The border between the Swamp and the Plains was often frequented by many different types of kin, coming and going between the two different biomes to visit friends and family. It wasn't quite as swampy here as it could be, the ground soft but not soggy, the grass thick and strong in the rich, sturdy dirt. Though many hooves passed back and forth between the Swamp and the Plains on a daily basis, this particular area wasn't frequented often. There were easier paths to take, ones that were closer to hubs of activity.

A thick patch of grass that was slightly sheltered by some shrubs lay within a small grove of young trees, barely tall enough to be considered trees at all. It was protected in this way, though not very well for the precious object it contained. Nestled among the grass and resting gently against the slim trunk of one of the saplings was a dark egg, a few bright splotches of color splattered across the shell. It was a bit cool but there was no damage to the shell, nor hoof prints around it to indicate anyone caring for it.

There it sat, somewhat protected but certainly not well enough. Whether it was put there on purpose or on accident was unknown, left to fate to determine its path.

Shadowed Moon had once again found himself wandering the swamp, though this time it wasn't for any particular reason, other then enjoyment. As such, he let his legs carry him out to the edges, to a more unfamiliar terrain. After all, he'd never really been anywhere outside the swamp, baring the caves, so it was always interesting to see the swamp change and shift as he approached the boundaries. Skipping over a few large roots the buck found himself searching down the more hidden paths. It wasn't that he would be upset to encounter another kin, more so that he just wanted to enjoy the experience of exploration. Stumbling upon the unknown so to speak. With so much of the unwanted unknown that had popped into this life recently he wanted to relive the simple joys of it, not only to remind himself of them, but because he did truly enjoy it.

The buck found himself stumbling over roots, sliding between trees, and hopping over large bushes through a small and questionable path. Usually these types of things just lead him into even more difficult trails but sometimes they lead to hidden springs, deep swamp waters, or other almost perfectly hidden spots. Just thinking of what he might find, even if it was nothing, was quite exhilarating. A small whistle, a hum or two, the buck let whatever fancy take him as he made his way forward, though all sound left his lips when he stumbled upon the small and dainty clearing. Seeing so many young trees together, not planned by the hooves of kin, was quite a rarity. He found himself frozen in place, simply watching their swaying, when a glint of black caught his eye. It wasn't quite dark enough to such pure, deep shadows, and none of the saplings where tall enough to cast them.

Slowly stepping forward, the buck leaned his head around the trees, trying to get a better glimpse of whatever it was. When he eventually caught sight of it, such careful thoughts of what might be laying in wait quickly left his head as he rushed forward toward the egg. It's soft, springy surface seemed unmarred by fangs or claws, thankfully, but the lack of clear path toward the clearing and seemly untouched ground meant it was lucky to have remained such for so long. Clicking his tongue is frustration, the buck kneeled in front of the egg, closely examining it for any signs of distress. While he knew it was common for most kin to leave their young alone, Shadowed Moon still couldn't stomach it. It just felt wrong to abandon them to whatever fate the swamp had in store, and he knew from experience that the fate the Swamp laid out before it's young was not always so sweet.

He wasn't exactly sure what type of kin it was, though he knew it couldn't be a Kimeti or a Zikwa, not only would he recognize this egg having seen many himself, but their young were always born in sacks. As for Totoma, far as he knew they were born fully formed and wriggling, so he doubted it was one of them (though he didn't rule it out completely). That left either Kiokote or Acha, but despite the location he honestly didn't want to even try and guess, and either way it didn't truly matter. No one deserved to be left alone like this, to be born with no support, regardless of their species. The buck didn't exactly feel comfortable moving it, considering the distance and lack of help, plus how little he knew of how sturdy these types of eggs where. Besides, the last thing he was going to do was leave it alone for who knows how long, again, even if it was to gain Nurtures Life's assistance, so for now this was all he could do. Nodding after his examination brought up nothing to worry over, the buck quickly settled in next to the egg, allowing it to rest gently against his side and feel his heat. It wasn't even a question, really. He supposed everyone was going to be quite surprised when he got back to the herd.

Shadowed Moon was going to have another child.

The egg, warmed by Shadowed Moon's body, seemed to stir. The shell flexed under the movement from the young kin within, but then fell still once more. It was clear that whatever was inside was fairly developed and probably just needed some coaxing to hatch.

The process began not long after the buck had settled down. Soon there was more movement, the shell of the egg cracking under the pressure from within, and not long after the process had begun a blue kiokote leg emerged from within. The little female pushed her way free, rolling out of the egg and onto the ground. She was damp from the contents of the egg but she was alert, ears and legs trembling with the cool air assaulting her. She gave a little bleat of surprise as she swung her head around, eyes still closed, clearly searching for the warm body that she had felt beside her.

