Honours watched the egg intently, waiting for any signs of life inside - the egg was slightly translucent but whatever lay inside was positioned in a way that he couldn't really see anything, no matter how hard he tried (and he daren't move it to try and find a better angle). He settled back, humming a song that his mother sung to him as a lamb when he was distraught - perhaps it would make the salamander feel comforted enough to emerge. The salamander shifted and the egg rocked back and forth and Honours leaned forward, eyes widening in anticipation - this was it!

All movement stopped and Honours, realising he had been holding his breath, exhaled in frustration - perhaps his humming wasn't as comforting as he thought. He settled back into the brush under the shade and shifted to get comfortable, grunting a little bit. Perhaps he was closer to water than he thought because he was suddenly very itchy. It got worse and he jumped up, looking around for the pesky mosquito but his shoulders slumped when he realised that he'd been sitting in poison ivy! In all the excitement of finding the egg, he hadn't realised - it had taken time to work its way through his fur to his skin but once it did, fire coursed through him. He backed up to a tree and scratched his back on the bark as best as he could, looking for any sort of relief.

The sun had set and risen without any further incidents - though he still itched and the totoma's stomach rumbled. He hadn't eaten anything since before midday the day before and had trekked quite a distance before finding the egg. He glanced at his surroundings - hoping that fortune would favour him and bless him with something - anything - to eat. What luck! He spied a berry bush close to the egg and scrambled to consume them. They were a little tart and stained his mouth red but they were juicy and he forgot about his thirst as well as filling his stomach a little.

A noise brought his attention away from the berries and back to the egg and his head snapped, just in time to see a crane land, eying the egg just as he had eyed the berries. He stumbled to his feet and called out, running to protect the egg. "Hey! That's not yours!" The bird looked at him with a cocked head, not moving and blinked once before it turned back to the egg.

The totoma quickened his pace and shouted, stomping the ground as heavily as he could as he barrelled toward the crane. It finally took the hint and launched into the air with a squawk and a flurry of feathers. Honours skidded to a stop just in time to avoid crushing the egg he'd worked so hard to protect for the last day. He sat down with a sigh just as the egg started moving...

The egg rolled and moved on the ground and as it did, Honours swore he could see multiple colours inside - was that even possible? It would make sense - they were reptiles, after all and kin shared sacs as well. Movement stopped and for a moment he thought that it was moving for nothing like before but suddenly the egg split open and out rolled two (!) salamanders - one red and one black. They looked up at him and blinked, stretching out to bask in the sun. As the goo from their birth dried, the flames on their backs lit and Honours watched in amazement. He hadn't expected two salamanders and he wondered if perhaps he should find a home for one of them but that was something he would decide another time.

WC: 802

It was a rather autumn day. A day that stirred the wanderlust and drove Moss-Flower to fancy a walk around the edge of the Tribe's territory. She felt the cool breeze stirring, whispering cold notes from deep in the mountains outside of the swamp. It would be a chilly winter for sure this year. As she wandered along a particularly narrow and overgrown path she spotted something by the side of the road that stopped her in her tracks. What on earth was that? Quietly, gently, she approached the object. Careful should it prove to be something dangerous. It looked like an egg. Her eyes widened in surprise. It was! A salamander egg! Taken aback the doe gasped softly. She had heard of kin sometimes finding them, alone, out in the harsh wilderness. It looked as though she was now discovering the truth in these tales for herself. But what should she do? The chilling wind blew over the grass and caused a shiver to run the course of her body. She couldn't just leave it here. She also didn't want to leave it to the mercy of the wild. The least she could do was keep it warm.


Raising her face to the sky she let out a whistle and a great crane descended. Whisper landed in a graceful hop and blinked beautiful eyes over toward their long time companion. Moss-Flower gently inclined her head in a show of respect to which the crane mimicked. "Dearest friend. Would you mind sharing some downy plumes for this poor creature? I fear the weather is not the kindest." As she gathered dry dirt she also shaded the area with a leaf to keep the moisture out and, hopefully, any excessive cold. The great crane approached the egg and shook its feathers. As the soft down fell Moss-Flower collected it. Surrounding the egg in a cozy warm, dry, nest. "Lovely." The doe remarked. Smiling toward Whisper joyfully.

It started to grow darker as night crept across the horizon. The fireflies began to light up magically under the magnificent shadow of the giant tree her tribe called home. She didn't have the heart to leave the egg. Though she suspected a creature would come for it she could at least keep an eye on it until they did. The tribe bordered the edges of the deep swamp and many predatory creatures lurked within its fold. Adjusting the leaf that covered the egg she settled in beside it for the evening. Enjoying the dancing lights of fireflies and feeling a general sense of ease as her crane companion stood watch. Nothing escaped Whisper's sight.

