now comes the tide;

"Katua... you're alive!" It took the spotted girl a minute to register her brother's voice because her head was still spinning after traveling through the portal and being deposited into a foreign land. But when she recognized it she jumped to her hooves and spun around. "Zubi! You're here!" The girl cried in a mixture of excitement and relief. "But where is here?" She asked, looking around. A second later she decided that it didn't matter and looked back at her brother, smiling brightly. "I missed you!" And she threw herself at her brother, uncaring about everyone else around them, the strange land they were in, or the way her bond with Kwame didn't seem quite right. The only thing that mattered to her at that point in time was that she was with Zubari and that he was okay. As long as they were together they would be okay. It wasn't until Zubari turned his attention to someone else that Tutti finally took note of everyone else around them. She grinned sheepishly at Rexanna, but that grin faded when the pale woman apologized about their mother. "What?" She said, but she was old enough and knew enough to know what I'm so sorry about your mother meant. The girl's mouth went dry and she felt as though she'd been doused in icy water. "No..." She said, her gaze turning to Zubari, but the look on his face was enough for her to know the truth. "Mother ..." Her voice trailed. "Is she really....?" She asked, despite knowing what the answer was. What would they do? Had their father made it out or had he died with their mother? Katua stared at the ground as Rexanna and Zubari spoke. She wanted to thank the woman for her concern, but she couldn't bring herself to. And she couldn't bring herself to ask Zubari if their father had made it out because she didn't think she could handle knowing that they had lost both of their parents if he hadn't. At least not knowing she could hold on to some hope that their family wasn't completely broken. Kwame finally stirred, pulling his chubby body to a standing position before ambling over to his bonded. Her head dipped and she nuzzled the top of the hippo's head. "If you can hear me follow my voice!" "Mother, one of my companions ran away." "Where is baba? Did he come through?" "Tell your companion now is not the time to fight with a sick pup." "You do not tell me what to do." The voices all swirled around Katua, each one voicing concerns and asking questions, giving orders and snapping remarks. Her delicaely curled ears fell back as she lifted her head and looked at the foal, a reprimand on the tip of her tongue but she let it go when Zubari's muzzle touched her chest. It wasn't worth the time or the effort and all she wanted to do was cry over the loss of her mother and the potential loss of her father. "Ina son ku, Zubari." She whispered in the language that their mother had taught them, and she rested her cheek against her brother's shoulder. She told herself that everything would be okay. As long as she and Zubari were together they would be okay. "." Translation (hausa): Ina son ku - I love you ooc:// you skipped me :C Katua you have to hold your head up high and watch all the negative go by

image | coding
@Zubari @Safiri @Rexanna @Mbwana