Closed Just Be [Spirit]

[Kaden Swift]

– Fall 73th, 513 AV –

It had been a melding of days since Kaden had snuck out of the Medical hall. The tiger had woken before Spirit and simply snuck out after hastily packing. He had debated for a few minute to leave his fur or risk waking her. In the end he left it with her; trusting Spirit to take care of it. Deep down he had another reason but whatever it was he had long forgotten it now. The world was quiet and even the snow had stopped falling, something bothered the Kelvic but he couldn’t decide what it was. Perhaps a storm approached, or maybe he was getting sick.

Since leaving the Medical Hall his stitches had broken or tugged free, but the various wounds were healing nicely despite it. The larger wounds on his neck and shoulder were oddly still stitched up, but that might have been because he couldn’t bite them off. Annoyed when grooming he had broken many of them himself, others came free as he hunted. For the moment he was stuffed full, hunting had gone badly for the last few days. Either he had found nothing or he had been to slow or stiff to catch the fleeting prey. In the end luck was what filled his stomach. He had stumbled across an Elk that died from one thing or another.

Now he was back in the city. He had taken to sleeping just at it edge, most often pressed against a buildings side. They were warm and it helped keep him from the biting pain of the cold nights. Ticker made due, he always curled around the puppy to be sure his friend stayed comfortable. Now it was day and he laid watching children play. They were building things in the snow; some seemed only to touch the ground and something sprung up and others grabbed snow by the fistful and slapped it together. There were a few adults who were watching him warily, but most ignored him. Ticker was well received, the puppy was jumping and barking as kids threw balls of snow for the puppy to catch.

Kaden lifted his head as a little girl tottered his way. Her parents hadn’t seen her move. He lay still as she reached him and started petting his fur. Very slowly he moved and laid down on his side and the little girls hands moved through his fur as she suddenly giggled. That got her parents attention and the woman gave a start but the man just shrugged. Kaden wasn’t doing anything and the man knew enough about Kelvic’s. So the little girl continued to pet Kaden, even tugging his ears making the tiger snort. Other kids noticed and soon Kaden found himself being piled on. One of the braver ones climbed on top of him and sat across his ribs.

He loved children and took their loud shrieks and harsh pulls good naturedly. If an adult had tried it would have been another story. Some of the parents were not happy and many of the kids were called away some even grabbed up. Really, if he wanted to eat the cubs he would have already done so. Soon the kids left to go back to their games or be dragged away with frightful parents. The little girl had stayed right where she was throwing her arms around Kaden the best she could to hug him. He leaned into her then watched her go to her parents skipping excitedly as she told them about his soft fur.

With a sigh he flopped back to the ground. He was in no hurry to move, there wasn’t anything that called for his attention. It was hard to remember days and time while he was shifted, one day was hardly different than the other. Ticker raced after another ball of snow, one of the adults had started to get in the game. Kaden was glad no one was scared of the puppy, and with some luck Ticker would be too tired to demand he play later. Closing his eyes he simply enjoyed the sounds of play and the feel of the sun.

ooc :

Tada! Hope this went well enough for a first post. Also new Table thing!

[Spirit Frostfawn]

Spirit had been missing Kaden over the past few days, and hadn’t really seen him since leaving the medical center. Annoyingly, he’d shifted, and broken a few of the stitches, but remarkably the important ones were still there. She’d gone back to working at the stables, her usual job, but still wondered what the big cat was doing. He’d refused her offer of a place in the city, which had made her sad… but what else could she do? Despite his similarities to a dog, the Kelvic was still a cat at heart.

At the moment, she was saddling up a horse for its owner. The gelding was tall, and a silvery-white color, a basic Windrunner at heart. She easily laid the blanket over the horse’s back, making sure it would fit evenly under the saddle. She then added said leather seat, lifting it high over her head to get it to fit on the gelding’s back. When she moved over to the other side to make sure the girth was loose, she reached under and grabbed the other side as well. She clipped them together, before pausing slightly. It wasn’t as tight as she’d expected, to fit comfortably. Frowning, she glanced at the horse’s full chest, and found it slightly larger than before. She scowled at the animal, before shoving hard on its stomach. The gelding let out a huge rush of air, returning its chest to its normal size. The Windrunner had attempted to make the straps looser, by taking in a breath and expanding its chest. However… she wasn’t going to fall for that, and had dealt with it easily. She re-tightened the girth, before slipping on the bridle and passing the horse to its owner.

