Closed While Walking in the Woods One Day

[Svasra]

Svasra Snowsong "A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots." -Marcus Garvey Timestamp: 4th of Winter, 512 AV It was a beautiful day outside, with the rings of Snowsong beginning before the rise of the sun. The gentle hum that was always present within the background of the Hold. It was a lovely thing to wake up to, the first thing you hear is the enchanted voices of Snowsong's talented array of musicians and the outside world from your window. How could you wake up in a dour mood in such a place? There were always anomilies though, and mistakes, and thing that just . . . went wrong. The circle of life, right? Today was one of those day when Svasra just didn't want to wake up. She was tired and lazy and wished she could stay in bed the entire day. She blinked a few times before determinedly closing her eyes, breathing out slowly. The sun was beginning to redden her eyelids and she squinted them shut. Eventually the sheet migrated to her face as though the illusion of nighttime would fool her mind into assuming it as night. That didn't work though and Svasra was only rewarded with a few moments of her looking childish. As she threw off the sheet with a sigh, Svasra forced herself to sit up and try to appear dignified. "Fine fine, I'm up," she grumbled to the silence she swore was judging her harshly. Reaching for her clothing, the woman dragged herself out of the bed and into the chill of the morning. How did I get back to bed? Svasra asked herself quietly, looking up at the ceiling as she suddenly realized she'd migrated back into the comfort of her sheets. "I need to get out of bed," she said, though she still didn't move. "Svasra, would you get up, for the love of Winter," came her mother's voice. Svasra groaned. The sheets were flung back and boots flung at the base of her bed. After being practically thrown out of the house, Svasra grumbled quietly as she paced Avanthal. Bored out of her mind, she directed her steps towards the Icewall Gates. "Alright, fine, if I'm going out, I'm going out of Avanthal!" she said to herself with a huff. Her steps quickened as she passed through the stone and pass the Kelvic bears that loomed over her. Inclining her head politely to both guard and bond, Svasra kept the gates in sight as she walked. The landscape was bare and perhaps no more stimulating than her ceiling, yet it was the freedom to flop onto her back when she was far enough and contentedly stare at the sky that made her smile. "Blue sky, painted by the innate hand, yellow sun to burn through the day Somehow their plain palates bring my inspiration to draw upon."

[Kalimalka]

Kalimalka is woken by the powdery crunch of footsteps passing only feet away from her face. It had been a bad night, a lousy morning will surely not be far away, and she had been dreaming such a pleasant dream that the act of pulling her through one side to the other by these footsteps is nothing short of evil. It had snowed last night, and the Kelvic comes to the dim realization that she is buried in it. The landscape acting as both concealment and insulator as she's curled up with her tail over her nose. She sits tight under the packing snow for a chime longer, trying desperately to hold onto the fading edges of her dream, but pieces of it wander off like sheep in a field until there is no evidence that the dream even existed at all. She grinds her teeth in disappointment. It had been such a good dream! She doesn't open her eyes, but she hears the figure plop onto her back with a heavy breath, and presently begin to sing. And through this little information she deduces two things, first: this person is a Vantha female, for no other race sings as sweetly. And second: its a female with about as much weight on her as a wafer cookie, if the impact is any indication. What is this woman doing out here? And, more importantly, she has to ask what she herself is doing out here. If she has her bearings right, which is unlikely, then her camp is still half a bell away to the north. With a snort of effort the bleary-eyed bitch lifts her body from the dent of snow, gives a vigorous shake, and yawns widely with a sound somewhere between an angry bear and a tortured bovine. And its with this early-morning cleansing that she remembers why she is sleeping in the middle of nowhere. Her muzzle and throat are stained with spots of dried blood and her breath is rank from the Elk buck she pilfered from a larger animal; a bear, sabre cat or the like. Hmm, right, she was run out of her feast by a pack of wolves who wanted in on the scavenge... Oh yes, then, in the brief scrap that followed, her harness was unhooked and now trails through her legs like the most uncomfortable pair of trousers in the world. The shoulder straps having been unbuckled and woven through her thigh and rump in a tangled mess. After this cursory inventory of her own ills, she lifts a weary head to look at the woman. The domestic and feral sides of her battling over whether to lay down beside her to keep her warm, or snap at her heels and run her out of her territory, respectively. And next to the beautiful and delicate Vantha, Kali realizes she must look a mess. She hasn't had a proper brushing in over a year, she smells like long dead roadkill, blood has soaked most of her muzzle, and her harness (the only thing besides her breed that marks her as domestic) is tight around her ass, preventing shifting. Unable to decide on a corse of action, she does neither. Instead she sits down and stares at this trespasser with dull curiosity and a slathering of irritation. She's been in clothes far to often for the lack of shifting abilities to cause her panic, but hopefully the wolves have left her territory, otherwise she has plenty of reasons to panic.

