The Adjustment

[Micah]

Winter 81, 511 AV As much as Micah had wanted to wallow in his misery, he knew that he had to act fast. He had to move more quickly than word of mouth, and so he had immediately headed south, away from the impending death he had narrowly escaped. He wound through that region of Nyka and upwards into the southernmost portion of the western quarter, where his skills in the forge might translate into crafting useful things that weren’t intended to protect. He had immediately shown his papers, used the majority of the money his father had sent along with him to purchase a small dwelling, and sought an apprenticeship. Within two days he was settled into an entirely new life, and it was difficult to believe that only a fortnight before he’d sat listening to his mother as she laughingly told him stories from his childhood, from her own. The hurt was so terrible that, mostly, he had to simply shut it off. To ignore it, because to allow all of that in would weaken him so that he couldn’t climb from his simple bed in the morning to find his new job, to make his way in a city that had no pity on the mourning – especially if they were wanted. He made a point of avoiding the monks at all cost, allowing his ration to be dropped by his dwelling instead of receiving it himself. He avoided people, really. He went to work before the sun rose, and often stayed until the sun had set, even though it was hardly necessary. He used shadows to his advantage and kept his head low. After all, it was really a matter of life and death. On this particular night, the cruel winter of Nyka out of doors made Micah hesitant to step out into it. His small home would be cold, and dark, a big difference from the bright warmth that had always been his home with his mother. He’d have to create a fire, work to make something edible out of his rations, and so forth. It sounded like too much. Micah lingered in front of the forge, watching the embers glow. He was seriously considering sleeping there for the night. If it weren’t for the growl of his hungry stomach, he might just. With a dreadful sigh, he forced himself to leave behind the dull glow. The winter bit at his skin, shocking away the lull of the heat. He felt grimy and tired, and his hunger made him feel light headed. The sum of it all meant that, despite his best efforts, his focus wasn’t all that it needed to be. Without realizing it he found himself walking directly into a small cluster of oncoming monks. It was late, and so it was inevitable that he would be hassled or at least questioned. It wasn’t a risk he was willing to take. His only option, then, was to duck through a narrow alley and wrap back around towards the forge he had left behind. When he reached the doorway, relief washed over him. What he didn’t expect, when he opened the door, was to find someone inside.

[Xnnn]

Warmth was what he craved, and the acrid smell of a forge drew him like a magnet. His stomach growled loudly, but the cold was a worse hazard tonight. He sensed the snow that hung above in the low lying clouds covering the city, and knew that it would be falling by the small hours before dawn. This town was not like the other one. That one came alive after dark, and food of many different four legged kinds wandered the alleys. Easy pickings kept his belly full and Xnnn had for once begun to put on a little more muscle. Here, only the ones that smelled of blood and anger roamed the well ordered streets once night crept in over the high walls. Instinctively, Xnnn avoided them, despite the encounter he had with one of their kind. Nyka was as confounding to the kelvic as Sunberth had been, at first. Now he could only wish to be back in that noisome den of miscreants, where at least he could score a decent meal whenever he was hungry. If he had any sense of regret – of wishing to undo a past event – he might have berated himself for sneaking aboard the ship, the smell of fish an irresistible lure to the cougar. He had some vague idea that the ships came and went, somehow – his knowledge of the ocean was minimal. His surprise when he awoke and discovered that the world was rocking wildly under his paws was surpassed only by the horrible nausea that keep him silent and quiescent for a day or more. Finally, a desperate thirst forced him to shift and go in search of water. He was lucky – very, very lucky. The captain took quite a shine to the naked young man who stood so miserably before him on the quarter deck, and went so far as to offer him the hospitality of his cabin for the duration of the voyage to Nyka. He asked for very little in return, being an elderly man with fairly simple tastes. Xnnn had obliged, as it was clear that he could not swim back to Sunberth. When they reached their destination, the kelvic had high tailed it as fast as he could. Once again he found himself in an alien environment, and for several days he had laid low, coming out only after dark. It had been hard, though, with cover more scarce and a population more vigilant and regulated than in the other place. He had remained hidden, only eating once – an old, deaf tabby cat – and he wondered what he was going to do. One part of him said to run, to leave the city behind and seek what existence he could in the wilds around. But he knew what awaited him out there – long, lonely stretches of nothing but his own company. So he hesitated, the instinct to stay close to humans overpowering his own sense of safety. In cougar form, he slid through the shadows surrounding the small building that was now devoid of human life. Nosing about, he searched for a means of entry, but there were only windows and doors that were all locked tight. Finally, he discovered a small gap between the bottom of the wooden planks of the wall of a lean to and the dirt ground below. It was a squeeze, but he just managed it. The shed gave onto the back of the smithy, and a flimsy latch was easily broken with the weight of the big cat. The warmth he sought washed over him, and Xnnn curled up, his back right against the bottom of the forge. Ignoring the pangs of hunger in his stomach, he lay his head on his paws and his eyes drifted shut as he dozed, his senses still on the alert. Only a few minutes passed when his ears twitched. By the time the human’s hand was on the padlock holding the front door secure, the cougar was crouched beside the forge, ears pinned back, his eyes focused on the door.

