Stranger in Stranger Lands [Cheshire]

[Azeran]

Timestamp: 37th of Spring, AV 511

Azeran jolted awake suddenly, his crystal blue iris colored eyes snapping violently to attention as a quickly ugly snarl forced its way from his throat. His instinct proved strong (albeit unnecessary) as his hand lifted into the air, his Lakan looking as wicked and dangerous as ever rested in his hand. Despite being chilled to the core and so cold his eyes felt like they were nearly frozen shut, his hands refused to shake. He was a battle hardened fighter, an Akalak bred from birth to fight and win. He gazed around him for a moment, trying to recall where he was, what he was doing, why he had been sleeping, and a few moments later revealed it all. The cart had stopped, violently at that. Azeran turned around slowly, his hooded head was still cold, his body frigid, but there it was, Avanthal. Azeran did communicate well with the drivers of the merchant caravan, but he did manage to find one that knew Tukant, a lucky find. A young traveler that managed to get Azeran on board with the only payment being to protect the Caravan. A fair trade since Azeran had no idea of direction, location, or how anything worked wherever he was going. He had intended, once the lands turned cold, then iced, then nearly unbearable, that he would stick with the troupe a while long, perhaps until he found another place, warmer, more easier for him to enjoy. But he was ill. It was not lethal, he assumed, since he was still sane (despite Koarhal raising hell in his head without mercy), and his strength was, mostly, there. He just felt a chill in his chest, a cough had inhabited his breathing, and worse of all, he was tired all the time. It had been going on for almost ten days now, and he assumed that once he got warmth, and not just a daily campfire arisen at night, but real warmth. Real food, a bed, a few days of rest, then he could leave again, returning to wherever the merchants planned to go. That was his idea anyway. As he stepped off the caravan, the other got to talking amongst themselves and with a few men from the frozen city, assumed guard by Azeran, and with his massive weapons balanced on his shoulder, he walked slowly towards the city. He had no idea where he was going, what he was planning on doing, or how he could spare much coin in his current state, but everything in him said that he needed to find somewhere warm, as if his illness was starting to get serious.

[Cheshire]

A lone bear trugged through the snow, his nose upturned in search of food. There was nothing more he wanted to do then to be on the trail of prey. Granted, it would have been easier to stay in town and eat at the barracks. Estrien missed the hunt though. He longed for the snow under his paws and the Talderian air buffeting his white fur. He had left his clothes at the barracks. He would not need them in his bear form. He would be warmer with his fur coat anyway. His brown eyes scanned the snowy landscape for any hint of prey. It was hard to see past the buffeting snow, even for a polar bear. Estrien's nose sniffed at the biting air hoping to find a warm scent. A foreign smell invaded his nostrils and his shook his massive white head in surprise. It smelled of horses and and something else. It was a dry smell. It was similar to the smell of the trees that were sparingly places among the Talderian landscape. "It's not a tree, its far to musty for that." Estrien pushed forward toward the strange smell. He was interested in what he would find. He had his fangs ready though. Strange smells often brought trouble. He was trained in dealing with trouble but he worried a bit about facing it alone. Ahead a new shape was starting to take form. "Blue? That is an odd color to see out here. It is usually just white and grey for ages." Confused, Estrien ran forward toward the curious color. When he got closer to the color he saw it was not just a color, it was a man! "A blue man! Does Morwen know that these people exist? I've never seen a blue man before!" Estrien was a bit nervous but he walked over to the man's side and sniffed at his shoulder. He did not look well. He smelled of sweat and the faint dirty smell one gets when they were ill. Estrien let out a small moan as if he wanted to let the man know he was there. If he was sick he would need to get to Whitevine! They could heal him better than anyone Estrien knew.

[Azeran]

Azeran felt a warm moist wind on the back of his neck. He fought the urge to spin around, throwing deadly arcs of flesh-rending strikes from his axes. Instead, he turned his body slowly to find a bear. Azeran wasn't afraid, he lost the ability to fear long ago, yet he knew that this was a dangerous situation. Wild animals (he didn't even consider it being a Kelvic) were dangerous. Bears were even more dangerous. Enormous bears even more than that. Azeran blinked slowly as his eyes were naturally wincing in the cool Talderan winds. He was chilly and weak. A struggle with a bear might he possible when he was healthy, but now he felt exhausted. His arms heavy, and the axes that were balanced over his right shoulder felt like they were hundreds of pounds each. Azeran knew better than to back down though. Never back down. Not to a challenge, not to a god or goddess, and especially not to a beast of the wilds. Azeran took a step closer. He wasn't an expert on animals by any means (despite killing several that were more common in the Southern parts of Mizahar), but he was still certain that a typical rabid animal wouldn't be so passive. This thing must have been sick or, by some strange occurrence, it liked his present. Perhaps he had a unique smell to him. He was foreign. "Hello creature of Caiyha. What brings such attention to myself. There are others who have also arrived here, are they not as interesting as me?" His Tukant was perfect, sadly, it was mostly unheard of here in Avanthal. In fact, Azeran could count the number of animals he had ever known that spoke it on his left hand alone. Still, he was trying not to sound threatening. It was all theory, but Azeran felt that if the bear heard his voice as a soft or tolerable sound, then it wouldn't be inclined to be violent. Azeran didn't want to get mauled on his first day in the frozen city. He just wanted to get some food, and get back to the caravan to leave. This cold had already settled in him. Azeran sneezed suddenly, it was a rough, painful, violent sneeze that was not covered up nor masked in anyway. He hadn't even seen it common, but it would further expose his illness. If it was serious (which was unlikely at this point) then he was probably just getting worse, closer to death, as he stood out here in the winter-like snow. Even if it wasn't lethal, he was still not in a place to get better. He needed food, perhaps herbal medicine. "Don't attack, it was just a sneeze, I mean no harm."

[Cheshire]

Estrien cocked his head as he looked at the man. He spoke with such strange words. He had never heard them before and they sounded nothing like the ones he heard in his lessons about common tongue, the language of the people past Avanthal's gates. Estrien was fluent in Vani though. He prided himself in how fast he had learned it. He was able to talk to the Vantha just like he as one of them! This blue man did not seem to speak in either language though. "Caiyha? Who is Caiyha?" It was the one word in the man's speech which he could understand. Estrien felt like he had heard the name before. The Frostfawns seemed to speak highly of her. Estrien let out a small purr and decided this Caiyha woman must have been a wonderful lady. Maybe Morwen knew of her if she was so important. Estrien leaned over to the strange man and gave him another sniff. He reared back into his hind legs and let out a surprised growl, his ears standing straight up in surprise. "Maybe I should take this man to Whitevine hold." With a huff Estrien nestled back onto four paws and stuck his nose underneath his arm. He let out a small growl hoping that he man would not be scared. He would not be of much help in his Vantha form though. A naked man who could not speak his language seemed much less helpful than a large polar bear who could not speak at all. "Please don't be alarmed blue man. I want to help you." He nudged the man trying to encourage him to lean on his shoulder or even ride on his back if the man could not walk. Normally non-Icewatch members were not allowed to ride on the back of the polar bears but even Jedara herself would have let the tradition slide to get him to safety.