sailorvnes

It was bright and early, daylight just barely peeking over the horizon. The morning air was a little chilly even in the summer, but it would warm up with the coming sunrise. Her raven hair fell to her shoulders in natural waves of sandy gold, pulled back from her face by an elastic headband. She was dressed in fitted cropped jeans with a flowing ivory top beneath a dark denim jacket. October groaned, showing his excitement and growing impatience. Ysara whispered softly to him to keep him calm and also teach him the value of patience. She secured her gear to October’s saddle and secured the girth. She checked the straps again and made sure there was no pinch for her tawny dun tokota. As she did so a big head poked through the fence as a playful dire poked at her back. Ysara smiled. Ashani was now a full grown dun brown tokota, beautiful and sweet and curious. Also at the fence was her father’s mount, Stentorian Savage. The lilac snow-roan, piebald tokota appeared interested in coming

Theodore Carroway sat outside the lodge-sized house that an old friend called home. Nearby a large, dark blanketed tawny tokota was having something of a stare-down with Decarabia. They each had vague memories of one another, memories triggered by the familiarity of scent. Both of them agreed they did not much like each other. A girl was adjusting the arrangement of bright red-orange flowers artfully placed in the black female tokota’s mane with one pinned in place just near her left ear. Decarabia was aggressive by nature, but a little restrained here. The young woman was gifted with her hands and had an air about her that was calming. Rabi did not like things she did not understand and so decided that (while she would behave for Theo’s sake) she also did not like this lady. Garrus had grown disinterested. The female tokota was testy the moment she arrived, but that was the most familiar thing about her to Garrus. The years had made the male’s grays stand out more, but he otherwise

-START- Jinny and John made their way to the kennels with warm food, a radio, blanket and a thermos of hot coffee in tow. The clinic had done well in its first few years of operation, and had grown from a humble little cabin to a more spacious main building and large and sturdy kennels to house tokotas. John slid they large doors open and they entered to find the property owner setting up a hammock with her own tawny floof tokota, Redford and a bunch of others keeping her company. “You sure you’re gonna be okay by yourself Wen?” Jinny was concerned. John was Wendy’s childhood friend and was likewise concerned but knew there was hardly a point in trying to talk the vet out of her crazy ideas. “Totally! It’ll be fine.” Wendy was confident in her research and Redford and their ability to manage. With hammock set and some cozy tunes blaring on the radio, Wendy put Redford’s New Years hat and with that their party began. Jinny and John sighed but left Wendy with a smile and said they

“Ferris, if we get separated, we’ll meet at the gate later. And stay alert okay?” “Okay...” Ferris was unsure why she sounded concerned. It was a passport office right? We have those in the city, how different could…it….be? Ferris almost immediately lost Ysara and October in the crowd. Tuna pressed her nose through his arm, shoving her head forward so his arm rested around her neck. The playful tawny that had saved his life once was assigned to him again, and she did her best to reassure the man. === -START- October walked confidently with Ysara. He was protective of her and stayed close, and the air about the flecked, tawny-dun tokota was one of confidence for his age. He seemed aloof when other tokotas gave him intimidating glares. A maneless sphinx dire was slightly more aggressive baring teeth as it crossed with a stout man leading it. They crossed in front where Ysara and October stood in line. This time Toby did show his fangs to warn the other not to test him or threaten

The sun was just starting to peek over the mountain ridge, the dew-kissed air filled her lungs as she inhaled. Jairo raised his snout and did the same, his keen sense of smell picking up the aromas of pine and flora, wet earth from the light mist that fell the night before, and the faint traces of a fox that had passed through here. The black, vitiligo painted toko had set out before dawn to catch the sunrise. Click. The shutter of a camera with an oversized lens snapped an image of the landscape. Jairo’s ear flicked at the intrusive and alien sound. “Beautiful. Don’t see it quite like that in the big city huh? I mean we do see sunsets but…well not like this…” Ferris laughed awkwardly. And he cursed to himself for not better controlling his nerves around the beautiful woman he had been in love with for the past two years. “Certainly not like this.” She smiled as she tilted her head ever so slightly. He lost himself in her warm honey-colored eyes with little flecks of green. Just then