Speed is of the Essence [Nehsmay & Seliarus]

[Nidassasyae]

Fall 62 The dire leopard walked through the forest, trying to get used to the weight on her back. The companions were trying to make their way towards Zeltiva as fast as they possibly could. The reasons were unknown to Nidae, but then, many things were. She simply followed her adventurous companion, Nehsmay, on the Vantha's travels throughout the world. The first stop had been Syliras, and to Nidae, the stay at that city had been both terrible and wonderful. She hoped Zeltiva would have more in the way of 'wonderful', and she wasn't looking forwards to the idea of walls again. Then again, the world as she knew it had changed, for the better. The Kelvic part of her wasn't lonely now, didn't crave the other half of her: a Bondmate. The only really good part of their stay in Syliras, in Nidassasyae's opinion, was how she had bonded to Seliarus. It was her bondmate's weight that she was trying to get used to, though he wasn't heavy, not in comparison to her leopard form, it was still very odd. Snow Leopards were not beasts of burden, they did not have people riding about on their backs like horses. Yet here she was, outfitted with a saddle that had been modified to fit her form, carrying a Dhani man on her back. Over the past ten days, she had been wondering how to tell Nehsmay about the Bond. Every time she tried to start, she couldn't figure out what to say. It wasn't that she was embarrassed, Nidae was fiercely proud and defensive of Seliarus. It was that Nidae simply had no idea of how Nehsmay would react. The gentle Vantha had been like an older sister to her, yet Nidae knew so little about her. Sure, she knew that if she ate a human, Nehs would probably be upset. If she skinned and gutted an animal in front of Nehsmay, the Vantha would probably be sick. These reactions were easy, she had learned them while the traveled here. But it was other reactions that Nidae had no idea about, things to do with more abstract ideas, rather than blood and hunting. Surely Nehsmay had noticed the way the Dhani and Kelvic acted around each other, as though a thin thread bound the two together, that made them gravitate towards each other. It would have been a petching hard thing to miss. Though Nehsmay probably already suspected what was going on, Nidae simply had no idea how to tell her. Nehsmay... Sel and I...- Nehs, in Syliras I started to feel...- What do you think about Bonding?- Nidassasyae curled her lips, exposing long and sharp fangs. It was too hard, all these conversation starters were terrible! How in the Gods' names was she supposed to tell her best friend this? It should be simple, easy. Nidae had seen human girls in Syliras jump up and down and hug each other with delight when there was good news. Was this what was supposed to happen? Did females always react like this to good news? Would Nehsmay? Nidae feared that Nehsmay wouldn't approve, that the Vantha would see the Bond between a Viper and Leopard as disgusting, frightening, perhaps an abomination? Deep down, she knew that Nehsmay wouldn't think such things, that her Vantha friend cared deeply for both she and Sel, and didn't think badly of either of them. But fear does odd things to the mind, and Nidae simply couldn't ignore the knot of fear in her gut. "No," she growled to herself aloud, in the feline tongue. Surely Sel would sense the frustration and fear through the Bond, but at that moment, Nidae simply didn't care. She was a Talderan Snow Leopard, for Morwen's sake! Leopards did not show their fear, they stood strong against the howling winds of the North, they fought the bears on the ice, they survived! Would it not have alarmed her companions, she would have roared to the trees, venting her anger. Nidae would tell Nehsmay about the Bond tonight, when they settled down to sleep. She would be in her human form then, able to communicate to Nehsmay what she had so long put off. No longer would she wait, she'd put this off for far too long. With a new determination to her step, the Leopard continued walking forwards, proudly stepping towards the unknown.

