<div class="floatleft">(http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad342/krystal_dragoness13/Naliya2.jpg) </div><strong>Who:</strong>Lars<br/><strong>Where:</strong>The horse annex<br/><strong>When:</strong>Afternoon<br/><hr/><br/>Naliya moved the absorbent leather slowly along the horse's neck, back and sides removing any moisture from her course rather shaggy coat. She spoke softly as she answered Lars, "Well, to tell her story I have to tell a bit of my own. I've always loved working with and helping animals. I was always finding creatures who needed help and I wanted to help them any way I could. I would bring them back to camp and Mamut would help me figure out how to take care of them until I could do it myself. I brought home so many little animals and birds. She always encouraged me to let them go back to where they belonged though. So as soon as they were healed I would take them back to the forest. Everyone just... got used to it after awhile. One little rabbit I brought back had a badly broken leg which we weren't ever able to set quite right so she couldn't hop well. Her I kept as my companion because she never could have survived in the forest on her own. She seemed happy to stay. After a couple years she was carried off by a hawk though. It made me very sad for a long time."<br/><br/>She paused in her story since they had finished drying Tikka. She took the leather from him and handed him a fairly large thick-bristled brush, taking one for herself as well. She showed him how the horse liked to be brushed then continued, "Then one day, four years ago, the hunters came back after hunting the plains horses and a little foal was following them. My father was with them and he walked over to me and said, 'We didn't realize we killed her mother until she wouldn't stop hovering around us as we were preparing the dead to bring them back to camp. The others wanted to chase her off but when I saw her I thought of you and your special gift. She won't come near any of us but she won't stop following us either. Maybe you can help her though.' So I did as I always do when approaching an animal; I just moved slowly and calmly. She just stood there staring at me. When I got close enough I reached my hand out as I had you do and after a few moments she came to me. I have simply taken care of her ever since. It's taken a lot of work and trial and error but we've got it down now. So far she hasn't wanted to leave. The camp loves her because she is very useful. Like all the other camp members she has her jobs. The only one she doesn't like is Tamen and I can think of no reason why other than maybe she is just teasing him because she knows how much he wants to ride her. I know she'll come around eventually." Naliya let him continue brushing the mare while she got a bone pick and lifted one of Tikka's hooves and began cleaning it. She had found if she didn't do this Tikka would often become uncomfortable and begin limping a bit. "Since she likes you I'm sure she would let you ride her if you want to try. I can teach you when Spring comes if you like."