Snakes for Boots (Luke)

[Nidassasyae]

I made Snakes for Boots the title. There, happy now (Luke and Bob)?!

Fall 2

Nida didn't like Endrykas. No, that would be an understatement.

She hated Endrykas.

The Kelvic couldn't exactly pinpoint what she hated most about this place. Was it the ever shifting tents? The cooking smoke that stung her eyes? It could be the fact that it was petching hard to find your way around.

Absolutely lost in the maze of tents, Nida began to get frustrated. Where was the end to this place? Where was Sel? Where was Nehsmay? The sharp hunger pangs were forgotten as she realized just how bad the situation was.

She was lost in a foreign place, couldn't speak the language, and unable to morph unless she wanted to have to explain her "peaceful" intentions to any angry or frightened human she met.

It was exactly the kind of setting They liked to put her in. This had happened in Syliras, but then there'd been that silly knight in shining armor to help her. And in Zeltiva, but a man in the dress had been nice there too.

Nida hated to be the damesel in distress, she hated having to be saved!. Her frustration escalated, her eyes narrowing and her lips curling back into a soundless snarl. Human form be damned! She needed to get out of here, and fast!

A footstep crunched on the grass behind her. Not too surprising, concidering she was in the middle of a city, but it was too close for comfort. Nida whirled around, her right hand drawing her dagger and baring her teeth.

[Luke Lammergeier]

When Luke woke up this morning. He had expected to see several things. Sama'el for starters. Keetah, horse dung, Drykas and tents. Although the young Kelvic Nida. Was the last thing he had expected to see. She was a welcomed sight. He had been in short supply of companions since he traveled south. Although Luke didn't forget the incident with the sailor and how she had helped him out. Nor had he forgotten how that Sailor turned into a meal when he wasn't looking. So his feelings were slightly mixed. Nida had been mulling about the tents when he spotted her. She looked angry or confused. Probably lost like he usually was. Luke followed her, blending in with the throng of horses and clansmen. She wasn't with her little friend he noticed. Which was good. That boy gave him the creeps. She stopped for the umpteenth time to gain her baring and he saw his time to pounce. Before he got too close the girl whirled around, with her hand on her dagger. She looked a little older, and a lot more fierce than he remembered. The bright blue paint made her look half a demon, but it was definitely her. ”You might not want to grab for a blade so quick Nida. These Drykas don't mess around and more often than not they hunt something larger than you.” He laughed but kept his distance. ”Do you remember me? Luke Lammergeier?” He was looking much like a Drykas after so many seasons in their company. He wasn't sure she would recognize him. His skin was tanned dusty brown. Long uncut hair was held in a pony tail, and his face was clean shaven. He wore dark green long sleeve tunic and black breeches. With a sword belt and long sword hanging off his hip. Dagger on the other side. ”Of course I was in a dress at the time, so you might not remember me from Zelvita. But I remember you and your friend.”

[Nidassasyae]

Slitted blue eyes took in the man who stood before her. Tall and muscled, but not brutish, this strange man had a relaxed and easy air, as if he were privy to a joke that no one else was. That annoyed her even more. Who was this human, who thought he could talk to her like that?

But he kept talking with that same smug tone, and what he said next made her freeze in her tracks. He knew her name. How could he? Was he one of Them?

Her clumsy grip on her dagger tightened as she stared balefully at the stranger. Luke? She didn't remember any Luke. His advice about the dagger went unheeded. This man knew her name: he was a threat. If she could take him down, that meant Sel would be safe. All Nida had to was distract the stranger for just one moment. "Listen, human I don't know what you're pl-"

A soft breeze danced by, carrying the powerful smells of the Drykas city... and something more. A familiar smell, not as familiar as those of her companions, but definitely that of a person she'd smelled before.

The baleful glare disappeared and her fact light up. The expression was an old and almost forgotten one, from a more happy time. It was her own happiness, not the reflection of her Bondmate's.

"Luke!"

