Strangers in the woods ( Nidae, Seliarus )

[Nidassasyae]

Nidassasyae had fallen behind, having picked up a thorn in the pad of her paw. After pulling it out delicately with her teeth, and licking it clean, she continued onwards. It was then that she realized that she had quickly fallen behind, Nehsmay was no where to be seen. Her ears pricked up as she heard the cry "Shade, SHADE!!" and sprang forwards, nose quickly picking up the scent of Nehsmay and eyes searching for the tracks they had left. Finding the hoof prints and foot prints in the dense mossy ground, she began to run forwards, searching for the vantha. It looked as if Nehsmay were in trouble, and Nidae wasn't about to let anything happen to the woman who had saved her. Moments later she burst into the small clearing where the lake was, her icy blue eyes quickly scanning it. Having missed the exchange between Nehsmay and the Dhani, the sight of a strange man looking through the saddle bags while Nehsmay lay on the ground was undoubtably hostile. The snow leopard leaped from the tree line into the clearing, a blurred streak of white and silver. Her hackles rose, and she positioned herself in between Nehsmay and the man, baring long razor sharp fangs. With a growl, she took a step forwards towards the man, her eyes mere slits of rage.

[Seliarus]

Seliarus, did not expect any visitors that day. It was strange enough one arrived. Most of the time, all he does is sit around, and think in the solitary silence of the forest. While he started to look in the bags for the salt, he, for a moment, lowered his guard.

And then something landed in front of him. It caught him by surprise, and made him a bit disoriented for a moment or two. In that time, his mind was assaulted with even more questions, on which he had no intention of answering. He rose his head up, away from the backpack, and his eyes made contact with the snow leopard.

Now, what he was looking at, he was not exactly familiar with, but judging my the actions, the white wild cat, tried or, protect the girl on the ground, or was just extremely hungry. His green eyes now locked on the leopard, he examined it, before another hissing sound was produces.

Followed by the glare, the Dhani finally spoke. His voice was cold, and sharp.
"Hrssss...I will advice you...To move away, or your little friend here...Might not end exactly well."

[Nidassasyae]

Nidassasyae glared back at the man, but backed up a couple of steps. With a final snarl, she bounded back towards Nehsmay, her eyes never leaving the man. In a few short moments, the leopard had morphed into a young girl, though her icy blue eyes remained focused on the man. With blue war paint on her face, naked body, and tangled hair, she seemed most certainly feral. Kneeling beside Nehsmay, the Nidae's eyes briefly left the man, flickering down to check if her friend was alright. "Nehsmay, what's wrong?" she asked, her voice going high with panic. As she waited for an answer, the girl glanced back up at the stranger. "I swear, if you did this to her..." She let the threat hang in the air, her eyes darkening with anger.

[Seliarus]

The Dhani was not exactly the scholar type, and a panther changing girl was quite new. Maybe if the surroundings wouldn't be as they were now, he'd even pay attention to the naked feral child threatening him. A slight grin appeared on his lips, as he lowered his head again, and continued to search for the salt.

"Shhshh...If I wanted that ssshe passsssed away...I would already made my move. And if I wanted to rob her, I wouldn't be kneeling here, and trying to help. But of courssse, asss alwaysss..." He did not finish his statement, but someone could put one and one together, and guess he was talking about racism. He was no human after all.

"You know thisss girl, or ssso you claim." He said, with a bit of irony in his sharp words. "Get her some sssalt." And with that, he pushed the backpack towards the panther-lady. "And If I were you, I'd hurry. Crying wont help."

His slit eyes then trailed over the duo of girls once more, trying to memorize their facial impressions, or body traits. Maybe he'd need the information sometimes in the future.

[Nidassasyae]

Nidassasyae sniffed indignantly at the slight grin on the man's face. Her small stature had caused her to be underestimated once again. Her brother had made the same mistake once, before he was taken away. His right ear was a bit tattered from that encounter. "Trying to help? How?" asked Nidae sharply, "And what do you mean 'As always'?" The young girl had no understanding of racism, had never before encountered it. So, his unfinished statement proved quite the puzzle for her. "Salt... the smelling salts?" asked Nidassasyae, already going through the bag. She didn't trust the stranger, but she wasn't about to let that get in the way of helping Nehsmay. Finding the small bottle, she hurried to the vantha woman. She opened it, breathing in with her mouth. The potent smell stung her sensitive nose and made her eyes water. Nidae waved it under Nehsmay's nose, trying to revive the woman.

