Closed And though she be but little, she is fierce

[Naeya]

And though she be but little, she is fierce Timestamp: 1st Day of Winter, 513 AV Ninety-two. Six. Seventeen. Winter had arrived, which meant that Naeya had been in Sunberth for ninety-two days, six bells, and seventeen chimes. Approximately. Give or take. Not that she was counting. She wasn't entirely sure of the significance of the numbers, only that they meant she'd been away from Mura for a season and from Riverfall for even longer. The former? Her adopted home. The latter? Her heart. Time had numbed the homesickness in her chest, but now, in the cold air, beneath the setting sun, it flared up violently and screamed for her attention. Ninety-two. Six. Eighteen. Naeya's cloak brushed the frosty ground as she hurried toward the river. It had been a slow and windy day at the Seaside Market, and she was eager to leave the couriering behind and return to her paltry quarters in the slums. Half a season ago she might never have thought she'd ever be eager to return to that hovel, but the flood had changed everything. She'd witnessed homelessness and the death that came with it, and she was certain that even her tiny apartment in the Sunset Quarters was an improvement. As she neared the river and the three rope bridges that hung across it, she eyed the two men crouching leisurely in front of the middle bridge. One was a yellowed, malnourished creature - a human with a hollow face and a twitchy nose. Naeya was reminded of the rats that had surfaced with the flood waters. Filthy animals, they were, with beady black eyes exactly like the human's before her. The second man had the arms of a sailor and the gut of a lifelong drinker. The cheeks of a drinker, too - flushed and spotty. She was unable to discern either of their intentions, but guessed at the likelihood of them not being good ones. A third man, larger than the first two, was approaching the middle bridge before her, and the konti hung back in wait with ears perked and legs tensed. She needed to cross the river to return to her quarters, but if there was to be a fight then she wanted no part of it. Nineteen. Rat straightened at the third man's approach and winked at his companion as he moved to block the middle bridge. "Ho' there, stranger. Y'be wanting to cross the river?" Rat's nose twitched and his foot jiggled nervously. As Syna's fading light lit upon his sickly face, a long, jagged scar shone from his nose. "That'll be fifteen gold mizas, mate. River tax. Y'know how it goes." Cheeks stood and crossed his arms, while Rat held out his hand authoritatively. "C'mon, c'mon. What're you waitin' for, pal. Fifteen mizas to cross the bridge after sundown. It's th'rules." At his companion's words, Cheeks snorted quietly before quickly rearranging his ruddy face into a more somber expression in response to Rat's glare. Twenty.

[Ka'Rael]

There was, at first, little to be seen as far as a reaction from the third man went. The pace at which he approached the two other men (and the rope bridge they had chosen as their ward) would have seemed hurried had it been walked by someone else. While it was barely noticeable, the distinct graceful quality which Ka'Rael so naturally possessed in his stride was undeniably ever present. The Talderan came to a halt as Rat spoke for the second time. Tilting his head a tad to one side, Ka'Rael looked between the two men, studying the two 'guardians' with two orbs of emerald. He was garbed in very simple clothing - garments that had the worn appearance of a traveler's clothes. The strong cloak with fur lining he wore was the only layer that seemed adequate for the weather. Although he looked healthy and strong, obviously so, he did not make for an impressive sight in his clothes, especially in boots that were barely holding together. That did not, however, stop the duo from targeting him with their scheme on par with everyone else. And so, there he was - hesitantly responding to the challenge. A response that might, easily, be mistaken as fearful due to his reaction time and careful tone. "River tax? I have…" the large man paused in his words and shifted his gaze from Rat to Cheeks; "… not heard about taxes on rivers." His reply sounded. He spoke Common with an accent, although it would be impossible to place for even a dedicated linguist. The response was well by Rat - who couldn't help but smirk at the timidness of their target, he closed his held out hand and then opened it again, gesturing as he spoke. "All normal 'round here, mate. Ain't up to us - we're just the messengers 'ere, ain't we?" The question was rhetorical, he didn't even care to look to Cheeks for confirmation. His friend, with his arms still crossed over his chest, nodded his head lightly though. Remaining somberly quiet while letting Rat do the talking. "Me crossing the river costs nothing, why must I pay for it?" the Kelvic asked stoically. Remaining where he was, standing tall with his head still tilted to one side. Unconsciously Rat and Cheeks were both starting to realize that their victim was not as timid as he had first appeared, which fueled the inappreciativeness that showed on both of their faces at the words of the man before them. Rat brushed his coat to the side, revealing the long dagger in his belt - making a hardly veiled threat to the unarmed Ka'Rael. Cheeks, meanwhile, slipped his face into folds that were meant to be intimidating. "You'll be paying' for it, mate, 'cause that's th'rules and we're tellin' you, eh?" Rat said, waving his extended hand around again pointedly.

