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Description
Import link and name (including ID) of Tokota: Tawanna 12719
Chosen soul animal: Wolf
Prompt: The wolf will never reveal itself to your tokota if they have not overcome their fear. Demonstrate your tokota’s courage by depicting them facing their greatest fear, and overcoming it to prove their mettle.
Link to HP confirmation:
Previous tasks: N/A

***

Niomey had known the grass around the toko stables was dry. She'd been dutifully watering the plants around the barn, and never lighting so much as a candle near it. The property wasn’t her own, but a barn that many rented out as something of a home base as they explored the neighboring Aqtuquaq Forest.

But there was also straw in the crawlspace below the stable, stacked there by an inexperienced hired hand. The boy didn't know that the humidity trapped within the bales would mold, or that the process would generate heat. Combined with the dry conditions and weeks below the floor, the slowly rotting bales began to emit smoke. Then, on a cool spring evening, gave birth to flames.

Niomey wasn't in the barn that night - she was out with Tawanna. The striking red half-mane tokota was nearly ready to complete her rites of dominance, but Niomey wanted to ensure she could tackle her fears before they set out for the mountains. It had taken nearly three hours, but by the time the sun set, Tawanna was dragging logs with the heavy chain looped around her chest. Even the dark didn't seem to worry her as they jogged back home, chain still bunched on her shoulders.

The smell of smoke reached them first. Then the orange, flickering light, reflecting off the grass as they reached the rented home her and Adam had set up camp in.

Neither was any preparation for the sight of the barn, smoke billowing from every window, flames claiming the cellar door and the lower part of the barn, or the panicked howling from within.

Niomey forgot about Tawanna immediately, bolting for the door and pulling her scarf over her face. Adam was already inside, hauling open the box stall doors. The enormous carnivores were galloping out of their stalls the second there was space for them to fit, hacking and coughing. Flames reached up between the cracks in the floorboards, and had started to flare up on the walls and rafters from embers thrown there from the smoke. She could see all of her own tokotas outside – except for one.

In her panic, she raced to the back of the barn – the furthest stalls from the door were Tawanna’s and Denahi’s. Tawanna was still outside, but she could hear Denahi’s frantic whining, and see him scratching as she hauled the door open.

A creak above her.

She threw herself sideways just as a rafter came crashing down, scattering flames and embers. A terrible whine split her ears – her eyes were watering from the smoke, but she could see Denhai’s white form on the ground, pinned by the fallen rafter.

Horror, despair, and a rush of air on her cheek. Niomey turned, and Tawanna was beside her. Her eyes were so wide that they looked human, her legs were shaking, but she was there.

And she still had the chain on.

Niomey’s hands shook as she frantically looped the chain around the still-burning block of wood. Then turned, and took Tawanna’s muzzle in both hands.

“It’s just another log.” Fire burned all around them, Denahi’s whines cut through the air, Adam was calling her from outside. All that mattered were the brown eyes staring back at her. “Pull, Tawanna.”

She was expecting Tawanna to turn and start pulling. Instead, the halfmane lifted her head from Niomey’s hands, and flew forwards. A choked grunt escaped from the tokota as she hit the end of the chain, then scrabbled, hind legs propelling her onwards, front legs digging into the burning floorboards.

The rafter moved. Niomey grabbed the chain, adding whatever force she could. Below, Denahi shifted, trying to get to his feet.

Tawanna snarled. Low, terrible, and vicious.

The beam slowly stood up on end, like a drunk bumbling to his feet.

Then, so suddenly that it frightened her, it flipped, and the chain flew off. Her hands refused to let go. Tawanna’s strength turned from pulling to sheer speed, and Niomey found herself being dragged (really, more flung) through the burning building. A white blur shot past them.

Cold, sweet air hit her, and she was being dragged through grass instead of wood. The chain was being yanked out of her hands, someone was shaking her shoulders and screaming her name.

Niomey coughed wildly, sitting up, and blearily blinked as Adam stopped shaking her. And then laughed, almost hysterically, as she watched a pair of tokotas race down the driveway towards them, hauling a makeshift fire engine.

“Tawanna’s ready.”

