[imgleft]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... y_ruri.gif[/imgleft]

Journey had been on the flanks, drifting back and forth between the group and more open space. He wasn't used to travelling with companions and fell too easily into daydreams, simply walking, moving around any obstacles without thought.

There were two others nearby and as he shook himself out of some far-off dream, Journey drifted closer to the two Totoma. To the older male he called a pleasant, “hello there.”

It would be a good idea to learn about their destination and Journey was keen to hear of the place his dreams always came to an end. “Do you mind if I ask if you hail from the mountains?”

@purplerosesbeauty

The fire-colored acha's energy knew no bounds. He zigged and zagged around through the crowd of kin, scaly tail whipping along behind him, trying to get a good look at everyone in the group and find out if they were doing anything interesting.

Once he caught sight of the mare leading the expedition, he paused for just the barest of moments. Then, he charged directly towards her, golden eyes blazing.

"Oh wow hi!! Are you one of the Motherfather's chosen blessed ascended legendary mares or stags?? I've heard so much about Matope's power being made manifest in specific kin but I've never met one of you face to face! Are you who's throwing this party or whatever? Where are we going? Wait are you turning into a wasp sometimes oh wow that's so cool, you are absolutely the coolest."

He then took notice of the shy zikwa who had joined the mare moments prior. He trotted a quick circle around her and continued, "Oh sorry I hope I wasn't interrupting your conversation! My name is Unquenched, it's nice to meet you, your tail looks super soft I bet it's really nice to help you stay warm with when it gets cold."

@Ruriska @Owlsomniac

[imgright]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... uncert.png[/imgright]Eats Flowers and Real Big Fish. Well, they were a bit unusual for totoma names, but not too unusual, or anything. And of course, who was she to comment?

Though she did pause a moment to look somewhat seriously at Eats Flowers, then at the plants growing out of her flesh through the cracks in her plating, and then back at Eats Flowers. "These aren't for eating," she clarified, "they're a part of my body." Well, it probably wouldn't hurt her too badly, and they'd probably grow back, but... It was the principle of the thing, you know?

"They call me Sleeping Terror," she answered once that had been squared away. "I wouldn't be surprised if some nameless folks are coming with. Even if we aren't leaving with any, for some reason, I think we may pick up a few on the way that are curious enough to see what we're doing." Big Fish had said it best- who knew how the Totoma would react to seeing them there? But she especially knew- just because as a race they were a bit singleminded didn't mean that each individual totoma was. Surely some of them would be curious about the wasp-mare that led them, at least- and perhaps at the crane circling overhead.

Big Fish's story about fishing, then, made her nod. "That's a good skill to have, though. No matter how much we prepare in advance, if we run out of supplies, the best thing is to know how to find more."

By comparison, Sleeping Terror had never been about traps or fancy ways of catching prey.

She just hit things real hard until they died.

@Scaramouche Fandango
@Prolixity

[imgleft]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... ncert2.png[/imgleft]

Conversation had never been Swarm’s strongest skill and when the red Acha charged up out of nowhere with a stream of words, she found herself completely tongue-tied. So much so that she turned into a wasp and stayed that way, answering Unquenched with a single buzz, antennae twitching in relief when his attention shifted to the Zikwa instead.

Wait - he didn't know where they were going? Somebody should probably tell him. Probably herself. In a moment, she thought, enjoying the focused calm of her wasp form for a moment longer.



@Corn
@Owlsomniac

[imgleft]http://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/image ... uncert.png[/imgleft]As Pestilence watched the mare, millions of questions tunneled through his mind like busy ants, he found himself calming down ever so slightly. Perhaps it was the hum of the wasps above or the idle chatter happening all around him, but for a moment, just maybe he thought all really would be well. His breathing slowed and he pushed the anxiety bubbling up from within him lower and lower with each breath.

More and more kin were joining as they walked. It was both a comfort and a worry, each one a mouth to feed and protect. But with numbers like this, larger predators should stay clear. But, then again, they would have to stop for longer, as it would take multiple trips of hunting and foraging to feed them all. No, this was fine. Good even. With this many kin, they were like a wandering tribe, each one carrying with them skills and knowledge that would aid them in their goal.

He swallowed hard. They were nearing the edge of the swamp. The dark buck had never traveled this far, and he himself had never experienced the Ache. He felt the anxiety swell again and his ears flicked nervously.

"What is it like?" He asked his mate. His voice was quiet, but they were close enough that perhaps the mare had heard him, "The Ache, I mean."

@Lirilei @Ruriska

[imgleft]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... ncert2.png[/imgleft]Circling overhead, As The Sun Burns watched as the herd began to fill. Below him, more and more new kin arrived, some nervous and scared, others excited and curious. Many of them a tumultuous mix of both. He was pleased. This many unique individuals were sure to make this a story worth telling.

There were Totoma plenty, which was, of course, to be expected. He knew that if he had been trapped from his home he would take every chance available to return to it. Some were loud and boisterous. Others were stoic or even a bit angry. But each one carried with them the knowledge of the Mountains, either experienced by themselves or learned from their ancestors. He would have to land eventually, gather some information on the setting of this grand tale.

