out of my shell

Sohalia

"I just feel bad for it. I know that Boreal has to eat, but the ningo has a family, too," she fretted. It was one reason she didn't think too much about what she ate - she'd be likely to become a vegetarian if she did, and she had to admit that she liked the taste of meat too much to give it up. "That's probably silly," she admitted, blushing faintly at her childish notions. But she couldn't help it - it was just a part of who she was.

For someone who hadn't known how to swim not so very long ago, Tal sure was eager to get to the hot springs, and that brought a smile to Soh's face. "Sure," she said, "Last one there buys dinner!" And then she took off with a laugh, trying very hard not to trip over her own feet. Running in the snow - even the packed snow of the road - was different from running on solid ground.

"Mmm... but it's a ningo," Tal pointed out, as if that answered every moral quandary in one neat package. Which, for a Halovian, it kind of did. "Pretty sure Rae made it 'specially to be eaten." Incredibly stupid and incredibly delicious? With no functional defenses? It was pretty much the junk food of the Tundra. Still, he reached out to squeeze Soh's shoulder reassuringly at her blush - and sent Boreal a mental nudge to scout ahead.

Tal might not have been Caido's best swimmer, but the hot springs weren't deep enough to drown in and he was fully confident in his ability to blissfully soak away the cold in them. He was looking a little too satisfied with himself and his suggestion when Soh tossed out her wager and took off, leaving the courier in her snow-dust. He yelped a strangled "Hey! No fair!" it was totally fair and took off after her, his laughter joining hers in the crisp Longheat air.

~Fin~