[Nehsmay]

Shade rode happily in the wilderness glad to be, at last, free of the binding walls of the city. He was a Talderian Horse, he was meant for freedom not a pitiful cage, even if it was pretty and kept him fed all the time. He loved to ride in the wild and he loved to carry his mistress wherever she asked of him. Now they were heading towards another city, at least that little he understood from their incomprehensible human talking. Nehsmay rode in silence, every now and then glancing at her two friends and frowning. Something had happened, she was sure of that, but they did not have the courage to tell her and that upset her. Nidae appeared closer to Seliarus than before, but that didn't matter to Nehsmay. Afterall, what little she knew of Kelvics from Shade told her that probably Seliarus was for Nidae that ruling figure that kelvics needed. No what upset her was that she was being left out... she wasn't a little kid, she would understand whatever was going on. Nehsmay sighed... well whatever happened, she would have to worry later. Right now her top priority was to get to Zeltiva as soon as possible. She was on a tight schedule so her stop in Zeltiva had been long enough. And she desperately wanted to meet her friend one last time before finally settling down in Avanthal. She grabbed her horse's reins and bid him to ride faster.

[Seliarus]

The Dhani felt weird. It wasn't happening on a daily basis that he was riding an arctic giant wild cat in the forest. Maybe he was a bit stereotyping, but he wasn't really used on riding a beast of burden in the first place. Horses, or anything else. He felt strange, and every step the Kelvic made, felt like he would fall down. But after a while, the Dhani would manage to keep himself sitting straight. The discomfort started to fade, and he actually felt a bit funny sitting on the back of the girl who cared for him.

As they were walking, he could actually, feel her frustration, even though it wasn't normal. The feeling that he could actually understand someone without knowing how. He outstretched his right hand, and patted the Kelvic's head, trying to relax her. Now, he did not know why exactly she wasn't feeling alright, but none the less, he felt the need to somehow change that. Not exactly knowing how.


Be it how it was, they were on the road again. Far away from the stone walls, and annoying crowds that make you tear their eyes out and sprinkle salt in the eye sockets. He hummed lightly at the image of blood pouring down on his hands, while one of those people from the crowd cried his lungs out in pain and agony, while begging for him to stop. That would make Siku smile, he was sure of that. But not now. There was no one to pour his hate on, and for the moment, he didn't mind that. He just enjoyed the free air, even though it was getting colder.

Sel reached back into one of his backpack's pockets, and took his, now quite often in-Slyras-evening-Inn-used wooden flute. He had no intention of playing just yet, but he needed a distraction. He had nothing to talk about, and he didn't know how to start a conversation. So he just began to observe the flute with one of his hands, but keeping his other hand on the saddle, so he wouldn't fall down.

He sighed lightly.

[Nidassasyae]

