Closed The Night We Met

[Taurina]

Night of the 17th of Summer 517

Nights were cooler than the days, but as with the previous three seasons the heat was continuously unrelenting. There were days when things were better, more of a breeze or cloud coverage, but with summer here now the days were growing longer and nights were becoming shorter. The land and the people within it were getting less of a reprieve from Syna’s glare during Leth’s glance because of it. If that was not enough to cause tempers to rise, the wildfire just a couple days ago had put people even more on edge. Taurina herself was certainly on edge, but many things had caused that. She could not blame the heat alone.

Tonight Taurina was making a point not to think on anything that was bothering her. She did not want to think of home or confusing emotions. She did not wish to even dwell on her desire of raising in rank at her job. She desired to be empty of such things as emotions and troubling thoughts. To go out with her stallion and find a place to gain some peace of mind beneath Leth’s light. She was not straying far from the pavilion of course, but was not lingering so close that she could see more than the outline of the light grey colored tent that looked white from where she was. She could still get back easily enough should danger befall her. Asher had been told of where she was planning to go just in case as well. She was not making the mistake of leaving without telling anyone again. Never again.

“Here we are Starfire,” Taurina spoke soft as she signed for him to come to a stop.

The white stallion was near glowing in the night. Faint. Like moonlight reflected in a pool of water. He was beautiful and full of fire, but careful to take care of his novice rider. Though she knew he hated it, he moved slow for her. He followed the other horses she directed him to for her. Whatever this bond between them was, it had linked them soul to soul. It had filled an empty part of the Ethaefal and whatever part of him that had needed her was filled now as well. They were a pair. Interesting and complex. A sight many still stared at when they passed by, especially in the night when Taurina’s form was that which was created by the divine.

Taurina did not care about all that though. She loved him. She loved him with every fiber of her being. He had become like an extension of herself and the idea of ever loosing him was one she avoided at all costs. She knew such a thing would crush her. Like loosing her god had crushed her, but worse. At least she still had Leth. He was there in the sky every night, even the ones when he was hidden from her. For Starfire to be no more… he would not remain with her. Not even a fragment. His soul would be scattered until the gods deemed it time for his next life. Taurina doubted that he would come back to her in a next life. That once lost he would be lost to her forever.

The Ethaefal released a breath once her strider had come to full stop. With the exhale she released the negative and depressing thoughts she had allowed her mind to drift to. Her blessing from Leth was not going to be taken from her. She made herself believe that as she patted his neck and told him what a good boy he was. The Ethaefal drew her left leg over the stallion’s rump shortly after and gripped the yvas handle as she lowered herself to the ground. It was much easier dismounting and mounting in this form. The extra six inches that this form had on her earthbound body helped with the large strider.

“Such a good boy,” Taurina praised, scratching up his neck under his long, free flowing, and therefore tangled mane.

Taurina gave him a smile before opening up one of the large bags attached to the yvas. From it she grabbed her journal with the charcoal piece stuffed between the pages, her waterskin, and her dagger just in case. She had brought no other weapons. Likely a foolish move on her part, definitely a foolish move, but she had not wanted to load up her bow and arrows. Too big and other weapons in the pavilion were too unknown to her. The dagger was not much, she did not know how to wield it, but at least the grip was familiar in her hand and the weight of it familiar to her hip. It was enough. Her best bet in the case of danger was climbing onto Starfire and racing home anyway.

“Stay close,” Taurina ordered after she had gathered her things and wrapped around to look her horse in the eyes, a repeating sign to accompany the words moving on her hands three times to make sure he got it.

Once the Ethaefal was sure he understood, she took her things and found a spot on the grass. Using the moonlight to see, she checked for any creatures that might be roaming the plains before allowing herself to sit down. There was nothing so Taurina sat and allowed her journal to fall open to an empty page waiting to be filled with whatever her mind could come up with.

Things had been getting better when it came to her sketching. While she had not done much over the spring with all that had happened, she had moved past sketching constant pictures of Zith and the little child that haunted her mind. Things were being worked through, even if life was confusing. Even if this season had come with new trials of its own. She was not allowing herself to think of those things. Not tonight. No thoughts of family, work, or those who had become her nightmares. A clear mind with preferably no thoughts of distress within it was what she desired this night.

The sketch began with a flower. It was something that was simple and easy that the Ethaefal had drawn many times before. The center was a circle, the stem a carefully shaded long cylinder with its end surrounded by blades of grass. It was only when she got to the petals that Taurina found her mind and hands unwilling to cooperate with each other. Her mind wanted to draw a flower with petals raised towards the moon. A sort of happy scene. Her hands had a different idea, to draw the flower wilting. A scene of sorrow depicted by the slow death of something once bright. It took a moment to realize where the lines she first created were going, but even after she did it was too late to reverse the direction of the sketch. No matter how hard she tried.

There was a groan of displeasure and frustration after failed attempts to turn things around for her sad little flower. Why had she gone in that direction with the first petal lines? Why could her hands not just cooperate with what she had desired? Taurina blew out a breath and eased down to the ground. She lay on her back with eyes turned to the moon and the stars that surrounded it. It was a sight to see really. A beautiful Ethaefal with opalescent skin sprawled out against the dried grasses of the Sea of Grass with inky black curls pooling around her head and shoulders, tangling with her horns. Another breath was released.

“Calm. Be calm,” Taurina muttered to herself.

She allowed her eyes to close and her mind to wander. She thought about anything happy in her life and worked to keep those thoughts from turning dark and becoming sour. There was Starfire, her family, her work. The ones she loved and a thing she delighted in. She steadied her breathing and allowed herself to be at peace with the fact Starfire was close and would react to anything amiss. ‘Only happy thoughts. Just happy thoughts,’ the Eth silently told herself over and over again as she let her mind begin to wander.

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

[Alekxandra Winterflame]

Night - 17th, Summer, 517 AV

The grassland at night was a sanctuary compared to the harsh light of Syna. The heat of the day made the wolf avoid her furred form and at times it made the frail girl resent the gnosis mark that marred the back of her hand all the more. She had heard rumors amongst those who traveled from Avanthal that while the cold was easier to handle because of their queen’s mark—it made it harder to withstand the heat of other lands. It seemed that rumor was leaning towards truth.