***

Depicted tokotas (for HP purposes):
Tawanna 12719
Denahi 11787
Total = 10
3(fb colored shaded) + 2(complex bg) +3(755 WC) +2(handler)

Tagging Nojjesz

Description
Import link and name (including ID) of Tokota: Tawanna 12719
Chosen soul animal: Wolf
Prompt: The wolf will never reveal itself to your tokota if they have not overcome their fear. Demonstrate your tokota’s courage by depicting them facing their greatest fear, and overcoming it to prove their mettle.
Link to HP confirmation:
Previous tasks: N/A

***

Niomey had known the grass around the toko stables was dry. She'd been dutifully watering the plants around the barn, and never lighting so much as a candle near it. The property wasn’t her own, but a barn that many rented out as something of a home base as they explored the neighboring Aqtuquaq Forest.

But there was also straw in the crawlspace below the stable, stacked there by an inexperienced hired hand. The boy didn't know that the humidity trapped within the bales would mold, or that the process would generate heat. Combined with the dry conditions and weeks below the floor, the slowly rotting bales began to emit smoke. Then, on a cool spring evening, gave birth to flames.

Niomey wasn't in the barn that night - she was out with Tawanna. The striking red half-mane tokota was nearly ready to complete her rites of dominance, but Niomey wanted to ensure she could tackle her fears before they set out for the mountains. It had taken nearly three hours, but by the time the sun set, Tawanna was dragging logs with the heavy chain looped around her chest. Even the dark didn't seem to worry her as they jogged back home, chain still bunched on her shoulders.

The smell of smoke reached them first. Then the orange, flickering light, reflecting off the grass as they reached the rented home her and Adam had set up camp in.

Neither was any preparation for the sight of the barn, smoke billowing from every window, flames claiming the cellar door and the lower part of the barn, or the panicked howling from within.

Niomey forgot about Tawanna immediately, bolting for the door and pulling her scarf over her face. Adam was already inside, hauling open the box stall doors. The enormous carnivores were galloping out of their stalls the second there was space for them to fit, hacking and coughing. Flames reached up between the cracks in the floorboards, and had started to flare up on the walls and rafters from embers thrown there from the smoke. She could see all of her own tokotas outside – except for one.

In her panic, she raced to the back of the barn – the furthest stalls from the door were Tawanna’s and Denahi’s. Tawanna was still outside, but she could hear Denahi’s frantic whining, and see him scratching as she hauled the door open.

A creak above her.

She threw herself sideways just as a rafter came crashing down, scattering flames and embers. A terrible whine split her ears – her eyes were watering from the smoke, but she could see Denhai’s white form on the ground, pinned by the fallen rafter.

Horror, despair, and a rush of air on her cheek. Niomey turned, and Tawanna was beside her. Her eyes were so wide that they looked human, her legs were shaking, but she was there.

And she still had the chain on.

Niomey’s hands shook as she frantically looped the chain around the still-burning block of wood. Then turned, and took Tawanna’s muzzle in both hands.

“It’s just another log.” Fire burned all around them, Denahi’s whines cut through the air, Adam was calling her from outside. All that mattered were the brown eyes staring back at her. “Pull, Tawanna.”

She was expecting Tawanna to turn and start pulling. Instead, the halfmane lifted her head from Niomey’s hands, and flew forwards. A choked grunt escaped from the tokota as she hit the end of the chain, then scrabbled, hind legs propelling her onwards, front legs digging into the burning floorboards.

The rafter moved. Niomey grabbed the chain, adding whatever force she could. Below, Denahi shifted, trying to get to his feet.

Tawanna snarled. Low, terrible, and vicious.

The beam slowly stood up on end, like a drunk bumbling to his feet.

Then, so suddenly that it frightened her, it flipped, and the chain flew off. Her hands refused to let go. Tawanna’s strength turned from pulling to sheer speed, and Niomey found herself being dragged (really, more flung) through the burning building. A white blur shot past them.

Cold, sweet air hit her, and she was being dragged through grass instead of wood. The chain was being yanked out of her hands, someone was shaking her shoulders and screaming her name.

Niomey coughed wildly, sitting up, and blearily blinked as Adam stopped shaking her. And then laughed, almost hysterically, as she watched a pair of tokotas race down the driveway towards them, hauling a makeshift fire engine.

“Tawanna’s ready.”

***

Depicted tokotas (for HP purposes):
Tawanna 12719
Denahi 11787
Total = 10
3(fb colored shaded) + 2(complex bg) +3(755 WC) +2(handler)

Tagging Nojjesz