~Goennec~ Round: Closed

[wibeke]

Can't wait for the new round! I love this week's goeys, they're some of my favorites so far. But why is the Chimera going up? I thought it was already adopted.
We should probably move all the chatting over to the fanclub though. -shoves everyone into thread-
viewtopic.php?f=39&t=214802&hilit=fan+club&start=70

[Cirque]

Yay, I can't wait for the new goennecs, I saw them on the Zoo and they are gorgeous! =3

[June Bug]

Can't wait for the new round! I love this week's goeys, they're some of my favorites so far. But why is the Chimera going up? I thought it was already adopted.
We should probably move all the chatting over to the fanclub though. -shoves everyone into thread-
viewtopic.php?f=39&t=214802&hilit=fan+club&start=70

She's a repo goey. X3 I never got around to readopting her out so she's been sitting here for a while.

-scuttles over to fan club-

[Ebonpyre]

.

[Soccerlvr]

Goennec Pen #: 4
Name: Calypso
How would you use him/her:
Calypso would be used in the Goey RP, added to my character thread, and gotten art :3 I absolutely adore her, and clicked with her the second I saw her <3
Define your Goennec:
-Personality-
Calypso is very much a thrill-seeker. She delights in anything that will give her that rush of adrenaline, the stomach-dropping feeling. She tends to be a fun Goennec to be around. Calypso is an excellent fighter, having grown up in a herd that practiced and developed new moves every day, for they where constantly threatened by predators. Her one catch, however, are her terrifying dreams that come in the middle of the night, creeping upon her until she is horrified into awakening. When she does wake, she is in an odd transition in her personality where she hates anyone who tries overzealously to help her when she is so frightened. Afterwards, however, she barely remembers what happened and holds no grudge against anyone who she had been previously angry at.

-History-
Silently walking along a path of dusty rock, she looked down at the savannah below her. She knew every hiding spot, every oasis, and every place where one would go in order to survive. Suddenly glad that she had learned to keep her front hooves from clopping against the stone, she knew her target wouldn’t hear her until it was too late. Calypso grinned wickedly at the scent of fear oozing out of her target. Waiting until the fear-scent was just under her, the doe leapt off the rise, enjoying the thrill of the fall that lasted only seconds, and just before impact, she bent her knees slightly, and angled her head just above the targets. Landing with a dull thump, the ram beneath her let out a grunt as he was pressed to the dead grass that layered the ground. Quickly pinning his broad shoulder’s down with her hooves, careful not to cut into the taut muscles, she pressed her open mouth to his furry neck. Only when the Goennec beneath her stopped struggling to free himself and relaxed completely did Calypso gracefully roll off of him and stand with her head bowed. Her target did the same, both holding the pose until a very muscular ram strode forward, stopping in between the two. He frowned a bit at the ram whom Calypso had tackled before speaking.
“Very good, Calypso. You are excused for today. As for you, John, I’d like you to practice some more. Go find Kenra and ask her to work with you for the rest of the day. Remember not to lose sight of your opponent. I could tell Calypso had caught your fear-scent. You could have escaped from her once she landed on you if you hadn’t let her get to your neck. If this was real, you’d be dead.” The large ram then turned his head to the zebra-patterned Goennec, watching her for her next move.
Calypso nodded, meeting the Prime in the eye. “Thank you, Adahe.” The doe smirked a little, enjoying the frustrated look on the golden-laced ram’s face. Flicking her tail, she turned and walked back to camp, thoughts of the day bubbling away at the smell of fresh prey up ahead. Looking back over her shoulder, the doe saw that the Prime’s molten gold eyes where following her as she left. Shaking her head, the doe snorted and kept walking.

The fear-scent was strong, and Calypso felt herself grin. She had him this time. Leaping forward, she landed directly in the spot where the scent was strongest. She had been bracing herself for impact on a Goennec’s shoulders, and was stunned when she hit the ground, a cloud of dirt rising around her. She could no longer smell anything, and looked around. No Goennec was in sight, but when her nose cleared up, she was right on the fear-scent. “What the…” Out of nowhere, a large shadow formed above her, and a second later, she was pinned to the earth by a crushing weight, which slowly got heavier and heavier until she could hear her bones cracking. She opened her mouth to let out a scream, and just as the weight was about to crush into her head, it was over.

