"Trouble?" I don't know the meaning of the word "Trouble!"

[Dex]

Lewis only meant to push the two of them out of the way, but ended up doing it a little bit harder then he meant. Instead of the two of them stepping to the side, they ended up in a dramatic lunge to the side. Slightly embarrassed, and slightly injured from smacking his head into the floorboards, he waited till Syrah got up to make sure she was ok. Then again, it was also because he wanted to make sure he was past the immediate danger of being squished by a big blue body. Looking around briefly, he noticed Rykanis standing at the doorway, apparently having stopped. He had been rotating his arm in large circles, for what reason he didn't know. Then Rykanis promptly began shouting at him about stealing the shiny. Lewis began feeling nervous, agitated. He was in the room with Syrah, and had ran in there to hide from the big blue man who was now in the room shouting at him. Then Syrah jumped up and shouted something else about a table and a book, and Lewis was swarmed with a feeling of protection and anxiety, which was a bad mix with his current emotions. He curled up on the floor, and began his rapid quick babbling of an explanation to both of them, making excited and fast hand gestures to go along with it. “I was there, and you were there, and we were there, but you were not there, just him and I and we and us but not you. And then he and I were there and we were attacking each other and he would smack me and I would hit him and he would hit me again and then I flew through the air and I hit the other guy and the other guy was there and then the other guy yelled and then he tried to hit me and then you were there and the other guy wasn’t there and then we went to the other place and you wouldn’t let me have a shiny and you gave me a woody and then you got a woody, and you kept smacking me with the woody, and you wouldn’t let me hang onto both of the woody things and then he took the woody things all three of the woody things and I saw the shiny and the shiny is better than the woody and the ... the shiny … oooooh.” With all the nervousness and the anxiety, not to mention hitting his head on the floorboards, Lewis had started hyperventilating. His breathing became shallow and rapid, and he worked against it trying to get more air in. He laid his head back down on the floorboards and waited for his senses to return, if they ever did. Closing his eyes, he tilted his head back and tried to relax, but couldn’t. All of his muscles were tight, and he had to keep breathing.

[Rykanis Dakshata]

Rykanis had been about to continue on with his rant, when something clicked in his memory... A book... Syrahs book... As she freaked out about it nearly being damaged, and cradled it like a small child, he tried to recall what she had said... He mulled the facts over in his mind... Syrah was crazy about wine... She loved finding new recipes, learning all she could about vinting. It was the reason she had come to Riverfall wasn't it. So she would have a place to write it all down... Logically, it would make sense for this to be a book of recipes and wine info... As he thought back, he was fairly certain she had mentioned having a book on wine, that she treasured... Though it was hard to tell if she had actually said it before, or he was only putting things together, and figuring it out, and was using this fact he had figured out just now, and confusing it for a memory... Or maybe she had mentioned it before... Regardless of if he had known it before, or only figured it out now though, he was fairly certain this was Syrah's book on wine. Something a vinter would clearly treasure, for obvious reasons. Rykanis simply used this fact as fuel to get mad at the kelvic again. "What is your deal kelvic? First you steal from me repeatedly. Now you have assaulted Syrah for no reason, throwing her to the ground and injuring her. And you nearly destroyed her wine book!" Of course some of this was exaggerated, but Rykanis was really getting into the flow of his anger. He was possibly getting a bit carried away with his words, using a bit of hyperbole in doing so. But this kelvic had done quite a bit wrong, and was a bit ridiculous for all that he had done. The kelvic of course gave a answer that made little sense, when he did speak of what had happened. It was all circuitous, with little logic or sense, and left him feeling a bit confused as to what had happened. And he had been there during the events! He did realize one thing, he was trying to blame Rykanis! Saying he had beaten him up! "Of course I hit you, we were sparring! That is how sparring works! We both try to hit each other! And I did not let you use a shiny weapon, I mean a metal one, is because we were sparring! We would have cut each other to bits if we had used metal ones!" Then the dang kelvic started breathing all fast, his breath catching in his lungs, like he was going to pass out. Rykanis simply decided to ignore him for a moment, and headed over to retrieve his lakan. If the kelvic took to long to recover, he would simply heft him up over his shoulder, and carry him out into the street, were he would drop him once more on his back. After all, there was more air outside wasn't there?

