Like a Teddybear With A Chainsaw... (Seliarus)

[Nidassasyae]

Winter 31, Early Morning The young woman carefully rose while her companions were still sleeping, before the sun came up, giving a silent yawn. She stretched luxuriously, precisely like a cat, wincing as she could feel the tired muscles in her body protest. They'd been traveling hard, for a reason that some might deem as stupid and silly. But Nida wouldn't have agreed with those people, rather, she would have torn their throats out for questioning Nehsmay. Nida blinked rapidly in confusion, wondering for the umpteenth time where that sudden violent thought had come from. But the answer came just as quickly, on a breeze that carried all the shadows of her doubts. Her Bondmate. Though she didn't regret Bonding, Nida was still confused at times, still wondering where she started and Seliarus' emotions began. That was why she needed time to think, a few precious moments away from the group to collect her thoughts could do her good. She craved that singleminded purpose, the way her emotions had united with Seliarus' when they had sacrificed that man. She longed for the way that had made her feel, dark and bloodthirsty, united by those characteristics that humans shunned. But 'Nidassasyae' had disappeared under all that, it had been the Kelvic part of her, ready to follow his every instruction, that shivered with delight when she thought of the Sailor's broken corpse. The Bond scared her and thrilled her, and the not-exactly intellectual Kelvic needed time to gather her thoughts about it. Nida carefully stepped over their sleeping bodies, taking care to not make a sound. She knew it wasn't smart to go out alone, but did the Kelvic care a whit about what was smart or no? Certainly not. Her heightened senses allowed her to hear the faint trickle of running water. A minute or so away was a small steam, with a large clearings on either side. The Kelvic tugged on her woolen cloak and checked to make sure her new dagger was in its place on her belt, before heading towards the noise of water. She arrived there minutes later, and promptly seated herself on a large boulder overlooking the small stream. Nida'd made no effort to conceal her footprints, in case either Nehsmay or Seliarus needed to find her. Seated on the rock, the small young woman pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her chin against her kneecaps. Nida quickly lost herself in thought, with only the sound of gurgling water filling her ears.

[Seliarus]

They all say you shouldn't mess with a sleeping snake. That it can wake up, get scared, and bite you, in self-defense. Of course, if the snake is already awake, you do not poke into it with a stick. Then again, this snake wasn't your average little long serpent. His slitted eyes observed every movement from the saddlebags. Already slept enough during the travel, the morning-time was not a real problem for him. Now, even though it was winter, and morning, it wasn't strangely really cold. Of course, it WAS cold, but, not as cold as it could be. Still too cold for his liking, though. Then again, he didn't like any cold at all. And the blanket he was wrapped around seemed like a really close friend. No pun intended. As he was looking around, he noted a movement around him. His instincts already warning him from a potential threat. But, what he saw wasn't a threat. It was the Kelvic girl, leaving their camp, and slowly getting lost in the mist of the morning. Of course that gave the Dhani dozens of questions of why,how,when, and what. Questions on which he had nothing to answer with. be it cold, or not, he felt that the well-being of his Bondmate was more important than a little cold weather outside the saddlebags. Maybe she had another one of those nightmares. Or, maybe she just wanted to think. But, whatever it was, it was far too dangerous to leave her walking alone, even if she was a dangerous blue leopard. She, also, was his little girl. His love who he swore to protect, even if she did not like that idea. So, slowly, the snake-shaped Dhani left the saddlebag, the warm blanket, and the heat, as his body slides across the cold, wet ground. Sel forced himself not to make any sounds, so he wouldn't wake anyone up. And slowly, the eight foot tall snake started to spread his body in a line, flexing his muscles, numb from the riding. But, he didn't spend a lot of time waiting, as he saw the silhouette of the kelvic disappearing in the distance. he tried to catch her smell, her taste, before dashing after her. As he did not know where she was going, he knew he'll be there if anything happens.

