UE: A New Dawn - Chryil 25th, Late MT

[Quinlan Corodin]

"No, I suppose not," Quinlan answered Xenovia's terse question. It wasn't entirely truthful, for he could think of quite a few animals he would rather not eat. But, he told himself it was part of his duty to at least take a bite of whatever they might offer, for the sake of politeness. Even so, the sight and smell of the cooked meat was agreeable to his empty stomach.

He felt a pit in his empty stomach as a nearby child began to cry, who he only really noticed had been touching the sheath of his schaeger after the boy had pulled his hand away. He couldn'ty have cut himself, could he? That's the point of the thing! Fortunately, the elder woman quickly put both the boy Menti and Quinlan at ease.

"Oh, it's quite alright," he quickly assured. "No harm done. I am Quinlan. A pleasure to meet you." In this case, it wasn't just a nicety, either. After the varied interactions the party had with some of the other natives so far - at this thought, Quinlan couldn't help an additional glance at "Xen" - it truly was a pleasure to speak to the matronly Kaila.

"This is Carlotta, and that's Guido," he introduced, gesturing to them in turn. "Thank you for the food." Quinlan accepted the strips, and held them with the tips of his fingers. As hungry as he began to notice he was, he still took what must have looked like small bites to the villagers for whom it was a daily routine. He didn't want juices all over him. "Boar, hm. It's good, thank you." Again, he meant it, and he didn't seem to have any trouble eating all he'd been given.

"Xen, and Niamh," he repeated, looking at the two women to commit names and faces. "I, eh, can only imagine what that story must have been like. How... is your friend?" he asked carefully. "The one I saw wounded during the fighting. I hope she is well."

[Xenovia Canace]

Xenovia's eyes followed Guido as he approached and spoke to Niamh. He was very respectful, as Xen thought he should be, given his intrusion. Thusly she showed less animosity toward him, though she still shot careful glances at him out of the corners of her strange eyes. Carlotta she also observed, wondering what it was she was doing with that thing she was carrying around. Simple. Hmmph.

Quinlan couldn't have known that Xen was a shortened form of her name, but it still filled her with distaste to hear it come from his lips. Xen was a pet name, meant for those she was familiar with -- those she trusted. Her muscles visibly tensed when he referred to her as such. "Xenovia," she said shortly, controlling her irritation, but it was more and more obvious that being decent to them was a challenge for her. She was headstrong, stubborn, and somewhat excitable at times, and courtesy was not one of her strong points; combined with what she felt was an invasion of her home, Xenovia was left with a visible resentment toward these intruders. Yet she nodded to each in turn as they were introduced, with a tense kind of acceptance. After all, she was a tribe member, taught to accept everyone within it. They are just a different kind of tribe.

Xen's bright orbs shifted their gaze to Quinlan's sheathed weapon and narrowed suspiciously when Menti began to cry. Yet there was obviously some kind of sweetness in her, for she looked to the kit and smiled sympathetically. When Quinlan began to eat, Xenovia watched him openly, clearly amused. Done with the first round, Xen reached forward and took the bone knife in hand, carving another hunk of meat for herself and proceeding to tear into it; the knife remained within her grasp, though turned so that her face was in no danger while she ate. She was eating with such a voraciousness about her that bits of her hair were falling over her shoulders, the long strands of black and white reaching easily to the ground when she was in a sitting position. She seemed not to notice as they brushed over the dirt. Quinlan's comment on Niamh's story lifted her brow -- What is that supposed to mean? -- but she didn't look at him again.

Niamh, for the most part, had been silent, yet Xenovia didn't know Kiare's status -- only that she wasn't dead, for surely she would have already been told. This was another question for Kaila to answer, for Quinlan received only a casual shrug of her shoulders.

[Niamh Windwalker]

The Kanthrop woman passed along a few strips of meat to the red-haired figure who crouched at the fireside, an eye traveling along his lanky frame in an askance matter. She silently added another slice to the few dripping pieces already given, for it was clear to any sane being the man was not used to the bounty the Kanthrop knew. There was a flicker of boldness then, her own gaze boring curiously into Guido's, looking at not into his eyes as if uncertain what oddity in nature could cause such.

