For the first few hours the three foals were more than happy enough to play with their bricks. However like all foals they got bored after they built every tower they could think of. So they turned their attention to the beads and gemstones the adult’s wear.
“What do the gems mean?” Yesric asked poking the beads around his uncle’s neck.
“Well, emeralds are innocence and purity- “
“Why?” asked Yesqen.
“Because a foal’s eyes are always green, they only change colour when you become a teen. Anyway, opals are beauty and grace, diamonds are wisdom, rubies are love and err, other stuff- “
“What’s the other stuff?” the twins asked in unison.
“We’ll tell you when you’re older, erm, amethysts are strength, topaz are cowardice and turquoise is creativity” he finished listing of the meaning of each gem. But he had missed a few. Sombra reached a hoof up and pushed it against his neck. Apart from the regular necklaces with rubies and amethyst, he had two chockers around his neck. One was lined with pale pink gems, the other was a strip of leather, which string hung of it with an orb of a smoky grey gem.
“Oh those. The pinks ones are rose quartz, they show that you’ve mated. This one is smoky quartz. Its shows that your a parent, you have one for every foal, technically they both mean the same thing, since your only classed as mated once you've had a foal, but you can give a half full rose quartz to say your a couple. Sombra, this smokey quartz is for you.”
“So why are they so tight to your neck?” Yesric asked.
“Because they’re the most important ones, held as close to your blood as possible” then the two twins started to guess what theirs would be, mocking each other with whichever they thought were weaker.
“I bet it’s really embarrassing to have a topaz one” Yesric decided, which his sister agreed.
“Now just because someone wears topaz doesn’t mean they’re a wimp. Your uncle wears them and he doesn’t cower in fear. They all have other deeper meanings. Folwin tends to double check everything, which can save your life when he fixes a knot in a rope.” They went silent for a bit before Yesqen asked another question.
“Do they fall off if you turn to shadow?” they had seen members of their tribe shift before yet they always noticed the gems never fell and when they reformed they were there in perfect place.
“Well, they don’t necessarily fall off, the body dissolves and they are kept in the shadow by our magic. When we reform we move them out the way then put them on, so we don’t accidently merge into them.” he showed them by dissolving away into shadow, only his eyes were left glowing amidst the dark. They could all see the necklaces and chokers floating around. Then when he shifted back into a physical form they did in fact float out the way of his neck only to rise up and slip over his head before his horn formed. But then their attention was drawn away from the necklaces to the hair that was automatically re-braiding itself.
“Why do we always have our hair done up?” Yesqen asked yet another question.
“It’s mostly for convenience. Sombra you won’t remember this, but you two will. When me and Rabia were making Binkie we pulled our hair out for various parts of it. you may remember that it grew back by the next day. Because of the way our hair grows back its pointless to cut it, so we braid it instead. There’s no specific ways and meanings like the gems have, you just where them a way you think expresses you best” every member of the tribe wore their hair differently (tails are usually left untouched). Vacio in particular wore his hair only partly in braids. The braids that were their were thin, throughout silver loops were weaved in. Those braids sat on top of the loose hair, effectively holding it down.
“I like your hair” Yesric complimented him.
“Thank you. I think Sombra likes his dam’s hair” Sombra nodded in response. Rabia tied all of her hair into one thick braid. There were no metals woven throughout, but at the end a large gold loop was tied in. Sombra had a tendency to tug on it when he wanted her attention. His sire didn’t have that loop, so now he was tapping his leg profusely.
“What’s up bud?”
“I’m hungry”
“Me too” the twins said as well.
“Alright I’ll get some food. I’ll seal you in” He left the three in the cave as he sealed it off. The twins noticed Sombra beginning to shake, so they huddled next to him which helped him stay calm. It was something all umbrum learned from their parents, it felt like safety. It only took ten minutes for Vacio to return with four fat salmons.
Before long the salmons were cooked over the fire. He had grabbed a load of water from wherever he went. He had put the bowl over the fire and the water evaporated and left salt behind. Which he used to season the fish.
“It’s not as good as your granddams but its still food so you lot won’t mind” he said as the twins started to greedily chomp down the fish, every bone and organ. Sombra was still getting used to solid food and he wouldn’t be able to eat the bones until his adult teeth grew in. They all ate in silence, Sombra after trying to chomp through the bones gave up and gave them to his sire. The three foals fell asleep after their meal which gave Vacio his own time to get a nap before they woke up full of energy.