The trio rode deeper into the Wildlands. Soon Syliras seemed only a far off memory, all that was left to think about was the forest around them. The road was surrounded by the huge trees, some were bare now. Nidae still found this odd, that the trees down south shed their leaves as winter came. In any other place, the forest might have seemed half naked, but not here. It should have been easy to keep watch on her surroundings, to make sure that nothing hostile would surprise them. It wasn't. The trees were close to each other, and even the underbrush provided cover for an unseen enemy. She'd never been this nervous before. Scared, yes. Angry, yes. But nervous? It was rare that she could suspect something that had a chance it might happen. Usually she just dealt with things as they came, as any animal would. She'd leave the thinking to someone else. But it wasn't that way anymore. The male who sat atop her back was far more precious to her than her own life. The woman who rode beside them was like a sister to her. On the way to Syliras, she'd had no idea what was going on. Nidae'd followed Nehsmay deep into the foreign land, and had been protective, but never knowing what to expect. But now she did, she'd hunted enough in the woods to know what cover and hiding places the underbrush could offer, even for as large a being as herself. Nidae didn't know what might come from the bushes, being new to the area, but she was determined that whatever did, she'd meet it head on. It was foolish, yes. But Nidae wasn't exactly known for her excellent judgment. The leopardess had already determined that she'd die before either of her friends was hurt. She might be foolhardy, but a Kelvic was loyal before anything else. While Nidae was thinking stupid thoughts, the forest seemed to flash by the companions. They had set a hard pace for Zeltiva so that they could arrive there by the first of Winter. It wasn't for her to know why, perhaps Nehsmay would explain it to them tonight? The leopard grimaced. Why would she tell me anything of the sort once she knows about the Bond? she thought. Nidae wouldn't be surprised if the Vantha simply left the Bondmates right there and then. Deep down, she knew it wouldn't happen, but even Sel couldn't always assuage her ever growing fears of 'not being good enough'. For the time being, the feeling of being petted on her head soothed her somewhat. It was another gentle reminder of exactly what she had gotten herself into. The source of all her fears and hopes. Nidae never thought that Sel would ever in a million years think she was worthy to Bond with. But he had, and nothing in the world could make her feel as special as that did. The idea of pouring salt into people's eyes and the image of the tortured crowd came through the Bond to Nidae. This was good, now she could understand what Sel wanted. Not here, there were no crowds to put this Dhani torture on. Maybe in Zeltiva, if there was some sort of lone human wandering about? Taking one from the middle of the street might not please Nehsmay. But if Sel ordered her to, the leopard would make sure that Nehs was as far away as possible when she did. She had caught the few furtive frowns that had been sent in her direction. Her heart, that had been filled with so much joy as she had thought about the Bond, suddenly sank. Of course Nehsmay knew, but Nidae was certain that the frowns meant that she did not approve. Or... did she not like the silence between them? The Kelvic tried pushing such thoughts to the back of her mind. It didn't matter now, she'd already determined that she'd explain it to Nehsmay later. Instead, Nidae focused her energy on the road ahead of her, and what Sel had sent through the Bond. In Avanthal, such a thing would never have occurred to her. Salt in the eyes was... creative, but it was that he wanted to torture them before they died that was new. Animals simply killed their prey, but Nidae hadn't been above playing a bit of 'cat and mouse' with a wounded animal. This was different, but the Kelvic supposed that was what Siku wanted. Every day, she was growing more bloodthirsty. Before it was the blood of enemies that she wanted, or simply prey. Now it seemed, everyone seemed to hold the possibility of becoming her next meal, with the exception of her companions. Nidae'd heard that Kelvics seemed to gain personality traits from their Bondmates, and vice versa, was this what was happening? Or was it simply the feelings that came through the Bond that caused her confusion and bloodthirstiness? Every now and again, she would forget that those feelings weren't hers, but they seemed so delicious that it was hard to come back to herself. The wind that brushed against her fur as she ran was wonderful, already it was growing colder as Winter drew closer. How she had missed the cold, the heat of Syliras seemed but a distant nightmare. No, a distant memory, her nightmares were far worse than that. Cold... Seliarus didn't like the cold. The realization hit her, and she sent him a thought about her bear pelt, tucked into one of the saddlebags behind him. Nidae imagined him taking it out and wrapping it around him. She hoped he would do so, it would keep him warmer. The sun's light was swiftly disappearing as the companions traveled onwards. Nidae started to grow tired, and hoped that she'd have enough energy left to shift. The morphing process took tremendous amounts of energy, but the trip was starting to drain her. She was tired in body and mind, but the leopard pushed on. She'd run until Nehs or Sel told her to stop. In the growing darkness, her eyes could see even more clearly than in the light, the path ahead was clearer than ever. Nidae would run until given instructions to stop, so that they could set up camp. Snow leopards were not meant for cross country, they were for sprinting short distances. Regardless, this was still faster than having the group walk, which would help Nehsmay get to Zeltiva as soon as possible. A good night's sleep should restore the energy that she had lost, if her companions ever decided when they should stop. She harbored the hope that she simply wouldn't have enough energy to shift, so that no explanation had to occur. Of course, it had to happen sometime, but Nidae was dreading when that moment came.