Few creatures of her acquaintance had such a colorful gaze, and she had never seen such before, except in those creatures who had difficulty seeing. At Quinlan's question regarding their comrade, she tore her attention away from that stark perusal of Guido's face, curiousity quashed by a dash of reality. The voice that answered, was clearly recognizable as the deeper, feminine tones that had spoken so suspiciously from within the shrouding folds of the cloak upon their first meeting. She and Xen were definately quite the pair, each characteristic seeming opposite of the other, from height, to skin, to pitch of their voice... and despite Niamh's uncertainty and vague disgruntlement... Xenovia can be suspicious enough for the two of us.

"The Shaman took her for healing the day of our return, I have not yet seen Kiare. Ursa grant she may heal to walk again." Can there be a fate worse than death? Perhaps the taunting loss of speed and usefulness? Niamh was young, and for all her hair-raising experiences (though none quite as eventful as the one most recently past), she had grown to feel the invulnerablity of youthful vigor. To lose that, would be to lose everything and burden the village. Such simply didn't bear comprehension. Glancing to Kaila, Niamh quirked a question with upraised brows, the worry lining her lips and darkening her eyes. It seemed impossible for this one to chase her emotions from those agile features, and they plodded there openly for any to read.

She picked at the strip of meat in her hands, fingertips plucking shreds free to nibble upon, as if distracted, and then suddenly shrugged, flickering a brief grin that somehow didn't quite dismiss the echoes of unpleasant memories. "The kits seemed to appreciate the tale..."

[Brytan]

Kaila smiled at the courteous replies of Quinlan. She tended to a few of the kit around the fire, making sure they were all fed and given something to drink. Two of the wolf shapers who had been with Kaern were still wrestling with some of the older kit, having eaten something themselves. Claws and teeth retracted the wolves roughed around with the kit, which were done eating and ready for a little morningtide exercise.

"Now now dearies. Don't rough them up to badly, they've had a long night you know." It was clear Kaila was addressing the children. "Ah yes, Kiare. Have not seen her come out of Hawkeye's hut yet. She was hurt quite badly. Miracle if she'll walk again, but the Mother works in mysterious ways." She shot a glance up at the sky at the mention of the mother. "I should ask how she is later. First have to see if everyone's gotten food. Everyone's got to eat after...ah...Tugal! You're out and about aswell then?"

The tiger warper had walked upto the fire. He had been at one of the other fires within eyesight of Niamh and Xen and had just now made his way over, eyeing the outlanders with a mixture of curiosity and hesitation in his large feline eyes. He wore a kanthan similar to the ones the women wore, only his was padded on the shoulders and the back. He bore a bow and a quiver of arrows. His muscular and tanned appearance, golden hair streaked with some black strands here and there towered over the seated outlanders. "Yes, I'm hunting with Petran this tradetide. Just thought I'd say good morningtide before I headed out." He eyed the outlanders again as he spoke. A gash in his side betrayed the wound he had sustained in the fight, it was healing up nicely but was still bandaged with linen. "Spent enough time in my tent. Time to start working for a living again. I shall speak with you all soon, over dinner this eveningtide. Maybe you can tell your story again then Niamh. I missed it, but heard it was very good."

He strolled off again to meet up with several other men and women, armed with bows and arrows, nets and spears. The group marched out of the village in the direction of the landing site of the Tal'Fea.

[Quinlan Corodin]

Quinlan couldn't help but take a moment to stare in fascination as the wolves and the children played freely. Noone else in the village even seemed inclined to supervise, much less seemed anxious about it. The predators were incredibly tame, apparently. The way they handled the children, the way Kaila spoke, it led Quinlan to conclude that the animals must have been born and raised in the village, too. They even fought side by side against the Cryers.

"These people must be so skilled with animal husbandry," he commented, mainly to his two expedition companions.

The one named Tugal walked up to the fire, distracting Quinlan for a moment. He couldn't remember all the faces from the fray two nights ago, but this warrior had apparently been one of them by his wounds. Quinlan met his eyes as he approached, showing similar apprehension as many of the others. It was to be expected, mostly, though it still caused Quinlan to wonder. When was the last time they had a visit from outsiders?

The more people mentioned the story Niamh told, the more Quinlan wanted to hear it for himself. He looked to her face to see her reaction to Tugal's comment, wondering if she would tell it again, and if he'd be around at dinnertime to hear it. But, as Tugal joined his hunting party preparing to leave, the lieutenant's mind went back to the previous curiosity.

