[Stone Garden] A Bit of Air [Cathan]

[Hadrian]

"To live without fear and hate probably makes you better than me," Hadrian acknowledged. Perhaps the progenitor of his race, Marcus Kelvic, had really known what he was doing when he created them as animals who could take human shape rather than the other way around. He smiled sadly after a moment and patted Cathan's shoulder when he was close enough to do so. "Perhaps that's the lesson humans are supposed to learn from Kelvics," he said. "I only hope it doesn't work the other way around. It would be terrible if humans were teaching Kelvics to fear and to hate." He sighed. When Cathan asserted that animals and Kelvics were trustworthy, he just nodded and smiled again, still a bit sadly. But he was tired and that was making him more prone to melancholia. "Anyway, I think in most cases, you could kill me if you wanted to. At least, if you had any sort of a surprise advantage. If I knew you were coming, I could take care of you, but your reflexes are much better than mine. I couldn't take you in a fight. If you were clever, I wouldn't have a chance."

[Cathan]

The unexpected touch let Cathan stagger in his tracks, amber eyes flickering to the other man, attentive. He could sense sadness in the mage's words, a sentiment he neither fully understood nor shared. "There is nothing to be sorry over," he said quietly. "Things are the way they are and fear is not all that bad of an emotion. Keeps one wary." His lips twitched into what some might call a wolfish smile. "I scared more than one rabbit into its hole during my hunts. Who knows, there maybe be no rabbits anymore had not some sought refugee in flight." The Kelvic showed a hint of teeth and no remorse.

"I might be able to kill you," he continued, "...but I have little enough reason to try. There is easier game to be had than humans. Or sorcerers for that matter."

In the not so far distance Cathan could make out the Rearing Stallion. It seemed unchanged from the last time he had seen it, but then it had not been entirely a year since his last visit. While a quarter of his life, four seasons did not mean much to other races in his experience. Also, it was hard to tell from the outside how much had actually changed. His attention drift back to Hadrian. "I don't usually eat humans. Or wolves. Doesn't feel right." Especially not when they had turned out pleasant company. "So as long as you not try to burn holes into my pelt we both should be save enough."

Reaching the inn, Cathan stepped forward. In an echo to their previous contact he touched the man's forehead with a single finger. "You think too much." With a step to the side the Kelvic pushed the door to the inn open, feeling the drift of warm air against his face. Smells spilled out into the alleyway, the odor of food and drink and people sitting together sharing a conversation. The scent made his nostrils flare and his stomach growl as he held the door open for Hadrian to enter.

"Time to be merry. A full belly will do your mood wonder. A drink too, eventually."

The shapeshifter was not usually drinking beer nor wine, also since he would have to pay for those, but on rare occasions he did. They made him feel fuzzy, a feeling he was not sure yet he enjoyed or despised. To his dismay it always seemed fun at first, before one woke up the next morning in some dark alley.

[Hadrian]

Hadrian was awkward, and his attempt to be friendly seemed to have given the Kelvic pause. But when Cathan didn't reproach him for the touch, he didn't say anything about it, but decided to keep his distance, not wanting to upset him. He nodded as they walked toward the tavern, but his mind returned to the topic at hand, finding Cathan's perspective to be thought-provoking. "I think fear for humans is different from fear for Kelvics," he posited. "Ours isn't just... a reaction, an instinct for self-preservation. Ours gets complicated, spoils like rotting meat, and just... festers inside. Yours is cleaner, I think." He glanced at Cathan to see if he was following the drift of his conversation. Then he smiled a bit, glad he wasn't on the menu. There wouldn't have been enough flesh to really be worth Cathan's while, but he supposed his bones held as much marrow as the next man's. He was, however, startled when Cathan touched his forehead. Perhaps he hadn't made a social faux pas earlier, and he must smiled ruefully before entering the establishment. "I certainly do," he agreed, sighing, but not all that put out by the fact. It was just the way he was, and there was no use getting upset about it or trying to change his foundations. He looked around, taking the place's bearings. It had been a while since he had been a patron of the Rearing Stallion. "Why don't you guard us a table and I'll order food and drink, then."

[Cathan]

"I don't know of human fear. Only that men fear a lot of things," Cathan confessed. "You fear things you not even know about. Or things you can't change. I once knew a woman afraid of the dark." Oddly enough she had spend half the night laying awake instead sleeping through the hours she was so afraid of. It did not make sense to the Kelvic, but he had not talked with enough humans to have an opinion about it either. "But then... your people grow older than my kin, so you have more time to worry about such things."

Again he did not seem satisfied with his own answer. It would mean children were braver than adults and while they were more nosy than was good for them, they could also scream even louder than their parents. No, they were not fearless, not like some predators he knew.

"Maybe it is balance once more," he suggested after a long second.

"Animals don't feel the way humans do." Neither did he for that matter, he suspected. "More clear can also mean more... simple." He knew a shirt with embroidery cost more than a plain one and he was aware a knife with a carved hilt sold for more than one with a crude wooden handle.

