini stumbled forwards into a standing position, head looking around, faded eyes flickering from side to side not sure where to focus. Climb onto his back? She swallowed a small lump in her throat, but gave an uncertain nod, "Okay..." If he was going to help she should be able to manage. She followed his voice, and them obediently climbed where he paws guided her, steps cautious and scared. She managed a smile at the compliment, but merely frowned as palahala began talking about hunger. "We...can?" she asked, surprised. But how did that work? "But...But I like eating. It makes me feel full, and its tasty."

"Well I am the god of prey laini, my friends, my herd is a herd of creatures that predators, such as lions and leopards, eat. It's a large herd and i protect it from predators, they are my friends and no one may eat the. Do you understand?" He smiled looking back folding his wings in a bit to hold the cub between his shoulder blades more firmly, sort f a safety harness for the little blue youngster. "Zebadie is a klipspringer, she is the head herd beast of my herd. She looks after everyone within the herd."

Zebadie looks up at the little goddess, she remembered hearing this same talk between Palahala and Khuluma, she wondered where Khuluma was, she hadn't seen him for a while. Palahala had a penchant for adopting these little lost souls. "We should get going, we can make the herd by night fall if we hurry." She smiles.

Palahala nods and slowly starts to get to his feet, palahala rose like a wildebeest, butt first, due to his hooved forefeet. "Hold tightly to my mane, don;t worry you won't hurt me if you tug" He smiles, raisign more slowly than usual so as not to dislodge the poor little cub from his wide back.

Prey? As in the animals they ate? Laini shuffled up Palahala's back, eventually lodging herself just above his wings, keeping her body as low as she could without suffocating Jicho. The bat seemed comfortable on her stomach, so she just left him there, grateful for the 'safety harness' his wings provided, although the young Goddess clinged to his long 'hair' none-the-less. She nodded to show she understood, unaware he wasn't able to see her, although she did carefully voice a question: "Can I be part of the herd>"

Night, day. It was all the same to Laini, all she ever saw was darkness. She pushed her face into Pala's fur, finding the warming scent familiar already, enjoying the feeling of security she'd gained. It was nice. She wasn't alone anymore. She was going to be part of a herd! She held a little tighter as Pala began moving, keeping quiet as she tried not to drift off to sleep.

Palahala chuckles quietly "Of course, you're my daughter aren't you? You are a part of my herd." He smiles and walks back towards the small herd he had been leading giving a grunt he starts once again to head int he direction of his main herd.

"Sleep little love, I won't let you fall." He smiles tightening his wings to hold her gently in a sort of envelope of membranes. "I'll protect you, I promise." he whispers.