[The Menagerie] Animal I Have Become (Aamu)

[Dayed]

57 Winter, 510 AV

Dayed tugged his katinu close about him as he trudged through the streets of Avanthal, as he had been doing quite often since arriving in the city. The beautiful metropolis never ceased to amaze him, as it was everything Skyinarta was not, full of open sky and beautiful parks, and of course, Morwen’s Lights, sparkling above the city at all hours of the day. The constant snow took some time for Dayed to become used to, and he was thankful as always he had chosen to keep his “outdoor” clothing from Skyinarta. While they did not keep him as toasty as he would have liked, they had been tailored to keep an Endal relatively comfortable while astride an Eagle, and did a fairly good job of keeping out the wind. Today, Dayed kept his hood up, as the wind was particularly fierce, catching strands of his fiery hair and whipping it about so that his hood seemed to be leaking flames. His normally tan nose had turned decidedly pink, but at least it wasn’t running today.

Now that he had been in Avanthal for a few weeks, Dayed had a fairly decent sense of where he was, and today he was headed to the Menagerie, in the market district. While he still hadn’t managed to find work, which meant he still had nowhere near enough money to waste on an animal, the young Inarta did enjoy being among them, especially the birds tended by old man Tovan. People often said the Inarta were kin to birds, especially those born with golden eyes, such as Dayed. The teen wasn’t entirely sure he believed that, but being around birds always made him feel at peace with himself, and sometimes he swore he could understand them. This time, however, Dayed wanted to see something he hadn’t seen before. Something wild and exotic. And there was only one vendor in the Menagerie who retained such animals: Farren.

The man was viewed with suspicion at best by many in Avanthal, but Dayed harbored a distant respect for him. Dayed understood what it was to feel kinship with animals over people, and while some of the Vantha viewed Farren as more animal than man, or even Kelvic, Dayed believed the man was simply misunderstood, likely because few truly cared to try understanding why any man would rather consort with wolves and bears than their own kin. And so, while others displayed open trepidation in approaching the wild man’s shop, Dayed did so with full confidence that nothing in that little building would harm him. The fire in the center warmed the whole building, and Dayed tossed his hood back, the various decorations woven through his hair dangling as he shook it loose.

The smells in the little shop were intense, but it was eerily quiet. There were several wolves and wolverines in cages on opposite sides of the shop, while a family of arctic foxes shared a pen in between. It was the wolves that attracted Dayed, with their eyes so eerily similar to his own, and those of his lost Wind Eagle, Vayeki. Although Farren himself was not to be seen, Dayed approached one of the wolves, a large male with a shaggy gray coat that regarded the boy solemnly. Crouching in front of the cage, Dayed locked gazes with the predator, content to simply watch for now. Mentally, he willed the wolf to come closer to the cage door, but he knew that such thoughts were pointless. Wind Eagles were telepathic, but the common wolf certainly was not. Lost in thought, Dayed barely noticed his surroundings anymore, focusing all of his attention on the wolf, golden gazes locked together in what seemed to be a mutual understanding.

[Aamu]

Aamu liked the fresh air as it grazed her sides gently. It was hard to fully fathom her infatuation by simple walks that she often took through the roads of Avanthal. The ending locations of her many so called travels were never alike, they were few and far between. It was hard even for her to understand the need she had to be alone, without anyone to point a finger at her. Without anyone to call her short; Without anyone to call her an icemaiden. She gazed around the street she was currently in. All in pairs, groups, or otherwise entertained and cheerful. All of them moving in the opposite direction; It made Aamu wonder, just where the hell did she make such a grave mistake to be alone like this all the time? Her thoughts were more and more pressing, as her feet led her to a small, still distant building that seemed not only to elude noise, it also lacked people, visitors and employees alike. If her parents were here, they would probably know the right thing to do, they were always like that, at least in life; hopefully luck graced them in death also.... if such a depressing sentiment even made sense. Aamu pulled her face up into a stern smile as she came closer and closer to The Menagerie. She could now understand where it was that the path had led her; Thinking it over a bit, she could not help her wish to go in, even with all of her instinct telling her to do otherwise. As the door opened, she could not hide her disappointment when her gaze fell upon a strange redhair that seemed to be trying to kiss the wolf. If Farren had seen him, he would either kick his crazy ass or applaud him, connected to animals as he was. She could no longer suppress her surprise as she yelled out in Common: „Ewwww..... Pervert. What the hell are you trying to do to that poor animal?“ this could be called a rape in certain cultures, especially if the animal was actually a Kelvic. Aamu could not stand for such extravagant action, weird was alright, but this was just downright too weird. Her thoughts dwindled slowly but surely, as she moved closer to the boy, and pulled him backwards until he was flat on his back. She yelled again, keeping the talk on the level of the stranger: „How dare you? I don't know what hole did you crawl out from, but here we treat our animals with respect“ her voice disappeared into silence as her eyes shifted from green to pink for a moment, only to revert in the same second.