[Naeya]

The expressions on Rat and Cheeks' faces were obscured from Naeya's view as the third man approached, and she had to strain to catch even fragments of their conversation. But fragments were enough. River tax... -teen mizas... That's th'rules. The konti couldn't keep her eyes from rolling dramatically at the fading sun. While she'd only caught snippets, they allowed her to piece together the gist of the matter. Yet another Sunberthian scam birthed in the minds of the corrupt, designed to steal from the poor and give to the... less poor. For were there any who could thrive in such a city? Ignorant of the dagger and intent on returning home, Naeya began to plot her route. Three bridges. Two men. She had never excelled in mathematics, but she knew enough to recognize when a plan was not being well-executed. She would head for the left bridge, keeping her gaze straight ahead as if the men did not exist, and would cross it with the speed of a dove in flight. Then, if her quick crossing didn't signal to the cloaked stranger that he was being taken for a fool, she might even be brave enough to alert him. But she had to make it to the rope bridge, first. Naeya threw back her shoulders, set her chin, and assumed her most ferocious expression - an expression consisting of a tenuous frown and a cool glint in her eyes. She looked about as ferocious as a puppy, but with any luck she would exude enough confidence to trick the men into thinking she was a native. Without so much as a glance in their direction, she began to head toward the left bridge. Her stride was calm and purposeful, filled with pow- "'ey!" Shyke. "'ey! Girl! Where d'ya think yer goin'?" Cheeks had broken from his group and sidled up to the left bridge before Naeya could think to react. He was surprisingly nimble for such a large-gutted man. "Home." She lifted her chin higher and made an effort to step around the man. "Not without payin' yer river tax, yer not." Naeya found herself being nudged firmly toward the middle bridge, like a stray sheep being corralled into the pasture. She stumbled back, losing her poise, and nearly fell into the cloaked stranger in her confusion. "River tax!" she sputtered, failing to notice Rat's dagger. "Petch your stupid river tax. There's no such thing! You know it's not real, right?" Her last question was directed rhetorically to the cloaked stranger at her side. Rat glowered, his agitation clear. It wasn't supposed to take this damn long for him to get his mizas. They came, they paid, they crossed. This was how it worked. This was how it had always worked. "It's real because I say it's real." His nose twitched, and he began to slowly and purposefully wrap his hand around the dagger's handle. The konti fell silent at the gesture, having finally understood the true dilemma. Dignity... or dagger?

[Ka'Rael]

Ka’Rael’s attention shifted, along with Rat and Cheeks’, towards the approaching Konti. He studied the newest addition to the bridge farce in a short glance, swiftly sizing her up - assessing what this creature was and whether or not she was a threat. Whatever conclusion he came to, his facial features lacked any emotional output, apart from mild curiosity suppressed by alertness. His gaze therefore, without further delay, shifted back to the focal point of his immediate attention; Rat’s dagger. The Kelvic’s reaction to the near-stumbling of the Konti was incomparably quick, though, he gracefully slid a tad to the side so as avoid a collision. Summarily, his emerald green orbs shifted to her once more. As she spoke, it was unclear if he understood the rhetorical question. Primarily due to the fact that his eyes soon shifted away from her and back to Rat and his dagger again. As the culprit wrapped his hand around the handle, Ka’Rael’s facial features suddenly changed. He barred his teeth in a manner that didn’t really compute within a context of human interaction - but a reaction that did convey its meaning nonetheless. Instinctively, he emitted a low growl-like sound from his throat - a sound that appeared out of place. It sounded exactly like what it was; a felid attempted expressed by a human - not a great success due to the limiting biological factor of the human larynx. “No weapons”, Ka’Rael told the man in a gathered yet, apparently angry manner. He had effortlessly slipped into another stance, his legs and back bending slightly. The attentive onlooker might notice that his fingers were half-bend and completely tensed, almost as if he was mimicking having claws for fingers. Of course, to him, it was natural and quite subconscious at this state. The reaction of their victim finally made both Rat and Cheeks realize they had judged wrong. Rat kept his hand on the handle, in fact even more tightly now. But he shot Cheeks a glance, a glance that was returned in kind. This was turning into a matter of fight-or-flight for everyone involved. No matter the level of instinctual ‘tuning’, the hormone epinephrine had begun to be released by the adrenal gland - slowly increasing their cortisol levels. Weapons and threats had a tendency to do that. Cheek dug a hand into his clothes, finding the knife he had the with his hand. Now both of the men found themselves armed, against two troublesome specimen who were slowly turning into would-be victims of robbery and not ‘just’ trick-thievery. "Blast it! I'be wantin' those mizas or the both of you'll find yerselves lacking a finger or two, eh!?" Rat finally mustered, obviously very displeased with the situation. So much in fact that he forgot to think and managed to 'pair' the two, instead of keeping them in separate categories so they wouldn't band against him and his colleague. Of course, to him, the Konti was no threat - but he was a man of some wits nonetheless. He liked when things went smooth, but if need be, he wouldn't hesitate cutting someone up to get his mizas.

