A friend along the way [Renaria]

[Silvy]

Summer 10th, 411 Location: Just Outside City Gates The young wolf groomed the last of the blood from her paws and started burying the deer carcass with snow. She knew other predators would be drawn to the scent, and she piled the white drifts over the deer as high as she could. Silvy gave a final double scratch on the ground with her back paws to mark to everyone that it was -her- kill. Avanthal is a nice forest with lots of snow and abundant in prey. Definitely some good reasons to make this her new home. There were no humans in sight to Bond with yet, but with luck, the wolf might find another Kelvic. She stood about a foot from her finished meal, her ears swiveling left, then right. After a hard chase and a full stomach, she was far too relaxed to stay vigilant for long. Silvy lifted her nose to the clear dawn sky and inhaled deeply, just for the joy of it. 'CAT!' She smelled a cat nearby! The scent was rather strong to be a small one though. 'I don't want to fight anyone. I'm full and if the cat is larger than I, I will share my deer.' Thought Silvy. She stood very still, her keen eyes widened with pupils dilated as largely as possible.

[Renaria]

It was a typical Summer day in Avanthal. That is to say, it was rather cold, and the breeze that had been present since the early morning made it feel even colder. Renaria had been out since dawn. She knew that Atyvn would have worried when he had awoken, but he would hopefully have remembered how much the Kelvic loved dawn. She had pulled only her cloak over her as she left, and had quickly deposited that just outside of her Hold. She had then wandered through the gates and out into the Wastes as a snow leopard, being careful to avoid the thick forests where the Talderian beasts lived. The dawn had been spectacular, and had seemed to fill her with energy. So she had run. There was no destination, just the desire to run. Her strong legs pumped beneath her, propelling her easily through the snows. Once again she had skirted the forests, and having to go around them had given her that much more distance to cover. As she went, she passed the gates - they glittered in the distance to her right. If cats could smile, she would have done. She hadn't run like this for a while now, and she didn't want to stop. Stop. It hit her like a brick wall and she skidded to a halt. The scent of blood was rich and fresh in the air around her. It was deer. Something had killed a deer nearby. The cats keen eyes scanned the immediate area and she spotted a small something in the distance. She moved forward again, her nose twitching, trying to uncover a scent beneath the odor of blood. It was canine, definitely canine. She moved closer still, her steps careful and measured. The leopard was perfectly camouflaged here - this was her natural territory. Whatever it was ahead wouldn't spot her till she right on top of it. The it turned out to be a wolf. A rather small one at that. Definitely not from the forest, otherwise it would have been twice the size of Renaria. As it was, the Kelvic could see that she was going to tower over the thing. It was either a long way from home or... Kelvic? Possibly. Her sliver-grey eyes narrowed slightly in thought. She decided to make herself known by standing taller, taking more purposeful strides towards the small creature. The deer had been buried - she could see the mound. Renaria stopped a good few feet from the small wolf, sat and simply waited.

[Silvy]

Silvy's gaze saw a brush wave in the breeze and she started to dismiss it--until it moved toward her! She looked up. And up. And further up! 'Cats can GET this big?!' Her first instinct was to let the giant cat beast have all it wanted. But, other than prey, Silvy hadn't seen any living creature in so long! She watched the lithe cat glide forward on silent paws and saw the posture change to confidence but not aggression. Silvy lifted her furry face with ears up and stood squarely, her tail out behind her at mid level. Silvy scented the air again, carefully sifting away the deer. This can't be a -normal- cat! They just don't get that big, and it would have charged forward to chase me away. The shy wolf took a tentative step forward, her forepaws sinking into the soft snow before her. 'This must be a Kelvic too!' She eagerly wagged her tail and stepped to the side of her kill, so as not to look defensive. Silvy looked at the very large leopard, but avoided the challenge of direct eye contact. 'Finally! I can make a friend!'

[Renaria]

Silvery eyes registered the shock on the small canines face. She couldn't tell if it was due to her sudden appearance, or the fact that Renaria was so much bigger than her. She made sure to avoid looking directly into it's eyes until she knew what it really was. There was no need for this to end in a fight. She never once let her attention wander from the wolf. If she did, then it could attack her at any moment. She wasn't afraid of an attack, but the canine was small, probably quick, and that would be an advantage if it caught her by surprise. Her eyes narrowed slightly again as she read the animals posture. She had limited understanding of canine mentality, but she assumed that a square stance was a sign of defensiveness. If Renaria did anything now, she was sure that the small wolf would launch itself at her. However the creatures next move took her by surprise. Not because it was violent, but because it was docile. The cat tilted its head curiously. A wagging tail, the surrendering of prey... she couldn't quite understand why it would do that. No normal animal would. Then it hit her. Normal animal. This wolf clearly wasn't. The logical, human side of her brain thought for a moment before it deduced that Kelvic was the only clear answer. Renaria rose from her seated position and took a single step towards the canine. Then in a very human gesture, she nodded her head just once, while silently praying she was right. If she was, then perhaps she would be able to find out where this one had come from. She couldn't remember ever seeing it around before in the Wilds, let alone in the city.

[Silvy]

'Yes! It's a friendly Kelvic cat! Oh and she smells female like me!' Her slight frame trembled a little in eagerness, though she tried to maintain some dignity in front of such an enormous predator. She lifted her tail higher in the biggest friendly wag she could. After all, she didn't want the cat to attack her because of simple miscommunication. Cats have such strange body language sometimes! Well not everyone is lucky enough to be born canine. Silvy lifted a paw and patted it into the snow, in a human style Come Here gesture. 'A friend at long last!' A puppyish, excited (and very undignified) "YIP!" escaped her before she could contain her enthusiasm. Who could stand on protocol when they were about to make their very first friend--ever?!