"The... relationship your people have with these animals is amazing," he said. "They fight and hunt with you. They play with you," he said, grinning just a little as he looked once more at the wolves and children. "It's like they're villagers, too. I have scarcely seen anything like it."

[Elvin Motricé]

"Perhaps it is a sense of knowing our own place in the cycle of life," a soft, female voice replied to Quinlan's speech. She had approached from the part of the village behind him. Catherine nodded to Niamh and Xenovia and moved over to assist Niamh with cutting the meat.

She was tall and her long, blonde hair reflected some of the sun's light as she moved with a feline grace towards the fire. She took another slice of meat to Quinlan, knelt to offer it to him and looked at him: "You look like a well-travelled man, have you not found other, even more remarkable, sights on your journey?" Reflecting his own question right back at him. There was something strange about her eyes, they looked more like the pupils of a cat then those of a Human being.

Catherine smiled inwardly, for the first time in half a yahren some purpose come back to her life. Since the time of her first Awakening the leopard shifter had spent coming to terms with her inner animal. Her need for solitude was enhanced by the stirring of the creature within her and because they were all confined to the village during the night she'd grown increasingly more frustrated. Yes, there was a purpose now... The things she had learned from Finaqa and which were so different from those things other kits learned would finally be put to use. "An interesting distraction from this confinement..."

[Xenovia Canace]

The thought of not being able to walk made Xenovia flinch. Though they were a close-knit tribe, everyone had a use and a purpose. To be confined to the village, unable to travel and roam Ursa freely...to Xenovia, it was a fate worse than death. She valued her freedom more than anything else.

The mention of Tugal finally lifted Xen's head; there were few things that could distract her from food. She nodded respectfully to him, though she looked him over carefully, her thoughts brooding again. Obvious. It's so obvious. His eyes, feline; his hair, striped; his skin, tanned; everything about Tugal reminded her of a tiger, which only made sense considering his warped form. But how long would it take for these strangers to recognize what was so obvious to her eyes? How long before they made the connection? And what would they do once they had? Xenovia's gaze lingered after him long after he had said his farewells for the day and departed, her golden orbs clouded with worry.

Upset all over again, Xenovia finished her second and last round of feasting, her appetite suppressed both by meat and knowledge. If the intruders were killed, more would come. If they left, more would come. If they left with their secret... You have ruined everything. She shot a fierce glare at Quinlan, not caring if he understood it. Xenovia looked as if she were ready to tear his throat open.

For all he knew she might have, but her sharp gaze lifted to something behind him, and then -- "Perhaps it is a sense of knowing our own place in the cycle of life." Xenovia shifted visibly so that Catherine would be forced to sit on the other side of Niamh, and an audible huff of breath was pushed through her nose. "Or maybe it is simply that we are better at coexisting than intruding." It was obvious whom her words were intended toward. Niamh was no longer cutting the meat and Xenovia had commandeered the bone knife, but she relinquished it without argument and watched Catherine with a moody discontentment.

Why is she so calm? And since when does she get involved? Catherine wasn't the meddling type, usually off by herself instead. Now all of a sudden she was sticking her nose in, and being quite hospitable. Xenovia's nostrils flared as her gaze shot over the taller Kanthrop woman's form. Muscles relaxed, heartbeat steady..she's not even wary of them. Am I the only one who is concerned?! Xenovia had never been terribly fond of Catherine, and now she was playing house with Quinlan as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Traitor.

It was becoming too much to bear. To Xenovia, her world was falling apart. First Ursa had crashed, then the Cryers had come, and now these intruders would soon force them to change further. The peaceful solitude and simple life Xenovia had grown used to after thirteen yahren was disintegrating before her very eyes, and she was powerless to stop it. Her tension was growing, and she was practically exuding anger -- no doubt Niamh could sense it already, being so near to her. All the troubles she had washed away in the stream that morning had come back all too quickly, and she couldn't take it much longer, staring them in the face like that. It was time to run.

"I shall join the hunt today," she announced suddenly, deftly catching up her spear and standing gracefully with a controlled flex of her muscles. A fierce toss of her head sent those endlessly long strands of ebony and ivory flying over her narrow shoulders and, just as suddenly as she had stood, she was gone, darting off in what seemed to be the same direction Tugal and the rest of the hunting party had followed.

