Snowball

Snowball’s egg was found abandoned and cold deep in the forest many generations ago. Thought to be dead, the elegant seed was kept as an ornament. It was placed at the center of the centaur’s home, where many other shiny and interesting bobbles lay. As time passed the egg remained unchanged until one day the great old tree that shaded the area fell, and light finally passed onto the egg. Sitting in the sun, it slowly began to warm up, bringing life back to it for the first time in centuries.

The seed began to sprout. It was not sudden as the sun rose and fell, constantly fluctuating the temperature of the egg. But even when its leafs breached the hard outer shell, beginning to crack it in two, the centaurs still did not notice. Too busy going about their lives to care about some old decoration.

So when one night during a full moon a fluffy little dragon tumbled into the middle of their home, the group was shocked. Where had it come from? No good parent would let their child wander the forest alone at night— especially not one this young. And that egg was certainly far too old to be viable… right? Sure enough, though, the seed was split in half on the ground, empty. The hatchling (who had taken to sadly wailing) was a conundrum for the clan. None of them knew how to care for a hatchling nor what to feed it when it got older. If they took it to nearby clans would they think the centaurs had stolen it? Would they be mad that the egg had never been given back?

While the elders debated one brave soul approached the child. Sunflower quickly cleaned the baby and scooped it into her arms. As soon as she was held, Snowball quieted down. Seeing this, the other centaurs decided that obviously the hatchling had bonded to Sunflower and was therefore now her problem. Though she was annoyed that her herd-mates had pushed the little one onto her she couldn’t deny that she had grown fond of it. Though she worried how she would now take care of two babies.

Snowball was raised as part of the herd. She grew up hunting and learning with the other centaurs, always popular to have in the group. Her claws and size allowed her to take down bigger prey and her natural magic allowed her to speed the growth of crops. She had many friends but was undoubtably closest with her brother, Barkhoof. Raised side by side, the duo often got into all sorts of trouble.

Though Snowball loved her life, she couldn’t help but wonder about other dragons. So, after much consideration, she decided she would journey off to try and find a clan of her own. While his sister might have been popular, Barkhoof was not, and he worried about how lonely he would be once she left. So when Snowball set out, he joined her.

They wandered between clans for weeks. The herd was well-connected, having many trading partners. Though all of these clans did not fit the siblings: either being too busy, too large, or just not having room for them. Eventually, they approached one of their last options: the Sun Patch Clan. The dragons of this lair were an odd mix of different sorts— it was a wonder how they all got along. But even so, it had a cozy vibe with many friendly dragons.

Snowball quickly felt like this was the place for her. Barkhoof was reluctant at first. He didn’t know the first thing about interacting with people let alone dragons. But he was quickly swept up in the energy of the louder members of the clan. He is still shy and awkward but is making progress towards being comfortable around people.

The pair work as the hunters for the clan. When not bringing back fresh kill, Snowball can be found in the library studying or in the common areas chatting. Barkhoof often spends time with Kirt, enjoying the calm silence of the dragon, though he has started to frequent the common room as he grows more comfortable here.