[Flashback] What's New Pussycat? (Ren)

[Kye Rivers]

15 Winter, 511 Kye crouched down, trying to avoid planting his knees in the light snow covering. He hadn’t really expected snow this early in the season. But it wasn’t unknown. Carefully, he laid the charred bit of cloth in the heat blackened wooden bowl. It was only the size of his palm, but fairly flat, to allow for both a dry surface but also plenty of air access. It was sat upon a flat stone, next to the carefully laid wood – a base of green wood, then a layer of wrist thick branches and a steeple of thinner sticks. Inside this lay the small pile of kindling. Reaching for his pouch, he withdrew the sharp edged piece of flint and the curving steel that fit easily about his fingers. With a loose, easy motion, he struck the flint on the edge of the metal several times and sent a flurry of sparks down into the charred cloth. It caught quickly and he fed it a fingerful of dried grass. Raising the flatish bowl, he blew into it softly and fed it another bit of kindling. A tiny flame had begun and he moved the bowl to the laid out wood, setting it next the nest of kindling of dried bark shaving and grass in its middle. With the tip of his knife, he transferred the burning matter in the bowl onto the pile and bent low, in a quite awkward position, to blow gently on the mass, as the flame caught. Feeding the infant fire with dried twigs, he watched until he was sure the finger sized stick temple above had also been embraced by the flame. Sitting back on his heels, he watched a bit longer. There was nothing as aggravating as going to the trouble to get a fire stared and then turn your back and have it die. Finally satisfied that it was well and truly going, he rose, securing his bowl, his steel and flint, and his tinder back in their respective pouches. Stretching, he did another survey of the immediate site of the spot he had chosen for their camp. It was sheltered by an encircling ring of trees, and relatively flat, with a creek no more than a stone’s throw over beyond the first fringe of the old stand oaks and elms. The small party had just left the Western Hills, Sunberth lying a week’s travel behind them to the east. The snow had started around mid-day but had been fitful, the small, dry particles of an early winter flurry, nothing more. He wasn’t complaining. It had made his setting of snares an hour before that much easier, what with the abundance of rabbit tracks he could so clearly see. He was sure they’d have plenty for tomorrow’s breakfast. Earlier in the afternoon, he had managed to bring down a yearling buck, and this was quartered and half of it sliced into steaks, spitted and ready to lay over the fire once it really got going. That job wasn’t his though. Kye could cook just about anything, but he didn’t enjoy it. So for now, he’d leave the handful of merchants and the two other guides to that task, and find some better use of his time. He went first to the picket line to double check that the horses were all securely tied. Calling his dog, Gem, to his side, he walked off into the growing dusk, heading towards the rushing sound of the water. In the soft light of very late afternoon, he scanned the ground for signs of whatever company they might expect to be keeping, as Gem snuffled in the leaf litter. Under the trees, the snow cover was scant, but there were other tell tale signs, of skunk, raccoon, squirrels, deer. Having reached the bank of the stream, he cast about, and found what he had thought he might, when he had taken a quick look earlier. Kneeling down, he quickly and skillfully set a wire snare, outside the muskrat hole in the bank. Their fur was sleek and valuable for cold weather hats and mittens and coats. And their flesh was fatty – fat which could be rendered and kept as fire starting material. Satisfied with his work, he rose from his crouch and was about to whistle for the dog, when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck go up. He had the distinct impression that he was not alone.

[Renalee]

