Another morning dawns on Samantha Beiter's home. The dappled sunlight and bubbling of the river over rocks is a nice way to begin the day. A light breeze stirs the leaves around Nalae.
Acera has apparently left her tree "room", though some sounds of chittering can be heard down on the ground.
Nalae mmmmms softly, smiling and stretching a bit. She's always wanted to sleep high up on a tree.. but the Keeper would never hear of it.. 'dangerous,' he said. Slowly she opens her eyes and wipes the sleep from them, glancing around.
Tethered in front of the house is a large lizard creature, many times larger than even Samantha. A set of blankets is strapped across its back, and a few empty bags can be seen on it's sides. Looking further, a small splash can be seen as Acera gets into the river for her morning swim.
Nalae blinks slowly. After another quick stretch she leaps off her high perch and descends in a loose spiral around the tree, finally catching hold of one of the lowest branches and scampering down to the ground.
Acera pops up on the bank and chitters, "Cool! Ya did much better this time. That looks like fun. Say, ma wants me ta go ta Haven for some things, want to come along?"
Nalae grins at Acera. "I was ready, this time... Okay. What's Haven?"
Acera chuckles and nods, "True, getting thrown off a branch by a little furball is scary. It's the city. There are ships and stores and stuff. Fair number of people too. Kinda neat, though a day is all I can stand."
Nalae ohs softly, nodding a little, though it's plain by the look on her face that half of that went over her head.
Acera wrinkles her face slightly, "Not as many trees either. But it's safe, specially during the day. It's pretty far, so ma got us a gambzar to ride. He's a planter eater like ma. ;)"
Acera pads damply over to the tethered lizard and pats it's head as it nibbles on grass, "Betcha haven't ridden before, right?"
Nalae blinks slowly. "That's the.. um.. the thing over there?" She gestures vaguely towards the lizard, for which she doesn't know a good name.
Acera nods and pulls the gambzar parallel to a short wall, "C'mon, he's harmless. We just washed him so he don't smell too bad."
Nalae follows Acera, looking just a little skittish about the lizard.
The lizard looks up with a mouthful of grass and sniffs at the little marenati, then just goes back to eating. Acera giggles as she hops up on the wall and motions for Nalae to follow, "He's harmless so long as you don't dye yourself green. ;)"
Nalae smiles at Acera tentatively and follows her, clambering up onto the wall.
Acera helps Nalae to straddle the blankets placed on the lizards back. It's clear the Gambzar doesn't notice the weight. She helps adjust the foot straps for Nalae then unties the lead and hops up in front of Nalae and takes the reins, "I'll start off slow so you can get used to how he moves. C'mon pokie, let's go."
Nalae emits a quiet cry of surprise as the lizard begins to move under her. Her hands quickly find their way around Acera's waist and hold tightly.
With a chittering giggle the little mink moves the large lizard away from the house and along the river, she slowly speeds it up, "It's 10 miles to town so we can't go slow all the time. You can hold on to me, just don't tear out my fur. ;)"
Nalae loosens her hold slightly. "Sorry."
Acera chitters, "It's ok. I was the same way my first time. Course, my brother was going too fast. Ma really told him off. Let me know if you're havin troubles, K?"
Nalae nods a little bit. "Okay." She closes her eyes, and just holds on for most of the first part of the journey.
Acera nods and thumps the sides of the lizard with her heels, and it lumbers fairly quickly through the forest, the trees slowly thinning till after 5 miles it breaks towards more open fields, separated by stands of forest to act as wind breaks. She guide s the lizard toward a well traveled road of sorts.
Nalae slowly looks around, still rather uncomfortable without the trees all about.. Her hands tighten about Acera's waist every time they pass through one of the clearings.
Acera notes her new friends behavior and reaches into a pouch and hands Nalae what looks like a flat piece of hard leather, "Here, some dried dasher meat to chew on. It's a little spicey though."
Nalae nods slowly, gnawing on the leathery meat.