Work done for now, she poked her head out of the stables, waving slightly at Wind. The dog was keeping a respectful distance from the building, apparently knowing Lusina’s rules about carnivores in there. Beside him was one of the puppies, who nearly jumped up in surprise at Spirit’s appearance, but resisted the urge… just barely. However, she did spot something more interesting. Another dog… Ticker! She could recognize the excited puppy anywhere. Apparently his sister did too, as the furry creature leaped up and dashed towards her sibling. The two sniffed each other gleefully, and the Frostfawn moved out to find Ticker’s other companion… Kaden.

She quickly spotted a small ruckus near something orange, generally a group of children tugging at something, and an adult throwing snowballs. There was actually quite the game going on, and the groom was sorely tempted to join in. However, she had something more important to deal with…. She rushed up behind the striped cat, hoping he didn’t see her until she wanted him too. Waiting for one of the children to back up, she kneeled down and tugged on one of his ears, before leaning over to get a view of his face. ”Kaden!” she greeted him gleefully, pushing herself back out of the snow. ”Good to see you! How are the stitches?” She lightly patted his shoulder, which remarkably still held the thin lines of thread. Seeing that he hadn’t minded the children doing so, Spirit leaned over and rubbed her friend’s stomach roughly, smiling at him widely. It was good to see him again… even though it had only been a few days.

OOCD'aww... Kaden's so cute

x

[Kaden Swift]

ooc :

When he isn't hungry or grumpy, then he's a butt.

He was content to let the kids do what they wanted. None of them were hurting him aside from a few who pulled a bit too hard at his fur; but they were so small. All he had to do was lift a paw and push down on one and he would kill it. The tiger Kelvic understood the parent’s hesitation somewhat, after all he was a male and he knew instinctively that for now children were tolerable but it wouldn’t always be. As a larger hand tugged his ear he pulled his head away but he still saw Spirit as she peered at him. Immediately his annoyance melted away at the sight of her.

He had missed her, sure if he shifted he could try and talk to others but he never felt much of a need. Course shifting to reply to her question now held a problem. He didn’t think shifting now was such a good idea. Not with people’s reactions to him without clothes. His mental debate shattered as his stomach was rubbed. While the kids were happy to pet him, they were light feathered touches. Spirit was stronger. Eyes closing he made a low happy growling sound and stretched out. Had he been able to purr he would have done so, instead he was reduced to a puddle of fur.

For a while he just stayed there but abruptly he rolled to his feet then butted his head against Spirit with a deep chuffing sound. He continued pressing against her, wishing he were smaller and didn’t rival a horse. Chuffing again he rubbed his head against hers, moving it from the top of Spirits head to her shoulders. All the while his tail had started to flick and thrash. Yes it was good to see her, he wondered how long it had been since he had; long enough anyway. Ticker was playing with his sister but spotting Spirit he raced toward her and Kaden only pausing in his head long charge to jump and try and catch a snow ball tossed his way. Mouth full of snow he returned to his head long race and crashed into Kaden’s side.

The Tiger grunted and looked down. Ticker might have been small but the puppy was fast and Kaden was still bruised and sore. His mood soured, Kaden smacked Ticker sending the puppy rolling back through the snow. It didn’t stop the red pup for more than it took him to return to his feet. Ticker immediately started jumping around the two. Not happy Kaden shoved the puppy back before in its excitement he bit either of them. Ticker was sadly teething and in the puppies search for relief Kaden’s tail ears or paws were bitten or gnawed on. He didn’t want the puppy to get any bright ideas that Spirit was to chew on. His whole attention turned back to Spirit. Whiskers fanning he stared at her expectedly.