So the Kelvic took advantage of the night much like she had in Avanthal. Luckily for her, the grassland was widespread instead of stifling like the nights in her hold. Out in the grass, she didn’t have to worry about the number of sounds she made or pay mind to the people she might knock over in her attempt to wander when she chose not to occupy herself with cooking. Despite having not learned much from her two seasons amongst the moving city, the Kelvic already knew one important fact—one did not wander far from the tents. Alek considered it a saving grace that she had managed to get to the city without being eaten or worse, starving to death.

The past few seasons, however, had left the girl on the thin side, more so than what was healthy. When she had arrived Baltair had been kind enough to help get her settled, but the mark on her skin meant danger for him. He might not have cared, but she had. Alek kept herself to the outskirts of the city—with only a ridiculously stubborn oxen for company. It had been the only beast that could stand the sight of her wolf form and scent… but it wasn’t much for companionship. It refused to budge unless she prodded it relentlessly, and the girl considered herself lucky she managed to keep up with the city as it was.

The feeling of grass and dirt beneath her paws was still something the wolf was becoming accustomed to as well. Having grown up on snowpack it left the girl having to relearn the world around her—and that meant the dangers that lurked in the grass when one wasn’t careful. Her ears were kept at constant attention, twitching at the slightest sounds that echoed through the grass. Despite having to grow used to the new ground, Alek found she moved easily through the tall blades—as if her body was made for this type of land. Her long legs made it easy to maneuver through the fields while her ears tracked the fading sounds of the city, the wind stirring across the land as if it was something she had done her whole life.

Hunting had been a scarce thing since she had landed in the city. Not only did the lack of winter make things sparse, but the wildfire that had raged days ago had spread the wildlife thin. It wasn’t often that Alek tracked anything close to the city, to begin with, but it didn’t stop her from trying. It was a chance to stretch her legs and let herself fade away from the reminders that she didn’t fit into this city like she should after nearly half a year. The girl kept herself distanced for more reasons than just her mark, but she also knew it couldn’t last forever. At some point, she needed to either intergrade herself into this society or move on.

With the heat of the day still lingering in the soil, it seemed the bugs didn’t find much rest in the evening either. Most of the time they were fairly easy to contend with, a snap or two usually drove them off to bother someone else, but tonight it seemed these things were persistent. They crawled across her fur and tried to make their way into her ears, even when the wolf pressed them tightly to her skull. With a growl, the Kelvic tried to use her paws to get them away from her muzzle but she found little relief. The insects pressed on and Alek was forced to run in an attempt to separate herself from the swarm.

The sprint however felt good. Her legs pumped beneath her and the wind filled her lungs until her heart pumped fiercely against her ribcage. The wolf was aware of the space between her and the city and twisted her direction from a straight line to rounding around the city instead. Her head turned towards the tents, the lights blurring together as she tried to keep track of her position to the city. In retrospect, the Kelvic should have been paying attention to what lay before her rather than next to her, but in her defense, the girl rarely came across anyone within the grass once Leth took to the sky.

Her ears picked up the sound of a voice first. Too low to hear the words even for her ears to pick up at the pace she was moving, but certainly female. It drew the wolf’s head forward and Alek realized much too late the woman sitting the grass directly before her. With a sharp yelp, her paws tried to skid to a stop, occasionally trying to flail backward in her best effort to come to a stop before she bowled the woman over.

With little success.

The Kelvic found her thin form colliding fully into the woman’s back. The force knocked the two of them forward and Alek found herself quite literally rolling into the grass in front of the woman before her body came to a stop. The wind had been knocked from her lungs and there were pinpoints of pain that echoed across her body. Nothing had broken, most likely, but it had been enough to fully startle the poor wolf. She laid sprawled across the grass for several chimes before air began to leak back into her lungs. Weakly the girl gathered her legs under her and lifted her head to take in the woman that she had managed to stumble over.

The first thing the Kelvic took to notice was the horns. The woman had horns that protruded from her temples in colors that seemed to mirror the grass around them. The dark hair might have been black, but in the low light of Leth, the Kelvic couldn’t entirely be sure. Her skin seemed to glow with the light afforded to them. Almost instantly Alek felt her ears droop as her head hung low. Her sides heaved as she tried to pull air back into her lungs—catching her breath felt improbable.

There was a war raging through her head as she pushed herself up to a sitting position. A part of her told her to limp off and away from the woman before there was cause for more trouble, but the Kelvic had no idea if she had hurt the woman. If the wolf left and she needed assistance… it would leave her responsible. Alek had lost too many family members to stand the thought of being the reason someone else lost their own—even if this woman did not resemble most of the people that lived within the city itself. So the girl sat panting, nothing about her posture appearing aggressive, but rather tired, as her blue eyes tried to assess the woman and her injuries.

[Taurina]

Her mind had taken her to a place of light and happiness. Here she was lighter than air, bright like the stars , and happier than most. It was like a dream, but not the kind that even felt real. The sort of dream one experienced during the day. Something pleasant and soft to distract from the troubles of real life. It was easy in this head space and peace was found. There were happy flowers dotting the ground the Ethaefal saw before her. None of those sad, wilting flowers she had had the displeasure of accidentally creating. Taurina smiled, content. She could easily stay here until it was time to return home.

She should have known better than to believe that she would have the chance to make that a reality. Past experience should have taught her that the gods enjoyed turning her plans and wishes up on their heads.

Taurina heard the yelp first. The sound startled her from the peace her mind had finally achieved. Indigo eyes flew open and hands pressed rapidly against the ground as arms hastily pushed her up to a sitting position. Her legs crossed and the journal that had previously been on her stomach fell to her side in the grass. What had made such a sound? Her body twisted side to side first as she looked for the source of the noise. She looked forward and then she went to look backwards… there was a gasp as the Eth was pushed forward.

“Hey!” Taurina exclaimed in surprise as she was shoved over.

The force of the wolf toppling over her and Taurina’s lack of preparation sent her body forward with enough force that she tumbled over her legs and landed on her forearms before her hands could catch her. It was something akin to a half summersault. If she had continued rolling one turn more she might have managed to return to her sitting position. She did manage to keep her head from landing too hard on the ground, but she did, unfortunately, get a mouthful of grass that she was rapidly trying to spit out as arms worked to shove her back to a sitting position. Muscles ached in protest to any movement after the sudden jolt, but Taurina wanted to get a look at her attacker. More than that, she needed to know if she had to flee.

