Naosu hadn't met the horrifying bunnyhorse of yesteryear, but she had heard about it. The story had spread far and wide amongst the herds. Like many she had dismissed it as mere folklore, meant to scare soquili like her. So when she saw a decidedly long-eared stallion that seemed accompanied by a large rabbit ahead of her in the canyon it was a worrying surprise. Hadn't the dreaded bunny myth shown up at around this time?
She could fly, she should fly. Yes it was very narrow, but maybe if she ran back the way she came she could find a more open spot where she could take wing. Instead of moving however, for several long moments she remained frozen, her wings pinned to her sides. Run, run! Naosu needs to fly! Naosu needs to get away! But then his head lifted and his gaze fixed on her. She froze stiff like any proper prey animal did when a predator was looking at them.
"Uhm, hello?" He tilted his head and turned more fully to face her, his large, fluffy feet surely deceptive. He was undoubtedly faster than he looked. "Can you help us? We're quite lost, you see. Are you from around here by any chance?"
"Erm...." Naosu looked around as if for someone else who could carry on the conversation. "N-Naosu is new to the area too..." She managed with only a little bit of stuttering. "She can't....b-be of any help. Sorry!"
"Oh...." He seemed disappointed, and she wasn't sure whether to be relieved by or not. "Well...I suppose we'll just have to figure it out together then!" Before she could form a protest, he bounded over to her and gave her a friendly nudge, smiling and not seeming to notice--or care--about her discomfort. "Well get out of here in no time, my new winged friend!"
"Oh....uhm....Naosu is very glad to hear it!" She squeaked.
The strange stallion seemed to finally realize something was wrong and he tilted his head before he completely misunderstood and hopped away to turn back the way Naosu had come. "Is something back that way?" He looked back. "Ahead of us? Is there some kind of danger?" He seemed utterly oblivious to the fact that he was the source of the issue.
It could be a trick. Naosu didn't like being suspicious of others, but his level of obliviousness was doing the opposite of soothing her nerves. If anything, it seemed like an act. How could he not possibly know that she was scared of him?
Her eyes left him to settle on the rabbit still sitting where the stallion had left them, but it had hunkered down and wasn't even paying attention to what was going on. Was it a shifter? The stallion didn't seem to be; from what she could tell he didn't appear to have a pelt, but the rabbit could still be dangerous even if the stallion was not. Of course it was also very likely that they were working together. Oh sweet starlight, how had she allowed herself to get into this situation?!
With a deep breath, she attempted to steady her nerves. She needed a plan, a way to remove herself from this potentially perilous encounter without escalating the situation. "Um, excuse me," She called out tentatively, her voice trembling slightly. "I-I think it's best if I...if I go check ahead, just to make sure it's safe."
The stallion turned back to her, his ears perking up with interest. "Oh, that's very kind of you!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "We'll wait here for your signal then. Thank you, new friend!"
Naosu nodded quickly, offering a weak smile before turning on her hooves and starting down the canyon path. Every fiber of her being screamed for her to start running, but she resisted the urge, opting instead to keep a low profile as she moved forward.
As she rounded a bend, Naosu's mind raced. Should she warn others about the strange duo? What if they were harmless and truly lost? What if they were dangerous and she didn't do anything to stop them? The weight of responsibility settled heavily on her shoulders as she pressed on, determined to find answers and ensure the safety of her fellow soquili.
But even as she continued her journey, the image of the bunnyhorse and his oblivious companion lingered in her mind, and she knew that whether or not they were dangerous, she definitely needed to tell others. Forewarning them about the duo, so if they did prove to be a threat, those in the area would know about them.
Word count: 768