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Follow My Voice had never birthed a clutch, nor had she spent much time with her own siblings as a foal, but as an empathetic doe she knew and understood a call for help -- especially when it rang out from a young one. She pushed her way through the crowd towards the sound, missing the irony of it all, and did not break her stride until she found the small thing. Overtaken by an instinct she'd yet to discover, 'Caller' nudged aside a group of virile bucks who gladly accepted her nosing before realizing her intentions. "Come now, you bullies, he's just a colt." She managed, her voice soft yet sturdy. Caller continued her nudging, not thinking she could scare the babe with her forward nature, edging him toward one of the many breaks in the crowds.

She'd come all this way for the gentle lull of distant voices and hooves in hopes of finding something new and exciting, but it would appear she'd found a lost little thing instead.

An eaglehound? The kiokote noted the name in his mind as he ran out of laughter. Maybe he'd find himself an eaglehound of his own! They seemed like strong companions.

Rather be a runt...? "You say that like it's a bad thing!" he answered. He was, in fact, referring to her being runty, rather than his being a cheater. He knew he was a bad kio for choosing to cheat his way to victory. But he'd be a liar, too, if he said he didn't admire Acorn's defiant spunk despite her size.

When she disappeared into the crowd, Shadowstalk scrambled to his hooves and took off after her into the crowd. But darn her for being small! He couldn't see her anywhere. "Acorn! Acornnnn!" he called after her, his strong voice just over the lull of the crowd. He ignored the curious looks he received from kiokote and kimeti alike, as he tried to figure out where that silly little doe ran off to.




The hairs on the back of Wayfinder's neck stood on end as he -swore- someone was staring at him. Daring to look up, he noticed one of the strange other-beings looking his way. It had a coat as dark as the vast night sky in the desert. And a set of horns that resembled thick versions of his. He decided that meant this one was male, since the second pair of curved horns in his kind meant that.

Taking a quick look behind him and seeing no-one else, Way decided that the buck was, indeed, looking at him. Trying to pretend he didn't notice, the Acha bent down to take another mouthful of wet grass while his sand dog watched the black buck intently.

Wayfinder dared to peek up at the strange buck from the corner of his eye. The Acha tensed up as the dark buck advanced towards him, Destiny making a soft growl with her eyes fixated on the buck. He seemed to make a strange reaction when he got closer, however, and the desert buck serepticiously sniffed the air around him. He didn't smell foul...and wondered why the buck acted that way. He raised his head only slightly when the buck spoke.

His voice...was oddly familiar. It reminded him of the voice Wayfinder currently had. Like stone scraping on stone. And yet all he said was 'you'...

"Me..?" the Acha replied with a gravelly voice, remnants of his old, sarcastic self shinging through. Now that the dark buck was closer, he noticed he was rather handsome. But such frivolous days were behind him now, and he continued to chew on the tuft of grass still hanging from his mouth.

Wayfinder finished off the grass cluster in his mouth and looked up a little more. He dared to stand up straight, only to see he only reached the not-Acha's shoulders. Trying not to frown at this realization that he was much smaller than the buck, he lowered his head again slightly and tucked his tail between his legs.

Where did he come from? The Acha looked behind him, the desert that was his home now faintly visible in the distance. For a moment, his gaze lingered on that horizon. His past. Turning back to the other-buck, he answered quietly. "Far from here." he said, his eyes focused on the hooves of the dark buck.

Destiny decided after the moments of non-violence, that the other-buck wasn't a threat to her beloved owner for now, and curled up at her Acha's hooves.

Wayfinder tensed further as the not-Acha moved in. His breathing suddenly became short and panicked. He didn't like the way the buck loomed over him. He didn't like the way he interrogated him. The relatively small Acha's eyes darted back and forth, looking for a chance to escape while the larger buck circled him. His knees shook as he tried to come up with an answer. What if the buck didn't like his answer? He felt a surge of panic again, knowing that he could never hope to win a fight against this buck. Wayfinder winced as he remembered how he got the scar on his throat and the reason he lost his once beautiful Acha voice.

"Acha.." he answered, his rough voice was low despite his naturally small size, but it shook like a old tree giving way. His sand dog growled softly as she sensed her owner's discomfort, her eyes never leaving the dark buck. Wayfinder cautiously looked back at the buck, expecting pain any moment now.

Wayfinder held his breath at the black buck's stare. Surprisingly enough, he held his gaze as well, almost fearful to even look away. Hearing the word come from a not-Acha's lips sounded strange, yet slightly satisfying. It was different. He also felt relieved when the buck stepped further away. It made him feel safer.

Though he wasn't sure how to take the second question the other buck asked. Did he really look like a doe? Surely his second set of horns were tell-tale signs that he was a male...Though he only assumed by the shape of this one's horns that this buck was male. For all he knew it could be a rather large, deep-voiced female. Though the thought caused Way to shudder slightly..

"I look like a male, enough, for my kind. So if you think I look like a doe, then I suppose we all look like does. But Acha females lack the second pair of curved horns that males...like myself, have.." he said, lifting a hoof to stroke his sand dog and calm her bristling fur.

Curiosity surfacing, the Acha looked up at the other buck and asked, "What are you, then?"

Travels in Circles had heard of the rumbling mention of games and though he had listened long enough to hear where to go, he had not quite managed to find it. He had found his mother, Lull in Sunlight, who was much better with directions and though she herself did not find a lot of interest in the games, she deigned to lead him there. All the while her hound letting out a distrustful growl at the cat that followed her son (it responding in kind with a low growl).

The red kimeti moved into the masses of kiokote and kimeti and newly arrived acha. Of course he had barely begun to figure out what kiokote were besides the oft used not-kimeti (a very useful term as it applied to nearly everything) and the acha were another unknown to him. He moved away from his mother -- "Let's not make this a habit, Travels in Circles." "No, my way is much more interesting." -- and towards nothing in particular. His cat moved behind him, ears swiveled back and flat as its tail quivered.

Lull in Sunlight's brow wrinkled at her son's parting words. In essence, it was true but only because she'd had to take the most direct boring path to ensure he wouldn't wander off and become lost (again). She quite blamed the buck for her son's lack of direction. She didn't remember him much -- he had been bright, oh so bright in color. Yes, quite surely it was the buck's fault.

Oh well, now that she was here she might as well stay awhile. Surely there would be something or someone to catch her curiosity. Or perhaps not. She gave her head a slight shake and moved into the throng of four-legged creatures. She may or may not find anyone of interest but she could at least pretend to be courteous.


When Waters Recede had perked up at the news, had practically galloped or maybe merrily skipped to the proclaimed meeting spot. She had not seen many kiokotes since the flood -- too many bodies kiokote and kimeti and smaller in the water -- and it renewed her spirits. She even laughed on her way, her more playful nature rising up over the intense quite thoughtfulness she'd found herself floundering in after arriving.

She moved about, threaded through the assembling crowd easily, looking about and smiling every time she saw a kiokote. Even the strange ones that glowed made the new day seem brighter.

Shadow shivered, as he was dropped to the ground after what seemed like ages. He stayed there for a time, trying to seem small and inconspicuous, until a light voice reached him. HIs ear twitched, and slowly, he lifted his head.

It seemed a grey doe had taken pity on him and was now attempting to break up the large crowd that surrounded him. Gently, she was nudging the larger bucks, who didn't seem to mind too much, off to the side and slowly made her way toward him. The doe seemed gentle and was the only one to take notice of him yet. So as there was a gap between the numerous hooves, he scuttled towards her, taking shelter her near her side.