[Northern Wilds] Of Women and Horses (Stigandr)[Complete]

[Jean]

The stallion had the most puzzling look about him as he studied the bundle of clothes. He's so odd! she thought for probably the hundredth time. He seemed to gather himself again and he nickered at Lee, who snorted and pawed the ground in return. Jean wished she could understand what was passing between them. Then he started moving away, back the direction they'd come. She began to protest, dismayed that he was leaving so suddenly, but he looked back and caught her eye, and she stopped. Why can't I place what's so different about him? she thought, growing annoyed with herself. It's those eyes. They're so expressive. Her brows furrowed as he stopped, wondering why he'd walked over there. Then the lights and fog started. It was so beautiful, and she was a little upset that it all stopped almost as soon as it had started. For a moment, she couldn't register what had happened. One moment the stallion was there, and then... Jean inhaled sharply and would have dropped the clothes if she hadn't gone ridged. The man standing in front of her was gorgeous, and a little taller than herself. He was kind of scruffy, with shoulder length black hair, and he had an admirable tan. The kind she wanted but her pale skin wouldn't ever allow. His eyes were the same as his other body's; the stallion's. It was an unnerving sight seeing those eyes with a human face, she wasn't used to it. His words registered slowly. "Kelvic. I've read about your kind. I don't remember ever meeting one though," Jean said uncertainly, her face still shocked. "But I'm not going to run. I'm not afraid, but..." And then her eyes trailed downward. Her face flushed so brightly that it looked like she'd had hot water splashed into her face. "You're naked!" she blurted loudly. Her ears felt like they were on fire. Jean closed her eyes and slapped a hand over them, holding the bundle of clothes out in the other. "T-These are y-y-yours I take it," she sputtered. She gulped and pursed her lips, thinking she might melt in embarrassment. She'd never seen a naked man before, and this was not how she'd ever planned on it happening.

[Stigandr]

Stigandr stared at her, watching her reactions. She was not running, or becoming threatening or hostile. She seemed more shocked than anything else to him. Her body was tense that he could see, he arms held deathly still as she gripped his clothes. It seemed a good minute or two before she replied, the tension in her body slightly relaxing that he could see as she spoke. You think you have not met any, but most would not let you know any way, he thought to himself, then realized he was only thinking and not speaking. Opening his mouth, he spoke again with a steady pace that conveyed a familiarity with speaking, but not the adaptation humans and other Kelvics might have with the practice, "You think you have not, but I know a lot of Kelvics hide themselves around humans and other races out of fear of being attacked." Her second spoken thought was cut short as her eyes followed the line of his body down, then immediately closed and were covered by her hand covering them as she blurted out his lack of clothing. He face turned deep red, her ears quickly shifting colors to match her cheeks, her speech coming out in stutters of...embarrassment? Was that was what it was called? Yes...he was positive that was the word. Stigandr never did fully grasp the concept of being embarrassed of one's body or of another person's body. She held his clothes out and he stepped towards her, twigs snapping under his feet as he walked, shooting small bits of pain up through his tender human feet, ones that were not used to this as were his hooves that could handle rocks, grass, dirt or gravel. "Yes, these are mine. I was afraid you might discover who I was when I saw them lying about everywhere. I was not scared of them," he said it with the tone of someone trying to make light of a situation, as if he was unfamiliar with it and trying to mimic what he had seen before. He took his clothes and dressed, slipping on his brown pants and shirt, this putting his feet into his sandals and tying them in a way to easily slip them off if needed. "I am dressed now. But I still do not know how you are called. I am called Stigandr myself. We should probably get moving. Being near the woods too long might be dangerous, especially since the light will not last forever." He spoke in a matter-of-fact manner, not really thinking how obvious these things might be to her, but stating his thoughts and feelings on things. He stepped past the woman towards her horse and extended his hand, waiting for the horse to smell and recognize his scent before he would touch her muzzle or neck, wanting his fellow equine to recognize him first. His eyes drifted up as the wind blew again, this time gentler, a cool breeze that found it's way into the woods and wound itself into his hair, tugging at the strands of hair as they hung haphazardly, the scent of the fields reaching his nose and bringing a smile to his lips. He opened his eyes again, taking note of the light, seeing they had a few hours left before it would be dusk. He also took note of the surrounding around, scanning the grassy land and gentle hills, seeing no threat, and hearing none either as he turned his head around. He turned around to look at the woman, also scanning the woods and listening to make sure there was no threat either, either by sight, sound or scent. It was natural for him, something he did not think about. It was instinct to constantly be wary and looking around, anticipating a threat that was not there, ready for when one did show itself. He met her eyes and waited for her to catch up with things and to be ready to leave.