The lizard continues it's good pace, and the small river slowly widens as they approach Haven from the North. Finally, an odd thing happens. As the fields become rarer, and houses more common, the number of trees actually goes up, as if the inhabitants like things somewhat wild. More and more people, of numerous races become apparent.
Nalae looks about, swallowing.
Acera pulls the lizard over to a stable of sorts and chitters, "We can't take em into the main city, something about the mess they make on the walkways. We'll leave em here and walk, you ok?"
Nalae says, "Um.. yeah, okay..."
Acera pulls up against another short wall by a water trough and hops off then helps Nalae down, "You wait here, I'll go put this guy in the stable."
Nalae nods softly, fidgeting a little. "Okay.." She looks up and down the street as Acera leads the lizard into the stable. So many people.. so many buildings...
Acera hands the Yagma at the stable a copper coin and the rabbit nods and takes the beast into a stall with some fresh hay to munch. Acera throws a small saddle back over her shoulder and pads up to Nalae, "Ok, lets go buy some stuff."
Acera chitters, "C'mon, my friend Graffi is at the gate."
Acera waves to a youngish skunk guard by the gate. He's lightly armored in a small amount of chain mail and has a short broadsword on his belt. He's holding his bushy tail high as he protects the "gate" to the main city, which only works if you stay on the path, as no walls are evident. His tail droops a bit as Acera chitters, "Hiya little stinker! ;)"
Nalae blinks at Acera? She looks about a little nervously.. so many new things...
The skunk sighs, "Only your mother can call me that you little imp. And Ace, when are you going to start wearing clothes?"
Acera wrinkles her nose, "When my super thick fur all falls out. Hey, here's my new friend, Nalae. She can fly! ;)"
Acera chitters, "Nalae, this is my friend Graffi. He's trying to become a surge ant. ;)"
Graffi sighs, "Sergeant. I don't think I've seen anyone like your friend before. She's not wearing much, but at least she has some clothes. You're going to have troubles when you grow up Ace, you know that."
Acera wonders if Nalae is lagged?
Nalae smiles tentatively. "Um.. hello.."
Graffi kneels down and looks at Nalae, "So, you can fly huh? Kind of young to be a magic user. And what is this around your neck?" Points to the gleaming metal object around the young marenati's neck.
Nalae blinks. "I.. don't know, really.. it's just something shiny I found..."
Graffi hmms, "Looks like an spacer artifact. Well, I don't know of any listed as missing, and it looks harmless enough. You two have fun and don't get into any trouble, ok Ace?"
Acera wrinkles her nose at the skunk and sticks out her tongue, "That wasn't my fault. C'mon Nalae, let's go. I'm hungry too."
Nalae follows along, still looking very much out of her element.
Acera chitters to a few people she knows till she hits Merchant's Lane.
Nexus
Haven::Merchant's Lane
Along this walkway, several vendors have neat temporary shelters set up.
Mostly awnings and colorful tents, with their wares on short tables or
colorful rugs and blankets. The occasional skunk guard wanders by to keep an
eye on things. Some food vendors are around. The whole place has more of a
feeling of a park, as grass and trees and small wooded spots abound. A few
small fountains can be seen, one resembling, to those in the know, a rocket
booster.
Nalae looks about skittishly, trailing a little behind Acera. "Are there always so many people?"
Acera blinks her small eyes at Nalae, "This isn't a holiday or nothin. Then there are lots of people here. I like it for a few hours, but after that I feel kinda...you know...closed in?"
Nalae nods a little bit, fidgeting. "I know what you mean.." She feels like that now.
Acera hmms, "Well, ya got nothing to fear here. Place is totally safe durin the day. And if you see something neat, I can get it for ya, long as it's not too expensive. Maybe Nipper has something that ya'd like. You want something to eat?"
Nalae nods a little bit. "Yeah.. I'm sorta hungry..."
Acera nods, "Good, luckily Hytris types like meat so Nipper is over by those vendors. C'mon, follow me" as she pads towards the slightly more isolated section of Merchant's Lane. Seems carnivores aren't popular with all the herbivores around.
