[IC] =Karma Chipara's Teepee=

[karma_k]

Karma was what some would call a solitary creature. She lived away from the Kawani village by the bend of a large river to make it purposely hard for anyone except those seeking her to find her. It was not that she disliked people, she just disliked some of the comments that were often made in her presense.

Karma had been born with a very strange blessing, you see. Instead of the normal rounded shells of ears that most others had, atop her head sat a pair of russet black-tipped points. For reasons unbeknowns to anyone -- even herself -- she had adopted this particular feature of the fox and made it her own, though every other part of her was normal.

There were whispers among the others that she had been touched by The Trickster on the day of her birth and that the ears were a sign of his blessing. Others wondered if perhaps she was not a Kawani at all and, instead, a demon in disguise that was learning their ways and biding its time.

They had never come straight out and told her to leave, but Karma had eventually guessed as such and, without announcement or fanfare, simply packed up her belongings one evening and moved further away from the others. She had not been stopped or pursued, and everyone seemed to think it was just as well.

Though she got on well by herself with plenty of fish from the river and fruit-bearing trees not being far from where she'd placed her Teepee, Karma had been undeniably lonely for several years. The occasional fisherman or traveller that happened by was only brief company, and most left quickly after seeing her ears. There were no others that came to see her...

...which was why she was quite surprised that morning to find an ornamental charcoal-and-black basket placed outside of the front flap of her teepee.

For several moments Karma simply stared down at the strange artifact, unsure of how to react. Was it a present? If so, who would have gone to the bother to give HER anything?

Perhaps it was a warning...

It gave no indication either way and continued to sit in the early-morning grasses, the first rays of the sun reflecting off of the dew-kissed green blades and shimmering on the small blue jewel on its front, the only spot of color on the entire thing.

Reaching out to remove the basket's lid, she drew her fingers back suddenly as though it had grown hot, regarding the folded piece of buckskin that had been tucked beneath it that she had not seen before. Her curiousity getting the better of her, she gently slipped it from beneath and unfolded it to read the note that had been pressed there.

To Karma ~
To our surprise and delight, Belle and Zhuri have had three children. Both Caroline and I have kept one each and were unsure what to do with the third. We do not know you, either of us, but I was compelled, somehow, to contact you. I am not sure if it is due to the spirits' urging or my own intuition, but I am not one to question my compulsions. If you find that you do not want a companion, then you may bring the basket to the mountains where I dwell and I will see that it finds a proper home. Otherwise, prepare for the arrival of a new friend in the coming days.

Please do not attempt to open the basket as it will open on its own when it is ready. It has been blessed with a seal that keeps warmth in and other impurities out while the foal gains strength to face the world. Opening it earlier than when he or she is ready is a great breech in trust and may even result in its death.

With well wishes,
Kamiki

Karma read the letter over several times, still confused. A foal? In a magic basket? It didn't make sense...

Then again, neither did being born into the world inexplicably with a beast's ears. From within the basket, something shifted a bit and she froze, staring at it for a long moment as though afraid it might bite her. Part of her warned her to just leave it where it was and not touch it. There could be anything in that basket...things that made much more sense than a foal. Snakes, spiders, scorpions....her skin crawled at the thought.

But then, why would someone go to all of this trouble just for a nasty trick? No one had bothered her for years, after all...surely if she were going to become an object of ridicule and the butt of jokes, it would have happened shortly after she left.

At length, hoping for the best, Karma gripped the side of the basket tightly and began the arderous process of hauling it into her teepee.  

[karma_k]

It had been several days since the basket had come into Karma's home. At first, she had watched it raptly, leaping at the tiniest sound and rushing back from gathering fire wood or water, sure she would find that the occupant had climbed out in her absense.

But there had been nothing. if anything, the basket had grown quieter as time passed and Karma began to wonder if she'd done something wrong with it.

She didn't know WHAT she could have done wrong....all she'd done really was bring it into the teepee and let it sit unbothered. Except for the few times she'd attempted to talk to it, of course....

....maybe baskets didn't like being talked to.

Or maybe this is all a joke on you her mind whispered for the umpteenth time. Ever think of that?

"When I want your opinion, I will rattle the bars of your cage." she muttered to no one, taking a deep drink from the clay dish of water she held on her palms and then reaching out to set it down on the basket's lid. Well...if nothing else, it made a nice decoration. Karma wasn't much of a craftswoman and her home surely showed it as she had the bare minimum in comforts and design. The only thing ornamental in the least, aside from the basket, was the woven blanket that had been spread on the floor.

It was uneven, frayed at the ends, and the colors clashed, but damn it, she had MADE it and was surely going to use it.