[Nidassasyae]

Still as the stone upon which she was perched, the Kelvic gazed down at the peaceful waters of the stream. It would be so uncomplicated simply to sit here, to watch nature unfold around her. To be a part of it once again. There was a strange sense of belonging, in knowing that your place was in the wilds. A solitary kind of feeling, knowing that life abounded in all the nooks and crannies you could possibly find, but you were left alone, quite content to ignore and be ignored by others. So peaceful. Even a predator could marvel at that. The pebbled banks of the small stream were bearded with ice, the clear and bright waters flowing steadily onwards. Never stopping, twisting and turning in an endless dance. It made the only sound in the clearing, no birds called from the treetops, no prey hurried through the underbrush. Nothing but the sound of running water... No, that wasn't right. There was something else, a hushed whispering sound, skimming atop the surface of the hoarfrost. In an instant, the young woman leapt up, her dagger clutched clumsily in her right hand. Though she knew not the proper technique to such a weapon, it could not possibly be too different than a claw, could it? But Nida needn't have worried. Her eyes alighted on a familiar sinuous form, watching him slide across the ground with single-minded purpose. A familiar bittersweet pang echoed in her chest as she remembered that as much as she wished to protect him, he would do the same for her. It felt surprisingly good, to have someone that you could not only place your trust in, but to know that they would look out for you. The dagger disappeared back into the folds of her cloak, and she padded over to Seliarus, sinking to the ground in front of him. Nida was perfectly comfortable sitting down in the snow, albeit not as much as she would be in her natural form. Regardless, she'd place her elbows on her knees, and rest her chin in her hands, the very picture of an inquisitive child. But she was a child no longer, at least, not by her race's standards. Slender as a willow rod, the young woman looked to be about eighteen, as she aged much faster than a human would. Eighteen years old, and having spent only two winters on this earth. Age quickly, live fast, die young. "Good morning, Sel," Nida greeted, giving him small smile. Dark circles had started to form under her eyes, a result of her frequent nightmares, and she struggled to stifle a yawn.

[Seliarus]

If the snake could smile, then Sel would give the Kelvic a warm morning smile on his own. But, even without the ability to make facial impressions, the Dhani knew what he should do. In a moment of silence, he released a faint hiss, and then went on to climb in her lap. If not else, he was still in a dire search of warmth, as the cold ground wasn't exactly what he wanted. Yet, his quite warm serpent skin could quite easily feed on her body temperature. Be it how it is, the Dhani would after a while of being in her lap, lift his snake-head up, his tongue tipped outside his snout, and his slitted eyes would look up at her. Before, the Dhani retreated from her, and went a bit away, before resting in the snow. Without any further hisses, the Dhani started to transform into his human self. His tail separating itself into two legs, the body into his arms, and neck. Bones shifting with him. A gore sight it would be for the humans. Only for them, maybe. Sel loved the feeling. In quite a short amount of time, the Dhani, now in his human form, would appear sitting in the grass, his oh-so-weak naked body frame appearing in front of the Kelvic. His head tipped down a bit. His body showing what-ever it might, his deep coal eyes showed the exact opposite. Specially if someone knew what he was capable off. "Good morning."

[Nidassasyae]

Smiling tiredly, the Kelvic gave a small sigh of contentment. She let her fingertips trace lightly, almost teasingly, along the Dhani's snake form. The ebon and emerald scales were smooth under her fingers, dry and hard as glass, yet much more entrancing than that silly man-made luxury. She simply sat there, relaxing in the comfort of his company, as her Bondmate warmed himself. Her slitted eyes followed him as he slithered away, catching every sinuous movement of that serpentine body. Nida would not look away when he shifted, she was no weak human, to cry and hide her face at the sight of Seliarus. Through the Bond, Nida could feel his pleasure at the transformation. While her shifting might not induce any feeling, if only perhaps relief, obviously a Dhani's was different. When he had finished, her Bondmate greeted her in turn. Neither were any stranger to nakedness, since both of their races' shifting abilities did not require clothes, though he was more inclined to wear those restricting garments. So unlike other maidens, the Kelvic did not blush at the sight of him. Rather, Nida worried, though the emotions were not instantly visible on the outside. It was indeed cold out here, and silly Seliarus had not thought to shift earlier and bring something to keep him warm. The Kelvic crawled forwards, bridging the small distance between them, since it wasn't enough to warrant standing up. The cloak was off her shoulders in a mere second, she didn't even give any thought as to keeping it on. He was cold, and she had the solution. The Kelvic pulled the warm wool around Seliarus' thin frame, straightening it out, before leaning forwards to close the clasp at the neck. Her nose was almost touching her Bondmate's as she struggled with the odd mechanism. Stupid humans and their need to make everything more complicated. Why couldn't they just have strings to tie their cloaks closed, without all these silly contraptions?