Yet her departure spoke many more volumes to her kin, who knew her better and could judge direction more keenly than the humans at the camp fire. Xen rarely said exactly where she was going, and there was a slight angle to her path as she ran. No, she intended to hunt alone, if she intended to hunt at all.

[Quinlan Corodin]

Quinlan felt the latest wave of ill will from Xenovia in her tone and look. Her feelings had been obvious from the start, to say the least. He didn't want to antagonize; rather, he wanted to share and discuss, to be friendly if not friends. But, as the pale, beastly woman continued to pressure him with her spite, his pride started to push back. He met her glare with a flat stare. He wasn't going anywhere, at least not that day.

Quinlan's head swiveled to face the new voice that answered his comment. He found the reply disappointingly cryptic, though the woman who answered seemed in only two or three sentences to be somewhat more well spoken than the average villager he had so far met. For the most part, he found the natives a straightforward people, in a word, but certain subjects seemed to make them wax cryptic. "...kill no animal that eats meat..."

His eyes followed - perhaps involuntarily - the latest attendee to the cooking fire. Her demeanor seemed different from every other native so far. Her feline sway was undeniable, even for someone like Quinlan who had no idea how much it truly was a part of her. As she kneeled next to him, he arched an eyebrow and leaned away the slightest bit. In the back of his mind, her approach made him feel just a little like the mouse to her cat.

He took the second helping of meat in his fingertips as he considered polite. His gaze lingered at the exotic eyes of Catherine. He was at least as curious about their strange eyes as he was about their remarkable handling of animals, but considered it too bold yet to inquire about.

"I have seen... some remarkable things, yes," he answered, looking down at his latest helping of food to free himself from those strange eyes. As he answered, he saw the past Samheen in his thoughts. Hovering on a ship in the sky as a final battle of the war raged on Pan's Isle below, thereafter to be called Aveas. Remarkable things indeed.

"But as I said, I-" he stopped, interrupted by Xenovia's sudden departure. Watching her go, he sighed softly through his nose in relief. For him, the ease in tension was palpable. "Good hunting," he said, low and deep. And good riddance.

"I haven't seen anything like the bond you seem to have." he finished, looking to Kaila as he finished. "The, eh, apparent trust and partnership. From what I've seen so far..." -and heard- "...it's almost like you share it with most of the predators on this island." From the way he watched their expressions, it was obvious the lieutenant hoped for their clarification.

He also hoped either Carlotta or Guido was getting it all down.

[Elvin Motricé]

Catherine could sense Xenovia's hostility and wondered what the girl's problem was, wondered what the outlanders had done to deserve such a treatment by the girl. Oh yes, it was true, they weren't to be trusted. They had asked only questions without giving answers. Or so she had heard. She smiled slightly when Quinlan leaned back: "You recognize danger when you're close to it, éh?"

The animal within her enjoyed itself tremendously, it felt indeed like Quinlan sensed, as if toying with it's prey. The woman enjoyed herself as well, but for different reasons. These foreigners possessed a sharp intellect and a wwarinessthat astounded her somewhat. They were so unlike most Kanthrop.

"We raise these animals partly. They've been a part of our lives for as long as anyone can remember," she said as she moved to take her place beside Carlotta, casting a glance on the tools the other woman was carrying. "Part in more ways then you'll hopefully ever know..."

"We share a bond with the Mother of us all, a bond with the woods and the land, you could say," her face clouded for a moment when she thought of those other predators, the Cryers, "If you wish to know more about our way of life, I'm sure the Elders can tell you. It's not the place of a young woman to bungle it all up."

"Yet as fascinating as you find us, I must confess that the feeling is mutual," she absently cut a slice of meat for herself, "We have never seen such things as you wear and your accent is stranger still..."

[Niamh Windwalker]

OOC: I was just waiting for Guido to post before I posted, otherwise I would have responded days ago. Since my rate is slower, though, I'll just scoot Niamh elsewhere so I don't bog you down with waiting.

