Completed Lost, Lost, and More Lost (Ardea)

[Vanari]

"This looks wonderful!" Vanari beamed. Her stomach noisily agreed, but she was long past caring. "Are you hungry, Ardea? It will be my treat, and my first step towards repaying you as well. We can celebrate our lucky meeting!"

There was music, lovely and lilting, drifting from the open windows. Colorful cloths stirred gently in the cool breeze, allowing occasional glimpses of the merry patrons within. The sweet melodies reminded her a little of home, and before the Kelvic could respond Vanari took her gently by the hand and walked cheerily into the establishment.

"A table for two?" an older woman inquired as soon as they entered.

"Yes, please," the Vantha eagerly answered. "We're famished!"

The woman suddenly burst out laughing, right there in the middle of entrance. Startled, Vanari let go of Ardea's hand and glanced about the room, at a loss for how to react. None of the other patrons seemed to notice, however, and their hostess recovered instantly, as though nothing had happened, before leading them to an unobtrusive spot near the windows.

"If you need anything, dears, just let old Aena know. Try to avoid Korva though," Aena whispered, leaning close, "she can be a real trial for a newcomer such as yourself."

Thinking the advice was mostly given out of good humor, Vanari expected the old woman to laugh. Instead, Aena looked as serious as death.

The Vantha sighed. She was just going to have to figure this out later. "What would you like, Ardea?" she asked, looking up at her companion. The Kelvic, however, seemed rather distracted, and Vanari suddenly realized it might not have been the brightest idea to drag her into a fancy tavern.

"Ah, yes some, um, bread and cheese, would be much appreciated," Vanari hastily requested. "And some meat too, please. Oh, and would you also happen to have any fruit juice?"

Aena gave her a strange look.

"I don't, uh, very much like alcohol..." Vanari lamely explained.

The old hostess exploded in hysterical cackles again and Vanari barely avoided a second heart attack. "Of course, it will be served right away. Enjoy the music for now, dears, Aiden is our handsome new star of the season!"

Aena bustled away, all serious business again.

"What was that?" the Vantha burst, giggling in disbelief. She looked all around her, thrilled by the prospect of food but unable to ignore the majestic interior of The White Crane. She drank it all in with immense appreciation and noted that, from their table, the front of the stage could be seen. And, in the middle of that stage, all by himself, sat a rather mesmerizing, long-legged young man dressed in a fine tunic. He had earthy, brown curls, broad shoulders, and clever fingers that deftly strummed his lute as his rich baritone unraveled a tragic love song, full of aching and longing.

"I think he's making eyes at you," Vanari teased, noticing the musician's sudden interest in their direction.

[Ardea]

Had the circumstances been different, Ardea might have thrown Vanari a threatening growl and left. However, as it stood, she was stubbornly determined to kindle this connection, to uncover what it was about friendship kept humans so eagerly coming back for more. Thus, she allowed Vanari to tug her rather haphazardly into the tavern. Casting a critical sideways glance at the Vantha, she decided that her friend was rather more eager than she had expected and was unsure yet whether or not this was a positive thing. Though her sunny disposition was certainly contagious as the Kelvic found her own spirits lifted slightly.

Not a single second passed in the other's company that Ardea did not find herself constantly analysing everything around her. Vanari seemed to take life two strides at a time whereas Ardea preferred to pause, analyse and take control of the situation and she found herself at a loss, distracted as she hastily took in her surroundings. In situations like this, her immediate reaction would be aggression, but she shoved all pugnacious feelings to one side, making an effort to appear civilised. Still, her urge to shift persisted and she subconsciously made a decision to leave the city and fulfil this desire once they had finished their meal. Perhaps she could drag Vanari along with her.

"I think he's making eyes at you." Vanari's chortle pulled her from her daze and the Kelvic curiously followed her stare to the lithe, youthful musician that stood in the middle of the stage with his brunette curls falling partially over his eyes. There was no doubt, he was definitely looking in their direction. I hate people, Ardea grimaced, profusely wishing that she didn't draw so much attention. Casting a fervent, tenacious glare in the musician's general direction, she bared her teeth in a feral manner. His eyes seemed to widen in surprise and his eyebrows found a new position halfway up his forehead.

