Welcome to Gaia! ::

This watering hole was one that Marshlight liked. It was quiet, usually undisturbed, and he liked the flowers that grew in small clumps around it. Sweet scent, but poison to the tongue. Like some Kimeti, perhaps. He still didn't know the name of the old female who had warned him away from the flowers as a colt. She had been there, then gone in a breath when he turned away for a moment. Maybe a ghost. He liked to think that.

Today, there was someone here. A doe stood at the edge of the water, staring into the pool intently, attention entirely caught by whatever she was looking at. Curious, Marshlight picked his way around the edge of the pool and craned his neck to see what she'd noticed. "It's just a fish," he said doubtfully after a moment.

Marshlight backed up a step and laid his ears flat at the snort. Then he reconsidered. He'd surprised her, hadn't he? That wasn't actually particularly polite of him. "It's a nice fish, but that kind isn't very tasty," he said, lifting his ears again.

"I like this watering hole. It's a nice quiet place," he explained. "I didn't know anyone else came around here."

"They smell so nice," he agreed, and took a few steps to one side to lower his nose to a small patch of flowers. "Though they're poison." Of course she knew that, though; she didn't seem a stupid doe.

"I don't like crowds. They make me nervous. So I don't go to the common places often." He tilted his head at her. "I don't think I have met you," he said thoughtfully. "I would have remembered. My name is Marshlight. My pets are Frost-on-Mud and False Dawn, but they are not here right now. Who are you?"

"The tasty kind of hoppy bug?" Marshlight inquired curiously. "They are very quick. You must be quick as well." He studied her. Yes, perhaps she was; she was a sleek, strong doe.

He was still thirsty. He stepped to the edge of the water and bent to take a drink. Afterwards, it occurred to him that perhaps that had been less than polite. "Oh, pardon me," he said.