Once the Eth finally was able to raise her body up and set her indigo eyes on her attacker, she was surprised. The whole event had been a surprise and while fear should have taken hold and told her to run, she was just startled. There was something about the red wolf’s look of complete exhaustion and the way they both panted the same trying and get some air back into their lungs that kept Taurina from completely freaking out. Instead she just stared at the animal before her eyes. The creature did not look aggressive. It was not snarling, snapping, or trying to further attack her. Taurina had been slow about getting her legs back under her which had surely been enough time for the creature to have taken hold should it have wanted to.

Taurina’s gaze narrowed, but more in curiosity than in anger. Something in the back of her mind told her to get out now while she still could. To run to Starfire and get home. The stallion was near and did not sound happy. Taurina looked at him and signed for him to calm. He was not being a very good listener at this time, but he did not come closer. It seemed as though he was weary of the predator. Likely only staying as close as he was for his rider. Taurina knew he wanted to run, take her and run to protection. Her eyes, however, had fastened back on the red wolf who looked thinner than it should. Even with the wildfire and scarce prey, the predator should not have been that thin. The Eth did not think so anyway.

Taurina blinked at her own thoughts. Why did she care? It was a predator that had trampled her and though it looked tired now, perhaps it was an act. Did creatures know how to act? Maybe it was waiting for her to try and move towards it before attacking her. The Ethaefal did not know. She knew little about animals. Only what she had observed and experienced with the ones she had encountered before. The wolf looked much like a very tall and thin Grey with reddish coloring to her. She was not even truly of what it was. It could be a pet of some sort to one of the pavilions that were near. They were not so far from the city, though farther than most animals of the people would roam. Taurina’s brow furrowed. The confusion had set in. She did not know what to think and much less what to do.

“What were you doing?” she mused, not moving as she looked the creature over.

There was the matter of being toppled over as well. Most animals would have seen her, sensed her. She believed that predators attacked targets with teeth and claws, hunted them. It seemed unusual for one to try and knock her over, exhausting itself in the process. This was one strange creature indeed. Was something broken about it? How had it not sensed her? How was it not trying to eat her now? It was thin enough that it had to be starving, looking for anything to get its teeth on. A bit of uneasiness settled into the Eth at that thought. What…how.. Taurina was left confused, but she did not move. She feared moving would startle the strange being into action and she did not think her knife would do much against a starving predator.

“Strange.. so strange,” the Ethaefal murmured.

It was shortly after that that Taurina noticed she was bleeding. It was not bad and as with all things any trace of the wounds would be gone by next shift. Wounds were pesky things however. Uncomfortable. Both her forearms stung with small, angry gashes that bled despite the dirt and grass stuck in them. Taurina gave a soft groan. The injuries must have happened when she landed from the fall. The Eth looked at the red wolf once more. She was still weary of moving, but she did not wish to allow the scrapes to continue bleeding. Leaving them dirty did not seem like a good idea either.

“I’m gonna move now, just getting some water,” Taurina spoke soft as if that would keep the creature in its place rather than bringing it towards her.

The Ethaefal went for her waterskin -her eyes remaining fixed on the wolf the whole time- and wet a clean edge of her shirt before she used it to clean the dirt and grass from her arms the best she could. Once she was done she took a swig of water from her waterskin before returning her gaze to the wolf. She felt sorry for the creature. It looked so tired. Hungry too, but she did not have food with her. She tilted the water skin towards it instead. She was not sure how or if this was going to work, but she was willing to try and hoping that she was not making a horrible mistake.

“Want some?” the Ethaefal asked gently with a gaze that watched carefully, but in her face there was nothing but curiosity and kindness.

She wanted to help. She just hoped that it was not going to come back and bite her in the butt.

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

[Alekxandra Winterflame]

The way the odd looking female held her body did not read as angry—at least not from what the she-wolf could gather. There was the astringent smell of blood however that reached her nose, and the girl let her eyes wander across the woman’s form looking for the source. Apparently, she had managed to dirty the woman fairly well as grass and dirt clung to both her clothing and skin. It really shouldn’t have surprised her, given the force she had hit the woman with. Letting out a sharp huff through her nose she pulled her eyes from the woman—from both the guilt she felt and the sense that the two of them were not alone.

And she wasn’t too far off. Not far from the two of them stood a horse, looking none too happy with her appearance. Alek was used to the fact by now that some of the horses within the city were smarter, or at least appeared so, compared to those she had grown up with in Avanthal—but most still felt a great sense of unease around her. While her form was hardly big enough to pose any real threat, even when she was at a proper weight, her scent must have still exuded with danger. The woman made a signal towards the animal and while it stilled the horse, it was still clearly unhappy. She would have to keep an ear on the animal in case it suddenly decided a good trampling was in order.

It was the voice of the woman that drew Alek out of her musing over the horse. As usual, she didn’t understand a word of it. The Drykas language was still a complete mystery simply because the Kelvic had not bothered to try and learn any of it during her stay. Those that she did interact with seemed to hold at least an understanding of common. Learning the language meant she was trying to instill a sense of belonging with these people… and the girl wasn’t yet sure she actually wanted that. Deep down a piece of her wanted to return home to Avanthal—but Alek was having to constantly remind herself that her family no longer existed and that home was not safe.

The woman finally stood, having noticed the blood that welled across her arms. Alek remained rooted to her spot so as not to startle the woman—or the horse—into thinking that she might become aggressive with the movement. Instead, Alek let her ears lift to fully take in the sounds around them once again. The first thing she noticed was the heartbeat of the woman, which was odd because her ears almost never focused on such things. She chose to ignore it in favor of the sound of the horse breathing, and the sound of water droplets that escaped from the edge of her shirt. Almost without thinking the wolf let her nose drop low to the ground, sniffing the grass that had flattened. The scent of the woman settled across her mind, different than the rest of the Drykas within the city. Part of her wondered if it was because of her race… the horns and glow of her skin certainly didn’t scream human.

There was a question that left the woman’s lips—at least she was fairly certain it was. She was staring at her as if waiting for something and Alek realized she had done little but sit and watch her and the horse for several chimes now. While her breathing had slowed, her heart still raced in her chest at the nerves of being watched. Normally she was the one doing that, from a safe distance. But the wolf noted the waterskin in the woman’s hand and Alek couldn’t help but admit to herself how thirsty she was. Her run through the grass may have been a good stretch, but it left her parched. Slowly the Kelvic pushed her legs beneath her, rising from her sitting position to standing, but kept her head low. She kept her approach close to the ground as possible without crawling on her belly, the less aggression the better.