At this point, Aena returned, carrying a tray laden with fruit juice, a loaf of bread, cheese and a large chunk of meat.
"Try not to scare off my musicians." the Atonkak burst into a fit of rowdy laughter, placed the food down on the table and left, still chuckling to herself. Ardea exchanged a bewildered glance with her companion, this day was turning out to be a lot more eventful than she could have ever anticipated. It was unusual for her to escape the house and now she was doing a whole lot more than just that and was actually finding some small sense of enjoyment from it. In fact, with Vanari near her, she felt the most human that she had ever felt.

((OOC: I feel this song will soon become appropriate. ))

[Vanari]

Vanari choked on the large hunk of bread she had just wolfed down. She quickly gulped down some juice and tried to wipe her chin with her dusty sleeve, thought better of it, then used the table cloth instead.

"Stars and stones, Ardea" she coughed. "Is that how you handle flirting? Actually, considering where we are...nevermind, you might want to change tactics fast, cause I think that gorgeous piece of man is coming our way."

Aiden had just finished bowing, politely thanking his audience before stepping off the stage. He was taking his time, shaking hands and receiving chaste kisses from the other patrons, but he was definitely heading in their direction. The Vantha spun her head a few times, just to make sure they were the only ones here.

Yup, no one else here, just a pair of socially disfunctional females.

For second, Vanari was half afraid the Kelvic would shift right then and there and maul the unsuspecting musician. She understood, to some degree, how strongly Kelvics needed to shift and, more importantly, to find their bondmate. They were more wild than their human halves suggested, and the Vantha could do no more than nervously watch the handsome young man approach.

Actually, I'm pretty sure I'm even worse than Ardea is...Vanari sullenly admitted to herself. As much as she would have liked to think that her fully human presence could smooth things out, should they get out of hand, she wasn't feeling exactly suave after this morning's fiasco. The last time someone showed interest in her, she had required the most awkward rescue in the history of rescues, from the Kelvic herself.

She glanced behind. The musician was only a few empty tables away now. Turning back around, she stared at the platter of cheese in panic. She would have consulted Ardea, had she not assumed the Kelvic was probably tracking the man's every move as though he were a rabbit in the forest.

Vanari anxiously stuffed a piece of cheese in her mouth and sunk lower into her chair. Yeah, this is definitely not going to go well.

[Ardea]

Wild frustration erupted into the Kelvic's mind, had he not gotten the message?! Could he not see her savage fangs from his petching stage? In fact, she was so vexed that she almost completely forgot about Vanari. An intense, critical stare glazed over her eyes as she watched the musician's every move with unnerving harshness. Every slight twitch of his muscle, every heaved breath, every measured step, Ardea registered, half of her willing him to stay away and the other half wanting him to be close, so that she could thrash him. Time seemed to slow down as he drew nearer. Every muscle in the Kelvics body was tense, a wild, feral gaze burning beneath her unblinking stare and, for a moment, she barely clung onto her humanity.

Take one more step and I'll shift. Her thoughts cautioned fiercely, yet he came closer still and she did not shift. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Vanari sinking under the table, a look of grim apprehension on her face. Something seemed to change within the Kelvic, a tiny shard of fear arose in her mind, fear that she might have killed the musician, that she might have lost her one friend, the one she had so recently gained. An instantaneous need to escape the tavern overwhelmed her, she wanted to be away from here, away from the place that might have caused her so much regret.

Yet the musician now stood beside their table, little more than a metre away."Greetings, young maidens. My name is Aiden, it is my absolute pleasure to meet you. May I perhaps buy you two a drink, in exchange for your names?"
Though decidedly less feral than before, Ardea's glare burned with tenacity that seeming burrowed itself through to his very soul,
"Find yourself an easier catch, lute boy." she retorted sarcastically, standing and stalking out of the restaurant with a rather less aggressive response to the musician than she had first expected. If the Vantha wished, she could follow, but Ardea would not bar her from the handsome musician if she decided to take him up on his offer, though Ardea sincerely doubted that she would.

