[Flashback] The Respite [Nustril]

by **Cypress** on June 5th, 2010, 10:29 pm

Timestamp: 29th of Summer, 509 A.V.

The ongoing return to her homeland of Endrykas had provided much excitement, mostly in the form of team hunting with Nustril, but Cypress was ready for a brief respite from the adventuring. Her mate could certainly not begrudge her a little pampering stop, they would reach her home soon enough. Their hunts had gone from a series of loosely connected actions that usually ended in the defeat of their prey, to a precisely executed composition that played out in perfect balance. Experience had surely worked to their benefit. As she rode along on Dolanne, her mind sifted through the things they'd learned, leaving her genuinely impressed by their teamwork.

Nustril was close by, of this she was certain, but he had taken to remaining within safe distance of her while trying to keep his exact whereabouts a secret, practice makes perfect. She took a cursory glance around the area, not expecting to see him, but every once in a while she was able to catch a flash of black as he poured himself over the landscape.

The route they were taking had led them close to Syliras, and while she had no desire to visit the city, she was keenly interested in a local landmark. Without letting on to Nustril, she had adjusted their path to lead them to a little bit of utopia, The Sacred Hotsprings. She could almost feel the tingling water flowing over her muscles, the very thought making her pull her knees tight and egg Dolanne into a smooth gallop. In preparation she began twisting her hair to sit high on her head, weaving it through itself until only a few stray tails rested on her neck and shoulders.

Once more she took a look for the tiger, to no avail. In her mind the voice of Nustril, the man, groused about her leading them here, adopting a tone that to most, would sound threatening, but to her, made it nearly impossible not to want to get into his space and distract him. The thought made her laugh, just a little, hiding it before she got caught. The landscape opened wide as she mounted a hill and her destination revealed itself. Her hand resting softly on the horse's neck slowed Dolanne and finally brought her to a stop. The hotsprings were a welcome sight..and if it were possible to feel the benefits simply by looking, she would have sworn that her muscles became less weary. Cypress leaned over, draping her body along the stryder, her hands caressing the horse's neck beneath her mane. "This is not going to go over well with you know who.."

by **Nustril** on June 5th, 2010, 10:54 pm

With his own inner monologue Nustril continued to grouse about Cypress leading them down here. Socially, aside from his need for Cypress, he was more wild than man. He did not like coming down here where there were so many humans and the like. You could predict the movements of an angry boar, your could anticipate the charge of a stag protecting his herd, but if there was any animal on Mizahar that could not be anticipated it was man.

Moreso than even in the wilds, the tiger constantly criss crossed their trail with his belly low to the ground. Each step was preceded by a glance at the ground to avoid crunching a twig or rustling a leaf. In those areas where the brush was too dense to avoid such noise he slowed to a belly crawl and allowed the pads of his feet to brush his path gently clean before each step. There was no more noise generated by the tiger than there was by the ordinary housecat.

Using his whiskers to test the wind he would adjust his course constantly to avoid being downwind of the trail. There were two motivations behind his stealth. The first being his belief that this really was dangerous territory. The tiger was highly protective of his lover, and highly suspicious of the so called civilized places of the world.

The second was his need to save face, as all felines do. Though he had to admit that it was unlikely for them to be attacked, the very fact that he had made that argument earlier meant that he had to follow through with his statement. So now, just as he had grouched about earlier, he was going to be stalking Cypress like a guardian of shadow until they were no longer in this area of the region.

He could almost feel the cloying humidity of the hotsprings on his fur at the same time that it came into view for Cypress. The woman knew her companion too well. This certainly was not going over well with you know who.

by **Cypress** on June 5th, 2010, 11:12 pm

Without having to turn, Cy could feel Nustril's presence behind her. There was little doubt in her mind that were she to 'eavesdrop', as he had so delicately put it, on his current state, she would find his usual welcoming gold mutated into something far less approachable. She spoke aloud, depositing her words onto the slight breeze to be carried to his ears. Along with those word, her hand lifted, pressing flat against the invisible force of his unspoken protests.. "Before you say anything, growl at me or bristle up like a ornery house cat, take into consideration that I might like a bath." She looked back over her shoulder at him, instantly seeing the way his fur fluffed in the humid airand doing her best to stifle a giggle. "You might even join me..." Crystalline blue eyes flashed a little mischief, and her lips pouted almost imperceptibly.

The offer made, she did not wait around for him to ponder. In a graceful sweep, her leg swung over Dolanne's neck and she slid from the horse. Pacified with a handful of sweet grains, Dolanne relaxed, strolling over to the rocky wall that acted as a basin for the springs to graze. Cy moved toward the edge of the water, crouched down and dragged her fingers along the surface. "Heavenly.." Her voice became lyrical, seeking to lure him to her like a tempting feather on a string. There was no one else in sight for the moment, so she casually removed her leathers, setting them neatly in a pile by the water's edge. After checking her hair was securely knotted and wearing her underthings, she waded into the spring, gasping happily as the hot water tingled across her skin. "You are missing something that is truly magical..." With a smirk on her face, and her back to Nustril, she slipped into the water, a contented sigh slipping from her lips to join the steam radiating from the water's surface.

by **Nustril** on June 5th, 2010, 11:58 pm

A low growl rumbled out of the cat, so slowly it came out sounding like a dark and angry purr. He was certainly not going to be joining her in the water without a fight. And by fight, he of course meant a type of fashionable lateness which clearly implied that he was in charge of the situation. That sort of delay sounded quite appropriate to the situation.

