The sun finally peeks above the cone of the volcano that sits on one corner of this small island. It brushes the awnings of the tents that were set up for Copernicus and his friends, along with their bedraggled guest. Copernicus, in the tradition of his kind, greets the dawning of a new day by rolling over on his other side, oblivious in his sleep.
Chimera adds more wood to the embers of the campfire, and starts to stoke it back up to a blaze for the morning.
Copernicus continues to purrr loudly in his sleep, tail twitching slightly now and then. He's sprawled out to take up most of the floor of the main tent, wings, legs and tail all over.
WolfSinger is still sleeping soundly, snoring away.
As Chimera works on the fire, one of the rocks that he didn't remember being there last night takes flight and disappears.
Chimera hmms, and rearranges the remaining stones. Apparently, the little whatevers like warmth.
A slight figure appears on the volcano's side...but being so far away, and backlit by the sun, it is hardly easy to notice.
Chimera gets up and begins looking through the packs for likely breakfast foods.
Copernicus cups a paw over his nose as he curls up a bit, then blinks when several of the "stones" he rolls over squirm out from under him and fly out the open tent. ..."Wha...?"
WolfSinger wakes up with a YIP!! as Copernicus rolls over onto him, too.
Copernicus snorts and rolls over and grumps, "Who ever decided mornings had to be so early in the day?"
Chimera blinks at Copernicus' comment, but doesn't say anything. Until people leave their tents, he's going to consider them to be still asleep.
WolfSinger yaws and stretches out his legs and arms. He thoroughly shakes him self out, and his ears go FLAPPAFLAPPFLAPPS against the side of his head.
Copernicus staggers out of the tent, moves to an open area and strrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrretches out his back, legs, wings and arms and mmmmfs, "Morning Chimera. Anything exciting happen while we were out?"
Jenora descends out of the air, and lands down amongst the group in a perfect landing on one foot. "Ah, what a lovely morning..."
Chimera says, "It got dark."
Copernicus sticks his tongue out at Jenora, "A cheerful morning person. Now I pity poor Andromeda. ;)"
Chimera says, "The little rock-bird creatures seem to be attracted to warm spots, also."
Jenora grins back to Copernicus.
Copernicus nodnods, "I noticed. Luckily they're not as hard as rocks or I'd have had a very lumpy night. I wonder how our friend is, other than in need of some more food and a bath?"
WolfSinger stagers out of the tent a little, and sets himself down to groom his fur. He feels a little bit better after getting some food in his belly and a good night's rest.
Copernicus hmmms at Chimera, "Anything good to snack on? I'll probably snag something to eat tomorrow, but a nibble now would be nice. And we can see if our translators can help with our shaggy friend."
Chimera holds out the open pack to Copernicus. "I'm not sure what is edible."
WolfSinger shakes himself out after licking his fur down. He still looks very skinny, though, and tattered. His body seems to have bite marks all over.
Chastity mutters something in her sleep, rolling onto her side and mutter-growling something.
Copernicus sticks his nose into the large sack and then reaches in and snags what looks like a large roast hen and pops it into his mouth and crunches a few times before swallowing.
Chimera waves to Jenora, "Good Morning, Jenora."
Jenora hmmms at Coper, then peeks into the sack.
Jenora smiles to Chimera. "Good morning indeed."
Jenora sniffs at the contents of the sack. "Hmmmm..."
Chastity suddenly sits up, wide awake, at the same time barking, "Fairon!" She blinks a few times, starting to realize that she's awake now.
WolfSinger just sits out of the way, quietly watching everyone else, tilting his head every so often as he tries to figure out what they are saying.
"I think Chastity is awake now too," notes Chimera.
Chastity blinks, her sight finally clearing, and rubs her forehead, sighing. "At least I think I am, Gideon."
Chimera looks at the others, wondering who Gideon is.
Copernicus shrugs at Chimera, not sure either. He purrs to Jenora, "Want me to hand our shaggy friend something, or can you?"
Jenora says, "Could make something interesting with all this..."
Chastity stands, slowly, pushing herself up with her cane, and manages a wan smile. "'Morning all...."
Jenora looks over to WolfSinger. "Sure, I can." She pulls one of the roast hens out of the bag, pulls a leg off of it to munch on herself, then hands the rest of it to WolfSinger.
Copernicus's ears flick and move towards the direction of Haven.
WolfSinger wags happily as Jenora gives him the food. He takes it, and says, "thank, you" but it sounds more like "arrruff wuff!" to her.
Jenora smiles, and bows slightly.