[Syrah Steele]

When the poor man started blabbering on about something that didn't quite make much sense a small part of her stirred. The had spent the night at her house the day before in his little crate and they hung out yesterday with that cute Daemon kid. Now his usual happy-go-lucky personality was falling apart at the seams. The boy had mentioned something of bonding yesterday which might be the root cause to these weird compassionate feelings she wouldn't normally feel towards an immature animal. The feeling was like a mother would feel towards her bullied son. Syrah was certainly no mother, and she was confused. But her body and mind seemed to take control.

"Well, my book didn't get hurt," she slowly said peering down at the cover, "and you got your knife back..." She placed her book back on the table and went over to Lewis, sitting on the floor next to him. "I've sparred with Ryk before, hes not that bad. So whats going on with the little knife?"

[Dex]

Lewis's breathing slowed down to normal. Whatever part of an anxiety attack he'd been having was swept away with sudden feelings of .... home. Just feelings of being at home, safe, protected. Then, as he was looking up, he heard a scrabble of claws against floorboards. Rats! During his re-memorable life-time, Lewis has often noticed that people say "Rats!" in many different ways, and in meaning different things. Most females say it with a screeching sound, apparently in fear. Most males say it with anger, and generally want to kill it. Lewis however, says it with excitement. Because rats means that Lewis can go hunting! The typical instantaneous flash of his change occurred, followed by Lewis flipping onto his feet and running after the rat. It was currently under the dresser, but darted out when it heard Lewis racing towards it. It went straight for the door, which was noticeably chewed at the inside corner, some parts of wood sticking out at odd angles, open enough for a rat entrance. However, the door was open, so Lewis didn't stop. What was odd though was that the rat scrabbled left, and went up the wall, pulling itself up the indents and cracks in the stone wall. Lewis wasn't far behind, though going slightly slower as he needed larger openings to get a grip. They went over the edge of the roof, leading into a race that echoed down to the inside of the house, mainly consisting of the sounds of scrabbling claws against shingled roofing.

[Rykanis Dakshata]

Really, Rykanis was starting to get a bit aggravated, at how lightly Syrah was taking this. He was doing his best for it to not show plainly on his face... "Yes I got my weapon back, but only because I hunted him down and found it. He did not return it to me. He would have kept it, if I had not been able to do so. The fact is he stole it, and this is not the first time he has tried to rob me." And really, she acted as if it was just any blade. This was Rykanis' Lakan, he had spilled blood upon it in its forging. They were irrevocably connected, forever! He could not just buy another! "This is not just some common blade, something you can buy a miza a dozen! This is my lakan! I helped forge it, and used it in my right of passage! There is no other like it! This above all else is unforgivable, that he would try to steal it!" Perhaps that little rant would help explain why he was so upset about it being stolen... Then the stupid kelvic was gone, having vanished into his other form! What the petch! He was trying to get away! The little helioc! "Kelvic!" He yelled, as he took off after them, the stupid kelvic thief, and whatever else was scrabbling around, probably some other kelvic that was helping him! Admittedly, at this point, Rykanis was getting a bit paranoid, and his mind was spinning explanation for what was going on, which in this case were not true... But he was becoming increasingly sure there was some set up going on, some big thing to steal from him, and he was not certain if Syrah was in on it... One down side to looking at all possibilities... Were that some were crazy and paranoid, and only on occasion right... He had been angered by his honor being dirtied from "his" lakan being stolen, and nothing but blood would fix it. If he caught the kelvic, he would at this moment want nothing more than to drag him off to the council, and face him in fair combat. That would only be fair.

[Syrah Steele]

Unlike Rykanis Syrah saw what the Kelvic was chasing after. It was a rat, a big filthy rat that had chewed its way through her door. She shot up like a bullet and ran after Lewis and the plague spreader, screaming after it in rage. Most women were scared to death of rats. Syrah was not, but she hated them with a passion. they would sneak into the winery and contaminate the wine and grape, while outside in the vineyards they would chew off the grapes and leafs, hurting the plant. not only that but they spread disease and brought other filthy pests with them.