[Jean]

She smiled crookedly as he spoke. He talked differently than a lot of people she knew, almost formally. "I don't know why I didn't suspect you of being Kelvic. I guess because I don't remember ever meeting one, I couldn't put two-and-two together. Why would your kind be attacked if you let yourself be known?" That was a sad thought. It must be lonely, being afraid to show people who and what you really were. She thought all animals were beautiful, and it was amazing that some could change into humans. Jean heard his footsteps crunching closer, and she tensed a little. It's okay, he probably just wants his clothes, she thought. And she was right. She felt the bundle leave her hands, and heard the cloth rustling as he dressed. "I imagine you wouldn't be afraid of them, would you? They're yours after all," she smiled wryly. Uncovering her eyes, she looked at him, now covered. His clothes were baggy, which made her frown, but she didn't comment. He could dress however he wanted. "A good, strong name you have. Mine is Jean." She agreed they should get going, after all she needed to get the buck cleaned and ready for the market. Stigandr moved past her to Lebanon, holding his hand to her. The mare sniffed him, shook her head, and gently blew air from her nostrils into his face. Jean smiled and re wrapped the reigns around her fist. Stigandr seemed to be scanning the area, but she wasn't worried. If there was danger, Lee would alert her. He caught her eye and she nodded, turned back to the edge of the woods, and started leading Lee out. It wasn't more than a chime before they were out of the trees and blinking against the bright sun. They still had a while before the sun set, so they'd make it back before dark. In the morning she'd go and make some money off the deer, after she separated what she was keeping and selling from its body. A question swam to the front of her mind, and she turned to ask Stigandr, "Why did you choose to show yourself to me?" A gentle breeze had been blowing for a while now. It was relaxing and cool, ruffling her hair and clothes. Lee trudged obediently at her side, ears twitching every which way.

[Stigandr]

Stigandr looked back at woman, his head cocked to the side gently, “People hate Kelvics. We are slaves often as I was.” His voice was harsh, an undertone of anger to it at the thoughts that were conjured up by his words. Momentarily his nostrils flared and his face reddened, then it cleared away almost as quick as it came, his hands unclenching at his sides. After he had dressed and she had opened her eyes, she introduced herself as ‘Jean’. He merely nodded, as it was a stating of fact of her name and something he accept. The idea of it being a lovely name or hideous name was lost on him. Names were often an expression of one’s life or desires, thus the name itself was neither lovely nor ugly, it was the meaning of it that would strike at the Kelvic’s heart. As they exited the forest, Stigandr bent down to pick a twig from his sandal that had slipped into it while walking, tossing it aside. The sun was several chimes from sunset still, but that did not lessen the threat of a wild monster coming upon them. Stigandr felt he had been out too long and needed to return back to the city safely. His steps were graceful, his body moving with a smooth fluidity that was unnatural to most races, his pace slightly faster than the normal human walk. He needed to get back home and inside quietly. He tried his best to not attract attention, though he knew he had a couple times with his frequent leaving. “Why did you choose to show yourself to me?” he heard her ask suddenly, interrupting his thoughts. He looked at her and stopped walking, ”I cannot afford to buy new clothes. I also feel no threat from you. I do not trust you, but I do not feel any threat from you.” He really was bad at his communication. He knew what to say and such, but the subtleties of tones often escaped his grasp. He was not harsh or rude, just stating facts as he saw them. Turning back towards the city, he began walking again, drifting over slowly to the mare, reaching out to pet her neck softly, his rectangular pupils glancing over to hers for a moment before he caught the scent of the buck and stepped away quickly, feeling the feeling of disgust and nausea rising up again. Eventually the wind shifted and carried the scent away, but the memory of it remained, like a bad stain that would not come out of clothing. Looking over to Jean, Stigandr spoke again, this time quieter, maybe out of habit from nearing the city, or for some unknown reason to her, ”Do you have any camp set up or do you have all of your belongings with you?”

