1501 words
A nose poked itself out into the meadow where Solfrida lived with her fathers. Dark eyes looked around her in wonder and awe as her long tail flicked in excitement. It seemed like overnight, and the meadow had gone from plain green to a canvas of bright colors. Taking a few tentative steps out of the safety of the tree line, the tiny kitten looked around in awe. Unable to contain her mounting excitement, Solfrida dashed back into the meadow, "Papa! Look at all the rainbows!"
Yngvarr let out a bone-cracking yawn. It wasn't a tight fit, easily fitting the large family of bright colors in its shade. Yngvarr stretched, then blinked and looked over to Solfrida - his only non-winged child. He couldn't help but smile, seeing how the little foal had grown so far already. Beside him, his cherished mate also stirred, causing Yngvarr to turn and snuggle against them for a moment. "You can keep sleeping. You're safe here." Tail flicking some, he got up and went to meet Solfrida, smiling. "Colors? Lots of them? As many as you?"
Sides heaving with excitement, Solfrida's little tuff of black and white hair bounced from hoof to hoof as she nodded frantically, "There's so many I can't even name them all!" She raced over to her father's side to nuzzle him, "What is all of this? There wasn't anything here yesterday! But they are all bright and so many, it's like the rainbows leaked from the sky! Just like the rainbow papa showed me the other day? Just like it." Ah, the excitement of being a youth all over again.
Chuckling, Yngvarr nipped at Solfrida's tuft of hair, then cuddled her. "The blossoms are in flower. Spring has fully reached this part of the lands, bringing with it many colors." Even as he said that he knew their little clearing had fresher and greener leaves than the day and even the week before. "It likely came sooner in other parts of the lands, like the desert or down south by the beaches, but it's finally here, and with the colorful flowers, there will be fresh grasses and leaves galore, and we'll see many more animals stirring as they wake from their winter slumber." Behind him, his mate chuckled with his thick winter coat. They'd be shedding it soon, rubbing it against the bushes and trees to dislodge the old undercoat, so they didn't burn up in the hot sun.
"Spring? What's that? And Flowers? Are those flowers, Papa?" The foal looked up at him curiously. She tilted her head curiously, "What's a desert? What're coasts?" Her questions were an endless stream. She was endlessly intrigued with everything, asking millions of questions a day. "Spring is when winter, or the time of snow, ends." He chuckled, then stepped out of their little glen, breathing in the flower-laden air. "The world heats up, and the cold of ice and snow leaves. Fluffy creatures begin shedding their thick winter coats." She then looked up at a bush. "Flowers are the colorful things you see on the bushes and trees that look like colorful starbursts. As for the dessert, that's a land of sand and rock, where very little grows. The coast is like the creek bed, but... Bigger. The water there goes on for as far as the eye can see!"
Solfrida listened intently to her mother as she trotted along at her mother's side, her legs making her have to move faster to keep up even with her very tall father. "Ooooh." When Yngvarr spoke of fluffy things, Solfrida looked at herself and giggled, "Papa says all the time I'm a fluffy thing. Will I shed? Why do we shed anyway? Will Papa shed?" Thankfully for Yngvarr's sanity, the curious mare was caught on the next series of explanations. Her dark eyes were wide with wonder, "You mean you can't see the other side?!"
So many questions from somebody so small! Yngvarr chuckled, nuzzling Solfrida. "You might shed! And he'll shed, yes. We shed because our bodies are getting rid of the thick cold weather coats, so we don't get too hot during the warm weather seasons. And that shed becomes the stuff birds use to make soft and comfortable nests so they can have babies!" As if to prove his point, a bird flew past with a tuft of something in its beak. There was still some snow clinging to the shaded places, but the birds were well into their nest building. "Soon, we'll hear the peeps of little chicks!" He smiled, watching the bird, then looked at Solfrida with her next question. "No, we can't see the other side. I don't know if anybody's ever seen the other side! Not even the water dwellers!"
The foal shrank a bit at his words, looking quite worried, "Papa, that's terrifying. I don't want to see the big water. What if there are monsters?" She whispered the last word, so very concerned with her newfound knowledge. "I don't wanna leave you and Papa. Never, ever, ever." She tried to tuck herself even closer, but any closer, and he would be walking on the little one. "I love you, and I love Papa so much. I can still stay with you when I grow up, right?"
Yngvarr chuckled, nuzzling the foal. "You can stay with us as long as you want! And I don't go to the big water that often; I like it a bit cooler than the water allows. It's much warmer there, and I've never been fond of it." Her nose wrinkled some at the memory. It'd been hot and humid and entirely unpleasant. There were also far more flies and mosquitos buzzing around to bite at sensitive ears and noses, and even nightfall wasn't immune to it. "I'm sure your Papa wouldn't mind, either. More singers make for more harmony, after all!"