Ren had spent the day traveling in her animal form. She had only stopped to rest once when the first snow for the season first started falling and only so she could run around in circles for a bit and leap into the air, trying to catch the tiny snowflakes in her mouth. Her game didn’t continue for long and she returned to the slow steady pace she had chosen for today’s march. She was still trying to determine what was her optimal speed and way of traveling, never having reached this far into the Wildlands before. It had only been five... no, six days, since the Kelvic had left Sunberth, but her enthusiasm at the idea of the trip had still to diminish. Nightfall found her in a cluster of trees, not big enough to be called a forest, but providing plenty of good spots to spend the night in the form of scattered-around clearings. Ren was quick to locate one such spot where she shifted before trying to prepare for the night to come. She found it generally better to sleep in her animal form as well, weather conditions being less of a factor to consider, but she would still always try to set up a fire first and make sure the surroundings were safe. That’s how she went about things this night as well. She set up on the east side of a particularly big boulder which would shield her from the winds that had been picking up for the last couple of bells. She gathered some mostly dry pieces of wood and even managed to find some old leaves around the bases of trees where the light snowfall hadn’t reached. She had arranged the sticks and wood in a cone with the leaves in the center, just like her father had shown her many a time before and set out on attempting to light the small construction up. Unfortunately, lighting a fire had never been one of her strong skills and today, forced to work with less than completely dry material, she was failing miserably. After spending more than 30 chimes struggling to produce a spark that would catch and spread without any luck, Ren had to admit defeat. She rummaged through her bag for her green cloak and put it on, deciding to search for a source of water instead. She was sure she had heard a stream not too far away when she had first found her clearing. It wasn’t hard to find the small creek even if it was a little bit further from her ‘camp’ that she had initially thought. Unfortunately with her discovery of water came another one - her medium-sized cluster of trees that wasn’t big enough to be a forest wasn’t only hers tonight. She could smell horses, and people, and meat, even heard their voices and the crackling of their fire. Ren kept to the cover of the trees as she tried circling the creek and drawing closer to the big camp, hoping to determine if she was in any immediate danger. If the humans were safe she could perhaps even ask to borrow some of their fire. As it was, she didn’t get close enough. A young human male, accompanied by a rather big dog was headed towards the stream. Ren didn’t like dogs much. They seemed to feel the same way most of the time, being able to smell the predator in her even when she was in her human form. This dog, as it turned out, wasn’t the exception. While its human was busy setting up a snare the canine caught Ren’s smell. If there had been more distance between them, the girl might have been able to retreat before it managed to trace her, but as it was she didn’t have enough time. The dog’s nose followed her scent with ease and in a matter of seconds the girl found herself face to face with it. The animal looked uneasy at once, lip curling back to reveal its sharp teeth. Its ears pulled back and it growled, sound low and threatening in the space between them. Ren’s own chest rumbled and a hand reached towards her dagger. Her eyes darted between the animal and its owner and after a quick consideration she decided that the chance of her not having to fight against the whole of the camp if she killed this dog were slim to none. She had to be human about this. Clearing her throat Ren called out towards the man by the stream, sure that her voice would carry. “Um, excuse me?! Could you call your dog back? It doesn’t look too friendly and I won’t really appreciate being mauled to death right now.”

[Kye Rivers]

Gem’s behavior only served to underscore the tingle of alert that his own senses were already sending out in little pulses of warning. It might only be a game animal. It could certainly be another human, one of the travelers that Gem wasn’t used to yet. But as Kye’s brain sifted through the sounds his ears had picked up, he found that option untenable. The faint sound wasn’t coming from the direction of the camp, and there would have been little reason for a man alone to be out circling around like that. Without haste, he rose from his crouch and saw that Gem had taken off, into a thicket. Still, he could hear the dog’s movements, and he knew she was on a scent. In a fluid movement, he had his bow unslung from his back and had pulled an arrow from his quiver. He heard the growl, then, and in an instant had the weapon pointed and aimed, just in case. But instead of a return growl of animal sound, there came a voice. Cautiously he lowered the bow, whistling softly, not for the dog to come to him, but for it to take a guard position. The female voice sounded far from threatening. But it never paid to be hasty about such things. One slip could easily spell the end for any chance to rethink a situation. In an easy voice, he replied, “Walk slowly and she won’t harm you. Slowly.” His eyes were pinned to the thicket, as he added, “Show yourself, and if you are unarmed and mean no harm, I’ll call her off.” Maybe . . .