[Seliarus]

The Dhani didn't move. Sitting on his foot as he did, the cold ground quite quickly made him feel a tad tired. Sleepy. But, he showed nothing on the outside. He didn't even move as the Kelvic started to wrap her cloak around him. Maybe shifting wasn't the most brilliant thing he did, but, how was he supposed to talk if in a snake form. So, he had to take the risk. He'd look up at her, as she started to struggle with closing the cloak up. Her facial impression was simply funny to observe. If Sel wouldn't know her, he could of quite easily misplace her age to that of a child. Maybe, in a way, he was right. But he experienced himself that only a few could actually think as deep as she did. No way that the Kelvic would be shown as a kid. However, Sel himself didn't worry about the age too much anyways. He was older than a century, and was barely considered an adult in his culture. if he would be a human, he'd probably be ten foot underground already. That's why age meant so little to the Dhani. Actually, it meant nothing to him but a number you don't really need to know. Maybe he was considered a cold, old, grumpy, gray haired, stick holding old guy by human measurements, but, even he was only a little hatching from time to time. he'd tip his tongue out, and, as Nida was busy clipping the cloak on him, he went to lick her nose. Now, as a snake, that was a sign of showing affection. As a human, however. It might seem a tad odd. But, Sel knew he was not normal. Nida knew he was not normal. They both were not normal. From a human's point of view, that is. In reality, the humans were the odd ones. The Dhani simply caught the right moment of being alone with the person he loved, and decided to show some affection. Nothing odd with that. "Am I disssturbing anything? I sassw you leaving. It isssn't sssafe to wander alone. But, if you want to be alone, I could leave." He simply said afterwords, not really wanting to bother her, if she wanted to be alone.

[Nidassasyae]

Nida laughed at the sign of affection, the merry sound ringing through the clearing. She stopped in her endeavor for a few seconds to nuzzle his cheek, and brushed a feather-light kiss on the cold skin there. They both had their own ways of showing affection, each as different from the human norm as it could get. Snake, feline, both races were so different, yet with Nida and Sel the animals within them served as an unwavering connection. They'd both felt it, even before the Bond had ever been in place. Her brief lapse in concentration only served to harden her resolve. The faster she could get that cloak fastened, the quicker she could enjoy this precious moment. It certainly was precious enough, they'd had virtually no time alone together since Zeltiva. With a "Click!" the catch fastened, and Nida let out a sigh of relief. "No, don't leave," The Kelvic whispered across the silent morning air. Her blazing blue eyes would meet the smoldering coal orbs of the Dhani, almost tentatively, pleadingly. He couldn't know how confused she was with her conflicting instincts. To be alone was to be a leopard, to be with people was to be Kelvic. Or at least, one person in particular. He couldn't possibly know how much she burned to be with him, and that solitude only fanned the flames of that excruciating fire. "I need you." Those words were in close second with the 'I love you' that both had said at Zeltiva. They shocked her, and she was surprised they simply tumbled out, unbidden, unthought of, even. She did need him, as surely as she had thought he needed her. Nida always assumed that he'd been the one who needed support, the one who needed her. Through all her crying, her fainting into unconsciousness, her fears, she'd been in his arms. However weak a human might think them, those strong pale arms would wrap around her, shielding her from the world. It was the first time she dared to think that she needed him. Just as much as he needed her? Possibly, if not more. It was easy to admit weakness to a loved one, but not so easy to admit it to oneself. But Nida did, she had to. The Kelvic couldn't lie to herself anymore. Where Seliarus might be a 'old man', she was a newborn child, still confused and frightened at the wide world. And he was there, at her side, protecting her from it. Hesitatingly, she reached out to Sel's hand, threading her fingers through it and locking them in place. Don't leave, she repeated in her thoughts, though she knew Seliarus could not hear her. That was not what the Bond did, it only served as a bridge of emotions. Right now, the fear of being alone was no doubt flowing freely through her side of the Bond. Perhaps it let Seliarus know everything that went unspoken, untold through their exchange of gazes. Nida hoped it did.

