Ambergris waited at the transport pad with no small amount of nervousness. Ae had been entrusted with showing some visiting colonists to where the hojenst tended to graze so they could hunt, and ae was finding the trust that had been placed in ae nerve-wracking. Ae shifted restlessly, while Parhelion, who had insisted on meeting the strangers, was fast asleep in a nearby patch of sun.

The cold weather and weak winter sun had forced Ambergris to wear a coat, though gusts of wind still curled around aer ankles, while Parhelion's blubber kept the aquatic comfortably warm.

A flash of sun against metal and the rumble of engines alerted them to the flyer's approach, and Ambergris had to restrain Parhelion from sprinting onto the landing pad to jump around excitedly. Midway through re-explaining that the pad was for landing, not for playing, the flyer touched down with a rumble and sigh as the glow of it's engines shut off.

Three aerobics stepped out, and Ambergris perked up. "Laza, Illisandre, Coco?" Ae asked, not knowing who was who.

The fluffy white aerobic waved. "Coco!"

"Laza," the brown one nodded.

"Illisandre," the black one inclined her head.

Ambergris waved back and motioned at aerself. "Ambergris." Parhelion wiggled out of aer grasp and sprinted over to the aerobics. "Er… don't mind Parhelion. He's excited, he hasn't seen travelers before."

"Hello!!!" Parhelion chirped excitedly.

The aerobics greeted him warmly, then turned to Ambergris expectantly. "Oh, uh - welcome to Skyward colony! The hojenst usually graze in a field to the north, so we'll head there. Before we go, though, are there any supplies you want to pick up?"

Illisandre, Laza, and Coco looked at each other. They were all dressed warmly, and had bags of supplies and weapons strapped to their backs.

"I think we're okay," Coco said, and the other two nodded.

Ambergris nodded, and started along the trail, carefully cleared of snow earlier in the day. It wasn't too steep, so the aerobics didn't feel the need to fly, and the gravel crunched under their feet, compressed by their weight. The sky above was blue and neatly cloudless, though Ambergris knew it would surely develop thunderstorms in the afternoon, this time of year. Parhelion bounded along, leaping into the snowdrifts that lay alongside the trail on occasion, but mostly running around the aerobic's legs in excitement.

"Parhelion!" Ambergris called him back over, and was about to apologize when a shadow crossed over them, and an unfamiliar aerobic landed on an outcropping nearby.

Laza bristled, half-reaching up for a weapon, but the horned aerobic didn't seem hostile.

"Hello!" He said cheerfully, and cocked his head at Ambergris. "You're from Skyward, right? Mind if I join in?"

Ambergris stared at him warily, then at the others, but the others were all looking at ae. "...Why?"

The horned aerobic shrugged. "You're on a hunt, right? Figure hunting together is better, especially this time of year."

Ambergris looked at him more closely and realized that the aerobic looked thin - not emaciated, but still thin enough to be noticeable.

"If it's all right to you?" Ae looked at Laza, Illisandre, and Coco. They looked at each other a moment, then conferred in quiet tones.

Laza cleared her throat after a bit, loosening her grasp on her weapon. "As long as you don't try and steal our catch."

The horned aerobic clapped his hands together. "Excellent! I'm Egret by the way." He lowered his head to examine Parhelion, who was examining him with equal interest. "And who are you?"

A second round of introductions followed, and then they were on their way down the path, and soon to the outcrop overlooking the field. The hojenst had their winter coats, white and thick to blend in with the snow, and though the travelers had difficulty discerning them from the pale landscape, Ambergris knew how to spot their shapes and forms and the paths they had made trekking through the snow.

Laza, Illisandre and Coco were putting their heads together to plan an attack that would allow them to catch a few, but Egret, it seemed, had other plans. Snatching Coco's spear, the aerobic leapt into the air and darted towards one of the herds, striking from the air with precision.

Everyone on the outcrop froze for a moment.

"Hey!" Coco protested, while Illisandre froze and Laza swore vehemently.

Egret laughed in the distance, and Parhelion, not understanding, laughed too. Ambergris winced, but the three aerobics were too busy to notice.

"Quick, before it scatters completely."

The three jumped into the air, Coco pulling out a second spear, and soared after Egret's path, slicing through the air towards the panicking herd. Ambergris watched as they deftly corralled three of the animals and struck, felling them neatly and cleanly while Egret made off with his own kill in the background.

"Well," Ambergris sighed aloud, turning to descend the slope to see if ae could help, "I suppose he never promised not to steal a spear."

"Steal!" Parhelion said with much glee, and Ambergris sighed again. Children.