Calypso woke with a start, her vision fuzzy and heart racing. She heard the whispers of some Goennecs above her, and heard a voice directed to her. “Calypso, it’s all right. Take a few deep breaths, and blink a little. You’re okay, it’s safe.” The doe didn’t know who the warm voice was coming from, but she decided to trust it. Slowly the world came back into her view, and her thundering heart-beat steadied. As Calypso realized that the four above her where her den-mates, she relaxed a bit. Looking up, she noticed that the Goennec who had spoken to her was in fact Dante, a ram about a year younger than those in her den. Dante had, miraculously, earned his way into the older Goennec’s den by proving that he was an amazing hunter, better than most in the herd. He could use his hunting techniques to stalk the others when battle training, and was amazingly good with the element of surprise. However, he tended to be a bit of a quiet ram, hardly ever speaking, for reasons unknown. Calypso frowned at the ram, wishing no help. The one thing that set her apart from those she knew was her terrifying nightmares that felt like reality. Dante frowned, a concerned look crossing his face briefly.
“Would you like to go get some water?” the young ram asked, willing to help with anything she needed.
“I can get it, don’t worry yourself. It was just a stupid dream. I’m not some kid who can’t care for herself,” she snapped. Calypso struggled briefly to get up, and Dante motioned to help, but one of the other Goennecs in the den shook her head, motioning for him to stay back. They all knew the temper that the scarlet-eyed doe would get into if anyone was overly-paranoid about helping her after one of her dreams.
A soft sigh escaped the black and white doe’s lips. The night air felt deliciously cool, and she breathed in the fresh scent of the little river. Calypso peered down at the glassy water that rippled with her reflection, and was happy to see how content she looked. She had no clue why she had freaked out back there, and intended to go apologize as soon as she was done here. As Calypso was entranced with the movement of the water, she noticed another Goennec move slowly up and sit beside her. Expecting Dante, or maybe one of her annoyed den-mates, she was a bit surprised to see that it was the Prime.
“Hello, Aureus. What brings you here, other than the enchanting weather?”
The black Goennec watched Calypso for a moment before replying, the moon setting the golden rune-like markings on his back alight. “I heard you had another… bad dream. I thought that now, once you where calmed down, you might want to talk about it.”
The zebra-patterned doe replied slowly, as if in a trance. “I don’t remember anything about my dream, much, other than the fact that it was scary. And I’m okay. I’m not mad anymore. I don’t even know why I was mad. It’s all kind of fuzzy.” Peering up at the ram, her scarlet eyes met his of molten gold, and she looked away quickly. She knew that something was wrong, but she didn’t know why it was taking her brain so long to think about everything. And thinking made her head hurt. So instead, she smiled and looked back at the glistening water.
“Well, if you can think of anything, please let me know. I do care for why you have been having these problems, and as the Prime, it is my job to make sure my herd is safe.” The muscular ram got up, turning to walk away, but pausing mid-step as if in thought. “If you would, please go back inside soon. It’s almost dawn, and we must prepare to fight in the morning. The watch reported that the enemy will be here by the second dawn from tomorrow.”
A while after the Prime left her, Calypso realized slowly that she was still sitting at the river. Standing up on legs that protested slightly after being bent for so long, she began the walk back to the dens in the mountain. She walked back slowly, still in a bit of a daze, her mind muggy. As the doe was walking, Dante appeared in front of her, smiling in a slightly worried way, as if he didn’t know if she had forgiven him or not.
“Hello, Calypso,” he started. “The other den mates and I thought it best if someone came to check on you, because you where… taking a while to get back.” The auburn ram frowned when he looked into her eyes, for the usual bright scarlet was foggy. “Is everything all right, Calypso?”
“Of course it is,” the black and white doe replied slowly. “But you’re talking very fast.”
Dante was surprised at the statement, for he was just talking like he normally would. It was Calypso who seemed to be in her own, slowed-down time zone. “Let’s get back to the den, and you can rest up. I think you should be ready in the morning to help with preparations.”
“Of course,” came the slow reply, and as the night faded, so did the trance on Calypso’s mind.
When dawn came, Calypso was happy to be out and about before any of the others in her den. She wandered along the border of their campsite, lending a hand where help was needed. Apparently, the Goennecs expected that she would want to be one of the first Goennecs in the battle. Of course, they were right. Being the first doe, let alone Goennec, in the mad rush against the enemy was more than thrilling.
Getting bored of preparations, Calypso felt her mind wonder as she helped to dig a pit in the hard-packed soil. Thinking about the previous night’s events, Calypso really didn’t remember much of what happened. A terrible nightmare, a gentle voice, rippling water, liquid gold, and a splash of deep-auburn fur. It was confusing to think about, and it made her head hurt, so she dropped the subject in her mind and concentrated on working harder. All throughout the day she prepped for battle, helping dig pits to conceal so the enemy would drop into them, sharpening sticks to make a thorn-like barrier around the camp, carrying water back for the workers. As the day came to an end, the Prime summoned Calypso to meet with him.
“The laughing dogs will be arriving within a few hours, but I request that you try and sleep for as long as you can. You are indeed one of our best warriors, and I don’t want you wary for the fight.”
“Sure. Why not. Just one thing; why do we always fight, and never flee? I got word from some of the scouts a few days ago that most of the surrounding herds fled their homes when the laughing dogs approached.” Calypso was merely curious, and didn’t want to flee. Fighting would be much more of a thrill. But she wondered why, so she asked, curious as always.
Aureus frowned slightly, muttering something to himself before responding. “We fight because we are strong. I will not have weaklings who can’t fight once in a while in my herd. Are you implying that you’d rather flee?”
“Of course not!” Calypso was quick to reply. “Fighting is much more fun, of course. I was just curious.” She nodded, head bowed slightly. “May I be excused to rest now, my Prime?” she sneered a bit at the last part, for she rarely called Aureus Prime. It wasn’t for any set reason, other than that she liked to annoy him. He was practically her father, albeit a slightly less smothering one.
Aureus nodded absentmindedly, concentrating on something the striped doe couldn’t see. Bowing, she left.
Another night passed, but oddly enough, without a dream to wake Calypso up screaming. She slept soundly until one of her den mates prodded her awake with a paw, whispering that it was almost dawn, and that the laughing dogs would soon arrive. Calypso heard herself murmur something that sounded like, ‘too early for rabbits,’ and heard someone snicker in the background. Opening one eye, she peered up at the face above her. “Go away, Dante. It’s early.” She rolled over and closed her eyes again, but the annoying paw kept prodding at her side. Finally, with a sigh, Calypso got up. “Okay, I’m up. What’s happe- Oh!” The doe’s scarlet eyes flew open as her grogginess faded and she realized what day it was. “Why didn’t you wake me up?” she asked.
“Well, I tried, but you kept saying something about bunnies.” It was all Dante could do to hold back a laugh when Calypso glared at him.
“Whatever. Let’s go see what needs to be done, okay?” Calypso looked at the green-eyed ram, and smiled, heading out the small entrance to the den.
Outside, the sun was just poking its rays above the horizon, casting a pinkish-red glow in the sky. It seemed ominous, but Goennecs milled about getting ready for the fight. Calypso heard quiet Dante behind her, and spotted the rest of her den mates up ahead, rolling in the dirt. The black and white doe joined them, along with Dante. The purpose of the rolling was to cover their different-colored coats with the same dusty color as the ground so that they would be harder to spot by the enemy. Listening to what their den’s assignments where, Calypso nodded when she heard that she was to be up in one of the higher caves, and would surprise the laughing dogs by leaping onto their pack when they came past.
An hour passed, and everyone was finishing getting into position when the first cackling of the laughing dogs could be heard.Tensing her muscles, Calypso rolled her head around to stretch her neck. Peering down, she could tell that there where Goennecs below her, but from the hyena’s distance, it would look just like the herd was part of the plains. She could barely tell where the pits had been set up, and the wooden spikes enclosing the camp where a threatening enough background.
In a few minute’s time, the pack of laughing dogs could be seen, closing the distance between themselves and the Goennecs. Luckily enough, the pack of hyenas was a relatively small one, only ranging between fifteen and twenty hyenas. Otherwise, the herd might’ve fled like the other Goennecs. A signal was seen moving through the ranks of the herd, and Calypso prepared herself to launch into battle.
As soon as the middle of the laughing dog’s pack was under her perch, the black and white doe leapt off of her perch. As she fell, she came into a moment of ice-cold clarity, her scarlet eyes getting brighter. The fall was over as quickly as it was started, and Calypso felt herself collide with the laughing mass of fur. The adrenaline from the free-fall gave the doe the boost she needed to hold out in the center of the pack until the other jumper had landed, and they attacked with much ferocity. The rest of the herd soon joined them, and the fight was going well. Then the hyenas regrouped and attacked with a new amount of viciousness. Calypso fought as well as she could, but soon saw that they were being pressed back towards the campsite. Around her, some of her herd mates fell to the laughing dogs, and everyone was getting worried.
When the churning mass of claws and teeth reached the pitfalls, hyenas fell into the traps. Up on the cliffs, large boulders began to fall into the fighting groups, rolling over more laughing dogs. Slowly, the Goennecs began pressing back, until it was almost positive that they would come out victorious. As another boulder tumbled down the mountainside, Calypso saw an opportunity to crush at least two of her opponents, but it would be risky, and there would be a chance of herself getting hurt as well. Looking up, she knew that she had better act soon, so she decided to take the risk.
Snapping at both of the laughing dogs, they cackled horribly as she began to back them up to the cliff. She let them surround her, and began to lead them to think they had her captured. They fell for her trap, circling her and preparing to lunge. Looking up at the huge circle of stone, Calypso froze for a second, remembering her dream from days ago.
Crushing stone that weighed a ton. The sound of bones snapping. Suffocating, the world fading, blackness.
That second of hesitation almost cost Calypso her life. The hyenas where about to lunge when a mass of auburn fur collided with her, pummeling her out of the way of the crushing boulder and the teeth of the laughing dogs. Calypso hit the wall behind her with a thud, crumpling to the ground, the world blacking out, but not before she saw the terrified, pain-filled look on Dante’s face as his hind leg was caught beneath the boulder. The image followed her into the blackness of sleep.
Upon waking, Calypso felt the urgent need to go to someone. She just couldn’t remember who. Sitting up abruptly, a massive headache overcame her, and she nearly passed out again. Steeling her nerves, the doe slowly looked around, finding herself in a small cave. It was much like her den, but smaller. Three walls where made of stone, one of long grasses woven together. Slowly coming to her senses, she realized this was the den where the sick and injured would be. The grasses divided the sections of the large cave, with small openings for Goennecs to come through to tend the occupants. No one else was in her part of the cave, so she decided that she would slowly try to get up. She needed to see someone. As soon as possible.
A few minutes after the doe made her first attempt to get up, another Goennec entered her small den-area. “Hello, Calypso,” the light grey doe said as she ducked her head to enter. Looking up, the doe saw that Calypso wasn’t lying on the small, grassy bed that had been made for her, instead standing. “Calypso! What do you think you’re doing? You suffered from a bad concussion just a day ago, and already you are standing up on your own?”
Calypso shrugged, the movement sending waves of pain through her shoulders. She winced, but held her head up, not willing to let this doe make her lie back down. “Kenra, I have to see someone. I don’t remember who, but he was injured in the battle, and I think it was because of me. You can’t make me lay back down.”
At this, Kenra frowned, her charcoal colored eyes taking on a worried look. “I don’t think it’s the best idea to get up right now.”
“Let her,” a stern voice commanded from behind the grey doe. Kenra turned to see the gold-black form of the Prime behind her. Shocked, she bowed her head and exited, letting the Prime in to see Calypso.
Calypso frowned as she saw the Prime’s eyes. They no longer seemed such a lush color of gold, instead dulled as if he was growing old. “What…”
“Calypso, I have come to apologize. I have done some terrible things in my time, but this was one of the worst.” The rune-covered Goennec sighed, bowing his head. “I have a certain… power. Not all would believe me, so I usually keep it a secret. However, in doing what I have done, I have seen that I must tell you about it. I can influence one’s mind, you see, make one forget what they had just experienced, or block part of a power that another has. I also must tell you that you have a special ability. You can predict the future, in a way. Through your dreams, you may occasionally see parts of the future. There are always two outcomes to a future, though. The glitch with your vision is that you see only the worst outcome, and your visions are never about you. This may be the source of your terrible dreams. I felt a need to keep our powers from the herd, so I put you in a kind of trance, so that you would forget whatever happened in your dreams, and anywhere in between an hour after one dream. Before our battle, I thought it would be best to block your ability, making it possible for you to rest, for I didn’t want you to get injured. In doing so, I may have triggered the vision to come later, in the daylight. This is what caused you to pause in the crucial moment when the rock fell. That’s what cost Dante his leg, when he pushed you out of the way of the rock. It was my fault. I have indeed suspended my power until I learn to better use it, for now I see that in meddling, I caused a bigger problem. I apologize for my actions.”
Calypso stood stunned for a moment, before crying out Dante’s name and rushing from the room. Movement caused her pain, but she didn’t care. Bursting through sections of the grass walls, she startled many of the Goennecs she passed. Upon finding a small, auburn patch of fur in one of the caves, she landed next to it, feeling salty tears on her face. “Dante, no. What happened?” Before she finished the question, Calypso knew the answer. Remembered what had happened. The pained look on the young Goennecs face sent the doe into a series of loud sobs, and she buried her nose in his fur. He would never be able to share his hunting skills with the herd again. Never prance around, having fun with the other’s his age in the other dens. Never run. And it was all her fault.
A few months later, Calypso smiled, feeling the warm sun on her face. Looking to her right, Dante’s green eyes shone as he laughed at a joke he had just heard. The black and white doe felt a tug of emotion as the ram began to slip off of the rock he had been sunning on and needed another Goennec’s help as he got back up, one of his hind legs dangling uselessly under him. But Calypso wasn’t worried anymore. She couldn’t be, for his sake, and for her’s. Dante had indeed found a new passion, and he was amazing at telling stories. Dante forgave her, and that would have to be enough.
Calypso’s deep scarlet eyes would always see more than she care to see, but she couldn’t give up on everything just because of one accident. Always she would remember to listen to her visions, when they came, and the horrible price that would come if she didn’t, but she would try her best to not dwell on her past. She was still someone who had a terrible urge to know more, always curious. She thought to hide her pain by being even more of a dare-devil, and sometimes, those moments of thrilling clarity would help her think.

