Dakota

Everyone has an opinion about Dakota, and the way that Dakota sees it, that can only mean that she's doing something right. The young pronghorn has always enjoyed being a bit in the spotlight, and she's never been ashamed of finding ways to get there - and of speaking her mind with all eyes on her. Adults were perfectly content to coo over the precocious foal in her early years, even when Dakota got up to mischief, or her headstrong nature led her into situations like the 'amaranth incident'. How was she to know that there wasn't enough water in that jug! And certainly it led to her making a name for herself, and soon all the calves, cubs, and hatchlings her age were coming to her for advice, or to be involved in whatever her latest plan was. She reveled in it, and was quick to pull others into whatever she was doing. But she was always in charge, Dakota was quite sure about that!

As she grew a bit older though, there began to be more and more comments on her behavior; how it was 'a bit childish' or 'self-centered', how she was keeping the other youngsters from their responsibilities, or how she just had to grow up and understand why things were done a certain way. This last always rubbed the pronghorn the wrong way though. After all, why did everyone do things a certain way, and what made it so special anyway? She could have good ideas too, she had had a million already! Everyone was always so focused on the community, and communities were no good at inventing new things! It took a brilliant individual, and then, then all of the bands across the plains would talk about that creature, and how their ideas helped everyone! She knew she could have the most awesome ideas, the best plans, if only she could convince everyone to go along with them!

And so as her peers were finding their places within the traditions and heritage of the Isles, Dakota was still eager to stand out, and to question everything. She stood before countless fires, arguing and debating that new ways could be just as good as old ways, that sometimes it took an individual to blaze trails where a herd would only trample down the grasses. And as the older members of the bands listened and weighed and began to pick out young creatures to mentor, Dakota found herself... passed over. Several tried to talk with her, to persuade her that her ideas did have merit, but they were too much, too quickly; that up-ending every way of life wasn't something that anyone was ready for. Dakota merely rolled her eyes, saying that if only they'd just try things her way.

The last straw came when Tanaka picked Kimimela as his apprentice - her friend Mimi, and not her! Dakota was distraught, and only became moreso when Mimi assured her that the two of them would still have plenty of time to spend together. In an act of desperation, Dakota threw everything she had into convincing Mimi to go along with a grand plan, a new method of planting for which she had tinkered up an odd cart with a spinning wheel. Mimi, feeling a bit guilty for how things had been going between them, allowed herself to be persuaded. And what followed was a disaster - two tents collapsed, a seed bin ruined, and creatures in an uproar. And of course most of the blame fell on Dakota, and Mimi. Mimi had apologized, acting like it was all their fault, and then gone away with Tanaka!

Well, Dakota is as sure as ever that she'll hit on a new idea, a better idea, and soon enough the other creatures will have to see how brilliant she is. Their lives could be so much easier, if they'd just take a risk on something new!