A trio of objects whizz by a few hundred feet overhead, followed by rolling sonic booms. Copernicus smirks as things quiet down, "I bet they were disappointed I was already up. ;)"
A peculiar, enticing scent wafts through the camp from the dwarf forest upwind.
WolfSinger BARKBARKBARKS at one of the rock-creatures as it runs past his feet and flies off.
Chastity yelps! and almost stumbles to the ground from the force of the booms.
WolfSinger yelps! at the booms as his ears flatten against his head.
Copernicus purrs, "Sorry about that, they know better than to fly that low. They figured they could get a Skygazer out of bed, as we're known to be one of the few clans wise enough to know that mornings are for sleeping. ;)""
Jenora blinks, looking up at the flyers, then chuckles as she shakes her head.
Chimera hmms, watching WolfSinger.
Jenora says, "Maybe I should show them what flyers can really do..."
WolfSinger gnaws on the roast hen, soon leaving nothing but a pile of bones.
Chimera says, "You don't need wings though, Jenora."
WolfSinger tilts his head, looking up at Chimera as he watches him eat. "Wuf?" he asks.
Chimera wuffs back, just to see what the stranger will do.
Jenora grins mischievously. "I know."
Chastity picks herself up, and looks at Copernicus wryly. "Felitaurs from Haven?"
Copernicus nods to Chastity then sniffs and hmms, "Did you cook something Chimera? I'm picking up some meat cooking."
WolfSinger tilts his head, looking at Chimera like he just insulted him.
Chimera hmms.
Chastity blinks and sniffs the air. "Whatever it is, it smells good..."
Jenora says, "Yes, it does rather..."
Copernicus nodnods, "I'm more for keeping my food natural, but that does smell very good, and it seems to be coming from the forest."
Chimera sniffs?
WolfSinger sniffs at the air, too. His tail swishes happily.
Copernicus hmmms, "Well, we could have more company. And while we could have sworn we got rid of all the invaders, knowing this planets portal reputation, I think we'd best check it out."
Jenora says, "Definitely an idea."
Chimera says, "We're being invaded by cooks?"
Chastity arches an eyebrow. "Portal reputation?"
Copernicus ponders that for a second, "That would be a nice thought Chimera. So long as neither I, nor any of my friends were on the menu. Yes Chastity. It seems the ancient history of 'people appearing out of thin air' has restarted. You are one of those examples."
Copernicus stretches and hmms, "Who should come along? Jenora I know."
Jenora says, "Sure thing."
Chastity frowns. "Out of thin air?" She pats her side and says wryly, "I don't know, Copernicus, once upon a time, maybe. Now, though, it's more likely I'd appear out of thicker air..."
Chastity sighs "Though I have to admit, I have no idea how I got here, still."
Copernicus purrs, "The dimensional instability is why our gate works better here than around Tharhome. So whoever is coming, let's go."
Oblivious to what is going on, Wolfsinger looks at the surroundings. He sees some sort of rodent pop out out of it's hole near a tree. He sneaks around to investigate.
Jenora stands up, and waves to WolfSinger, who doesn't appear to be watching.
Copernicus ruffles his wings and then folds them loosely at his sides and starts padding towards the smell, noting the one advantage is they are downwind.
Jenora pads along silently behind.
Chastity purses her lips, and shrugs a bit, grinning a little, and hobbles after Copernicus.
Chimera hmms. "I guess I'll keep an eye on the wolf."
Jenora waves to Chimera. "See you in a bit."
WolfSinger POUNCES! on the rodent, catching it between his paws. His sniffs at it, YELPING suddenly as it chomps down on his nose. He lets the creature go, which promptly scurries back to his hole, chittering angrily.
Chastity blinks, turning to look at Wolfsinger at the sudden sound.
Jenora says, "I think he just discovered that some of the local wildlife fights back."
Chimera says, "That might explain the bites on him."
Copernicus enters the edge of the forest and pads quietly towards the source of the savory smell, thinking that the invaders would not bother to put so much effort into cooking.
WolfSinger paws at his injured nose, trying to lick the blood off.
Chastity bites her lip at Wolfsinger, then looks around a bit. She slowly crouches, wincing, and scoops up a few fronds of a short, fern-like plant. She crumbles them together in her hand, and stands, walking slowly over to WolfSinger, trying not to startle him.
Chimera walks over to the wolf. "Why not throw them against a rock after you catch them?"
WolfSinger whimpers a little, and looks up at Chastity.
Chastity kneels down beside the wolf, setting her cane down and slowly, gingerly, reaches over to lightly scritch his ears with her free hand.
