Blood and Water

[Vieko Ainger]

Shouldn’t there be a werecat around?

He had activated his necklace thirty minutes ago, and granted, now he had six hours’ worth of time, o precious time…. But he still had to use them wisely! He wouldn't smell like a werecat forever!

Vieko had stuffed his cloak and tunic into his pack, only wearing his slacks and boots. But without any jewelry or adornments, he felt as though he was completely bare, like a newborn left in the woods. Perhaps… he had been robbed? No… he could do better than that. At any rate, it would have to do for now.

Werecats now? No? Vieko closed his eyes and heard the sound of rushing water. Where was that coming from? The male stopped in his wandering, turning his head to the sound. Maybe…. He drew in a deep breath.

Hm. Nothing but the smell of damp earth.

He had kind of hoped that he would smell something more floral, or musky, or slimy, and he lamented the fact that the necklaces were only imitations. Vieko bit his lip, hard enough to draw blood as his brows narrowed down in thought. Useless things! He had half of a mind to throw them all into the frozen darkness of the water! Oh… but they were a step in the right direction, he couldn’t argue that…. So he shouldn’t do that....

[Aria Talei]

<sub>She had packed a small bag of clothing and a meager supply of food, clipped her dual knives to her belt, and slung her green traveler's cloak over her shoulders, eager to be on her way. She enjoyed moving around, seeing new places, meeting people with the knowledge that first impressions were likely the only they received. And so it was with hardly a second glance that Aria Talei passed beneath the waterfall of Feryn and into the surrounding woods.

That morning she had been careful to rub a spot of her blood into all that she carried; testing this, she flexed her ability, shifting seamlessly into a Sumatran tiger, small for its kind but retaining that look of lethal power. Her bag, clothing, jewelry and weaponry seemed disappeared and, reveling in the heightened senses her feline form brought, the Ambassador set off in a brisk trot in Issilt's general direction.

She hadn't gotten far, however, before she ran into a figure standing alone in the woods. He smelled distantly of pine trees, but it was evident that he had spent much time in a Human city, as his Werecat musk was tinted with an unfamiliar scent.

Greetings, said Aria, seizing the opportunity to recruit. Moving lithely forward, she sat down and wrapped her tail around her paws, choosing to stay as a feline even though he would need to answer her out loud; Where do you hail from, cousin?</sub>

[Vieko Ainger]

Vieko jumped when a voice bounced in his mind before he turned around in confusion. Suddenly he was looking at a tigress, a tigress that was looking right back at him. His brows raised and he took a step back in surprise. It was a good thing his slingshot was in his pack for now, because he might have drawn it on the cat without thinking if it was on his person. But he realized that the tigress must actually be a werecat, and his muscles started to relax again.

"Hello," he returned the greeting and assumed his role. "I'm from Cados, but it was getting... I don't know... I guess it was getting cramped for me. I need to return to my roots." He glanced around the forest again. In Naulus, things seemed darker and warmer, but here, things seemed cooler and lighter.

Vieko looked back at the tigress and felt a little uncomfortable looking down on a creature that could tear him apart in a few short minutes if she wished to. So he stooped down and fell back on his rear to sit down, now eye to eye with the werecat. So... "Do you live here?"

[Cheveyo Kitchi]

"What was that?"

"I said that Ambassador Talei just passed through a few minutes ago, Chieftess."

"Ah. Did she mention where she was going?"

"She said something about Issilt."

Cheveyo nodded, glad Aria was on her way. "I will be going to Cados, but I am making a stop around Naulas first. I should be back in roughly a week."

The werecat guardsman nodded, as well. "Good luck on your quest, Chieftess."

Chey chuckled softly. "I hardly call it a quest." She then gave him a small wave as she disappeared through the gate, exiting the waterfall cave and meeting the lush woods that bordered her land. She had barely taken a step, however, when she noticed two figures…one looked extremely familiar, while the other stumped her. Both bared the familiar scent of a werecat, though, so she did not worry that much. Especially when the realized the familiar werecat was aforementioned Ambassador.

“Ambassador Talei, I hear you’re on your way to Issilt already?” She called out as her greeting, approaching the duo. As she neared the two of them and got a better look at Vieko, the male still did not ring a bell. “I’m off, as well. Best get a good start, hm?”

[Aria Talei]

<sub>The tigress dipped her head in what could have been a nod. As ambassador, I spend a great deal of my time in Feryn, she replied. Typically I see the same faces living her or merely passing through...it's refreshing to meet a new acquaintance.

"Ambassador Talei," her eyes flicked as she was called, her massive head swiveling to the source of the noise. Her Chieftess was making her way towards the pair.

"I hear you're on your way to Issilt already?" she said conversationally. "I'm off, as well. Best get a good start, hm?"

Aria dipped her head again. Indeed. As we are faintly pressed for time, I thought the sooner the better, and idea clearly shared, for I only departed minutes ago. Her human self would have smiled; she turned her large, copper eyes back to the unfamiliar male.

I ran into our kin before I had made it far, however. I am Ambassador Aria Talei; what is your name, friend?</sub>

[Vieko Ainger]

The ambassador? He was on the right track, then! "I see…" Vieko said thoughtfully. Well, that would make one person that was glad to see new people. The werewolves wouldn’t stop glaring at him! He smiled, "Glad I can pass by, then." He supposed he shouldn’t ask after the werecat chief so readily… considering werecats’ nature, he’d have to seem aloof, maybe make the ambassador work for it…

He glanced off as a woman approached from the direction of the waterfall. To Issilt? What was going on there? But before he could think too much on it, the ambassador’s voice came loud and clear to his mind, and he turned back to her. "Aria? That’s a lovely name. My name’s Remir Daieka."

