Closed Pawprints in the Snow (Taylani)

[Isedan Autumnrun]

Timestamp: Winter 38, 513

Tudav was bundled on her horse with her great nephew guiding the mount back to the pavilion and Issy following silently behind them. The pavilion elder had caught a bit of a cold and had they were returning from one of the healers with some medicine for the old webber. With Corsal and Cotice and the other men in the family off on the bison excursion, Issy had actually had some time to heal...and grow.

Most of the morning sickness had finally left her and there was now a discernable bump in her belly where the Ankal's babe now grew. Those in the family that talked to her in Common called it the rabbit hole, referring to its small growth right now and that, in time, it would be bigger; but Issy was as far from accepting of it as she could get. Her maternal instincts kept her from doing anything rash, of course, but the kelvic remained unwelcome of the tiny life if only because of where it had come from.

Around her shoulders, Issy wore a wool shawl as she shuffled behind Tudav and her horse, head down, and ears red with the cold. It was cold enough to make her lips tremble and condensed air fog from them with each exhale. The only reason Issy was not with Dastina working on the various knitting projects she had been given was because the Drykas seamstress' own pavilion had moved ahead on the Run that morning whereas Autumnrun and the Opal's they had gone to visit had not.

This bothered her for she would have even slept among Dastina's family if she'd been allowed, but each day she worked, Tudav would return to retrieve her and bring her home, signing to the seamstress her thanks. At least Cotice was not around right now to bother the shifter.

Issy coughed into the back of her hand and winced, her other hand sliding to her left ribs and rubbing at them. The other bruises and nicks had begun to fade in the Ankal's absence, but the more serious attacks had yet to fade. Just before the hunt, he had caught her after a shift, a vicious kick in the side scaring her out of the warmer shape of her feline form and back into the human one, a set of bruised ribs left from the attack. His anger still had not been diffused and all she could do was try to make it through each day, hoping for the best that a solution could be found. The man had gone mad and his locked tight hold on the kelvic, alongside what Oryani had informed her of last season, had left the shifter's opinion of Drykas extremely jaded.

But something good began to float from the sky, its cool tickle caressing her cheek when it landed and melted.

Snow.

The woman turned her head up to the heavy clouds above, haunted eyes brightening a little before another flake made her blink and rub at the lid with a knuckle after lowering her head. Afterwards, Issy gave a delighted cry and hurried ahead of Tudav and her great nephew to return to the pavilions and get changed.

It took less than a chime to reach the pavilion and even less for the woman to reach the sleeping tent where she shed the hand knit shawl, pulling her clothes off madly, and let her form dissolve in a bright flash of color and light. As soon as her paws touched the ground, Issy bounded back out of the pavilion and through the aisles of tents that clustered together, running full spring as the tickle of snow began to fall more and more, lifting the bruised and battered cats spirits even more and dusting her tawny and spotted coat in white. She was heading for the conglomerate of tents edge, wanting to be out in the open before she gave in to her longing to play.

[Taylani]

Odd and disconcerting, that was the thoughts that Taylani kept within her head as she moved through the tent city. Fallan had gone with the other Drykas, he was not skilled in hunting but his skill in leather working had been called upon. His family had headed back north, backtracking up the run for their own horse herds fared better more north closer to the Sylira border, and so Taylani found herself for the first time since her captivity alone.

Oh she knew that Fallan had made sure that the Amethyst clan would look out for her, to make sure that she didn't need for anything but it was different and no less frightening that she had come to depend on his presence for peace of mind. She understood that she was suppose to be working toward putting their past behind her, toward looking at building some sort of relationship with him. Yet she still didn't fully want to trust him as much as apparently she did. Her dark feelings toward the Drykas made her feelings toward Fallan troubled at best, and she feared that they would spill over to her child.

Sighing, thinking a walk would be what she needed, Taylani pulls her cloak around her shoulders and ducked out of the tent that she and Fallan had taken to using since his family had left. They would have to invest in a pavilion of their own soon especially if he expected to give this child a sibling or two. Her green linen breeches were now snug, snug enough that she was going to have to visit Rue Nightsong soon to have some larger clothing crafted for herself. The lilac colored blouse was equally snug but not just around the belly but the breast as well as her first trimester neared an end. The blouse did not originally dip daringly low, but with the gentle swelling of her normally small breasts became more pronounced Taylani found herself having to tie her cloak more tightly to keep her modesty intact.

Though of course, compared to the Drykas openness her modesty was quite prudish and the blouse really did not show much more then a bare hint of cleavage. The chill in the air was bracing, for Taylani thought that the unusually warm climate that Endrykas endured thanks to their migration schedule unnatural. It was Fall, it should be cool, in Winter it should be cold.