Copernicus crouches low and slinks forward as the scent gets very strong, and he thinks he hears something just up ahead. He blinks as he reaches a small clearing, with someone sitting by a fire.
WolfSinger murrrrrs happily at the ear scritching. His tail starts wagging again.
Jenora sneaks along behind Copernicus, leaving Chastity to deal with WolfSinger for now...
Chastity smiles softly, and very gently touches the tip of Wolfsinger's nose with the pulpy remains of the herb she crushed, still scritching him and murmuring something under her breath.
Chimera asks Chastity, "Do you think he's reverted to an animal state due to his isolation?"
Copernicus blinks and whispers, "Michael? He must either be able to fly, or has a jet scooter hidden somewhere."
Michael sits on a rock, eating something aromatic, his black silken robe drying on a rock.
Copernicus looks back at Jenora? then stands up and purrs, "Michael?"
WolfSinger sniffs at the pulp before he letting her put it on his nose. He seems to understand she's some sort of healer or herbalist, as he saw her gathering leaves and such on their way here.
Jenora blinks, and stands up as well.
Michael cocks his ear and looks over to the edge of the clearing.
Michael smiles and waves.
Copernicus hmms and then looks at Jenora, "It's going to be interesting. I do hope my race can handle this blow to their egos though."
Chastity shakes her head, smiling softly to Wolfsinger and finishing applying the pulp to the wolf's nose. "I really don't know, Chimera. It's possible, but only if he was isolated very, very young."
Jenora chuckles.
Copernicus purrs, "I mean, in our original galaxy, we were the hands down favorite for the strangest group of critters known. I have a feeling this planet has us beat."
WolfSinger yips a bit as the ointment stings for a few seconds, then the pain goes away.
Michael says, "Hello, Copernicus, Jenora...Nice morning?"
Chimera tries something else. He holds up one finger where WolfSinger can see.
WolfSinger tilts his head, looking up at Chimera.
Chastity brushes the pulp off on her pants leg, still scritching the wolf's ears. She looks behind her. "Did Copernicus and Jenora find anything?"
Jenora chortles louder, then turns to Michael. "Yes, a very nice morning, thank you."
Copernicus nods, "As far as mornings go, it certainly is Michael. I'm curious as to how you always seem to show up."
Chimera smiles, and extends a second finger. Then a third. Then he waits.
WolfSinger raises his paw, extending 4 fingers. He tilts his head a little.
Michael just smiles and finishes his breakfast...It smells pretty good, but appears to be some enormous beetle-crab creature.
Chimera grins, "Okay, he's not thinking like an animal."
Copernicus pads forward and pauses at Michael's cape, nostrils twitching as he smells the salt water drying from it. "You swam?"
WolfSinger murrrrrrrs happily, half-closing his eyes as Chastity continues to scritch his ears.
Chastity blinks, looking between Chimera and WolfSinger. "You're... you're right, he's not."
Chimera says, "His language may not be completely verbal, though."
Michael says, "It can be done. Its not that far."
Michael smiles and offers Copernicus some bug.
Chastity nods slowly. "True." She shakes her head, smiling softly. "Nonverbal communication always gave our Psi Corps folk headaches."
Copernicus politely takes a few legs and crunches, nodding, "True. I kind of like swimming. Closest thing to going into space you can do on land. So what brings you here?"
Michael says, "Well, you, of course. I wondered how you is doing."
Copernicus's tail stops flicking for a second as he ponders that, then shrugs and flicks his ears, "We're doing ok. We've removed all the invaders...and dealt with our dead. Seems the people in Haven are not thrilled with us, so they've given us this island in the hopes we'll keep our distance."
WolfSinger looks back at Chastity, and asks, "errrff!! yip arooo-bark woof?" He points at one of the bite marks on his arms, which seems to have gotten badly infected. He seems to be asking if there is anything you have that can heal that.
Chastity blinks, and frowns, then sighs. "Another memory I can't pin down," she mutters.
Michael points at Copernicus rather ridiculously with a leg and replies, "I can not blame them."
Jenora says, "Nor can I..."
Copernicus sighs, "Neither can I, even though some of us died keeping them alive. The invaders would probably have come without us being here."
Michael glances upward, "Explosions in the sky do not help..."
Copernicus nods, "Believe me, that wasn't our idea."
Michael chuckles, "I would guess not."
Michael tosses the large, grey empty carapace into the forest and kicks the fire down. "Your camp is over there?" He points downwind.
Copernicus nods, "It's temporary. Actually, this island is probably going to be a good idea in the long run. It's going to take some work, but we're good at that."