[Seliarus]

The Dhani would still be looking at her, slowly observing every of her movements. He felt her lips on his cheek. The touch that made everything else faint into something unimportant. No blankets, cloaks, of fires could give away that kind of feeling. For the usually cold speechless man, the few moments they had alone meant everything for him. She managed to clip the cloak around him. That served as a tool to actually warm his body up, even though he didn't really feel the cold anymore. It was needed. Yet, not as needed as her. he would listen to her, just like every time. Happy he wasn't required to leave. He felt a moment of peace in his chest, before that feeling would get shaken around by her next statement. She did? The Dhani himself said those words before. Spoken from all honesty he might posses. But to hear the words spoken to him, that was something new. Almost as new as the expression of love he did, and received, a while back. The expression that was still in front of his eyes every time he'd close them. So close. Such a perfect moment that was. And now, this seemed as just one of those happy moments in his life he would love to re-live if he could. He would feel her touch on his hands, which would slowly pull her into a tight hug, closer to him. Now, as he wasn't going to stand up, he used the moment when they were that close to each other. His words almost soft, and melodic, yet sinister and hissing. "I wont leave. I'm here for you. I'll always will be." He'd answer to her pleas, pressing his lips on her neck. "Tell me, pleasse, what isss worrying you this early?"

[Nidassasyae]

Nida made no move to resist, allowing herself to be pulled into a hug. The burning need within her died down, snuffed out by the tightness of his arms around her. The sudden way that the fire had abated had left her feeling cold and almost empty, and she pressed herself tighter against him. The Kelvic shivered in delight as she felt his lips on her neck. It sent an electric shock through her body, coursing through every vein, filling her with a sense of completeness that had been what the ever consuming fire was seeking. She was no toy to him, no guard dog, no ornamental pet. Something more, whatever that something was, had pushed them to love? For him, yes. But for herself, Nida still had doubts. Was this feeling love? Or only temporary gratification for her body? But at that moment, she didn't give a shyke, the press of his lips against her skin sent shivers down her spine. And she loved it. "It- it's nothing," she said, haltingly, hesitatingly, struggling to pull herself together. Her Bondmate's touch was addictive to her, and she reveled in the closeness of their bodies. Nida tried bringing her mind back to reality, so that she could answer his question. But it was difficult, so very difficult. "I- just wanted to think." Any hopes of that were long gone. She couldn't think, couldn't plan, not with him here. Love flustered her as it would any young maid, leaving her blushing furiously. Logically, she should be able to think while on the road, while miles of dirt slowly gave way before paw and hoof. But Nida was no multi-tasker, needing to focus only one thing at a time. And the smooth, coiled serpent in the saddlebags kept her distracted enough as is. While she might scoff at the various things that kept young lovesick humans tongue-tied and clumsy, Nida was more than guilty of a few of those 'symptoms'.

[Seliarus]

The Dhani gathered from her acting, and her hesitatingly long answer, that she wasn't exactly being honest. Or, at least, not fully honest, for that matter. Then again, he couldn't hate her for that, even if he'd try. He wanted to know what's going on in that head of her's. He wanted to know why he is making her act so differently. Maybe, it was still because of the words, which were spoken back there. Maybe, it was something more. He didn't want to dig deeper. He didn't want to insult her with showing that he doesn't trust her. Even if he wanted to know more that she said, he just couldn't ask for an explanation. He trusted her. So, he hoped he'll get to learn what is troubling her in the long run. If the two would be human, Sel would already bring out a ring for her. Maybe, it was too soon, but the Dhani would believe that it was the right thing. Of course, he had no intentions of following some silly human ceremony, but, he would be ready to go that far for her. She meant everything to him. Too attached on one single person, or not, the Dhani already made up his mind. And it would take quite something to change his stubborn mind. Not that he would want that to happen, in the first place. "To think." He would repeat her words. Not in a questioning manner, but, more like in a confirming one. Even if she would say she was trying to build a nest, he'd believe her. Because, he knew, that she wouldn't have any reason to lie to him. He hoped, that she wouldn't have a reason to lie to him. He hated if someone did lie to him. The reality is cruel, Sel knew that. There was no reason for anyone to make the reality less cruel with lies. "May I asssk about what?" He added to his previous statement, just to release a soft sigh. He kept the hug in place, slowly rocking her slightly, from left, to right. "Sssorry, that I keep poking into you all the time. You don't need to anssswer." He would finish talking, removing his lips from her neck, and looking up at her again.