It was only as she neared the woman that she dared to actually look up at her face. There was kindness in her eyes, and the moment Alek’s eyes met hers she felt an instant ease come across her skin. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long because as the Kelvic stared into her eyes a jolt sprung across the back of her mind and shot across her body. The fur across her back raised, not from threat, but surprise.

Since her arrival in Endrykas, the Kelvic had avoided people. It had been a mild form of torture really, something that kept herself from thinking about the loss of her family. Ignoring that part of her that called for her to bond was unnatural and a source of distraction in a world that wanted her head—and it seemed that ignoring it didn’t stop her from finding it. The kindness in the woman opened her up in an unexpected way and now Alek could feel her like a whisper in the back of her mind. Nothing was clear and so faint the Kelvic could have sworn she was imagining it, but there was no doubt about what had just happened. The draw to find someone was gone. Replaced by her.

This woman was her bondmate.

The initial shock stopped her approach, knocking her straight back onto her rump. Almost instantly a flash of light came forth and the wolf was gone—replaced by a thin naked woman with red hair. Slightly disheveled and clearly gaping at the Ethaefal in both wonder and caution. The gnosis mark that caused her to keep her distance from everyone was momentarily forgotten in lieu of the sudden change echoing through her mind.

“Petch…” The word tumbled out in Vani before she could stop it. The shock of what had just happened faded slightly and the girl weakly shoved her hands beneath her so that she could stand to her full height, just barely a few inches shorter than the woman before her. Alek tried to think of something… some kind of social nicety that would cover the fact that she could still faintly feel the emotion from the woman. It came and went, but was most certainly there.

“Please tell me you speak common… or this is going to get awkward very fast.” As if it wasn’t already. The girl glanced over her shoulder at the tents far off behind her before looking to the horse and then back to the woman, shifting nervously from one foot to the other. Running wasn’t going to do any good this time...

Common | Vani | Pavi

[Taurina]

The red furred predator moved slowly towards her with its body low to the ground. Taurina very slowly crouched down with the waterskin still in her hand stretched out towards the animal. She wanted to show that she was no threat, just like how the red wolf was showing her it was no threat. The Eth was not educated in animal behavior and body language so she was just going with her gut. The predator had not attacked her and was moving just as slow as she herself was. It was like they were doing a dance. Both moving to a beat so slow so that each could see what the other was doing. Each showing that they were not out to cause harm.

The Ethaefal had learned before that all things can change in a moment. In just a tick of time all things moving in one direction could be plowing ahead full force in the opposite direction. Such things had happened to her enough that she should have expected them or at least been unsurprised by change. Yet, she was a creature of habit and like all of those who were the same, she loathed change and rarely saw it coming.

The red wolf felt it first. She knew what was happening, at least the basics. Taurina did not feel anything but the stare of a creature unknown to her in the moment the bond formed for the Kelvic. The Eth went on the defense for just a chime when the fur could be seen rising across the back of the animal. She did not know what it meant, but it did not seem like it could be anything good. She thought that surely she should run in that moment, but she did not. She did not move. Instead, she was frozen in her place with the panicked beat of her heart flooding her ears.

The panic faded and was replaced by confusion in the very next chime when the long legged creature fell back on its behind. The Ethaefal’s brow furrowed and her eyes narrowed in something like concern as she looked at the creature. What a strange animal. Ran into people, winded itself, was nonthreatening until it looked like it might have become threatening before falling back on its tail. Taurina had never met any like it before. She knew why that was just after another moment longer.

Sparkling light not completely unlike Taurina’s own shift filled the space where the animal had been and when it faded away, there was a girl there. A girl.. a girl bare of clothing with red hair that mirrored the look the Ethaefal was sure had taken over her face. Surprise. Shock. Complete confusion of what had just happened. It was Taurina’s turn to fall back on her behind. A tick later she scrambled up onto her feet and stood her full height.

Indigo eyes met the thin woman’s blue ones. Something was being said in a language Taurina did not recognize, but she was not even really paying attention. Within herself she was feeling something else. It was like.. like the one before her had crawled inside of her mind and parked herself there. Taurina could not explain it. It was not a bond like she had with Starfire, but something sort of like it. Only more. There was a connection that she could not deny, but did not understand. This confusion that she felt was her main emotion and she sent it blaring across the newly formed bond without any sort knowing of what she was doing.

“I speak common,” Taurina confirmed with a voice that was just the softest of whispers.

The Ethaefal closed her mouth and swallowed, crossing her arms over her chest. She felt vulnerable, but she did not know why. It was not as though she was the one standing thin and naked before a stranger who had just witnessed the change from a beast to a human. Taurina just stood wide eyed and stared at the other girl. What in Leth’s name had just happened? Who in the world was this woman-creature thing? And what had she changed within the Eth?

“You.. who are you?” Taurina’s common was as clear as day with no accent present to mar her words, “what are you? How did you do that?”

The Ethaefal reached up a pressed a hand to her chest over her heart. Her pulse was racing as she tried to make sense of all this. It was as if her very soul had been changed. As if she had given up a piece of herself to make room for this one who she did not know or understand. She felt a presence within her that was like a whisper. Faint and fluctuating, but present.

“What did you do to me?” Taurina asked, voice soft.

She was not angry. Her kindness was not gone -only faded- and she was not even really afraid. She just did not understand and what she did not understand she did not trust. So she watched the woman and she waited for answers. Hoping there was an explanation. Hoping that somehow there was a way this made something at least close to sense.

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

[Alekxandra Winterflame]

The first real emotion Alek could latch onto from Taurina was confusion. It was a heady feeling that hit her so hard it actually made her head spin. The wolf had to close her eyes for several ticks to keep her world from moving around her until she could gather herself together enough to realize the woman had spoken, and in common. It spread a different type of feeling through her—relief. Not only did the one before not seem to understand Vani, but they wouldn’t have to try and sort out their entire bond through body language.

But it also meant they’d have to sort this out now rather than later.

The woman was openly staring at her, and Alek could only give a few guesses why. Some were used to the presence of a Kelvic, this woman obviously was not. Given her questions, the Kelvic could estimate that she had never met someone of her race before—something else that wolf was still growing used to. Kelvics were a rather common thing in Avanthal, so while nakedness was not approved of, it wasn’t something that came as a shock either. In an effort to cover herself even slightly the girl crossed her arms over her chest to cover her breasts.