[Nehsmay]

Nehsmay made her way forward in silence. She was truly curious what was happening with her friends lately, but she knew better than to intrude. She was certain they would tell her when the time would come. Meanwhile, they had to make sure to get to Zeltiva as soon as possible. Shade rode in silence, shuddering a bit at the wilderness. He was a horse born in Taldera and although the wilderness was favorable to him, he sensed something lurking in the shadows. He remembered his companion, Myra's silent warnings regarding wolves and other predators that lived outside their settlement. Perhaps it was now time to take them seriously. Something was definitely wrong... Nehsmay's eyes widened slightly as the wind brushed hard against her petite form, bringing back memories of a crazy child running off in the wild to hunt all by herself. She was happy with the cold and the snow, happy to be reminded of her home, but she knew Seliarus hated winter. She wondered if they would need to stop at some point and wait for spring to come. Nehsmay sighed... that would definitely be annoying, but for her friends she was willing to lose a month or two of travel. Though, maybe it wouldn't be necessary... A howl broke out in the wild, followed by another and a third, relatively far from them, but not far enough. It didn't really sound like wolves, rather something larger and hungrier, but Nehsmay hoped they hadn't picked their scent and the creatures, whatever they were stood away. Shade shivered under her touch, but she spoke to him softly calming him down. Nothing would happen, right?

[Seliarus]

[center] The Dhani got used on the constant shaking he had to endure while mounted on the Kelvic. They seemed much less threatening now, as right after they started to travel. He managed to mouth a feint sigh, indicating his annoyance from the cold. But due to his bond with the Kelvic, the cold wasn't there for long. He felt something, that wasn't really easy to explain. He seen the bear coat that Nida was carrying around in one of the saddle bags. But, it took him a moment or two to understand it's meaning. The bond was something new too him, but that was the only excuse he had. He petted the head of the leopard, and as his fingers traveled behind her ears to give the spot a friendly scratch, he tried to send a message back at her. Short, and quick. A Thank you. But, he did not really know how to do that, so he simply made the thought stay there for a moment. Afterwards, he would reach to one of the saddle bags, where he was told the bear coat was, and, slowly, trying to keep his balance without falling, tired to put it on himself. It took him a bunch of tries, though, then the two were almost racing around. But in the end, he managed to put it on, close the saddle bag,and returning to watch where they were going. Only this time, he started to warm up due to the fur on him. His acrobatics aside, the Vantha wasn't the only one who heard howls. He closed his eyes at the sense of danger, and tried to listen further. If they were going too get ambushed by wild-life, he should better be prepared for the worse. But for now, there was no one in a closer range. He gave Nehsmay a questioning look, as if trying to ask, without words, if she heard is as well. If he would, or wouldn't get a response, he'd look back at the road they were on. They were running for quite a while now, and he was sure both the horse, and Nida were tired from all the running. But then, his thoughts switched scenarios. No longer was he thinking about the cold, but now he tried to explain to himself what those howls really meant. Maybe they'll get some company for dinner tonight. He could almost feel the poison in his Dhani form. That would be fun. Something to play with.

[Nidassasyae]

OOCSorry, short post. I'm soooo sleepy, it's 3 am here. Warmth spread through Nida's veins as she felt Seliarus' thankfulness and the pat and scratch that accompanied it. She didn't know if she could ever get used to that wonderful feeling, though her thoughts quickly turned to other matters. The rapidly approaching Winter worried her, and she wanted to make sure that he was warm enough. The bear pelt cloak only reached to the small of her back when she wore it, so the heat that it provided was rather limited, though it could keep him warm for the meantime. Nidae chuffed softly as she felt Sel struggle with the pelt. These silly softskins, they really had a hard time with furs. Her softskin seemed to be having a particularly hard time with it, flailing around with the pelt. Affection welled up inside her, but quickly solidified into a defensive worry as the wolf-like howls echoed around them. Nidassasyae opened her mouth slightly, trying to let the scent of the strange creatures settle on the roof of her mouth. What were these animals? The dire leopard continued the frantic pace, running alongside Shade as both mounts sped down the road. Whatever they were, Nida was worried. Yes, Sel was -the- top on her list of priorities, but he seemed excited for the challenge, not to mention being able to inject deadly venom into his foes. It was Nehsmay that Nida worried would not be able to handle the fight. The Vantha was a brave hearted and resourceful young woman, but a clash between her and one of these wolf-creatures couldn't be pretty. A bow and arrow would only work at so close a range, after all. Which meant that they needed to get out of here. Fast.

