Completed [The Bronze Wood] The Prince of Rats Meets a Cat [Barn]

[Ninus Aurellius]

The Prince of Rats Ninus offered the kelvic his jacket, allowing her to cover herself. "I had little idea of thy true form, my lady." he said. "My name is Ninus Aurellius, and the rats are my brethren as much as the wind and skies are to the kelvics. The beady eyes of Syliras know me well." He split his sandwich in half and offered it to her, much to Cricet's indignation. "I would not have thee eating scraps from my hand! I apologize, my eyes saw only a mere cat." Ninus said apologetically. He wondered what she was doing out here all by herself. Kelvics, he had understood, were usually bonded to someone. This one was alone. "Thou art brave to walk amongst eagles and polecats." he told her in concern. The Bronze Woods were somewhat safe for him, as long as he didn't go poking into caves or following howls, but a lone cat kelvic might well find herself in a great spot of trouble out here.

[Barn]

Barn took the jacket, draping it about her shoulders. How nice of him. Ninus Aurellius, he said? Interesting name. Rats as his brethren... Did he mean he lived with them? She shuddered involuntarily. So many rats... Blegh. He must not be favored in Syliras. Not at all. "That is alright, Sir Aurellius. Not many can spot a Kelvic at first glance, especially in their animal form. Bravery is a silly word to use for my actions. The proper one would be recklessness. But when one has the ability to become one with the shadows, metaphorically speaking of course, eagles are no bother. Neither are polecats, when I can easily lose them. My ways are kept secret, obviously, because I am a cat. Giving up those secrets would be like giving up the core of one's being. Terrible consequences, no?" He sounded concern, but she tipped her chin up and looked down her nose at him proudly. She was a cat, sly and silent. Eagles could only hunt what they could see and hear. They were the most danger. Polecats were fended off with bared teeth and extended claws. Still, she had gotten wounds from them before. She didn't stay longer than a day out of Syliras, where food was plenty as were the chances of a warm lap.

[Ninus Aurellius]

The Prince of Rats "A true cat never gave anyone a straight answer." Ninus agreed with a smile, allowing Cricet to come and crawl into his lap. "Perhaps I can use thy skills little cat. For Cricet is afraid of the snakes and eagles that lurk the wood, for there is no protection from them. Only from men who prey on men. I need to find a delicate little flower, a soft and unyielding thing, virginal but hiding a terrible secret." The poisoner pulled over his kit and opened it, carefully taking out one of the destroying angels and settling it on the grass. "She lays there so quietly, so still, so peaceful. But a mere slice of her could kill three men and their horses. She is only found near the roots of trees, hiding behind them as a child does her mother." Ninus said. "Cricet cannot look for them, hawks' eyes always stare down from branches."

[Barn]

A human daring to ask for her skills? Barn scoffed. But he had given her food, and half of his sandwich. She took a bite of it, chewing thoughtfully as she listened to Ninus. Despite the size of the rat, now Cricet according to what he said, it still couldn't fend off the things she could. And they couldn't move silently, without being noticed, like a cat. A flower? He needed help to find a flower? Were humans really that incompetent? Then he pulled out a mushroom. Oh. That was dangerous, if what he said was true. Barn picked up the fungus with two careful fingers, inspecting it. "Is it alright to smell? I can find it easier if I have a scent." It was low, almost, helping a human. But he was a nice human, if a tad insane. He didn't let his rat attack her, after all.

[Ninus Aurellius]

The Prince of Rats Ninus gently set the mushroom before her. "Scent if you wish, but do not smell underneath the cap. Dangerous babes with viperous teeth lurk there." he warned. "I have need of this mushroom to work on the venom of a half-breed spider who has fallen into my web. He graciously granted me his ichor, and unfortunately the human blood has stained it to uselessness. But, if it can break down the icy walls surrounding the angel's heart..." he gestured to the mushroom. "...perhaps she may become more deadly in time." Cricet snorted at the cat. She knew what Ninus was asking, by the way he was showing off the mushroom, and the difficulties he'd had that morning. Additionally, her close scrape with an angry squirrel hadn't done them much good. He must want her to find more mushrooms for him, to succeed where Cricet had failed. She pinned her ears back and approached him, putting her small paw on his leg. She wished she could truly understand what he was saying. She recieved an idle, if fond, stroke on the top of her head. She tipped her nose up to let his hand fall down her back and gave the cat, now a person, a baleful look. She still smelled like feline. "I see my lady hides jealousy of thee. Who would not, for a rat's looks are humble. A cat's moonlit eyes and sleek fur has little to compete with it." Ninus told Barn with a smile.

