Welcome to Gaia! ::

The morning was cold and bright. Dawn advanced slowly towards the group of Kimeti, feeling a bit wary. She was a doe now, all grown up, but she'd spent all of her life away from the herd, following them from a distance.
It wasn't that she was shy, she loved to talk and make friends, but she had never felt the need to surround herself with a crowd of other Kimeti. However now the days were getting colder and colder, and she was longed for some warmth and the comfort of feeling part of something larger.

She could feel the stares of the other Kimeti as she approached the group. They were talking in hushed voices, but then again every sound seemed strangely quiet today in the empty swamp. Even the birds weren't singing as they used to. Dawn sighed. She had never seen spring but she'd heard tales from older Kimeti, and it sounded much better than this cold winter that was just starting.
Dawn took a large breath and the cold air entered her lungs and made her shiver. She stepped forward at a trot, approaching the herd.

"Hey there," said Dawn cheerfully. "I'm fine, just feeling a bit chilly."
She watched the other Kimety with curiosity. On a first impression he looked like the strong and silent type, but this didn't stop her from rambling on. Meeting new friends was always fun, and she'd been all by herself for the last few days.

"It's my first winter," she said, trying to refrain from staring at the other Kimeti too much. "I didn't expect it to be so much... well... cold! There's not as many birds and foxbuns around, and I felt a bit lonely in the swamp. I suppose they're all huddled together somewhere, it's the only sensible thing to do in this weather, isn't it?"

Suddenly Dawn realized that the conversation had turned into a monologue, and stopped talking abruptly. "Whoops, am I talking too much?" she said. "I'm Dawn, by the way."

Dawn was a bit surprised. The other Kimeti had looked older to her, not very old but not as young as her either. It was probably his serious attitude. She listened carefully when he spoke about winter.
"Did they say why is it so cold?" she asked, flicking her tail towards the group of Kimeti. "It's as if the sun isn't as warm as it used to be."
The thought made her feel a bit worried, but she dismissed it with a shrug. If the older Kimetis hadn't commented it, then it was probably normal. She hoped it'd be warmer again soon, though.

"You have a nice name," Dawn said after introductions were made. It was always interesting to hear new names, because every name had an interesting story behind.
"But you've never met me before," she laughed at Marshrush's comment. "So if I start rambling on please stop me... I love talking and telling stories, the only thing I like more is probably singing." She suddenly realized something. "Do you think we'll be singing together with the herd this winter?"
She'd heard them singing together, a moon or so ago, all huddled around a bonfire, but she'd been so taken by the melody that she hadn't dared to join them. Now perhaps she'd get another chance.