Nalae hurries after Acera, glad to be in a less bustling area. Her ears swivel comically from side to side in a vain attempt to track all the sounds at once.
Only a couple of flute players and one person playing something like a banjo can be heard. Slow day apparently. The group of vendors that Acera heads to are more nestled in the trees than most, and the savory smell of sauteed and basted meats can be detec ted in the air.
Nalae looks a good deal more at ease, back in a more or less comfortable surrounding.
A tent next to one cooking hut is very brightly colored. Hanging from the edges of the tarps are what look like odd T shapes made out of light wood and having short tails. Also, some kites are flying in the strong breeze from the ocean a few miles to the east, tethered to the ground. All in all, the tent is a riot of color.
Acera pads up to the cooking hut and chitters, "I'll take 4 sticks please."
An otter shuffles around in the tent, adjusting his wares so the passing people can easily see them and hopefully buy them...
Nalae looks over at the tent curiously, but careful to remain near Acera.
Acera pads back to Nalae and hands her two of the cooked strips of meat on wood skewers. Fairly spicy but tender, "Here ya go, a snack, then we can see what Nipper has for ya."
Nalae smiles at Acer. "Thanks.." She takes a bite of the cooked meat as her eyes roam the area.
Several of the brightly colored kites dip and bob in the breeze, their string tethers bobbing by Nalae.
Nalae's gaze is finally drawn to the kites, and she watches them for a few moments before pointing up at them. "What're those?"
Acera has a mouthful of meat at this point, she tries to swallow.
"Ack! Hey! Come back here!" Shouts the otter! One of the kites has come loose from it's tether and flys wildly in the air. The poor otter is madly dashing after the string, hoping to recover his goods...
The otter takes a diving leap and snatches the string, falling rather ungracefully on his belly at the feet of Nalae. He looks up and smiles weakly, "H...hi! Care to buy a kite?"
Acera nearly chokes as she tries not to laugh while swallowing.
Nipper he holds up his hand with the string gripped in it, "Slightly used, willing to sell cheap..."
Nalae blinkblinkblinks, then grins. She swallows her latest mouthful of meat, and glances over at Acera.
Acera chucklechitters and grins, "Hiya Nipper. This is my new friend Nalae. Nalae, this silly otter is Nipper, a friend of ma's. You ever fly a kite before?"
Nalae shakes her head uncertainly. "What are they?"
Nipper struggles to his feet, "Hello there Acera, how is your ma anyway, still hexing those Aurokz? Who's yer friend?" He smiles at Nalae, "Hello, Nipper's the name, proud salesotter of assorted knick-knacks, doo-hickeys, thingies, and even useful things, like this kite here."
Acera sticks her tongue out at Nipper, "Hey, ma don't do that kinda stuff. Well, a kite's fun, but it only works where there are open spaces. ;)"
Acera decides to give Nipper a rough time. ;)
Nipper looks shocked, "Why....a kite is a most marvelous toy to own! They catch the air and just soar!" He tugtugs on the string and the kite spins above him, neatly wrapping around his head, "Ack! Well, they work, just not in cities."
Acera giggles loudly.
Nalae ohs at Acera. "Um.. I sorta prefer the forests..."
Acera nods, "You got anymore of those wooden things that float in the air? You called em magic flyers or somethin?"
Nipper scratches his ear, "Lemme think, last time I had one of those... hmm. Well, come with me to my tent and I'll look..."
Nipper tries to make his way back to the tent, fighting with the kite and trying to remain somewhat dignified while doing it, and failing, "Gah!" He reties it to the post with the other kite and heads into his tent, "Well, come on! Lets see what ol' Nipper has in here..."
Nalae follows Nipper into the tent, staying close to Acera's side.
Acera pads in with Nalae, giggling madly at the silly otter.
