Strangers in the woods ( Nidae, Seliarus )

by **Nidassasyae** on October 17th, 2010, 4:15 pm

"Okay, don't forget to wake me if need be," agreed Nidae. She turned around to Nehsmay and saluted in her best impersonation of the Icewatch. "Nothing will get pass through us! Sleep well!"

Nidassasyae closed her eyes and changed into her true form. A feeling of relief washed over her as she dropped down on all fours. The smells of the forest came at her all at once. Shaking herself, she walked over to Seliarus, sitting down by his side.

The leopardess nodded to the Dhani man, put her head on her paws, and closed her eyes. In a few moments, she was asleep.

by **Seliarus** on October 17th, 2010, 4:21 pm

The Dhani rested his head on his chest. He listened to the wind blowing, and the silent rustle of leaves. His green eyes were closed, and a faint hissing sound emitted from him from time to time. He kept his guard up, looking around every so often, trying to see if anything hostile would come from the woods. He searched in his backpack for a moment, and took his dice set. He knew that the night is going to be long, so he passed the time with tossing the dices, and drawing the results with his finger in the dirt.

It was weird. He felt happy, and excited. The wasn't used on the feeling. He actually felt he belonged somewhere. That feeling was backed up by a memory of his home Nest. He wondered how his family is doing. That is when he threw his third one and one with his two dices. Weird. How is this even possible.

He looked over on the sleeping wild cat. Then over at the tent. Then back to his dices. His next roll was a set of Six. He sighed, and whispered underneath his breath, in his snake tongue. If translated, it would be something like. "How easssy sssomething can change from terrible to great..." And as he thought about that, he smiled.

by **Nidassasyae** on October 17th, 2010, 4:49 pm

The leopard rolled over in her steep, paws running in the air, and she made several muffled whimpering sounds in her sleep.

Running... running from them . Lyriaast told me to run... told me to leave them behind. Sondi screams.

My legs won't stop moving, propelling me forwards. Shame, fear, can't think.

Hoofbeats coming towards me, their hands reaching out to grab me. I can feel them grabbing onto my fur...

Nidassasyae woke up with a growl, her lips pulled back, her fangs ready to sink into someone's flesh, eyes wide with fear. Realizing that it was all a dream, she bowed her head, moving closer to Seliarus. There was no way she'd be able to sleep tonight, the nightmares would just come back.

by **Nehsmay** on October 17th, 2010, 4:54 pm

49 of Fall, 510 AV

The leaves rustled in the forest, whispering secrets known only to them. The moon had risen in the midnight sky, spreading a cold, white light to those on Mizahar. Inside the tent Nehsmay fell into a restless sleep, tossing and turning, feeling something not quite right, yet not quite wrong in the woods.

Next to the trees Shade stood awake, watching for signs of danger yet seeing none. Still something told him that a dangerous being prowled the forest, yet it was far away till now, too far to represent a threat to him and his mistress.

Nehsmay's eyes teared in her sleep. She was in a forest, a more dangerous and vile forest and Shade, her Kelvic friend was there. But something had happened... he was wounded... there was blood... so much blood.

"No!" she cried out and woke up. "A dream... only a dream..." she realized, yet her face was tear stained.

by **Seliarus** on October 17th, 2010, 5:32 pm

Seliarus looked at the panther. He senses something moving, and he thought maybe she found something. He soon realized that it was a nightmare haunting the feral child.Then she lowered her head. He knew the feeling far too good. And as she came near him, he slowly petted her fur, and tried to scratch her behind the ears to calm her down. The fire was slowly dying out, but there was still enough light for them. "Lock it away...Don't think about it. The more you'll be under stresss the more violent they'll become." He whispered towards her to calm her down. It's what his mother kept telling him, and it helped.