[Vanari]

Vanari was still cowering in her seat, arms up in front of her head to shield her from the sure-to-come bloodbath, when she heard Ardea insult Aiden to his face before storming off in a fury.

The handsome musician was speechless, his perfectly shaped mouth agape in bewilderment.

"Hey? Could you lift your hand for a second?"

Aiden barely seemed to hear her, but he managed to remove his hand from the table before sinking into an adjacent chair, still dazed from the horribly rare and public rejection.

"Thanks. Oh, I'm Vanari by the way, and that was...my friend," the Vantha quickly explained, tying all the uneaten food together with the tablecloth and fumbling her coin purse for the right amount of change. "Sorry about her leaving and all. She's, um, having a bad day. We'll take up your offer some other time. See you around!"

And with that she was gone, pelting after her fuming guide.

"Ardea! Wait for me!"

Even though she was running full speed and the Kelvic merely marching angrily down the street, it was a while before Vanari finally managed to catch up. Her sides were on fire and she was panting heavily, but she was just glad she hadn't lost Ardea in the bustling, afternoon crowd. The Vantha hefted the bundle food over her shoulder and grinned.

"Soo...you didn't like Mister Handsome Pants Aiden, I take it?"

[Ardea]

Still irate, Ardea's stare did not move from the end of the street. People moved hastily out of her way as she stormed stubbornly onwards, her lithe form radiating a fearsome energy. She did not flinch nor avert her gaze when Vanari appeared at her side,
"He can count himself lucky, next time he might not be so fortunate. I could have torn him to pieces, arrogant twat."
Sincerely hoping that the Vantha would not ask her why she hadn't caused the bloodbath that they had both anticipated. In truth, she did not know what had caused her to spare his life, heck, for a moment, however fleeting, she was ready to pounce and rip him limb from limb. So why hadn't she? This thought troubled her, would she be able to slaughter again when the time came? Hiding her concerned, frightened inner feelings under a steely glare, she powered onwards, gaining rhythm in her pace.

Upon reaching the end of the road, she took a sharp right, her fury dissolving with each measured stride she took forwards. By the time they reached Lapis Park, she was almost completely calm. Slowing to a deliberate halt, she closed her eyes, exhaling gradually, creating a moment of serenity and dispelling all illogical or regretful thoughts.
"We need fuel." Ardea announced finally, directing her stare to the park on their left.
"Fire alone keeps the glassbeaks at bay." They would not venture far into the Sea of Grass, to do so would be foolish and lethal, but it was so open and mostly deserted by human life (bar the Drykas) that it appealed greatly to the young Kelvic.

Changing direction, she headed straight for the park and scouted the ground for rogue bits of lumber or branches that had fallen from the trees. Though she worked hastily, it was fifteen chimes before she'd gathered together a good sized bundle of twigs and a few larger pieces of wood. Picking some long pieces of grass, she plaited them together, working efficiently, with determined concentration. On the completion of her sturdy grass plait, she tied it around the centre of the bundle of lumber scraps she had collected and hoisted the bundle under her left arm. Only then did she turn her attention to her patient companion,
"Venture with me, Vanari. Out of the Main Gates and along the Kabrin Road, you will not soon forget the Sea of Grass." She smirked, all anger that the musician had generated completely flushed from her body and replaced with anticipation, eager to be away from the bustling city and the attention seemed to draw.

[Vanari]

For a moment, Vanari found herself wistfully remembering how handsome the young musician had been. Then, as quickly as the memory came, the whole thing was forgotten altogether with half a shrug. There was plenty of that milling about Riverfall, and she had gotten more than enough eyefuls for the day.

Besides, such thoughts were serving no greater purpose other than to kill a bit of time. She let her mind drift freely as the two of them blazed down the street, checking in now and then only to see if Ardea had sufficiently cooled her heels and wasn't itching to rip someone to shreds.