[wibeke]

Note: Though Aywa was designed as a ewe, in this form I refer to them as a ram. In my story he is simply a male goennec with shorter horns. I have permission to do this from Kam.
Goennec Pen #: 1
Name: Aywa (Probably going to change that later)
How would you use him/her:
Define your Goennec:
The two kids watched eachother carefully, slowly lowering their heads and preparing themselves for a fight. The smaller of the two charged first, hoping to make up for size with his speed. The other spread out his paws into a defenisive position and waiting to meet him attacker.
Crash!
Both stumbled backwards a few steps, started by the force of the blow. This time it was the other that lead the charge, hitting his opponant before he even had time to gather his thoughts. He was knocked instantly to the ground. They stared at each other for a few seconds in disbeleif, panting heavily.

"Wow, Aywa. How'd you get so strong?" The defeated goennec gasped.
Awya shrugged, "Genetics maybe? I don't know. Come on Iki, we need to keep practicing if we want any chance of getting an ewe."
The kid shrugged and complied with the wish of his friend. Within seconds the sparring partners were at it agian, and once again Iki found himself on the ground. "That's the fifth time you've beaten me today. Can we please go swimming now?" Iki whimpered, sore and bruised from all the lost matches. He loved his friend Aywa, he really did, but he never shared his apparent love of fighting. It was always fight fight fight, and train train train, there was never time for playing. He was starting to think that maybe he wasn't all that interested in ewes if it meant this much work.
Aywa thought it over for a second. In truth, he too was sick of all the sparring, but he had to. If not his father would get mad at him, and he'd much rather get a few bruises in a fight then face his father when he's mad.
"Just a little longer. Our third birthdays are coming soon, and with that, the siv." Aywa panted, a hint of excitement in his voice. A few more fights and it would all be over. He'd gather a good harem, filled with the strongest ewes of the herd, and his father would be proud.
"Come on, just one day. You look like you're about to die of exhaustion. And we still have another year, one day won't hurt."
"Fine." Aywa growled, reluctantly following his friend.