[Barn]

Barn followed his warning, only sniffing the top of the cap. It smelled odd. Did he say he needed it to help a Symenestra's venom? That was certainly interesting. Ninus was petting the rat now, who had given her a venomous glare. "A cat's moonlit eyes and sleek fur has little to compete with it." The Kelvic gently tossed her hair, feeling pride in her race. Of course rats' looks were humble. They were good for almost nothing, other than living in the garbage and eating waste. And eating. Barn grinned back at him, her sharp canines flashing. "Well, if that is all to say I'll start on the quest to find these mushrooms." With that, she dissolved into a swirl of lights that reformed into a cat. Her tail flicked, and she smelled the mushroom one last time before setting out.

[Ninus Aurellius]

The Prince of Rats Ninus watched Barn transform with mild surprise, smiling and picking up Cricet. The large rat was snarling angrily at the cat as she settled onto Ninus' shoulder, ears pinned back and teeth bared. Ninus paid no attention to her as he picked up his poison kit and walked after the cat. What an unusual time to be making such a friend! Fortuitous as well, that she would be better at finding the mushrooms than his dear Cricet. Perhaps because she was a hunting animal, and not the hunted. He rubbed the back of Cricet's head with his fingertips, trying to calm her. He hadn't meant to insult her so gravely by asking the cat, but the sharp nip on his stained digits told him that she wasn't ready to forgive him. She sat up and groomed her gray coat as they walked, Ninus' eyes on the black cat in front of him. "Pray, I told thy shadowy form my name. But, my dear felid, thy name has not passed thy lips." Ninus pointed out. He had little to call her other than 'cat', and he would tire of that quickly. The mushrooms would help him try and make some use out of Novus' venom, though, and that was worth no end of annoyance. The prospect of turning a harmless half-breed's givings into something that could truly destroy was exciting indeed. He was already considering what he would give the cat in return. Perhaps a dose of something, to end an enemy? Perhaps in part made from the mushrooms she found him? It sounded like a fitting reward for her work.

[Barn]

Barn simply flicked her tail at his question. Her name was her own business. If they met again, she would tell him. She didn't bother creeping along in the grass, since she wasn't hunting and the big, bumbling human behind her would scare off any prey anyways.

The cat followed her nose, pupils dilated when she stepped into shadow. The scent of the mushroom was still strong in her memory, and she found a nice, big cluster of the fungus. Barn turned to look back at Ninus, and if she were human she'd be smiling.

She fell onto her side, beginning to groom her chest fur. This would take a while. Barn dragged her paw over her head, licked it and repeated the process. Grooming took a while, too. She loved her fur.

[Ninus Aurellius]

The Prince of Rats Ninus cocked an eyebrow when the cat didn't respond to his request for her name. "No cat has given a man a straight answer." he said, his eyes on her small form as she darted ahead of him. Carrying the case, he must have sounded like a bear crashing through the woods to her. To him, he was fairly quiet. He smiled gently to her, though he still wished he knew her name. When they found the mushrooms, Ninus gave the cat a praising stroke down her back and went to go carefully cut the cluster of angels from the root they adhered to. It would be a bit difficult to get to, since the root was in the way of his knife, so he laid on his stomach and began to carefully slice them away. Cricet leapt down from his shoulder and sat snarling at the cat.

[Barn]

Barn's lip lifted in a sneer as Ninus scratched her back. She had just cleaned that bit! The feline smoothly sat up and gave him a condescending glare, with half-closed eyes and an upwards-tilted chin.

She watched the human shuffle around a bit before settling into a good position, scraping away at the root of the tree with his knife. The rat had jumped off of her master and started growling at her. Barn would've scoffed. Stupid rat, it wouldn't attack her while Ninus was around.

The Kelvic curled her tail around her paws, giving the same disdainful look to the beast. Uncivilized and lowly, it was. Foolish creature. She flicked an ear, staring at it intently. First to look away is the lesser. Barn was determined not to lose.