note: I would like jasper to receive the experience point!


“Iona?” Lilija’s soft voice called into the trees of the Forest, peering at its shadows. Her frosted ears twitched, but she heard no responding noises that indicated her yearling daughter was near. Was Iona standing still in the hopes Lilija wouldn’t hear her? A small bite of irritation crawled under her skin and it twitched the same way it did when she was unsettling flies that landed on her. It wouldn’t be a surprise to her if her daughter was pulling some sort of prank such as that, really. Iona had been begging for independence, but Lilija felt she was too young to go anywhere without her.

At least if she would have taken her brother with her…

Lilija snorted softly and glanced back over her rear at the yellow grasses of the Prairie, then huffed and turned forward, splashing through the river that ran along the border and underneath the shadows of the towering, close-together trees.

“Iona!” She called out again, dropping her nose to the ground and sniffing, trying to find her daughter’s familiar scent.

“Lilija?” A young voice perked up and she glanced to her left, watching as one of her young brothers, Jasper, trotted toward her, head raised, expression alert. “Is everything okay? I heard you yelling.” Jasper was already two, but he still looked so young. He was a very short thing, pony-built like his dam had been, and rather thin and narrow. He could easily be mistaken for yearling or younger. Still, despite it all, her father had recently announced Jasper’s intention to be one of the Prairie guardians and it was clear the young colt was taking his job quite seriously.

Lilija smiled and shook her head. “Everything is fine, Jasper. I lost track of Iona, you know she’s been wanting to dip out of my sight lately. I’m sure I’ll find her soon.” She turned her head to begin walking forward.

“Oh, okay.” Jasper said, and Lilija heard the bit of despondency in his voice.

“But… you could come with me, if you’d like?” She didn’t need her younger brother’s company, but she could tell he wanted to feel like he was helping.

“Yeah? Okay! I’ll help you look for her. We’ll find her in no time, sis.” Jasper nodded firmly and dropped his pale, pink nose down to the ground to sniff and try and find the familiar scent of his niece.

The pair had only walked a small distance when Jasper went still and said, “Oh no.”

“What is it?” Lilija asked with concern, turning to look at her gold and white brother, then went as still as he did. Her eyes widened, whites somewhat flashing as nervousness trickled down her body and fluttered in the pit of her stomach.

Ahead of them was a large mother bear walking with her cub and, as they’d pushed into the clearing they’d caught her attention, making her stop and lift her head, huffing large breaths of air as she took in their scents. Lilija swallowed and looked at her brother who was closer to the bear than she was. “Just take a few careful steps back Jasper,” she encouraged with a whisper, swallowing back. “As long as she knows we don’t mean to hurt her cub, I’m sure we’ll be okay…”

Jasper flicked his pale tail and moved a step back, but the bear decided she wasn’t happy with his moving or with them crashing into her path and space. She straightened up her front a bit taller, huffed a heavy breath and stomped the ground in front of her in warning. Jasper tossed his head and danced a nervous step to the side, then another one back and away. He was far too small to be intimidating to the bear (and she could likely sense his nervousness instead of any confidence).

She stomped the ground again, snorting, this time eating up a few feet in front of her rather quickly, though some distance still remained between her and Jasper. Jasper threw his pale face and thrust out a narrow hoof, then nervously backed a few more awkward steps away. His rump was lined with Lilija’s chest. She wasn’t sure what they could do… if they turned and ran, would the bear chase them?


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