Closed Hidden Treasure [Una]

[Beren]

43rd of Spring, 512
South of Avanthal

It was coming, he could feel it. Every day the Icewatch let him have another new task and a little more freedom in hopes that he would soon find his bondmate. Or at least, everyone else hoped that he would. Some part of him wanted to be tied down to a person, to protect and serve in a way he could not even fathom right now. The other part of him, a small sliver, did not want to serve anyone aside from Morwen, his family (sometimes), and himself. Today's task was simple. He was sent down south to investigate some tracks that had been left along the shoreline. He and many others figured that it was a fisherman that had decided to leave the safety of the walls to find more prey, but unlike the others, he had been sent out to investigate.

To limit the time that he was out in the snow, he had left in his bear form. As he plunged down the snow covered hills, allowing himself to be somewhat free, the wind pulled at his white pelt. He kicked up snow behind him with is massive paws. Occasionally he would tuck his forelegs up towards him, rolling forward as he ran to cool himself from his exertion. If there were any hares or small mammals out on the tundra, they had all but fled from the clambering beast. If he had been hunting, maybe he wouldn't have been so loud. With a mighty roar, he leapt forward. Landing with a hrmph, he paused a moment at the top of the hill he was currently on. Looking down at the shoreline, he inspected the perimeter. From a distance, as far as he could tell, the shoreline seemed to be empty of any lifeforms except the waves occasionally lapping the beach. Grumbling to himself, he moved down his hill to get a closer look at the quiet beach.

Bumbling forward, he noted the soft wound of the waves crashing against the the small amount of ice that was left. Being spring, it had warmed up a little bit, leaving a majority of the deeper ocean in it's liquid form. Plates of ice drifted on the horizon from where they had broken off, while some clung to areas of the shore like docks. As he moved forward, he looked left and right with his deep brown eyes. Nothing. There was nothing here. He had been sent on a futile mission to search for ghosts. Sometimes he wondered why his superiors were in their position of power. Of course, backsassing the superiors would get him into public trouble. Berengar preferred to avoid that.

Since the beach appeared to be free of disturbances, Beren allowed himself to move towards the ice. He placed a heavy paw on naturally made dock, allowing himself to shift his massive weight onto it when he was sure it wasn't going to break. When he was safely on top of the ice, he moved forward, listening for the suggestive cracks of the ice giving way. When he was far enough out, the ice bear looked back. Since he thought he was alone, Beren did something rather strange. Acting like the child his inner bear was, he pushed himself straight up. His jump caused all his weight to come crashing down on the ice at once, shattering the frozen water all at once. He plunged into its freezing depths, bearing his great teeth in a very unnaturally, and funny, smile.

He propelled himself lazily forward, out from under the ice. He surfaced suddenly, flinging his head back and forth to move his fur from his eyes. Then, in the same lazy fashion, he doggy paddled forward along the shore. He was inspecting the ice docks and the shoreline from a slightly different perspective.

[Una Tanta]

The water moved above her in a haze. Her husband had passed away several days earlier and her heart raced painfully whenever she considered reality too strongly and instead simply sank into blank abyss. Days and passed this same way, and many more days would pass.

What woke her from her addled state, heart pounding with terror instead of pain, was the heavy thrust of water brushing against her face. A creature, a very large creature, was nearby. Una wasn't as sensitive as the fish and sea creatures that surrounded her to the approach of danger but even she couldn't miss something so large.

Straightening up in the water Una let herself slowly rise in the water until her back was pressed against the top of an iceflow. A slow swimmer her only survival technique in the open waters, where no coral grew to weave between and outmaneuver a predator, was to hide. To blend. Fortunately in the North there was plenty for a white skinned creature to blend in with and it didn't take much talent.

The white paws that swished passed her left a sigh of relief. The bubbles popped from her mouth collecting along the bottom of the ice shelf. It was gone...rolling over, upside down, Una crawled along the shelf , nose and eyes peeking above the surface. The water edge tickled her cheeks and lips as she peeked at the creature.

