[Avanthal] Over the River and Through the Woods

[Diamond Rat]

Day 2, Fall of 510 A.V. Frozenfalls Market--->Windward Boardwalk
Tag: Nidassasyae

Sparrows lived in one place their whole lives. The did not take to the air like the geese, flying en masse to warmer ground after the leaves fell. Nor were they swallows, sea turtles, or monarch butterflies, with their tireless treks across thousands of miles, like clockwork, every year, to a specific place that they knew by magnetic instinct. Whether it was due to a lack of iron in their beaks, or sheer stupid stubbornness, sparrows did not migrate no matter how freakin' cold the weather became. The point was, Rat had no sense of direction at all because sparrows didn't need that crap, and couldn't find her way out of the buildings and crowds for the life of her.

Rat could have sworn that the one particular corridor led out of the marketplace and into the forest. Instead, it led to more alleyways, and then a snow-lined street that Rat had never seen before. She snuggled down in her stinky furs. At least the walls of buildings loomed overhead. That meant the wind wouldn't blow Rat off her feet. Four Mizas jingled in Rat's fur-lined pocket. They were painful to the touch, they were so cold. In Rat's other pocket was a packet of walnuts.

Rat couldn't bird around while she had these things that she wanted to keep on her person. Man, so easy to get confused about places on foot. Rat was just about to snap at someone who'd almost tripped her, except she saw a tree peek over a wall. Holy crap! A tree! Rat had seen many trees in her life but none that made her as happy as that one.

Rat ran, and whooped (her breath was a cloud of steam), and rounded the corner, expecting to see the wild forest that she knew somewhat better than the city, and instead...

She got a park. A shykey park. #*$&%. #8*@!!! Yet another thing that Rat had never seen before. PETCH! Rat's fingers twisted into claws. She fell to her knees in the snow. Rat ranted into the cold, gray sky. Mostly stuff about how buildings were so stupid! Why did they exist?! She startled a poet into abandoning the haiku he'd been composing.

[Nidassasyae]

Nidassasyae sat in one of the branches, her legs swinging out under her. Resting her back against the trunk of the old tree, the Kelvic sighed in relief. Being rescued was one thing, but being stuck in this city, though beautiful, was another completely. At least it had this park, and it was easy to leave... in theory. She didn't think that Nehsmay would like her traipsing through the snow, only having been pulled off the road yesterday. Well, she didn't really expect the Vantha to understand, though Avanthal was certainly wondrous, there was no way that the leopard Kelvic could stay here for long. She needed the cold Northern Wind to whisper in her ears, to feel it whipping her hair about her. The feel of tundra lichen under her paws, and blood from a fresh kill dripping from her jaws. Nidassasyae was a wild animal, not meant to be contained in this giant icy cage. She couldn't wait to start traveling with her Vantha friend, but the day they were going to leave seemed years away. She didn't know what would happen if she couldn't sit in this park, and feel at least a bit away from the city. Go crazy? Probably. She'd had enough of their sympathetic voices, and everyone brushing against her as she had made their way here. The wild girl shook her tangled ebon mane, baring her teeth to the cold blue sky. Nidassasyae wanted to show those humans what it was like to feel the bite of a leopard, but she wouldn't. The only thing stopping her was Nehsmay, the kindly Vantha girl who took her in. She didn't want to disappoint Nehsmay. The leopard's ears pricked up, and she turned to hear the sound of shouting. Her eyes narrowed as she saw a small figure shout obscenities into the sky... something about buildings? Nidassasyae gave a small grin, baring long sharp canines. Now this was something she could understand. Nidae leapt down from the tree, landing lightly on her feet. With a grimace as the impact jarred her still healing arm, she touched one hand to the bandage. The fingers came away without any blood. That was good, she supposed. Nidassasyae walked over to the figure, seeing that it was another girl. The leopard Kelvic looked down at the stranger, her head cocked to one side in an inquisitive manner. Inspecting the girl through slitted cat eyes, Nidae raised one eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

[Diamond Rat]

Rat screamed a little. She jumped up and backed away. The sparrow had taken for granted that, as a bird, no one paid attention to her when she whined and carried on like that. As a person, she'd forgotten that she was louder. A lot louder. Rat blushed so hard, she could feel a chill in her furs from the sweat.

"I don't," she said. She fought to keep her composure. What on Mizahar should Rat say? She'd just been called out. "I um. Wow. Ummm. Just."

It was like Rat suddenly changed into a different person. She steadied herself, put her hands on her hips, and looked Nida in the eye. "This city sucks! And so do all its buildings. I'm lost. So, I'm trying to find my way out."

Inwardly, a string of curses ran in circles around Rat's head. Rat was mortified that someone had caught her being all angsty. For the record, Rat also didn't have anything personal against the city, but she wanted any excuse she could grab to make it seem like she wasn't weird or weak or something.

The scent of anxiety probably oozed off of Rat's person.