"You fear strange things, but in turn you enjoy things other creatures don't. Animals don't take joy in good weather. They just stay out of the rain. Humans relish time with their family, a beast in general wont. Wolves care for their young, but it is not the same." Cathan watched the other man thoughtfully but the impression quickly passes, becoming a smirk. "Being human has good sides it seems."

Taking a step into the warmth, the Kelvic stopped. "I will look for a table."

Light and sound engulfed him as Cathan stepped into the Stallion. He had forgotten how loud it would be, but he tried to shrug the sudden feeling of discomfort off. Amber eyes scanned the room for a quiet spot, making out a table in the corner yet to be taken. Doing a half dance around other patrons the Kelvic made his way towards the promising spot, starting to feel better once he had a solid wall in his back.

[Hadrian]

Hadrian was not an intimidating figure, but he was hungry and that drove him through the throng to the bar where he put in an order. Only a few minutes had passed before he sought Cathan out with two mugs of ale. The one was set in front of the Kelvic, and the other nearby. He sat with his back to the wall as well. One just never knew what to expect in an environment like this, where men were throwing back intoxicating brews that often led to chaos and violence. Part of his mind was still chewing on what they had been talking about, but for now he was content to set it aside for a while. He raised his mug. "To another meal on the way," he toasted, and drank some of his ale. He wasn't much of a drinker, but sometimes it was nice. Consequently, after a few sips, he was beginning to relax just a touch, which probably made him more pleasant company. "I think I liked it better out in the cold, but there wasn't as much to eat..." he mused. The cat heart was likely already burning in his stomach to recharge his reserves; another meal would help make up for his little feats to impress Cathan.

[Cathan]

"It is... loud in here," Cathan agreed, his fingers closing around the offered mug. The ale was of a dark amber color, the faint scent of nut tickling the Kelvic's nose when he sniffed at the drink before him. Hesitant he took a small sip savoring the taste. He had lapped from muddy puddles in the past and while he preferred water, some of the brews men fancied he felt like growing used to.

Mimicking the other man's motion he rose his mug to Hadrian.

"We might have found some rats around a bakery," he suggested, attention on the men at the counter. A sudden drunken roar made him flinch ever so slightly. Absently the Kelvic rubbed his ear. He seemed more curious than worried however. "But it would have taken a lot of time hunting for both of us and they are full of bones."

Again he sniffed, chin risen. The place bred smells and the air was hazy with them. Unsuccessfully he tried to distinguish sources. Not a small part seemed to stem from sweating people, although Cathan couldn't tell one man from the next. There was also the odor of hearty food and drinks lingering all around them, the impression enough to make the Kelvic's mouth water. Cooked food was a waste of time, but it did smell more intensely than fresh meat. Or better, the things they decided to boil together with his delicious meat tend to smell, stronger than what made it worth eating the dish even.

He licked his lips. "This place does smell pretty good however."

In the crowd a woman made her way past the nearest tables and Cathan scanned her, his main interest in the trays she carried with her. Not giving them a second glance she put them down at the table next to them. The Kelvic tilt his head to the side, attention turning to Hadrian. "I had not thought you would prefer a warm room over sitting in the cold. Makes me look forward to our joined hunt."

[Hadrian]

"It is loud," Hadrian said apologetically, "but it has food." He laughed after taking a drink of ale. "And, well, rats don't sound as appetizing as what we can get here. No offense." He had, after all, risen to the challenge where the tomcat was concerned, but rats were plague-bringers, and he didn't want to eat his death like that. Perhaps Kelvics had stronger stomachs for such things. While Cathan was looking around, casing the joint, Hadrian mostly watched him, though he tried not to stare. Cathan was fascinating to him, and he hoped whatever anti-social tendencies Hadrian had wouldn't scare him away. "Does it?" He inhaled, and it did seem that the smells of food and drink were stronger than the sweating bodies. That was a positive thing, for certes. "Well, the food does smell good. I do like being alone outside, but other people aren't so bad. Are you more of a lone wolf or do you follow your friend Kendall because you feel like you need a bit of a pack?" He paused. "Feel free to tell me to shut my mouth if my questions get obnoxious." He nervously drank more ale, which was probably not a good idea on an empty stomach.

[Cathan]

"I don't mind talking." The Kelvic had put down his ale, finger tips brushing against the jug's surface. "Few care to talk with me. Or at least, not all care to talk with me the way they do with other human," he continued, tearing his attention away from the cheerful crowd. It was polite to look at those you talked to he knew, yet sometimes he forgot.

"That's how I came to know Kendall." Cathan smirked. "He talked with me, although he had no reason to think me anything different than an ordinary wolf the day we met." It had been a pleasant surprise to find someone willing to stand up for him. He scratched his neck. "I had created a little... ruckus at the market in Zeltiva and needed someone to save my hide. Or well," he tilt his head to the side, "… could have saved myself running, but it was easier with his help."