[Nehsmay]

Nehsmay was too weak to protest upon seeing Nidae attack the man. She wanted to yell and cry out that he had helped her, that he was still trying to help her, but no words came out except gasps for breath. She needed her salts quick... Shade neighed anxiously next to her, trusting his hoof in the ground trying to get the others' attention to his mistress rather than fighting. Of course he had no such luck, but soon enough they stopped by themselves and Nidae brought the precious salts to the sick Vantha. Nehsmay inhaled the scent deeply for a few minutes, feeling as her breath returned to normal and her heart slowed its beat. Never before had an attack been so powerful. She was quite shaken, but gently grabbed the salts from Nidae's hand and put them in her pocket. "He's a friend, Nidae." She said softly to her friend upon regaining her voice. "He helped me... he had no need to do so." Her eyes trailed back to the stranger and she rose shakily to her feet and gave a small bow in thanks. "I thank you sir." She said softly. "Were it not for you, help may have very well come to late. I do not know what others did to you that gained your mistrust, but we are not others. I will be eternally grateful... Should you ever need my help do not hesitate to tell me."

[Nidassasyae]

Nidassasyae sat back on her heels, relieved that Nehsmay was alright. "A friend?" She looked over at the stranger, understanding why he had been looking for the smelling salts. All this time, he had been helping the Vantha! She stood, walking over to the man. "I'm sorry for acting the way I did," Nidassasyae apologized. "I shouldn't have growled at you." She looked into the man's green eyes, her voice sure and sincere. Then she turned around and walked back to Nehsmay, offering the vantha a hand. Not too long ago, this situation had been reversed. Nidassasyae had been the one on the ground, while Nehsmay had helped her. "And I thank you," said Nidae, after Nehsmay had thanked the stranger. "You helped my friend, for which I am in your debt." This was probably the most formally the leopard had ever spoke, and the words tasted strange on her tongue. Not knowing what a bow was, she simply nodded in thanks.

[Seliarus]

Seliarus silently observed the medical treatment the feral-child gave to the girl. He didn't even answer the less dressed girl's question. Even he, did not understand all the phrases, that were used, so he couldn't judge her for that. He could, however, judge her for the hostile actions..But he didn't. When the less healthy girl finally came back to her senses, he simply sat back down on the stone he sat on earlier, but now facing the two.

Words flew towards him. The one with the pained face even came closer and apologized. That was most certainly something new. Usually, he'd get chased away with pitchforks and torches. His sickly green eyes met with
Nidassasyae's for a moment, and he nodded in return. As she walked back, his eyes traveled to the other source of interest, the slowly recovering Vantha.

His grin vanished, and was replaced by a weak smile. It didn't last, however.
He spoke yet again, with a bit less coldness in his words, but the sharpness remained. And listening to his dialect, one could quite quick misjudge his words for lies.

"I helped..." He started. "Becaussse I felt like it. No need to ssshower me with those wordsss, which never lassst. It doesss my essssence good that you are alright." His eyes traveled back to the Leopard in humanoid form. "Asss for you... you only wanted to protect your..companion. I underssstand that fully. No need to apologize. I do appreciate it, though."

And after the formalities, he went silent. He had nothing more to talk about, and, as he did know the usual travelers, nor do they. He shook his head, and it looked like his hair finally dried itself up. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all.

[Nehsmay]

Nehsmay glanced at the stranger not at all intimidated by his coldness. She was young and untrained in the ways of life, but she knew very well others had lives that were harsher or sadder than her shelter, happy one. Therefore she was not surprised the stranger had little if any trust in strangers. "I understand. However another in your shoes might have simply walked away or taken advantage of the fact that I was sick. You helped... I stand true to my words may you believe it or not." She turned her attention to her colt and grab his reins hard. "You idiot colt." she snapped at him "I know you can understand me, you're a tad smarter than the average horse. What in Morwen's name possessed you to run away like that? You could have stumbled over a wild beast and gotten killed!" Her eyes blazed furiously in shades of vivid aquamarine. The colt adverted his gaze to the ground and neighed sadly. Something had scared him why couldn't she see that?

[Seliarus]

Seliarus listened closely, keeping his eyes closed. Something felt strange. And it was not just the fact that winter is close near by. This mere child, that he knew for about half an hour, appeared more psychologically developed than some of the much elder, and experienced merchants that sometimes pass by. That, or it could be that she was simply too naive for her own good. He shrugged the last thought off, as he took a deep breath, and made his hands rest on his lap.

"The fact that you even talk to me isss quite enough for my doubt to lesssssen." He spoke, trying to sound as plain as possible. His right hand got lifted up, and his index finger touched the fang that rested silently around his neck on a necklace.
"The horssse is-ssscared. Sssomething isssn't right in the foresssst. I'd watch my ssstep." He added after a while.