Ticker had settled enough that the puppy was sitting, even if the poor thing was so excited he was shivering. Kaden on the other hand was calm but he forgot why he shouldn’t shift. The kids had left as the Kelvic had turned his whole attention to Spirit; so now Kaden shifted. Gone was the large imposing tiger, in its place Kaden sat human and naked. His pale skin was still a gory picture of cuts and bruises. The broken Stitches hung still in his skin. With a flash of his teeth Kaden sat full in the snow and stretched out his legs, hand resting on his knees. “They itch.” He absently scratched at one on his stomach which happened to be broken, but he didn’t look at it. “How are you, happy today?”

[Spirit Frostfawn]

When Kaden stood up and rubbed his head against her, Spirit's grin simply grew wider and she ruffled the big cat's fur. She had to admit, as intimidating as his animal form was... she loved it. No other word for it. She half forgot she was dealing with someone human... or slightly human... and kept thinking she was simply with a very, very large cat. She was about to say 'aren't you so cute', but realized that might insult him. And you didn't really say that to people. Shaking her head, she chuckled slightly to herself. She wrapped her arms around his furry head, amazed at how tall he was, but let go when the Kelvic shifted.

She was... sort of... used to this by now, and stubbornly kept her eyes at Kaden's face. "Itch? Yea... they do get irritating." She wanted to scold him for breaking the other ones, but didn't want to ruin the mood. They weren't that important... right? Sighing, she changed the small frown that had developed into a smile, and sat down to stay at the same level as her friend. "I'm good! Just working in the stables right now..." Her frowned returned, as she realized what Lusina would think of her being out here... rather than inside. "I should probably get back to work..." she admitted, scratching her head irritably. She didn't want to leave Kaden, but... he was kind of naked right now, and if he was in the stables as a cat... both the horses and Lusina would have a fit. And that wasn't a good thing.

"Do you happen to have any clothes nearby? Perhaps your bag? You could join me." She wasn't entirely sure if his smell would irritate the horses, but Silver was kind of used to him... they could get used to a tiger... right? Well, probably not. The smell shouldn't be as strong though. Her features turned into a thoughtful frown, but she decided that she would try anyways, at least to have some company. If Lusina kicked the Kelvic out, so be it.

x

[Kaden Swift]

He was sad when she stopped hugging and petting him. He didn’t understand what the difference was between his forms. “Yes, I want it to stop.” Grumpily he rubbed at one of the smaller stitches. He was glad when Spirits own frown changed, he knew she would be upset with him but he couldn’t stand the stitches or the loss of his shifting ability. It was a whole other bit of caging and even the thought of it sent him itching to change just to reassure himself that he could. “Horse home?” He tilted his head and peered back over his shoulder toward the building before his gaze returned to a once more frowning Spirit.

“Work?” He stared at her confused. He understood what work was but why work with a horse? He didn’t think they gave you those cold coins people favored. Blinking somewhat owlishly he slowly nodded. “It is not here, left it in a hole. We can go get it?” He had not expected to change, so he had left his bag hidden in his sleeping place dug in the snow besides a blacksmiths building. It was always warm there and no one seemed to mind him. “I can carry you there.” His chest puffed up proudly as he suggested it. He had been playing with the kids for a few days and he had one crawl onto his back as he was standing.

“You are light, and then it will be faster.” He had lifted his head, he was proud that he could do such a thing. “I am better than a horse.” He gave the stitching at his stomach a last rub before he abruptly shifted. Once more he was a tiger as the shift settled around him. His body heat rose and his fur billowed out. So much warmer. He wished Spirit could understand him like this it was sad that no one could. He chuffed at her before he stretched, bowing much like a dog in play. Ticker had raced off to play again, the puppy had learned that he didn’t have to follow Kaden and that the tiger would find him to feed him or go hunting. It made things easier; Ticker was often played with and even fed through the day by people who saw the cheery dog.