The night grew long, stretching ever onward until even the fireflies began to wink out as they settled for the night. She felt the weight of sleep begin to press against her. Eyes growing heavy, limbs weary, as she did her best to guard her little ward against the cold night. Something slid across her peripherals, winking in and out of existence. Moss-Flower shook her head and trained her gaze upon the surrounding foliage. What on earth? A ghostly shape seemed to appear and disappear quickly from somewhere in the brush. As uneasy as she felt at first she soon recognized the spectral creatures and sighed in relief. Many spirits, many spectral creatures, tended to lurk at the fringes of the ancient tree. She smiled and turned her gaze to her crane companion. Whisper didn't seem disturbed by their presence which was good enough for the doe.

Then, as peaceful as the crane had been, suddenly a click of the beak alerted Moss-Flower that all was not well. Dipping it's long, graceful, neck the crane watched somewhere deep in the swamp. Another click. A warning. Suddenly a second crane exploded from the swamp and went after Whisper. The two cranes locked in an epic brawl as Moss-Flower watched wide-eyed from the sidelines. She felt worry blossom in her chest like a fiery flower and was up on her hooves moments later to charge after the new crane. She'd never seen it before. It must have thought they were nest robbing this late at night. The cranes around here weren't usually so aggressive. As Whisper locked claws with the other Crane Moss-Flower used her impressive antlers to hoist the second crane up and away. Tossing it back into the swamp where it must have retreated. Realizing it was outnumbered. Moss-Flower approached her friend, gently smoothing feathers with a caring nuzzle. Whisper was up and ready for anything, extremely offended by the other crane's outlandishly rude behavior and preening themselves to show they were hardly going to let the issue continue to annoy them.

As soon as that had ended another issue popped up from nowhere. A group of Kin ambled out of the swamp. They were definitely rowdy, young by the look of it, and seeming to want to try and cause a bit of trouble. Moss-Flower did not abide trouble, especially on tribe territory, but she doubted it would come to that if she was smart about it. Moss-Flower had a gift for soothing and/or diverting easily agitated kin and trouble makers, she was prepared to do so if need be. As the youth approached one of them spotted the nest and snorted. "What is that?" He asked, leaning down to snuffle the edge of the nest while raising a hoof to squish the jelly-like egg shaped substance. Whisper was on the defense, ready to pounce. Moss-Flower trotted over calmly and smiled. "Welcome friends. Are you here on Pilgrimage?" She doubted it from the looks on their faces. "No- Ah! I see you've found my spider egg sack. It's about ready to hatch I believe if you'd like to stick around. There are usually hundreds of them and they just love to cuddle when they first hatch." The youth's looked horrified, backing away abruptly. "No, no.. we don't want any of that." The doe smiled softly and gave a laugh that sounded like chiming bells. "Please, why don't you kids go play in the mud pits. It seems like you're rather bored and could use some fun. I guarantee you'll love it. Just head up this path and meet someone at the base of the tree. They will be happy to guide you the rest of the way." The kin's eyes lit up, they exchanged glances to see if everyone was on board, gave one last wary look at the egg, then smiled cheekily at Moss-Flower and headed off. Laughter echoing as they went.

Giving a soft, relieved, sigh Moss-Flower wandered back to the egg and stood over it. As she was preparing to lay down again she heard a strange noise. It grew in ferocity and seemed to be getting closer. Every bit of fur on her body stood upright. Whisper even seemed extremely concerned. Hopping close to Moss-Flower and lowering their neck to stare into the swamp. It was a fight, a vicious one, and it sounded like... yes.. Lynx's. That was the last thing she needed exploding into tribe territory. Luckily one of her son's headed the patrol of the area and would likely be able to deal with a Lynx fight in short order. But that didn't make her feel any safer at the moment. At that moment a strong wind picked up and the egg rolled out from under the leaf and across the ground towards the swamp. Startled, Moss-Flower hurried over and nosed the egg back into the nest, moments later it happened again, and again, and AGAIN. Finally, after rolling the egg once again under the leaf, she plopped down and curled her tail around the nest. Keeping the egg cozy and in place. She'd hardly noticed that the fighting had subsided. The lynx's must have either settled their beef or moved further into the swamp. With a soft exhale the doe smiled at her companion and then down at the egg. "What a night, hmm?" Whisper burbled, definitely in agreement as they settled in beside her.

