Fascinating New Thing (Chosovi x Nemain)

[-Diamond-Elephant-]

The young hare stared up at its captor with wide, terrified eyes. Its chest rose and fell in unsteady, panicked breaths as long ears pinned down against its skull in an attempt to seem smaller, desperately shrinking away from the mare's penetrating gaze. One cloven hoof she had pressed against its chest, enough to keep it immobile, but not so much as to crush its ribs. Not just yet at least. A soft snort escaped the mare as she turned her attention away from the hare for a brief moment, casting a look about her surroundings. If there was one thing good about her coming to this land, it was that the resources were plentiful. That was until winter took hold and dug itself in deep sending birds away to warmer climates, the rabbits and other such creatures to the refuge of their warm burrows to wait out the cold, and causing the greenery to wilt and wither away til spring. Until such a time Nemain was intent on getting her fill.

With a forceful push of her hoof the hare was slain, bones crunching and blood bubbling from its mouth as it let out one last screech. It had been an easy catch, nothing particularly to be proud of, but food was food. And she was hungry, though she would not feast, not yet. First she would head to the stream she had spotted early. Sure it was out in the open, amongst the plains, but it was also useful.

Gathering the hare up in her toothy maw, the kalona mare set off, her pace slow and deliberate, ears and eyes discreetly alert to all that was around her. You never knew quite what you'd find in an unfamiliar land such as this. So it was best to proceed with caution.

Soon enough she came upon the stream, eyes narrowing as an undetermined creature also came into view, something small and thus far unaware of her presence. Good. For a moment Nemain considered her options before choosing what to do. She could leave and seek another stream, although that could take some time. Or she could investigate the creature, or she could just scare it off. She could even eat it if it proved appetizing enough. Decision made she continued forward, each step slow and quiet as she advanced upon the creature, tail whipping back and forth in a predatory manner.

Brows rose in puzzlement at what she soon saw. The creature was definitely a foal, a young filly, but unlike any lesser she had ever laid eyes upon before. Feathers sprouted from her head along with a mane, her legs turned to clawed feet instead of hooves. She was... Well, Nemain didn't know what she was. Carefully she set the hare down next to her, forgetting her meal for the time being in favor of the foal. ''Now what have we here?'' The words came out unbidden, and silently she scolded herself for it. Not yet meaning to let herself be known, she wasn't usually so careless. But no matter, there was little she could do about it now.

The gurgle that sounded from the filly's stomach prompted a disdainful wrinkle of the kalona mare's muzzle, bright eyes narrowing as she eyed the foal from head to foot. An anomaly indeed.
 

[-Diamond-Elephant-]

At first it appeared the filly wasn't too sure whether she wanted to come face to face with the newcomer, however the wide grin that quickly graced her features when she laid eyes upon Nemain told the kalona mare that caution seemed very much thrown to the wind. A glimpse she caught of the foals sharp teeth, ones much like her own. Part skinwalker perhaps? The thought prompted a grimace from the mare. Or perhaps she was part kalona? Now wouldn't that be something. Or maybe she was just something completely new. Either way Nemain found herself somewhat intrigued, much to her surprise and disbelief. Lessers rarely piqued her interests. But this one, this one was different. ''I can see you're a filly. That much is plain.'' She replied curtly, tail flicking lazily back and forth.

Nemain gave a derisive snort at the amount of which the foal spoke and the rate the words left her, she could feel a headache coming on. Perhaps interacting with the foal had been misstep on her part. ''I imagine most would know what I am on sight. If not, well. That says everything.'' If there was one thing that was for certain about the foal, it was that she had quite a bit of energy and a certain amount of excitement and naivete. Hadn't her parents taught her to be cautious around strangers? Maybe they had, but ultimately it was her decision whether she headed their warning or not. It was a good thing it was Nemain the filly had met instead of another kalona, one that possessed a burning hatred for lessers. She imagined such an encounter wouldn't go well for the foal.