[Renalee]

The dog stayed unmoving, unwilling to let her out of its sight for even a second. Ren glared at it, but even that didn’t seem to impress it. At first she thought that the canine’s human hadn’t heard her call out and she was already weighing her other options when a low whistling sound could be heard. If she had thought it was a signal for the dog to retreat, she would have been disappointed. The akinva, whilst putting an end to its snarling, didn’t appear inclined to step down in the slightest. “Walk slowly and she won’t harm you. Slowly. Show yourself, and if you are unarmed and mean no harm, I’ll call her off.” Ren cursed under her breath. If the tone was anything to go by, this human’s offer was a little less peaceful than it might have seemed. Unfortunately, the young Kelvic didn’t seem to have any other choices available to her. She slowly pushed her cloak away, so that the dagger would be visible in its sheath. Her hands lifted slightly, palms up in what she knew to be an unthreatening gesture. The dog remained still with the exception of its eyes which followed her movements. With the same deliberate slowness Ren took the few steps that would lead her away from the trees and just to the edge of the clearing. From here she had a good view of the man who she had only briefly glanced at before. The first thing she noticed about him was his bow - naturally. At least it was lowered rather than pointing at her chest. He was tall and blonde, dressed like a hunter rather than a merchant. That, coupled with the sure way he held his weapon, led Renalee to believe he was most likely acting as a sort of guide, guard perhaps, to the rest of the men she had heard and smelled. “I mean you no harm, hunter.” The girl’s hands rose a little bit more in case he couldn’t quite see she wasn’t holding anything. “I’m just a fellow traveller that was hoping to borrow a little bit of your fire. Won’t you put away your weapon and your dog so we could have a peaceful introduction?”

[Kye Rivers]

Kye kept the bow pointed into the thicket, and then at the emerging form, even as a young woman appeared, palms extended in a way which most typically meant that the person had no weapons – at least not in her hands. Watching her carefully, he lowered the bow a bit, but kept the arrow at the ready. She walked slowly, deliberately, as if she had a healthy respect for both dog and man. But Kye had seen too many strange things in his travels to feel reassured at this point. When she introduced herself as a fellow traveler, he found it odd – a lone woman wandering about this far from the city. As she made no mention of any others, he could only conclude that she must be well versed in surviving in the wilds. Either that, or she had some other advantage, to feel safe enough to be here, on her own. “You are by yourself?” He wore a frown of puzzlement. “And yet you ask to borrow some fire?” His eyes darted to the site where the camp lay, calculating the distance. “And you know that there is one - there,” he nodded towards where the camp lay, far enough away that a human would be hard pressed to note any smells or sounds emanating from it. Lowering the bow a bit more, he asked, “You are kelvic? Is this why my dog found you so alarming? What is your other form?” He tilted his head a bit as he added, "And what need has a kelvic for fire?"

[Renalee]

The human seemed set on keeping his weapon out in the open. He was clearly trying to show who was in control of the situation and, as much as Ren would loath to admit it - it was him. One call from him would raise his whole camp and the Kelvic was pretty sure that, no matter their exact numbers, she wouldn’t be getting out of there alive, if that was to happen. She tried putting on an unthreatening expression, but the result was probably closer to ‘blank’ than anything else. “I am alone, yes,” she confirmed, thinking that that would calm the man down. Even imaginary comrades could result in an bow-happy hunter and as far as she was concerned that had to be avoided at all costs. Unfortunately, admitting to her lack of traveling companions led the man to another train of thought entirely. One the Kelvic liked even less. “You are kelvic?” She could try and deny her race, tell him she had just assumed he would have a camp and fire, but the words she was coming up with in her head to explain something like that sounded unconvincing even to her. She cursed her own inability to pull out quite such a complex lie. Fortunately, there were other lies she could use. Trying to appear as a cornered animal would (that wasn’t too hard, after all she was exactly that), Ren answered his question in a low, unhappy voice. “I am a horse.” It was seemingly the perfect animal. A horse wasn’t dangerous so the human wouldn’t feel threatened by her possible shifting. It could move quickly and easily over relatively flat terrains and could rely on its long, fast legs to get it out of a dangerous situation - hence it could travel alone. “I require fire, because I prefer spending the nights in my human form. I’m not quite as defenseless like that.” A quick nod of her head downwards indicated she was referring to the dagger she carried. It wasn’t the best story, but it sounded believable enough. As long as it managed to fool the man she was happy with it. “You’re surprisingly perceptive for a human.” Her father had told her many times that, if nothing else worked, compliments had a great chance of distracting those vainer ones of her enemies. Hopefully he considered her observation complimentary enough. “What do they call you?”