Moving easily still, weaving through the tent post, a white snowflake catches Taylani's eye, and a wide smile is given. Her hands raising to cup the white fleck in her palms to watch it as it disappeared on the warmth of her palm. So engaged was she in the snowflake that almost missed the cat-like creature that came padding around one of the pavilions.

At first Taylani froze, her blue eyes locking onto the animal quickly assessing the threat level. She was not well versed in animal information, keeping well away from them in the city and thus the only real experiences with animals were either riding the horses, eating the meat...or being attacked. A shiver went through when she remembered being mauled by a wolf in her youth..another stupid rash decision that had almost cost her her life when she was but twelve years old. Thank goodness for Aka the Dhani who could use Reimancy.

But that was a memory from another life, and one that she tried hard to suppress. The cat did not look as if it were particularly dangerous. For whatever reason Taylani felt almost drawn to it, so she slowly knelt on the ground, instinctively clicking her tongue to try and grab its attention, one hand held out carefully.

[Isedan Autumnrun]

Her hurried gallop was forced to a halt when she heard a clucking behind her, the serval slowing and finally stopping as she turned to look at who was calling her in a way far too familiar. Grey-gold eyes locked upon Taylani and the large ears of the feline rose even higher, surprised to see the young woman she had met last season, a fellow captive and griever. She was, oddly enough, a welcome sight and one in which the shifter was glad to approach.

Issy chirped enigmatically at her and turned to trot near, a happy purr sounding from her muzzle and throat once she had come near. The cat stopped once she was in front of the other Syliran and pressed her brow into the offered hand, her eyes scrunching closed and the purr escalating. There was virtually nothing threatening about the tall and lean creature, her pretty coat well groomed except on her left side, just to the back of her shoulder.

Such a short conversation, but how alike...she smells different, too.

Issy pulled her head out of the hand then and lowered her backside to the ground, chirping at the woman once more and opening her mouth to deliver a light lovebite to the thumb of the hand which had been given over invitingly. Though her teeth were lethally sharp, she did not pinch or pierce the skin before withdrawing and licking her lips clean.

A familiar kind of different. Wait, she doesn't know me like this! Bother, it's so cold, I don't want to Change again and the snow! Oh the snow is falling! Perhaps she will play with me?

The thought of play felt so alien to the serval after nearly two seasons worth of time as one of these grasslanders petch-pets. Yet, its concept could not be forgotten as she purred and curled her short tail against her flank. Another snowflake landed on her nose and made the cat go cross-eyed for a moment before her rough tongue dashed out to lick it up and rise to the bits of white that kept falling.

As she watched these flecks, the creature reached one long leg out to curl the paw against it, catching the snowflake against the black mitt and gruuing in delight at the tiny speck which quickly melted.

[Taylani]

As the cat moved its way over toward her, she could not help but be surprised at the chirping sound the cat had made. She had expected perhaps a meow, or a purr maybe even a growl. Not the cute little almost ..happy.. sound, so when the serval bumped her hand she let her smile widen. Her hand turned to hesitantly scratch at the top of the feline's head, being ever so gentle because she didn't want to inadvertently harm the creature. She thought the cat seemed almost familiar, but that was ludicrous because she hadn't seen a feline...well except the nightlion that Oryani had killed but that didn't count since she had left Syliras.

Perhaps it just was the friendly way the cat seemed to take to Taylani. She smiled as she examined the cat, frowning only once when she saw the flank that was not quite so well groomed and polished. However before she was able to really wonder about the area the cat nipped her thumb. Taylani gasped from surprise, it did not hurt and after that first startled reaction that caused her hand to jerk back Taylani settled more firmly on the ground so that she could continue to watch and play with the small creature.

She laughed, a real honest to goodness laugh, something she couldn't even remember when the last time she did that. The cats reactions to the snow lifted the former dancer's spirits tremendously, and for a span she did not think of her own problems and confusions. "You like the snow don't you?" She asked, not even thinking about how awkward she had been talking to her horse when Fallan had instructed her to get to know the animal. Now it felt natural, so she did, then it had been forced and stilted.

She didn't try to touch the cat again, instead opting to watch the cat play enjoying the simple enjoyment that the creature took in such a simple thing as snow. "You probably don't see a lot of snow down here..or do you belong to one of theses.. Drykas?" She tried, as always, to say the name of the people responsible for her capture with out emotion. And as usual she failed to withhold the bitter twang that filtered through the word unbidden. Though the word was bitter, her smile was not, and she finally reached out to try and stroke the cat's silky fur along its spine. "What happened to your side there?" She of course didn't expect the cat to answer, but she did peer closer at the area.

[Isedan Autumnrun]

After licking the snow from her paw, the cat tipped her eyes back up to the woman, mewling again as if in reply to the question of enjoying the snow. There was no doubting the intelligence which shown in her eyes, Issy rising onto all fours only to extend herself into a long and luxurious stretch, her head turning one way first in a yawn and then the other way.