[Jean]

He had been a slave. This repeated in her head, over and over. She thought she tasted bile, sick from the thought of what he must have been through in his life. "I'm sorry," was all she could think of saying. Her words were nearly a whisper, and she knew they would barely scratch the surface of his emotion. The hardships of his life could hardly be comforted by those two words alone. A thought struck her, one that she was surprised even crossed her mind. I want to make him happy, were the words she thought. How silly. She'd only just met him. Jean suddenly noticed a wetness on her cheeks, and she reached up to touch her face. They were tears. Her vision was blurry from the glassy curtain of water, and they'd spilled down her face. Her throat felt tight, and her face burned. She hadn't realized his being a slave would strike her so hard, but it had. She hated slavery, but she was no vigilante. She hadn't ever tracked down a group of slavers and freed their prisoners, nor did she ever imagine she would. And yet... The tears fell. She cleared her throat awkwardly, rubbing her arm quickly across her face and smearing the wet tracks. "I'm sorry," she said again, her voice breaking. Again, she cleared her throat. "I don't know what came over me," she mumbled, almost apologetically. Her stride was easily keeping up with his. Jean's legs were strong and a little long, eating the distance between them and the city with ease. She could keep this pace forever. His words of distrust and lack of threat on her part, struck her as a little blunt, but she ignored it. She understood he wasn't human, so she imagined this was just how he communicated; so unlike an everyday human. He had moved over to pet Lebanon, who seemed to enjoy the touch, but he moved away quickly. She glanced between them, but kept up her silence. It wasn't long though until he broke that silence. His voice was quiet, and she was struck oddly by the softness of it. It made her feel strange, almost as if a shiver had run up her spine. She shook off the feeling and answered, "I have a tent set up in the city. It's a good size, enough for 4 people. I tether Lee outside, but bring her in during foul weather." She didn't know why she explained that last part. A little hopeful, she continued, "Do you need a place to sleep tonight? I have plenty of room, and enough food." She felt compelled to not have Lebanon between them, so she switched the hand that was holding her reigns and dipped under the mare's thick neck, now standing next to Stigandr. She glanced at him, then back ahead. Jean could see the city, and its sounds and smells were becoming more prominent. The banging of a hammer sounded, far off inside the tangled mass of buildings and hovels. She sighed, glad she'd be able to relax soon.

[Stigandr]

He heard the words from her mouth, just had to think for a moment about them. They were words he had seldom heard as a slave, since no one ever felt the need to apologize to him. They were words meant to express...remorse? Regret? Usually when someone felt bad for what they had done, they apologized for it. Now it made sense to him. He worked out the feelings in his head, but he was unable to figure out why she was apologizing. "Why are you apologizing? You have done nothing to wrong me." He started to move but realized she had not moved. He went back and could see that her had streaks of water running down them, her eyes looking flooded. She was crying. His feet shifted as he was unsure of what to do here. Tears were something beyond his Kelvic mind. He knew they were for sadness, but they did not make sense to him. You are sad, so you cry as an expression of it? He had never cried before in his life, even in pain. He always suffered through it and cried out, screamed, but he never cried. Stigandr looked at her, unsure of what to do. Should he hold her, or act like he saw nothing? Feeling uncomfortable…awkward…he reached out and gently touched her shoulder for a moment before pulling his hand back slowly. Sometimes he wished he understood human emotions better, and how to deal with them. They began walking back to the city, the cool air quickly turning chill as the sunlight was beginning to fade more and more, Stigandr wishing he was in his horse form so he was warmer. Clothes did an amazing job at keeping him warm when he was a human, but it was nothing compared to natural fur that was designed to keep you warm, as opposed to these cheap clothes that he wore now. It would be good to curl up to sleep in his a rented room, just to hide from the chill air that would be blowing through the fields and in between the buildings. He might even buy some more food while he was renting his room. It has been hard to graze enough lately with everyone on edge after the storm. He was beginning to feel the lack of nourishment in his system. He might have to stop shifting just to stay healthy. That saddened him immensely. He did not want to give up shifting and running free. At his heart he was a horse, and he would rather live as a horse than as a man. Her reply to his question was…unexpected. He was asking about her camp so they could stop there if needed before she went back to her apartment in the city. It never occurred she might live in a tent herself. That she was asking him if he needed a place to stay and food to eat…was nice. It meant she was comfortable around him, and about who he was. At the same time, he had just met her; did he feel comfortable sleeping in the same area as her, in an area he probably did not know well? ”I will come over. I am not sure about staying yet.” He was always glad for any form of shelter, but staying with strangers was….uncomfortable at best. He could smell fresh food cooking in the wind, along with all of the various smells of the city, including the ever pleasant smell of a fire in a fire place, the scent bring with it the image of a warm fire burning hot in the fire place, the thought of warmth a pleasant one. His thought was interrupted as she moved over next to him, his steps falling in line with hers subconsciously, the city drawing closer

[Jean]