Kimeti, of course. Apart from the buzzing mare who lead the charge, her low hum just audible to him, he saw some bright and colorful kin and others whose pelts were more reminiscent of the swamp, browns and greens, blacks and greys. Most of them chattered away, greeting old friends and making new ones. Others kept to themselves, either too nervous to speak or simply not wanting to engage with others.

There were a few Kiokote among the group, their strong legs keeping pace with ease. He wondered what the pair were like and found himself nodding, glad that the darker one had approached the quieter, more fluffy doe. Compainionship would be paramount on this track. After all, they would all have to work together to earn the answers they sought.

The Acha and Zikwa were a bit of a surprise to him. Not that they were unwelcome, of course, but he made sure to keep a mental note of them. Those who overcame difficulties assumed too difficult, especially due to size or strength, well, they simply made for wonderful heroes in any story.

The great white crane chuckled to himself and lifted his blazing red eyes to the horizon. They would be leaving the swamp soon. Excitement bubbled within him and, had he lips instead of a beak, he would be grinning from ear to ear.

The mountains called and Watch was eager to reply.

[imgleft]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... uncert.png[/imgleft]Cloy was pleased that her comment had landed as intended, noticeable by a slight sparkle in her eye. She nodded in reply as her focus turned to weaving through the bodies of the other kin until she found a place in the ranks that felt natural. Well...natural enough. She seemed to disregard Aphid's hopping around for the most part, her eyes trained on the ground in front of her and the nearest sets of hooves on top of it. But, she politely returned her gaze to the Kimeti when she was spoken to

"I don't know." She hummed, suddenly thoughtful. She raised her muzzle to try and peer towards the mountains over the horizon, as if the peek would yield useful information "Colder than I've ever felt for snow to cling to them as it does"

Her gazing was interrupted as Trailblazer came up on her other side. She perked her ears in greeting, though she couldn't help but be mildly surprised. She'd always thought herself unapproachable, but that didn't seem to be the case today "Mountain crags must not appeal to running types." She replied with a hint of her flat, trying-to-joke tone "You and I must be lost."

"A race would be nice" She mused. It wouldn't be long, but it would give her a break from the crowd if it did end up becoming too much later on "I imagine it would help keep one warm in that snow, as well"


@Ruriska
@zeflamigo

[imgleft]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... uncert.png[/imgleft]

Swarm had drifted away from Unquenched and the dark Zikwa and was in just the right position to catch the buck’s soft words. This conversation was more her style and in an attempt to redeem herself from seconds earlier, she turned back into a mare and addressed Pestilence and his companion.

“You will not feel it,” she assured him. “Not while you are with me.”

She hummed thoughtfully. She had been curious once, enough to try and seek the Ache. It hadn’t been a pleasant feeling. “But it is as if everything you have ever loved has been torn from you and only by returning to the Swamp will it be restored.”

@Blinded By Silence
@Lirilei

[imgleft]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... uncert.png[/imgleft] The opposite of Cloy, Aphid felt comfortable in the group. She settled into an easy pace, knowing they were going forward and her mother would lead her well. There was nothing to worry about. “It must be so cold,” she murmured in wonder. “I think it must be pretty as well. Everything covered in snow and so close to the sky.”

When Trailblazer joined them, Aphid peeked over Cloy’s shoulder with a chipper, ‘Hello!’.

She was glad Cloy had even more company and future friends to make her worry less about the trip. Someone to talk to about Kiokote things. Whatever those might be. Apparently running was one of them.

Aphid let them talk, falling back a bit when a new arrival caught her eye, the flash of red and a pretty doe with a... she squinted at the long bug-like mammal. She nudged Cloy slightly with her nose. “I’ll be over there. If you want to find me,” she said and then sidled over towards Seeing Red.

“H-hello,” she said, eyes wide. “Can I... meet your friend?”


@HannahBug
@zeflamigo
@Naberius coming to say hi!

Her first reaction to the mare's words is a sense of gratitude, and she offers her a small, quiet, smile as she falls into step beside her.

"Thank you," she says, softly, and glances around them at terrain that is already much different than what she's used to, seeing as she so rarely travels much further than the stream near her den - or, somewhat recently, to the gathering that had taken place during the winter.

She's just trying to think of what else to say when a bright red blur zooms up to them, startling her enough that her step falters for a moment and she blinks her small, dark, eyes as they widen slightly at the pure energy that seems to roll off of the Acha in waves. It's slightly reminiscent of her young niece, Sideshow, only... more. Secretly, though, she has to admit she's also very curious about the mare - but hardly feels comfortable enough to ask such personal questions.

Hush doesn't really blame her when she turns into a wasp and stays that way - though it does leave her the sole target of the acha's intense scrutiny for a few moments and she finds herself ducking her head, blushing furiously - though it's harder to tell with her darker skin and the red glow on her face.

