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Saara trundled through the thin snow, tail fluffing and curling for balance as she jumped from foot print to foot print. Grinning back over one shoulder, Aki watched her for a moment. The girl's new long coat billowed every time she hopped...the rich olive green fabric draping in panels in the back on either side of her tail.

Glancing up and catching Aki's gaze, Saara grinned. Her earrings were bright, as were her teeth...tiny and fine. Lowering her arm, Aki braced as her daughter crouched and jumped.

The view from Aki's shoulder was better, anyway! Curling around her guardian's neck like a generous stole, Saara watched the frozen pond approach with wide dark eyes.

"Excited, honey? Remember who were going to meet?"

Nodding, Saara tightened her grip...tail waving to the side as she balanced. "Tayyyylor!"

For a moment, Aki nodded...until she realized that sounded more like a greeting than an answer! Glancing up, ears dipping at the thought of being late, Aki peered around for any sign of the other pair. "Did you see her?"

Hearing the squeal, Saara perked...both ears turning to face the sound. Coiling down around Aki's body, heading for the cold ground, she scampered off into the snowbanks before Aki could blink.

"H-hey! Wait! Saara, that's not safe, you know you're supposed to be within sight! I-OMPH!!!"

"SHH!"

Staggering a bit as a little snowball caught her in the back of the head, Aki turned just in time to see her daughter duck down once more. She rubbed the snow from her hair and smiled ruefully...turning as the sound of someone approaching became clearer.

Who was this leggy lass, then, all abuzz and galloping along?! "Taylor, hello! Ooh, you look lovely! You'll have to find Saara though, I fear we've misplaced her!"

Offering the girl a wink, Aki stepped aside...honoring the time held tradition of 'waiting for the other parent.' When she finally spotted Syrcaid, she raised a hand in gloved greeting. "You found us!!"

Crouching as Taylor passed, Saara sprinted for a tree...launching from the snow pile to the trunk. The loosely crossed sashes of her overcoat pulled apart as she spread her arms, the garment spreading to the same dimensions as her extended limbs. Jarring the tree a bit as she connected, the girl hurried upwards like a squirrel...perching carefully on a thick lower limb. Her ears twitched with anticipation as Taylor galloped closer...

"Our Christmas was lovely! Saara's wearing her new jacket, and has a new bed! Well, more of a pouch, but it's what she prefers. She decorated cookies for me in return...you should have seen them!" Grinning with a parents fondness, Aki shook her head...still remembering the mess. "All sorts of spices and objects...not normal cookie toppings, oh no! How about you and Taylor? Did she enjoy herself?"

Saara was oblivious to their conversation, crouching as her friend neared. With a fierce sweep of her tail, she finally made her move...brushing a powder of snow from the branch top gently down to her friends nose. Even as she laughed, her motion tugged her off balance...and with a squeak, Saara fell into the drift beside Taylor.

"Hiii! Eeeeee!" Svelte fur frosted with snow, Saara struggled to free herself for a hug. "Hi Taylor!"

Aki took a few steps back, still watching the children, and smiling at Syrcaid's story. Finding the bench blindly behind her with one hand, she brushed off the show and took a seat. There was plenty of room for someone beside her!

"Ooh, so cute! Saara has something she's been saving for Taylor as well, but I couldn't convince her to wrap it." Aki's voice was soft as well, meant only for her companion.

Saara wasn't listening anyway. Eyes going wide at the sight of the apple, she made a high pitched happy little noise...batting at the smooth skin with the soft pads of her palm. Apple! She remembered now!!

Wiggling free from the snow for a moment, she bounded over to Aki....holding both hands in the air. Humoring her, Aki plucked the gift from her pocket and settled it into Saara's arms...laughing as she bounded away with a jingle. "She tied the bow herself!"

Waddling over the drift, Saara presented the gift with both hands...the object far larger for her than Taylor, who was still bigger than she. It was a shiny metal apple jingle bell, with a gauzy green ribbon!

"Dun eetit! Ow! Here!" A helpful warning! It would make a lovely necklace though. Waiting for Taylor to take her new gift, Saara shifted her short attention span back to the real apple and giggled. They both brought apples!

Leaning to the side, Aki confided while the girls played. "It's from a set of ornaments we bought this year...there was a peach, a cherry, and a pear as well! When Saara saw the apple one, though..."

Trailing off with a smile, Aki nestled down into her scarf a bit and chuckled. "Well. I'm glad you guys could make it, she's been so eager to see Taylor! Who, by the way, is growing up to be quite a lovely lass!"

There was something so vivacious and free about the young filly...perhaps it was in part that same quality that Saara so admired!

At the moment, Saara was too busy admiring the shiny real apple. Rolling it this way and that way in the snow, she finally found a resting place for it and CHOMP! Suddenly it was missing a bite!

Hauling it up once more, the skin broken by a tiny nibble, Saara offered it to Taylor as well. "Weekin share!" An apple was twice as yummy when two people were enjoying it!

Watching with interest, Aki glanced to Syrcaid with a smile. "Well, some peace and quiet would be a new experience! Saara's new thing is writing...she's coming right along, and practices all the time! On the walls, on my papers, on the table..."

Laughing without a hint of resentment, Aki tucked her hands under her arms to warm them. "It would be great if they could spend more time together! Perhaps Taylor would chat a bit more, and Saara would get out some! She's usually cooped up in the house or the garden...she's never really gone exploring!"

Letting the idea brew, Aki settled back and watched the children play...happy they found so much joy in simple things. Saara was finding more than joy...she had a friend, a snack, and lots and lots of snow! Taking another big bite (for her, anyway) she chewed happily as she rolled to the side.

"Mmph! Mm rachnmmph?" She flopped over onto her back to demonstrate...waving her arms and legs to make a rather indistinct snow angel. Would Taylor want to make one too?

Bounding up out of the snow, Saara peered at her own angel...one ear laying back as she sighed. Not too clear. Taylor's was going much better, though!

Offering out both of her little hands, obviously waiting to give Taylor a hand back up to her feet, Saara grinned and flicked her tail in excitement. "Up?"

Aki sighed in the same fashion, also enamored of the sweet children at play. It was as though they carried no weight...the world of troubles around them unknown and unmissed.

Leaning a bit closer to Syrcaid, she kept her voice private...still watching the girls out of one eye. "Do you...know anything? About where they came from?"

Aki knew the basics...whatever Karma had mentioned when Saara came into her care. A troubled world, a rift between them...amazing, but she believed it. Looking at Saara, she had to believe it! But the question still lingered.

What if she ever wanted to go back?