[Nehsmay]

Howls, angry and loud erupted closer and closer to their location chilling Nehsmay's blood in her veins. Although Shade was running as fast as he could, he appeared to be no match to the unknown beasts that were stalking them. For now they had yet to show themselves, but Nehsmay knew it was only a matter of time. She was scared... not of the beasts, not that she would get hurt; no she was scared that her friends would get hurt because of her. She knew she was not powerful and would most likely be in their way. However she was a storyteller and on ace storytellers had, was their imagination. She had to find a way to turn the situation favorable for them. Confuse the beasts and make them feel scared... but how? She had no idea what they were, but surely they disliked fire. She took a torch from her backpack and prepared to light it. Her arrows were plain; they were not poisoned or bewitched in some way to make them always hit their target and she wasn't a great archer anyway. But if she managed to turn them into fire arrows she stood a chance to hold her own in battle. Around them pale shadows started appearing... Nehsmay squinted her eyes trying to see what they were. Cougars perhaps? Or dire wolves? No matter what they were it was clear they were hungry. Their glittering eyes in the shadows showed lust for blood and flesh. Not even the wolves that had attacked her as a child held such a fearsome expression in their eyes. Something was wrong there.... Shade was starting to get frightened.... he felt the beasts, tasted their scent in his mouth as he rode faster than ever trying to reach a shelter even though he knew his struggle was in vain. He was but a colt, he knew not what real danger really was, but he realized that soon he would find out. Nehsmay shot a glance at her two friends wondering what they were thinking... both were predators, she knew perhaps they would be glad to fight this battle. But the girl felt the need to even the odds a bit; she had counted at least ten shadows lurking nearby. A river swayed in front of them, on top stood a bridge. "How about we lure them there?" she asked Seliarus. "They won't be able to attack more than two at the same time!"

[Seliarus]

The day kept getting better and better. Somewhere in the forest, he could now hear several paws running towards them. The Dhani grinned, as he closed his eyes, trying to listen and collect the exact number of them. Well, there were more than five of them, that was sure, but he couldn't get an exact number himself. But that was fine anyways, as he will be getting the opportunity to fight again. And after that thought, another one came to mind. A more sinister one. But he could not say no to that. And with that not even full thought, he went to take off the bear coat. It was cold, and the wind was almost cutting into his skin, but now, he did not mind it. All he could hear was the bloodthirsty howls the pack gave away. He licked his lips, as he, quite indelicate, tugged the bear coat back in the saddle. Right after that is done, he went to strip down further, removing the only thing he had on his chest as well, the black sleeveless vest. And as soon as they would in the range of the bridge."Do that..."He answered, and then jumped down the Kelvic mount, almost naked, and rolled inside the cold river, away from sight. Quite shocking. Now, it is to note that the river was far away from warm, but strangely enough, he didn't feel anything. There was nothing, except the strange lust of fighting. He did start to shift into his Dhani form. Away from the sight of the two, his hair started to grow backwards, into his skull, and it looked like his legs were fusing together. The trousers he was wearing ripped, and afterwords the river's stream took the clothing away. His skin started to grow scales all over his body, as his bones started to re-arrange their very positions inside his body, and started to lengthen themselves. He did open his eyes, as his normal human eyes were now gone, and a sick, slitted snake-eye replaced it. Next thing he knew, was the feeling of long, sharp fangs growing out of his mouth. What a sensation. He did not feel pain in the transformation. But rather complete, and alive. He wasted no time. As soon as the thirty seconds of his transformation passed, his tail coiled underneath him. And he jumped. Out of the water, the half snake, half man monster left his watery hiding spot, spinning in the air to lose some of the annoying water on his scales. And not even a second in the air, he landed on the ground beside the bridge, where the two companions of him were supposed to be. A glare underneath his snout appeared, as the water continued to drip down of him. Water, and something else. A glittering sickly green liquid, that was dripping down from his fangs. It was done now. He did not care if Nehsmay or Nida never would look at him again, but he couldn't do otherwise. If in danger, he could not stay in his human form. It was too weak. He couldn't feel alive, as he would now. Even if they lose the fight, at least he would die feeling great. A hiss escaped his lips.