She smiled ruefully, pushing a stray curl out of her eyes. "I'm apologizing because I'm sorry for what you've been through. No one should go through slavery. Freedom is a right that everyone should have. But, at least you're free now. The past can't be changed, you just have to hope for a better future. That sounds cliche, but it's true." His comforting touch to her shoulder made her laugh softly and she shook her head. "Look at me, upset and being comforted by you, when you're the one that has had such a hard time. I think we've switched rolls accidentally somewhere along the lines. I should be comforting you instead!" She chuckled, wiping at her face again. Jean was glad he would stay with her a while longer. Despite his odd communication skills, she liked his company. He was a comforting entity. She was grateful for the release of her loneliness, even if it was only temporary. Lebanon was her only constant company. She'd met several people worth while in the city, but wasn't keeping very strong contact with them so far. Hopefully that would change soon. She had lapsed into a comfortable silence, watching the city grow nearer and nearer. A dog barked not far off, and was answered by another further away. UV The Tent City❧ One Bell Later Jean had the buck strung up inside her tent. It was hanging by its back legs, tied with her line of rope. She was carefully skinning the pelt from its body, trying not to put any holes through the hide. The process was a long one, and she worked meticulously. It took her nearly half a bell, but she finally got the skin and fur off the body. She'd put a few small holes in it, but they weren't bad. The pelt was folded neatly near the entrance of the tent so it stayed out of the way. Lebanon was eating a portion of the grain that Jean had bought that morning. The front legs and head were removed next. She'd throw those out for the local animals to eat. The rest of the work was cutting the deer to sellable pieces. Some she kept, but most she was going to sell. It was decent meat. Eventually, the deed was done. Not wanting to waste any time, she bundled up the venison and pelt and went straight to market. As luck had it, everything sold quickly and she got back much sooner than she had even hoped to. The mizas were a welcome addition to her purse. All in all, she kept 10 pounds of meat. Some of it she was going to eat tonight, the rest she'd get dried into jerky. Finally it was time to relax. She didn't know where Stigandr had left to. He had stopped long enough to see where her tent was set up, and then wandered off. Jean was starting to fear that he had decided not to stay at all, and just went on his way. She sat just outside the opening of her tent, one of its flaps tied back to make a sort of doorway. Lebanon craned her neck forward and snuffled Jean's hair, blowing some loose strands into a wild dance. She smiled despite her worries, giving the mare a kiss on her velvety nose. The sun was setting, casting everything in bright orange and golden shades. Shadows were starting to creep along the ground, elongating like fingers reaching out to grab whatever they could find. Under her breath, Jean started to hum a random tune. It had no particular rhythm, she just made it up as she went, but it was something to do.

[Stigandr]

Beautiful golden light had begun to fall across the city of Sunberth, a direct contrast to the heart and core of this city and most of the inhabitants. The fading light was comforting, possessing that unique late afternoon warmth that is felt when walking through the rays of light that are warm in contrast to the cold shadows that surround them. People were shuffling, some going out to do their dirty work for the night; thieves, murderers, crooks and whores. Others were heading home to their apartments or to tent city where Stigandr was heading to meet with Jean for some more companionship time. He had parted ways with her upon entering the city and seeing where she lived, letting her do the dirty work of cleaning her kill without him around. Having gone away from the people and out into the fields again to watch the sun set in peace and quiet, Stigandr began to make his way back towards tent city, stepping through the throng of people, navigating his way through the tents and the stench to where he remembered Jean’s tent had been set up. As he walked up to her tent, he could see her outside with her mare, who was making a mess of her hair by blowing into it, a sight that caused a small trickle of laughter to escape for a moment, quickly quelled as it sounded weird coming from his lips, an action he rarely partook of. ”Hello Jean. How are you doing?” he asked as he walked up, his hand reaching out to gently stroke the nose of the mare, moving to pat the side of her neck. One of the only times Stigandr truly felt at peace was around other horses. Taking a seat next to Jean, Stigandr adjust his sandals a bit looser, as well as the wrapping on his left hand, just in case he had to shift. He took his cloak off and set it aside next to him as well for the same reason. Have you eaten this evening?” he asked, thinking about going to get food for himself if she had, and if she had not, they could find something to eat he was sure. His eyes went to her tent. It was much larger than his, which was good for one person to sleep in, two if crammed together. It seemed….spacious and too much to the Kelvic, but maybe that was his nature of being alone for so much, he did not see the point of something so large. ”How long have you been in Sunberth?” he spoke to Jean, still curious as to a tent so large.