IC:
Tugal's brief appearance, and unexpected compliment drew a sudden, vague flush upon Niamh's cheekbones, but he departed before she could speak more, ask after his injuries. Again, she felt a wave of guilt, as if her failure to play her role well had led to that injury. For his kind, Tugal was a friendly, playful sort, and Niamh didn't like the reminder of how close they all had come close to an unpleasant departure.

As Xenovia's tension grew, Niamh's own spirit shifted within, senses prickling as she shifted uncomfortably on her toes. Catherine's sudden arrival elicited a quiet, sharp intake of breath, which hissed quietly through mostly straight teeth. She too edged towards Xenovia to clearly communicate no room for Catherine to come in between. The pair perched shoulder to shoulder, a united front for flickers and burns, though the Kanthrop woman didn't know how to respond to the roiling anger that built up within her counterpart. As for Catherine, the solitary warper had little to do with the more 'frivolous' things that Niamh enjoyed, spending time etching useless marks while the other kit had formed bonds from hunting, playing and competing with one another. While the others had jostled for their own status and hierarchy among their peers, Catherine's absence had seemed more an overbearing disapproval of everything the kits enjoyed.

As such, that she would stroll blithely to the fireside and act so subserviently to these strangers... offering food in such a self-abasing manner... it made Niamh's gut churn with mild contempt, a half-puzzled, half-irritated glimmer reflected in her eyes. Rather than seek the companionship of her kind, to stand with them in solidarity, Catherine immediately sought to ingratiate herself with the Intruders. Though less venomous, Niamh's glance at the newest arrival was far from welcoming.

But Catherine's actions, though seemingly demeaning of their kind, were nothing compared to Xenovia's abrupt departure in Niamh's mind. The sudden space at her side left her feeling exposed, abandoned, her eyes registering a vaguely hurt surprise that, in her rush to depart, Xenovia failed to notice.

And I thought, after the nights past, something would change. Foolish Niamh. Just easier to leave you in the dust, than take two flickers to invite your company. Dismissing her disgruntlement with a cavalier shrug, the relief in Quinlan's voice was smugly palpable. Whether or not it was deserved, resentment swelled as her eyes narrowed briefly in his direction. Good enough to fight by your side when your life is threatened, yet not... Shaking her head, the faintly dappled locks swung haphazardly in the air before settling around her face, half-shielding her features. The short strands varied in span, ranging from chin to shoulder-length. The ragged ends suited her intense features somewhat, balancing out her long nose and deep-set eyes.

Grasping a small stick, she prodded the logs, watching the dancing flickers as the orange flames flared, listening to Catherine speak her pretty words. Watchful, her gaze flickered from Carlotta, to Quinlan, to Catherine, to Guido... and the she stood abruptly, her lanky, firm limbs elongating in a single graceful movement, as if two fingers had pinched the base of her neck and propped her on her feet.

Looking to Kiare, she rolled her shoulders, twisting her neck from side to side as if to release uncertain kinks. Glimpses of skin peeked through her tightly wrapped Kanthar as she moved, and though there was no self-conciousness among their kind, the native garb left little to the imagination, however practical it seemed to be.

"Perhaps Kiare is awake, I will go to see for you Kaila, perhaps Hawkeye will need something as well." One hand absently fiddled with the purple cloth belting the fabric at her waist. Though she awaited any words Kaila spoke, she quickly stepped from the campfire making a bee-line for the tent of the Shaman.

[Brytan]

Amidst the mixture of questions and answers, Carlotta sat quietly, eating the meal offered her in small bites, making very certain none of the juices spilled on her clothing or on the parchment she had placed in her lap. She was dressed immaculately. The skiff had been untouched by the Cryers, as had their luggage been. She had seen time to rescue a spare set of clothing from the hold as the landing party had secured the site the previous day. Donned in scholarly robes, plain yet refined she sat on the log she had taken as a seat. Between bites she took the time to jot down words and images, mostly relating to the surrounding area, far less about the social structure of the tribe. She was a cartographer after all, not an anthropologist.

Kaila just smiled at the questions which were quickly picked up by Catherine who had joined them. As Niamh and Xenovia took off, she waved them goodbye and started sending the rest of the kit on their way aswell.

"Go on, scoot. Little dears can't go without their lessons. Don't want to turn into lazy flabby kanthrop, do you now dearies?"

Kanthrop.