He stopped thinking of the puppy as he brushed against Spirit again; demanding she pet him. If he could stay like this people would be happier to pet him but then they were also afraid of him. It was a sad an annoying cycle but Spirit wasn’t scared. Not with anything expect when he touched her as a human. She did not like men. Chuffing again, he rubbed his head against hers before he lay down and waited. He was interested to know how well she could sit on him since she rode a horse. The kids sort of hurt, some were better than others but they tended to kick very hard. Eyes filled with mirth he stared at Spirit waiting. He would show her he was much better than her horse, after all he would do anything to keep her from falling.

[Spirit Frostfawn]

"Horse home... stables. Remember where you rode Silver?" Spirit answered with a smile. She didn't bother to answer the 'work' question, since it would have been too complicated... and she didn't entirely understand what Kaden wanted to know in the first place. What was work in general? Or why work? Or something else entirely? Instead, she focused on the location of his bag... annoyingly not here, but... wait, carry her?

She stared at the cat with a little bit of shock. Technically, he was bigger than a horse, and carrying her would be easy. But... she'd never thought of riding a tiger before. It would be like... riding an Icewatch polar bear. But smaller. And more... orange. Her confused expression quickly turned into a grin, and she giggled once. Then again. In moments she was laughing full out, clutching her stomach with a massive smile on her face.

It took about half a chime for her to recover, where she straightened up and shook her head. "I'm sorry... I've just never thought about riding a cat before. I'm not laughing at you... just the idea." The last was to reassure the Kelvic, as the Frostfawn quickly realized she might have hurt his feelings. "But... it sounds fun" she admitted with another giggle, still finding this all incredibly amusing. When Kaden shifted and rubbed against her, she patted his side, loving the thick orange fur. It was much longer and softer than anything found on Apple, Wind, or Silver... There was just so much of it! And it was even brighter than Apple's... which was saying something.

Taking a moment to bury her face in the long strands, she allowed the Kelvic to lie down... she had no idea how she would have mounted otherwise... the massive wall of fur, however fuzzy, was a little intimidating. Taking a seat on the cat's wide back, she suddenly remembered this person had a human form. And if he was in that right now... Spirit tensed up and reddened, glad that her friend couldn't see her face. But he wasn't exactly human... so she was simply riding a tiger, right? Riding a tiger... wow. In Morwen's name, it was probably the craziest thing she'd ever done, other than trying to hunt with a tiger at her side.

Having a comfortable seat, she whispered "You can stand up now" to her companion, patting him lightly on the side. She had no idea where to hold onto... but remembered dogs had a scruff, right? Maybe Kaden would too. She grabbed at that general area, and found the thick folds of skin and fur. It wasn't as ideal a grip as reins, or a saddle horn, but it would do. She wrapped her hands tightly in the layers, not wanting to fall off. Randomly, the Frostfawn imagined the Kelvic wearing a saddle and bridle... but almost started laughing again. He would simply rip it off anyways. "Right... where are we going? You lead the way" she finished with a nod, adding another pat. He was simply to furry... she couldn't stand it.

OOCEhe... I couldn't stop laughing while writing this. Spirit's riding a tiger! That's just... awesome....

x

[Kaden Swift]

He had remembered, and the creature had caused him new bruises. Over the length of his life he could claim many, but never had he gotten a bruise on his rump before. It was a new experience that kept giving; because as a tiger that bruise was on his tail. He jumped when Spirit started laughing. Wide eyed he watched her and wondered if she were hurt as she clutched her stomach. He wasn’t sure what to do as she continued and was close to panicking. Humans had to breathe to right?

He was pretty sure her reddened face was from lack of air because noises needed air to make. Kaden’s pupils were wide and his fingers twitched, but it was such a short time as he panicked when she calmed enough to talk to him. He had never been around someone who laughed, but what she laughed at wasn’t something he thought was funny. Sulking somewhat he just stared at her. What was wrong with cats? He was smarter than the dogs, stronger than her horse. He was better. She admitted it would be fun and that somewhat made him feel better so as he shifted he held no hard feelings.

