Meeting in the Snow [Alea Davenport]

by **Yuros** on October 29th, 2011, 9:06 pm

72nd of Fall 511 AV

Snow... cold wind... white everywhere...

Not for the first time did Yuros questioned why he was heading north in the winter, and once again he could not answer. Shaking his antlered head, the great stag kept trudging through the snow in the direction of Avanthal. The snow had stopped falling for the moment, but the wind was just as bitter cold as ever. Inward Yuros was thankful for his thick winter coat that protected him from the worst of the weather.

In this endless field of ice and snow, Yuros was the only spot of color for miles. Each step brought snow up to his ankles, and he knew that it would only get worse as winter came. Looking up, Yuros could see the Icewall Gates of Avanthal. Something, in the very back of his mind, was pushing the Kelvic toward the city and toward civilization. He could not understand what it was, but he felt that it was important.

Around his neck was a pouch tied to a thick leather cord, in which held the Mizas his mother had given him before her death.

"Use them,"she said,"If ever you venture into the city. Most of the humans and other creatures hide their natural forms out of shame, and if you are to mingle you should purchase some clothing for yourself as well."

Inward, Yuros hated the thought of covering himself. What shame is there, he thought, In showing what you truly are?

Breathing out a visible sigh Yuros trudged onward, the gates growing closer with each and every step.

by **Alea Davenport** on October 29th, 2011, 9:43 pm

Alea took a deep breath as she exited the city. This was it. Her first foray into the wilderness. She intended to travel the world, and while she certainly wasn't ready for that yet, she couldn't stay cooped up in the city forever. She was getting her feet wet, so to speak. Baby steps, working up to the final goal.

Her train of thought was interrupted as the Gilding beneath her stopped abruptly. That is, assuming I ever learn to ride this blasted animal! she thought bitterly. The thing had given her nothing but trouble from the moment she'd bought it. She shooks the reins and dug her heels in, and the horse reluctantly continued forward.

She surveyed the landscape, trying to decide how far she wanted to go, and where she wanted to camp. She'd been living in a tent since she arrived in the city, but this would be her first night camping outside city walls. She took a quick glance behind her, and even the few hundred yards she's traveled seemed an uncomfortably far distance for the gates to be. She definitely wasn't going to leave sight of the gates today.

For some reason, the motion of her head cause the Gilding to think she wanted him to turn, so he did... right off the road. When she realized what was happening, she panicked and yanked on the reins in the opposite direction, which caused no more response than an annoyed-sounding neigh. She tried pleading with him, in Common, since she thought he might understand her better than if she scolded him in her native language. "Please, horse, please go back to the road." When this didn't work, she tugged back gently on the reins and said, "Well then, please stop. ... Stop!" She wanted off this ride, but the cursed beast seemed determined to thwart her every desire. Annoyed by the schizophrenic messages his rider was giving him, he took off at a light canter. Alea, of course, shrieked and clung to his neck. The horse wasted no time in throwing her off. She rolled through the snow, which fortunately cushioned her fall. She'd get off with minor bruises.

After a few moments of lying in the snow and making sure she wasn't dead, Alea got up and looked around. She hoped the cat had managed to stay on the horse through all of that, but knowing those two, it was probably fine. She scanned the snowscape ahead of her and saw a brownish spot not too far in the distance. She started trekking towards it. Her horse loved tossing her, but so far he hadn't abandoned her yet.

When she got closer, she froze, and said, "That's not my horse..."

by **Yuros** on October 29th, 2011, 10:34 pm

Yuros' ears flicked at the sound of a girls cry of alarm. Turning his head in the direction of the scream he could see a horse cantering off through the snow. With a huff, the Kelvic shook his head, Such silly creates horses are...

Turning his gaze now to where the horse had set off from, Yuros saw a small indention in the snow. Blinking slowly he saw a young girl rise from the banks of white and cast her eyes about her. Shaking his antlered head Yuros set off to see if the girl was alright. From the horses sudden departure and her coming from the snow, Yuros felt safe to assume she had been thrown from her mount. The girl was making her way toward the Kelvic as well, but as they drew closer he sa her freeze in her tracks when she saw what it was that approached her.

The Stag took his time to draw closer to her, letting the girl take in and absorb what it was she saw. He stopped only a short distance away and looked down on her from his great height. She barely came up past his knees, and he towered over her. His ivory antlers branched high above his head, stretching another 7 feet from his temples. Blowing out a stream of air Yuros bent low so that he could examine the girl for injury. Looking over her with his large brown eyes he took in her long dark blond hair and hazle eyes. Blinking once, he waited for a response.

by **Alea Davenport** on October 29th, 2011, 11:17 pm

Alea didn't move, lest the beast become alarmed and possibly skewer her. She found it difficult not to stare. His antlers are taller than me. BY THEMSELVES! As he came closer, she amended her concerns: she hoped he didn't skewer OR trample her. She clamped her eyes shut and felt his breath on her face. Or eat. Please don't skewer, trample, or eat me.

When nothing happened for several moments, she peeked out from behind her eyelids. The stag was still there, less than a foot from her face. It seemed to be just staring at her, waiting to see what she would do. Since it didn't seem intent on killing her, she ever-so-slowly raised a hand up and laid it on his nose.

Suddenly, she felt something bump her from behind, knocking her into the Stag's face. She her the now-familiar sound of her horse's snickering. She quickly backed off, falling onto her backside in the snow for the second time that day (she doubted it would be her last). She looked up at her horse towering over her on once side and an unfamiliar hooved beast at least twice as tall on the other. She suddenly felt very small...

by **Yuros** on October 30th, 2011, 6:12 am

Yuros sniffed the girl's hand as she raised it to his snout. She smells of fish and the sea, he noted. The Kelvic allowed the girl to gently pat his nose without complaint. After all, what harm could come from such a small creature?