Outside, the wind whispered past the flap of the teepee, attracting her attention for the moment. The days were growing shorter and the whitecold of winter would be upon the land soon. And yet, she'd still not started gathering. There was meat to dry, fruits to basket, grains to store, and all she had was...

...what DID she have?

Reaching for a larger bowl sitting on the floor nearby, she pressed on the rim to tilt it in her direction. Three dried apricots rolled in her direction, bouncing dryly off of one another and coming to rest against her fingers, making her vulpine ears flatten against her head.

....right. That would need to be fixed before much longer.

Getting up from where she crouched and stretching her legs, she grabbed up one of her gathering baskets under one arm and headed for the outside. It was better to be unprepared than not prepared at all, after all.

As she was pushing the flap aside, something rustled sharply behind her. Pausing, Karma stood listening for a moment, waiting for the sound to repeat itself.

Rustlerustle

She whirled on her heel to face the basket, blinking wide eyes as she watched the gray-black artifact list first from one side and then to the other, upsetting the bowl of water sitting on its lid.

That's going to spill if I don't--

It was too late. The bowl slid to the ground with a dull clop, spilling its contents on the floor of the teepee. There was no time to lament this, however, as the lid was nosed off of the basket and fell aside. As Karma watched, a black muzzle pushed its way into view, followed closely by a gray-black face that framed two china blue eyes.

The foal snorted, flaring her tiny nostrils as she took in her surroundings unsurely before feeling brave enough to lift her spindly legs over the edge of the basket and climb out.

Without thinking, Karma moved forward immediately to assist the animal, recieving a confused and frightened squeal and a sharp n** in reply. Wincing, the woman drew back, nursing the bite on her hand. The foal's teeth hadn't broken the skin, but it still stung.

The soquili stumbled the rest of the way out of the basket, landing in a tangle of legs on the floor before quickly righting herself again. Casting a final baleful look at the fox-eared woman, she ambled out of the teepee purposefully, as though she had no intention of returning.

Karma could do little more than blink as she watched her leave, processing what had just happened as her eyes darted from the spilled water, to the empty basket, to the gently blowing flap of her teepee.

At length she simply sighed.

"....well, then...."  

[karma_k]

The foal wandered the bank of the river, seeking safe passage across and not finding it. Everything of familiarity was gone and now she was left in a world of strange smells and sights. She could vaguely remember the warmth and scents of her mother and siblings before being placed in the basket to rest and gather her strength.

All of that was gone now.

While she couldn't deny that the tangy scent of the grass beneath her feet and the musky aroma of the fallen leaves were intriguing, they were not smells that brought comfort. What had they done with her family? And who was that...that THING that had tried to touch her?

The dark-colored foal cast a wary look over one shoulder as though Karma had suddenly appeared out of thin air. Seeing no one, she gave a small snort and resumed walking. A place this big could not be empty, her young mind reasoned. Not if so soon out of the basket she had already run across someone.

Unless, of course, the strange alien she'd bitten earlier was the only OTHER living creature in this place.

The thought made her stop in her tracks and ponder this. If she WAS The only other thing in this place, walking away from her wasn't the smartest thing she could do. She didn't know where to find anything here and, unless she could learn to adapt quickly, would likely die.

This....was not the most comforting thing to think of. The filly snorted again and planted her wirey rear end in a tuft of grass. She'd make it, she assured herself. She had to.

Getting up once more and shaking herself off, she started off again in a random direction. This was far too big of a place for there to be only two people in.  

[karma_k]

Time had passed.

Much too quickly, it seemed.

Months ago what had once been a gangly filly that had strutted away from Karma's teepee, intent on caring for herself, had now become a full-grown mare. While she had survived, however, it was clear that an independant life had not been kind to her.

Her mane and tail (or rather what was left of them) were short, uneven, and wild, torn away by brambles and branches giving her a feral appearance. Her ribs, like fence slats, stood out against her pelt. And her eyes, once distrusting and inquisitive, had matured into a hard-edged skepticism.

And in spite of it all, 'Will was content this way. In, what to her, had been a land of nothing, she had managed to thrive. When winter had stolen the grasses, she had eaten tree bark and nosed long-fallen nuts up from beneath the snow.

That was why it had puzzled her so greatly to find herself back here, standing fifty paces or so from the same woman's teepee she had fled upon being "born". She still had many unanswered questions...for one, where her mother and father had gone. For another, why had THIS woman been entrusted with her care? Surely there had been a reason...

Drawing a deep breath, she snorted deeply and tossed her head. This should not be difficult...not as difficult as it was being made, at least. It wasn't as though the woman had any place to be angry with her...just because she'd had the misfortune of being born in her filthy dwelling didn't obligate her to live there.