[Cheveyo Kitchi]

Chey settled down beside Aria, deciding to stay in her human form to make communicating easier. "Remir Daieka? Wonderful to meet you." She extended a hand to the man, a small smile lighting up her face. "I'm afraid I've never heard your name before." A small chuckle escaped her lips and she shook her head disapprovingly. "How unprofessional...a chieftess who doesn't know the members of her tribe." She said more to herself than Vieko or Aria.

She looked back over at Aria. "I hope to be back before the week is out. How about you?"

[Aria Talei]

<sub>The tip of the tigress's ear flicked. If all goes as planned, I hope to be back around that time too, she projected, including both Chey and Remir. It has been a while since I have visited Issilt, however, so finding our kin may prove to take longer than I would like.

She cast a calm, thoughtful gaze at her chieftess, her tail twitching distractedly. Privately she wondered if inviting this stranger to join their cause- they would need the number, of course- would be wise. She decided to question him, first.

Will you be in Feryn long, Remir? she asked conversationally, or do other matters call you elsewhere?</sub>

[Vieko Ainger]

Remir looked down at Chey’s hand and tentatively extended his own to shake it. Well, he supposed that he did look domesticated—wait, what was that about the chieftess? "You’re the Chieftess?" Remir asked in bewilderment. He glanced away from Chey briefly, as if it meant anything now. And how would she expect to know all the names of her people? That had to be hundreds of names, and werecats tended to be drifters anyway.

He turned to Aria and shook his head, "No, no other matters… I thought I would stay here a while, maybe a week or more. I wasn’t connecting well in the city, so I thought I would come here…." Remir looked from Aria to Chey as they discussed traveling out. The Chieftess and the ambassador? "Is there something going on?"

[Cheveyo Kitchi]

"I am sure you will be able to find your way around." Chey assured the Ambassador, giving her a small smile. "I have faith in you."

Chey withdrew her hand and nodded. "Yes, I am Chieftess Cheveyo Kitchi." At his question about current events, she decided she should fill her kin in. "Guard Captain of Thrunalhin, Banez Gladpath, has proposed a plan where the wereanimals and his men will go to Tiaelde in pursuit of vampires that have been spotted in the area. We hope to wipe them out." She gestured to Aria. "Ambassador Talei and I are going to different areas in search of werecats to join us." She, like her Ambassador, was considering asking Vieko to join them...after all, the more werecats they could gather, the better.

[Aria Talei]

<sub>Pleased with the praise, Aria drew herself up proudly and turned back to Remir. Seemingly sharing the same idea, the Ambassador pushed forward with considering the male as the first addition to their campaign.

It will be, as you can imagine, a dangerous ordeal, she said, if you wouldn't mind my prying, then, may I inquire as to your feline form?</sub>

[Vieko Ainger]

"It's an honor to meet you, Chieftess. You're nothing like what my parents said," Remir said to Chey. Now the plan to scout out vampires in the mountain, that was interesting. He hadn't heard that piece of news yet. It must be recent if he didn't hear it first in Naulus.

He looked back at the ambassador, and nodded. At her question, he paused and then glanced away. "Well... it's... It's a lion. But it's a mangy, ugly thing," he said, sounding ashamed. "I'm not much of a fighter, anyway. I mean, I can get by, but... I hate confrontations...."

[Cheveyo Kitchi]

Chey's expression turned from one of content to one of confusion. "What do you mean, 'what your parents said'?"

At his explanation of his feline form, Chey's confusion only intensified. A lion...mangy and ugly? She had yet to meet a werecat who was truly displeased with their alternate form...and 'not a fighter'? Well, that wasn't all that unusual compared to his previous statement, but it still threw her off a bit. Mostly because that kind of made him an unlikely candidate for the little army that was being formed... "I'm sure it's not that bad. Mind showing us?"

[Aria Talei]

<sub>The tigress blinked, the tip of her tail flicking unconsciously as she glanced at Chey. Not what his parents said? she thought privately. That doesn't sound flattering.

When Remir spoke again, Aria kneaded the ground with her claws, suddenly on edge. While Werecats, instinctively, relied on body language to portray many of their feelings, the Ambassador had trained herself to look for Human cues as well, to help with her negotiations. Remir, talking about his feline form, had glanced away- breaking eye contact, rubbing one's nose or ear, or glancing up and to the left, were hints that the person were lying.

She got to her feet, her tail twitching tensely around her back paws. She kept her face nonthreatening, and since Chey had handled the questioning, she added nothing more to his interrogation. Though she was suddenly tense and uncomfortable in his presence.</sub>

[Vieko Ainger]

Remir shook his head. "What they said isn’t important… They just had a bad opinion about you. Not that I don’t! You seem like a very nice person to me," he answered Chey.

Show them his feline form? He should have told them it was fat, too! And it didn’t take an emotionally dumb person to notice the waves of suspicion coming from Aria. Shit. "Yes, I mind," he said, sounding self-conscious. And he had even told Aria he was from the city! She wasn’t being very understanding of his possible backstory! "Human children laughed at me about it when I was younger, and my parents didn't want me shifting at all...."