[Nidassasyae]

The leopard skidded to a stop as she felt the weight abruptly lift off her back. Sel! What was he doing? Changing shape? Yes, it had to be. Both of them fought better in other forms than the small human shell that they both donned to be together. But it would be the first time she had ever seen him in any other shape than human, and even the dire circumstances could not suppress the tiny tingle of excitement she felt at that. Nidassasyae simply nodded her head, backing up slowly towards the bridge. Blue slitted eyes observed the forest before her, seeking for her enemies. Sparing a quick glance, she nodded again, but in the direction of the highest point of the bridge, then stared pointedly back at Nehsmay. From there, the Vantha would have a better shot at the wolf-beings. She was tired, bone weary from the traveling, but adrenaline surged through her veins, giving her a temporary boost. The dire leopard placed herself in front of Nehsmay, who had hopefully moved farther back. Sel was alright, she could feel it. A sense of completeness and the thrill of being alive came through the Bond. Yes, he was fine. Her claws, which had been retracted so that she could run faster, now extended from her big paws into their full length. Regular Snow leopards had wide paws, so that they could walk over snow with greater ease. As one who possessed the Talderan gene, her paws were massive, capable of swatting her prey into whatever she wished as she toyed with them. Trees were preferable, but there was no time for games here. It was simply kill, or be killed. A flash of green erupted from the water, and Nida's gaze quickly turned to it, assessing it as a potential enemy. No, this was no enemy. Seliarus might be many things, but he was no enemy. But she simply couldn't help herself, blue eyes quickly observing this new form. I need to know how to best fight alongside him, and how this form will affect that, she thought to herself as she justified this. Really, she was entranced and amazed at this new form. Green and black scales covered his body, glittering as droplets of water rolled off them. Fangs protruded from his snout, dripping with a deadly venom. He was not completely snake, this form kept most of his upper body. A soft growl of appreciation came from Nida's throat when she finally managed to tear her gaze from his new body and meet Sel's new slitted snake eyes. She inclined her head to the spot beside her. If they were to fight, they should fight alongside each other, the Bond allowing them to fight in a way that better complimented each other. As much as her Kelvic instincts simply told her to throw herself in the way of any blows that would come Seliarus' way, she knew better. Her Bondmate cared for her in turn, and that would only hurt him if she were to do that. Besides, he craved the fight, the blood, the pain. He craved it as much as a Kelvic craved a Bond. It was his nature, and she could not deny him that. She could not deny him anything. If he stepped beside her, she would give him a brief nuzzle, purring lightly. The odds were against them, so much so that she did not expect victory. But the Kelvic had her bondmate and best friend with her. She would die defending them, loyal to the last, fighting to her last breath. But she still held in her a certain defiant spark, staring out at the shadows, determined to take as many as she could down with her. After all, only tamed animals submitted to death. It was the wild ones that fought on, and Nida was nothing but wild. The rich scents of oak and leaf mould filled the air, and a breeze carried the smell of herbs and grass from the east. With her companions beside her, the leopard planted her paws proudly on the soil, staring down the wolves. With a piercing glare, she lifted her head and roared at the wolves. All in all, it was a good day to die.