[Svasra]

Svasra Snowsong "A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots." -Marcus Garvey As Svasra did a mix of pleasant humming and some mild singing, a noise abruptly broke through the peaceful facade. It wasn't completely violent, no, it also sounded like someone was being torn apart. Mainly though, it sounded annoyed. Svasra bolted upright and froze. The most alarming of all the traits this sound held was how close it was. If she wasn't mistaken . . . Svasra's gaze slowly wheeled around to her side. There, sitting every so impatiently and slightly curious, was a dog. Not just a mild cute little Trubliss, or a sweet Rivali Lapdog. No, this dog didn't fit into her little book of The Sweetest of Pets that she'd read in the library. This was just a large . . . sledding dog. Being one born and raised within Avanthal, sledding dogs weren't some rare race she would be racing to capture and show off. (Not to mention the Frostfawn Hold would just kill her if she did that). What startled her really was the appearance of this animal. It didn't look as domesticated as its tangled harness might lead one to think. There was blood, gore, stench, and general mats scattered ever-so-lovingly around the dog's pelt. Svasra blinked once. Well, it was still there. These Zypherian Sledding Dogs weren't just used to pull a snow-cart around, they were also protective and loyal to their companions. To see one alone that had evidence of ownership was more than odd. Svasra took a shift backwards in the snow, warily keeping an eye out for a sign of attack. Maybe the owner was wounded, and this dog was just protecting him or her? Looking at the intelligent gaze of the animal though . . . there was something more than just the average high perceptive nature of Zypherians. "Ah," Svasra finally said quietly. "Kelvic, aren't you?" she asked quietly. If the animal wasn't (female, if she had to guess), then keeping her voice soft might prevent a provoked attack. She hoped anyways. "What happened?" the young woman continued, now slowly shifting her legs closer to cross them as children did in school. Her eyes traveled to the harness. It wasn't just tangled, it was knotted and tight around the animal's backside. Svasra hesitated to untangle it, still unsure if this was a Kelvic at all. One would think that after living with Kelvics left right and center she would be able to tell by now, but Svasra decided to take it slow. "If you turn around, I can untangle your harness - it looks like it might be preventing you from changing. How does that sound?" Svasra offered, keeping her voice level, calm, and kind.

[Kalimalka]

The Kelvic's ears perk and swivel in the young Vanthas direction, the only outward display of her surprise. Such a clever woman! She didn't even hesitate before parading the 'thats not a dog' banner. Even the Icewatch can have trouble picking out Kelvics. But if this woman can figure out what she is she can also find a way to help. Not that her breed is inherently vicious, but she imagines its much more reassuring when you can actually converse with the creature. The woman speaks carefully, even warily, in a soft voice that is reserved for wild animals and the mentally ill. Causing the Zepherian a pang of shame through her irritation for causing the young woman unease. Takoda would be furious at her for scaring people. But she she would never attack a Vantha! She's postured, growled, and snap at occasionally, if they deserve it, but she's hardly a monster. She feels more of a connection with the Vantha then her own Kelvic race. But just the fact that this woman is passing through her land without any sort of protection (though she is sure she has a weapon stashed somewhere) gives her pride a painful twist. There are a lot more dangerous things then her out here. Kali can feel the woman's appraising eye as she sits cross-legged facing her. She asks what happened, and the bitch tosses her head from one side to the other with precise movement, conveying look and warning in the imprecise language of canine-to-human communication. Then she gives a low, deep howl to convey what the warning is for. But the warning is casual, dismissive even. For why would a scrawny pack of wolves push in this close to the wall? And through the territory of another canine? They tend to avoid risk, and the northern pack that borders her own land has enough space to keep itself occupied. But still... She is so lost in her own thoughts that she almost misses the Vantha woman's offer to untangle her harness. And the offer beats down her irritation into a tiny little bubble in the back of her mind. Thats kind of her to offer, especially for a beast as roughed up and feral-looking as she is. The Zepherian gives a light 'moof' of assent and pads over to her in a surprisingly ungraceful way, for the leather is starting to bite into her thigh. She stands sideways to the woman and turns to gnaw on her flank, indicating the askew silver clasp that would unhook the rib-strap and make her job that much easier.