It took nearly a chime before she managed to speak. The woman’s questions floated about her mind and Alek wasn’t sure which one to answer first. Her eyes scanned the woman thoroughly at each move she made, from the hand pressed to her chest to her breathing. Other than confusion she could discern no other emotions suggesting that she should be worried about her intentions… just answers. Blowing a large puff of breath from her lungs the Kelvic suddenly dropped her weight so that she could sit on the ground with a resounding thump. She crossed her legs and let her fingers raise to her temples in an attempt to gather her thoughts.

“I am Kelvic.” As if the word would make any sense to the woman. Her lips twisted slightly in frustration that no doubt echoed across the bond. “We… shape-shift, of sorts.” That wasn’t any better either. Dropping her hands into her lap, she let her eyes fall to the grass in front of her instead of staring that the horned woman. Perhaps it would be better to start with something far more simple. “I apologize for… running you over. It wasn’t my intention. You just…” Returning her gaze to her bondmate, Alek wrinkled her nose in disgust. “You have so many insects here.”

Off to her right, the Kelvic noticed something lying in the grass. A book cracked open lying on the grass. Without thinking—or asking for that matter—the Kelvic reached out and gently picked up the journal, eyes scanning the picture of a flower that only looked partly finished. It seemed her bondmate was a bit of an artist. Blinking, Alek shook her head and awkwardly held out the book towards the woman. “Kelvics take bondmates. It is apparently what happened to us.” The Kelvic motioned with her left hand between the two of them, completely oblivious of the snowflake gnosis that stood out on the back of her hand. “It’s been known to happen suddenly. I didn’t… mean to.” She wasn’t sure how else to explain it to her, but it was the truth.

Shrugging slightly the wolf sighed and shook her head. Her answers seemed to basic—words without information. “My name is Alekxandra. You… are my bondmate. You’ll feel my emotions when they’re strong enough, just like I can feel how confused you are right now. Depending on if we stay bonded, it’ll likely get stronger.” The what if that hung in the air weighed on her shoulders, but the Kelvic was determined to ignore it for the moment. “And you're not human yourself.” The words were flat, but not unkind. More of an observation than anything else. Alek cocked her head to the side and pursed her lips slightly.

“You’re not like those who live in the tents.” The girl made a vague motion to at her temples to indicate the horns before she looked back at the city behind her. “Are you hiding from them as well, or do you actually… mingle?” It was her turn to be confused, a frown marring her face. The woman spoke Pavi—had a horse—but she was clearly not Drykas. Unless they sprouted horns and she had no idea about it…

Two seasons into living among them she would have thought she’d notice that.

Common | Vani | Pavi

[Taurina]

Silence filled the space between them first. Taurina’s gaze was unwavering as she watched the one before her. There was a great bit of looking each other over from both girls. Taurina watched as the red-head’s eyes roamed over her, taking her in, just as she did the same. She noticed the way the woman crossed her arms over her chest as if to hide herself and though she failed for arms could not cover everything, there was not an ounce of shame in that faint whisper that had woven itself tightly along the thread of Taurina’s soul. Curious. So curious. The Ethaefal just watched as the woman huffed a breath and dropped to the ground with a thump, fingers pressed against her head as if to stave off a growing headache.

Words came then and though Taurina was fluent in her common, there was much she did not understand. These were not words she had heard used before. Words she did not know the meanings off. The other female seemed to understand this to some extent. Taurina felt the frustration the other was experiencing. She only knew it came from the creature turned human because that frustration was not her own and it did not come from the same place her own emotions came from. It was like it was in her core rather than in her heart. She had felt emotions there before, but not like this. This was separate from herself and yet part of her as well. It was difficult for even her to explain. All she knew was that the part of her that had been given up and filled by another was the part experiencing these emotions.

Kelvic. Shape-shift. It was these that brought Taurina more confusion than answers when first spoken, but when she took time to think the pieces came together. The red-head said that she was Kelvic meaning it was a race. The shape shifting.. they must all have it. The ability to turn from animal to human and back again. The Eth understood this for it was something similar to her own shifting. Only, hers was a forced change dictated by the cycles of the sun and moon. The shift this other woman seemed to have was different. More at will. Though, the Eth realized that she would not know that for sure without asking and the other was still speaking. Struggling as well, but words were coming. Taurina did not interrupt, but instead waited for her all of her questions to be answered.

Taurina’s brow furrowed as an apology was given. Not that she felt undeserving of one, but because she had forgotten about being trampled over. Her mind had been consumed with all these other things that had happened since then. The Ethaefal’s lips parted as she readied to tell the female before her that it was all alright, but then something struck her as odd. The red-head said "you have so many insects here" as if the pesky things that creeped along the earth belonged to the Eth alone. She did not say "we" or "there are", but "you". Taurina found this strange. Was this one somehow apart from the land they both walked upon? Taurina wanted to ask what had been meant, but the red-head had diverted her own attention elsewhere. The Ethaefal tensed up when she saw what the Kelvic had found.

The journal now in the thin woman’s hand was arguably Taurina’s most precious possession aside from Starfire and the wrap Azmere had given her last season to tie into her hair. It held everything from the very poor beginning sketches to her latest works. Her nightmares were scrawled out over the pages and while there was much within it that she was technically proud of, she had not willingly shown a soul any of it. The stranger having it now made the Eth uneasy. She did not want the woman to see. Want her to know. When the book was awkwardly stretched out towards her, it took great effort not to surge forward and snatch it out of the outstretched hand.

Taurina held herself back, barely, and crouched down to meet the Kelvic. She took her book in her hand and tried her greatest not to seem desperate as she accepted it. This was likely not hidden from the Kelvic as Taurina’s emotions were strong and panicked. It was only when she had the journal safely back in her possession that she calmed down and sat across from the other woman in the grass. The journal was tucked safely beneath her left thigh after she had crossed her legs and released a deep breath. Everything was fine. That was at least what she told herself. More words were being spoke and Taurina kept herself focused for she wanted to catch all she could. She wanted to understand.

Bondmates. That is what the Kelvic told Taurina they had become. The Ethaefal did not know how as she and this woman were strangers to each other, yet it seemed to be the case. The red-haired woman seemed to be sure that this was what they were now. Taurina did not really know what that meant, but maybe that was the reason for the emotions that were not her own somehow making themselves known to her.