[Naeya]

If the konti appeared meek in response to Rat's gesture, the cloaked stranger was her polar opposite. The bared teeth, the guttural growl, the combative stance... Naeya's eyes - and those of her adversaries - widened at his aggression, which verged on being animalistic. But the man's defiance was contagious, and she felt herself growing bolder by association. Why must fighting always be the answer in this damned decrepit town? she thought, stepping back with her left foot and bending at her knees. It was always a gamble to leave home in Sunberth, and on this day she'd lost. Her heart began to pound as Cheeks grabbed for his knife against the cloaked man's wishes for a weaponless fight, but it was too late to flee. The match had hardly been fair before and Cheeks' move had made it even less so. Although her accidental accomplice certainly looked like he could take care of himself, she wasn't about to leave him to defend against two armed criminals. Naeya may have been a konti, but she was a Rivarian above all else - and a true Rivarian never left an ally behind. She touched a gloved hand to the sheathed dagger at her hip as Rat spat threats. The weapon had been by her side each day since she'd been mugged, though luck and caution had saved her from using it. She didn't intend to use it on this day, either, but perhaps it would persuade the men before her to abandon their foolish venture. If nothing else, it might keep them from getting closer. In one swift motion, Naeya pulled the dagger from beneath her cloak. Her right hand was wrapped around the hilt with her thumb atop her forefinger, and the dagger was angled away from her body. She held her bent elbow close to her side and tilted the dagger tip toward the pair of bridge swindlers. "Hey," she said sharply, feeling the adrenaline race through her veins. Cheeks was the first to swivel toward her, and he narrowed his eyes in response to the dagger. Rat, whose eyes had remained steadily on the third man, only turned his gaze to hers once Cheeks tapped him on the shoulder. "Do you really want to turn this into a fight? I'm sure you've been at this all day." The waver of her voice was concealed by the revulsion that layered her words. "Don't be foolish. Drop your weapons and let us cross." Rat was frustration personified. He was sick of the challenges from the maddening pair and finished with the fruitless chatter. If they weren't going to give him his money, he would just have to take it. "Stupid bitch," he sneered, "I'm not the foolish one, eh. Ya sure ye know how to use that thing?" "Let's find out, yeh?" Cheeks answered, his voice full of bravado. He advanced toward Naeya's accomplice, knife clenched at his side, while Rat stepped menacingly toward Naeya herself.

[Ka'Rael]

KKa’Rael attentively watched the Konti and their common adversaries exchange words. He maintained his combative stance, his teeth however no longer bared in a growl. Finding her attempt at negotiation to be for naught, he span into action — unclasping his cloak and letting it fall to the ground. Simultaneously, he sidestepped to the left and in the direction of Naeya, whereupon he rather roughly pushed her left- and backwards. A shove that was meant as much to make sure she wouldn’t get in his way, as it was to keep her out of harms way. Harm was still coming for him, in the shape of Rat, Cheek and steel. Then something happened. Accompanied by the violent shredding of his clothes, Ka’Rael appeared to instantaneously disappear, his human form seeming to shrink and then, almost unnoticeably, his human form had melded into something else and he was growing in size. Suddenly, a huge tiger was standing in his stead. Rat and Cheek had barely managed to register what had happened in front of them, before the beast shifted into swift motion. Shredded clothing was still attached to the tiger on a leg or two, but primarily — it was a blur of orange, reddish, white and black, fur that came at them. Cheek raised his knife as the animal easily four to five times as heavy as him assaulted. But he hesitated in panicked shock — resulting in the attack growl of the tiger being immediately followed by his screams. Ka’Rael’s fangs dug deeply into the upper leg of his victim, violently ripping flesh and skin. Blood was in his mouth, tasty human blood. The sheer weight of his attacking leap, behind his bite, had thrown the man off balance. The thrill of hunting prey popped up in his mind, as he felt Cheek fall to the ground due to the bite. But Ka’Rael was occupied mainly with his enemy still possessing a dangerous weapon, and so instead of enjoying the taste of the blood in his mouth and the sensation of the bite — he quickly managed to find the knife with his gaze, lying harmlessly on the ground where it had been dropped. Next, he looked for Rat - finding that the profusely bleeding Cheek was not a strong threat just now.