The buck was a bit startled when the egg first moved, as he had not expected it to do so quite so soon, which caused another pang of frustration as this meant the egg had been alone even longer than he thought. Shaking the thought from his head Shadowed Moon tried to focus on the positive, both for the sake of the clearly soon to hatch young one and also for his own peace of mind. At least this meant that any forays away from the clearing wouldn't leave the them alone, he supposed. Watching intently, the buck began to feel excitement welling up in him, regardless of how many times he was present for the process he felt the same. If the buck was being honest he always felt the same anxiety as well, though at least now Shadowed Moon could mitigate it slightly with the benefit of experience.

Soon the movement inside the egg became more obvious, and it broke apart as the young one inside forced her way out of the egg. The buck spoke quiet affirmations, encouraging her exit into the world. As the young Kiokote spilled out from the egg, rolling away from his side, the buck chuckled softly. Shifting the now cooling egg away from his side with a hoof, the buck leaned forward gently, giving the confused foal a cleaning lick before shifting his position equally gently to settle the young one between his forehooves, continuing to clean the damp foal while allowing her to snuggle into his chest. After a few more licks, focusing on her face first to assist her eyes in opening without issue, Shadowed Moon gave her a light nuzzle before continuing his cleaning of the foal.

"Hello little one. Welcome to the Swamp."

It didn't take long for that comforting presence to return to the foal's side, a warm tongue helping to clean her fur and establish a bond. She wasted no time in leaning into the touch, little noises of hunger and the desire to be warm leaving her mouth. The warmth surrounded her again just as the cleaning was focused on her face, allowing her eyes to squint open in the dim light of the swamp. She gazed up at the much larger kin before her, a whiteish blob among the green and brown. Though she could not understand the words he spoke, within her tiny chest she felt safe and happy.

Leaning in against the buck's chest, the little foal snuggled down to rest. Breaking out of that shell had been hard work and she needed to recoup before doing any more, soaking in the affection her found father bestowed upon her.

It didn't take long for the blue kiokote to find her hooves, standing on wobbly legs to follow Shadowed Moon to a safer place, one where she could eat and sleep without fear. She grew quickly, becoming a strong and happy young female who introduced herself as Hang The Moon once she was able to speak. She was curious as most foals were, eager to explore her surroundings and play with anyone who would spare her the time. Though she was happy to be among family, it was clear Hang The Moon was a gentle soul, easily hurt by teasing or upset when something seemed unfair. She'd usually go find Shadowed Moon to soothe her aching heart, her sniffles and tears easily comforted by her father.

She sought him out one day a couple months after her hatching, her legs still comically long with youth, her mane short and fluffy. She was the picture of an awkward adolescent, too young to have taken on the proper adult proportions but too old to truly be considered a foal still. Her head was bowed as she walked, a soft sniffle heard now and then as she reached Shadowed Moon's usual spot.

"Father," she said, her voice full of sorrow as was common with her when she went to find the buck. "I found a small nest of eggs, bird eggs, in a bush. They're cold and certainly not going to survive, if they haven't died already. Why did the parents leave them alone?" She had been told of her own situation and she felt a strange kinship when she'd found the nest, cold and abandoned just as she had been. Her young mind was still trying to make sense of her own situation, thankful that Shadowed Moon had found her but torn as to why she had been left by her parents.

The buck had been relaxing near the entrance of their den in the herd's Resting Place when he noticed Hang the Moon, her ears dropped and head hanging slightly. As the filly approached, watery eyes and sniffling nose leading her over, Shadowed Moon shifted slightly to allow her to snuggle in next to him between his legs. Once she had done so, the buck gave her a reassuring lick, along with a few comforting nuzzles, gently rubbing his head against hers while listening to her new question. Every child he had raised, or helped raise, had brought on a new challenge (something he had quickly learned) and it seemed no matter how much one thought one knew, there was always something to learn. Hang the Moon's challenge was her softness, specifically her caring heart.

In no way was her gentle being a bad thing, but the buck had quickly come to learn that she seemed to feel for others beyond the norm. For her, the blight on another could feel like her own, and for one so young it was a hard burden to bare. Not only that, but if often meant her questions were not just as they seemed, as he had answered one question only to find out days or even seasons later in her heart she'd had another, and the answer he'd given off-the-hoof had taken root in her heart in a way he had never intended. The buck had always tried to speak carefully and with thought, but these moments had been a true awakening to the idea that one could never truly know what another kin thought. Though he'd certainly gotten much better at it, at least with this particular kin.

"Little Moon, I think that might be a better question for Nurture's Life, he knows a lot more about this sort of thing than I do..." The buck paused for a second, gently resting his head on hers. Shadowed Moon had a pretty good idea of why she was asking. "But, from what little I know generally birds don't abandon their nests unless they die."