Green eyes narrowed as she followed the filly's gaze to the dead hare by her hoof. Calmly she placed her hoof in front of it and perked a dark brow in a somewhat challenging manner, almost daring the foal to just try and take her meal from her. ''Most of us are capable hunters. How else are we to survive?'' She stated matter-of-factually, shoulders rolling in a shrug. ''You heard that we are quite mean compared to other breeds? Well that depends. You shouldn't always believe what you hear.'' Another snort escaped the mare as she tossed her mane, a wolfish smile spreading upon her muzzle as she stared into the foal's eyes. ''Oh I might, you could prove more filling than this hare...'' The smile soon vanished as she rolled her eyes. ''You have little to fear in that regard, little lesser. I have no desire to eat you.''

The mare regarded the foal's clawed feet once more at the mention of hunting. ''You haven't learned how to hunt?'' Nemain cocked her head before she took to pacing around the filly, a predatory air about her. ''Not with those teeth, those claws?'' She questioned, examining the before mentioned features of the filly. ''However do you plan to survive without knowing how to hunt?'' Coming to a stop in front of the foal once more, Nemain shook her head. If she didn't know better, she would have said she felt a twinge of pity for the young lesser.

''Chosovi.'' She repeated, watching intently as Chosovi created some distance between them. ''You are a very talkative thing, Chosovi. You should be wary, lest all your talking get you into trouble.'' Keeping both eyes on the foal she heeded her advice and tore into the hare, ripping into flesh and muscle with jagged teeth and taking her fill. Not much was left of the hare when she was finished, the only evidence of her kill the blood that stained her muzzle.

It was an almost undetectable change, a subtle tenseness that overtook her body at the mention of family. Raising her head Nemain stared at the foal in silence for a long moment, it was unclear what she was thinking. ''No.'' She would leave it at that. There was little point in telling Chosovi that she was the last of her family, it wasn't her business. Leathery wings unfolded, the kalona mare giving one quick flap to stretch and flex her wings before folding them back against her sides. ''Since you gave me yours, I shall give you mine. My name is Nemain.''  

[-Diamond-Elephant-]

Intently Nemain listened to the little foal as she drank from the stream, keeping green eyes trained on her companion out of force of habit, rather than believing Chosovi could be a threat. The blood that stained her muzzle soon trickled into the flowing waters, the stream cleaning brown fur from a sticky red before the mare raised her head and shook, sending water droplets scattering. Special or not, Chosovi was unlike anything the kalona mare had seen before... And she wasn't quite sure what to do about it. ''You are... different, I shall give you that much. But not everyone takes so kindly to different.'' She stated not unkindly, her words instead matter of fact, as bright eyes stared at the foal, evaluating her and ignoring the grin upon her features.

Another twinge of what one might consider pity tugged at Nemain, but such feelings were soon quickly banished from thought. She was intrigued by the lesser, she'd admit that much. But to feel something beyond vague disinterest? No. A lesser was still a lesser. ''You taught yourself?'' The mare repeated flatly. Teaching yourself was all well and good, but it only got you so far in the end. She could remember when she was younger, shortly after the deaths of her parents, she tried to continue their teachings by herself. It had worked to a point, until she realized she knew not certain things. That was until her grandfather stepped in and took up her teachings, and for that she'd be eternally grateful. ''You say that it is alright now, but what if he never gets around to teaching you or your sister? What then?'' She inquired with the slight c**k of the head like some bird of prey eying its next meal.

''You can kill rodents, I suppose that counts for something.'' She released a soft snort, cloven hoofs digging into the soft earth of the river bank out of habit. ''Sometimes we do not always get a choice in what we eat, we cannot be picky. Although I prefer meat, I will consume plant if I must. Whatever it takes to survive. You'd best keep that in mind.'' Leathery wings extended and flexed as Nemain shrugged her shoulders. ''It was merely an inquiry. And of course I know how to hunt, I would not have survived this long if I didn't.''