Taurina gave a silent sigh, her indigo eyes falling to the snowflake that had gleamed in Leth’s light. She knew that mark. What it had caused for many because of the goddess who gave it. Taurina was not angry or fearful of it, just sad. Morwen had not brought winter and her people had been killed for it. It had been wrong, but the Eth had been powerless to stop it and too fearful of the death sentence to even try. Though this woman did not look like how she remembered the Vantha being described on announcement that had been posted at the conclave now two seasons past. How did she bare the mark? An unimportant question for a time when more pressing ones continued to fill the Ethaefal’s head.

The Kelvic kept talking and Taurina found some answers in her words. Her name was Alekxandra and because they were this thing called bondmates, when emotions were high they could both feel them. There was a twinge of something coming from Alekxandra when she revealed that the emotional link would become stronger if they staid bonded. It was that if that Taurina felt Alekxandra catch on, but she could not pick out the emotion. Anger? No. Fear? Maybe. Or dread? That seemed possible. The Ethaefal could not be sure and there was something she did not understand. There was a choice? She felt altered inside. Was there a way to go back to how things used to be or would a hole form there if things went back? Did she even want to go back if she could?

Things turned after that. Alekxandra was asking about the Ethaefal. Taurina felt a faint smile form on her lips as the Kelvic reminded her that she was different from the others in the tent city and asked if she hid from them. The Eth was different and yet, while things might have been easier for her, she would not have it another way.

“You say you are Kelvic, a shape shifter. Well I am an Ethaefal and I am not completely different from you. By day my form is different than this one. It is not by choice that my form changes, but because of the laws set by the gods themselves. I once dwelled with Leth in his realm, but I fell back down to Mizahar somehow. I do not understand it, but there is much I still do not understand,” Taurina explained with some amount of ease, this being a story she had told before, “my name is Taurina. I do not hide from these people or even simply mingle with them. I am one of them.”

Taurina motioned to Starfire, the white stallion who was still eyeing Alekxandra with weariness and distrust. He did not move against her though, just stayed farther away than he might have if she did not wear the skin of a predator as her other form.

“Starfire. He is my strider and his choosing me made me Drykas as fully as any of the others,” she told Alekxandra in a softer voice, unsure how much information she should give should the woman move against her.

It seemed unlikely that Alekxandra would attack her in any way considering the fact that even as a predator she had shown the Eth no aggression. However, Taurina could never be sure anymore. Her faith in her own instincts about people had been wounded greatly after that adventure last season and all the trouble with Azmere it had led to. Things were better, but the Eth did not wish to bring further harm. Even talking to one who was not Drykas felt like a dangerous line to toe. Yet, things with Alekxandra were different. She was more than any other might be. It felt strange with how suddenly it had happened, but Taurina did not want to hurt the Kelvic anymore than she wanted to hurt her family. It was strange to feel such protectiveness, yet she did. Another thing to not understand.

“I live with a pavilion in the diamond clan, the Stormbloods. They are my family,” Taurina even went as far as to gesture to the distant shape that was the outline of her pavilion.

Taurina sighed softly and ran a hand through her ink colored hair. Her indigo eyes settled over Alekxandra once more. She was not unkind and her emotions were open, just swirling. There was so much she had to learn about the one before her, but yet she wanted to learn all of it. She wanted to learn all there was about Alekxandra, the shape-shifter who called her bondmate.

“I don’t understand most of what you have told me,” the Ethaefal admitted, “I understand that Kelvic is your race and that you shift from animal to human. I understand that you say our emotions are somehow connected. That we are bondmates. I do not fully understand what that means or how it happened. I understand that inside I feel different since setting eyes on you. That there are emotions in me that did not come from me. It does not feel like how it felt when I bonded with Starfire, like a hole was filled. With you it is like… like you came in and attached yourself to my soul somehow. It is the strangest thing.. not bad, just.. I don’t know how to explain.”

Taurina was full of questions and her curiosity was running wild within her. She wanted to know and she wanted to understand. There was a certain excitement that came with this new state of being. An excitement, but also a level of hesitancy. What was going to happen now? What did this mean for her future and also for Alekxandra’s future? They were connected somehow by this bond, whatever it was, and that surely meant that change was inevitable. What were the Stormblood’s going to think? Azmere? Taurina bit the inside of her lip as a flicker of worry passed over her. How was her ankal going to react to the news of her bringing home a bondmate? What did he know of such things? Likely more than the Eth who just sighed at the thought. There was so much going through her mind now, it was becoming too much and to focus on any one thing was difficult.

“Where do we go from here?” Taurina asked, her voice almost distant as if she were not just simply asking for answers from Alekxandra, but also searching for them within herself.

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

[Alekxandra Winterflame]

The sense of panic that flittered across the bond felt like ice water down the back of the Kelvic’s spine. It was an emotion that she was deeply familiar with ever since she had left Avanthal. The feeling had eased slightly as the seasons passed—now it was more caution to her than anything else. It also was an emotion she had gotten good at hiding deep within. Outwardly Taurina didn’t give any direct expression of her panic, just the sliver emotion that made the wolf wonder just what else lay within the pages of the book that might inspire such a feeling to overcome the woman. From what she could tell she seemed to have a good hand at drawing, but it was far too early to be asking such questions.

The woman, however, calmed with the book returned to her possession and Alek took it to be a good sign when she shifted to sit with her on the grass. She seemed to be listening intently, though it was impossible to tell if anything she was saying was getting across. The Kelvic barely understood what was coming from her own mouth—but it was noticeable when the woman’s eyes from her face to her hands. For the first time that night the girl had completely forgotten about her mark. The thought she hadn’t been conscious of it when she shifted was a testament to the surprise bonding. The gnosis was always on her mind—even if only a singular thought at the back of her mind.

If Taurina had any intention of remarking on it though she seemed to pass right by it. Alek considered it unlikely that the woman hadn’t heard of the call to those marked by Morwen—or the result of aiding one. Instead, she focused on the questions that had fallen from the wolf’s mouth. The slightest hint of a smile graced her lips as she explained she was Ethaefal, a race whose shape was apparently governed by the gods—Leth in particular for this woman.