Nipper digs around in piles of stuff, "Lessee here, no, you wouldn't want that... ....Hey! I've been looking for that!.... .....Ew, I wish I didn't find that... " He turns around and holds up his right hand. It has an odd wooden bird looking thing in it. His left hand...well, he's shaking it madly, a cup seems stuck to it, "I found one! A genuine "magic-bird" flyer! I even found my old coffee cup, lemme give ya some advice kids, don't ever by any o' that goofy-glue they sell down the street. It, er, sticks to everything." HE shakes his left hand again and sighs, "Anyway! I have what you asked about, Acera. It's a neat little thing, glides through the air, just like a bird."
Nalae regards the flyer curiously, glancing between Acera and the little novelty.
Acera nods, "Yeah, that's it. They're more durable, and they can glide around the trees and usually even bounce offa em without getting broken."
Nipper tosses it and it glides out over the crowds before catching a breeze and zooming back. He even catches it without looking silly, "Tada!"
Nalae grins. "Neat!"
Nipper says, "It even comes with a warranty! 30 feet or thirty minutes or your money back! Er, not much of a warranty."
Nipper smiles, "I've never had any complaints about them though."
Acera gets this look on her face, "Hey, that's kinda like you Nalae. Maybe if I put wooden wings on my arms or somethin?"
Nipper looks at Acera oddly, "Can't yer ma just curse you with wings or something?"
Acera wrinkles her nose, "Ya know Nipper, it's not so funny anymore. My ma never hurts anyone. So what if she knows some magic without going to your silly school here in Haven. You talk nice about her."
Nipper fuzzles Acera's head, "Aw, I'm just joking, kiddo. Your ma is nice."
Nalae blinks at Acera.
Acera nods, calming down, "Yeah she is, she took me in when I lost my parents. She's helping Nalae find her folks."
Nalae smiles a little bit, staying near to Acera.
Nipper blinks, and frowns, "This poor kid lost her parents?" He scritches his ear, "Well, I probably shouldn't do this but, well, ya need it more than me." He offers the glider to Nalae.
Nalae shakes her head a few times. "I'll find them soon... they.. can't be too far away from here..."
Acera nods as best she can, hoping her new friend is right, "Yeah, if anyone can find her, ma can. So, you want the glider he's given ya?"
Nipper says, "No rumors have gone through the merchants here. We all talk, ya know. No one has been looking for their kid here. "
Nalae fidgets a little bit. "I.. well.. okay, I guess..." She looks rather uncomfortable. "But.. but it's not so bad.. I mean.. I'll find'm in a day or two..."
Acera whispers to Nipper, "She's never been to a city b'fore. I don't think her folks would come near here if they could help it."
Nipper nods and whispers back, "Iffin I hear anything I'll get note to your ma, though."
Nipper fuzzles Nalae's head and smiles, "Keep thinkin that and I'm sure you will. Positive attitude, thats the key!"
Nalae smiles tentatively, glancing up at Acera.
Acera nods, "Ma'll find em, just you wait. Then I can visit and see your folks too. So, thanks for the glider for Nalae Nipper. Ma needs some of those fine white scarfs you sell, they make great things to strain her potions through."
Nipper blinks a few times, "Strain potions, butbutbut, they're imported cloth!" He shrugs, "Whatcha do with em isn my business, I always figured your ma would be pretty in one, oh well. I have some in stock if you want em."
Acera purrs, "Yeah, I'll take 5 of em. And one of the colorful greens ones too. I think ma would look good in it too. ;)"
Nalae stays quietly at Acera's side, letting the mink do most of the talking.
Nipper goes back to shuffling through the boxes, "Okay, where'd that silly rabbit put em.... I said NEXT to the false teeth, not the raw beets, sigh. With ears THAT big, you'd think they could hear." He returns with a bundle of white silken cloth with one green scarf at th top, "Here ya go, kiddo. The usual price, of course. Except fer the green one, it's free. Jus cause your ma has been such a great customer."
Nipper says, "But! Only if she will wear it. *wink*"
Acera nods and pulls out several copper circles and hands them to Nipper, "I think she will. She's been spending more time in the sun and needs some protection. See anything else ya like Nalae?"