After a while, the Kelvic finally stopped. A cool breeze shifted her flame-touched hair as she exhaled slowly, her neutrality mostly recovered. Taking advantage of their sudden stillness, Vanari looked about and noticed a park. What the stars were they doing here?

"We need fuel. Fire alone keeps the glassbeaks at bay."

There was no time to ask what the petch glassbeaks even were, as Ardea immediately began foraging for pieces of wood. Though Vanari wanted to help, it seemed she would be impeding more than anything else at this point. Her companion was increasing her collection at breakneck speed, and the Vantha was reluctant to put down her precious bundle of food, even though the area looked relatively empty.

Vanari watched with a mixture of fascination and anxiety as the young Kelvic briskly plucked some grass, then plaited the compact bundle with expert speed. She wasn't entirely sure if she should be afraid at the prospect of camping out in unfamiliar territory or grateful that her guide seemed to know what she was doing.

"Venture with me, Vanari. Out of the Main Gates and along the Kabrin Road, you will not soon forget the Sea of Grass."

With that said, it wasn't hard for the exhausted Vantha to choose the latter. Readjusting her bundle of food, she answered with a tired grin, "I wouldn't think to do otherwise."

[Ardea]

At Vanari's reply, Ardea gave a single nod and, readjusting her grip on the firewood, set off in the direction of the Main Gates. There was much to see in Riverfall, intricate buildings, beaming citizens and magnificent plant-life, but Ardea, having witnessed the beauty of the city on numerous occasions, saw only overcrowded, restless streets. It would be a relief to return to the Sea of Grass, the sky was more open there, the fresh scent of herb and wild, untainted air, reminiscent of the hunting trips she had embarked on with her father as a child. Releasing a contented sigh as she remembered more peaceful days, Ardea strolled swifter the wide roads, compelled by her remembrance to get there sooner, though she was mindful of the fatigue of her companion.

The trip to the Main Gates was largely uneventful, aside from being eyed rather inappropriately by several Akalaks as they passed by indifferently.
"What business have you outside these gates, girl?" An Akalak guard of humongous proportions blocked their path before they could pass through the gates.
"The Sea of Grass is not merciful to the unprepared."
Ardea rolled her eyes, his ignorance unable to dampen her lightened mood.
"We're visiting the Vineyards." The lie was produced with worrying ease and delivered convincingly enough that the Akalak gave a short nod and offered two cautioned, ominous words,
"Be quick."

Breezing past the guard as if his warning were little more than a light-hearted piece of advice that she had decided to ignore, Ardea pressed onwards. As they stepped out of the gates, she inhaled deliberately, free of recycled air. Briefly, as they passed the entrance to the Vineyard, Ardea paused, checking that the Vantha was still following and offering her an encouraging smile. Right now, the incident at the tavern seemed a whole world away and was settled firmly in the Kelvic's past. Within minutes, they had reached the Kabrin Road, the smell of dust and isolation settled itself firmly in her nostrils,
"Ready?"

Without waiting for an answer, she ploughed on down the barren track. They were ascending, climbing up the hill, and, if she remembered correctly then on the other side... Ah. There it was. Just as breathtaking, just as wondrous. The Sea of Grass. It stretched out in front of them for what seemed like miles, gentle slopes, overgrown, emerald grass, each strand as perfect as the next. Illuminated by the early afternoon sun, streaming magnificently down from in between the clouds, the entire landscape seemed to come alive. Taking in a long, drawn-out breath and exhaling it at the same rate, a sense of unimpeded freedom came over her mind. Little did she know that this freedom would not last.

[Vanari]

Though she wouldn't exactly call herself out of shape, Vanari already was huffing and puffing half way up the hill. The bundle of food tripled in weight and her lungs burned. I hope this isn't punishment for dragging her into that tavern, the Vantha glumly thought.