Polar Bears were the most dangerous animals in the Northern Tundra and they could swim endlessly making them equally dangerous to the water loving Charoda. The creature before her was incredibly massive making Una shrink away hoping he hadn't noticed her. As her hands came up to push herself below the water they made a loud splashing sound in the otherwise silent surroundings. The sound stopped Unas heart. He couldn't have missed that...

x

[Beren]

When Beren was allowed time alone to be a normal, childlike bear, he appreciated it. He took his position in the Icewatch too seriously sometimes, and even his mother worried that he would end up being hard to handle by a future bondmate. Every time she expressed her concern, he simply reminded her that was not for another two years and change. He had time to build his reputation and by then he wouldn't need to be a raging hard ass. He would just be able to give a command and be respected. Was that too much to ask? He was always striving to be perfect, to be better, to show everyone else he deserved to be in the Icewatch even if he had been born in it. This was what -

SLAP!

The speed he whipped his head around was amazing. Baring his teeth in anger, he paddled back the way he had came. Only the ripples were any indication that something had been there watching him. Wide, heavy paws propelled him forward and he took a deep breath at the edge of the ice. It smelled strongly of fish, but most of it was washed away and replaced by the cool, clean smell of cold and ice. Paddling, he investigated the spot. For some reason, he doubted a fish had been spying on him and then made that massive noise. Taking a breath, he stuck his face under water.

Well, he had been wrong. There, floating a few feet from him, was one of the strangest creatures he had ever seen. It looked like a human, but it had so many aspects of fish that it confounded him. Having lived in Avanthal all his life, this creature was unlike any he had ever seen before. So, the stories of strange tracks by the water were panning out to be true. Underwater fighting was not an excellent option, especially with a creature that would clear out breath him if given the chance. Allowing himself to sink a little bit further so all of his pelt seemed to be afloat in the abyss, he watched. Strange for an animal not to attack and ask questions later, but that was the price of being a Kelvic. He had questions, she had answers.

The pendant of his breeding floated upwards a little. He pawed it down absently. It had always been there, and always would, since it was big enough to prevent getting lost during the transformation. Once he was satisfied that the creature would not find him threatening, he floated upwards again. Breaking the surface, he placed both of his forepaws on the nearby ice flow. At first, too much weight caused it to crack and break off into smaller chunks. After a few tries, he managed to get half his body out of the water. Once he had hauled his furry butt out, he took a few steps towards shore. Then he shook himself. Cascades of water flowed from his pelt, splashing into the ocean and onto the ice like tiny fairies that had been thrown against a hard wall. They broke, causing ripples as they joined their mother once more. Once he was done, he looked around his mass. Would she float nearby until they got to shore? Or was he going to have to go in after her and bring her in as a captive?

[Una Tanta]

His head was as wide as her abdomen was long. As he wiped around, his shaggy white hair still rolling from the quick jerk, Una ducked under the water pushing herself back against the ice flow. She didn't know how sensitive Polar Bears were to underwater movement she reasoned as she stiffened, already large eyes widening. In fact, she couldn't have moved if she had wanted to. Fear so strong she could feel nothing but her burning heart and buzzing head, even her link with Cy fell away to only a gentle trickle in her attempt to still herself in the water. Frozen mentally and physically the barriers in her mind stayed firmly shut against her memories.

Besides Cy, Polar Bears and Books were the reasons she was so far North. However, even the Kelvics she preferred to view from a distance. Even Kelvics were not immune to the hunger pains her fishy smell often elicited. When his legs brushed only a few fish lengths from her face Una gulped despite herself, her face taunt with anxiety. She was going to die. She was going to die and she couldn't even speak, she couldn't run.