Nalae shakes her head a bit. "Na really..." She's about ready to get out of this cramped room..
Nipper just stands and smiles, he's not going to pressure the poor kid.
Acera nods, "Well, lets get something to drink and then look for a couple more things for ma, K Nalae?"
Nalae begins to inch towards the exit. "Okay.."
Nipper smiles and waves to the pair, "Take care you two! Was nice meeting ya Nalae! Hope you find your parents soon!"
Acera nods, "Thanks again Nipper! Good luck selling those back scratchers. ;)" and pads mirthfully out of the tent.
Katrus yip!
Nalae hurries after Acera, eager to be back in the open.
Hey! "That reminds me, would you like one of those too.....?"
Acera leads Nalae over to another food vendor, though no smell of hot meat assails the nose. Instead customers are buying small lumps of something in wooden bowls.
Nalae gently clings to Acera's arm, still quite nervous in the busy crowds. "What's that?"
A small fluffy white frenat picks up what appears to be a twisted piece of metal from a nearby booth, sniffing at it.
Acera grins,"It's iced milk. One of the uppity "scholar mages" accidentally goofed up a fire spell and now we can get things to freeze. It's great.
The young frenat girl and her marenati friend walk by the booth where the larger frenat shops.
The white frenat holds the metal bit up to the light and watches the light reflect off of it for a moment. "Oooo..."
Nalae stays near Acera's side, just trying not to lose her among the bustle.
Acera continues chattering loudly to Nalae as she buys some of the frozen flavored milk for both of them. Acera moving her arms a lot, totally oblivious to the occasional stare due to her lack of clothes. She's buried under a thicker layer fur than almost anyone here. Almost.
Nalae smiles at Acera softly and looks at the frozen milk stuff with some degree to caution.
The white frenat grows weary of this particular shiny metal bit, and sniffs the air, ears perking as she pads over to the frozen milk booth.
Acera hands Nalae a bowl and takes one for herself, "Lap it up, but not too fast, it's cold."
As Nalae moves, light glitters off the shiny metal object around her neck.
Nalae tries a careful lick of the frozen milk, and almost drops the bowl. Her eyes widen almost into saucers. "It's cold!" she exclaims.
Acera grins, "Toldja! It's good on a warm day like this though, isn't it?"
The white frenat blinks as she notices a glint of light! "Oooooh, shiny!", she murmurs under her breath, padding over towards Nalae's general direction.
Nalae looks back at the stuff in the bowl almost with an air of distrust. But she hesitantly gives it another lick, a shiver visibly passing down her back. Glancing back to Acera, she nods her head towards the frozen milk, murmuring, "Magic?"
The object dangling from a cord around Nalae's neck is unusual. Gleaming smooth metal that you can see your face in and a small finger shaped opening at one end and a smooth hole that the cord passes through.
Acera giggles, "Yep, magic that went bad. Was supposed to be a fire spell. ;)"
Nalae nods slowly. Fire she understands.. This, obviously, is a new experience for her. And she hasn't yet totally decided that she likes it.
The white frenat chirps! happily, quietly padding over to Nalae, trying to stealthily reach up and take hold of the wonderfully shiny object.
Nalae's attention is, of course, totally focused upon that cold stuff in the bowl. She hesitantly leans down to take another lick of it, glancing over to Acera again, as though to verify that she's not being put on and that yes, people actually do eat this stuff.
Acera is lapping away happily at it, getting a whitish mustache on her pointed muzzle.
The white frenat moves her paw closer, closer, until her paw closes about the wonderfully shiny object, chirp!ing in wonder as she glimpses her reflection, in spite of herself.
Nalae blinks quickly and actually does drop the little wooden bowl as she feels a paw close about her pendant. Reflexively leaping a few steps back, she twists and blinks up at the white frenat.
Acera blinks and raises her muzzle out of the bowl and licks her whiskers, "Whatcha want?"
The white frenat chirps!, falling over backward!
The white frenat sits up, looking up at Nalae. "Ummm... hello?"