He sighed as he was petted. He would just have to prove her wrong, that he was very serious on his offer. He glanced at her as she pressed against him, long tail lashing in excitement. He would definitely prove his worth. He turned forward as she got on his back; he hardly felt she was there. He kept himself relaxed enough that he wouldn’t worry her, but Kaden couldn’t stop his tail. This he could show her, her horse might be able to run but it couldn’t take her where he could go. He would show her just a bit of what he saw things like.

He felt her tense but couldn’t puzzle out why. No one was close to them and he hadn’t moved. Was it second thoughts? Yet even this worry was unfounded as she told him he could stand. With care he did so knowing he didn’t move like a horse. Cats were better, he was better. He gave a low soundless growl that rumbled through him, he wanted to go but he had to wait. He felt her grab his scruff, it wasn’t something that normally happened and it was an odd sensation but not one that hurt. He had expected her to grab his fur; it’s what the kids did.

She gave the go ahead and every part of Kaden tensed as muscles bunched up. Then with a flick of his ears he sprang forward and set to a dead run. He wasn’t a horse; he didn’t bounce or jerk as he ran. Kaden loved running, loved being a tiger. His muscles worked seamlessly as he moved silently over the ground. The only sound from him was the soft rustle and hush of moving fur and kicked up snow. He flattened his ears and lengthened his stride to make his gait as smooth as he could for Spirit. They were moving past people and buildings and Kaden never slowed.

They passed buildings he knew and didn’t know; people with familiar scents and people who he would never want to get close to. He suddenly turned sharply down a path, bending on the spot with a scrap of claws but still he kept running. He wanted to show Spirit just a small part of what it felt like to really move. He was not a lumbering creature; he had seen the giant bears and was proud to know he could move with more grace, he was a cat. He took them down the small strip of vendors and stalls; weaving between groups of people and brushing against others to get around them. He took another sharp turn to cut between two vendors.

He was hoping she was holding on okay. He was showing off somewhat as he changed directions on the dime to go around a person or an animal. His wounds and muscles burned but he ignored them. His muscles hurt only because he was refusing to allow his stride to shorten so not to jostle Spirit. He used muscles he never did before but he continued on until they came to the straight street that led to the blacksmith. Ahead was a fence made of ice that he jumped for fun. With the extra weight he didn’t think he could clear it in a single jump as he normally would.

It was purely to show off now as he pushed himself to run faster, his stride eating away the space between them and the fence. As they came close Kaden lowered his body closer to the ground then leapt. He had been right; he wasn’t able to jump over it. His front claws grabbed the top of the icy fence and his back claws kicked off from the wall; but it was enough that he cleared it and landed with a thump of snow on the other side. Finally they were where he wanted to be. Opening his mouth Kaden started to pant but they were at the blacksmiths. He could have gone around the fence, but where was the fun of that?

Feeling utterly pleased with himself he laid down to let Spirit off. There, let her laugh now. He might not have been as fast as a horse, but he could do things those animals couldn’t. He gave a low rumbling growl as his tail swept over the snow. He had shown her what it was like to run the best he could, to fly silently through the city. To be a cat.

ooc :

Hehe. It would be a lot of fun to ride one.
Kaden had a lot of fun showing off and trying to prove himself better then Spirits horse. Hes a bit jealous I think.

[Spirit Frostfawn]

Spirit hadn’t really expected Kaden to move so fast. Sure, a horse could gallop, but this was something else entirely. Of course, she’d never galloped before, so didn’t know what it felt like. But probably not like this. She gripped the Kelvic’s scruff with her hands for dear life, and tried to hold her body upright with her knees and legs. She’d never ridden bareback either… maybe she should have done some more horse riding practice before trying it on a tiger. The movement was just so… even, actually. And smooth.

Realizing this, the Frostfawn was actually quite surprised at how even and gentle Kaden’s gait was, despite ripping through the snow like he was one of the polar bears. But even those, when she’d watched, moved up and down. Her companion didn’t. She frowned at this for a moment, confused, but then grinned. It made riding so much easier on her part, since bouncing probably would have upset her seat. ”Thank you” she whispered to the orange cat, but the sound was lost in the wind.