Solfrida relaxed, her sunny smile reappearing as she giggled, watching Yngvarr wrinkle her nose. "You're a silly mama." Still, the foal was reassured that she never had to go to the big water but could stay with her beloved fathers forever, which to the filly was the essential part of that whole exchange. Her Papa was the most brilliant and perfect in the real wide world! And no one was as big or powerful as her Papa! Still, Solfrida only had a foal's attention span, and soon as they entered the meadow, her eyes went huge in awe again. "See? See Papa? A ground rainbow!" He smiled at Solfrida, then nuzzled her. "Better silly than dull!" Above them in the trees, the birds chirped and sang the melody of spring. Some stayed all year, regardless of the weather, while others only came to the area when it warmed up in spring and summer, taking benefit of the seasonal yields they each fed on. As they trekked into the meadow, Yngvarr's eyes lit up. "So it is! Look at all these flowers and blooms! And you know what? Some of them are delicious! Like those round purple and white ones over there on the clover!" He'd eaten many delectable clover blossoms by then, and she could never get tired of them!
"Papa could never be dull," She smiled up at her father with all the love a foal could have for her father... or rather, fathers. Then, his excitement became her own as she pranced alongside him, her little feline-like tail lashing back and forth, betraying her enthusiasm. When the older stallion suggested some bright flowers were good to eat, Solfrida sniffed, her eyes wide again, "You mean the rainbow plants are food?!" Now he had done it; he'd blown the foal's mind. She had opened her mouth to ask how to know which ones were good to eat; after all, they all looked so bright and wonderful when Yngvarr spoke of the purple and white ones. Following her father's line of sight, Solfrida dashed over to the nearest clover patch and snatched up a mouthful. She blinked a few times before spitting them back out. "Ick!" It seemed that the foal had gotten the blossoms, stems, roots, and even the dirt in her eagerness! Bursting into laughter, Yngvarr followed Solfrida, then bent his head down. "That can happen, getting the roots and dirt... The leaves are okay, as well. They're full of good things for us. They may not taste the best to a young one, so eating them with the blossoms helps." He took a careful bite of a clump to prove his point, getting the blossoms, leaves, and all... Without the roots and dirt. He hummed softly as he ate them, enjoying the sharp sweetness of the new growth, then nuzzled the foal. "Now you try again, little rainbow." Huffing faintly, Solfrida gave her father a look, but she knew her father never lied to her, so she carefully retook a bite, getting just the blossoms this time. She made a surprised squeak before eagerly searching for the sweet clover blossoms. The flowers were the best!
Yngvarr let out a bone-cracking yawn. It wasn't a tight fit, easily fitting the large family of bright colors in its shade. Yngvarr stretched, then blinked and looked over to Solfrida - his only non-winged child. He couldn't help but smile, seeing how the little foal had grown so far already. Beside him, his cherished mate also stirred, causing Yngvarr to turn and snuggle against them for a moment. "You can keep sleeping. You're safe here." Tail flicking some, he got up and went to meet Solfrida, smiling. "Colors? Lots of them? As many as you?"
Sides heaving with excitement, Solfrida's little tuff of black and white hair bounced from hoof to hoof as she nodded frantically, "There's so many I can't even name them all!" She raced over to her father's side to nuzzle him, "What is all of this? There wasn't anything here yesterday! But they are all bright and so many, it's like the rainbows leaked from the sky! Just like the rainbow papa showed me the other day? Just like it." Ah, the excitement of being a youth all over again.
Chuckling, Yngvarr nipped at Solfrida's tuft of hair, then cuddled her. "The blossoms are in flower. Spring has fully reached this part of the lands, bringing with it many colors." Even as he said that he knew their little clearing had fresher and greener leaves than the day and even the week before. "It likely came sooner in other parts of the lands, like the desert or down south by the beaches, but it's finally here, and with the colorful flowers, there will be fresh grasses and leaves galore, and we'll see many more animals stirring as they wake from their winter slumber." Behind him, his mate chuckled with his thick winter coat. They'd be shedding it soon, rubbing it against the bushes and trees to dislodge the old undercoat, so they didn't burn up in the hot sun.
"Spring? What's that? And Flowers? Are those flowers, Papa?" The foal looked up at him curiously. She tilted her head curiously, "What's a desert? What're coasts?" Her questions were an endless stream. She was endlessly intrigued with everything, asking millions of questions a day. "Spring is when winter, or the time of snow, ends." He chuckled, then stepped out of their little glen, breathing in the flower-laden air. "The world heats up, and the cold of ice and snow leaves. Fluffy creatures begin shedding their thick winter coats." She then looked up at a bush. "Flowers are the colorful things you see on the bushes and trees that look like colorful starbursts. As for the dessert, that's a land of sand and rock, where very little grows. The coast is like the creek bed, but... Bigger. The water there goes on for as far as the eye can see!"