[Dayed]

As if responding to Dayed’s will, the wolf did indeed stand up and come closer to the door of the cage, golden eyes never wavering from the Inarta’s own. He seemed remarkably tame for a wolf, but then, Dayed had heard incredible stories about Farren’s animals. They said that none of his animals had ever turned on their owners, and considering the man occasionally sold animals as fierce as bears, that was quite an impressive feat, if it was true. Dayed couldn’t help but marvel at the creature before him. This was truly an apex predator, a hunter without peer. He had observed a wolf pack hunt, once, perched high above astride Vayeki. The wolves had chased down a large caribou, cleverly isolating it from the rest of its herd with their snapping jaws. The wolves had clearly had a numerical advantage, but they were smarter than that, and cautious as well. They ran the bull caribou until it tripped over itself in exhaustion. Weakness shown, one wolf sprang from the pack and severed the cairbou’s hamstring while another latched onto the throat, bearing it down to the ground.

This wolf before him showed none of that predatory ferocity openly, but Dayed knew that it was there, hiding just below the surface. Tentatively, he raised on hand to stick through the cage for the animal to gain his scent. Before he could do so, the wolf bared its fangs in a deep, throaty growl, Dayed’s only warning before he was yanked backwards and onto his back with a yelp. Assuming he was being mugged, Dayed rolled sideways, away from his attacker, and scrambled to his feet, right hand instinctively reaching behind his back to grip the haft of his spear. As he took stock of his assailant, Dayed relaxed visibly. A Vantha woman, perhaps three years older than Dayed himself, maybe four, stood before him, an accusatory look upon her face, as if she had caught him exposing himself in public.

His golden eyes narrowed and he produced a growl not entirely unlike that of the caged wolf. “The hole that I crawled out of, as you put it, is none other than the sacred Mount Skyinarta, home to the great Inarta and their Wind Eagle ancestors.” Who did this girl think she was, anyway? She was at the very least a good head shorter than Dayed, yet she looked for all the world as if she expected to come out on top in a fight. “I was an Endal, a Rider. I know more about respecting and communicating with animals than you ever could.” He sneered. What could a mere Vantha hope to know about animals? Dayed and Vayeki had spoken, had philosophical debates with one another, and even exchanged jokes, though the Eagle’s sense of humor was a bit raw at times. Thoughts of his lost companion only fueled Dayed’s anger, his golden eyes flashing in the firelight within the shop. He would not be challenged by someone who couldn’t even look him in the eyes without craning her neck!

[Aamu]

He had eyes like an animal, that was all Aamu could focus on at the moment. It was in the next moment that she had noticed a mix of anger and surprise on his face, perhaps she was mistaken? Nah…. She could not mistake something about him, especially with that someone being that huge, could she? She quickly switched her presence from hostile to neutral, as she tried to listen to what the man was saying as objectively as she could. She was amazed by his story, people that rode eagles, the small Vantha girl knew nothing of the outside world, so she was amazed even by the slightest of details. As soon as he finished, she changed her posture from neutral to overly friendly and amazed as she rained questions down onto the man not really waiting for the answer. She did not understand the heaviness of the insult she had sent to the man, as she spoke cheerfully: “So was it a nice place, that Skynarta place of yours? Did you really get to ride an eagle? Do they really talk? Can an eagle eat a human? What was your eagle’s name? Was he strong? Where is he now?” she ended her lines looking purely amazed and a lot like a kid before the long promised bedtime story. As she awaited for many answers she might not get, she took her time to take the man’s measure, and one thing was for sure, he was cute. For an outsider that is. He was hotter than some Vantha men too… but that could not be helped, the only fact that sincerely bothered Aamu when appearances came to mind was the fact that the man, whatever his name was… Oh yes his name, she remembered as she almost yelled out quickly: “What’s your name?” Oh and what bothered her was his boyish appearance, he lacked both the air and the manners of a proper man.

[Dayed]

Dayed narrowed his eyes in suspicion as the girl’s demeanor changed abruptly from accusatory and hostile, to bubbly and overall very friendly. Any person who could change their moods, or even have the appearance of changing moods, as quickly as that was not to be trusted in Dayed’s book. Who was to know whether her friendliness was true or simply a ruse to trick him into lowering his guard? The Inarta teen stood up straight, pointedly keeping his hand away from his spear and trying his best to look at ease. Two could play at this game, if her sudden attitude change was a ruse, then Dayed would be waiting for her attack when it came. Part of him recognized this as paranoia, she appeared genuine enough and seemed to possess and intense curiosity of the world around her. But another part, the darker half of his mind that had been growing more and more prevalent in the many days since Vayeki’s death, insisted that she was trying to trick him. Dayed preferred to err on the side of caution, in this instance.

Despite his preparation for an extension of friendship or some other nonsense, the girl’s barrage of questions caught him genuinely off-guard. Dayed struggled to maintain his composure and did his best to answer in a manner that, if not outright friendly, was not entirely hostile either. He did not trust this woman, but that was no reason not to answer her questions, so long as they did not stray too close to home. My, aren’t you just a bundle of joy lately, the lighter part of his mind spoke up. Shut up, he answered. I’ve lost a dear friend to me once. It will not happen again. His other half seemed to chuckle, deep and rumbling in the manner of long-lost Vayeki, even the voice seemed eerily similar as it retorted, Of course it will never happen if you never trust anyone. Dayed frowned, ignoring the voice in his head for now as he locked his golden gaze upon the Vantha woman.