"Iki?" Aywa asked, staring at his reflection in the water.
He stopped splashing and turned to face him. "What's wrong?'
"My horns. Look at them, they're just stumps. I'm 2 and a half, they should be coming in now, right? They're just little stumps, just like my sisters'." The kid sobbed, "They're not coming in, are they? Just like my hooves. My father is going to kill me."
"Don't worry, they'll come in. You still have time, don't worry." he tried to reassure him, but found himself unable to comfort his friend. His horns were already half grown, as were the horns of all the other male kids in the herd.
"Don't lie." Aywa growled.
Iki sighed. "Come on, you never know. You've got to be one of the strongest in the herd, horns or not."
"Try telling that to my dad."
"Let's just head back, before he realizes we're gone, okay? Worry about one thing at a time."

Aywa's father was the prime of the herd, an arrogant, stict old goennec that wanted nothing but the strongest kids. He chose his ewes wisely, and fought hard to win them. In his mind, they were perfect, and would produce the toughest of kids. Aywa's mother happened to be one of his favorites. He expected great things from the kid. He beleived that one day he would replace him in his position.
These dreams were crushed when he saw the child. He looked tough enough, all except one defect. In his mind, the ideal goennec had paws on the front paws and hooves on the rear. The claws provided grip, while the hooves could deal a devastating blow if caught from behind. With only paws, Aywa was already at a distinct advantage. With any other kid he would've simply left it to die, but this one was special. He could see something different about him. For once the prime showed mercy, and allowed Aywa to live.
This kindness didn't come without cost though. Aywa trained constantly, never stopping for a break until the sun went down. He chose another kid of his age, am orphaned goennec named Iki. The kid had stumbled into the herd after losing his family to a bear, and the prime could find no other use for him. The mother was instructed to raise the orphan like her own son, and to make sure they would continue their training.
"And if you fail, Aywa, you'll die. Understood?" Those were his first words to the newborn kid. They still rang clear in Aywa's head, and it was the only reason he continued to fight.
He never doubted that his father would stick to his word.

Time passed, and Aywa's horns still hadn't grown in. He found it harder and harder to beat Iki in their playfights, and soon found himself losing all the fights. With the short horns of an ewe, he found that he simply couldn't compete. Strong as he was, he could no longer fend off his attacker.
For awhile though, his father never bothered to watch. For once Aywa was glad that he didn't care for him. He was safe.
This time didn't last long though. The prime soon learned of his son's defect, and decided that something had to be done. This useless kid would have to be destroyed and the herd be rid of it. He couldn't let his defective genes spread through the rest of the population.
"I told you already, fail and die. That's how nature works, and I'm sorry it turned out like this. You would've been a wonderful addition to my herd." The old goennec snickered.
"Shut up." Aywa snarled. He lowered his head and prepared for the attack. He knew that he'd never win by attacking first, but if he just stood his ground perhaps he had a chance.
"Respect your elders, kid." Just as planned, the ram charged. Aywa was ready for him, and drove his sharp horns through the prime's neck. It was purely an accidental hit, but a fatal one none the less. He stared down at the dying ram as he coughed and choked. "fail and die." He muttered, before finishing him off.

Aywa never returned to his herd. They all disgusted him, having been under his father's rule for so long they picked up on his beleifs. They would never accept a ram such as himself as prime. He felt a sudden burst of confidence, as if he could take on any ram in the world in succeed. He didn't care if it was an accident, or about the age of his opponant, he won. He was sure that he could win again too, with the right training.
So he set out to find a new herd, eventually coming upon a large one in the mountains. He made it his goal to take control of this herd, and however ridiculous this dream may be, he continues to work towards it.


Sorry that it's so rushed. I tried my best to at least get the basic idea of him, but I didn't have enough time for the full story as I'm leaving early tomarrow morning for vacation.

[Meadow]

Kam D8 I don't think I can care for my goey anymore. D8 I love him and all, but there's so many people that would make much better owners. He just doesn't click anymore :C
I have these pictures of Singer, if you'd like them.

[Desmond]

I'm so weak... xD

Goennec Pen #:
5

Name:
Katili (Swahili, “Cruelty”), called “Kat”, much to her annoyance.

How would you use her:
She will be the Loki of my herd. As a slightly cruel prankster, She will help tie the group together as a whole, marking them as equals even among the hierarchy, because she will not recognize the rankings of the herd in her practical jokes. Though bi, she will not be used for breeding in the RP; she will be quite firmly barren.
She, as with all of my other characters, will get art, alongside being included in ficlets, the main novel, and the RP.

Define your Goennec:
Personality:
Harsh. Even Katili admits her pranks are not the most painless, though she really does not care. It matters not to her that those that cause her pain are scared of her because they have ended up on the bad end of one of her more cruel jokes. She also is in control of a very, very sarcastic vocabulary.
Depressed. Though she claims kids would slow her down, and the parenting life is not for her, a small part of her agrees with her base instinct, and wishes for a young one to call her own. Her pranks distract her from this, however, so it is impossible to know about this facet of her without digging past her evasive sarcasm.
Cold-hearted. Katili feels no remorse for her actions. Even more so, she’s actually proud about the fact that she has young kids scared to death of her. Though she half wants someone to settle down with, someone to actually care about whether or not she is alive, she cannot fathom anyone loving her.
Uncouth. Because any and all socialization that she has had in her life has resulted negatively, she has no idea how to be polite. She is blunt at the worst of times, and aggravatingly evasive when she knows she’s in trouble. She does not eat with her mouth closed, and refuses to acknowledge ranks.
Dramatic. Katili has a flair for the dramatics. She is an accomplished actress, able to feign innocence and fool the Primes into believing that her pranks are either accidents, or the results of pure coincidence.

Likes:
Practical Jokes. Katili loves playing jokes on others, as the entire process of planning, executing, and escaping from the resulting upset victim takes her mind off of her own problems. She is able to remove her situation from her mind and shoulders when she’s working on her- admittedly, quite cruel- pranks.
Startled noises. Katili’s pranks are never lighthearted. She finds the most satisfaction in started yelps and bleats, then the clattering of hooves as the victim tries to get out of the way, and only achieves getting even more caught up in the trap. Some of her most memorable pranks ended in the Prime brothers being washed downstream on a fallen log, Aussie getting covered in various biting insects, and Rannoch getting his perfectly-groomed fur covered in mud and feathers, and stuck in a particularly slow pit of quicksand.
Distractions. A true prankster knows that distractions are key in pulling off a particularly complicated prank, and Katili is no amateur. Because she’s living a distraction, setting one up for others is absolutely no problem.
The Siv. Though she cannot actively participate in the Siv, much to her chagrin, it is the perfect season for her to play her most complex and wildest pranks, because most everyone is completely distracted by their hormones and need to breed.

