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[Halona]

7th of Winter 513
Common | Canine | Thoughts

Having said farewell to stubborn Terlin, Halona lounged on her bed of pelts watching her two visitors absently. It was nice to get out of the wind and into the warmth of her den once more. However Halona wondered if she had made the right decision in inviting Rion and Kizora into her home. Trust was never something that came easily to her but she knew she couldn’t have just left them out in the cold. Loathing the freezing temperatures winter wrought upon the woods the Kelvic refused to subject another to such weather.

A rough sturdy wooden slab acted as a door to the cave entrance keeping the winter winds at bay while the small well stocked hearth resting at a wall near the entrance provided the cave with enough warmth that one felt no need to use a cloak. Smooth stone wall descended to a cool dirt floor. The chamber was well lit in a flickering yellow glow with various candles the Kelvic had lit when she had previously entered to change into the cotton burgundy dress she now wore.

Hopping off the bed, Halona strutted over to the small table in the center of the room and pulled out one of the four chairs. “Have a seat if you’d like.” She said awkwardly gesturing to the other chairs. What do you do with guests? She wondered, obviously appearing at a loss from her expression. Brows were furrowed in thought, and lips pursed as her eyes fixed on her hands folded on the table in concentration. “Food?” She asked thinking aloud. Cheeks burning she made a sentence out of the words, “I mean, er…does anyone want food?”
Pushing back her chair she retrieved her stash of jerky behind her bed, triumphantly holding it up before her with a, “Jerky anyone?” Then she frowned at Rion remembering how he turned down Kizora’s peace offering.

Halona stuffed a piece of jerky in her mouth before placing the bag of dried meat on the table before sitting down once more. She was not social and yet she wanted to please her guests. It was odd, she avoided company and yet she wanted these strangers to feel at home.

[Rion Whitestone]

"It's too bad the kid couldn't come with us," Rion thought as he entered through the cave...door. Not much time had passed since the group had retrieved Kizora's "Gilding" horse and now they were settling down after a rough morning to get some rest and relaxation. Or at least, that was one of the reasons Rion came into the cave. Rion was still interested in uncovering the secrets of the Kelvic, so he wouldn't be leaving as fast as Telrin did. He still hadn't forgotten about Kizora's offer to transform, and though he wouldn't admit it, he was anxious to see her raven form. Rion was the first to get in after Halona, since Kizora had to tend to her horse. When he stepped inside, he expected to find bare earth, maybe a few rocks, and perhaps a patch of grass here and there. Instead, he found a customized house full of animal pelts, a bed, and even a cozy little fireplace. It really surprised Rion, who had just expected hard rock. "So this is what a wolf's house looks like," Rion said. "I'm surprised you guys don't stay home all the time." Saying this, Rion began to roam around the room, not hearing Halona's chair offer. He did hear the nervously uttered offer for food, though. Glancing back, he saw Halona offering everybody strips of jerky. By the look on her face, Rion guessed she realized his distaste for meat. "Don't worry," he said. "I brought my own food." Pulling off his cloak again, Rion took off his backpack and began rumaging through it. He came out with three bread rolls and a bag of berries. "This is the kind of stuff I eat," he explained. "It's almost as good as Salmon. Almost." Taking a seat at the table, Rion offered a roll and bit of berries to both Kelvics. "Don't worry. I tried the berries myself so I'm sure they aren't poisonous."

[Kizora DuLonite]

After tieing her Gildling to right outside the cave, she entered the homely cave. Kizora's thoughts battled anxiously. While the homely setup did make her feel quite at home, she was a raven in a wolf's den. She did her best to calm herself, despite her crawling skin. It did make her a little more comfortable when she noticed how nervous Halona was. At least the feeling was mutual. Rion nearly made her laugh, as he had almost a few times. He seemed to by the type of person who coped, or dealt with situations with humor. It was surprising that Halona put up with his silly wandering, especially with how uncomfortable she seemed to be. When the offering of a chair rang out, her body planted itself mechanically across from Halona.

"No, no thanks. Where was that corner, Halona?"

It wasn't so much that she wanted to change, as she wanted to get it over with. She had made a promise, in the loosest sense, so she was going to keep it.

