Large mountains enclosed the seamingly endless waters of Aippaq's Mirror. Large and majestic clouds, looking almost like walls, towered above the equally impressive mountaintops. Calliandra, a gorgeous lilac curly maned dire Toko, sat at the edge of Aippaq's mirror, gazing into the distance. She let out a content sigh and her thoughts wandered off. She liked coming here, although it wasn't always easy getting here. Especially during the winter it was almost impossible to cross the harsh and unforgiving lands. But now, spring was coming and the air was finally starting to feel a little more pleasant again. Her thoughts were floating and she quickly lost track of time. The soft breeze was mesmerizing and the view was simply magnificent. It was easy to lose yourself here, no wonder Aippaq's mirror was a popular place to go to and meditate.

She could've sworn she dozed off for a moment and Calliandra's eyes snapped open after realizing it. She smiled to herself and stood up, getting ready to return to her pack when something on Aippaq's mirror caught her eye. It was hard to make out from where she stood and she squinted her eyes to try to see it better. Was that... a deer? No- it was a stag! Walking there in the middle of the mirror. Curiosity got the better of her and Calliandra started to walk onto the mirror herself, eager to find out what a lone stag was doing there. The water felt pleasent at her feet. She looked down at her reflection, it was almost as if she was floating in the air with the reflection of the clouds above her surrounding her. The mere thought of it made her a little light headed. She quickly looked up again but the stag was gone. "What?" She quitetly uttered and looked around to see if she could find the stag again. There was no way he could've ran away and out of her sight this fast.

Calliandra shook her head. Perhaps sitting at the edge of the mirror for so long made her see things. She huffed and was ready to turn around when she saw the stag again, this time much closer and gazing at her quietly and calmly. He didn't seem to be afraid of her at all and Calliandra almost couldn't believe it. "Are... are you even real?" She muttered to herself and started to approach the stag, the edges of his face and antlers were somehow surrounded by a faint white glow. The closer she got, the harder it became to look at the stag and the white glow became too overwhelming. Calliandra had to look away and closed her eyes. She shook her head lightly, looking up again to find the stag now standing in front of her. He was beautiful and imposing and... glowing! However, the glow didn't hurt her eyes like before and Calliandra was able to look at the stag and felt her heart fill with joy. She opened her mouth to speak and ask the animal a question but right in that moment, the stag was gone. She looked around her in every direction, but there was no sight of him and no proof that he was ever there. For a few moments, Calliandra just stood there wondering what happened. After that, she quietly began walking towards the water's edge again, still feeling really excited about what just happened. She couldn't wait to tell her pack mates all about it! But, would they believe her?

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art © me 2018
characters © their respective owners