When more of the flakes began to fall from the loaded clouds, the serval's attention waned and she hopped away, her long legs carrying her many feet with each bound only to twist and dance, nipping at the air with short snout. The call from the woman, however, brought her attention back, tail partially raising and ears standing tall again. It was the query if she belonged or not to one of the grass-landers. So perhaps it might come as a surprise that the serval did actually answer. A nod was a nod was a nod no matter the shape you were in, and that was exactly what Issy did now.

Her head bobbed down, large ears flattening against her skull, then raising as her head raised. A tickle of snow landed in one of those ears at the same instant and it flexed hard, flicking at the offending particle before she lowered her shoulders some and rubbed the wrist of her paw against her ear until the tickle had faded. Immediately after, she loped back towards the red head.

She doesn't recognize me. Well, that's alright for now. I'm out to relax without that bastard presence and she seems relaxed enough, too.

Once near, the woman rubbed her hand down her spine and the atypical reaction of lifting rump and tail followed, an absolutely delighted purr coaxed from her throat once more with Issy rubbing her head against underside of Tay's arm. Answering her this time would be harder, but she would try.

The hunting cat allowed for one more rub at her arm before she lowered herself to the ground, long legs tucked courteously against and beneath her (though the more noticeable bulge to either side of her belly at her hips could not be masked) with tail flicking sharply across the ground behind her. Then, the serval rolled onto her side, nipping at another snow flake and stretching her mitts to where she had seen one land; it took a moment to refocus, of course, but once she hate sated her need to grab for what moved, she was able to concentrate on replying. On her side now, the serval lifted her head to stare directly at Taylani and chirp, hoping to hold her attention while she kicked out the top hind leg.

Will you understand? Will you know what I'm trying to say? An honest answer, but not something I want to talk long of. Oh please won't you play with me?

For all her grief, Issy was still a young kelvic, relatively speaking. Only seven, she enjoyed the frivolities of youth as much as any other and winter, while not ideal for the long-legged springer, was her favorite season. It brought the snows! And when the marshes were buried in them, oh Morwen be praised, Issy loved it! No other time of year could she hop and hop and hop like the rabbits she sometimes caught, springing to the top of the snow and then landed only to spring again, her head appearing with ears high and front legs folded against her chest so that paws hung in front of sternum. Oh it was simply glorious!

[Taylani]

Taylani enjoyed petting and the attention from the small animal on a level she had not had in a very long time. The simple act of simply being rather then always on guard was freeing and liberating in a way that only a captive could ever truly understand. She watched as the other laid down, her eyes went to the bulge and her brows raised in surprise. "I am not an expert on animals, but I think you are pregnant." She smiles, her fingers running over the bulge delicately. "A little secret, so am I. I hope you are much more content then I am."

It is not that Taylani hates the fact that she is pregnant, though it was got upon her by a form of rape it was not a traumatic rape. If one could say any form wasn't traumatic. The father was rough in the fact that he had bought her, but Fallan was not an evil man. Misguided, by his culture but not evil. No, she did not hate the fact, but she could not enjoy the fact either nor could she look forward to the birth as she had always thought she would of her child. Instead it was merely a fact, almost another obstacle for her to overcome.

The cat seemed to want to play, and Taylani having never had a pet as a child was at a loss on how one played with such a creature. However, she did note how the cat liked to grab at the snow, possibly maybe it enjoyed pouncing? Taylani slid back carefully, so that she was crouched on her hands and knees, her red hair puddling beneath her on the ground as she eyed the serval carefully. One hand inched out and walked her fingers over and experimentally darted the hand from right to left in quick succession. Watching to see if the cat followed the movement, she had watched a young boy in Syliras once play with his house cat the same way. The house cat would wait and wait then pounce on the boy's hand. Perhaps this cat would want to play in a similar fashion.

[Isedan Autumnrun]

When Tay revealed that she was pregnant, too, Issy's head came up quick, eyes wide and ears alert. A man had got a child on her, as well? The poor miss! Tay had been so kind and patient with her that day at the dog tents, to hear the woman was now a subject of the same (sort of) situation bothered the serval. She rolled over onto her belly again and sat up, reaching her left mitt out to touch Tay's knee in a knowing and consolate gesture.

I am as far from content as I can be. So much is so wrong, Taylani...And now you are in the same wretched boat as I...

But the moment had passed and Tay was moving back to get on all fours in front of her. The sight was quite funny, to tell the truth, and Issy gave her head and shoulders a shake of amusement. Tay had at least caught on that she wanted to play, and the serval was glad to oblige, especially when she began to creep her hand forward the way a rodent might through the grass then hop it back and forth.