Dislikes:
Kids. Not only are they a reminder that she will never have her own, she finds that they slow their parents down by being generally annoying. Kids are usually the victims of her pranks, and she has been nearly exiled multiple times for putting them in danger. She was saved only by pleading with Lazuli, who was almost too eager to let her go.
Being the victim. Being the victim in her own pranks, as well as the pranks of others, is next in line to her dislike of being ridiculed and hated for her lack of contribution, population-wise, to the herd. After all, it is not her fault that she cannot bear young.
The color yellow. Katili cannot explain why she hates it. The symbol of cheer is extremely obnoxious to her, and she loves to focus her pranks on any and all Goennecs with any shade of the blinding, horrifying color.
High-Maintenance Goennecs. She absolutely cannot stand both ewes and rams that insist on having the best and being immaculate. She believes in Functional Anarchy- that is, her own version of Goennec Socialism that has no bearings on status or ability. This is, perhaps, the sole reason Lazuli’s brother has not overridden the mentally disabled Goennec’s command to let her stay.
The nickname “Kat” She believes this nickname should be reserved only for the one that can truly love her, and sees it as an insult for any others to call her as such. The punishment for calling her by this nickname is a particularly vicious prank, followed by two little ewe-horns to the face.

Background:
Katili watched as her female yearmates began to flirt with the young rams, positively throwing themselves at the most muscled, and swooning over the idea of possibly winning over the affections of the tall, strong –and now missing- ram, Rannoch. She shook her head. Idiots.

Katili’s hormones failed to respond during her first Siv. This, of course, led to questions as to why a fine ewe like her didn’t seem at all interested in the battles. It was a young ram that asked her to join him that year. A Peasant, he had no others for his harem. However, she didn’t conceive. To distract herself from the depression inherent with failing to give her harem leader an heir, she began to plan pranks.

The goldfinch sat in its nest, eyes closed, settled to the task of warming her eggs. Below her, Katili’s body blended in to the tall, sun-damaged grass. With a sharp bleat, she jumped, her hooves crashing onto the small rock she’d placed there. The finch, scared witless, flew away.

She began with small pranks. Scaring birds. Setting insects on their backs and watching them struggle. The occasional, “Boo!”. But they soon became too predictable, and the reactions and planning just weren’t enough to ward off the loneliness. The depression. It became worse when the other ewes caught on to her kid-lessness, and mocked her, calling her “unworthy”, “inadequate”, and “So unfit, even nature doesn’t want her to have kids.” And so, she started her revenge. And what she found was a goldmine of satisfaction.

Just… there. The log would probably hold a light Goennec like Katili, but the fat, spoiled ewes with the weight they had gained during pregnancy would take it down, no problem. She called out, mentioning fresh, dew-covered dandelions, then ducked into a bush. Within seconds, half of the herd was galloping her way, with the ewes that had mocked her at the front. They reached the river and sprinted onto the log without a second thought, only to find themselves neck-deep in the swelled, flooded river.

Her first prank resulted in part of the herd nearly drowning in the river as its flood stage ebbed. None died, as the elders and kids were left either in the rear of the crowd, or remained in the fields, oblivious or stubborn. All of those that were on the log when it slid into the water were the young, strong Goennecs that could fight the current. But she did not notice this. No, she was too busy relishing their startled cries, their screams, their bleats of fright. Let them be humiliated, she decided. They deserved nothing less.

God, there it was again. A kid with bright yellow horns danced through dandelions, singing in a high-pitched voice. Katili had pranked it once before- nearly had it tossed to one of the hyenas, really- but no, its mother had to come save it. Pfft. She waited for several long moments as the little… thing… approached, then perked up as it disappeared- down into the hole she had so religiously dug and concealed. Mission complete.

The color yellow has always irritated her. Yellow Goennecs always seemed so… cheerful around her, trying fruitlessly to cheer her up, even after the depression from being barren set in. So she made it a point to focus many of her crueler pranks on them, sometimes by splattering their coat with mud to hide the yellow, or perhaps finding ways of hiding the Goennecs themselves out of sight. Unfortunately, the kid with the yellow horns nearly died from one of these cruel traps.

She could have been banished. Sent away to be slaughtered by the hyenas. Or perhaps beaten to death by the Soldiers. She turned her sad, teal eyes to Lazuli, her ears swept low. “Please… it was an accident… A- a game….” A moment’s consideration- please, please, let me go….- and the Prime’s silver and blue body stepped aside. She nuzzled his side flirtatiously, like the other ewes had done during the Siv, and pranced off.

Deception. It was easy enough when one learned how to be highly dramatic, and had mastered the acting skills necessary for getting out of anything and everything. Sure, Lazuli was not the brightest Goennec, but he was the one that she had to dupe. He had to think she was innocent. Luckily, it worked without any problems, and she was allowed to remain within the herd.

”Oh, look! Kat’s off plotting again! Better run, better hide!” Then, laughter. The ewes were pregnant again, this being their third Siv, and their bloated, gravid bellies contrasted starkly with Katili’s thin, fit body. She stuck out like a thorned paw. Immediately, she began plotting. That ewe would pay… That name was reserved for someone who didn’t care that she could never give them young. Not for someone who wished to mock her….

… And that ewe, and every other ewe that called her “that name”, did pay. Usually in some form of grievous manner that, if done while the victim was pregnant, sometimes resulted in miscarriage, as well as two scars on the fools’ faces- reminders that to ridicule her is to face her wrath, and her little white horns. Only the brave, foolish ones call her that name anymore.

Newcomers. They were tall, and spoke with a funny accent. Their manes didn’t do all of the way to their tails, but, outside of their blue and grey coloring… they looked very, very similar to her. The smaller one- Muta, with a voice of sweetened honey- approached her, the huge blue and grey head inches from Katili’s own tan and brown one. “And who are you?”

When the travelers Aibu and Muta approached the herd, Katili noticed instantly how alike they were in coat patterns. While the older quagga consulted with the Primes, Muta approached her, curious as to why a little creature could look so similar to herself. And Katili instantaneously felt different, singled out from the herd because all of the ewes and rams could and would never be able to see her without seeing these beasts, these monsters. And so, she decided to prank them while they hung around. Though, because of their sheer size, they eventually left, completely unharmed despite her best efforts, leaving the concealed holes, sand traps, bent-back branches and river setups unsolicited for Katili and her herdmates to stumble upon. All in all, not the best week for her.

The hyenas’ eyes watched them from all sides. Aussie stood on the Prime’s rock, having won it from his father and uncle several weeks prior. He’d heard from “his best spy” that they were planning to attack tonight, and he had asked her to set up traps in return for some privacy- to plot, to settle, to do whatever she wanted. She was allowed to be as cruel as necessary…. And so, with a malicious glint in her eye, she took the task.