Another snort escaped her mare at the filly's next words. She forgot how naive one so young could be, there was a time when she was little she had been of similar mind. Though that had changed quickly. ''Perhaps you should.'' It was nice to meet her? If the excited grin and playful wag of Chosovi's tail were anything to go by, she was telling the truth. Now wasn't that something. Eyes narrowed and a dark brow arched upward as the filly advanced toward her, a look on her face that seemed as if she were about to ask something to do with life and death. The question that was asked, however, took the mare off guard.

''Teach you?'' Nemain shook her head and took a few steps back, wings flapping tentatively as if she were considering to take flight. Which she indeed was deeply considering. Maybe staying to talk with the foal hadn't been such a good idea after all. ''Now why would I do a thing like that?'' There was little in the arrangement, if at all, that would be of benefit to her. Besides, the foal was a lesser and hardly worth the time and effort. However, she would not leave just yet, but instead hear Chosovi out. Call her curious against her better judgement.  

[-Diamond-Elephant-]

In silence the kalona mare stood as her words worked their way through the young foal's mind, the conclusion the filly came to one she appeared not to like at all. ''That may be true,'' Nemain admitted, for Chosovi did bring up some good points, for someone so young as she. In truth the two were of a like mind in a way - not that the mare would so readily admit. Yes she knew not everyone was the same, that not everyone acted the same, but that was the thing. Not everyone was kalona, and therefore they were less than. Or so her teachings had taught her ever since she had been Chosovi's age. ''But like I said,'' She continued with a shake of her mane ''Not everyone is so open to things they believe to be different or... inferior to themselves.'' Her former herd a prime example of such a mindset... herself an example of such a mindset. The thought prompted a derisive snort from the mare. Quickly she turned her mind from such a thing, instead focusing on the filly's next words. ''Is that so?'' Of course she had heard such stories, who hadn't when it came to the name kalona? The goal of many a kalona - her herd included - was the spread of such stories, be it by threats of violence or by true acts of violence. It was most often the latter.

An impish grin soon spread upon her muzzle, fanged teeth flashing as her devil tail whipped back and forth in a predatory manner. ''Oh I very well might be. For all you know I'm just skilled at hiding it.'' The grin soon faded however, instead being replaced by a look of mild intrigue and the quirk of a dark brow. ''Do I not?'' But whatever way the foal thought of her mattered little in the end.

''Yes, if I must.'' The surprise within Chosovi's voice at the very idea of Nemain eating plants on occasion brought the faintest of smirks to the mare's features. ''Exactly.'' An evaluating look she leveled upon the filly, green eyes narrowing slightly. Finding food in the winter was hard enough, but might be all the harder for Chosovi do to her lack of hunting lessons. But it wasn't her problem, Nemain minded herself.

Bright eyes rolled as the mare snorted, still both amused yet taken aback bu the foals desire for her to teach her to hunt. The very thought was out of the question. Her grandfather would be rolling in his grave at the idea. She would never... Would she? Her ears flicked forward as the foal once again addressed her, steely gaze leveling upon Chosovi as she spoke. ''Presumptuous, aren't we?'' Nemain asked with the quirk of a dark brow. Although Chosovi was half right, she was at least a little curious as to just what this foal was. But was it enough to warrant spending time with the young filly to learn about her? Perhaps... After all, the kalona mare was in an unfamiliar land and there likely was more creatures similar to the foal roaming about, ones that weren't so hospitable. So learning about what she was, about what made her tick... about her weaknesses. It could all prove rather valuable information in the long run.

After a long pause and a lengthy assessing look from Nemain, she eventually spoke. ''Very well. I will teach you. But remember this, if at any time I lose interest in this, I am free to stop this arrangement. No ifs, ands, or buts.'' She advanced towards the filly then, closing the distance between them as she leaned her head in, bright eyes staring into Chosovi's own. ''Are we clear?''