[Svasra]

Svasra Snowsong "A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots." -Marcus Garvey The dog's ears perked towards her voice, though whether it was display or the simply attitude of dogs listening went over her head. Where was a Frostfawn when you needed one? Svasra tried to appear confident and not emit the scent of scared that seemed to always be the fault of the dead, seeing she had no way of defending herself if it attacked (who would have thought a Snowsong would regret not knowing how to wield a weapon?). If you are not scared of them, they will hesitate to attack, it was the first rule taught by her mother when she was indulged in the lessons of the Frostfawns. Not that she knew anything other than that, but Svasra liked to think of herself as slightly knowledgeable towards animals . . . she knew how not to kill them anyways. In response of Svasra's question on the problem, the dog jerked its head in a manner that was not coincidental. Kelvic, definitely. Eyes bored into hers, as though trying to pass a message she just couldn't understand. The rumbling howl that followed sent a chill down her spine as Svasra tried to connect the pieces. "Wolves, around here?" she guessed, brows furrowed in her thought. The howl was deep enough to imitate the wolves' pack call, yet held a flimsy . . . dismissive air? "Not very close now?" Svasra added with a small tilt of her head. That was the best she could come up with. Shaking her head in slight amusement of her own ineptitude with animal body language, Svasra could only shrug helplessly. "You can tell me more when you've changed." The dog seemed happy at the thought of her untangling the harness, giving the muffled woof that always was adorable no matter the look of the animal. Svasra smiled childishly, but said nothing, watching as the Kelvic sauntered over awkwardly. As the dog stood in front of her, she began to gnaw close to a clasp, as though trying to gesture her towards it. "Alright, I'll undo that," Svasra said to acknowledge her understanding, reaching gently forwards. Svasra peered at the clasp intently that seemed to have become tangled not only in the straps, but also in the animal's fur. "Uh, just bark if I hurt you," she added cautiously as she began to wriggle the clasp a bit in an attempt to loosen it. The Vantha woman first untangled the surrounding fur, gently pulling at the knots until they came loose. She hummed under her breath in the absent way of Snowsongs, working the clasp a tad until it slipped free to undo the one strap. "Ah-ha," Svasra muttered proudly, setting on pulling the other straps to let the rib one through which should begin to loosen the pull on all the others. The harness seemed to really have had fun getting tangled through the fur and the clasps hooking into mats that needed to be loosened before she could work the clasp free. Instead of straightening out the harness, which she had no idea how to do, Svasra decided to just unhook all the straps first and hope then it would fall off or only need a bit more guidance before the female would be free. She guided a hind leg through a loop, and worked the other one through soon after. "Almost done," she assured the female soon after. The last clasp fell free after Svasra ran the shoulder strap back around through the knot it had made, which enabled the woman to lift the female's paws one by one to fully remove the harness. "Alright, here it is!" she said with a smile, presenting the harness. While it was still knotted in a few places that didn't need to be undone in order to be removed, it was off. Svasra smiled warmly at the female Kelvic, though she assumed she wouldn't change then and there seeing as she would be naked (which is always awkward when you first meet someone....) and also it was cold (and she'd be naked ... in the cold). She rubbed the Kelvic in between her perked ears, and said, "Why don't we get you cleaned up?"