[Jean]

She was playfully blowing into Lebanon's nostrils when Stigandr spoke up. Her eyes crinkled from a toothy smile as she turned to greet him. Lee nickered softly as he approached and snorted as he petted her. She liked him. Jean braced herself back on her hands, crossing her legs lotus style. "I'm good, and you? Did you have a nice walk? The deer is finished, so you don't have to worry about that. I imagined you didn't want to watch. Not many people would." She watched as Lee bent to continue eating her portion of grain. Jean had poured about a pound of it into a pile on the ground and it was nearly finished off. There was still plenty left in the tent, which she was glad for. "I haven't eaten yet. I've got some stuff in the tent, if you'd like to share a meal. There's bread and fruit, and a little cheese. I was out of meat before the deer, but..." She trailed off, thinking he probably didn't want any venison. He was really a horse after all, and they weren't carnivores. It was still so odd to think of the man next to her as a horse, but every time she looked at his eyes it pushed itself to the front of her mind. Stigandr had loosened some of his clothes and removed his cloak when he sat down next to her, and she felt compelled to ask, "What is that wrap on your hand for? Is it a scratch or burn?" Jean herself had taken off her boots and untucked her shirt, letting it hang loose. Her pants were rolled up as high as they could go, which wasn't far, but still a fair amount of her muscular calves were bare. The third toe on her left foot was missing, and in its place was a nasty puckered scar, mostly hidden by the two toes on either side of the bare spot. She wasn't self conscious about it though, and liked to go barefoot, even if people were unsettled by her maimed foot. Jean picked at a small patch of scrubby grass between her and Stigandr, pulling a few half dead blades from the fat clump. "I haven't been in Sunberth long. Only a week. What about you? If I'd met you anywhere else, I could never imagine you in this city. You seem so... opposite of Sunberth." As she spoke she stood and ducked into the tent, moving to her backpack in the back to retrieve a nice meal. She brought out enough for Stigandr too. If he ended up not eating, she'd just put it back for later. Jean took her spot again, but facing him this time. She laid out the pile of food between them on a folded blanket. There was half a loaf of bread, three apples, two pears, a large slice of cheese, and her waterskin. "Here we are." She was glad he had shown up. She was growing fond of him despite his obvious need for social coaching, and had been afraid he wouldn't join her for the evening. Her smile was open and encouraging. Jean wanted to get to know him.

[Stigandr]

As he sat with his new found...friend? No. Companion? Not quite. He was not sure what to call her, but he was not scared off and that was enough for him right now. She leaned back, obviously relaxed and at ease, he legs crossed in an interesting manner. He noticed her middle toe was missing on one foot, but paid no more mind to it than an observation. Creatures were maimed a lot in the wild, if they lived, so it was nothing to be make a fuss over like most humans sought to do. He watched her a moment as she sat there, her demeanor bringing him to ease even more. She was an attractive creature he thought to him, but the thought went no further at the moment. He had forgotten about the bandage on his left hand until she spoke, asking about what it covered. His eyes looked around a few times then back at her and he shrugged, "It covers up...something painful." he replied, not willing to give up that information yet, feeling too uneasy about it. "I have been here a couple of years. I ended up here and just stayed. I have no ties really, but I have gone without being bothered too much. I would live in the wild were I able to survive with...more like me." He longed so much to belong to a herd of wild horses, living free and as his true self, but he knew it was not possible for him. There were too many dangers to take him that he would not resist fighting in protection of his family with the skills he has in fighting. He would die trying to save them. That was not the point of the question though and he forced himself back to the present and reality. "I am not sure where I belong really. Sunberth is just where I decided to settle down, mostly because I needed money to continue to travel safely. Why are you here? Sunberth is not on the traveling path of anyone really unless you mean to come here." He reached forward and took a pear, bringing it to his nose to savor the aroma briefly before biting into it, the juice running down the corner of his mouth as he tasted the soft flesh, smiling slightly in pleasure. As he tasted the pear, his mind wandered to the buck Jean had killed, "Thank you for taking care of that away from me. I will not be having any. I do not eat meat." The sun was slowly being dragged down to the horizon, the last of the light fading. Stigandr figured he should be going soon, but remembered the offer from Jean to stay in her tent, which was large enough to fit four people. He had thought about it but decided against it, not feeling comfortable with that yet. Maybe another day and time if they became friends in the sense of the word and what it meant to the Kelvic, but not tonight. "I am going to be going. I need to find my place to sleep. I thank you for the offer to sleep here, but I will say no for now. It was...a pleasure...to meet you." The common language was still tricky at times for him. Often times words were a matter of association, which meant different things to him than common speakers or even other Kelvics, and he was still trying to get a grasp on things. Standing up, he redressed himself, pulling his hood and nodded to Jean, reaching out to stroke the mare's neck a moment, then turned to leave, stepping gracefully through the crowd of people.