Things got a little crazier when they turned. The Kelvic turned sharper than she’d ever seen any other animal do, easily darting between people and stalls… they were making quite the scene, actually. But… Spirit didn’t care in the slightest. This was fun! She nearly fell off at the first turn, however, sliding slightly off the tiger’s wide back. However, she barely managed to push herself straight again, just in time for the next direction change. This time, she gripped even harder with her legs and knees, and tried to not be forced from her seat by the sheer speed. At least a horse’s saddle was built to keep you on. This… was not.

The scariest moment of all, however, was not a turn. It was a jump. They were running full on in one direction, and the groom took a moment to glance ahead of them… which was probably a bad idea. Right in front of them… an Icestone fence. They were going to smash into it. And something here was going to break, be it Kaden’s head or the fence. And she wasn’t up for paying for that kind of damage. ”Kaden!” she squeaked, but once again her voice trailed away, unheard by either of them. She felt their speed increase, and panicked even more. What was he doing? He wasn’t trying to go over the fence… right? He wouldn’t be able to do that. Shouldn’t. She had no idea. She’d never even jumped stuff on a horse.

Her worst nightmares came true when, only a few meters from the wall, the Kelvic’s muscles bunched up and he…. Leaped. They weren’t going to make it. They were going to smash head on into the wall and die. She was tempted to let go, roll off into the safe snow, but decided against it. First, it might be just as dangerous as staying on, especially if her friend didn’t make it over. She also wasn’t brave enough to do something like that. And lastly… most importantly… it would insult Kaden. And she didn’t want to do that… he wouldn’t understand.

He managed to gain purchase with his paws, and still with Spirit on his back, the Kelvic managed to scramble over the tall wall. When they landed, much more graceful than the climb, the Vantha allowed herself to roll off like she’d wanted to do and lie prone in the snow. Her breath came in heaving gasps, and her arms and legs started to hurt from the strain. For several moments, she stared up at the pale sky, regaining her composure… before losing it again.

”That was amazing!” she squealed, bunching up in excitement. Instead of laughing like Kaden had expected, however, she leaped up despite protesting muscles and hugged the furry cat. ”You’re amazing! Riding is amazing… How did you make that jump?!” The only thing that stopped her from jumping in joy was the fact that her legs felt like they would fall off. In fact, she was only upright because of her grip around the Kelvic’s neck. Soon enough, her hands gave out as well, and she collapsed sitting in the snow once more.

After a moment’s pause, she admitted ”That was also very… very tireing. Think you can walk on the way back? I mean… with me riding. My legs hurt too much to stand up right now.” With a wince, she stretched out said limb, allowing the tense muscles to relax. Sighing, she tried to calm the rest of her body, which had gone tight from the exercise… though she hadn’t really been the one exercising.

Sighing quietly, she rolled her shoulders before instructing ”Can you find your bag? Lusina’s probably wondering where I am right now… though I don’t know if I’ll be fit for work like this.” The last was a joke, and she added a chuckle to it just to make sure. She would probably feel better by the time they got back to the stables, as long as they didn’t repeat the last ride. Kaden had been incredibly impressive during the running, faster and stronger than any horse she’d ever seen. She’d never actually ever considered riding a tiger before. Polar bears, yes. Horses, yes. Caribou, also yes. But cats? Never. But that seemed like it would change… since it had been one of the best experiences in her life.

x

[Kaden Swift]

He was panting with exertion as Spirit didn’t get off but fell down onto the snow. Somewhat worried he looked at her to try and see if she was hurt. Not smelling any blood he set to watching her as she too seemed to be panting. Kaden felt a simmer of pride that she had held on. Spirit had nearly fallen as he ran and yet she was here. Then she sprung up and hugged him before he could blink. Whiskers fanning he leaned into her touch as she excitedly asked him something he knew she would be upset about if he changed to answer.