[Kalimalka]

The dog waits patiently as the young Vantha works the harness off her body. And despite the humans trepidation for hurting her, Kali is not a child who whimpers when faced with a hair pulling. She just sniffs mightily and turns her head as far as it can go to spy on her progress will one pale eye. She takes a moment to study the woman as well. Lovely and delicate would be the first words to describe her. With a small body to match, she can tell, even under the winter wear. She sings a snippet of song before she seems to forget what she was singing and switches to humming a different tune instead. So she's Snowsong then. For a lot of that Hold have the same creative absence. One large paw is worked through the untangling straps, then the other, and Kali shifts her weight accordingly so as not to burden her saviour with her own heavy flank. And just like that, she's free. The bitch stretches out her hind legs and wags her tail in her own private celebration. And the Vantha gives her a gentle pat between the ears, suggesting they get her cleaned up. Which the Kelvic agrees with wholeheartedly. She nods her head enthusiastically and makes the mistake of attempting a smile; In a rudimentary attempt to show thankfulness to a person who doesn't work with animals. But this uniquely human expression, on a dog, looks somewhere between a manic snarl and a grimace of pain. Pulling the corner of her lips back towards her ears and furry grey eyebrows pulled up to widen her eyes in a way that looks incredibly awkward. The gore doesn't help either. The hound then noses her mittens and gently takes the harness out of her hands. She lays it out and takes quick stock to make sure her most precious possession is not damaged, and is glad to see the old thing is no worse for wear. She bundles it up carefully so that no part of it will drag in the snow, and with care not to dent the leather with her teeth. Once set (and with one more full body shake, for good measure) she wags her tail and motions for the Vantha to follow with a 'come along' motion of her head. Which mostly consist of more swinging of her muzzle. The Makutusi hot springs are not far away. That would be a good place to clean up. And with a pool full of hot water she will be able to shift as well. Its about time she spoke properly with her saviour. OOC : I appologize for being absent. Im not gone, I promise. Im just heavily delayed. With any luck my laptop will hold out for more then a week.

[Svasra]

The dog bobbed her head with an enthusiasm much too great for a simple creature. Svasra laughed gently in response, though it slowly died as the dog's face . . . contorted. It looked either in pain, or severely angry. Her breath hitched as she backed off with her hands up, wariness flashing through her flickering eye-shades, openly uneasy with this shift in mood. How else should she react to a dog suddenly turning very angry? It was moments like these she wished she knew some type of self-defense. The dog padded up slowly, and Svasra backed up a tad more, nervousness peaking when the dog reached out with its teeth extended. What did I do wrong?!

The Kelvic picked up the harness, and rose to assess it. A breath Svasra didn't fully realize she was holding rushed out, and she laughed weakly at her own fear seeing it was unjust and unnecessary. When the dog started off with a flick of its head towards her, Svasra was calm once more, smiling at the Kelvic creature. "Where are we going?" she asked as she got up to follow, walking beside the dog lightly, humming.

Svasra recognized the path to the Springs, and she seemed to brighten. No Vantha would turn away the Makutsi Springs, and she agreed it would be the perfect place to wash off the dog. Svasra slipped a side-ways glance towards her companion, wondering if the dirt would transfer with a shift. She decided not to ask though, since even if the dog tried to answer, it was most likely that Svasra wouldn't know even the beginning of what she meant.

When they reached the Springs, Svasra knelt on the soft moss, touching the pool with a finger to test the temperature. It was hot, as always, but not too much so. Since reports of the Springs sometimes causes burns, Svasra tested the water before she entered, lest she jump into a steaming pool that would cook her Morwen-blessed skin. She looked towards the Kelvic and smiled, "It seems the perfect temperature. Hopefully it will just come off with some scrubbing since I don't have any soap," she added in a bit of a lamenting tone. "Well jump in, Miss!"