[Naeya]

Naeya, whose gaze remained vigilantly set on her enemies as they stepped forward, had expected the initial strike to come from Rat. Her core was taut and her dagger ready, but she was still caught off guard when, instead, her presumed ally made the first move and shoved her aside. "Hey!" The konti's exclamation of surprise was carried away with a stray winter breeze as she stumbled backward, tripped over her own legs, and landed indelicately on her rear. Her grip on the dagger slackened in her fall, and the weapon dropped several feet from the Rivarian on to the hardened grass. Son of a- She scrambled to her knees, intent on grabbing the blade before her adversaries could reach her. After the stunt he'd just pulled, she no longer felt sure that the cloaked man would assist her. Nor did she feel sure that he truly was a man. Her mouth dropped open and her body froze as she struggled to wrap her mind around the beast that had materialized in the man's place. She had heard of shifters - sentient animals who could turn human at will - but had never before seen one in person and was awestruck by its appearance. It was a beautiful animal, dangerous and full of a savage power that could make any man cower before it. And cower, Cheeks did. As the tiger leaped for his target, Naeya simultaneously dove for her dagger. She had just begun to smile in triumph as her hand closed around the handle when a bony arm encircled her neck and hauled her to her feet, knocking the weapon back to the ground. Rat. She'd forgotten about Rat. "Don't move," he hissed, tightening his grip. Her eyes began to water and she chose to ignore his demand, grabbing on to his arm with both hands in a vain attempt to loosen his hold. Naeya could feel his body trembling with fear and promptly realized that she was not his primary worry. The dagger in his free hand was pointed directly at the tiger, whose perceptive eyes had turned to the struggling pair. Money was no longer Rat's concern. He was fighting for his life and intended to use the konti as his shield. Naeya winced in pain, endeavouring desperately to breathe as the man dragged her against his gaunt chest. He smelled foul, like sweat and ale and sea. "Don't come any closer!" Rat warned, waving his dagger at the tiger as he backed away in the opposite direction. It was unclear whether he meant to make for the bridges or the road, but the konti didn't like her own chances for survival if he made it to either. Either she or the shifter needed to act, and soon.

[Ka'Rael]

The tiger's orbs appeared fixed on Rat and the Konti. One would not need to be an expert in felid body language, however, to comprehend the sentiment of the big cat's reaction to the hostage situation. Barring teeth and emitting a long, drawn out and snarly growl - the tiger prowled angrily, yet hesitantly, towards the two humanoids. Although neither Rat, nor Naeya, might care to notice the fact - a silver chain seemed as if woven into the fur around his neck. From it, a pendant - also made in silver - hanged. Behind him, Cheeks groaned loudly from the pain and shock. "D... don't leave me here. I'm bleeding, my leg...", the man spoke with a weak voice tinted with desperation, his hands reaching towards the horrible wound. Half of his inner thigh was completely ripped by the dentition of the beast, the beast that was still only a short distance from him. Most gravely, however, the artery in his left leg had been severed - meaning that a steady stream of blood was creating a pool on the ground, underneath him. He had already turned rather pale. Ka'Rael's initial and almost completely instinctual reaction had brought him into a predicament. A predicament that offered quite the dilemma to him. First of all, the correct course of action to apply to the situation did not readily appear to him. He could still feel his heart thumping in his chest, his claws and his fangs were ready to tear and rip at his enemy. Naturally, the Kelvic had a healthy respect for steel - but he also knew how much fear his form induced in most humans. He wanted to attack... but he couldn't. He knew he shouldn't trust anyone, but there was something about the blonde female that made him think that he couldn't let a wretch like Rat hurt her. He was the one who'd left her defenceless after all. He had to admit to himself that another approach might be preferable. And with that, just as suddenly as the beast had appeared - it disappeared. It looked as if the air suddenly swallowed the tiger and instead sprouted the large, formerly, hooded man. He was now shoeless, and perhaps more strikingly, he was completely naked with the exception of the silver neck around his neck and half a pant leg around his right leg. Ka'Rael's breath was heavy, he was obviously agitated still - a fact that didn't escape his voice as he spoke. "Let the female go and run, live. Hesitate and I dine on both you and the friend tonight." He snarled at the only armed individual among the four of them. His eyes met Rat's gaze head on, he hadn't looked much at Naeya yet.

