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Criani was trotting.

Never in her adulthood had she ever trotted.

Oh sure it was fine when she was an Orakoi and Orakoir, but never had she thought she would be happy enough again to trot when she was an adult.

Avani had just presented her with her greatest two-legger treasure yet. It was a large blue and white “scarf”, made of fine, soft leklan wool. Avani had said she sheared, cleaned, processed, and knitted the wool herself. She had also crinkled her nose as she told Criani that it had been her first attempt and it wasn’t as great as her mother’s work.

All Criani had done was hug the little orderite, place the scarf on as if it was spun gold, and promised to bring it back for a washing now and then. Criani preened and felt so much warmer thanks to the scarf her good friend had given her.

And so, with a warning not to get it too wet or it would smell, Criani was off, wearing her new scarf. Avani had said she worried about the khehora when the weather got cold, so she would knit a sweater for her next. Criani was above the moon. She had truly found a family.

As she reached the lake where her cave was, Criani stopped and looked around. She had heard a tinkling sound, and wondered what it was. She sniffed the air, but could not smell any scent but her’s and the other wild creatures she knew made their home here. She tried sniffing again, but all she got were the same scents and the crisp, cold feeling in her lungs from the late fall air.

The tinkling noise grew louder. Criani looked around the lake, and then saw the strangest thing. It looked like there was a piece of snow floating in the air. Criani looked up at the sky, but the sun was out, and not a cloud was near. Intrigued, she went towards the small white piece of “snow”.

As she came closer, she saw two golden specks on the flake, and little blue wings. Criani nudged it with her nose to see if it was as fluffy as her scarf felt, then stepped back wrinkling it as she felt a tiny blast of cold where she and the creature had touched. Was this some kind of ice monster?

The creature seemed to be as interested in her as she was in it, the small fluffy came fluttering, and tinkling around her head. Criani held out her hand and let the little fluffy land on her hand. The spot the fluffy landed was cold, and as it moved around her hand, it left a trail of cold.

Criani giggled as it flew off and still fluttered around her head. Not to be mean, Criani wondered what it would taste like. She snapped at the fluffy, and the fluffy, probably thinking it was a game, dipped and weaved around her head.

Then she captured the fluffy.

Criani quickly opened her mouth and watched the fluffy fly off as if one of the gods were after it. Something sharp had poked her mouth and now she could taste blood. She felt the cuts on the roof of her mouth with her tongue and chuckled with amusement at the fluffy.

It seemed the fluffy wasn’t as innocent as it had looked.

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Date Posted: December 4, 2014
Words: 565