Speed is of the Essence [Nehsmay & Seliarus]

[Nehsmay]

Nehsmay nodded at her friend and smiled again in reassurance. Really, why Nida had been so tense about telling her was beyond her. After all Kelvics needed a bondmate and although Sel was a Dhani he was good for Nida. She could have picked someone way worse and then what could Nehsmay had done? "You, my friend, are really something." Nehsmay said cryptically and turned her attention towards Sel, who had just entered the cave, returning his greeting. She heard Nida tell Sel that she now knew and she sighed. She had something to tell them as well and it was wrong to delay it. After all she had no idea why she hadn't told them so far. Why she was running like a maniac around the world? "I have something to tell you too..." she started at the ashes that remained " I'm dragging you around Mizahar and it's not fair to you. You should at least know why and decide if you really want to continue travelling." Her cheeks flushed a bit thinking what a lame and selfish reason she had for travelling.

[Seliarus]

The Dhani nodded slightly at the news he got. So the Vantha knew. And she didn't really gave an impression of disliking that. He could feel the fear of his bond-mate vanishing. That was the reason she felt so confused when they were ridding. And, why she was acting so strange this morning. Well, or at least he thought that was it. Sel usually just adapted things like he would see fit. Well, however it was, now the Vantha made up her mind as well, and she looked like she had something important to tell to them now. Ah, the reason why they are actually going around the place. He would never admit it, but he didn't really care much for the reason anyways. If it wasn't for this 'selfish' reason, he'd be still under the tree by a pond, hunting fishes and boars, and then freeze when the winter would come. Was the reason really so bad? He looked up at her, and waited so she would start talking.

[Nidassasyae]

Nidassasyae felt all the remaining apprehension drain out of her, leaving her as light and free as air. Of course, there was still the simple matter of getting three wounded people out of the wilderness, but that could wait. The fear of Nehsmay's rejection had been an almost familiar shadow, and its sudden disappearance was most uplifting. Nida stopped herself from protesting when Nehsmay told them about 'dragging them around'. The Vantha was her friend! How could she not know that what Sel and she did was not out of convenience, but out of friendship? The Kelvic carefully scooted closer to Nehsmay, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Nehs, you're my friend. You're Sel's friend. We follow you because of that, not out of convenience. I'd follow either of you to the ends of the world, if you'd have me. Know that before you tell us your reason." She gave the Vantha a quick and gentle hug, before scooting right back to her original spot. Friend or not, like any child, she wanted to hear the story. She should've probably been in bed right now, recuperating, were she human. But Nida could not bear sitting, bored, in one place for too long. Though the boundless energy she used to possess was completely gone, the Kelvic couldn't ignore that aspect of herself. So she sat cross legged, her only clothing a bandage around her middle, waiting to hear Nehsmay's explanation.

[Nehsmay]

Nehsmay smiled to Nida beaming with joy. She had true friends, friends that hopefully wouldn't run away to protect her and that made her happier than she even thought she would be. "Thank you." she said in a grateful voice "Because you are my friends I should tell you. You have the right to know." She stopped a little and wondered how she should start. "I think that I dreamed of leaving Avanthal ever since I lost my father to an unknown illness. Don't get me wrong, I love my home and my family, but I hate pity and that's all me and mother ever received. There would always be elder ladies who shook their heads upon seeing me and saying in a sad voice: "Poor Keira she lost her husband and her child is so weak" or "Thank Morwen she was able to have two more children. This one certainly can't help her much." My mother out of a desire to protect me both from harm and harsh words kept me inside most of the time, confined to our Hold." Nehsmay stopped a bit and wondered why was her mother even paying attention to what the others said. She definitely knew that Nehsmay wasn't as frail as she appeared to be. "At ten years old I ran away..." she made a pause and continued "I took my mother's horse and simply left Avanthal. I was telling myself I was only going to hunt, but the truth was I was truly planning on running away. I didn't get far... I was attacked by a pair of wolves and saved in the last moment by my horse's namesake, Shade. Shade was a Kelvic... he remained my friend in the years that came and nurtured my wish to get away from home and travel, even though in the end he decided to distance himself from me believing that his presence would only hurt me in the end. By the time I was sixteen I had convinced my mother to let me leave and buy me a horse. After I met Nida I found the perfect companion to begin my travels and I was on my way... followed by the disapproving glances of some that said I'd drop dead in the middle of the woods due to my heart condition. It's a pretty selfish reason to leave home, I guess. Still there's a catch... I only have two years and then I have to return home and settle down." Nehsmay frowned in displeasure and stopped her story looking at her friends unsure of their reaction.

