When the Ashes Hit the Ground

Rixen Rise and rise again until lambs become lions; At first, upon hearing my call and shifting his gaze in my direction, the chocolate-colored stallion’s ears flew back against his skull. This brought me to a halt in my tracks. I was still a safe enough distance away from the stranger, but at the same time close enough now to make out his features and examine his expressions. A flash of movement caught my eyes, and I spotted the small, furry creature by the stallion’s legs, spotted fur rising in alarm.  Not wanting to seem like a threat, I lowered my antlered head slightly, giving a subtle, friendly tip to tell the both of them that I was not a foe. My emerald green eyes, surrounded by long, black lashes, blinked slowly, searching for the stallion’s gaze so that I might hold it. For in addition to speaking with my tongue, it was just as necessary to speak to him with my body, with my eyes. Do not worry. I am kind, they said. The cat-like creature seemed to realize that I did not mean either of them any harm, and slowly lowered her spiky hackles. Deciding that it was okay to continue my approach, my hooves carried me forward through the snow once more, though I could feel both of their eyes watching me, analyzing me to see exactly what sort of a stallion I was.  The stranger spoke as soon as I was standing comfortably before him. "Do not worry, that is perfectly understandable. Here in the Rift, it seems there is danger lurking around every corner. But rest assured, I promise I am nothing of the sort. My name is Rixen." I stood taller again, but I was still a hand or so smaller than he was. Even with this being the case, he did not seem hostile to me any longer, and my interest to know who he was and where he was from gnawed at me from the inside. Hopefully he would be just as eager to enlighten me. And he seemed to be, for there was no need to ask his name. Zubari. He also introduced his companion as Kuuma, but she no longer seemed to be concerned by my presence and was entertaining herself in the snow. My silver-tipped ears were pricked forward as my lips parted to address the stallion again. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Zubari. May I ask where you are from?" My inquiry was created and bound up by a genuine curiosity to learn who he was. This was one of my favorite parts of the Rift: there was always someone new to meet, and oftentimes something new to learn that accompanied them.  "TALK HERE"

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@Zubari Omg this took waaaay to long! Apologies a thousand times over :cc