Who: Nymphadora Tonks, Arcadia
When: November 15th, near sunset.
Where: In the forest near a small clearing.
What/Why: Tonks discovers and abandoned basket, and has a decision to make.
Rating: PG
Status: Complete
How long had it been, since she had left the basket alone in the small thicket she had found? Tonks wasn't sure, but she knew that she couldn't have left the foal where she had found it. The pink-haired soquili shivered in the mild cold air, and knew that she had to get back soon. She was worried that the lost little foal might be found by something other than it's mother, and Tonks wanted to be there to make sure it was safe. Unknowing of the basket's history and how it came to be, the unicorn had discovered it abandoned in a small clearing in the forest, with neither mother or father anywhere in sight. She had stood by the basket, hoping the mother would return soon, but as the sun began to set, Tonks realized that far too much time had passed since she had found it.
She took the basket with her and found a safer, warmer place to hide it - nearby enough to the field that if the mother came looking, she would hopefully find her lost foal. Once Tonks was satisfied that it was hidden well enough, she went to attempt to find the mother of the dark colored basket herself. Searching the forest for the missing mother or father, she frequently returned to the field in which she originally found the basket in hopes of running into the mother.
Ears pressed back with disappointment, Tonks knew she couldn't spend all night searching, and reluctantly began her walk back to the thicket. She would spend the night there, guarding the basket, and wait until the morning to decide what to do - she hoped, however, that the mother would show up during the night, and she wouldn't be stuck having to make any decision at all.
Relieved to find everything as it had been when she left the basket, the mare lowered her head, nosing away the branches to reveal the basket inside. As she gazed down at the thing, a sense of unease came over her, images of kalonas and skinwalkers flashing through her head. Could this basket have belonged to such evil? And if it did, what would happen if the parents did return, only to find her with their basket? There was no way to judge based on the looks of the basket alone. She was faced with a difficult choice; leave the basket, or hope for the best? Tonks knew if the parents did not return, the foal would likely not survive if it were left alone.
The mare raised her head, ears flicking back and huffing with frustration, taking one last look around. With no other soquili in sight, Tonks decided she had no choice; evil or not, she had risk staying. She knew she would feel guilty if she didn't try. She would just have to remain alert during the night, and be ready to flee if it came down to that. She lowered her body down beside the basket, curling against it to serve as protection as well as warmth, wanting to rest her legs for a while. She had a long night ahead of her and, in the morning, if no parents were to be found, Tonks would bring the basket back to her two-legger at his teepee.