Sticking to what shadows were available the black cat circled a short distance around the hot springs on either side of Cypress. The pads of his paws muffled the sound of his stalking, and his eyes continued to glance down at the ground for anything that might give him away. Once he cracked a small branch, which had seemed stable enough to support his weight. Placing his paw on it was all that had been necessary to reveal the old and rotted interior of the wood.

Regaining his balance was a simple matter, and he decided to slink swiftly away from that position so that Cypress would not have a clear direction to aim the amused look he was sure would be coming. He could slink out here if he wanted to. No amount of cajoling would satisfy him. There was nothing she could do to lure him closer.

Huh, Cypress in her underthings. Niiice.

by **Cypress** on June 6th, 2010, 12:23 am

As the water lapped around her shoulders, Cypress surrendered the last of her modesty. The first to go were her cotton drawers as she shimmied out them, followed closely by her peeling off her cotton chemise. She tossed both onto the bank with a wet slap! Drops of water sprayed from her clothes to sprinkle across Nustril's snout, as if to say she saw him there in the shadows.

She blew out her breath and lowered into the water, then with one push, sliced through until she felt the rocky wall against her hands. With her head tilted toward the sky, she broke the surface, twisting rivers of water winding down the plane of her face. Spinning so her back rested against the wall of the spring, she slipped lower, a thin layer of water between her back and the wall made the transition smooth as silk. After hooking her fingertips over a small ledge, she closed her eyes and waited, singing softly a song she used to calm the cat.

Close your eyes, the light will remain
Held fast in the arms of one million stars

Rest your body, the earth will remain
Drawn into use by the boughs that will hold you

Ease your mind, the strife will remain
Calmed into serenity as your heart you regain

Her eyes did not open as she continued the song, but keen ears listened closely for the sound of the cat.

by **Nustril** on June 6th, 2010, 12:32 am

As she splashed her clothes out of the water and sank down into the pool he began to slink closer. One paw, his left, reached out very slowly and nudged a twig out of the way before settling on the dirt. Then in the manner of cats his tentative approach increased in pace. Right paw left paw. Tail twitch. Eyes wide. Mouth slightly parted. Right paw left paw right paw left paw LEAP!

Water slopped everywhere, interrupting her song as eight hundred pounds of cat struck the surface of the water like a breaching whale. It had not been the most carefully planned out maneuver. Nustril found himself flailing around with the wind knocked out of him. Looking like a drowning Dire Rat, he flailed over to the edge of the spring with his nose above water.

A shimmer of light accompanied his transition to human form. Looking over Cypress he gave her a sheepish grin.

by **Cypress** on June 6th, 2010, 12:50 am

The displacement of water nearly drowned Cy and as she choked on most of the pool being forced into her throat, she simultaneously held off a fit of laughter. The sight of the giant cat thrashing toward the edge of the pool would be an image to entertain for years to come, she loved how his ears seemed pasted to the sides of his skull and though it seemed impossible, how he pouted at being drenched. When she had hacked out the last of the water she hadn't swallowed she returned to her relaxed posture. "Smooth."

While one hand held her in place, she used the other to brush a veil of black hair off her face, dragged from its knot by the 'changing tide'. She smiled at the shifted Nustril, the grin on his face the perfect punctuation to his arrival. "You decided to join me. What a nice surprise." She grinned. "Now tell me this does not feel wonderful."

by **Nustril** on June 6th, 2010, 1:06 am

With a toss of his head he snorted. "Wonderful. Hmph. No need to go giving the place credit it doesn't deserve. I would call it adequate." After having said that he smiled and began to slink along the edge of the springs toward her. Once he reached her he slipped her into the crook of his arm and cuddled her by the edge of the water.

"Much better without fur, I must admit." He smiled and leaned down to kiss her cheek. With a sigh he leaned back and sank against the wall. It would be nice to relax for a few bells.

by **Cypress** on June 6th, 2010, 11:52 pm

"Adequate.. pfft." She was well aware that she would get no further concessions from Nustril, but it never hurt to tease him, just a little. Gearing up for a little verbal sparring, she was just about to continue when she was drawn into that comforting crook. In response, her hand snaked along his neck until her fingers could delicately shadow the curve of his ear, the same way she would if he were in tiger form. Her thumb pressed firmly on the outer curl, a place she knew to be quite disarming, and meanwhile the very tips of her fingers spread like a fracture running in ice, spanning the strong muscles of his neck.

The minerals in the water gave it some degree of effervescence, sending miniscule bubbles racing over the surface of her skin when she shifted even a muscle. The sensation made her giggle quite randomly without any offer of explanation, and as she still remained gently harbored in his arms she could see the curiosity first hand as it began to affect his expression. She closed her eyes, sinking further into his embrace. "Have you any desire to go into the city?" She continued to caress his ear, giggling now and again.