[Naeya]

"Shut up and lemme think!" Rat's furious expression was at odds with his pained and hesitant words as he glared past the tiger at his bleeding friend. "Look, I- I just gotta get outta here, mate. I'll come back for you..." Naeya's konti gift flared up at her assailant's words, and she knew as well as Rat that Cheeks wouldn't survive the wait. She felt the colour drain from her cheeks as she looked out at the fallen man. His gruesome injuries inspired a healthy sense of fear and wariness of the animal that prowled angrily before her, and she began to worry that all of its humanity had been lost in the transformation. What if she couldn't be the shield that Rat had wanted? What if she was, in fact, utterly expendable? Evidently, Rat had the same thought. His dagger arm tensed, and his grip loosened around the konti's neck to allow himself increased mobility and his hostage a much-needed breath. Naeya inhaled shakily and closed her eyes to centre her scattered thoughts. A plan. I need a plan. But she was out of time. A rush of hot breath warmed her ear as Rat started in surprise. Her eyes snapped open, widening in alarm, and she searched for the tiger that was no doubt leaping through the air to finish them both. Instead, she came face to face with its human incarnation: fierce, naked, and very much a man. Naeya stilled and swallowed her astonishment, listening attentively for Rat's response to the man's offer. It was almost beyond hope that the shifter had extended his aid, and she prayed for her assailant to drop her and run. But, of course, nothing could ever be that easy. Sunberthians were notoriously suspicious creatures, and Rat was no different. "Let her go? I dun think so," Rat said, pulling the konti with him as he took another step away from the shifter. "I let her go and you turn tiger again. Kill me before I run two paces, ya will. Naw, mate, I think I'll take my chances with the bitc- what the petch!" Naeya wasn't a fool; she recognized a losing battle when she saw one. In the midst of Rat's loquacious distraction, she used both hands to seize his dagger-wielding wrist and twisted with all of her might in an effort to force him to drop the weapon. At the same time, her boot kicked back into the man's left shin before grinding down on his foot. "Git off!" Rat released his grip around her neck, grabbed a tight handful of her hair, and shoved her to her knees as the dagger tumbled from his hand. In a fit of fear and anger, his uninjured foot struck out and kicked her to the ground - tearing out several strands of white blonde hair and eliciting a yelp of pain - before he spun around to make for the road.

[Ka'Rael]

Naturally, the Kelvic was utterly unaware of Naeya's inner struggle and her doubts. He was simple creature. The complex problem before him, around him really, might've had complex solutions - but he saw only simple ones. The foe he had vanquished in fury would die, of that he was certain and he was at ease with the fact. Pondering the man's fate would only disrupt his current task and steal away his superb awareness of the situation. The radiant, fair-haired female would either be gravely wounded - or she would be let go and left relatively unharmed. And the human armed with steel, the other foe, he would run like lesser animals always did. To Ka'Rael it seemed only natural, it was the way of things - the weak either ran or submitted to the strong. Sometimes both. Both was what he was aiming for now - that and the famed logic possessed almost exclusively by two-legged creatures. Logical reasoning, however, did not appear to be Rat's strong suit. Ka'Rael decided, as he attentively watched the Sunberthian's antics. The Talderian had no interest in taking more lives today. There was no pleasure in slaughter, although animal instincts took over when blood touched his tongue - those animal instincts were not placated by witless prey. As Naeya launched her solo operation rescue mission, Ka'Rael stopped himself from approaching further - he had been about to follow the hostage taking Rat's retreat. He stood still during the seconds the fray of their infighting lasted. However, it took quite a measure of restraint on his part not to take up the chase of the fleeing scoundrel. Ka'Rael had mixed feelings about restraining himself, it did seem likely he would come to regret it... but curiosity about something else had gotten the best of him. He localised his cloak and retrieved it, before draping it around his shoulders and drawing it in around him. He spared Cheek a glance, something that didn't seem to matter anymore - the wounded man had, or so it at least seemed, turned into a corpse in the meantime. The massive injury and critical loss of blood had whisked him off to unconsciousness or already killed him. What was much more interesting, however, was Naeya. And so Ka'Rael set to approaching her at a lethargic pace, his head slightly tilted as he studied her. All the while, he remained silent.