The Kelvic laughed with relief, letting the dagger fall into the grass and throwing her arms around the tall man.

"Luke!" she repeated with astonishment, as if she couldn't make herself believe it really was the same man she'd met. Her fear was pushed aside to make room for her kitten-like excitement. "It's really you! Of course I remember you! What are you doing here?"

[Luke Lammergeier]

Nida had never been all that affectionate towards the Syliran. So the hug was as much a surprise as it was a relief. At first he was afraid she didn't recognize him from Zelvita. Her tone was fierce and her doubts plain, but she seemed to recognize him after all. "It's really you! Of course I remember you! What are you doing here?" She seemed so excited you would think they were lovers once. He tried not to take the affection to heart. Anyone would be excited about a friendly face in a sea of horse dung. ”Me? Well I have been around. Men like me never stay in one place. Someone chases you off. Tries to hang you. Or both.” He said with a laugh. ”But what about you? I never thought to see you in a place like this? Did you come for a bit of the horse meat? Ha, I can tell you it's awful. But uh.. Where is your other friend? The little one that never talks?” The small one always gave him the creeps. Something wasn't right about someone that silent. ”I hope you are not traveling alone? The Glassbeaks nearly tore me in half when I came this way myself..” He looked her over with a smile. Checking for any missing limbs. His right arm still pained him, after all this time. ”Course a little beast like you could of put up more of a fight.”

[Nidassasyae]

The sharp pangs in her stomach reminded Nida of her hunger, and she quickly disentangled her arms from around Luke's waist. The animal in her didn't want to be friendly, it didn't want to be happy toward this human.

She stumbled back a few steps, a pained and obviously fake smile plastered on her face, torn between her hunger and her relief at a familiar face. Nida was trying not to breathe through her nose, so she wouldn't notice the enticingly delicious smell of Luke.

"You seem to be always... getting yourself into trouble," Nida smiled a bit too brightly. "Maybe that's why we... keep running into each other. We attract trouble." Her fingers curled into fists, her nails digging crecent shaped marks into her palm as she struggled to control herself. The Drykas all smelled disgustingly of horse, but Luke's smell was much more appetizing.

"It wasn't for the horse meat, but I've yet to eat a horse as they're all being guarded obsessively by the Drykas." Why did he have to mention food? Humans really were idiots, even if Luke was a particularly nice idiot.

"Seliarus? Oh, he's around. I was actually just looking for him, but I can't seem to find anything in this godsdamned maze." Her tone was overly chatty and conversational as she tried distracting herself. "I wasn't alone. Seems like I'm never alone nowadays." Nida'd pulled her hair up earlier, but after recieving a few double takes from Drykas who were both surprised and horrified at seeing an almost child-like figure with a Chevas mark, her wild black mane was once again covering her neck.

"Glassbeaks? What are those? Are you alright?" Apparently humans liked to ask each other if they were alright, even if it was obvious they were. Luke seemed fine to Nida: He was not leaning on crutches, nor pale from bloodloss. There was no terrible pain etched across his face, nor missing limbs. All in all, he seemed quite alright. But just to be polite, she asked him anyways.

"So what made you decide to come to Endrykas?"

[Luke Lammergeier]

While he was speaking Luke got the feeling something wasn't right about Nida. She smiled too much and too wide. Especially for someone he had come to know as frosty at best. Still... She was an old acquaintance and could be a good friend to have in Endrykas. "Glassbeaks? What are those? Are you alright?" Nida said in an odd tone. Was she sick or something? She could be upset or perhaps this was how she always was. He had only known her for a day or so. Given them gifts and had a drink, but beyond that. She and her little friend were strangers. Dangerous strangers at that. "So what made you decide to come to Endrykas?" He looked at her for a moment. A small smile painted on his face. How had she crossed the sea of grass without ever meeting a Glassbeak? He had almost been clawed to death by those freakish lizards. ”Are you sure you never saw one? They are giant Lizard like creatures. They walk on two legs, sharp talons and claws. Strange red scales and can run faster than Drykas Horses. Their beaks can crush through the finest steel, like it was old chainmail...” He gave her a curious look and chuckled. ”Although they might have been afraid of you. They could probably smell a trap.” ”And for why I am here. Gods, sometimes I don't even know. I came down searching for people, but I have been land locked here ever since. I think the smell of horse dung and weeds grew on me. Why have you come though?” He tried to feel comfortable with the girl. She was nice and had helped him before. He had to offer whatever he had. It was only right ”Hey how about a little food and drink? I have a small tent but some salted horse meat and a little wine. How about a little breakfast? So we can discuss all we have seen?”

