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After his input into the conversation, Midnight slid into the shadows once more and back into the embrace of Mother Swamp. He shuffled through the trees and bushes until he found what he was looking for. A leaf big enough to cover his entire back and rump. He threw it onto his back, where it stayed comfortably so long as he didn't walk too fast. So he also found himself a vine, which he tore away from its plant and also threw over his back. The vine swung over his back and emerged under his belly, where he swiftly caught it with his teeth.

He made his way back towards the others. When he came out from the trees, there were twice as many as the last time! Well... this is becoming quite the adventure! Where did they all come from? What's calling all of us here? He strode towards the group of little 'uns with both ends of the vine that was holding his leaf in place, still held firmly between his teeth.

Talking around these vines he said, "Would anyone like to help me tie this?"

The littlest one came upto him and took initiative. Midnight took a look at the situation, one vine in his mouth, the other in Jumping Frog's. Paying no attention to anything or anyone other than Jumping Frog and the vines, he replied, "Now... now we exchange so they cross..." He moves to do so, and once they were crossed he continued, "Hmmm... Next we need to poke that vine through the middle here..." he indicated where he meant so that she could do so, "And just pull it tight now, and do it all once more so it doesn't come undone." Tying knots was hard!

Dune had came over to talk to the girl, too. He seemed to know her. When Dune paused to look at Nest Egg, he stared back. Then he blinked and looked back and forth between Dune and the girl. "Oh, you two are siblings!" Nest Egg exclaimed. That was amazing. "That's why you look similar." he continued, nodding. "I think I have siblings, too, but I'm not sure where they are."

Another girl had appeared while he was busy, and he turned to see if she and Midnight were as interested as he was. But it looked like Jumping Frog was busy tying up Midnight. Huh. Maybe if he ignored it it would resolve itself. He turned back to the siblings, and bombarded the girl with more questions. "What's your name? Do you want to help us get fruit and visit the flatlands? It's pretty out there."

Jumping Frog blushes when Midnight's Shadow nuzzles her. She bends her head down a bit, pretending to examine the vines. She doesn't want to be rude, but these are the first Kimeti she's seen, aside from her siblings. But the fact of the matter is, she wandered off from the hatching area as soon as she could, so interacting with others is something Jumping Frog has little experience with.

"We could chew through them, maybe.." She grabs an end, around the middle point, and bites into it. Immediately the vine's sap starts to invade her moth, and it takes all her concentration not to spit out the bitterness. Doggedly she starts to chew, letting her saliva rinse out as much of the sap as possible. Before long, though, it becomes apparent the vine is simply too tough to chew through, unless they wanted to be there all week trying. Jumping Frog drops the vine, spitting out the rest of the sap as well. "ICK! That was gross! Maybe.." She trails off, looking around for ideas.

Somewhat dejectedly, Jumping Frog follows behind Midnight's Shadow. She wanted to figure this out one her own, but at least asking the others will bring them back into one group. Stopping beside the pure black Kimeti, she looks at the others, hoping to get this figured out so they could get going.

Hmmm, Midnight was now really well tied up, Nest Egg thought.
"A sharp rock could work." he agreed, before walking over to Jumping Frog.
"But why are you tying up Midnight? Are you taking him prisoner? Don't we need him?" he asked, concerned. Had he missed something?

Jumping Frog brightens at Midnight's Shadow's words. She'd seen a smalish, hollowed out log on her way here. "I know what we can put the fruit in. Hold on, I'll be right back." Happily she trots off, glad to be really helping.

Following the trail that led her to the others, Jumping Frog finds the log in no time. Quickly she uses her front hooves, and even her snout, to empty it of leaves and insects. Then she rolls and pushes it back to the others. "Now we just need a way to pull it." Her attention is caught by the trailing vines from Midnight's Shadow. "We could use vines, right?" She watches him hopefully, unsure how well her idea will work.

Out past those mudflats where Dune is looking, where the broken, hot ground begins to give way to the lush green grass of the hills, a figure breaks the horizon. With the other foals busy, only Dune sees it--if, in fact, there is anything to see.

The grassy slopes rising almost beyond the rim of sight are nearer in some places, closer in others, and it is on one of these nearer hills, beyond which can be seen the tops of trees, that the Thing happens.

Something moves, up on the top of that distant hill. It slices through the tall sheets of grass to either side. It is barely more than a dark dot at this distance, but all the same, something in its movement is similar to a Kimeti's. It stops, motionless, in one breathless second at the crest of the slope, as if looking towards the swamp and scenting the air. And then, with a horrendous scream--it sounds like a Kimeti's, and alien, at the same time--it turns, and with a speed that could never be imagined among Dune's own species, it bolts along the top of the hill for a split second before vanishing back down the other side.

The entire thing took less than five seconds. The thin, far-off scream lingers in the air, born on a wind that smells fresh and pale green and clean.