[Pavi Lake]Unexpected Reunion[Scorn]

[Aranta]

70 Spring, 516AV Aranta had finally had the time to go to Pavi Lake; the Zith had been hearing extraordinary rumors about the saltwater lake. He had not even known that there was such a thing as a saltwater lake, before; he had thought that all lakes were drinking water, and all seas and oceans were the undrinkable salt water. Learning that there was a lake that was like a sea was an exciting revelation, and when Aranta had heard some of the rumors of the creatures said to live in the waters, he had had to find out for himself what the lake was like. It had not been hard to find the lake, flying above the Bronze Woods as the sun sank beneath the horizon. The lake was a large break in the trees, and there was enough room near the shore for Aranta to land easily, stones and dirt crunching underneath his feet as he did so. The Zith looked around curiously; he could smell the salt in the air, but it wasn't the refreshing bite of the salt air near the sea, but rather stagnant. There were no visible sources of water leading into the lake, as there were sometimes rivers leading into other lakes. Aranta approaches the water line cautiously, keeping both eyes and ears out for any unexpected visitors as he attempts to get a better look at the strange rock formations that are glinting faintly in the sunset. The rock formations followed no pattern, so far as Aranta could see, but it was as he was almost to the water that he heard a sound from behind him. The Zith leaped backwards, spinning as he did so, landing with knees slightly bent, teeth and claws bared. The sound he'd heard was not a prey animal - it was too large. Most likely a predator of some kind. "Who's there?" he snarls, eyes darting up and down the treeline, occasionally flickering to the sky as well as he searches for the threat.

[Scorn]

Scorn awoke before sunset, nestled with her sister in the hollow of a tree they had found growing out of the side of a cliff. Scorn carefully extricated herself from the tiny cuddle-pile and dropped silently down into the cooling air without waking Scourge. Scorn would love her sister even if they weren't each the only colony the other had, but they didn't always understand each other, and sometimes Scorn needed some time apart. She told herself that it would be all right, she wouldn't go far, and Scourge would be able to follow her scent when she woke up.

She drifted aimlessly for only a few chimes before she noticed something interesting. It was the scent of another Zith. This would not normally be unusual--Zith dotted the landscape no matter where she went, and usually she tried to stay out of their way if they weren't competing for prey. On the other claw, she was pretty sure she and Scourge had made it back to some of the territories her own clan used to call home (it was a bit tricky to tell since her clan moved around a lot, but there was a familiar smell to these mountains). Ever since she had succeeded in her quest to find her sister, who had been ripped away by the mighty storms, her single-minded goal had been one of returning to their old colony, so that they could get on with being proper Zith again.

That was what was weird about this Zith scent; it wasn't anyone from her colony, but it wasn't a stranger either. But when she tried to remember the scent, her mind conjured images of stick-men and a fountain of blood. She must have met him in the horrible place she rescued Scourge from. That made her uneasy, but she did not remember this particular scent belonging to an enemy. Perhaps it would be worthwhile to investigate. Still, caution was warranted. She made sure to stay downwind as she approached.

Scorn landed behind a tree, creeping closer on foot, using the shadows of the trees as cover. She had almost gotten close enough to get a good look of the familiar Zith, when she stepped on a dry twig. She froze at the snapping which sounded like a thunderclap in her ears. But it was too late, he definitely heard her.

She briefly considered fleeing, but just as soon dismissed the thought. Such an action would only leave her vulnerable to potential attack, and such a display of weakness would practically demand the other Zith kill her. Instead, she crouched down on all fours, arching her back and flaring her wings out, before slowly stepping into the light, trying not to move too suddenly. She waited for his reaction, ready to respond instantly to the slightest aggressive provocation.