[Kye Rivers]

Kye took her reply with a good bit of skepticism, as far as the kelvic being a horse in her animal form. It was doubtful that Gem would have been quite so agitated over something that smelled like a grass eater. But, he couldn’t be certain the creature was lying to him. He considered the knife at her side and her overall demeanor, and discounted her words for the most part, assessing her based on his dog’s instincts, and his own. He could have easily shot her, or told her to get lost, but he thought the former unwarranted and the latter a bit more foolish than bringing her back to the camp. Kye was a hunter, and had no qualms at all over killing animals. He did so every day of the year practically. But he hated waste and there didn’t seem to be any reason to kill this kelvic, yet. And to let her wander off, well, she might truly leave the area, or she might not. If she was something more than she was telling him, and she thought circling back under the cover of dark might net her a nice horse, or one of the cooks or a guard or whoever, it made more sense to just have her come along and keep a close eye on her. Of course, anyone who let themselves get killed and eaten by a kelvic probably didn’t need to be walking the face of this earth anyway, in his opinion. He lowered his bow still more, with the arrow pointing towards the ground. If she shifted into some form that could spring at him, she just might make it to him before the arrow through her throat stopped her. “Name’s Kye,” he answered, and gave a nod of his head sideways. “Camp’s that way, as I’m sure you know. Come with me.” It was a command, not an invitation, and he gave a little chirping whistle to Gem, who bared her teeth in a silent snarl, watching the blonde haired girl. Kye stood motionless, except to gesture with the downturned bow in the same direction that he had nodded. Clearly he meant for her to go first.

[Renalee]

No matter what she did or said the man seemed to take it all the wrong way. While the bow was now pointing towards the ground rather than at any part of her body, Ren was still pretty sure it could rise in a matter of ticks and the arrow would still hit whatever mark he chose. It was obvious her little lie hadn’t gone quite as well as she could have hoped. Perhaps if she had said something like a fox... This whole situation was starting to get a little annoying. For the life of her, the Kelvic couldn’t determine the man’s exact intentions which made her feel decidedly uncomfortable. She started going over her chances again, trying to calculate how long it might take her to dispose of dog and master and disappear into the dark. But there was still the cursed weapon to consider. The hunter was too dangerous while still armed. She had to somehow convince him to permanently put away the arrow. And for that she had to appear unthreatening. Ren attempted a small smile when the human introduced himself. “Kye,” she repeated the name slowly, letting it roll off her tongue. He didn’t ask for her name so she didn’t give it. Instead, she just followed his command - there was no doubt in her mind that his ‘polite invitation’ was exactly that. He didn’t seem to be very eloquent, as far as human beings went. That could turn out to be a problem, especially if Renalee misunderstood one of his grunts. She passed by him slowly, trying to keep the mostly-fake smile plastered on her face. “How nice of you to invite me to your camp. It’s hard to find hospitable folk out in the wilderness.” Her voice sounded sweet to her ears and she attempted to appear grateful. If she acted like a guest perhaps he’d start thinking of a her as a one too. Still, despite her attempt to appear confident and as if she felt safe in the face of how things were developing, her whole body was tense from the distinct possibility of an arrow in her back.

[Kye Rivers]

Kye lifted an eyebrow at her remark, as they began walking back towards the campsite. She was either incredibly stupid, incredibly naïve or impossibly optimistic. He discarded all three options and went with number four – he had the drop on her and she was trying to make the best of a bad situation. That meant that she was smart, and his appreciation for the kelvic – whatever she was – went up a notch or two. Kye had a profound vulnerability when it came to kelvics as a whole, one intricately woven into the very fabric of his life, right from day one. But that didn’t mean he was going to let this one make a feast of any of the pack animals, or any of his paying customers. Word of such things got around and was bad for business. So he kept his eyes on her as she walked calmly enough, some five paces ahead of him. Gem, too, trotted along side of the young woman, tongue lolling but sticking close to her. With such an effective guard, it was no wonder that her steps had that slight tension to them. But as they walked, and he watched her from behind – trying not to get distracted – he did note that she moved with a great deal of grace, almost as if she was gliding over the none-too-smooth terrain of the forest floor. Whatever she was, she seemed quite at home here. They were almost at the edge of the woods where the trees thinned and a small meadow could be seen spreading out before them. The knee high grass still held some green, despite the light sprinkling of white all about. The snow was a bit heavier in the open. The fire was still going well and the cooks had gotten busy with the deer he had brought down earlier. Gem licked her chops at the smell of roasting venison. Many pairs of eyes swiveled about to observe their approach, and the fact that Kye still had not slung his bow over his shoulder, but held it at the ready, did not go unnoted. With a quickening of his pace and a casual lengthening of his stride, he caught up to the kelvic just as they came within easy speaking distance of the others. “Every man here is armed. I’m sure you’re no idiot.” Finally, he eased the arrow from the bowstring, and his arms relaxed. “There’s no need to borrow fire. Stay. Eat with us, if you like. If you’re hungry.” Again, the words carried no affable invitation. She could object. She could beg off remaining in the camp, and turn and walk away. But whether anyone would be listening to her was another matter entirely. And whether she would be allowed to leave was also quite another matter. Kye slid the arrow into the quiver strapped to his back, and gave her a very frank look. The bow was now dangling from his hand. “Now tell me what the petch you are, and don’t keep me thinking you mean to kill us all in our sleep.”