When the Sea of Grass finally came into view, however, her misery instantly vanished. She let the burden slip from her fingers, forgetting all about her physical duress. The view, oh Morwen. It literally stole her breath. For what seemed like an entire chime, she remained utterly still, devoting all of her senses to absorbing the beauty strewn out before her.

Vanari tried to speak, but the right words never came to mind. She simply stood by Ardea in appreciative silence, taking in the warm summer sun, soft blankets of endless green grass, and cotton-like clouds dotting the sky. Where the clouds were more concentrated, rays of golden light slipped through to lovingly caress the slopes beneath.

A gentle breeze sighed over the grass, bending them like a wave before finally blowing cooly over the two companions.

"This is incredible," Vanari finally managed, the spell lifting just enough for her to remember basic speech. "Is this...where you live?"

[Ardea]

A soft chuckle formed on the Kelvic's lips, her extraordinarily bright mood reflective of the landscape that lay out before them.
"My family lives inside the walls of the city. Don't be too fooled by its beauty, this a dangerous place." Though even as she spoke, it seemed impossible to believe that somewhere so wondrous, so awe-inspiring, could ever be home to the deadly creatures of which the city folk spoke. For a few chimes, they simply stood, breathing in the landscape, it seemed as if the whole world had paused simply to gaze upon this captivating sight. The cooling breeze that seeped over the hill to gently caress their faces brought with it the sweet scent of wildflowers and of flavoursome herbs and Ardea couldn't help but feel more relaxed than she had ever been before.

Eventually, she tightened her grip on the tightly packed bundle of wood and took a tentative step off of the dusty Kabrin Road. Beneath her feet, the lush grass was inexplicably bouncy, feeling almost like a cushion to walk on. It was not hard to see why the Kelvic favoured this lifestyle so much. Her senses slackened, allowing her surroundings to lull her into a false sense of security, she began to weave her way through the luscious jungle before them. Though the fields stretched endlessly into the horizon, she decided to at least put a bit of distance between themselves and the Kabrin Road, even if the faraway fields never drew any closer. In a blissful daze, she wondered aimlessly, stopping only when she felt that her friend could not go much further. Ardea possessed a fairly large amount of stamina, owing to her feral counterpart and she wanted to ensure the Vantha had enough energy to walk the same distance back to the safety of the city should she need to.

Clearing a small area for a fire, Ardea placed down her bundle of lumber and picked a few strands of dried grass, placing these in the area she had designated for their campfire. Though still in a daze, she vaguely remembered how to make a fire. You had to start small, dried grass, then slowly add larger pieces of fuel, the lumber. Taking no real notice of her immediate surroundings and still dumbstruck by how utterly stunning their location was, she plunged blindly into a patch of overgrown grass. With a slow grasp, she plucked a handful of grass and ventured further. Further still she went, weaving her way in a small area around Vanari. Becoming more careless with every stride. Unaware of anything around her. She took a stumbled step forwards.

Suddenly, something stirred to Ardea's left. Before a single thought had even formed in her mind, she had ripped off her clothes and shifted into a daze lights, adrenaline surging rapidly through her veins. Eager, frenzied claws ripped through toughened scales as though they were butter, her hungry, lethal canines sinking into the creature with a sickening crunch as it writhed helplessly. Within a matter of seconds, it was all over. The snake hung limp from the beast's jaws, Ardea had been brought brutally from her ignorant daze and she had slaughtered the creature without a single rational thought being formed. As quickly as she realised what had happened, she shifted back in a haze of blinding, swirling lights.

Panicked eyes searched for her friend, but before they found her, scorching, white pain exploded throughout the left side of her stomach and she released an involuntary whelp, her hand flying to apply pressure to the wounded area. As the adrenaline left her system, she stumbled forwards towards the clearing she had made. Blinking to force back the tears that had pricked her eyes suddenly, she looked down at her hand, it was covered in blood. Her stomach had been bitten. The only thought that had time to form in her mind was a desperate hope that the snake hadn't been poisonous, but this hope was interrupted by an ominous rustle in the grass ahead. A rustle characteristic of only one creature. Glassbeaks.
"Shyke."