[Nidassasyae]

"No, I've never seen a creature like that," the Kelvic shrugged. "We did not come through the Sea of Grass when traveling here. We went under it."

The memory of suffocating darkness and winding tunnels invaded Nida's mind. For a moment, she felt as though she were still in that blackness. Still enveloped by the fear and doubt those pathways emanated.

"Afraid of me?" A real chuckle escaped her lips. "Afraid? No Luke, I assure you that it is the other way around."

"You came seeking other humans? How strange that is, that you congregate in such large packs. Does it make you feel more secure, not being alone?" she asked seriously, seeming to be legitimately inquisitive about the topic. Nida was, in fact, curious about why humans seemed to want to gather in such large groups. But her voice was still slightly strained, and her eyes still bright and nervous.

"I-" Nida thought quickly. Could she trust this Luke? Why would he invite her to eat? Though he had been kind and friendly in the past, could that have changed? It could. People changed, as Nida knew all too well. But like any animal before the promise of food, she quickly found herself disregarding all doubts.

"I would love to," the Kelvic replied, a smile tugging at the edges of her lips.

[Luke Lammergeier]

Nida was blunt, too blunt for her own good. Any other person and he would have taken offense. Her being a Kelvic, he couldn't blame her for not knowing manors. Besides he wasn't a peach to deal with either. And when she accepted his offer to breakfast all was forgiven. She looked a little on edge as she said it, but he could over look that. If she wanted to speak up she would. Nida was a grown woman. ”Well if you must know. They where my Milk Brothers. Shared the same wet nurse with me as a child. They always had my back and I plan on finding them one day.” Said Luke, with a faint smile. Leading the way back towards his tent with a gesture. He thought a little more about what she said as they walked. ”I guess in a way it makes me feel better to have them around. They are family after all. But do I feel that way with others just because I'm human? Not at all. Kelvic's, Human's or Drykas, it doesn't matter. People tend to bug, unless I have a use for them. Present company excluded of course.” As they walked he took a couple turns around the maze of tents. The different clans had their own markers and colors so it was easy to differentiate them, but individual tents and paths where much harder to map.

[Nidassasyae]

The Kelvic's countenance turned solemn as Luke talked about his journey to find his "Milk Brothers", whatever that meant. Nida was unfamiliar with both that term, and the term "wet nurse", and was rendered quite confused by what Luke had said. But since it was obvious he meant to say no more on the subject, and that it was very important to him, Nida nodded seriously. She looked almost comical, if her human acquaintance bothered to glance back in her direction. Her facial expression was almost exactly that of a young child who wishes to understand, but must pretend that they do and not ask, so that they can save face.

"I hope you find these "Milk Brothers" of yours," said the Kelvic.

She nodded, her countenance softening from it's serious expression to a more understanding one. "I guess it depends on the person then, and on their race. For us, useless people are a waste of time. But for a Vantha, or a Drykas, they feel safe with many others around. I guess it is because humans are prey animals, present company excluded of course." Nida grinned at Luke, her mood improving exponentially at his promise of food.

The winding path he took her on was much too confusing for the Kelvic. After a while, all the tents looked the same, and the wood smoke and horse scents were giving her a headache. But they finally found themselves before a tent that Nida supposed was Luke's, and she gave a sigh of relief.

[FIN]