Botany I: the beginner's guide

He is not so far off, her faithful shadow and yet she pays him little mind. Perhaps she has grown so accustomed to him now he simply slips her notice: mostly silent, mostly stoic, mostly reliable, mostly, mostly, mostly enough - but not quite, never quite.  Besides, what's the point of sticking to his side, of relying on his presence? She doesn't need a shadow to be safe. She doesn't need to cling to anyone: she is nearly two years old, after all. (If she clings to him will he disappear, vanish like smoke like Neaera?) The other filly is impossibly thin and frail, a skeleton playing poorly at life, and Savera finds her fascinating. Or she would - were it not for the indignity of sudden, smarting cold directly in her face. The girl flinches as she is struck, recoiling in shock, her gold wings flaring. "What?" she sputters through a mouthful of snow, careful composure cracking under the weight of surprise. From somewhere above Devi cries shrilly, the languid beast brought to action by this unexpected affront on her young companion's face. There is a blur of cream and flame, and the feline falls from the cloudy sky, claws outstretched and ears pulled back as she assaults the offending assailant. The griffin is doomed to a pawful of snow, if anything, something that will only serve to deepen her fury - and for a moment the state of both girls is utter displeasure and discombobulation. Savera blinks unhappily, snorting as snow melts on her long eyelashes, her soft nose. She does not hear the girl's thought out apology; her brain is already much too loud. All she wanted was to learn a little bit, to meet someone new. They are ready for rescue, please and thank you. On cue, their shadow sibling appears. It takes all the girl has not to run to him, to push herself beneath his stunted wing and glare out at the world from that safe space, but she does not want to appear weak in front of him. He is not Papa, or Mama, or her sisters - he is a hammer, unrelenting, and the girl still fears him, just a touch. Still, she is glad to see him, even though he yells her name and gnashes his teeth, and as Virga rages the girl regains her calm, body growing softer while her hazel eyes stay hard. It helps that the stranger shrinks before them, apparently quite chastised and appropriately cowed by Virga's wrath. Savera is no longer the most unsettled among them, and this soothes her greatly, though her heart still beats a quick patter in her chest. She lets her brother do the talking while Devi sulks back from her unsuccessful assault on the snow, dark eyes glaring from Savera's back as she begins to dry her feathered form. The stranger is speaking, kind of, though her mouth does not move; the morning star's head tilts curiously at this new development. Is it a special way of communicating? Can Virga hear it, too? She turns to Virga then, her pale eyes bright. If she is anxious she does not show it, except perhaps in the steady swish of her tail. "You're scaring it," the girl tells her brother, quiet reproach in her gentle voice. "Eira," Savera parrots aloud, "I'm sorry if we scared you. My name is Savera. This is Virga, and Devi. We aren't from here." And then, silently, she adds - Can you hear me think? ooc ;; sorry for the wait/quality lol! Vera is currently creamy white

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