While the buck knew she saw herself in those sad little eggs, it was hard to know what exactly might make her feel better. Not only were different kin comforted by different things (especially when you added in cultural differences or extreme personality shifts) but one might feel comforted by an idea one night, and on another it might tear them apart.

"You know, I used to think myself quite odd for raising my young." Shadowed Moon said suddenly, smiling down at the filly nestled beside him. "Not that it stopped me, mind you, but it's quite unusual for a Kimeti. And regardless of how strongly I felt about it, I still knew it made me very strange. However, one day, when I was in the caves, the home of the Zikwa, I discovered a warm den filled with sacks. Apparently their young are all raised together by a special kin they call a 'Brood Mother' and tending with extreme care. It felt... strangely comforting, to know I wasn't alone. An outsider. Even though I was, in a way, as the Zikwa often felt strange and different, it felt like coming home, strangely enough."

The buck paused, looking a bit sheepish. "Sorry, I think I was rambling a bit there. Does that answer your questions, or is there anything more specific you wanted to ask about? We can go and ask Nurture's Life for more information about birds." Shadowed Moon glanced at the filly next to him. "Or we can just sit together for a while, if you like."

Hang The Moon was quick to snuggle up against Shadowed Moon, finding her spot between his front legs so she could lean into his comforting touch. She was almost too big to rest there anymore, but if she tucked her own legs under her and made herself small she could still fit against her father's chest. It didn't dawn on her that one day soon she'd be too big to curl up like this, youth and innocence keeping her blissfully ignorant. For now, though, she was content to hunker down with the older buck, his presence instantly soothing her aching heart a bit simply by being there.

She listened to what he said, nodding a bit as he gave what information he could. Died...she'd been afraid of that. There were predators in the swamp that hunted for their dinners - some of them even being kin that ate nothing but meat - but it wasn't fair to accuse them of doing something wrong. They had to eat, after all. Everyone was just as deserving of life as the next creature. That was a concept Hang The Moon had struggled with recently as she watched a very skinny wolf chase a boar piglet. It was clear the wolf was on its last legs and was making a last attempt to feed itself, but it was so weak the piglet got away safely without much effort. Hang The Moon had been so happy for the little boar, but upon seeing the defeat and resignation in the wolf she couldn't help but feel so sad. The wolf would surely die without a meal and it didn't have the strength to try to hunt again.

Her thoughts were pulled back as Shadowed Moon told her a little story about when he'd visited where the Zikwa lived. For as young as she was, Hang The Moon's father had been on enough adventures with enough types of kin that she was quite wise to the ways of the world. She learned a lot from him and this new bit of information was quite interesting. A whole cave full of unborn foals tended to by one Zikwa...

"That sounds nice," she said, her voice a little thick with her stuffy sinuses but the tears had stopped. She leaned against Shadowed Moon, thankful that he had gone against what was normal for his kind to take care of her. "I think just sitting," she added. She could find Nurture's Life later to ask more detailed questions if she wanted to, but all she really needed right now was the love and reassurance her father could provide.

"Do you think something that's hungry will find the eggs and they can eat them?" she asked, her little mind flicking back to the scrawny wolf. If the eggs were no longer housing anything living then maybe something else that was struggling for a meal could find them and live for another day. That made her feel a bit better to think about even before Shadowed Moon offered an answer.

SerinaNight wrote:

The buck nodded in agreement, remembering the subtle yet life-changing epiphany he had experience in the caves... though luckily this little one changed the subject before his mind could wander to the darker parts of that adventure. Tilting his head slightly before leaning down to rest it on hers comfortingly the buck tucked her in a bit more, sliding his legs closer and resting them slightly over Hang the Moon's own little legs. Despite being quite slow to grow up compared to some creatures of the swamp, it still felt like they grew up so fast, something he mused over when his head touched hers a bit sooner then he expected.

Shadowed Moon glanced up at the canopy above them before answering her question. "Most likely, considering the time of year. You've seen the moongeese skittering around foraging right? Considering how close the nest is if nothing else finds it they will. Other birds will sometimes eat the eggs as well, or lizards perhaps..." The buck chuckled again, trying not to shake the filly tucked between his legs too much. "Nurture's Life could probably tell you all the creatures that would eat them, but if you're worried about it we can go check later." The buck added, beginning to ramble a bit. "I think he has a few little creatures he's tending that would be quite happy for something so nutritious, if I remember correctly. I think he found a pregnant... something with a bit of an injury a few days back."

Hopefully he'd read her tone right, Shadowed Moon mused for a moment, he'd have to assume so, but he always doubted himself at moments like this. Though truthfully it had gotten better over time, especially since he was learning that a small mistake was not the end of the world...

Lutz wrote: