The morning sun warmed Betty Bay's fur as she woke up. The journey through the barrens was a long one but Chenoa and her still had a ways to go before either of them was home. They had not built a fire the night before so the cold sand of the barrens had been more then cold all night. Chenoa lay nestled in Betty's tail which made it hard for her to get up with out waking her.
*Yawn*!! The jack hop came awake as Betty carefully stood. "Oh it is morning already." she said as she rubbed her eyes and blinked a few time at the light. "Yep it sure is. And I do not know about you but I am ready to find a river to get this bog mud off of me." Both girls where still caked in the mud and after a very long walk through the barrens the sweat and bog mud had hardened into a matting stinky mess of yeck. Ya they were both read to be clean and back home.
It took a little wiggling to get Chenoa back on to Betty's back again but soon they were off to find a river. "So you have been bestowed with Vivify huh?" Chenoa said knowing the answer since Betty had helped heal her twice now. "Yep Yep." "And do you like it? Is it what you hoped for?" Chenoa was being a little nosy but after all they had been through it all seemed like fair game to ask. Betty Had not really thought on weather she liked her gift she had just trusted that the Grandfather Tree had given her the gift best for her. Sure it had taken a while for her to use her gift but still she had faith that it was right. "I think the Great Tree know us better then we know ourselves sometimes. Really my only hope is to live up to the expectations of the Great Tree. As long as I us the gift give to me to help our home flourish once more I am help with the out come."
Chenoa thought on that answer for a time. she herself had never been content with the same old same old. It was one of the reasons she had been out so late training and hopping. But here she was with a noulicorn totally happy with whatever hoof or paw she had been given. "Strange" Chenoa thought to herself.
They walked in silence for a time just enjoying the fact that they were once again in the Homewoods again. It had been days since they had had the soft shaded comfort of the woods and the safely of more familiar lands. They heard the river before the saw it and Betty once slow easy walk turned to a more brisk excited skip the closer they came to the river. "Oh yay fresh water." Betty said as they came to the river banks edge. Betty laid down on the smooth river rocks to let Chenoa carefully claim down, then she stood and ran the short distance into the cold clear water. "Brrr." she said with a shiver and the once clear water turned a dark brown and then grow lighter as the muck washed away out of her fur, main, and tail.
Chenoa took her time getting to the water but once in she let the water wash her clean. It was an add relief when the cold water swirled around her injured leg easing the muscles and swelling. Betty came out of the water drippings wet but clean and feeling like her old self again. She laid not far form where Chenoa waded in the water so they could still talk or in case se was needed.
"So why where is it that you live?" Betty asked knowing that the hops parents would be worried sick about her. "Oh I live in meadow to the east." The thought of home saddened Chenoa. Not that she did not want to see her family again or anything. But she was not like them she wanted adventure and excitement. After being with this noulicorn she had found what she had been missing. Sure she was hurt right now but this noul had many things to come in her future. Chenoa wanted to be there for that.
Betty could see that the Jack hop was not nearly as happy to go home as she had though she would be. "Is something wrong?" she asked and unnosy as she could. "I want to stay with you." Chenoa said out right she was not really a jack hop to beat around the bush about the facts. This took Betty by surprise. of course Nouls had familiars that came with them but Betty had not really ever thought she would have one. "It has to be their choice not forced." she had told her father once when he tried to give her a baby scuttle once. He did not understand but did not force her to take the baby scuttle either.
With a great smile Betty replied "I would be ever so joyed to have the company if you would like to come with me." Chenoa smiled and nodded "Oh yes the adventures we will have and the things we will see." Stars filled Chenoa's eyes as she imagined the things they would do. Betty giggled at the jack hops dreams for them.
The sun was high up in the sky before they decided to continue their walk to Chenoa's home meadow. The little hop still need to check in with her family after all. Betty's main in tail where now in a bread thanks to Chenoa which was different but nice for Betty. "It will help keep the tangles out of it and leaves and twigs wont get in them as easily." she had explained while she breaded. Betty did not mind though; it felt nice how close they were and Betty already trusted the jack hop more then most would having only known each other for a week now.
This journey was over but as they walked they talked about the journeys to come. Chenoa's adventures where more....adventurous then Betty hoped for but exciting all the same. And who knows what they would be apart of in the future.
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