[Micah]

As the door settled into the latch behind him, Micah breathed a sigh of relief. His hands were trembling, and he'd hardly noticed when he was still in the wintry cold. Now, though, the room was cozy from the lingering warmth of the forge and he could tell how he quaked in the fear of that narrow escape. Gods, how long could it go on? He wasn't used to living like this, terrified of his own shadow. With an upward sweep of his clouded gaze, he froze in the next breath. There was a huge petching cat staring back at him. What the hell was he supposed to do with that sort of threat? He'd never left Nyka, and so his exposure to wild animals was essentially nil. He had his dagger tucked into his boot, but the beast looked capable of moving more quickly than he could. With eyes widened in an exhausted sort of panic, Micah glanced away. He was frantically searching for something he might be able to use as a weapon, something closer. "Stay back," Micah hissed, sounding more broken than threatening. There were no eyes watching him here, no one to seem strong for. This was an animal, and the lack of humanity meant that it could see Micah as he truly was. Gaunt, exhausted, and afraid. With one quick step he fumbled for a heavy metal poker that rest atop a table to his right. Wielding it with both hands, he paced away from the cougar, putting as much distance between them as he could. Staying inside to fight a wild animal hardly appealed, but Micah couldn't go back out that door either. He felt as much like a caged animal as the creature before him might. He was absolutely stuck.

[Xnnn]

Huge, round green-gold eyes stared back at the newcomer, and through his sensitive nose, Xnnn could tell this was one of the ones who worked in this place. His scent had been noticeable and now the smell of the forge wafted off the young man’s clothes. The kelvic could easily comprehend territoriality – he was the intruder here, and when the man reached for a weapon that came as no surprise. Though the kelvic tried always to keep a low profile since entering into the world of cities crammed with people, the interactions which he did have were by far of the quite hostile variety, whether he was in cat form or human. He had found that people were quite intimidated by his cougar self, and of course unarmed humans were easy enough to defend himself against. In point of fact, he hadn’t been rushed by one yet, that wasn’t armed. But weapons – weapons were a different story altogether. Like the Zith, armed humans could be exceedingly dangerous – lethal in fact. And he didn’t fancy being clubbed over the head with that piece of metal the man was now wielding. But his nose told him as well, that his unlooked for companion was scared. Despite the cold outside, his pinpricks of sweat had that acrid quality that bespoke fear. His expression too seemed quite panicked. Xnnn himself wasn’t overly fearful at the moment. He simply wished to avoid being clobbered. If he had more wiles, he might have thought that the man’s fear gave him the advantage, but Xnnn was still completely simplistic in his outlook – towards everything. At this point, he was wondering whether he should stay in his cat form and hope the man would leave. Or perhaps he should shift, in which case he could talk and ask the man if he could be allowed to stay. All he wanted was shelter from the impending snow. It did occur to him that perhaps the man was only here to retrieve something forgotten. He had left once, and there didn’t seem to be the type of sleeping accommodations here that humans preferred. It was a bit of a quandary – give up his best defense in order to ask for tolerance? Or hope he could intimidate the man into leaving. The thought of a attacking him never entered the kelvic’s mind. Not since that hot day out in the tall grass had he ever once been deliberately hostile to a human. Xnnn watched the man carefully, his great eyes taking in the dark circles under staring eyes, eyes which had an odd cast of shimmering colors about them. The man’s hands trembled, as he held the poker out as a warning. There was that part of the kelvic that would always reverberate to a human’s emotions. The man seemed . . . fatigued – strained – desperate. He was a man in need - of something, though Xnnn couldn't possibly know what. He was young too - quite young, barely a man yet. And the way he stood, the way he held the metal rod so awkwardly . . . he was clearly unsure of himself. Crouched where he was, Xnnn shifted. With his belly as empty as it had been for days now, he felt a bit drained as he now knelt there in human form. Immediately, he already felt the cold of the air brushing over his bare skin. He held one hand up, palm outward. “Please, master, I only came here for warmth. It’s going to snow. Plaese, can I stay?”

[Micah]