The face that met hers was heavier than her entire body. Heavy white fur floated outward appearing like a massive moon. Small brown craters for eyes met her own and his nose snuffled slightly in the water. Unas mouth opened, like a fish gulping for air and her tentacles tangled upon themselves so quickly they appeared like a nest of writhing snakes. The only part of her body that moved.

She wouldn't have noticed the silver pendant that rose in the water if he hadn't reached out and pawed it out of his way as it interrupted their gaze. Una didn't have time nor the interest to decipher the engraving, nor was she in the frame of mind to understand its meaning. Instead, her mind went blank and her vision was fuzzy. She thought nothing, the closest she had come to the meditation her mother had tried to force on her as a child.

As the Ice Bear rose from the water and moved away Una continued to stare at the place his face had been. She was alive? Running her hands slowly over her own arms and legs Una felt her physical self, a hysterically delighted grin forming from the fish like expression her mouth had taken.

Gently and slowly Una kicked her legs slightly until only her eyes peeked up above the gentle waves that lapped the shore. The Ice had melted some in the winter and was just beginning to freeze into the vast permanence that would become Summer. The snow broke easily under the bears paws as he strode away forming long cylindrical spears of ice shards that clinked against his black claws.

Una had left her nautilus shell at home, leaving her tentacles free to wander. Slowly they rose above her shoulders, above the waterline waving through the cold air curiously. In her coralline childhood they were used to sense the width of openings in the coral and whether it would allow the widest parts of her. In the open ocean they had little use and like a humans hands or the Vanthan eyes shamelessly portrayed her emotions. Like a crown of spikes they waved through the air making Una as large and imposing as possible, an instinctual response to the adrenaline that was only now beginning to ease away. The adrenaline rush had been so fast and fierce her body shook gently with its absence.

She was vulnerable on land and didn't dare to follow the creature onto its own domain. Instead she reached out slowly to the edge of the ice that had broken under his weight. Feet braced, to push her away should she need to escape quickly Una silently watched the bear for several bells before speaking.

"Do you belong to Morwen?" Una murmured rising slightly till her pale pink lips broke the surface so that the sound moved through the air. Air and Water were separated by the thinnest of surfaces and yet was the strongest surface she knew. It separated noise and light, her and Cy and two vastly different worlds; the flat and the three dimensional.

x

[Beren]

Beren flexed his claws, the snow and ice cracking beneath his weight. When she surfaced, he turned around to face her straight on. She was a strange creature, one he had never seen before. When the tentacles rose from the water, he lowered his neck and twitched his lips. Hair should not have a mind of its own, fish or human. It made him leery as to what she could do with those tentacles. How strong were they? Could she use them as a weapon, or maybe a way to strangle him? It was a whole new issue to him, and his training in the Icewatch made him leery of the creature.

It was evident that she was not coming out of the water, so he plopped his massive furry butt onto the ground. The lighter flecks of snow jumped up around his rump, fluttering back to the ground like a small snowstorm. His pendant remained relatively hidden in his deep fur, but any small movement would cause the thick chain to glimmer in the sunlight. He remained still and observant while droplets of water fell from his pelt. Only when she began to speak Vani did he react.

His head jerked up in recognition. Not only was she speaking his language, but she was talking about his revered queen. This was new. Apparently the fish was intelligent, more so then he had thought. The possibility that she was not just a monster - if she even was one - popped into his mind. Gently he rotated his left forepaw over so she could see a glittering ice mark in the shape of a snowflake. It looked like it had been carved from ice and imbedded into his paw pad. The mark of Morwen, the Queen of Snow, Ice, and Avanthal. Opening his jaws, he gave a strange rumble of a bark. Even though she could not understand, he was making it known that he understood here.

A fish speaking Vani. The other apprentices were not going to believe this story. Unless he was able to bring her in with him. Pushing his weight forward, he was back on all fours. If she was comfortable in the water, he would stay near her. He was slow, trying to give her room to get used to his presence. If she ran, Beren would pursue. That would be a pursuit worth telling the apprentices.

