Falls

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

“Woooahh!!” Awe filled her gasp as Talya stopped dead in her tracks and swiveled her head slowly to watch her friend go past, incredibly large pine cone in his mouth. “That’s ginormous!” For a moment she was so impressed, she forgot this was a competition and had to shake her head to get herself back in the game.

A grin turned her pale lips as she glanced back at where he’d come from. The grove of pine trees swayed lightly in the air. Talya trotted forward and started the process of trying to find one that was larger than her hoof. By the sixth pine cone, she was frowning. So far each one she came across was much smaller than what she needed.

She stood near the trunk of a tree, one front hoof slightly hovering beside a discarded pine cone that’d already been half eaten away by a squirrel or some little creature. “Hmmm…” She sized the pine cone next to her hoof, then huffed with frustration. It was too small too! Talya’s head swung, pale ears pointing as she glanced around the pine-strewn ground at the little lumps of fallen pine cones lying about. Oh, come on! There had to be one big enough!

Across the way she could see the big red stallion standing at the bank of the river, probably close to finding his stone if he hadn’t already.

Just then there was a crack from above her head and Talya spooked, leaping suddenly with a squeal and kicking her back legs out as flight kicked in and she tried to get out of the danger zone. The so-called “danger zone” revealed itself to be nothing more than a pine cone that a squirrel up in the tall trees had dropped, probably quite excited to eat it.

Unfortunately for that little squirrel…

“Aha! Hahaha!!!” Talya pranced over to it and stuck her hoof next to it proudly. It was perfect! Just big enough to be bigger than her hoof. She lowered her neck and lipped at the thing, snorting and flicking her ears back as the pokey bits stabbed her velvet-soft lips. Knowing she had to get it over to the rock they’d decided was base, she had to ignore the discomfort and grabbed it as securely as she could manage.

Man, it tasted gross! A little sap was stuck to it from where the squirrel had nibbled it off the tree and now that sap was in her lips. Talya wanted to spit out the pine cone, but she knew she couldn’t. Not until she got it with her bendy stick and earned the point! Doubling down on her commitment to the game, the little pale mare darted forward as fast she could, spitting the pine cone out with a dramatic flourish. “Bleh! Yuck! Gross!” She yelled out, tongue between her lips as she spit and blew out what she could of the little bits of sap.

Thankfully the last thing she’d need was the river stone. Maybe if she drank a few swallows, it’d get rid of the rest of the taste.

Talya shook her head, ears flicking back as she hurried from the flat rock holding their found treasure and made her way for the river. Though most of the leaves had fallen off her as she moved around, there were still a few stuck in her pale mane and a couple in her tail.

Her pale hooves sank into the soft bank and she frowned at the rocks she could see under the rippling current. She knew she shouldn’t waste time trying to get the rest of the pine cone’s sticky sap out of her mouth, but she couldn’t help herself. She plunged her muzzle into the water and drank great swallows of the cool, fresh river. It hit her belly like ice and made her toss her head as a shiver rippled through her.

When she glanced back down, a few water droplets falling off her lips to the water below, she noticed a very pretty blue-grey rock with what looked like a vein of white quartz. She gasped excitedly and dropped her muzzle, shoving it under the water and almost accidentally sucking water up her nose. She frantically grabbed the rock with her lips, but wound up pushing it around with her mouth instead of actually picking it up. Talya jerked her head out of the water and gasped for air, spitting out river water and giving her head a shake before she glared at the stubborn little rock. This was her last treasure! She’d been so caught up in her own games she hadn’t even checked how far along her competitor was.

With renewed purpose, Talya shoved her muzzle back into the water and grabbed awkwardly at the smooth, wet little rock before pulling it (and some water) into her mouth. With her cheeks sloshing, holding the liquid and the pebble, she backed up and turned around, trotting her way toward base and looking to see how far along the red boy was.