[Kalimalka]

Strangely enough, the Makutsi hotsprings always smelt like tea. Kalimalka is not sure why, or how, but it helps when trying to find it since you can get a wiff of the crystal pools from a mile away. And its surprisingly relaxing to marinate in the herbal smelling brew. Her tired bones keep her from taking the prompt to 'jump in' to heart. Instead she slips down the icy lip in a way most people would enter their bathwater. Which doesn't stop the sudden flooding and cascade of water that gushes into the next pool, but oh well. The dog kicks around for a chime before her waterlogged coat gets too heavy, and with a strange disintegration of light the Zepherian becomes a somewhat stocky young woman. Her thick hair is slicked back and heavy with moisture, though not as tangled as her dogs fur. And her pale skin is just as grimy as she was to begin with, with streaks of blood and not a little mud criss-crossing in a pattern that almost looks intentional. She pries a handful of moss off of the bank and scrubs her hands with it. Although the moss is a bit softer then she would like, its gets the job done. Next she scrubs at her face until its pink with abrasion, and picks up a loose pack of snow to scrub her teeth with. Already she's starting to feel a little bit better. The water is heavy with minerals and salts that seem to lift the dirt off her body by itself, taking the awful memories of yesterday with it. "Mmm, gods thats better", she mumbles with the crystal blue water lapping against her chin. She catches the Vantha woman's eye and lifts herself bodily out of the water. Only halfway, of course, but the chilly Avanthal air still takes advantage of this and her exposed skin starts steaming like she's cooking. The Kelvic holds out her hand to shake, though that might not be the most appropriate way to use a handshake, she still gets points for knowing a proper greeting where most Kelvic wouldn't. "I'm sorry I scared you like that. My names Kalimalka, nice to meet you. I'd still be stuck hobbling around the Wastes if you hadn't come along, Snowsong."

[Svasra]

The dog ambled in without hesitation, the water spilling over the edge into the next pool. Svasra moved to help take off the grime, but the woman was already swimming about, loosening the dirt off herself. She smiled and sat back, allowing the dog to idle at her own pace, as she hummed lightly to pass the time.

Soon the tell-tale shimmer takes over the body of the dog. Svasra instinctively looks away as it brightens, and waits a few moments before turning back. A naked woman sat in the dog's place, scrubbing herself with the soft moss around the Springs. Svasra politely adverted her eyes, and again found herself humming to wait out the private moments the woman spent.

"Mmm, gods thats better," the Kelvic said quietly, and Svasra turned back to see her looking. Raising herself partially out of the water, the woman extended a steaming hand, a friendly spark in her eyes. Svasra smiled with warmth as she shook it gently. "I'm sorry I scared you like that. My names Kalimalka, nice to meet you. I'd still be stuck hobbling around the Wastes if you hadn't come along, Snowsong," the woman said. Kalimalka . . . Svasra ran the name around her mind for a bit and decided she quite liked it.
"Lovely to meet you, Kalimalka," Svasra said, pausing a bit before saying the name to ensure she pronounced it correctly. "I am glad I could help, how long were you stuck like that?" Tilting her head, Svasra frowned in slight concern, though quickly added, "Please, just call me Svasra."

oocI am so sorry for how long this took me, thank you so much for being patient <3

[Kalimalka]

"Sva~sra", the Kelvic intones carefully, "Savasra. What a pretty name." She lets go of the woman's hand and sinks back into the fragrant waters before the cold sees fit to take her warmth. "I've been stuck all trussed up like a pheasant all of last night and most of the day..." Something hard passes over her face as her thoughts go back to why she was found mangled and sleeping in the snow, and her lips unconsciously curl back over her teeth. "Gods-dammed WOLVES", she suddenly barks, tossing her handful of moss over the other side of the pool in a sudden rage. "It was not their territory but saw fit to run me out anyway! For the carcass of some half-rot saber cat. They are hardly a big pack, if they decide to mark that territory as well they will be spreading themselves too thin. Their greed will get them killed. And good petching riddance!" Kali rips another handful of moss from the bank and takes up the vigorous scrubbing again. Her anger has nothing to do with the attack or the stolen meal. The northern packs aggressive expansion of its territory will soon encroach on her small area. And that is something she will simply not allow to happen. The Kelvic huffs herself silent, her arms and belly now clean and pulsing a painful shade of red. "Sorry," she mumbles to the Vantha, aware she might have startled the young woman again, "dog politics are not very wholesome." The scent of the pool is making her light headed, she can hardly smell the clean snow or Svasra's warm scent around the herbal brew. Her eyes find the Vantha's again and she smiles good-naturedly, although it looks somewhat strained. "And do tell me what you are doing out here alone. No offence Miss, but you're not exactly a physical marvel. Wolves are a piece of cake compared to what else is out here."