He was so glad she hadn’t fallen. He needed to work on his muscles; he was somewhat embarrassed that he hadn’t been able to make. Then she was down again and talking. Sitting down he shifted but he couldn’t quiet sit still. His leg bounced as she spoke. “We can walk, sorry.” He wasn’t, not really. He didn’t want her hurting but he was still warm and fuzzy with showing her. He wasn’t sure how to express such an emotion. He looked to the buildings wall and hummed but he got up and walked to the spot he knew he left it at. Bending he started digging not bothering to shift yet.

“I can help, not sore.” He shook his head but once more felt unable to express the amusement he felt as a human. Finally his fingers met the feel of his bag and he tugged it safely out. Standing back up he moved to Spirit and sat back down. Carelessly he tossed the bag beside him. “I will go slowly this time, can you hold the bag?” He was staring at her, eyes half lidded. “I won’t jump again either.” His lips twitched but he didn’t smile, instead he rolled his shoulders. “Was it worth it, even if you are tired now?” He was curious, truly wondering if she had fun enough for it not to be so scary.

“Maybe next time I can take you through the wastes. Long flat run.” He rolled his shoulders and straightened his back before he gestured to the bag. “To the horse place now?” He didn’t know why she had to go back, he didn’t think that place held much to draw her attention but he had offered to go with her take her there and help; so he would. His muscles had loosened again except the odd burn of the new ones used. How was he to make those work better; a rock maybe. Next time he would be able to jump the wall with ease.

It had been fun to him, to run with someone. Even If Spirit had been on his back she was still with him. He hadn’t been able to do everything he wanted but with some luck she would want to run again, then he could be better. With that thought he tilted his head to the side and assessed her with a flat gaze. “Was I better than the horse?” He had aimed just to show her he was, but somewhere along the lines it turned from wanting to be better to showing off to her. Now he wondered again.

[Spirit Frostfawn]

She tried to avoid looking at Kaden once he’d shifted, instead staring at the snow tiredly. Once, she glanced over to flash him a smile, when he agreed to walking. When he went to dig up the bag, Spirit watched out of the corner of her eyes, trying to avoid directly looking at anything though. It would be very amusing for someone to come in and see them… or less than amusing. Any sensible person would freak out at the sight of the Kelvic, stark naked in the snow… wasn’t he getting cold? He probably was, but was just ignoring it… at least that was her theory. She took the bag when he tossed it away, nodding at his next request. ”I’ll carry it, don’t worry…” She gave him another small smile, crossing her own legs despite their exhaustion. She wrapped her arms around the big backpack, liking the red fur at the top. It was nearly as furry as her friend.

”I think it was worth it” she admitted, shrugging her shoulders slightly. A run through the wastes sounded vaguely terrifying… considering she’d finally grown some kind of healthy fear for the place. But it wasn’t much, and really… running top speed through the snow sounded amazing as well. But she wasn’t about to say that. Instead, she didn’t reply to the statement. ”To the stables” she agreed, pushing herself up on wobbling legs that would finally hold her weight.

When the ‘better than a horse’ question came around, the Frostfawn pursed her lips in thought. She knew horses, and they were oh-so much safer. Stable, and you knew they weren’t massive predators that could eat Wind if they wanted to. But… better, that was something else. Riding Kaden had been… utterly amazing, to be blunt. Exciting and thrilling, and a lot… closer. There was no other word for it. She felt ‘closer’ to him than any horse, since she knew he was more human than any mare, gelding, or stallion. Was it something else? Probably not. But his fur was a huge bonus, and physically… he was stronger and faster. A horse would have never made that jump. Instead of voicing all her thoughts, however, she simply grinned and nodded. ”Yep. Better than a horse.”

Once the Kelvic had shifted and allowed her to get on, Spirit would find a comfortable position. She leaned forward over the bag, grabbing Kaden’s scruff simply for convenience. She didn’t grip as tightly with her knees, considering they didn’t feel like gripping, and she decided to let her legs rest during the walk. You couldn’t exactly groom a horse while sitting… you’d get stepped on. Her face was still buried into the red fur, soft and comforting. She remembered the whole complication after their night in the medical center. At the time, it had been freaky, now… it was actually quite amusing, thinking about it. She wondered what her friend thought of her squeaking…

x