Falls

I DON'T WORRY,
WORRYING DON'T AGREE
THINGS THAT BOTHER YOU, NEVER BOTHER ME!

More giggles fell out of her mouth as his warm, grass-scented breath blew her pale forelock every which way. Her blue eyes were bright as ever as she regarded the big, dark red boy. He was one of her favorite friends yet! He was so nice to her! Talya giggled again.

“You want to count us off?” He asked, and Talya’s eyes went a little wide as though struck with awe that he was openly bestowing the opportunity on her and not fighting her for it.

“Yeah!” She exclaimed, lifting and stomping a forehoof in the dirt with her pale tail flicking over her haunches. Talya was excited and could feel the anticipatory energy building underneath her skin. Her smile turned a little wild, eyes darting to him, and then…

“One…” Her pink lips curled even higher. She could feel her muscles tense, ready. “Two…” She looked over at him and saw how he, two, was ready for takeoff. Too bad she’d made that rule about no cheating, because it would be fun to reach out and playfully nip him. “Three… Go!”

And she couldn’t help but hop, then kick as she veered left and took off through the clearing of the mingling area toward the nearby treeline. She pulled her pace up a little late, nearly crashing into the trees. Talya shook her head and glanced at the ground, looking for a decent twig while muttering to herself, “Bendy twig, bendy twig, bendy twig…” as she gingerly pressed her hooves on fallen twigs on the ground, or reached up and pinched some on the tree with her teeth. She’d just clamped around a long, thin offshoot on a low-hanging branch and, when she tugged, the twig arched in a rubbery bend, but did not snap. Her eyes went wide and she snorted in excitement, stomping her hooves on the ground. “BemdyFwiig!! BemdyFwig!!!” She yelped, muffled with her lips still clamped around it. She pulled her weight back, tugging. The poor tree jerked, it’s dying leaves shuddering and falling down in a curtain all around her and over her.

The twig was still attached.

Talya’s ears flicked back and she glared down her long, narrow face at the twig that she would break off the tree and earn this treasure. She grunted and grinded her flat teeth, wearing down the twig in her mouth before tugging it again. The twig snapped free this time, though again with another shower of yellow, red, and orange leaves. Some stuck in her hair, some across her back. Talya paid them no mind, proudly holding her head high with the twig in her mouth, trotting to the base to set the item down.

She’d barely set it atop the rock when she was already turning around and taking off for a different grouping of trees, ones where she’d be sure to find pinecones underneath.