[Una Tanta]

Una raised her eye ridges when he plopped backwards. For the first time the massive creature looked childish and Una wondered if he was a cub. She had only heard the stories of the Polar Bears and seen them from a distance, she had no notion of their typical size and the young bear looked incredibly massive to her.

The chain around his neck glimmered catching Unas eye. Fingers curling over the ice covetously she didn't notice his jarring reaction to her words and only began to look at the bear again when he extended his glimmering paw. On it was etched an elaborate snowflake, but the image meant nothing to the Charoda.

"Pretty?" She replied tilting her head only to tense when he growled at her a deep bark rumbling from his chest. Withdrawing slowly as he approached Una kept the same distance between them as he tried to close it. "I'll take that as a yes..." She murmured meekly as she crept forward slowly eyes roaming from his long black claws to his ferocious teeth.

As he neared the edge of the ice she reached a quivering hand out to touch his damp white fur. If he allowed her, she would run her hand through the fur framing his broad face marvelling at the thickness. If he didn't lunge forward making her bolt she would reach toward his pendant, watching his face for signs of an attack as she examined the beautiful trinket.

"Beautiful..." She murmured in her awkward Vani, her accent making the vowels round and bubbly. She flattered the creature shamelessly, having always loved the enormous yet elegant creatures. Backing away slowly Una smiled through the heavy anxiety that floated above her breast preparing her to bolt.

"Swim?" She had always wanted to swim with one of Morwens Ice Bears, inspired by the elegant way they manoeuvred through the open waters as if speed didn't matter. She appreciated the value of that since her own swimming was so laboriously slow.

x

[Beren]

Beren had moved his massive self to the edge of the ice shelf where more droplets were allowed to fall into the water as he lumbered forward. She had shied away from his noise and advancement, but this did not surprise him. Even though he was more civilized then his wild counterparts, even he had a dark side that could make Hai look pleasant. As far as she knew, he was luring her in, preparing to strike. She did smell like diner afterall, but he recognized her as somewhat sentient and intelligent. That, and she spoke Vani. At some point, she had learned the sing-song language. That made her kin on some level.

Her hand approached his face, which caused the Kelderon mimic inside of him to wake from it's complacent nap. Was she crazy? He was not a dog. He decided that to gain her trust, it would be best to remain still. The fishy hand roamed through his facial fur, enticing him with that tantalizing smell. As a bear, it felt weird to have a human-ish hand that smelled like dinner petting him. Beren was on alert now, prepared to lunge if it was deemed necessary. Instead, she seemed to find his pendant more fascinating. The wood was not as heavy as it looked, but the chain did prevent it from floating off his neck. The polar bears were carved deep into the wood, knotted together like the family it represented.

Her words made him feel warm inside. If there was one way to get him to do what was asked, it was boosting his egotistical nature. He was beautiful, and every variation on the word. Powerful and brave could be added to the mix too. Beren's parents probably would argue naive, stupid, and childish on occasion. Maybe more often than he would like. Her question confused him for a moment, and he looked down into the water. It was more her world than his, but he could at least keep up if she meant harm. With her invitation, he casually placed one of his forelegs into the water. Once in, he ungracefully plunged in. Bubbles left his nose and all his weight shifted forward and he splashed into the ocean.

Being big had it's perks, and he did know how to make a splash.

[Una Tanta]

Arching her back Una rolled over backwards, first her chin and then her chest disappearing into the water. Her feet the last things to breach the surface as he placed both forelegs on the ice shelf. Underwater, she continued the circle until she was upright again. Slowly lowering herself in the water was a difficult maneuver and wouldn't allow her to dart away if he lunged this maneuver kept her in motion and allowed her to pelt away should the desire become necessity.

Moving backwards Una slipped underwater completely and very slowly and onerously moved through the cold water watching the bears large carnivorous face floating in the water only a few meters from her defenseless body.

~In progress