As Moss-Flower began to doze off suddenly the egg jostled. Moving side to side and wriggling as the tiny Salamander within began to emerge.

Both the doe and the crane gazed in wonder as the egg split and the creature emerged. Blinking big oil-drop eyes up at them it immediately set ablaze in a brilliant blue fire. Moss-Flower felt tears well up in her eyes. "Look at how beautiful it is, Whisper! Such a darling little Salamander." Whisper seemed to nod in agreement and gave a soft chirp/burble to show their contentment. As the new baby clambered up onto Moss-Flowers back she and Whisper headed back toward the tree. "Now, what to name you?"

(Word Count: 1,460. Claiming 5 RP Points.)

Fortune Teller was searching for a special herb that grew in this part of the swamp. She'd been putting it off for some time but it was finally time. She'd put it off for long enough at this point. Searching carefully she spotted something among the dandelions that struck her as odd. Nosing it gently she smiled. Well, the fates were feeling particularly impish today it seemed. A salamander egg. She had never seen one unattended before. Her heart told her not to leave it alone. That it needed her help.

Looking around the area she spotted some dry leaves and, carefully, resettled the egg onto them. It had looked quite miserable in the cold mud so she figured a warm, dry, bed of leaves would help. Settling down beside she lent it her body heat.

The creature within the egg seemed to stir. As if happy with the change in its environment. Fortune Teller felt relief and closed her eyes. The warm sunny day making her feel sleepy. Perhaps a nap was in order.

As night began to descend Fortune Teller awoke to the feeling of legs, lots of legs, crawling all over her body. At first she felt a sense of unease. What on earth? Then she spotted them. Spiders of all shapes and sizes. They must have been nesting here with their brood and her timing was, ill, as they had finally hatched. Luckily she wasn't afraid of spiders. Not panicking, not moving, she let them run their course and soon the spiders dispersed. Making their way off into the swamp to live their little lives and start their own families. She smiled after them. The egg stirred again and Fortune Teller looked down. It was so magical. These little creatures. She felt fortunate to be caring for one. A gentle, lovely tune began to fill the air as she hummed an old song, a lullaby of sorts, to soothe the creature as it wrestled within its confines. Obviously anxious to be free. At the sound of the tune the embryo settled. Seeming to be eased by the melody.

A rustle from the bushes alerted her and the tune stopped abruptly. Her intense gaze shifted to the source which happened to be three kin she had never seen before. They looked a bit rough but she didn't budge from her place beside the delicate egg. She didn't even display aggressive behavior. Merely watched. Their demeanor looked standoffish. They approached. Watching her suspiciously. She did give off a rather strange air so this behavior was not uncommon. "What'chu got there?" One of them piped up. Fortune Teller tilted her head and smiled faintly at the other Kin, the smile was unnerving. "Would you like to see?" She had the feeling they would try to take it if they thought it valuable. Her intuition was also telling her they wouldn't be interested if she just let them look, but if she refused they would start trouble thinking she had something they wanted. She was correct. The kin narrowed their eyes at the egg and sniffed. "Eww, it's just slime. Lets get out of here." The others chuckled and they trotted off, not even looking back for a second take.

As she laid there she scanned her surrounding, taking in the beauty of nature. It was a lovely evening so far. She was happy she'd napped otherwise this would have been a bit of a struggle. The soft sounds of the evening lulled her but her stomach began to growl. Thrust from her serenity she glanced about for something to nibble. In the darkness she could make out some mushrooms and, with a bit of reaching, managed to eat them. Hopefully this would help assuage her hunger. A few minutes passed before the world began to morph. The colors, more vibrant, almost breathed. The plants seemed to shift. Opening their eyes and watching her. The darkness of the sky fell away in petals, revealing rainbows beneath. She smiled and blinked upwards. The view was astounding. As it begat to wear off she realized the sun was coming up. Oh dear. How long had she been under? She hadn't realized, in the dusk, that she'd eaten seer mushrooms. A special mushroom that let you peal back realities to see what lay beneath. The effects often lasted quite a while. Luckily she had remained still the entire time. The egg at her side cozy and warm.

A rustle of wings alerted her to another visitor. Yet this one was hungry. The crane tilted its head this way and that, spying her ward easily. Fortune Teller knew they enjoyed reptile eggs, she had seen it many times. And while it was a sad fact of nature she felt bonded to this little life and would not allow it to be snuffed out before it had a chance. Giving a soft whistle the doe kept her gaze trained on the approaching bird. From the bushes popped a familiars head, but not just any familiar, a spectral cheetah..