Solfrida listened intently to her mother as she trotted along at her mother's side, her legs making her have to move faster to keep up even with her very tall father. "Ooooh." When Yngvarr spoke of fluffy things, Solfrida looked at herself and giggled, "Papa says all the time I'm a fluffy thing. Will I shed? Why do we shed anyway? Will Papa shed?" Thankfully for Yngvarr's sanity, the curious mare was caught on the next series of explanations. Her dark eyes were wide with wonder, "You mean you can't see the other side?!"
So many questions from somebody so small! Yngvarr chuckled, nuzzling Solfrida. "You might shed! And he'll shed, yes. We shed because our bodies are getting rid of the thick cold weather coats, so we don't get too hot during the warm weather seasons. And that shed becomes the stuff birds use to make soft and comfortable nests so they can have babies!" As if to prove his point, a bird flew past with a tuft of something in its beak. There was still some snow clinging to the shaded places, but the birds were well into their nest building. "Soon, we'll hear the peeps of little chicks!" He smiled, watching the bird, then looked at Solfrida with her next question. "No, we can't see the other side. I don't know if anybody's ever seen the other side! Not even the water dwellers!"
The foal shrank a bit at his words, looking quite worried, "Papa, that's terrifying. I don't want to see the big water. What if there are monsters?" She whispered the last word, so very concerned with her newfound knowledge. "I don't wanna leave you and Papa. Never, ever, ever." She tried to tuck herself even closer, but any closer, and he would be walking on the little one. "I love you, and I love Papa so much. I can still stay with you when I grow up, right?"
Yngvarr chuckled, nuzzling the foal. "You can stay with us as long as you want! And I don't go to the big water that often; I like it a bit cooler than the water allows. It's much warmer there, and I've never been fond of it." Her nose wrinkled some at the memory. It'd been hot and humid and entirely unpleasant. There were also far more flies and mosquitos buzzing around to bite at sensitive ears and noses, and even nightfall wasn't immune to it. "I'm sure your Papa wouldn't mind, either. More singers make for more harmony, after all!"
Solfrida relaxed, her sunny smile reappearing as she giggled, watching Yngvarr wrinkle her nose. "You're a silly mama." Still, the foal was reassured that she never had to go to the big water but could stay with her beloved fathers forever, which to the filly was the essential part of that whole exchange. Her Papa was the most brilliant and perfect in the real wide world! And no one was as big or powerful as her Papa! Still, Solfrida only had a foal's attention span, and soon as they entered the meadow, her eyes went huge in awe again. "See? See Papa? A ground rainbow!" He smiled at Solfrida, then nuzzled her. "Better silly than dull!" Above them in the trees, the birds chirped and sang the melody of spring. Some stayed all year, regardless of the weather, while others only came to the area when it warmed up in spring and summer, taking benefit of the seasonal yields they each fed on. As they trekked into the meadow, Yngvarr's eyes lit up. "So it is! Look at all these flowers and blooms! And you know what? Some of them are delicious! Like those round purple and white ones over there on the clover!" He'd eaten many delectable clover blossoms by then, and she could never get tired of them!
"Papa could never be dull," She smiled up at her father with all the love a foal could have for her father... or rather, fathers. Then, his excitement became her own as she pranced alongside him, her little feline-like tail lashing back and forth, betraying her enthusiasm. When the older stallion suggested some bright flowers were good to eat, Solfrida sniffed, her eyes wide again, "You mean the rainbow plants are food?!" Now he had done it; he'd blown the foal's mind. She had opened her mouth to ask how to know which ones were good to eat; after all, they all looked so bright and wonderful when Yngvarr spoke of the purple and white ones. Following her father's line of sight, Solfrida dashed over to the nearest clover patch and snatched up a mouthful. She blinked a few times before spitting them back out. "Ick!" It seemed that the foal had gotten the blossoms, stems, roots, and even the dirt in her eagerness! Bursting into laughter, Yngvarr followed Solfrida, then bent his head down. "That can happen, getting the roots and dirt... The leaves are okay, as well. They're full of good things for us. They may not taste the best to a young one, so eating them with the blossoms helps." He took a careful bite of a clump to prove his point, getting the blossoms, leaves, and all... Without the roots and dirt. He hummed softly as he ate them, enjoying the sharp sweetness of the new growth, then nuzzled the foal. "Now you try again, little rainbow." Huffing faintly, Solfrida gave her father a look, but she knew her father never lied to her, so she carefully retook a bite, getting just the blossoms this time. She made a surprised squeak before eagerly searching for the sweet clover blossoms. The flowers were the best!