Comforted by these thoughts. Whipporrwill plodded forth, ears laid flat and what remained of her tail swishing purposefully. Her visit, as luck had it, was well-timed...no sooner had the Soquili reached ten paces and closing than the teepee's flap folded open and the dark-haired young woman within stumbled out with an armload of kindling.

Both females stopped dead in one another's presense, and for a long moment both woman and mare did little more than stare at one another.

"You came back..." Karma remarked, a smile unfurling over her lips as she set the wood aside. Whipporrwill's response to this was a disapproving snort. Though she could not understand what the human had said, she could guess.

"I will come and go as I please. Once I've learned what I mean to, I may very well leave again. That is my right. I am owned only by the earth and the sky, never by man." the dark mare stated moodily, pawing at the grassy soil as she watched Karma for a reaction.

"I can't believe that you came back!" the indian girl exclaimed again, reaching out before 'Will had a chance to withdraw and stroking the mare's velvety muzzle with the tips of her fingers. "I thought for sure you'd gone for good!"

The show of affection was met with a nasty n** from the Soquili's large flat teeth as she pranced backward nervously, shuddering. It...had...TOUCHED her!!

"Never...!!" 'Will growled as Karma nursed her bitten fingers. "Never without my permission!"

Karma heard only agitated grunts and whinnies from the mare, but the message was still clear enough.

"All right..." she said in a strained voice, waiting for the pain to subside. "All right, you're right...that wasn't very wise of me. I'm sorry..."

'Will gave another snort and then turned and retreated at a brisk trot, though she did not leave entirely. When she felt she was safely beyond Karma's reach at the base of a small and spindly apple tree that winter had denuded of its leaves, she settled herself, glaring back at the pointed hulk of the teepee in the distance.

If they hoped to get along...EVER...they had a lot of getting used to one another to do...  

[karma_k]

'Will had excused herself from the riverside clearing where Karma's teepee resided, deciding that a walk was needed to clear her head. The silent stare-off was getting neither her or Karma anywhere at all and the mare was quickly realizing that the ordeal was a waste of her time.

Why bother with a human, after all? She couldn't understand a word the fox-eared girl said, she had already made the grave mistake of touching her, and 'Will found that her months-ago memories of Karma from when she'd been a foal fresh from her basket had fully resurfaced in a simmering near-hatred.

Stupid stupid woman...!

On all sides of her, the grassland gave way to shrubbery, and then to sparse woods. Good. She enjoyed the woods. They created a shaded and secluded world of their own, shielded from the brightness of the sky and the full brunt of the elements. Had it not been for the woods, she would very likely have not survived the worst of winter.

The dark mare seemed scissored by the shadowed tree trunks before seeming to vanish into the crosshatches of blackness entirely as the woods swallowed her up, twigs and brambles attempting to catch in her short mane and tail and failing, allowing her silent passage.  

[karma_k]

There are some who would say that they believed in such things as fates and destinies becoming intertwined with one another. Whether that was true or not was anyone's guess, but as today's luck would have it, two fates WERE about to become intertwined.

A raccoon, light in color with darker markings, bumbled his way through the treetops, loping at a sedate pace. Legs as short as his, you see, did not manage much better than sedate -anything-. His ringed tail, like a flag, trailed after him with an occasional twitch and shake as he manuevered his way through the nests and tangles of branches and twigs.

This was easier on the ground, the 'coon concluded. However, the ground was not an option at present as, quite simply, there was no ground to be had. Beneath the trees that he currently padded through, the forest floor had been swallowed up by a murky swamp that stank of decomposing foliage as winter defrosted it.

Finnalli may not have been the most cunning of his litter, but even he knew better than to risk wading through something like that. Swamps were bad places...if not for their smell, then for what they could potentially contain. He'd heard stories of monstrous fish and horribly toothy monsters just waiting for an unwitting critter to venture close enough so that he could snap off their tail for his dinner.

And Finnalli liked his tail just where it was, thank you.

He reached the end of the branch he was currently on and crouched, wiggling his plump posterior before leaping to the next.

**CRACK!!**

The branch gave way, sending the raccoon toppling through the air before plunking directly into the swamp's foul water. Terrified, he clawed his way to the surface, flailing with tiny arms for something--anything-- to grab hold of as clumps of grass and strings of muck entangled themselves about his arms as he struggled.

Oh this was not good. Not good at all...!! The weight of his newly-acquired "decorations" soon pulled him back beneath the surface. When he emerged a moment later in a froth of greenish bubbles, he tried once more to save himself with similar results.