[Renaria]

Renaria observed the petite canine before her with something akin to amusement in her silvery eyes. It definitely proved that this wolf was indeed like her - a Kelvic. It also showed that she appeared to be a pack animal, one who wanted company. Judging from the exuberant tail wagging anyway. Before she stepped forward again she displayed the wolf the ultimate sign of peace. The cat lifted her head, turning it ever so slightly as she did so. This exposed the sensitive part of her neck, showed the wolf that she would do no harm now. It was only quick, but the gesture had been sincere. She waited. Waited for the small canine to respond, to give the same show of trust. Only then would she move. If, and when it was done, her head jerked in amusement at the juvenile yip. Renaria stayed silent, snow leopards were not ones for vocalizing their every mood. That, and she didn't understand exactly what the wolf had meant. Felines and canines rarely came this close to each other, so the pair would be hard-pressed to understand one another.

[Silvy]

Silvy closed her mouth abruptly over the puppy yip. Her silver eyes widened at the show of ultimate trust! She paused a moment in fear at bearing her throat to the intimidating snow leopard looming in front of her. It was now or never. Going against her trust instincts, the young wolf angled her head up and to the side, baring her soft and vulnerable throat--for a very brief moment. With very keen eyes, she watched the giant snow leopard carefully. She dearly hoped her idiot yip hadn't irritated the cat that could crunch her without blinking a gleaming eye. With sudden inspiration, she turned quickly to the deer carcass and dug out some of the snow covering it, to expose its delectable insides. The only thing Silvy knew about cats was that they would lay down to illustrate they weren't being defensive. She stepped nimbly from the remains and lay down nearby, her tail making swishing snow angels behind her. Silvy deliberately looked at the fresh kill for a long moment, turned back to the leopard, and then returned her gaze to the kill in a clear gesture of invitation.

[Renaria]

Her head moved ever so slightly in a satisfied nod as the wold bared her throat. Renaria took one more step forward, placing herself only a couple of feet away from the small canine. She sat once more and studied it curiously. Her silvery eyes were lit with amusement. The wolf seemed incredibly excited, though for what reason she didn't understand. She was up on her feet again in a flash, ears back as the wolf suddenly moved. However it wasn't moving to attack, it was moving... to it's kill? Renaria's ears flicked forward again in curiosity. She scent of the deer was growing stronger again as the canine uncovered it, and she simply stood there as it retreated a little. Her head tilted before she stepped over to the deer at the wolf's signal. She wasn't hungry at all, but it was the correct thing to do. She lay down next to it. Surely the wolf would understand that gesture? She could only hope. Jaws opened and she took a single bite of the kill, chewed and swallowed. She took no more, instead looking over at the wolf. That she had taken some of the meat was a sign of trust. Now she was unsure of what to do. If she were human she would vocalize her thanks and perhaps ask a question. But she wasn't, so instead she waited to see how the small canine would react.

[Silvy]

Silvy watched the snow leopard's mercury reflexes and tried not to move so quickly. Oh the kitty ate some! There was so much she wanted to ask but in wolf form, she knew it was impossible. It was more than obvious that the cat was waiting for her next move. The young wolf's face showed her vast inner turmoil at changing. It made her too vulnerable during the change, and it left her completely exhausted and ravenous. She whined softly and her front paws beat an anxious drum beat on the snow. Silvy finally made her decision and mentally repeated her mantra over and over. "I must be brave. I must be brave! I must be brave!!" The wolf exhaled loudly and seemed to be lifted by invisible strings. Her legs lengthened and straightened. Her silvery fur diminished until there was only pink, new skin. Her paws slowly morphed into hands and feet. Her neck elongated and Silvy's face lifted to the sky; too many emotions flashed across to be interpreted fully. The young girl sank to her knees in the snow, long silvery hair hanging over her face. She breathed heavily and she put out her slim hands to keep from falling face first. Silvy, the human, shivered in fear and a new sense of cold. 'Mother said wear clothing fur as a human.' Was her automatic thought. She struggled to put on her gown and cloak with clumsy hands. 'Why are my feet cold? Yes, clothing paws too.' She sat in the snow working at tugging on her fur topped leather boots. All the while, keeping her head down, too nervous to look up at the giant cat that could kill her so effortlessly. After several long moments, she finally lifted her gaze to find herself at eye level with the great cat!! She rapidly averted her look and stumbled to stand up and back away. Now she was taller than the cat!! Her look of astonishment was complete as she took in the different view in height. Her silvery eyes were huge as Silvy's mouth turned slightly open and her cheeks became rosy in the biting summer cold of Avanthal.

[Renaria]

Renaria read the expression on the young wolf's face. It seemed anxious perhaps? She wasn't sure why, since she had already shown the ultimate sign of trust. She watched as the canine moved, not forwards, but up. The light that was so definitive of Kelvic shifting was twinkling round the wolf's body, a body that was quickly becoming human. The great cat stayed sill where she was. The girl was clearly nervous - the feeling rolled off her in waves that only an animal can detect. She watched with interest as the girl struggled, first with a robe and then with shoes. It seemed that this Kelvic was more comfortable in her canine form. Renaria blinked slowly as they made eye-contact. A slow blink was yet another sign of trust with cats, not that she expected the girl to know that. She remained laying by the deer till the girl stood. Only then did she copy. She glanced at the kill before taking it in her jaws and re-burying it where the Kelvic had earlier. She supposed now it was her turn to shift. There was only one problem with that though. All her clothing was back in the city. She quickly formulated a plan in her head. She turned and took a step in the direction of the gates. She then looked back at the girl and nodded her head in a follow gesture. She hoped the girl would understand and let Renaria lead the way to the gates. OOCIf you choose to let Silvy follow Ren, go ahead and post that they've gone through the gates if you like (: