Private Tales New Places, New Faces

[Neveah]

"They'll be fine," she breathed, the princess mildly exasperated. He was right. They would be worried. They'd just had to bury one daughter and she knew they wouldn't want to think about burying another. Her pain of losing a sister was bad enough she couldn't put herself in their shoes.

"Stay or go but I know where I'm going at first light." With one final turn of her head she closed her eyes.

"I'm going to get some sleep. See you in a few hours unless we wake up to the plain cats gnawing on our bones."

With the fire warming her back, she drifted off into an easy sleep.

 

[Kir]

"Hrm." Kir growled with a frown, but decided that he wouldn't press the point.

At least not tonight.

He was more than acutely aware that he probably could have just picked her up over his shoulder and started walking. Yet according to her that would have seen both of them dead. Plus she could do that...transformation thing, and he wasn't eager to track her by scent.

Not out here.

Thus he decided that it was probably for the best that he stay at her side, at least until things got ridiculous. At the very least he could explain to her parents what she had been doing and why. Perhaps that would buy some sort of leniency.

That being said, Kir wasn't about to go to sleep and have her slip off in the middle of the night. No. He decided to stay awake and wait. Something he was very good at.

 

[Neveah]

Nev didn't sleep well but she did sleep. Enough for her body's magic to fuel up what it needed. Enough that she still hadn't accepted the recent death of her friend. The predators apparently hadn't gotten them during the night.

She supposed that part was good even if a part of her wished they had.

At least her.

She didn't wish Kir harm but she didn't know if she still had the will to keep going. To really keep living. Rolling over quietly, she peeked an eye open to see if Kir was sleeping.

 

[Kir]

Nope.

"Good morning." Kir said, still sitting on the ground. He had spent most of the night doing what some would have called meditating, but it was really just sitting there with his own thoughts. A few times during the night a creature had gotten close, but each time he had simply thrown another log to the fire.

Apparently Neveah had been correct, they really didn't like the flames. "Long walk ahead of us today, eh?"

He asked.

"Should probably get going sooner rather than later." It seemed, strangely, as though Kir had more energy that he did last night. He smiled at her.

 

[Neveah]

Great blue balls.

Did this man ever rest?

"Suppose so," she stood, a leonine stretch. Gazing out at the Savannah it was clear where the city lay in the distance. It looked almost like a mirage from here, the tallest thing raising stately above the plains. She turned and pointed just to the left of it.

"That way will take us back to the gryph tribe." A quiet, solemn gaze as she turned to look behind them. And THAT way would take them back to the canyons. She turned back toward the tribes and made sure the fire was out before they left before motioning along.

"Come on."

 

[Kir]

For a brief moment Kir considered bringing up the fact that they should be heading back to her home. That he parents would be worried, that an entire city was likely waiting for her at this point. He chewed on his tongue, and then ultimately sighed.

The argument wouldn't get him anywhere.

She would fight him, and a trussed up Princess on the shoulders of a naked werebear likely wouldn't be all that well received in the city. For now he would have to go along and get along. At least until he saw an opportunity to bring her around.

Maybe...maybe that woman would help Neveah see sense. "Lets get going!"

He said enthusiastically, standing up in an instant and stepping in pace with Neveah.

"I'll have to take shorter steps." Kir said with a chuckle. "Elsewise I'll leave you behind in the dust."

Kir had never been much good at making friends, but it was the best way to do this job. Least for now.

 

[Neveah]

"Oh would you?" Golden eyes flickered to the bodyguard-for-hire. There were prints in the ground of the predators that had circled their camp last night. Smaller prints too from the other animals that had either gotten caught or evaded them.

The irony was she wished he would leave her in the dust and leave her alone.

But coin wasn't making that a possibility any time soon.

"You said you're from the north? And the heat here doesn't bother you? I mean," eyes flickered to his bare chest and didn't go any lower. "When you have clothes on."

 

[Kir]

Kir followed alongside Neveah. "Well, I'm not from the Tundra."

He pointed out.

The North really was a rather obscure point of origin, a fact that he had contended with often down here in the south. Explaining usually didn't matter much, most people were too wrapped up in their own little words to really care about someone else.

"The place I'm from gets plenty hot in the summer." He told her."Something to do with ocean currents..."

Kir shook his head. "A professor once explained it to me, but I couldn't recount half of it if you tortured me."

He shrugged. "Suffice to say, heat isn't that bad."

Most of the time.

 

[Neveah]

"Glad you can keep up," she grumbled as she waded through tall grasses. At least she had a layer of protection between herself and those not-too-soft grasses. Whereas he...

In the distance, she could see the tents of the tribe.

They were almost there. And even though it was a little too far to start, she began running. Not trying to lose Kir, just trying to get to the tribe as fast as she could. Ready to share what happened. Ready to share in grief of her loss with theirs. Ready to take the blame if she needed to. Grasses and brush whipped against her legs. Her chest burned and she gulped in hot, ragged breaths of air.

A figure was in the distance and Neveah knew before she could see that it would be the hearth-mother. The tribal leader.

 

[Kir]

Kir kept pace, and even he was sweating by the time they caught sight of the tents. The sun was beating down on his naked skin, and the whips grass were taking their toll too. I'm starting to hate this fucking place.

The werebear thought to himself as they made their approach.

"Do you think they'll have some clothes?" Kir asked, glancing down at Neveah by his side. "I'd just take some fucking shoes at this point."

His feet were sweltering at this point.

As they came closer Kir narrowed his eyes. A familiar figure stood there, slightly beyond the tents. He frowned for a moment, glancing at Neveah a second time. "Guess we're expected."

He said softly.

 

[Neveah]

All it took was the hearth-mother to see the look on the princess' face to know what happened. To have seen the sole gryph return to their village the night before. The tribal woman had been hoping but knew her hopes were a foolish thing.

"I'm so sorry," Neveah's voice cracked as she crashed into Baba Yagi's arms. The tribal woman looked a Kir around the girl's head.

"Come. Let's gather in the meeting tent so I can hear your story." A silent look to the bodyguard as if she were saying I told you so. Neveah finally released the older woman and nodded, pushing away the tears that wet her face. The older woman led them into the village. People stared solemnly. Some already wore bands of red for mourning.

"Please bring some clothes for him," the hearth-mother asked one of the members they passed and pointed at the tall, naked man.

 

[Kir]

Kir just shrugged as the woman stared at him.

The Neusian was still somewhat detached from all of this. His role in all of this was to see Neveah safe...anything else? He couldn't say. A frown touched his features nevertheless, and even he felt a tug at his heartstrings as the girl wept.

When the hearth-mother finally stepped away and ushered them into the village proper Kir tagged along. He said a quiet 'thank you' as clothes were offered up for him. Probably too much to ask for armor too.

He thought to himself quietly.

Normally he didn't transform all that often, he didn't need to save for during the bear moon. He could fight well enough as himself, but the only way to safe Neveah had been to bring forth the bear. Not something he regretted.

Eventually they arrived where the hearth-mother was leading them, a young woman half covering her face coming up to Kir to supply him with some much needed clothes.

 

[Neveah]

There were matts layed out around a circular table low to the ground in the tent. Neveah sat, crossing her legs next to the hearth mother. On the round table were maps of the canyon and surrounded land. There were red markings across the canyon in different spots.

The hearth mother reached out and gently held Neveah's hand.

"Princess, tell me what happened."

Taking a breath, golden eyes flickered to Kir once before she recounted the details of what had happened. The trap the Skorpious had layed. Their spread in territory. Everything.

A troubled look crossed the tribe leader's face. Eyes darkened. "You must tell the king and queen at once. I fear a war is coming."

 

[Kir]

Kir got dressed as Neveah told her story. The clothes were large, but still somewhat ill-fitting on him. Likely because even among the tribes people his size were rather rare. Stretching out the tunic he'd been given Kir nodded his head. "That's what I told her."

The werebear cut in.

"Danger, and all that." He said with a wave of his hand.

Of course, he hadn't exactly felt the urgency because of the...war of all things, but just to keep Neveah safe. Her parents would be...for lack of a better word pissed off to the nine hells already. He was not eager to have that conversation.

The shirt finally settled in place over him. "Is there a fast way back?"

He asked, mind already flicking to the journey ahead.

 

[Neveah]

"Hrrrm," the elder looked to Kir. "Neveah you could-"

"No," the princess shot to her feet. "Absolutely not. Buckwheat doesn't take kindly to strangers." The hearth-mother clicked her tongue and shook her head.

"Princess."

"No!"

"Let the gryph decide who he trusts, eh?" The elder woman set her wizened gaze on the young royal. Nev crossed her arms and huffed, golden eyes tracking to Kir's large form.

"I don't even think he'd fit with me." He would. The gryphs were huge.

"Neveah, take him to the paddock," her tone broached no leeway for argument. With one last exasperated sigh, she bowed to the hearth-mother and motioned for Kir to follow her. Winding their way around the tents and other recreational areas of the village, they came to the paddock where a large cat-like creature with wings began stalking over toward them.

Buckwheat in all his glory. Sizing up Kir.

 

[Kir]

"Cute." The werebear commented dryly.

If either the Hearth-Mother or Neveah were under the impression that he enjoyed the prospect of this they were utterly incorrect.

The very concept of this whole idea was as displeasing to him as...well he didn't even fucking know. He'd had hard enough of a time coming to a place with a boat never mind a flying fucking cat. "You do realize."

Kir said as he half turned to his hosts. "That this thing and I have a mutual desire to eat one another, right?"

He asked, his face unamused.

"Bears and cats don't tend to get along." At least in his experience, though he didn't move to antagonize the damned thing. Kir knew better than that.

 

[Neveah]

"Well," Neveah breathed looking like she'd just won the bi-annual festival. "Guess that means you'll walk back then."

Buckwheat came over, a low rumbling growl emanating in his throat, tail twitching and wings shifting as he looked down at Kir. "Hey, Bucky, come here." She held out her hand and he immeidately rubbed his massive chin over her arm, nose sniffing at her hair and big sand-paper tongue giving her head a lick.

Another growl as he side-eyed Kir.

"It's okay. You two are both just big softies." She began giving bucky some chin scratches.

 

[Kir]

Kir considered the animal for a moment.

"I don't even like horses." He grumbled quietly. Even back home most of the mounts were simply too small for him. He weighed more than the average human, was nearly two heads taller, and that wasn't even counting his armor.

The beast, Bucky as Neveah had called it, was big...but Kir was still dubious that it would actually be able to carry him. Much less fly.

Still, he was eager to get back to the city. "Fuck it."

He exclaimed with a quiet shake of his head. Sometimes you had to take risks to get what you wanted, and if that risk was flying on a strange monster? Well then it wasn't the first time he'd had to take it anyway.

"Let's get going." He relented. "I can complain about this more on the way."

 

[Neveah]

"Y'know,"Neveah smiled smugly as she tried calming Bucky down. "For a big-scary-bear-man you're making a big deal out of this." She winked and then turned to Bucky, scratching down his fur. The giant gryph starting purring.

"Not even any little nips, okay? Kir is a friend."

Well, she hoped he was. Even if he was just trying to do his job and in it for the coin. She couldn't blame him. That was why he was here. Part of her had hoped he wouldn't agree so easily and she'd be able to ditch him and fly back over the canyon.

Looked like that wouldn't happen now unless she shifted.

But Neveah recognized the wisdom in the hearth-mother's words. It was more than a normal skorpious encounter. Something was brewing and it could be war. Walking to the side of Bucky, Neveah pulled herself up, fingers adjusting the reins.

She looked down to Kir, "Come on big guy."

 

[Kir]

"Yeah because bears like to stay on their own four feet." In his case it was usually two unless he was running, but explaining that in the moment felt a little more pedantic than it actually needed to be.

His eyes rolled as the Princess mounted the great beast.

Kir still gave the creature a weary look, even as Neveah looked down and offered him a hand. After a few more moments the Neusian let out a sigh, stretching up and pulling himself into the cradle of the beast so they could get going.

"I'd like to once again voice my objection." He told her. "A boat would be much preferable."

Kir said quietly. "They make flying ones here in the south, yeah?"

That was a rumor he'd heard anyway.

 

[Neveah]

"You might want to hang on," she'd call over her shoulder. He'd have the option to hang onto her or there was a leather pommel between the double saddle. Bucky looked very much like he wanted to reach around and snap a limb from Kir. Neveah just gave him a pat and gave the command so they launched in the air.

The Gryph roared, a sound between a lion and a dragon.

"I saw an airship once," she called out. "Don't see them often though." She remembered that day, hiding up on one of the flat rooftops and avoiding chores for the day, she'd spotted a small airship way up in the sky piloted by a blonde, slip of a girl. For a moment, she thought the sour wine had gotten to her head the night before.

 

[Kir]

Kir grabbed onto the leather pommel.

Mostly because he was pretty sure that if he went flying, he was more likely to take Neveah with him into the air than she was to keep him grounded. Best to hold on to something more solid...and less tiny than the little shape-shifter.

As they began to soar through the wind, the Werebear couldn't help but tense up. Every muscle in his body seeming to stiffen. It was as though he were defying the very laws of nature, and the beast inside his head began to scream.

It wasn't fear, no...not quite that defined, but something...natural.

"YEAH!?" His voice was overly loud, though not on purpose. He simply misjudged just how echoing his voice would be.

"I'd like to see one!" Kir said, adjusting his tone. "We only have the regular ships back home!"

 

[Neveah]

There was a rumble from Bucky's belly. "It's okay and no don't do loops. It'll only throw him off." The flying cat's tail twitched behind them and Bucky made a sad noise in the back of his throat but kept level. The city was growing bigger in the distance as they approached.

"I've heard there's a rumor of a flying city but haven't seen that. Still wonder if the flying ship I saw was actually real or a hallucination." Her shoulders shrugged, red-highlighted hair whipping around behind her from the wind.

"I'm surprised you'd be interested with how well you're handling this."

The big baby.

 

[Kir]

"Ships are different than animals!" Kir called out.

Maybe to her the differences weren't all that big, but for him? Well he might as well have been flying on an actual cat. "There's something solid under your feet!"

He told her.

"Wood, steel, whatever the hell they're made of!" He glanced down at the beast below the saddle, frowning slightly. "It's predictable!"

The same could not be said of most beasts. A fact that Kir was intimately familiar with, given that half his mind and body was ruled by one. "Besides!"

He called out. "There are some wonders that even a cynic like me would want to see."

 

[Neveah]

"I didn't realize you would be such a big baby for such a big, scary bear man." She laughed and steered them over the city gates. The archers on the wall knew not to fire. The gryph had a band from the surrounding tribes along its neck and tack. Gryphs were also only native to the Savannah.

They continued to soar past streets, squares, and rooftops, getting closer to the palace.

"Did you still want me to drop you off home?"