[Aranta]

One of the last things that Aranta had expected to emerge from the surrounding forest was another Zith. He did not drop his defensive posture, but neither did he make any move forward, either; his previous encounters with other Zith had always been tense, and more than once had led to outright fighting that Aranta had been lucky to get away from with only minor injuries. Now that he was living in Syliras, however, Aranta was even more reluctant to get into fights; he did not want anything to jeopardize his learning. "Who are you?" Aranta growls, using the language of all Zith, which was spoken at a pitch too high for other races to hear. Aranta studies the Zith before him - female, and much shorter than he was; smaller, too. Her fur was almost a slate-gray, with reddish tufts at the elbows and knees, similar to Aranta's own fur. Her hair was blue, where Aranta's was almost the same color as his fur, and there was something about her that was familiar; it took several chimes for Aranta to put the pieces together. When everything clicks, the male straightens, his defensive posture dropping into something obviously surprised. "Scorn?" he asks. He had met Scorn only once before, in the Temple of Viratas in Kalinor. There had been a scuffle, and they'd been reprimanded for fighting in the temple. That had been several seasons ago, however, and Aranta had never imagined that he would run into the other Zith again. "How are you here? What are you doing here?" From what Aranta remembered, Scorn was very much like the usual Zith, easily angered and readily distracted. Of course, his memory could be faulty, but he did not think that Scorn would be the kind of Zith to actually settle in a city.

[Scorn]

Scorn relaxed marginally at his recognition. Though she hadn't been close with this Zith, they had no history of hostility that she could recall, and there was none in his manner now. And neither of them were hunting at the moment, so there was none of the desperate sense of competition to antagonize them. He was still very nearly a stranger, so she did not let her guard down completely, but she did creep closer.

She cocked her head at his questions. "I flew. Did you not get here the same way?" It was maybe an extraordinary coincidence that they would meet again so far away, but it wouldn't be the first time Scorn had met an old friend who had no reason to be anywhere near. In her experience, these things just worked themselves out.

She noticed the water behind him, and curious thoughts caught and whirled around in her head. She thought of missed opportunities, of how she and Aranta had never shared the sky-battle they'd once promised each other, and how it had been so long since she'd been able to indulge in her frivolous fascination with water-flying. She kept getting closer to Aranta, moving casually, trying to let him think she was just here for a friendly talk, despite her calculating glances between him and the water.

[Aranta]

Aranta scowled at Scorn's - well, scorn. "Of course I did," he snapped, defensive, as Scorn edged closer to him, her gaze darting from him to the water. Aranta was not so stupid or trusting as to completely drop his guard around anyone he did not know - and certainly not another Zith. He had only met Scorn the once before, after all; one meeting, particularly with the way that theirs had gone, did not make a good foundation for 'friendship.' As such, Aranta was careful to keep an eye on the other Zith and not turn his back on her, nor allow her to flank him. Self-preservation, more than any actual idea about Scorn's intent. "What are you doing here?" Aranta repeated. "You did not seem to be a ... a settling Zith." By this point, Aranta had pivoted until the lake was to his right and the forest line was to his left; the bigger Zith was reluctant to turn his back any further on the trees, just in case there was something - or someone - else waiting to emerge when he was at his most unguarded. Zith hearing was excellent, but unfortunately Aranta had not quite mastered the ability of multi-tasking, was barely able to do it on a good day, and right now he was, understandably, a little stressed. As such, his attention was alternately focused on Scorn and then on the forest before switching back to the other Zith, leaving himself vulnerable to her should she decide to attack him while he was focusing on the forest; his reaction would be delayed.

[Scorn]

Scorn fixed her gaze on Aranta, letting her ears and nose pick up any signals from the surrounding area. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do with him yet, but he was acting cautious, which made her want to pounce just to see how high he would jump. Still, it was an impatient hunter who pounced at the first opportunity; more often than not in those cases, prey had a habit of scurrying away.

She kept prowling slowly closer, one step at a time, as she answered his question. "What does any Zith do? I fly. I hunt. I follow the prey," she purred. She wasn't sure what he meant by settling, or why he thought she would or wouldn't do it, but her strategy for hiding her confusion was to ignore the question completely! The important thing was to be the one in control of the situation.

Finally, she was in a good enough position that she could no longer resist the urge to pounce. She coiled her limbs and flew at him with all her speed, aiming to use her momentum to drag them both into the water.