After the visitors left and Aussie took over Primacy, he started being kinder to the bitter doe that had once tripped him with a cleverly-placed stick, and sent him sprawling into the muddy banks of the river. He learned of her “currency”- time and space spent by herself- and used it to his advantage. She was to set up traps to protect the herd from hyenas, allowing her to be as cruel as she wanted to be to her victims. Several hyenas ended up being stoned to death because of her, and others found themselves at the not-so-tender mercies of a hole full of thorn bush branches. Though she despised having to protect the herd consisting of Goennecs she so hated, she was beyond pleased with the distracting planning and execution involved in such a project. It was even better when the annoying members of the herd also got caught up in the traps, but that was another situation entirely.

Yelps. Screams. The intended predator was rapidly becoming the prey, falling into the holes and sandpits she had so diligently scouted out and concealed. Shifting, thundering- they’d set off the rock trap, and the large rocks she had coaxed several strong rams into piling up were now falling, landing on the scared, hungry beasts as they tried to get away. Soon, they’d hit the log trap. And then…. Goodbye, hyenas.

The soldiers and Aussie watched in surprise as the ewe’s traps set to work, and the last hyena was sent down the flooded river. Katili, for her part, had her eyes closed and ears pricked, sighing happily with the sounds of surprised suffering dancing in her ears. Music, she decided, could never get better than this.

”Kat’s back! Look at her! What a disgrace!”

Oho. Them again. Katili’s smirk widened viciously, her teal eyes taking on their much-feared devious glint.

They’d pay for that one.

Craptastic picture

[Tammanae]

Goennec Pen #:
2
Name:
Dew
How would you use him/her:
As a headmate, someone to keep Sam in check, and in the rp. I have a soft spot for donkeys, so this one has captured my heart despite my dislike for competition.
Define your Goennec:

Personality:

Dew is vain, egotistical and spoiled, not the best attributes to find on a wild goennec. Needless to say, she does have cunning, as otherwise she would not have survived for as long as she did. A poor hunter, Dew makes up for this with her battling strategies, being unusually strong for a doe, although she prefers for this to stay in a bit of an unknown state, as she believes it takes away from her feminine grace. She gets along with most of the herd, as she is not as obnoxious when in a stable environment, but she will attack brutally at any stranger, even if all she can do is throw harsh words their way. All in all, she is a very contradicting character who normally makes little if any sense at all, even if she doesn't realize how silly or obnoxious she is being.

Art:


Story:

Darkness engulfed the surroundings of the spotted doe, even though it was broad daylight. How did this happen? was the thought echoing in her mind over and over. A thick cloud of dust covered all around her, causing her to cough uncontrollably as she tried to get up. Normally bright black horns were now dull with the dust that had made her fall to the bottom of the deep crack on the ground.

She wanted to look up, see the sun that had turned black on them all of a sudden, turning day into night in a matter of seconds. The herd had needless to say fallen to a panic, unable to explain what was happening. The Prime tried to calm them, but to no avail, as his strong words had not stopped the stampede that had occurred after, causing her as well as the others to run away in fear.

Now feeling lost and confused, the brown and gray doe looked around wildly, her mane bristling in discomfort. Suddenly, a noise made her brain snap back; her thoughts come back to reality. It was a groan, a male voice, one that her muddled mind could somehow recognize. "Who's there?" she called, looking around. Another groan met her ears, and she swiveled these in the direction of the voice.

"Dew?"

"Sam?" she called back, heading towards the voice. Sure enough, a buff, gray stag with proud navy horns was lying close by, his legs still a bit shaky from the fall. "How did you end up here?" she asked him, her voice incredulous. Sam was by no means smart, in fact, she considered him the dumbest goennec in the herd, but his survival instincts were very high tuned, explaining why he had survived as long as he had.

"The sun... when it died... I just went crazy. The whole herd went crazy. I don't know how this happened..." He turned his face up towards Dew as he got up, his legs still wobbly.

Dew rolled her eyes. Trust a male to be entirely useless in an actual crisis she thought, her face a frown. "Just get up and stop you complaining. We have to find the others," she said, staring at him, her face straight.

* * * * *

Some time later, the two goennecs where out of the crevice, their fur covered in dirt, and their minds clearer as the sun had already appeared again. Dew looked up again, her eyes sparkling with happiness as for a second, she felt as though if life was back to normal. She felt like jumping in the air and kicking her hooves in delight, but she refused to lower her soldier stance to the stance of a helpless kid. Her tail gave an aloof wave, and she looked around, then noticed her fur was covered in clumps of dirt. Her mouth gaped open and she gave a shrill scream.

As the female screamed, Sam turned around, his eyes wild, a vein throbbing at his neck as he eyed her. "What is it?" he asked, fear in his voice.

"My fur! My beautiful fur! It is tarnished! Filled with mud! I cannot live like this! I demand you take me to the nearest stream available so I can give my coat a proper cleaning!" she shrieked, her fur on end in disgust at how her beauty was being diminished by the dirt she had gathered from the fall.

"But you said-" Sam started, but was quickly interrupted by the glare on the bright blue eyes of the angry doe.

"Now, Sam!"

* * * * *

By whim of the angry female, Sam led the way to the nearest spring, his head low and his ears flat to try and ignore the constant nagging of the female. This is the reason why I admire stags that mate permanently. It takes a braver soul than I to want to resist torture... While this crossed the poor stag's mind, he remained quiet, as he was not one to disrespect a female's wishes, no matter what the situation.

The sun had begun to set by the time they arrived at the stream, but Dew gave a happy squeal regardless of this and she raced towards the water, then splashed in, her body rolling against the rocks from the bottom and water, eager to get rid of all the encrusted dirt that she had acquired. As she rolled, she heard a small bleating sound, a frightened one, which sounded much like a distressed kid.

Dew ignored the sound, continuing her bath, as she believed that her being clean was the most important thing now, and in her doing so, she missed the look of interest that had crossed Sam's face, making his ears perk up.

Getting up, her coat dripping wet but almost entirely clean, Dew shook herself happily, knowing that she would have to finish her bath manually, as there were always some clumps of dirt that remained, no matter how hard or how long you kept at it on the stream. She turned a beaming face towards Sam, the frightened bleat already gone from her mind, when she realized that Sam's coat was just as dirty as hers had been a few seconds earlier. Her face changed to one of disgust and she snorted in his direction. "What is the meaning of this? Do you seriously expect me to keep traveling around with a stag that looks as savage and unkempt as you? Go in and take care of that filth," she ordered, her tail waving towards the stream.

Sam turned his eyes her way, the look on his face suggesting he would rather stay as far from the water as possible. As he opened his mouth to complain, the frightened bleat rang again, and Sam took his opportunity to distract Dew from his dirty coat. "Did you hear that?" he asked, his eyes turning to some bushes the sound kept coming from.