A low growl and the ghostly figure stepped into the small clearing, its eyes trained on the crane who, with a nervous ruffling of feathers, immediately took off again. Fortune Teller smiled and gave her friend an incline of the head in thanks. The spectral purred softly, curling up beside her. What a little adventure she was having. It had been a while since she'd been out this long. The world was full of such unique encounters. Hopefully, it would be time to go home soon. All of them.

Suddenly, the egg began to move. Fortune Teller gazed down at her ward happily, excited to finally meet the creature within. Intuition perked their head up and peeked over her back, watching the process with a sense of calm.

From the egg a little nose peeked out from a tear in the side that had suddenly appeared. A head, bright yellow, stunning like the sun on a hot summers day, emerged. She smiled brightly, what a darling little salamander. Opening oil drop eyes it blinked up at her and gave a tiny yawn. The first breath of life. She and Intuition sighed happily. "Why, hello there Little Sun. Welcome to the world." Intuition purred, almost like a chuckle. Little Sun. What a name.

(Word Count 1,057. Claiming 5 RP points)

[imgleft]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... uncert.png[/imgleft]As Fire Bringer looked down at the bulky, leaf-wrapped bundle at his hooves, he couldn't help but be impressed. The journey this egg must have taken. He couldn't even imagine. Salamanders were native to the Swamp, far from his cold own cold northern mountains. Finding an egg, a living egg, outside of that cursed place was rare, to say the least, but... Well, he didn't let the difficulty daunt him. He had been given a task and he was set to do it. He looked down at the bundle fondly. And this little one was going to help him do it.

He went over the instructions in his mind, 'Warm & dry is the optimal combo for the scorching hot variety.'

And so, he took the bundle gently in his mouth and moved deeper into his cave, welcoming the scent of smoke that met him. Soon, warm light flickered ahead and he stepped into a small, tall stone chamber. Two wood piles stood separated by one wall, one wet, waiting to be dried, and the other ready to feed the small fire glowing in the center of the room. There was a bed of furs against the other wall. And to the back was a small alcove where he stored his food and herbs.

It was on this bed he set the parcel. The Totoma took a mouthful of dried grasses and nosed it into shape before draping it with a small rabbit's fur. He retrieved the wrapped egg and took it to it's new nest, ever so carefully unwrapping it. He stared at it momentarily, nestled comfortably in its warm, dry nest, and smiled nervously before adding a second fur on top.

There, that should do it. He hoped so, at least.

w: 293

[imgleft]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... uncert.png[/imgleft]With the egg safely secured, Fire Bringer curled up in his own bed. With his chin on his hooves, he watched the mouth to his cave and waited.

[imgleft]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... uncert.png[/imgleft]He had thought the hardest part of this whole ordeal would have been getting the egg safely to the Mountains. Oh, but the MotherFather had to prove that wrong, he thought with a wry chuckle as he carefully put the last of the egg's parcel in the fire. Damned Swamp plants, he didn't expect them to leave him so itchy! He had been busy scratching when a strange bobbing light shimmered in from the mouth of the cave. He lowered his leg in confusion, were those...?

"Jellyfish, of course," He frowned and stood, moving quickly to try and chase them out.

They were rare, especially here, but the warmer winds carried much from the south. He did his best to shoo them off, leaving his already itchy pelt riddled with stings. He sighed after they finally left, moving to his alcove. Did he have something for stings?

He had been mixing a poultice when he heard the most uncanny giggle. Sent shivers down his spine, it did. He turned with horror to see two Furbodies trying to pull off the fur covering the egg.

"No!" He shouted and barreled over, stomping his hooves loudly to scare the rascals off. Damned things, why did the Kimeti need to bring those monsters up here with them? He shuddered and tucked the egg back in.

Sighing heavily, he returned to his herbs and was soon settling back into his bed. His eyes were heavy with the trials of the day when he heard it. The sky had opened up over them and rain was pelting the mountain wall. He nervously looked around, checking for leaks, and sure enough, there was a trickle of water right by the damned egg! He cursed under his breath, "The Acha was right, these things really do call death to themselves..." He snatched up the egg, gently rolling it out onto his own bed. It was raised, so it had to be fine there. Surely? He bundled it up with fresh, dry fur and went to grab his shell of clay to plug the damn leak.

When he was done, his stomach was growling, but he didn't care. He climbed gingerly into bed and wrapped himself around the egg. He'd eat when it hatched. His eyes closed, and soon he was asleep.

w: 704