“Mount Skyinarta was incredibly beautiful. It was warm all year round, and everyone knew their place and did their jobs as was expected of them.” He did not add, of course, that the lower castes had the highest mortality rate and often worked long, hard hours and were only allowed to eat twice a day. Although Dayed tried to hold his voice into a neutral tone, it was difficult to keep the bitterness, mixed with just a tinge of melancholy, out of his voice when the woman inquired about the Eagles. “Yes, I rode an Eagle. He was a magnificent beast, incredibly strong but also very wise. The Eagles communicate with their Riders in their thoughts rather than spoken words, a good thing, considering how quickly sound is lost among the winds high above. And, while I’ve never heard of it happening, I suppose if it came down to it, an Eagle would certainly be capable of eating a human, though generally they prefer deer and goat.”

Dayed’s act failed him when the more personal questions came, his eyes losing some of their predatory appearance as he cast his gaze to the ground. “His name was Vayeki,” he said slowly, his throat clenching as he remembered the greatest friend he had ever had, “And he soars the heavens now.” Dayed turned quickly, bringing one hand up to wipe away the solitary tear that leaked from his golden eyes. He would not appear weak in front of this girl, who was as yet still an unknown. Taking several deep breaths, he composed himself and turned back to face her as she introduced herself. “You may call me Dayed. And you are?” He trailed off, his mind aflame with memories of Vayeki, all of them invigorating and intensely painful at once. He struggled to maintain his composure, occupying himself by running the fingers of his left hand over the falcon feather hanging from his ear.

[Aamu]

For a moment Aamu thought that the man had reached for a weapon at his side, but she disregarded it as thinking too much. And even if it was true, he had every right to be suspicious, she sort of messed up after all. The next thing that happened made the girl shiver a bit, he acted as if he was somewhat watchful of her, afraid even. She could not help herself as she quickly muttered in bearly hearable tone: “I really am sorry I did not mean to startle you….” Her voice was gone as quickly as it came. Even if she did apologize, she still did not feel like she needed to, that however could change with time. His stature quickly became more… well it could hardly be called friendly; He looked almost as if he was trying to intimidate her, but little did the outsider know of the pride of the children of the north, and their bravery too. One incredibly long moment of silence kept pressing between and onto them as she waited for him to respond in any manner other than the quite treatment she was getting. When he looked at her, she felt like blushing for a moment, but refrained herself from such rash things, it would not be like her to play the “quiet kid” around this stranger. As he finally started to speak, he said much, but his tone was hardly a happy one. Aamu thought she should probably smack him for talking about his own home in an ill tone, it was a shame he dared to talk like that. If Aamu knew what it was really like in Wind Reach, she might have understood his tone and the feelings behind them, but ignorant as she was, she just wondered should she kick him in the crotch for the tone he was giving off. After all, every home was sacred, no matter to whom it belonged to. As the answers came down to the eagles, the Vantha could not help but grin from ear to ear at the fantastic details of the story. And they could eat humans too? That was wicked, and she already wanted one. The part about using animals as sustenance brought down the whole thing, and now it seemed more of an everyday thing again. Even with the dramatic flair gone, her interest in the whole thing was still as high as it ever was. When she spoke, she did so quickly, doing her best not to come off as a drooling kid, which she actually was, at the given moment at least: “The eagles sound magnificent, why did you ever leave your home if it is so nice? I would never leave Avanthal, no matter how many quarrels I may have with it’s people” she stopped for a moment to quickly switch topics: “Did the eagles ever fall in love?” easy to entertain as she was, she quickly got fired up around romantic notions like these. When he started speaking of his own eagle he quickly diverted his gaze into the ground, this could be a sign of regret, Aamu knew, she had witnessed such things before. She spoke slowly this time, and a bit more… well it could not really be called compassionate with her accent as it was: “Vayeki! That is a wonderful name. By the tone you use I feel I should express my condolences to you; However, what I don’t understand about you is how can you shed tears over a friend who both lived and died happy? You should never have sadness in either your eyes or words as you remember fond memories, ‘cause by doing so, you belittle their very existence” her voice got thorn off momentarily as she was trying to divert her eyes away from the man, as their turned a deep, chromatic blue. Turning back to the man, focusing her brain power into controlling her emotions, she quickly brought the vivid green tones back into her eyes. She tried to think back what was there more to say, and then as the man finally spoke again, she remembered, she was yet to introduce herself. She spoke quietly, with an evident cheerful tone: “I am glad to have met you Dayed. My name is Aamu Frostfawn, and I will be a great hunter some day, you better remember that!” the last part was not really an order, but her pride might have gotten the best of her on that one. Looking at the man, she was wondering what more should she tell him, and then it hit her: “What were you doing here anyway? Even the locals stay clear of this place as much and as often as they can..” her voice trailed off and left an awkward moment of silence as she wondered what Dayed’s reaction would be.