"Oh, I uh.... y-yes," she says. She does tend to wrap it about herself when it's cold, curling into its plush warmth, especially during winter. She hadn't really considered, until now, how handy that may be once they do reach the mountains. Still, despite her bashfulness, she hasn't raised two children and taught them basic manners to turn around and not utilize them, herself. Finding her voice again, she introduces herself as well.

"I'm... Don't Make a Sound," she answers, casting her gaze down once more, her voice soft but clear as a small stone falling into a pond. "B-but - everyone calls me Hush."

With that, it seems she has nothing more to say for the moment, and longingly wishes she had brought her worms with her, or at least Prim, who has been with her since she can remember - only she hadn't been confident the caveworm would be comfortable traveling to the mountains themselves.

After a moment, she looks around a little, trying to get a bit of a feel for who all is with them, and desperately hoping to find a familiar face. She's just about given up on that when she spots a bit of red hide that looks very familiar, indeed, and allows herself to slip away from the boisterous Acha with a murmured excuse.

"Red?" She asks, and then feels a real smile lift her expression as she steps closer. Yes, it is Seeing Red, she's so relieved to see a familiar face that her next words come out in a bit of a breathless rush. "Oh -- you... you look well. Your wounds - they've healed ok, it seems? That's good. Um - it's good to see someone familiar."

@Corn @Naberius

[imgleft]http://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/image ... uncert.png[/imgleft] Cicada-crusher had been trying to keep count of their number, maybe that would be useful to assuring none got let behind, yet everytime he counted he found it seemed a few more had joined the party. Perhaps curiosity, perhaps latecomers. He wasn't surprised by the amount of Totoma, though there were several very big personalities among them. An Acha called to him, and he turned. "Ah, hello," he returned, bowing his head slightly. "I was born in the mountains, a long time ago. I left as a young nameless buck, because the tribe I lived in... didn't suit me well. They didn't care about much else but fighting."

He didn't like thinking about how hard it had been, and how even when members of his old tribe migrated to the swamp, they still didn't care about what he did. He didn't mind the name anyhow. Cicada-Crusher looked over at his daughter. "All my children were born blessed in the Swamp, and never had to know that kind of life."




Follow the Moths, feeling her father's gaze, shuffled over. Her eyes were bright. "I'm gonna get to see the mountains though! I wonder if we will meet any mountain Totoma?" She'd known plenty of kin from the mountains, who had migrated like her father, but once they came to the swamp she wondered if it changed them. Would they be harsher, would they welcome kin like her? Or like her half siblings? Would they be shocked to see an Acha like the one here? [imgright]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... uncert.png[/imgright]

@Ruriska

[imgright]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... uncert.png[/imgright]Real Big Fish had a lot to say, and Eats Flowers was content to listen as the older totoma spoke. He liked fishing, himself, the stillness of waiting and the quickness of catching.

"I won't eat your plants," he reassured the other totoma, mildly embarrassed. His name had been given first to tease him, and had then just ... stuck.

"One of my siblings is nameless," he volunteered. "I don't see him here, though."

"It shouldn't be too hard to find food in summer, should it?" he asked. "Winter would be harder."

@Scaramouche Fandango @Mima

[imgleft]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... uncert.png[/imgleft]  "I know you won't Stil." oh she knew he wouldn't have ever gone far from her, even with her gentle teasing being given, really.

He wasn't the only one watching Swarm curiously as she shifted back and forth, it was fascinating. Sure she'd met a few legendaries in her travels, but she'd never seen one behaving as Swarm was.


The question about The Ache was met with a shake of her head. "I don't know. I've never tried to leave the swamp before. Never saw a need to, before now." so she couldn't have begun to tell him how it actually felt. Just what she'd heard, and who knew how accurate such stories were?

Listening to Swarm though, she shuddered a little. The idea of feeling as if everything being loved torn from her was a terrible idea. "I'm glad being with you will prevent that." she pressed against the dark buck as they walked, offering him gentle comfort, while drawing her own from him.

@Blinded By Silence @Ruriska

[imgleft]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... y_ruri.gif [/imgleft]Journey nodded politely back, ears perked and gaze intent as the Totoma buck spoke. “It sounds as though it must have been a harsh life,” he said. Whether you came from the desert or the mountains, there were always challenges. And some kin were simply born into a place that didn’t suit them. Perhaps that was why the Swamp called to them.

He smiled at Follow the Moths, happy to see a family bond that would carry them such a far distance. “I hope we do meet some mountain Totoma. I’m sure there would be a lot of information to share.”

He stepped over a root without glancing down, head still turned towards the duo. “I have spoken to many different Totoma. They speak of great valleys, towering peaks and winter storms that are fierce and unending. I wish to experience both the beauty and the terror of the mountains.”

@purplerosesbeauty

[imgleft]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... uncert.png[/imgleft]


“So am I,” Swarm said sincerely and then drifted away once more, leaving them to support each other. They seemed like a sweet couple, united as they traveled and ready to face whatever the mountains sent their way together.

She moved closer to Dapper Mantis, her own other half, touching him gently with a bump of her shoulder. Together. It was nice. 

@Blinded By Silence
@Lirilei