Welcome to Gaia! ::

This is a self rp between Nova Sangfroid & Duga Couleur

Nova kept the cave wall to her left, to ensure she didn't get too lost. Since she had grown large enough to be considered an adult, Nova had made it a point to explore the nooks and crannies of their territory. Guarding the border was all well and good, but only if they knew all the ways into the valley. Her mother had embraced the idea of developing a herd. Well, Nova wasn't certain if her mother quite grasped the fact that her collection of loner soqs was more or less a herd, but that was how Nova viewed it. Zahavah probably thought of the hodge podge group as more of a family. Nova wasn't fully certain what the difference was, and she didn't much care. What mattered to her was being useful. She didn't have the same urge to leave the valley that her brother and sisters seemed to possess, and she wasn't a fighter like her mother. She had always taken after Pavlov more than Zahavah, though she wasn't quite as skiddish. She had decided to learn the valley when it occurred to her that such knowledge would be useful. Maybe, once she knew their home like the back of her hoof, she could find some way to implement that knowledge. But for now, she focused on the caves and not getting lost.

Nova stopped walking when she reached the edges of the light coming from the entrance of the cave. She couldn't quite see into the darkness, and continuing seemed like a Bad Idea. Still, it was possible that the back of the cave wasn't too far. If that was the case, this would make a good storage place. They could put things in this cave to preserve them. Maybe some food to help them through the winter. Or supplies in case of an emergency. If the caves continued, however, they might lead to another cavern which might make a safe place for the children to go in case of danger. Such an idea had been in the back of Nova's head since she was a foal. When she had encountered a skinwalker in her youth, she remembered wanting to be able to run somewhere safe and wait for her parents. It had taken a long time for her to feel secure in the little meadow that her family called home.

But moving forward now, when she didn't know what was ahead... that went against her better instincts. There were benefits, but there were also drawbacks. What if the caves just went on and on and on? What if she got lost? No one knew where she was. Well, she had told her father she'd be going to explore the caves, but he wouldn't know which paths she took. No... she shouldn't do this alone.

Just when she decided to turn around and get her mother's help, something moved in the darkness. Choking on a yelp, she started backing up slowly, hoping to avoid drawing notice.

The sound of a voice caused Nova to free in her retreat. She hesitated for a moment before calling out, cautiously, "Who's there?" She prayed to her mother's patron spirit that whoever it was wasn't another skinwalker. That possibility hadn't occurred to her until just this moment, but now that it had, she realized that these caves would make an excellent den for such vicious predators.

Nova hesitated a moment at the question. She debated internally. On the one hoof, the voice could be telling the truth. It could belong to someone who had wandered into the caves and gotten lost. The whole point of exploring them was to see where they led and what the extent was. On the other hoof, it could be lying. Whoever was speaking could very well know exactly where they were and be trying to lure Nova further into danger. In the space of a few moments, she weighed the pros and cons of answering. Finally, her conscience wouldn't allow her to leave a potential innocent wandering the caves alone.

"The entrance isn't far behind me," she answered, cautiously. "Come into the light, and I"ll lead you out." If the stranger looked at all threatening, Nova would run. She made sure she had a clear shot toward the exit.

Nova's eyes had adjusted to the dim light a little while ago, so she was able to make out the dark form of a fellow mini. She was also able to see, somewhat vaguely, when the other mini walked into a rock. Well, if Duga had been telling the truth about being stuck in the caves it would make sense that she would be light sensitive.

"Hold on," Nova warned. She moved forward and leaned her shoulder against Duga. When the other mare stiffened, she quickly assured her, "It's just me. Keep your eyes closed and lean against me. We'll ease you out into the light, okay? No sense in doing this too quickly."

"Oh, sorry," Nova winced a bit. Her parents really had taught her better than that, though it was a bit surprising given who her parents were. She shook her head and eased them both forward a step before pausing to give the other mare a chance to adjust to the increase in light. "My name's Nova," she said, finally properly introducing herself. With Duga pressed against her side, it was hard not to feel the other mare's ribs, or how much she was shaking. Nova realized that, if Duga really had been trapped in the caves for awhile, it may have been some time since she ate or drank anything.It wasn't bright enough for Nova to really see the stranger clearly, but from what she could feel, she guessed that Duga wasn't in very good shape. "There's a safe place not far from here," Nova informed Duga, reassuringly. "There'll be food and water and somewhere for you to rest."

"Well, yes," Nova admitted, reluctantly. She was more than a little impressed that the stranger was so concerned about people she didn't know. The horned mare made a mental note to introduce Duga to her mother. While she didn't know what Duga was capable of, she was fairly certain that Zahavah would find a use for her. Zahavah was fairly good at that sort of thing. But that would come later. She shook her head and eased them forward another step. "Don't worry about all that now, though. Our winters aren't particularly harsh. I've lived in this valley all my life and I've never gone without a meal, even in the coldest part of winter." Of course, she was only just barely an adult now. She was old enough to realize that just because she and her brother never went without food, it didn't mean their parents hadn't skimped on any. Still, she didn't recall either Zahavah or Pavlov missing many meals in her youth, so maybe they hadn't needed to.