Out of the corner of his eye Yuros noticed the silly horse approaching the girl from behind, but he dismissed the creature. That is, until it felt the need to butt its head against her back and send her sprawling against his face. Yuros pulled his nose back, shaking his head and stamping a foot in the snow. Apparently frightened, the girl fell back and into the snow once again.

The Kelvic smiled to himself, She is a rather timid fawn it seems.

Lowering his nose once again Yuros sniffed the strange girl, gently butting her with his snout. He looked her in the eyes and tried to convey to her that he would not harm her. With a sigh he realized that such an approach would not work. So, shaking his head Yuros was engulfed in swirling lights.

After the lights had dissipated Yuros stood before the girl in his human form, his 6'3 frame still a bit intimidating. He ran a hand through his red flecked hair. It had grown out for winter just as his fur had and was thick and bushy looking. His body was very fit, though multiple scars riddled his chest back and shoulders. Kneeling down the knotted cords of his muscles could be seen shifting under his skin. The Kelvic looked down at Alea with the same brown eyes as his stag form. Extending one hand, Yuros spoke in a voice that sounded as if it had not been used in quite some time, "Are you alright?"

by **Alea Davenport** on October 30th, 2011, 6:41 am

Alea's first thought as she watched the transformation was Oh no, not another one! As she looked up at the now nude-male-humanoid, the first thing she saw made her throw her arm over her eyes. "Augh! I saw this coming. I knew this was going to happen. Every single time..." Keeping her eyes closed, she stood up and took off one of the two cloaks she wore. "Please borrow this. I know you don't see the point in covering up, but it would make me feel a lot better."

Keeping her eyes closed, she turned on her horse, or where she thought her horse might be. "And you! What is the big idea? If i didn't know better, I'd think you kept throwing me on purpose!" Alea stamped her foot in the snow. "I've had just about enough of your nonsense!" She wasn't really as mad at her horse as she pretended, but it was a good excuse cover her inexplicably increased heart-rate...

"By the way, my name is Alea." Keeping her eyes pointed upward, she risked a peek... and found herself staring into a quite lovely pair of brown eyes...

by **Yuros** on October 30th, 2011, 7:05 pm

Yuros took and examend the cloak curiously, wondering what it was the girl wished him to do with it. He sniffed it and noticed it smelled like it's owner. As he was pondering a cold breeze blew past and chilled yuros to the bone.

How do these humans survive without a coat of fur? he wondered to himself, It is a mystery as to how they have survived for so long.

Shaking his head the kelvic examend the cloak once more, looking at Alea with her back turned from time to time. Finally he shrugged and draped the cloak over his shoulders.

The cloak managed to cover up his shoulders but some of his chest was still visible, and the cloak only came down to his waist. Inwardly Yuros felt foolish for having to cover himself as he was, but if it made the girl more at ease he supposed he could stand it.

Tugging at the strange fabric Yuros looked up just as Alea glanced back. The kelvic worked his expression into what he thought was a smile, "Is this to your liking?"

by **Alea Davenport** on October 30th, 2011, 8:19 pm

Alea winced at the grimace-like expression that the man was obviously putting effort into... and his obvious ignorance of clothes. He was wearing the cloak sideways. It was not covering up what Alea was trying to avoid staring at. Alea realized she was just going to have to get into the habit of looking up. Based on her previous experience, she didn't think complaints of modesty would have much of an effect, but the she saw him shiver and she got an idea.

"It won't keep you very warm if you wear it like that." She started to reach for the cloak to adjust it better, but paused. "May I?"

Alea found it difficult to look away from his chest, and not just because he was a foot taller than she. He had more scars than she could count, and more muscles than she had ever seen outside a sparring match (and she hadn't seen many of those, since her favorite hobby was avoiding them). She was also closer to a bare male chest than she'd ever been in her life, which might account for the butterflies in her stomach.

by **Yuros** on October 30th, 2011, 9:20 pm

Yuros nodded slowly, "You may."

The Kelvic's eyes never left Alea as she stepped closer to adjust the cloak, sniffing her hair when she was close enough. He had concluded that she was not a native to this area. When she spoke it carried a strange accent that Yuros was unfamiliar with, though he did not normally converse with any besides other deer of the forest. She also smelt of sea and salt, though it was as if she had not been to the sea in some time for the smell was faded slightly.

When Alea's fingers first touched him the Kelvic flinched slightly, his eyes watching intently as she adjusted the cloak. Yuros fought some of his baser instincts that told him to shy away from the contact. Instead he set his jaw and held completely still, but his muscles remained tensed slightly as Alea finished her work.

by **Alea Davenport** on October 30th, 2011, 10:10 pm

Alea took the cloak slowly and carefully, trying not to make any sudden movements. This was the biggest person she'd ever seen, Kelvic or otherwise, and she didn't want to see what would happen if he decided to shift right on top of her or something. She held the cloak from the top, and then flung it around his shoulders. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized her arms were now effectively around his neck, but she mentally slapped herself and finished pulling the cloak closed in front. She stepped back quickly, in case he decided he didn't like it.

"Well? How is it? Warmer?" She hoped not freezing would be sufficient motive for him to cover up and therefore not break the last shreds of her modesty. She also wondered if he would ever speak more than two words. It was nice speaking to someone who spoke little enough that she could translate in her head, but this was going too far.

Before he could answer, something shaped suspiciously like a horse's head shoved Alea's back, sending her sprawling right into the man. I'm going to kill that horse! She would have taken care of that immediately, but her sense of self-preservation make her make sure that her new...friend?...wasn't about to trample her first.