He managed to make one more throw, when another scream came to his hears. This time from the inside of the tent. Now, as he did not know what it was, and he couldn't see clearly, he decided he'll stand up, and hurry to the tent. He managed to open the entrance of the tent, and look inside. Ready to act if there would be anything. "What isss?" He asked hastily.

by **Nehsmay** on October 17th, 2010, 5:52 pm

Nehsmay jumped to her feet and ran from the tent just as Seliarus opened the entrance, not really seeing anything in front of her. She went straight to her colt and hugged him fiercely burring her head in its soft fur. Shade looked at his mistress startled, but understood it was one of those times she needed him so he gently nibbled on her hair. Slowly she calmed down repeating endlessly:

"Just a dream... just a dream... he's ok... he's ok..." She slowly detached herself from Shade's fur and turned her bloodshot eyes towards Seliarus. "I'm sorry. I..." she trailed off ashamed to have startled him for such a silly thing. But the dream had seemed so real. Several hours seemed to have passed for the darkness started spreading away and a few stray rays of light broke out in the forest.

by **Seliarus** on October 17th, 2010, 6:03 pm

The Dhani sighed in return. "Try to ignore it...Think posssitive. And...You sssshould ssstop thinking 'bout it." He spoke, before he turned around and walked back to his stone near the pond. Both of his new friends seem to have this problem with nightmares. He wondered what might started this all, and if it would be in any way connected. But, he gave on that, then he wasn't exactly in the mood for thinking. He picked up the dices again, and threw it on the ground again. But...He lost the joy in calculating those numbers.

He sighed for a moment. It was still dark, and the fire was slowly but steadily growing less and less. It wont be for long, he thought, until it will fully die out.

by **Nehsmay** on October 17th, 2010, 6:10 pm

Nehsmay nodded mutely and sat down on a rock looking at the fire. Dawn wouldn't come for another hour or two and they were steadily running out of twigs and wood. Surely there was a forest around them, but going in the forest without being able to see anything?

She grabbed a handful of twigs and threw them on the fire, making it flare with life a while longer. She noticed Nidae awake and figured her sleep must have been restless two. Nehsmay didn't believe very much in Seers and the like, but why in Morwen's name would she had dreamt Shade dying.

by **Nidassasyae** on October 18th, 2010, 12:53 am

Nidassasyae stiffened, then relaxed as Seliarus petted her. It had been so long since someone had done that. Not since... she didn't finish the thought, locking the nightmare away just as Seliarus had told her to. She took deep breaths of the cool night air, starting to calm down. The nightmares came often, she should be used to them by now, but the memories of that night were something she would never be able to forgive herself for.

She put her head back on her paws, purring as he scratched behind her ears. As she heard the scream, the contentment she had slowly felt coming back to her dissipated. Nidassasyae leapt to her feet, running to the tent. When Seliarus opened the entrance she burst inside, looking for the threat. The leopard saw feet go right past her, turning to see the Vantha fleeing outside into the night.

It seemed the nightmares were not coming to only one person tonight.

Nidassasyae walked over to Nehsmay, placing one large and furry paw softly on the Vantha's leg, rubbing her head against her to comfort the other girl. When Nehsmay sat down at the fire, she followed at her heels. Sitting near the rock, her tail to the fire, she gazed into the dark forest. The cat stretched luxuriously, then bowed her head, turning her thoughts inside herself.

Nightmare, nightmare, be gone, be gone. Let it be over, let it be done. She breathed softly in the leopard tongue, reciting the rhyme for banishing evil spirits. Nidae wasn't too sure if it actually worked, it hadn't so far against her nightmares. But, perhaps one day it might.

by **Seliarus** on October 18th, 2010, 4:48 am

Seliarus felt getting more and more tired as he was sitting there. His eyes became heavy, and he barely kept them open. But every so often, he shook his head, and opened them again. He glanced over the Vantha and the Kelvic. He pondered about asking them for an exchange, but decided that, since they had such an unruly sleep. As he looked in the sky, he realized that it wont even last long. Soon, the sun will rise, and they will be on their way.

He hissed softly, starting to rock back and forth, trying to recall several things from his past to keep him occupied. And they did. Not only a moment later he fell down from his stone, being simply too tired to stand up again. He rolled over to the right, and muttered something about. "Take over for me..." But before he would even finish his sentence, he was already off in a new world.