Again the Kelvic searched the area before them, but his eyes were unfocused. "I spend the summer alone in the wild between Syliras and Zeltiva. It was not a bad time." He had met others of his kin, roaming the woods doing whatever pleased him. "Still, I have to admit I like company. Some that is not my kind." How strange that however sounded in his own ears. Not even meeting another wolf Kelvic had changed something about the urge drawing him closer and closer towards the city.

"When Kendall said he couldn't stay in Zeltiva any longer I told him I would travel to Ravok with him. He had never left the city before and I felt he could need some help travel." A long moment he was silent.

"It felt like the right thing to do." Curiously he looked into Hadrian's direction. He could sense nervousness in the man, but if the man had the same trouble with the noisy surrounding he had with his keen ears, the Kelvic was unable to tell.

"Do you think that's odd?"

[Hadrian]

"Odd?" he asked, having listened attentively and sipped at his ale all the while. He too glanced at the crowd from time to time, but whether of his own volition or because Cathan's own gaze was catching was anyone's guess. He considered all that had been said, filtered through the context of what he knew of Kelvics as a species and finally shook his head. "I don't think it's odd. From what I understand, it's Kelvic nature to be drawn to humans at some point, or to one human. And then there's the fact that you are reciprocating a good deed, which is admirable." It also spoke to a Kelvic not being entirely animal. Interesting. "And I suppose having someone to talk to, you have become friends? In that case, it would certainly be the right thing to do, accompanying him... Though, Ravok is dangerous. You should be careful. They will see you as a slave, so if you go there, you should pretend to be Kendall's slave or else you will surely become someone else's. "Sometimes I wish some Kelvic would bond to me," he admitted, most likely due to the ale on an empty stomach. "I don't... I don't have many friends. I'm graceless and unusual, and people don't seem to... take to me. Also, some are afraid of magic, so there is that too. Perhaps someday I can make a deal with some extraterrestrial being, have a Familiar to keep me company. Something even more strange than I am." He was quiet for a moment, and then his stomach began to growl again, louder than the conversation and the clinking of mugs. Luckily, the serving wench dropped two large bowls of stew in front of them and another round of ale, smiling wearily before moving off to see to the other patrons. "Um, I'm not really that pathetic," he said, backpedaling. "Never mind. Well, dig in..." It certainly smelled savory, full of meat and vegetables; hearty stuff. He was too hungry for niceties, so he began to blow on it to cool it down to an edible temperature, etiquette be damned.

[Cathan]

"Not odd for a Kelvic. Just... odd for me," Cathan admit with the hint of a smirk. The ale wasn't strong but the liquor filled his stomach with a comfortable warmth spreading through his body. "I have bonded before, more than once." Memories welled up in the back corner of his mind, but the shapeshifter pushed them aside.

"In the woods I met someone like me. She had never run with a master, only others of our kin." For him was still hard to imagine to live alone, yet the concept was still not without allure. "She was happy that way. And I thought I could... do the same." To do whatever he liked, to live in the woods and become the ever terror of hares, fowl and squirrel. The idea was enticing, but the prospect of human, or really any, company was more tempting. He shook his head.

"I have been to Ravok before." Seconds it seemed Cathan wanted to add more, but he remained silent. He had been to Ravok before and for a human not even that long ago. To him it seemed a long time since he had last seen the city rising from the lake and still his memories of the place were vivid. Almost he could even smell the blood and sweat. Amber eyes leveled on Hadrian when the man suggested to play slave and a smirk curled his lips. "That was our very plan. Time will tell if its a worthwhile one." And what they would do once they reached the city. Kendall's plan on what he wanted to do in the future seemed vague, even to the Kelvic who wasn't one for planning a head.

The sorcerer's revelation he would wish for a Kelvic to bond with, made the patch between Cathan's shoulder blades itch. With more will than should be needed he forced his eyes on the mug in his hands.

"Yeah? You don't seemed all that bad a man," he said slowly. "...but I am not good judging these things." Other people were hard to understand for him, the rare times he tried anyway. They confused him and he did not like to be confused. That was an emotion for men. Although he was curious to hear what a familiar was, he couldn't quite get himself to ask, instead remaining silent.

When their meals arrived the Kelvic fell quiet, starting to wolf down his own potion of the food. Mindful he picked the largest chunks of meat first, chewing them more than he usually would when he was alone. Traveling with Kendall and Sondra had reminded him about manners he had ignored for almost a season. Once in a while he fished pieces of vegetable from his plate, but after the piles on the plate's brim had reached a certain high he started to eat them, to ease his search for the meat which still elude him. After a while of quiet eating he looked over to Hadrian again.

"Why don't you come to Ravok with us? You and Kendall... you would get well along I feel." In fact he could sense certain similarities in the two quiet men, who seemed more thoughtful than other people he had met. "On the way we could hunt. We would collect more skulls than you could ever use."