The Kelvic mouthed the woman’s name as she turned to motion towards the horse. Alek eyed the creature carefully as her bondmate explained that horse had chosen her and that in turn made her part of the surrounding culture. The she-wolf couldn’t wrap her mind around the idea of such a thing. The horses were important to this city there was no doubt, but being chosen by one made them who they were? There was no judgment to the thought—after all, she had just bonded to a woman who she didn’t even know. But the depth of emotion the woman felt towards the horse was astounding…

“I wouldn’t expect him to come much closer. I’m not big, but I smell like a predator.” The Kelvic snorted through her nose and rolled her eyes away from the horse back to Taurina. The woman further gestured back towards the tents off in the distance, claiming that her home was among them. There was a flare of jealousy and pain that lanced through her at the idea of family. It wasn’t directed entirely at her bondmate, but the idea that she wasn’t likely to settle for one of her own for quite some time. She shoved the feelings aside as best she could, knowing that the strength of them would likely be noticed by Eth. More questions she wasn’t sure she’d be ready to answer if she decided to pry.

“I’d say you understand it about as much as I do. You are my first bondmate, so this is entirely new to me as well.” The wolf ran her fingers through her hair, wincing as she caught several knots along the way. No doubt she looked rather disheveled. Personal care tended to come second when one was hiding among the fringes—not to mention her weight.

“Emotions will come and go between us. The longer we remain bonded the more things we'll feel from the other... that’s what the polar bears told me anyway. Another Kelvic I met once told me it was like never knowing anyone else better than your bondmate. That each emotion is amplified and that it changes the two for the better.” The girl gave a small shrug, giving Taurina an apologetic smile in the process. It was much too soon to tell if Solemn had been right, or if it had just been his experience with his own bondmate—but the feeling didn't feel too far off. Taurina felt as though she had wound herself inside the Kelvic, that the two of them fit together as if the piece had always been missing. Then again for Alek, it had been. It was a missing piece for all Kelvics. The Ethaefal asked probably the most important question the two of them could consider, drawing the girl out of her own musing over the bond.

What did they do now?

She had avoided people for half a year for the simple fact she didn’t want someone caught with her. Anyone she cared for would become a target if they found her—were seen with her. But the Kelvic hadn’t realized just how lonely she had allowed herself to become. The bond threaded this stranger into her very being as if she had known the woman her whole life. She knew not a stitch about her save for her race and drawing ability, but to abandon this—her—over fear only meant she’d be doing it the rest of her life. Her own family would not have wanted that for her.

Drawing in a deep breath, the Kelvic glanced off towards the woman’s horse. “Firstly we need to decide if we want to do this. Keep the bond that is.” The girl lifted her left hand with the back of it facing the Eth, wiggling her fingers as she glanced at Taurina out of the corner of her eye. “It’s not just you that could get in trouble for this. I’ve been very careful thus far while hiding along the edge of your city. But if we’re seen together and they discover me…” The redhead grunted slightly and shook her head.

“It’s not in my nature to turn my back on this—I’ve done it long enough as it is. But if you wish to… undo this, I can teach you how.” Finally, turning her eyes back to the Eth, Alek flashed the woman a weak but encouraging smile. “Things like this don’t happen often. But I will support you with whatever you feel is necessary.”

Common | Vani | Pavi

[Taurina]

Taurina felt Alekxandra’s feelings of jealousy and pain as soon as they flared up within her. The emotions were strong and wound tightly around the Ethaefal’s insides like a vine full of thorns snuffing out the life all around it. These feelings where familiar to the Eth when it came to the subject of family. She had felt them herself before finding the Stormbloods. She had been so lonely. A self created outcast. Drykas were kind and many opened their homes to outsiders who had come into the tent city. She could have staid within some of them until the right one came along, but she had not done that. She had instead buried within herself until she could not take it anymore. It had been miserable. She felt a pang of pity for her bondmate as the feelings left just as suddenly as they had formed.

Taurina did not ask or say anything on the matter. It did not feel like the right time. So she just pretended like it had not happened, though her eyes did take on a slight look of sadness when she looked back to the Kelvic. Alekxandra was explaining how she did not know very much about the bond either, how this was new for both of them. She did know more than the Eth though. She knew more about the emotions, how things were going to continue and grow stronger if they let them. How they would both change as they fell more and more in sync with one another. She had met other Kelvics and something called a polar bear.. that was a new term for Taurina as well. Never had she heard of a polar bear before. She decided it was best not to ask at the moment, Alekxandra looked to be preparing to say something else.

Indigo eyes settled on the Kelvic as Alekxandra took her breath and looked to the unhappy Starfire. She had been right in that he was coming no closer, Taurina did not tell her that she had known that already. The Eth knew her horse was eyeing the predator Kelvic wearingly, but she was more more interested in Alekxandra’s words. The answer to the question ‘What now?’

Taurina was quiet at Alekxandra spoke, listening as closely and letting herself process as much as she could. It helped that her mind had calmed some, the questions had stopped forming in rapid fire succession. There were still many questions left unanswered and much uncertainty for this was new and this was change. There were things to think about. Like her family and what they would think. The mark upon the Kelvic’s hand could bring danger to them. What was Azmere going to say? She did not know him to be unkind or to turn any away. He had not hunted for Vantha and she doubted there were many left who did. Winter was over, surely that meant the hunt was too?

She knew that life as she knew it would always be different now, even if she did what Alekxandra offered and learned how to sever this new bond. If she did it she knew that she would always wonder ‘what if?’ She would always question if it had been the right choice or if it had just been the coward’s way out. Often she had been the coward, but with this she did not want to be. She did not want to be a coward anymore.

The Ethaefal sighed softly. She remembered what the Kelvic had said, the fleeting emotion she had sent across their newly formed bond when she first spoke of this maybe not lasting. It had been something like dread, maybe even fear. Taurina did not know much, but from what she had been told this night, the bond was something that did not come everyday. That made it something special. Something like the bond the Eth shared with her strider. A choosing by something not completely of this world that paired two souls together that were always meant to be.

Coincidence was not something Taurina believed in. The very idea of it created chaos in her mind. This was because believing in coincidence meant that could have been all her fall was. Just a fluke accident that meant nothing. That gave her no purpose and made life meaningless. She could not believe in that. She instead believed that there was a plan for her life. That there was a purpose out there for her to find and fulfill. This bond, whatever it was, had to be apart of that. Somehow, it had to be apart of the plan.