Jenora leans back against a tree.
Michael smiles, "You should return. Do you have new friends?"
Copernicus purrs, "Some people have been...dropping in lately."
Chastity smiles softly to the wolf, and gently spreads some of the pulp on Wolfsinger's arm.
Chastity gives Wolfsinger a last scritch, then pulls herself upward, hobbling over to Copernicus and Jenora.
Michael stands and stretches. "I hope they do not hurt themselves."
Copernicus nods as he turns to head back to the camp a few hundred yards away, "I hope so too. Let's head back. You are welcome to join us Michael."
Michael grabs his robe and motions for Copernicus and Jenora to lead.
Jenora turns and sees Chastity walking this way. "We're just on our way back..."
Copernicus hmms, "Mind if I give you a ride back m'lady?"
Chimera hmms, and walks around WolfSinger.. examining his posture.
Chastity nodnods, and stands where she is, frowning a little.
Michael leans his head to the side and examines the new ones.
Copernicus ohs, "Chastity, this is Michael. A native friend, though not of the Haven crew. He's a human."
WolfSinger smiles and looks at Chimera, his tail wagging.
Michael nods his head slightly to Chastity and looks at her appraisingly.
Chimera pauses to wave at Michael!
Michael smiles and waves back.
Chimera says, "Do you speak wolf, Michael?"
Michael says, "Wolf?"
Jenora says, "Well, this particular wolf, anyway..."
Chastity nods to Michael. "Yes, I know what humans are. How do you do, sir?"
WolfSinger turns his head to see what all the commotion is about. He sees the human and yips? looking a little scared.
Michael says, "I am very well, after my breakfast. Who is the new huuma'to?"
Chastity blinks. "'Huuma'to?'"
Michael says, "oh, yes...Wolf-man."
Michael peers at WolfSinger curiously.
Copernicus hmms at Michael, "Have you seen his kind before? We can't communicate with him yet."
WolfSinger's ears flatten as Michael approaches. He seems to know what humans are, too.
Michael blinks?
Jenora hmmms. "Interesting reaction..."
Chimera says, "Maybe he doesn't like Michael's scent?"
Jenora says, "Or his species, for all we know."
Copernicus politely refrains from commenting on his own impressions of humans, based on how some of them have behaved to other races, but that was in another galaxy, and by a very different group of them. "Could be. No idea where he's from. A fox I used to know had a bad time with a different group of humans."
Michael lifts his arm and unceremoniously smells his armpit.
Copernicus purrs, "How is he Chastity? Any of the wounds overly bad?"
A low, untrusting growl emits from deep within WolfSinger's throat.
Copernicus hmmms, "I think that's a sign that he's not comfortable with you close Michael."
Chastity shakes her head. "For the most part he's all right, just some scrapes and small-animal bites and.. uh?"
Michael hmmms at WolfSinger.
Michael barks experimentally at WolfSinger.
Chastity aches an eyebrow, looking between WolfSinger and Michael.
WolfSinger barks, "Bark! yip-rrrrrroooff!!! ARRRROO!! GGGRRRRR!!!"
Chastity blinks at the cacophony.
Jenora shakes her head.
Michael turns to Copernicus, "Er, I think I told him I can get him an arcti from the sea...and he says I should be careful, because I'm naked."
Michael blinks confusedly.
Chimera rubs his horn.
Jenora says, "Sounds like the translation is a bit off."
WolfSinger backs away, moving closer to Chastity. He looks up at her, apologeticly, and says. "Whimper, yip! rrrrrooff arrrr growf?"
Michael says, "He says he's sorry, but he doesn't like his family."
Chastity blinks at Wolfsinger, resting her hand on his shoulder. "I.. guess he doesn't like you...."
Michael says, "Perhaps he's running away from them?"
Copernicus scritches his large ears, "It sounds like it was pretty close though. If Michael can spend some time giving us his language for a base, maybe the translators can handle it."
Michael barks and howls at WolfSinger.
WolfSinger stops growling and sits down, but he still keeps a suspicious eye on Michael.
Michael puts on his now-dry robe over his golden scales. "That should help a little."
Jenora says, "One can always hope, yes."
Chimera says, "Maybe we can try pictures?"
Chastity says, "Pictures?"
Chimera says, "He understood digits. We can try talking to him by drawing pictures."
Michael scratches his nose.
Jenora says, "True, we could try that... hmm."
While Copernicus calls in for a holographic communication console, along with some preliminary survey and construction crews, the rest of the group settles down to finish breakfast, and to try and figure out what they can about their newest visitor.