Nalae raises one paw and clasps the little piece of metal. "She tried to take my pendant!" Said to no one in particular.
Acera drops her bowl and chitters at the adult mink, "Hey, she needs her stuff. Ma says personal items are important in location spells. Why did you try and take it? I didn't know Frenat's were thieves."
The white frenat blinks. "Um... Am sorry. Was just so... Mrrrr, shiny... Didn't know! Sorry!"
Acera frowns and doesn't seem to happy to see another of her race and she chitters, "She's new here and doesn't know where her family is, you should be ashamed of scarin her like that!"
Nalae edges a bit over towards Acera. "It.. um.. it's okay..." She really wishes Acera would stop reminding her about how lost she is...
The white frenat whimpers softly, tail twitching a bit. "Didn't mean to...", she murmers. "Just wanted to see it."
Acera looks up at the much taller mink and hmmfs, "Then ya ask her silly. Don't scare her like that. Looks like you were trying to steal it otherwise."
The white frenat nods, slowly getting to her feet. "Didn't wanna steal it, honest...", she murmers, tail flicking.
Acera chitters annoyedly and nods, "Fine fine. Why'd you want to look at it?"
Nalae fidgets some before stooping and retrieving the wooden bowl. The frozen milk has long since begun melting on the ground. Not that she minds, of course. "Um.. do I give this back?"
The white frenat chirps thoughtfully. "It was... shiny.", she says, in the manner of someone that has just experienced something Truly Wonderful.
Acera nods to Nalae, "Yeah, they re-use em Nalae. Let's go, she's weird."
Nalae sets her bowl back on the counter, and nods to Acera a few times. "Do we got other things to do, or is it time to go back home?" Hopehopehopehopehope...
The white frenat droops a bit. "Not weird.", she murmers, looking downward.
Acera sighs and asks, "Sorry, I grab for stuff too sometimes, though not around someone's neck. What's your name?"
The white frenat chirps softly, looking up a bit. "Shia.", she chirps, ears twitching thoughtfully.
Acera hmms and tosses Shia a shiny copper piece, "Here ya go. We gotta head out, but I come into the city now and then for my ma. I might see you again. Not sure why I'd wanta though. Let's go Nalae, I just need to buy a few herbs on the way back to the s table and we can go."
Nalae nods a few times. "Okay." She smiles at Acera quickly. Remind her not to agree to come out to the city again.
Shia oooohs, turning the piece over and over!
Shia says, "Thanks ya!"
Shia says, "See ya later!"
Shia scampers off with her newfound treasure!
Acera waves and pads off with Nalae in tow, "And folks dare to call my ma weird. Let's get the stuff and get our gambzar back from the stable."
Nalae nods several times. "There're too many people here..."
Acera snugs Nalae and nods in agreement. She leads them over to an herbalist's tent and gets the rest of her mother Samantha's items. Then they briskly walk back to the stable, get their lizard mount back and are quickly moving back towards the forest. "Well, it was kinda weird even for Haven, but did you like any of it?'
Nalae again holds tightly around Acera's waist. "Dunno.. The meat was good..." She had to think about what to reply, though.
Acera giggles at that, "And what about the stuff ya got?"
Nalae glances down at the glider. "Um, I dunno.. I guess I'll try it when we get back..." It's far more intricate a toy than she's ever seen before (which isn't saying much), and she's not entirely certain how to treat it.
Acera nods and snugs as she thumbs the lizard's sides with her heels, "Well, we can try it from a branch up in the tree. I'm glad ya came with me though, going to the city by myself is kinda boring anymore. We should be home well before dark."
Nalae nods a few times. "Okay.. Do you have to go there often?"
Acera nahs, "Bout once or twice a double moon rise. Ma makes most of her own stuff."
Nalae nods. "Good. I don' think I could go there often.."
Acera churrs softly in agreement, trying to figure out why she can't get that older frenat off her mind. She chitters at the lizard and both young girls disappear off into the treeline as they near the place they now call home.