“I don’t want to undo this,” Taurina spoke soft, her eyes locked on Alekxandra.

The Ethaefal was quiet for another moment, gathering her thoughts. Now that she had said it out loud there was no going back. No dread formed with knowing that. Instead, Taurina felt almost relieved. It felt right to accept what had happened. To let the change come and embrace it. It would be hard and probably awkward. They had a lot to get to know about each other. Many things to figure out. Yet, Taurina managed a small smile just the same.

“Things don’t happen on accident. Not things like this,” the Ethaefal was speaking again and was now more confident in her words.

Taurina stood to her feet, leaving her journal where it was in the grass despite being protective of it. She walked over to her horse and outstretched a hand. Starfire was slow to press his muzzle into her palm, still nervous with Alekxandra so near. His ears were ever alert, waiting for her to dare and make a move that would send him running. Taurina sighed and stroked his face, murmuring in pavi that it was alright. That no harm would come to him. He did not seem to keen about listening.

“When Starfire choose me I had been so lost. I felt abandoned by my god and had lost hope that he still watched out for me,” Taurina turned back towards Alekxandra, speaking loud enough so that she might hear without coming nearer the on edge stallion, “white striders are rare you know. There are not many out here. At least, not as far as I have seen. When we bonded it was like he had been sent just for me. A gift from Leth.”

There was a faint smile, Taurina ran her hand along Starfire’s jaw and spoke a gentle whisper to him. A plea to calm and not worry.

“Zulkina,” Taurina told Alekxandra as she stepped away from Starfire and towards the Kelvic, “it is the pavi word for godsend. That is what he is to me.”

Taurina came closer to Alekxandra and stopped when she was only a few feet away. She kept her eyes focused on the Kelvic’s blue ones with a gaze that was unafraid and sure.

“Whatever the reason is that caused this bond to form between us, I believe that it has to be meant to be,” Taurina repeated from before, “Someone, somewhere, for some reason wanted this to happen to us. I don’t know about you, but I am not one to tempt fate or go against the gods. Not after the things I have witnessed and the strider I believe was sent to me. We can figure out how to hide your gnosis. How to keep you safe as possible from those who still have it out for Morwen’s chosen.”

Taurina gave a little smile that she hoped was at least a little reassuring.

“Alexandra,” Taurina spoke with care in her voice, “my answer, if it is not obvious already, is yes. I want to keep this bond. And from the emotions I have so far felt from you along with the things you have told me, I think you do too.”

Taurina’s smile grew a little bit. Not quite to show her teeth, but it did touch her eyes. They were bright and dancing in the moonlight. She was feeling a surge of bravery. Enough of it that her usual fear did not touch her. She hoped that it lasted. She hoped that when Syna came and her form shifted that she did not regret the decision she had just made.

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

[Alekxandra Winterflame]

“I don’t want to undo this,”

The Kelvic hadn’t realized just badly she had wanted to hear those words until they came out of Taurina’s mouth. It was only when the flood of relief hit her that she began to understand just how much she missed interacting with people—and how much she had been avoiding her own nature. Severing the bond, even with how new it was, would have likely left another hole in her life. The she-wolf wasn’t sure how many more of those she could withstand before she fully collapsed into herself.

Despite the relief, she remained still as her bondmate stood and moved to her horse. She whispered nonsense things to the creature, or at the least nonsense to her. If she was staying—as it seemed she was—it would have to become a priority to learn this language. If the Eth lived within the city she would need to as well. It meant that she was going to have to come out of her shell and actually make an attempt to live with the people instead of on the outside of them. The thought made her lips purse slightly. She was rusty when it came down to socializing with people. As it was her sisters had insisted that she was no good at it before the disastrous events of Morwen’s choice.

When the dark haired woman mentioned feeling abandoned by her god, the Kelvic let out a small hum. That was a feeling she was well accustomed to though—it seemed for Taurina—that her faith in Leth had not left her stranded. The horse was a gift, or at least that was how the Eth chose to look at it. It took a good amount of restraint to keep herself from snorting out loud, though she was positive the skepticism rolled off her in waves. The wolf did, however, try to keep the word she used in the back of her mind. Alek had never tried to learn a new language before… she had been raised with both Vani and the lesser used common. It felt like trying to pick out the importance in words that flowed together as one.

“Perhaps your outlook on the gods can wear off on me eventually. I cannot possibly see a why in the god’s choices. Whatever faith I had in mine is dead.” There was no stopping the bitterness that welled up in her chest. The feeling so strong she swore she could taste it on her tongue. The wolf wasn’t sure she had it in her to give her faith another try—with Morwen or any other being at that. She supposed this could have been a mere trial in her faith, just how much she could give up and continue to serve her goddess. The loss of her family seemed to be the cutoff point and until that wound healed there was no room for forgiveness. Only time would tell if she could gather herself back together enough to serve once again.

“But you are correct. I don’t wish to remove the bond. It’s a part of who I am and this…” The Kelvic motioned between them once again before she pushed herself to her feet so that the two of them were near even. There was reassurance in the Eth and the way she stood that made the wolf feel at ease. Bitterness melted away into a calm the girl hadn’t felt in ages and she had to admit it felt good. There was at least one person—despite knowing nothing about her—that she could come to lean on… with time. Giving her bondmate a crooked grin Alek put her hands on her hips.

“We’ve got a lot to learn about the other… especially me. I’ve been here two seasons and the way of life—well it’s certainly different.” The redhead glanced down at her arm and frowned a little at the fly that stuck out against her skin. With a huff, she shoved the offending creature off and rolled her eyes. “Especially the bugs. I don’t know how you all do it.” Shaking her head the girl looked back to Taurina and grimaced slightly. “As for my gnosis, it’s probably best to ignore it for now. It’s easy enough to hide, we’ll just have to be careful. I will leave it up to you if anyone else you care for knows of it. I have no idea who to trust here.” It was awkward speaking of it, and the Kelvic scratched at her mark as if it itched under her skin.

“Just be sure.”

The words were laced with regret, stressed with worry. The danger was something she didn’t want to plant into someone’s life and in staying she knew just how much could come from it. All her instincts that had kept her running now kept her standing firmly still and it almost made her head spin with the keen difference. Sighing heavily the wolf looked back at the city. In the light of Leth it seemed so peaceful and quiet—and maybe it really was.

Common | Vani | Pavi