The spotted doe turned around, and sure enough, the bush gave a small ruffle as whoever was inside tried to hide deeper in them. Dew frowned, and she stepped closer, but was surprised by Sam's immediate action of getting between her and the bush. She smirked, glad to see that Sam wasn't as useless as she had first thought. She stood behind the defense posed male, and called out. "Who goes there?"

The bushes ruffled a bit more violently, and some clatter of hooves on dirt could he heard as it seemed that whatever was inside the bush had decided to run out the other end. Their visitor was no match for Sam however, as the stag was already one step ahead of it and following after. By the time that Dew had caught up, her gray companion had already captured the intruder, and as she looked down, she saw a tiny kid, not even two years of age, clamped under the male's massive paws.

At first glance, the female kid was pure white with green tips on her mane, her horns and hooves a slightly brighter tone. However, under the immediate scrutinizing glare of the pompous doe, she could tell that this kid kept her fur under good condition, and she noticed some unusual markings on her hind paws. Green swirls that ended in small pink flowers. Her face also had markings similar to these, making Dew a bit wary.

The stag however had changed his attitude entirely upon realizing that his prisoner was a kid. In fact, the over protective scowl he had worn just a second ago had now transformed into a beaming smile as he removed the paw off the little one. "Well what do you know, a kid! So sorry young lady. With all that has happened, I thought you may have been something dangerous," Sam said happily, his tail wagging.

Despite the stag having removed his paw, the kid remained on the ground, almost seeming afraid to get up as she shifted her eyes from Sam to Dew. Dew snorted and gave a slight kick with her front hoof at the kid's flank. "Get up runt! Least you could do is to properly introduce yourself after spying on us!" she shrilled, her blue eyes on the purple eyes of the white doe.

The white kid grunted a little and got up promptly, her legs shaking slightly. Sam gave Dew a doubtful look as the newcomer tried to hide the obvious discomfort she was feeling. "Oh come now, Dew. Was that really necessary? She's just a kid. She probably just got lost from her heard when the sun disappeared, just like us," he stated, his eyes full of sympathy.

Dew turned towards Sam, an incredulous look now on her face. How can he point out the obvious and not realize the danger?! She took a deep breath to control herself, then stomped her right hoof solidly on the ground. "Exactly! Her herd! She is an enemy, and should be treated as such." This said, she turned from Sam, not leaving room for the stag to object, and turned to the kid, who was staring at her with big eyes. "Now... Tell us, who are you and what do you want?" she demanded, her face cold and lacking any maternal instinct towards this kid.

"B-blossom. I am Blossom. My herd went crazy when the sun dissapeared, and I got separated... I have been trying to find them... but-" she was interrupted by the snort of the older doe, and she frowned, angry at how she was dismissing what she was trying to explain. Blossom stomped her hoof solidly on the ground, imitating the spotted one, and she stared at her back, her semblance quite different from the scared kid they had just met. "I am trying to explain something! Something you asked! So just be quiet and let me finish before you start rolling your eyes at me! My herd is a nomad herd, so you have nothing to fear from us, as we do not like staying in one place too long... The longer I stay here talking to you guys, the farther away my herd will go, and the harder it will be for me to reach them!" she growled, her hackles raised.

Dew blinked at the female, for once in her life at a loss for words. What was she supposed to answer to this kid that had so bluntly challenged her authority yet at the same time given her the information she had requested. She could hear Sam chortling with laughter, and she felt her ears start to get warm with embarrassment. She turned to him and then shrugged, not sure of what to do with Blossom. Sam shook his head and walked towards her, his face bright with the dopey smile he usually had that some females found charming. "Tell you what, Blossom, since we took so much time from you, let us make it up to you. We will help you get on track to find your herd before we head back to ours," he said, making the kid's face brighten up and her tail wag immediately.

"Really?" she asked, her voice disbelieving with joy.

"You have got to be kidding! I will not have this! If we go any further we will never find our own herd," Dew said in a flat out refusing voice.

"Well you were the one that wanted to deviate to take a bath," Sam replied matter of fact voice. She opened her mouth to rage at him, but by now, she knew it was a lost fight.

* * * * *

The sun was up in the sky by the time they were moving again, as Dew had complained about how she could not get up so early after all of the stress of the day before, and the group needed to stop to graze, as hunting would probably not be possible, or so Sam thought. The stag and kid had hit it off quite nicely. He had his normal charismatic charm with her, being slow due to her obvious difference in stamina and keeping her chatting so that she wouldn't notice the passing of time.

Dew noticed the day passing by however, and with the passing of time came her hunger. The spotted goey was beginning to get cranky, and she kept nagging at Sam, who kept telling her it was probably just a little longer. Finally, Dew settled that she did not care for waiting a little longer, and she sat down abruptly as they kept walking. Sam felt the thump on the ground, and looked back, noticing his traveling companion was sitting on the ground. "Are you alright?" he asked her, heading back towards her.

"No I am not! I am hungry! I want a rabbit! We have not stopped to hunt all day!"

Sam blinked at her, not really angry, as he knew that they had been traveling all day, something that they were not used to in the least bit. He turned to look at Blossom, and was surprised to see that the white kid was not looking tired in the least bit. Well... she did say her herd was a nomad herd... Turning back to Dew, he nodded. "It's just a lit-"

"No it is not!" she interrupted, her face outraged. "You have been saying that all day! For all we know we are never going to find this kid's herd, meaning that she has sentenced us to death! You go along if you want, but I am not going anywhere until I eat a nice fat rabbit," she finished, her voice leaving no room for argument.

Sam sighed in exasperation, and he saw the crestfallen look on Blossom's face when Dew referred to her as their death. "Fine. I shall go hunt for us three. You two stay here, and stay together. I shall be back with some meat, and then we get moving again," he said, knowing he was a much better hunter than Dew, and not wanting to test the kid's hunting skills when time was so essential.

Dew's face brightened up, and she got up, then pointed at a nearby tree that had some bushes growing nearby. "We shall wait for you there. The more out of cover we are, the better. We don't have the security of a herd," she stated, then looked at Blossom, who nodded in agreement.

Sam smiled down at the female, knowing she was right, then nodded a farewell before running off, leaving the females to turn in the opposite direction, heading for cover.

* * * * *

Clouds had begun to fill the sky, and the smell of rain was heavy on the air, almost pressing their lungs. Blossom kept popping her head out of the bushes, and asking Dew if she knew when Sam would be back every few minutes. After a while, Dew snapped.

"I don't know! Now why don't you sit still and wait!" she growled, her belly churning slightly.

Blossom turned her head, to look at the bushes one more time, but stayed where she was, despite her hooves and paws twitching with the need to go look once more. "He's taken a really long time... The sun is almost down. If rain falls he may have a hard time finding us," she said in a worried voice.

"And why is that..." Dew asked in a mock curious voice, rolling her eyes.

"Because rain washes scents away... not only that, but he looked like he was not very fond of water."