Whatever Micah might have thought would happen next, the animal turning into a man on the floor of the forge wasn't an option. The Nykan was so startled that his makeshift weapon clattered to the floor, skidding in its trajectory until it rest somewhere midway between them. Micah cursed and stumbled back another step or two, until sweaty palms pressed to the edge of a table that was now blocking his retreat. "What the hell? What the hell?" If Micah would only gulp in two or three breaths of air and calm himself, he'd recognize the other figure as a kelvic. But he'd never met one. Not consciously, anyway. Nyka was wary of any sort of outsider, and his experiences had not allowed for a meet and greet with the shifting sort. It didn't come naturally, then, for Micah to just accept what he'd seen and move on. Even for a young man who had grown up in such a superstitious place, it was rattling. Especially when piled atop all of the other stress and worry in his life at present. "You can... you're a man and a beast?" Micah's brows were knotted. Incredulous, disapproving, but the negative emotions were muted by lingering fear and reigning confusion. "You're one of those. The kind that can shift," he continued to speak aloud, half uncertain whether or not he should speak down to the naked figure or not. He'd spoken plainly enough in seeking refuge, but did he understand just as well? The door rattled suddenly as if someone was trying to open it from the outside. The sound caused Micah to start, and his worry turned from the danger at hand to the more pressing one at the door. "Shyke," he groused. If someone came in and found him there, with a naked man on the floor... well, how would he begin to explain it? Micah shrugged off his cloak quickly, without thinking his next action through. He thrust it at Xnnn, hissing his directives next. "Put that on. And hide!" The kelvic scarcely had time to do as much, having just disappeared back into the storage shed, when the noise at the door became an insistent pounding. Micah muttered something to Uphis, and opened it. "Thought I heard some noise in here," the young monk at the door said, not bothering to introduce himself. His gaze was half accusatory as it swept over the dimly lit forge. "Ah, no," Micah lied, though not gracefully. "I mean, yes. Just cleanin' up. Dropped something," he said, his eyes dropping to search the floor for the poker. "You just started here?" the monk asked, as Micah moved to pick it up. "Yes. Nearly a week now." "Mmm," the monk replied, which gave Micah absolutely no indication as to whether it was a good or bad thing. Another moment of awkward, tense silence, and the monk turned to leave. "Snow is rolling in. You should get home." "Of course," Micah replied. "You have your papers?" Micah's heart dropped, his fingers tightening on the door he had been closing behind the monk. "Not with me. At home." "What's your name, kid?" the monk drawled in his condescending way, though he was probably only a bit older than Micah. The young smith frantically searched his mind for a name to give this man, one that did not match the incriminating moniker he'd been given. Hell, his employer hadn't even asked. He just called him 'boy' and went on. Micah's gaze dropped to the steel in his hand. "Gray...son. Grayson," Micah said, desperately. "Go home, Grayson." Micah nodded, and closed the door behind him with no small measure of relief. He leaned against the heavy wood for a long moment, waiting for his heart to quit racing. He'd almost forgotten the other man, until the sound of the door to the shed opening reminded him. Oh, right. He'd given the naked thing his cloak. How was he supposed to get home in the cold without it? What a damned night.

[Xnnn]

This wasn’t going well and Xnnn wished he had not shifted. The young man was clearly very upset, though Xnnn was staying down, his palm still upright to show he did not intend any violence. He was just about to offer to go, when his ears picked up the crunch of footsteps on the frozen ground outside. Then came the hand on the latch of the door. The young man almost jumped out of his skin. The next thing Xnnn knew, the man’s cloak came flying at his head and he was commanded to put it on. Any creature but a kelvic might have balked, or questioned, or demurred. But – having no idea why he was being told to put the cloak on, Xnnn still did it, and then fled to the back shed, conflicted about what to do next. His first instinct was to ditch the cloak, shift and slide back out the furrow under the wall where he had first gained access. The pounding at the door impelled him to do just that. But he hesitated. The newcomer was admitted, and his voice sounded . . . dominant. Xnnn had heard quite a few of these men in long robes as they roamed about this new city. They were clearly in possession of it – everything about them told him they were not to be messed with, and he had avoided them. The young man who had thrown the cloak at him was not one of them. They were powerful. He was scared. Xnnn was torn. He wanted to shift but he knew to do so would leave him feeling even weaker and more susceptible to the dropping temperature outside. His ears picked up the brief conversation in the forge – the long robe had told the other to go home. Perhaps, if he waited quietly, perhaps . . . The parting sounds of the long robe were loud and then – silence, except the slightly heavy breathing of the man. Would he leave too? Xnnn had already removed the cloak, for he had intended to revert to a form that would have no use for clothing. The man would need it though, for such was the frailty of the human form. He waited for five heartbeats, but still the man had not moved. Xnnn slowly opened the door leading into the forge, just a few inches, and threw the cloak into the room, swiftly shutting the door again. Please, man, he thought. Please go home, like the long robe told you to.

[Micah]

The silence was disrupted with the crumpling of his cloak to the floor and the quick slam of the door again. Micah felt bewildered. He was too tired, too hungry, and too exasperated to even begin figuring all of this out. He stared at his cloak as if it might come to life and bite him but, after a moment, it did not. And so he crossed to it and grasped it quickly, shrugging it onto his shoulders. Life was nothing but a nightmare now. Maybe... maybe if he could just get back to the shelter he'd acquired (it'd never be home) and fill his belly and sleep, tomorrow would be better. Or less bad, depending on how you looked at it. With one more wary glance backards, Micah flipped his hood up and stepped out into freshly falling snow. Whatever the man who turned into a cat had wanted, it was all his. At least until morning, when Micah wouldn't be the only one to show up at the forge.