mushrooms and moonlight; clayton - any

[keeper]

Stallion and grizzly sow faced one another. The bear flexed a big paw experimentally as neither took their eyes off the other. A growl began in her throat before rumbling out of her mouth and the stallion answered with a menacing toss of his horned head. 

“Keeper!” The stallion shouted to which the bear stopped mid-growl and blinked strangely. She sat back on her huge grizzled rump and all the fight went out of her as she recognized her father’s voice. “Dad?” It came out strangled from amidst all the sharp teeth in her predatory mouth.

The big bay stallion stomped a hoof and snorted, glad to finally have his wild daughter’s attention. He marched right up close to her and touched his muzzle to the tip of her snout before giving each of them their personal space back. “I need you to do me a favor,” he began before falling silent.

“Anything dad, you know that.” 

He nodded, knowing the truth in what she said.

“I need you to look after my newest son, your littlest brother, for me. His mother is no less wild then I am and neither of us are fit to raise him right now. Please, take him somewhere safe where he can grow up to be the best he can be.”

What could she say to that? It was such an earnest heartfelt plea that she couldn’t tell him no. So the grizzly promised and set off in search of this newest addition to their vast and varied family.

She found him soon enough. Showed him her pony-sized horse shape then shifted back into that of a grizzly to better protect him. It had become second nature being the bear. So much so that she almost preferred it to that other self. 

But it was so much easier to mother him in this shape. The sow had no desire to eat him. Only to cuddle and coddle though she also brought him up to be tough as they journeyed slowly but surely across the many lands just to get to this one. Hyaline has always been important to her in both bodies but the bear remembered good safe dens in the rocky mountain-face and that - more than anything else - was what she was in search of.

She grunted and lumbered along. Always looking back to make sure her baby ward followed though sometimes he skipped on ahead and who could blame him? This land was never less than breathtaking. Even she had to pause a moment, one big paw lifted before it slapped the ground and the bear moved on. She’s had to look at it - just that once to make sure it matched every memory she had. 

“Hyaline.” she tells him in a growly voice as she stops near the big blue jewel of a lake. 

@Clayton ❤️

[Warlight]

She smells of salt water and a midnight summer storm. Her knees are scraped - white fore legs stains with unwashed iron - from waking up somewhere on Nerine’s northern shore, nestled between the hard angles of black rocks. It was frightening when it happened that way, when she didn’t mean to wake up someplace that wasn’t home.

It wasn’t always her intention to leave the perfect harmony of their mountain den when the rest of them slept soundly. Half the time she really didn’t mean to do it. But her young heart could could not resist the temptation of independence, and the magic of someplace new captured her imagination even in sleep.

Someday maybe she would learn to control her dreaming, but for now she didn’t see why it bothered Mothers so much.

By the time Warlight wakes outside her family’s den it is already mid-day, and any traces of her mothers and brothers are hours old. With bleary eyes and a dry mouth, the bay splashed filly picks her way down the mountainside towards the lake - still piecing together the strange strands of her night in Nerine.

Maybe that’s how she nearly collideds with a grizzly bear. 

With a sharp snort her little head shoots up in surprise, and her ears flatten beside the budding antlers at the base of her skull. Warlight’s inky blue gaze runs over the bear with thinly masked surprise before finding the colt who accompanies the she-bear.

[Clayton]

His mother was older in age and much more of a free spirit. She did not have the patience or time to raise Clayton, at least thats what he figured. He was much different looking, with green splashed all around his body and two tall horns that sat atop his dome. It was not easy to make friends, and that was all he ever really wanted.

He met his father briefly, he was also a free spirit, although he had the same horns as his father, an idol to look up to. It was short lived, he told Clayton his sister was going to raise him, and that she would most likely be in a bear form when they met. He waited what felt like ages, and finally an equine stumbled towards him. It was his sister, he wanted to call her mama, because that is essentially her role. She was pale in color, and had no horns like father, but he loved her already. She gave him the affection he desired and when she was in her bear form it wasn't so scary! It was actually fun!

She took him to a kingdom she said they would call home, a kingdom named Hyaline. He didn't really know what kingdoms meant, but he was excited! Anything for Keeper, he knew she would keep him safe. Keeper announces they arrived at Hyaline and he gazes in amazement Wow! He says in awe. He could not wait to see his new home, hopefully others his age!  He nuzzled into his sisters warm pelt before taking a few steps into the kingdom.

They weren't alone for long, a young filly came towards the pair quickly, her ears pinned to her dome, she seemed angered with there prescence but when she spotted Clayton she relaxed. His eyes grew wide in amazement he turned to his sister, his face lit up, he ran up to the fillu. She had two horns just like Clayton! Hers were shaped differently, but she was the first he had met. Woah! Look at yours horns! He giggled as he viewed them, they budded in different directions, completely different from Claytons spiral horns. My name is Clayton, this is Keeper He says looking back to his sister. What is your name? Do you live here? He asks curious of his new found friend.

@[keeper] @[Warlight]