Dew snorted at the last bit, but was slightly impressed by the fact that this young doe already had knowledge of a soldier. She mentioned nothing about it however, not wanting to admit that she had some sort of respect for this stranger. "He'll be fine... If there is one thing that Sam is good at is keeping his promises."

Blossom brightened up, her tail wagging. "Do you think we will catch up to my herd soon? I think the scent was getting stronger," she said, changing the subject as most kids did.

Dew shrugged, flicking her tail unhappily. "We better. We are getting further away from our herd because of you."

As these words, Blossom's ears and tail drooped. "I am sorry... I just really want to get back to my herd. Din gets hopelessly worried about me..." she apologized, knowing that Dew was right.

Dew snorted, but could tell that the kid was honestly sorry, so she didn't press on, knowing what it was like to feel lost, as she felt the same way, and she didn't know what she would have done had Sam not fallen into the crevice with her. As these thoughts crossed her mind, a close thunder boomed, and rain poured out of the sky, so sudden that is seemed the boom had been its way of announcing its arrival. Dew looked up, getting up as she did so, her coat drenched with the rain. She shook her mane, trying to get rid of some of the water, but new it would be in vain. "Let's go, I refuse for my fur to get spoiled on the mud this rain will bring..." she told Blossom, directing the kid towards the nearby tree, noticing with worry that the sun had already set and that there would be no stars to guide the way for Sam's return.

* * * * *

Morning came and left, with no sign of Sam yet. At this point, Dew was almost hysterical, and Blossom, noticing, kept asking her questions about her own herd, giving her pleasant memories of her home, trying to divert her from the current situation. "What about your Prime? What's he like?" she asked, her head tilting curiously.

Dew shook her head, her tail giving a violent swish. "He is a once strong goennec who is overdue in retiring. He is old, senile, and the herd really needs a new set of horn on top," she said, her nose wrinkled at the thought of the smelly elder.

"I am sure that he can't be that bad if the herd still follows him," Blossom offered in hopes of lightening the mood.

Dew snorted and glared at Blossom. "Are you kidding me? Why do you think I am on this fix? I am stuck in the middle of nowhere waiting for a useless stag taking care of a lost kid that is not even from my herd just because the Prime could not control the herd when the sun disappeared," she wailed, going from left to right, her ears flat against her head as she spoke.

Blossom's ear twitched at her words. She realized she didn't like this doe one bit, but she was the only company she had, and she was certain that Sam wouldn't like for anything to happen to her. "Why do you dislike your coat being dirty?" she asked, changing the subject yet again, and this time making Dew stop on her tracks.

The spotted doe looked at the kid, a vain look on her face. "No doe wants to look like a dirty peasant," she responded aloofly, her head held high.

"Oh really? I just thought you didn't like others to notice how the spots on your fur look exactly like mud," Blossom responded curtly, her tail giving an angry flick, her mane bristling.

Dew's face changed from smug, to hurt, to outraged in a matter of seconds, her ears burning with embarrassment. "How dare you?!" she yelled, her tail up in the air.

Blossom sighed, knowing there was no point in trying to get into an argument with the proud doe. "Nevermind..." she responded in a dismissive tone as she curled up into a ball and closed her eyes, ignoring Dew's ramblings.

* * * * *

The day was starting to get late, the sun already starting to set on an orange hued sky. Dew and Blossom were by this point famished. They had grazed, but their bodies craved the protein that meat gave them, and neither dared go out, in case Sam came back. More importantly, both were terrified of heading out because he hadn't come back. What could possibly make that over-sized stag be this late? was the only thought on Dew's head, her black hooves digging deep into the earth in worry.

"He's not coming back... is he? I'm not going back to my herd... Nothing..."

The voice of the young doe snapped Dew's mind back to reality, and she flattened her ears. This was the first time Blossom had spoken since calling her gorgeous markings mud. She hadn't forgiven her yet, so she merely snorted and turned to look in the way Sam had headed out.

"I guess Grand was right... You never know what you had until you don't have it anymore."

Dew's eyes grew wide at this and she turned to look at the floral coated kid. She hadn't realized how depressed the purple eyes on her companion looked, or how her head seemed to hang in a dulled state of mind. The grief of losing her herd was taking a toll on the small one, and Dew had no words to console her. Suddenly, the smell of blood filled her nostrils. Rabbit blood. Her ears perked up and she saw a figure in the distance. Sam was coming back, two juicy rabbits in his mouth, making Dew's stomach growl. She felt like jumping in joy and running towards the stag, but something held her back. When Sam had left, he was dirty from the fall still, but now, blood soaked his pelt, and his eyes had a war shine on them she had never seen before.

Almost afraid, Dew tapped the other female. "Looks like the food arrived," she stated, poking her slightly with her tail.

Her words had immediate effect, as the goey looked up and bleated with joy as Sam approached them. The stag dropped the rabbits in front of them, then turned around without a word. Dew's ears twitched curiously as Blossom dived onto the top rabbit hungrily. "You know, with as long as you took, the least you could have done was make yourself look decent," as she said this, she noticed a blue bandanna wrapped on Sam's left foreleg. She tilted her head, then reached for it with her hoof. "What's that?"

Sam got the foreleg out of her reach and turned a glare her way. "Don't touch it! You know, some of us have more things to do in life than look pretty!" he snapped, his eyes shinning with rage.

Dew cringed, as she was not used to this kind of outburst from his part, not in all the years she had known him. "I'm sorry..." she said, then she turned to her own rabbit quietly.

As Blossom finished the last bit of hers, she turned to Sam expectantly, her tail wagging. "Are we going to go back to searching?" she asked, her ears perked up with happiness.

Sam looked down at the little goey, and Dew could see despair on the stag's eyes. "No... We are going back to our herd."

"But you promised-"

"Never mind that! We have to get as far away from here as possible. Finish your rabbits and get some rest. We leave at dawn..."

Blossom's ears dropped and she went to the base of the tree, shrinking herself into it as she seemed to want to disappear. Dew flicked her ear as Sam went in the opposite direction as she gulped the last of her own rabbit and she went close to the edge of the tree as well and lay next to Blossom, covering her from the night air. Now words were needed between the two females. Blossom was now a part of their herd. The blood covering Sam was goennec blood, but there was more than just his own, and the scent was very similar to the scent on Blossom. Something horrible must have happened that day that Sam went missing, but the male refused to talk about it. The bandanna around his foreleg suggested humans had been involved, but how, Dew did not know. As she closed her eyes, there was one thin that she did know. She would strive her best to not let Blossom know feel the need to know what she had in such a cruel fashion again, as for once in her life she realized that maybe, just maybe, some things aside of herself were worth a bit of sacrifice.

[June Bug]

Kam D8 I don't think I can care for my goey anymore. D8 I love him and all, but there's so many people that would make much better owners. He just doesn't click anymore :C
I have these pictures of Singer, if you'd like them.

Aw, that's too bad Meadow. I'll put him with the others that have been returned recently. He'll stay there for the rest of this week and if you change your mind, let me know. <3