The frigid water and the accumulation of sludge was quickly robbing him of his energy. Another few moments, at best, and then he would have no choice but to succomb to his fate.

No one ever really expected to end their days at the bottom of a swamp....how tragic.  

[karma_k]

It had not been Whipporrwill's intention to be anyone's salvation that day. It was, arguably, one of the last things she would ever be caught dead doing, in fact. But something, be it fate or dumb luck, had brought her to the exact swamp that Finnalli had fallen victim to.

For a moment, the mare stood at the murky water's edge, surveying her options for crossing the half-frozen sludge short of having to wade through it. There were a scant few areas where stones and heaps of foliage-turning-compost protruded from the muck like bizarre icebergs, but that was about all.

It would have to do, she decided grudgingly, as she steeled herself and then began forward.

The first rock, though it wobbled a bit in its muddy bed, held her weight adequately. Lovely...now if the others would cooperate just as well, this would be a painless process.

Luck, however, had never been one of 'Will's strongpoints. The next rock held her, and the one following. But when she reached the first rise of decomposing plant matter, it didn't hold at all and sank beneath her as though it were nothing more than a heap of wet cloth.

'Will gritted her teeth as she found herself neck-deep in the icy and foul sludge. There was no profanity great enough to express what she felt at that moment...no curse that could adequately sum up the righteous indignation currently coursing through her.

"Ugh...!" she managed, sloshing toward the opposite shore as quickly as she was able, tangles of weeds, twigs, and gods-knew-what-else pulling at her legs. "UGH...!!!" She seemed to be able to say nothing else at the immediate moment as she reached the swamp's bank and scrambled ashore.

Whipporrwill had never been more grateful for her lack of friends than she was at that moment because, without even looking at herself, she knew that she was a fright. Muddy water had turned her sleek black-and-soot pelt into a matted nightmare, and her short mane and tail were a tangle of foulness. To make matters worse, clumps of mud and plants seemed to be clinging to every inch of her long coltish legs as, in revulsion, she kicked out.

Most of the smaller chunks came free...along with a decidedly larger one which struck a nearby treetrunk, hit the ground...

...and then shook itself off and attempted to stand.

Reflexively, 'Will shied away from the moving ball of muck as it opened a pair of shockingly blue eyes in constrast to the brown-gray of its soiled body and peered blearily in her direction.

"You....saved me..." it burbled  

[karma_k]

At the very moment that Whipporrwill was handling her newfound "friend", Karma was preparing for the storm that, very quickly, was onsetting. The clouds had been looming dangerously all day and now, just as the sun was about to set, they seemed to finally be getting on with the business of churning and thundering.

While it would be good to see the first rain of the season, it was also worrisome...early-year rains were almost always cruel and, at this temperature, sometimes resulted in hail. Her teepee had nearly been battered to the ground last year by hailstones and she was not at all looking forward to having to sleep in the chill of the wind until repairs could be made like last time.

When she was sure that the furniture had been arranged in such a way that it was securely holding the walls down, she threw back the flap to rush outside and gather her pots and jugs before the rain could warp them.

CRASH!!

The peal of thunder was so great that she had sworn it had vibrated her bones. She had also sworn that it had made her momentarily see flashes of white at the edge of her vision.

...or she would have, more appropriately, had said flash of white not also been accompanied by a flurry of hoofbeats and the haphazard rustle of the teepee's door behind her as it swept closed. Bewildered, she turned to blink at the closed door in puzzlement.

What in the world...?

She might very well have gone on standing there, had the first fat drops of rain not begun to patter against her brow.

Seeing things, she assured herself. She was simply seeing things. It had only been a lightning flash she'd seen, more thunder she'd heard, and the wind had blown the teepee door closed. There...it was all explained.

Filling her arms with crockery, she carefully nudged aside the teepee's flap and edged indoors to set her pots down.

...only to have them fall from her grasp as she was greeted by the sound of a shrill and distressed whinny.

The stallion was smallish, white, and looked to be thoroughly frightened as he stood in the midst of the teepee, all four slender legs splayed and planted firmly as he turned wild blue eyes on the native girl.

"Easy..." she said warily, not quite daring to touch him as he nervously pranced to the left, coming dangerously close to knocking over one of her tables. Oh this was just wonderful...just GRAND. Now she not only had to fear the storm trampling her home to the ground from the outside, but a half-mad soquili who seemed about two hairs from tearing it apart from the INSIDE.

But he was not quite a soquili, she noted...he was not as stocky as an average stallion, and instead of a tail that ended on the backs of his legs in a shock of hair, his resembled a lion's tail. To complete the picture, in the middle of his forehead, an ivory horn jutted out at a proud angle.