[Halona]

Day of Season 513
Common | Canine | Thoughts

The jerky slide down her throat like sand, dry and gritty. It was harder than she’d thought probably because she always ate them as a wolf and seldom as the human she appeared. The girl did not mind Rion’s roaming of her den but she watched him. Not with her usually glare and guarded expression but rather with interest. How would this human react to her home? She wondered eying his figure as he glided about the room and relieved that he found it cozy letting out a slow breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. Her anxiety was infuriating. Why did she care if either of them found her home pleasing? If they didn’t like it, they could get out.
“Mine looks like this. Not all Kelvics decide to be as solitary as I.” She said glancing at Kizora as proof. The other Kelvic rode a horse and seemed to prefer her human form opposed to the raven she claimed to be. Halona had a horse, yes, but not in the sense that she rode it like a pet. Her black mixed blood was her companion and she left it up to him to follow her or not. He was outside now his thick coat protecting him from the worse of the weather, she knew; where he was she left up to where he wished to wander.
If she had been a wolf her ears would have picked at Rion’s mention of food and she sniffed in his direction picking up the floury scent of flour and nauseating one of berries. She loathed edible plants, not only did they taste bad but they were prey food, not meant for picky predators like her. The bread however caught her interest, she had seen the food before in the windows of the Syliran stores but had never once stopped to enter. The smell could only be described as heavenly. She would have preferred the salmon he mentioned but reached over anyway to pluck the roll from the rough surface before taking a small hesitant bite. A smile spread over her face as she savored the bread’s taste almost taking another bite but glanced at Kizora as she inquired about the corner. The wolfgirl cocked her head to the side almost telling Kizora to relieve herself outside for she would be damned to have anyone marking her home, before remembering the other Kelvic’s promise to shift. Pointing out the crevice in the wall that lead to a comfortable place to change she said, “Its over ‘der.” Between chewing.

[Rion Whitestone]

Seeing that Kizora was more interested in finding a quiet place to change than food, Rion put her share of berries back into his berry bag. Looking to Halona, he saw a look of disgust at the sign of all the berries. "Apparently Kelvics don't know good berries when they see them," he thought as he put Halona's share away as well. He couldn't say the same about the bread, though. Halona's mouth seemed to be watering at the sight of the rolls, though she maintained hesitancy as she took up hers. "Well at least she knows what good bread looks like." Though he personally had no skills in cooking, the farmers back home sure did. It was one of the better chefs there who gave him his food for the journey. The rolls were all he had left from her gift, as he'd eaten everything else the first chance he'd gotten. Now he was left with only bread and wild berries to feast on. Taking a bite of his roll, he waved Kizora's bread in the air to see if she still wanted it. "You still haven't said you didn't want it yet," he said. "Trust me, you'll love it. Halona already does." Looked back to the hungry wolf girl, a smirk grew on his face as he saw that expression of satisfaction. She was definitely hooked on those rolls. "I'll save it in case you get hungry," he decided. Putting the bread back in his apply named "bread box" he turned away so as to give Kizora some privacy. Even though she was going to be perfectly hidden in the crevice, Rion didn't want to take any chances on an accidental peep-show.

[Kizora DuLonite]

She giggled a bit as she saw Halona devour the bread. It was funny to see someone so withdrawn suddenly open up, especially with such a simple gesture. After Rion offered her the food again, she took it, if just to appear friendly. Her dry mouth processed a few nibbles, and she rose from her seat.

"I'll be right back."

After a quick change, she rounded the corner in her raven form. It felt so good to have her wings back after so long, and she could help flitting along the ceiling of the cave. Although she doubted, she hoped Halona didn't mind. After a few soft squaks, she landed carefully between Rion and Halona, and turned in a few circles. Hoping to bring about a few laughs, she pecked at the remaining bread and finished it off, cawing gleefully as she did.

Her comfort level among the strangers had grown strangely high, and, though she wouldn't admit it, she was glad. It was hard, sometimes, too feel so alone. It felt like it had already been ages in the while she had left her family, not but a season or so. These people reminded her of the joy she once treasured.