She exited her house only a second after Rykanis did, who was screaming in rage at the Kelvic. She stopped at her outside wall and both the rat, now in plain view, and Lewis scrambled up her house onto the roof. Lewis clearly having fun in the sport. "Go get em Lewis!" Syrah screamed up at him. Rats were poison and all should be eradicated. She watched as he went out of view with that rat and listened intently for the pleasing squeal that would mean the vermin was dead.

When they disappeared Syrah turned to Rykanis. Apparently he was quite mad and that this sword, er 'laken' was really important. She didn't see how, it was just a sword go buy another, but according to Ryk, he couldn't do that I guess.

"Well you have it now don't you? Whats the big deal. You know hes just an animal. Steals things for a living he does." She said a-matter-a-factly. "Also hes as dumb as a brick." She added nonchalantly.

But then one factor came to her. How did Rykanis get the laken back? Surely it wouldn't have ended up here if he noticed right away. Lewis must've gotten it all the way home before Rykanis noticed its absence. "....How did you find it anyway?" She wondered. "Do you know where his 'home'," home meaning hole, "is? I don't even know where it is!" She said as if she was the kind of person who would know where Lewis lived. She stopped short on those words, surprising herself. Like she was important enough to Lewis that she should know where he lived. She wasn't really friends with him, nor him with her. Except here they are, in her, er outside her house where Lewis had come running for help.

She stopped talking there trying to think on what she had just uncovered inside her head.[/indent]

[Dex]

Rat, rat, rat, RAT!! Yummy, meaty, juicy, rat! Lewis was on an adrenaline rush for the hunt. The rat was only had an 18 in. lead, and it was starting to close. The rat circled the roof twice before Lewis was almost literally on top of it. Its furry hindquarters bounced as it ran, though Lewis lost track of where it was going. All he knew was that he was going to bite down on its back in a flash of a second. The rat pulled its hind legs up close, a preparing gesture for a leap which Lewis was familiar with. He scrunched up to follow it up. The rat went up slightly, up slightly, and Lewis got to the edge. His back paws grabbed the edge of the gutter and launched off after the rat. As he got closer, he bit down in the mid back of the yummy rodent. That’s when a few things came into his thoughts. I jumped off the gutter. The gutter is at the edge of the roof. I’m about to fall from the roof to the ground. Man, this rat really had a wish to be crow food. Lewis wasn’t worried about hitting the ground really. His spine, as all ferrets, is very bendable and loose, letting it take a lot of stress and letting him bend around where other animals couldn’t. It also let him stand on his back paws and look cute for the humans. However, as luck would have it, he came out on the side Syrah and Rykanis were standing. And he wasn’t about to hit the ground first. OOCSorry this is late. But now you two have to fight out who I get to land on.

[Rykanis Dakshata]

Rykanis took off after the kelvic, as he went outside. That thing really knew how to get onto his nerves, being evasive with his name, stealing from him of all people, and now this... It seemed unlikely that he was doing all of that by chance... As Syrah spoke to him, there was clearly rage in Rykanis' eyes, which he could not quell. Maybe his other side could, but he was in to far of a rage for him to slip into control at the moment. Though likely even now his other side was trying to wheedle his way in, to take control... He knew how bad Rykanis could really get. "That may be true... But is no normal weapon, it is a part of me, and it is the deepest dishonor to me for him to have tried to take it without me giving it to him... Surely you have spent enough time in Riverfall to understand the effrontery it is to impinge on my honor... I cannot stand idly by like I did last time he tried to rob me... Not for this..." Then more questions! Questions! How he hated them when they were aimed at him. On one side he had his other side trying to take control, and on this, Syrah was asking questions of him, trying to pull out secrets of which she had no right knowing. All in all it was getting to be a lot... Was that what this was about, to question him in a rage, to try and get him to slip up and say something he shouldn't. "I was able to follow him. When you know what to follow, tracking is not to hard. No I don't know were his home is, but I got back to were he was, and when I yelled he came racing out and back to here. Perhaps it was his "home," if you would call it that..." Of course, what he did not say was that he was tracking his lakan, not the traces of the kelvic. Following along at the pull on his existance, that always led him back to his lakan... A trace any akalak could follow to his own lakan... However before he could go on, the kelvic was in sight once more, and flying through the air off the roof. Flying right at Syrah, about to smack into her and knock her down likely. But Rykanis did not have enough time to react, and could only watch as the kelvic traced through the air, to smash right into the woman. Then he could try and pluck the kelvic up by the scruff of its neck, and drag him off. This kelvic really was proving to be trouble... He should have just killed him back when he was in his home...