[Seliarus]

The Dhani listened to the story, without interrupting. Even though some of the things seemed hard to believe, he knew that she didn't lie. She shared something with them that, or so it seemed, was a secret. Just like she said, the two had to know the reason. But, would this, what she just told them, really make the two leave the Vantha? that part was confusing. it would be different, for instance, if she would be doing something terrible and then running away from that, so she wouldn't be caught. All she wants is to travel. Was that really such a selfish deed? Or was the Vantha simply being paranoid. Fears of being alone coming true in the real world? he couldn't understand that. The Dhani would look up at Nehsmay, shrugging. Sure that she had a bad heart, he witnessed that himself. But, why only two years? Going home and settle down. Sel knew the meaning of a compromise made by the child and his parent, but, was there really any sense keeping her locked away? The Dhani's human eyes simply closed themselves for the time being. He really had nothing to say. "Ssso, now you exsspect uss to sssimply hate you and leave? Becaussse of your wisssh of ssseing the world?" He'd shook his head, his eyes opening once more. "Do you ssstop and lissten to your wordsss? Sssilly hatcsshing, you." He'd sigh once more. "I could of imagine a far more 'Ssselfissh' reassson for your traveling, and I still wouldn't sssimply leave."

[Nidassasyae]

OOCLet's wrap this up? Nida listened closely to Nehsmay's words, though she didn't understand some of them. The entire story seemed almost painful for Nehsmay to recall, considering that she had been opposed to telling it before. Of course, being in a battle with someone did tend to forge bonds. Not those of a Bondmate and her 'normal', but those of friendship. She'd have liked to think that the fight had only strengthened the group's friendship, and not just contributing to her growing paranoia. The fact that Nehsmay's wish to travel was "selfish" was one of the things Nida didn't understand. As a creature who was born with wanderlust, this made no sense to her. How could a desire to travel, to see the world, be bad? But then the story took an entirely different turn. She had a time limit? Nida forced herself not to frown. Nehsmay's mother seemed nice enough, but to impose a time limit on one's own child? To send them out into the world, and expect them to come crawling back to their apron strings? Humans really were absurd. But it wasn't just the humans of Nehs' story that struck Nida as odd. This 'Shade' Kelvic left Nehsmay alone... to protect her? This made no sense! But Nida was young, and didn't understand how one must protect not only the physical forms of those they loved, but also their minds. "We're with you, Nehs," Nida said, placing a reassuring hand on the Vantha's shoulder. She'd listened to what Seliarus had said, and it seemed to summarize her feelings as well. They'd not leave Nehsmay, no matter what had led the Vantha out here. But it seemed good to voice her opinions in her own words as well. "I may be a Kelvic, and I don't mean any disrespect towards Shade, but unless you ask if it of, I won't leave you. You're my friend Nehsmay. No, more than that. You're the sister I wish I had. No matter what happens, we're with you. Through thick and thin. Reasons and destinations don't matter to me, it's the journey that's important, right?" The Kelvic smiled brightly, relieved that she could say things that weren't terribly stupid, as she had earlier.

[Nehsmay]

Nehsmay sighed in relief seeing her friends did not judge her; on the contrary they promised to remained by her side and that made the Vantha glow inside. She had never had someone as close to her as them except her mother. Her brother and sister, though she loved them dearly, were more close to each other than to her. That had made her feel lonely during her childhood, but now she had true friends who supported her. "Thank you so much." she said with tears in her eyes and this time listened to her impulse and hugged Nida softly then turned to Sel and smiled brightly at him. She knew they probably didn't understand her mother's reasoning to bring her back home, but after seeing your firstborn almost die like her mom had she could understand a bit. She was glad to hear Nida would never leave. "I consider you my sister too." Nehsmay smiled at Nida "My siblings were always closer to each other since they are twins. But I have you and that makes me glad. Thank Morwen I stumbled across you that day." Nehsmay didn't say anything else about Shade. His story was sad and there was no need to sadden the two. Shade had lost his bondmate and hadn't really comped well afterward... that was why he left. To keep Nehsmay from suffering, though the Vantha didn't agree. "Well then! Now that all's out in the open and we can travel freely how about we make sure we get well and continue our journey to Zeltiva as soon as we can. So far we have food and shelter, we can build a fire so we don't have many things to be afraid of." She added in a cheerful tone, anxious to continue the journey as soon as possible. OOCSure let's wrap it up.

[Templar]

Nidassasyae: Unarmed Combat: 5 - Intimidation: 3 - Observation: 5 Lore: Being a Beast of Burden - Bondmate's Dhani Form - Having Terrible Nightmares - Go For the Throat. - Dealing with Nightmares. Nehsmay: Riding (Horse): 3 - Observation: 2 - Leadership: 1 - Tactics: 2 - Shortbow: 4 - Wilderness Survival: 1 - Herbalism: 3 - Medicine: 2 - Storytelling: 2 Lore: Wolves are Afraid of Fire - Seliarus' Dhani Form - Treating Bite Wounds - Confiding in Friends. Seliarus: Riding (Talderian Snow Leopard): 5 - Unarmed Combat: 5 - Rhetorics: 2 - Intimidation: 1 - Flute: 1 Lore: The Depth of the Bond - Comforting a Sobbing Leopard Additional notes: Great read! Really a lot going on! Good character development too! All in all, I liked this thread and I hope you liked my grading But if you didn't, feel free to PM me