[Renalee]

Ren stepped lightly despite the presence of the Akinva next to her right hip and the rigidity of her own back. She had taken to counting her inhales and exhales and listening to the steps of the human behind her. Focused as she was, she would be able to detect the smallest change in his movements and jump to the side to hopefully manage to avoid any arrows sent her way. The man didn’t speak as they made their way towards the camp, but that was better. It meant she could stop forcing her words and voice to convey something she wasn’t feeling and could concentrate on what she actually was. Now, if only that was something a little bit more productive than fear.

As they entered the camp every head turned their way, suspicious eyes following them as they progressed. Kye caught up with her easily, only a few paces having separated them the whole time. Ren’s eyes fell immediately on the bow which was still out in the open, arrow still held to the bowstring. At this moment the Kelvic loathed him. ‘She’s an enemy. Most likely dangerous. I don’t trust her.’ His message was received loud and clear throughout the camp and Renalee was sure she saw a couple of hands reaching towards daggers or pulling other weapons closer.

Seriously? What did they think a 19 year old could do to them - however many grown man with an obviously string-happy hunter and an evil-looking dog? A small irritated huff escaped her but she managed to soften her glare, turning it into an intense stare instead. She kept Kye under it until he finally loosened the arrow and put it away, but something made her think it wasn’t because of any encouragement to do so that came from her.

What followed was a string of short sentences which certainly couldn’t be mistaken for friendly suggestions. Ren understood him perfectly - she would be staying here until he was sure it was safe enough to let her go her own way. Perhaps, if she spent the night and none of them were murdered or went missing, that would be proof enough of her trustworthiness. In the morning they’d be ready to go back on the road and would leave her to her own devices... right?

“Now tell me what the petch you are, and don’t keep me thinking you mean to kill us all in our sleep.”

Perhaps not then. The whole ‘I’m a horse’ thing hadn’t worked out at all after all. Ren carefully sized the man up, trying to read his expression and understand the subtler nuances of his mood. She was usually quite good at sensing and interpreting emotions - it was part of her nature and instincts. All she was getting from this Kye however, was hostility and suspicion.

The Kelvic could attempt another lie again, but she was pretty sure that the incredibly perceptive human would pick up on it. Any animal she could name that he might believe was going to be too close to what she actually was, so why not just tell him she was a puma? If she did however, his fear of night-time murder might just appear reasonable. No matter what she chose to do there was a vey real chance it would be the last choice she ever made. In the end she decided that perhaps honesty might gain her a little bit of good will. It was somewhat logical that, if she wanted him to trust her with his life, she had to be willing to extend the same courtesy. Somewhat...

Ren took a deep breath and settled for a neutral expression and tone of voice. “My other form is a mountain lion, human. But I do not make killing others of your kind a habit. Not for any other reasons than those that might make you want to do the same thing too.” Her eyes never left the man’s gaze. “So I will eat with you and share your fire and camp for the night.” Here she purposefully made it sound, as if it not only was her choice, but she was doing him some sort of favor by allowing him to remain in her presence. “But come morning I will continue my journey, as you will yours, and our paths will cease to overlap.”

OOCSlight change of templates