It caught the animals attention immediately and the large ears focused in like a radar, her head tilting this way and that in concentration before her weight slipped onto her haunches and she swatted both mitts forward on the fourth dash of the fingers across the ground. Issy had worked for several years with Lukyc as a hunter, on top of it being instinctive; her reflexes were made for this sort of venture! So as soon as her paws closed upon the hand, the light but sharp grip of her claws sought to pull the hand up towards her mouth as she balanced carefully upon her back legs still.

Her tail dashed against the ground continually but the reach for the hand was lost before she ever got to her jaws when the snow began to thicken in its falling and pull Issy's focus away. Her head rose and she swatted at fat clumps of the falling crystals, catching some, missing others, and eventually getting another faceful of the stuff again; she shook her face and rubbed it off, mewling emphatically. When the cat's head came back up, she focused on the ones immediately between them, going cross-eyed in the process and pawing at more of the heavy clumps, chirping incessantly her excitement this time. This was sheer delight!

[Taylani]

Taylani was pleasantly surprised when the cat had placed her paw on Taylani's leg, it seemed so much like a human gesture that it took her back just a little. Just like the nod, that was eerily human as if the serval could understand what she was saying. If the former dancer didn't know better, it seemed as if the cat also had a sorrowful expression in its intelligent eyes.

Taylani had heard of Kelvics, and probably had met their human forms in her time in Syliras however she had not had much interactions so it never crossed her mind that she might be playing with one. Nor did it cross her mind that she might have actually met this one before. Instead she simply wrote off these oddly comforting moments as simply being able to enjoy herself without worry or regret.

So when the cat snatched her hand she only playfully struggled, never really exerting any kind of force that would make the cat lose it's grip, until that was the cat broke off and started to pounce at the snow again.
This time Taylani laughed for a full chime in delight, plopping on her behind, one hand flung over the swell of her belly that was only just beginning. Even that did not diminish her laughter. The cat had such a short attention span, and was just so playful. She couldn't help but find a measure of comfort with the other.

"You are just what I needed today." Taylani said, as she finally settled down from her laughing spell. "Are you hungry? I don't have any food with me but I bet if we go back to my tent that I could find something." Her head tilted a little, even as her hands move to pull her cloak once more tightly around her, adjusting her clothing that had gotten mussed in her play. "I wish I knew what to call you. I don't want to keep calling you cat." Though at that thought she frowned, what was she thinking. It was doubtful that she would see this cat again if the cat belonged -as the nod seemed to indicate- to a Drykas. She certainly hadn't met a Drykas that had a cat as beautiful as this one. And if she was wrong about the nod then surely the cat would return back to her hunting grounds rather then follow Endrykas.

[Isedan Autumnrun]

Issy continued to pounce and play, twisting if a clump landed on her only to swat at another in front. Sometimes, the serval even leapt clear off the ground to grab at some that was falling en route to the ground. Her excitement eventually abated and her attention returned to the guffawing human; the sight was so strange in her eyes, or perhaps something she had not experienced in far too long to enjoy. It brought her some peace.

Then Tay mentioned food and it was all over. Shifting was a taxing chore and the hasty dash through the tents and ropes to reach the edge of the roaming city had left her partially spent. So it was that Issy chirped in agreement, moving over to Tay, eyeing her shoulder for a moment and considering leaping up to the comfortable place she had so often shared with Lukyc, but chose against it in the end. Instead, the serval would settle in beside the woman, her shoulder rubbing at her side pleasantly and that merry purr resuming.

At least I will be able to Change there...will she still offer a bite then, I wonder...

Whatever it might be, Issy was to follow!

[Taylani]

Smiling, Taylani accepted the cat's warmth against her side. The arm that was nearest raised instinctively to stroke along the soft fur, admiring the way the pelt's colors blended together. The cat seemed agreeable enough, so Taylani shifted and found that for the first time in a long time she needed to plant a palm on the ground to stand up. For another person this was probably normal, but for someone who spent the last fifteen years of her life training her body and honing the balance and coordination, that little loss was noticeable.

She sighed just a little but did not let her smile falter too much as she turned and headed back amongst the Amethyst Clan's pavilions. She was looking for a much smaller tent then the normal pavilions, and again she reminded herself that she and Fallan were going to have to invest in a pavilion now that they were truly on their own without his family.

Holding the flap open, half surprised that the serval had followed her, though not as much as she might have been before she had witnessed the nod and the queerly intelligent eyes. Once the cat had followed her in, she turned to close the flap. "Let me get the brazier going so that it can warm up.." She said out loud to the cat, though now her back was toward her. She bent and put the dried bits that made up the fuel that Drykas used most often, and with a flint and steel struck the flint against the steel until sparks flew and ignited. She leaned in and blew softly until the fire flared. Thank you Fallan for that bit of information, she thought.

Still not looking at the cat, she moved toward the bags that lined the far side of the tent. Within it was dried pieces of meat, she could cook her meal a little later but for now this would work. Tearing a strip into two she turned around, intending on offering the cat the bits of meat.