[Nidassasyae]

Nidassasyae felt tempted to stalk forwards. The scent of this girl was so much like the prey scent. Controlling herself, and remembering that Nehsmay might be upset with her eating someone else, Nidae just stood still, holding her hands out to show that she meant to harm. A smile flitted over the leopard Kelvic's face, unintentionally baring long pointed canines. The stranger was completely frightened. Perhaps she should back off? Nidae didn't move an inch, dismissing the weak thought. Hanging around all these Vantha was starting to make her weak... and less wild. Nidassasyae threw back her head and laughed. So the stranger could talk! "Yes, it does 'suck'," agreed Nidae, still chuckling. The stranger was lost? Thought Nidae had only been here a day, she had dragged Nehsmay all over the place, wanting to see her first city. She had forgotten most things already, except the City Gates. It was the first thing she saw, and it was always good to remember where the exit was. She had had to ask a kindly Vantha shopkeeper where the boardwalk was, just so she could come to a here, to a place that had no buildings, only a human's interpretation of nature. "I can take you to the exit, if you wish," Nidassasyae would say to the girl. The leopardess could smell the fear coming off the stranger. Hoping to show that she wasn't about to eat her, Nidae held out her hand to shake. Nehsmay had taught her that, and she still thought it was a funny custom. But still, it served its purposes. "My name is Nidassasyae Iskedarst, or Nidae, if you wish," she said, speaking calmly and gently. If not for the warm welcome she had received here, Nidae might very well have been as frightened and upset as this strange girl. Perhaps she could show the stranger that she need not fear her?

[Diamond Rat]

Rat actually jumped at Nidae's words again. The girl did not find the person's words comforting, and--was it her imagination?--the flash of fangs in NIdae's mouth also made her nervous. As Nidae spoke, though, Rat tried to convince herself that the person had totally normal, human teeth. Yeah, she was just imagining things. Everything was perfectly safe. This was just a Vantha whose eyes were super blue. Wow, they were pretty eyes.

"Uhhhh. Hi. Nidae. I'm Diamond Rat," she said, leaving it up to Nidae to decide whether to shorten it to 'Diamond' or 'Rat.' "Nicetomeetyou?"

Rat fished around in her pockets. Despite attempts to rationalize otherwise, Nidae's mannerisms gave her every impression of 'predator.' Not only that, but Rat caught that Nidae was subtly favoring one arm. Injured predators, in Rat's experience, were much hungrier and more opportunistic than normal. Her fingers closed around the bag of walnuts and drew it out.

[Nidassasyae]

"Well met, Diamond," greeted Nidassasyae, thinking that perhaps calling the strange girl 'Rat' might be a bit insulting. Anyways, the thought of rats was greatly unappetizing, she much preferred larger prey. She had no idea what 'Diamond' meant, but the leopard supposed that it couldn't be as odd as calling her an animal. Just watching in an interested fashion, the wild girl watched as Diamond Rat drew something out of her pockets. A small bag? She wondered what it might possibly contain. "If you don't mind me asking, what's that?" asked Nidassasyae curiously, pointing to the bag that Diamond Rat held in her hands.

[Diamond Rat]

"Yyyeah, well-met--Oh! Walnuts," said Rat. "Here."

She stepped forward despite all of her instincts pulling her back, hand thrust out. Laid across her glove were three shelled walnuts, their meat soft and ready to be eaten. Rat couldn't help the shaking, so she excused it with, "It's really cold out here, huh?"

Rat grinned. Her cheeks and nose were red from where the icy air had touched them. "I was...I was gonna eat them all myself! But you can have some, right?"

A slightly less-hungry predator, even if this person had no intention of devouring Rat alive, was a slightly better predator! Right? Right. Just take some walnuts, gosh, Rat was thinking as her hand wavered in the air, And um. Maybe show me the way out. That would be nice. And also don't eat me. That would also be nice.

OOC ScrolloverRat's incredibly paranoid. If I need to bump down the mortal terror a notch, let me know. XD

[Nidassasyae]

"Wal-nuts," said Nidassasyae, trying the strange word on her tongue. It was an odd word, to be sure, but then most of these new words were. "Cold?" asked Nidae, peering around about her. "Down here? I don't think so, but I'm used to different climes." The leopard, having lived her whole life in the frozen wastes, far more north than this city, was not particularly cold. Of course, she still wore her woolen clothing and bear pelt, no sane person would venture out without them, but it simply was a bit warmer here than she was used to. "Eat them?" asked Nidae, peering down at the walnuts. The curious round things didn't look like food. The predator had seen plants before, but none like this. "I-I don't know. Are they safe to eat?" Shrugging to herself, the leopard reached out and gingerly took the walnut, waiting to see how Diamond ate it. "So," she would ask, "Did you still want to get out of the city?" OOCHaha, it's fine

[Diamond Rat]

Watching Nidae's hand descend on her own was one of the most terrifying experiences Rat had ever had. Just. Ggh. What if Nidae had grabbed Rat's wrist and then bit her? Rat excused the frightening images from her head because, obviously, that hadn't happened.

"Yep! I love these things. They're great. And uh. Wanna get out, and stuff," chirped Rat. The rambling was born of nervousness. She tossed the walnut into her mouth and chewed it a lot. Chewing was kind of an odd sensation to her, since she was used to pecking things to bits with her beak and not having any teeth. Something for her teeth and jaws to do distracted her from thinking terrible thoughts about Nidae, who was turning out to be maybe sort of friendly? Possibly? PERHAPS?

Rat rubbed her hands. "Which way do we go?" she asked, mouth full.

[Nidassasyae]

Nidassasyae held up the walnut, squinting at the odd food, then popped it into her mouth. It had an odd taste, and she wasn't too sure if she liked the strange food, or wanted to spit it out. The leopardess swallowed the walnut, licked her lips, and decided that she would rather not eat plants. They tasted odd, regardless if her human body was adapted for eating such things. "Thank you," she said, giving the sparrow another sharp toothed smile. Nidae pushed back her ebon mane, turned, and walked off into the snow. After a few steps, she would look over her shoulder. "Coming?" she asked, then turned and continued forwards. Nidae would lead Diamond in a few twists and turns, and the road finally opened up to show the gates. The leopard smiled and gestured, still walking towards them.