[Syrah Steele]

Syrah shrugged at Rykanis's speech of 'honor' she could see he was angry and didn't want to anger him more with the wrong answer. She tried to relate his 'honor' to something of hers, that if stolen she would go to the farthest reaches to find. That answer was not hard, her book. If someone had stolen her book, the one where she writes all the wines in that she learns, well, she would probably be just as angry as Rykanis was now. Then she tried to think of it if it was stolen by a annoying little Kelvic...then she could defiantly see the anger and where it was coming from in Rykanis. She would want to kill him just as much as Ryk did now. And Syrah knew all about the Akalaks discipline, having studied as much as she could about Akalaks before arriving. But she could see Rykanis's discipline falling apart at the seams right now and she knew that couldn't be good, that was what they prided themselves on. She almost gave Rykanis to go-to to do whatever he wanted with the Kelvic, but there was still something pulling inside her, like a thread in the middle of her chest, pulling her in the direction of the pet, er the animal. She couldn't explain it, but it was that feeling that made sure she needed to keep her Kelvic alive. She shook her head then tried to tune into what Rykanis was saying now.

Syrah didn't know Ryk was a tracker. Well, she didn't know a whole lot about him at all, he probably knew more about her. He had retraced his steps to find his laken the other night...boy he did lose it a lot. Thinking of the other night made her a bit annoyed, that girl of his, his Kelvic 'kitty' he called her, like a stupid pet name for a lover. Well she did say they were lovers didn't she? She was actually surprised she remembered all this, seeing as how she was so drunk. But that was another weird thing about Syrah, she could get drunk, but she would remember unless she got completely wasted. Maybe 4 or more glassses. The other night she had only gotten two... But that girl she was annoying and she wondered what Rykanis did to her, as a punishment. She would have to ask---

She was interrupted by a furry thing landing on her head. It slipped down her chest where she instinctively caught it. Looking down she saw it was Lewis, and thankfully he had dropped the rat he had in his mouth prior. She smiled at the blood on his mouth. "Did yeah get it boy?" she looked around and sure enough there was a dead, or at least dying, rat laying on the grass. "Good boy! Good boy, you got the rat." she said while rubbing his little head and behind his ears. "See, he got the damned rat. He did good! Damned rats gonna chew holes through my book." She said absently toward Rykanis, hoping to quell the anger in his eyes with some genuine thankfulness for the Kelvic on Syrah's face. She thought he might have a sweet spot for her, her theory almost proven as she saw him defend her book back inside. Maybe if he could see that she liked the Kelvic he wouldn't harm him.

[Dex]

Lewis ended up landing on Syrahs head, since she was a couple feet short of the roof, where as Rykanis stood not quite even with it, but not for lack of trying. He fell forward onto Syrahs arms, holding him to her chest. He’d managed to bite the rat along the back of the neck, killing it, but not enough to hang onto it. It fell to the ground, rolling in front of Syrah. A few dribbles of blood ended up on his chin, but he was, overall, just fine. He was especially comfy in her arms, nuzzled against her chest, especially with the praise he was receiving. His feelings at the time were ecstatic. Adrenaline rush from hunting, special warm feelings from praise, and the physical warmth coming from snuggling against Syrah. All he had to do was curl around and lay on his back in her hands. Rubbing himself fondly against Syrah, not even remembering that Rykanis was busy standing next to them being infuriated, Lewis enjoyed his feelings of happy bliss. It wasn’t long before he was giving small ferret sounds akin to snoring, his chest slowly but steadily moving up and down. oocSorry it’s short. Wasn’t sure what else to add for us to move on.