A unicorn...?

Karma felt her eyes widen, her mouth drop, and found that she was able to say or do little else as she stared at her rare visitor.

The unicorn was actively debating which was worse...the human that stood before him in this place that smelled of skins, dried fruit, and meat, or the storm outside.

"Oh dear..." he murmured worriedly, his tail swishing against the backs of his hooves. "Oh -dear-...!!" he said again, as though for emphasis. He'd lived for many seasons (arguably more seasons than he had any business living, some would say) and still he harbored such infantile fears as thunderstorms.

He had just never realized he feared them badly enough that he would blindly run into a stranger's dwelling to seek refuge -- a human's dwelling, at that.

"Its all right, I won't hurt you..." Karma was saying, though to Finster she may as well have been speaking in bastardized latin as he did not understand a word of it. He watched her warily, repeatedly checking her hands for weapons, despite the fact both were empty. "Here, why don't I just...let you back outside so you can go back where you came from?"

More gibberish. WHAT was it trying to tell him, he fretted? What if it was something important? His head turned to track her movement as she sidled toward the teepee's flap and held it aside. She was letting him...go?

The unicorn's heart swelled with elation and relief as he immediately trotted toward the exit of this strange place, not minding the rain as it pattered against his snow-and-azure pelt. The open air smelled glorious, the wind was delicious, the sky was--

BOOM!!!

Karma blinked as the unicorn seemed to vanish into thin air. Looking over her shoulder, however, revealed the truth. A blue and white rump protruded from behind one of her larger baskets as the stallion made an unsuccessful attempt at hiding himself from the wrath of the thunder, trembling like a leaf.

Biting her lip, Karma carefully lowered the teepee's flap and began to lace it closed.

"....maybe you should stay until the storm passes..."  

[karma_k]

Finnalli juggled the small handful of nuts that were almost-but-not-quite decayed to the point of being inedible after a winter of residing on the forest floor. The cream-colored raccoon was perched on Whipporrwill's back as though he had every business being there while the dark mare plodded in stony silence.

"Want one?" he inquired as the silence began to prickle at him.

'Will stopped dead in her tracks, drawing in an enormous breath and letting it out in a snort that resounded off of the tree trunks, over the gentle patter of cold rain.

"What I WANT..." she grated "...is for you to leave me be and go back where you belong."

"But you saved me!" the raccoon protested, scrambling to his feet and climbing further up her back to sit at the base of her neck. "I owe you my life! My very existance!"

"Dung is worth more to me and has far more purpose. Now LEAVE." she demanded.

"But I like you!" Finnalli protested, grabbing up a handful of her short dark mane and attempting to braid it as she flinched, trying unsuccessfully to glare behind herself at him.

Tossing her head, 'Will was gratified to feel the nagging little fingers leave her hair be and the raccoon's balance become dislodged from her person. "I am not for liking." she grumbled. "And I am about to conduct serious business that you would only get in the way of."

Finnalli's response was delayed a bit as he flailed in mid-air before thumping to the ground, immediately scrambling back to his feet and, rather than climb back aboard 'Will's back, chose to waddle alongside her. "Serious business." he echoed. "But, I would never get in the way of something so important to you, my lady! In fact..."

He trailed off, having seen something shiny that had caught his attention and lumbering off to find out what it was.

'Will was only slightly startled by his sudden cut-off of speech, but upon turning her head to see that he was leaving her for one reason or another found it quickly explained. The reason, she decided, was really not that important. All that mattered, really, was that he was gone in the end.

Relieved to be rid of her furry burden, she quickened her step toward the edge of the woods. She had decided, perhaps, she had been a bit rash in her judgement of Karma. Perhaps they SHOULD bond with one another...at least a bit. If nothing else, it would quicken the process of learning what she needed to know.

Who knew? Perhaps they could get to....LIKE....one another.

"So! Where are we going?" the raccoon chirruped, making 'Will start as his slight weight alighted on her back once more from one of the nearby trees. "We're nearly out of woods, you know..."

"I thought I told you to leave me be!" she hissed through clenched teeth.

"But I thought that for your important business, you might want to look nice!" Finnalli said, scrambling toward her rump. 'Will barely had time to protest before she felt something being planted firmly at the base of her tail, making her yelp with surprise and buck reflexively.

When 'Will had finally collected her wits enough to turn her head, she found herself staring at a blue feather protruding from the locks of her short tail and the raccoon grinning proudly. The mare's eyes narrowed to slits as fantasies of running to a cliff's edge and bucking the little nuisance into oblivion filled her head.

Clearly, they were destined not to get along in the least.