Mornings after a Blizzard

Mornings after a Blizzard

(Prompt #16 Snow Angel)

“Huh. Sun has come up. So where are all the Barn cats?” Smokey pondered aloud, inciting a response from the blueberry snowflake appaloosa stallion behind him.

Electrfied Ash’ two white socks up front and one little coronet in the back were well-hidden by the white blanket of snow which had refreshed itself overnight in the blizzard. Though no snowflakes showed themselves at the moment, Electric had heard from TideWalker that there were plenty at night. Plenty of snowflakes in a blizzard.

Meanwhile, the velvet on Smokey’s classic champagne hide stood out against his blanket appaloosa coat. Almost as though snow itself still lingered on Smokey’s rump. Some rabbit-looking conundrum of oval spots made him the subject of some teasing.

“You’d think the barn cats would’ve come out already.” Smokey pondered, the pink, white snip on his muzzle bobbing up and down as he spoke.

Electrified Ash snorted, with his snowflake appaloosa markings which gathered around his eyes like berries on a berry bush.

“The snow is deeper than they are tall. I know I wouldn’t go out in this. Especially in the middle of the night like you did.” Electrified Ash grouched.

Smokey, the blanket appaloosa stallion could only roll his eyes. “I’m Electrified Ash- and I hate being out in the snow.”

“You know, you didn’t even try with that impression.” Electrified Ash criticized.

As their legs sunk deeper and deeper into the snow, their monotony of footprints led to the fence.

“Huh. Looked much cooler out at night. I wish you could’ve seen all the lights!”

This only caused a sigh to emanate from the bright blueberry guy that had begun to head back.

“Well… it’s a little too cold for me! If I’m going out, I’m going out after at least a layer has melted. I’m certainly going to wait for my sister and Mother.” Electrified Ash muttered.

Some loneliness panged Smokey’s heart just watching him. Something common and normalized as leaving their birth-herd seemed to have truly gotten to Electrified Ash. As Smokey turned back to look past the fence, he wondered when that big 7 days Winter Festival would take place. Maybe he’d even get to see a glimpse of his own Mother there. Surely, the Loshenka who lived with the Russian borzois would be going as they worked a lot with the wood which fueled the festival itself.

Speaking of - - - by now, Sunny, TideWalker, and Snowberry had made a few rounds. As they made their way past lonely properties with even sleepier Loshenka who stayed snug in shelter, they realized more and more that they’d probably struck out. Even on such a sunny, snowy day as this. As their heads bobbed up and down in the snow, it seemed they had finally begun to make their way up the hill of the knob which led to Smokey’s ranch.

“The heck? What’re you doing here? Who’re you?” Smokey gauged the shapes which couldn’t quite yet be identified.

“Hey! We saw your lights last night-“ as TideWalker’s soft amber champagne coat came forward, Sunny couldn’t help but impede his egress with the corset on her black and white coat, one blue eye staring deep into Sunny whilst the other brown eye bore through him.

“Some of these Loshenkas aren’t that friendly- - -“ Sunny warned.

“Bye!” Snowberry called, already halfway to Smokey.

In a self-explanatory fashion, Snowberry’s grapefruit coat sported a reddish, washed-out tone that met with her large tobiano splash splotches. Her white muzzle and forehead give her away as a husky look-alike even though she didn’t have the real husky gene like Sunny did. Neither did TideWider, his large, white splashed barn-owl face indicating a husky appearance instead. The splash marking which originated from his chest to his stomach gave him the appearance of a white tummy, his splash marking leaking onto his tail in a way which caused his tail to curl up with the same white underside of a husky’s tail. A black patch on Snowberry’s muzzle where there was melanin instead of pink made her look dog-like.

As Snowberry neared, the bright, Smokey’s green-eyed face hung over the fence in intrigue.

“Hey! He seems nice!” insisted Snowberry, an expectant soul as she assumed much.

However, this time, her assumptions had found themselves correctly friendly just as she was positioned now, rearing with her front hooves dangling on Smokey’s side of the fence.

“H-hey! That’s a little aggressive! Don’t you think?”

Snowberry only laughed in response as she pushed back against the fence to land her front feet back on her side.

“I’ve seen you before!” suddenly, Smokey gasped in realization. “So… you are the Loshenka who cart around all the wood and supplies. I was just thinking about you.”

“Really? That’s kinda weird.”

He snorted. “Not as weird as you showing up!”

“Oh… are we intruding?” slyly, his bright white face glistened forth out of the shadows of the spindly trees.

“Oh… uh…” as TideWalker stepped into the light, Smokey couldn’t help but notice his soft coat as he stepped forward like falling snow.

TideWalker’s footsteps expertly glided over the snowbanks in an effortless task which wouldn’t be so effortless to those like Smokey. Smokey, who hadn’t trotted past the snowy bluffs so much as he had merely just gazed past and grazed them. With the departing of Electrified Ash, Smokey realized it was just him facing these two. As the third, Sunny, had stepped back. In awe of the scenery, she stayed just within sight as she waited in her comfortable solidary which caused her to hang back and observe.

“…you’re welcome, here, obviously!” Smokey continued, “But what brings you around? I haven’t seen anyone pass by until it’s a little warm.”

“This is warm to us,” Snowberry continued, “did you even see that blizzard that came through last night? What a bother. That’s when lights are useful, on a sleigh.”

“So… you were out? In that? Seriously?”

TideWalker bashful smile framed his words.

“Yes. It’s not truly that bad, though. Just not for everyone.”

“Oh yeah, it’s hardest on TideWalker,” Snowberry interjected. “I don’t want to lead the team, no sir-ee. Not me!”

Smokey’s wide eyes absorbed the information. “Well, as the leader of the team, you still get fun time don’t you?”

“That’s why we’re here! We don’t really get out much. You’re the first we’ve seen- so what kind of fun?” Proudly, TideWalker lifted his head with praise so susceptible to him.

“Well,” Smokey smirked, “I did make a snow-smear last night. Anyone wanna make a snow angel?”

With the bursts of laughter, Smokey Snips realized that he may need to rethink his wording.

“Oh, geez. Don’t even begin to think of brown snow! I’m just saying my barn cat made his best snow angel when I pushed him away from the lights!”

Snowberry’s eyes widened. “You been… electrocuted yet?”

“Oh yes!”

“Cat’s are best at it!” TideWalker laughed as they realized there wasn’t much they could do from across a fence.

That was, until Snowberry excitedly rolled on the ground from her side to her back, chortling. “Ha-ha! It’s not just me who’s been shocked from some little lights! See, Sunny, not everyone is so perfect.”

Poetically, Sunny had already hung her head for a nap.

“Mines the best.” Snowberry continued as she got up, revealing such a mess that one would have to wonder what an angel even looked like.

Only, TideWalker and Smokey did no better. Yet they would laugh until the sun came down in their best efforts to make a successful one. Finally, after being photographed by their laughing, loving, watching owners, they returned to their respective stables across the valley.