The first time the word had been mentioned. A word that was only a few hundred yahren old but which had gained the macabre reputation among the scholarly few of belonging to evil creatures of the dark, stories to frighten children in the Western Kingdom and the Seven Isles told of men who could turn into wolves and who sought out children to feed upon. Though doubtful many knew them by that name, any who might have researched the topic of werewolves might have come across the word Kaila uttered as if she had said "person".

To the rest, it was just a name.

The two wolves got up, barked at the people by the fire and retreated into tents further along in the village as the children dispersed. Atop the hill where the Threed Fox Inn stood, the door curtain moved as several of the surviving soldiers under Quinlan's command stepped out into the dawn.

[Quinlan Corodin]

Quinlan watched as Niamh followed suit in leaving, even if she didn't actually follow where Xenovia had gone. He wasn't dense, he had an inkling that they weren't leaving simply because they had other things to be doing. But, he didn't know nearly enough to guess anything else, nor did he care to.

"Well, in a way I suppose that's what we're here for," Quinlan answered the latest female villager. "To answer questions, as well as ask them. I am Quinlan, by the way. Carlotta. Guido." He gestured to the others, introducing to Catherine. "And what is your name?"

He looked down at his uniform, trying to decide how to answer her implied questions.

"Yes, I suppose they would seem strange. Carlotta might be able to explain it better than I. She's an expert of maps. But simply put..." Quinlan paused, glancing at the faces of those natives still around the fire. "...we are from the other side of the ocean. Far to the west." Quinlan took a bite of his second helping of boar, finding it not quite as appetizing as the first had been. "It's very different from your land here." Quinlan looked down at himself again. "This, eh, is my uniform. Where we come from, it marks me as... a warrior, you might say."

Having been raised around horses, the intelligence the animals sometimes seemed to show wasn't much of a surprise. Catherine's explanation made sense to him, especially since it's what he would've guessed in the first place. He didn't press the question any further, and was content to watch in bemusement as the wolves' playtime ended and they scampered off.

"Can...thrup?" he echoed, a bit erroneously. He had never heard the word or come across it in any reading, and so any implications were lost on him. "Is that your word, er, for yourselves? Are you Canthrup?" Quinlan looked expectantly between Kaila the elder and Catherine the younger, the two women who seemed most open to polite conversation so far. "We would like to hear more of... your words." He wasn't so sure yet how similar their languages might've been. So, some of Quinlan's statements were broken up as he thought to omit some of the more extraneous words that were part of his everyday speech.

[Elvin Motricé]

Niamh's departure brought a small pang of pain to the shapeshifter. She had hoped those two would understand what she was doing. But unfortunately they were too simpleminded, no... Simpleminded wasn't the right word, too innocent.

When Quinlan introduced his companions she nodded to each of them: "My name? I haven't mentioned it yet, have I? Guess I'm too used to people who know me," she inclined her head slightly, "Catherine."

"The other side of the ocean..." she mused, "Hmm, you have strange customs there. Why, I don't think I'ld ever want to wear a uniform, luckily our customs are different." The blonde-haired woman wondered how good a warrior, he was obviously the leader of these men and their capabilities might be measured by testing his. A small smile played around her lips as she innocently asked: "Maybe you'ld like to have a little sparring match?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly when Kaila used their given name. Catherine had preferred to give the outsiders as little information as possible, especially about who they were. Too innocent indeed... But the harm is already done "Kanthrop," she corrected him, "It's an old word for our people. But it's origins have been lost long ago."

[Quinlan Corodin]

Quinlan almost groaned out loud at the thought of a sparring match. Best case scenario, he won and alienated the entire village in the process. Worst case, he got gravely injured and humiliated before the entire village in the process. All that was aside from his general distaste for the idea.

"I'm sorry, I really don't think that's a good idea," he said hastily.

Catherine's short explanation of the word "kanthrop" brought to mind the biggest question Quinlan had since before even getting on board the Tal'Fea in the first place. He had figured he would keep it to himself until a more formal discussion between the expedition and the tribe elders took place, but there didn't seem to be any harm in seeing what insight Catherine might provide.

"An old word, I see. So your people have been here quite a long time? And do you have a word for this place? This land? It was... fairly recently that we truly saw it, you see..."

[Brytan]

"You weren't supposed to ever see it at all."

Catherine and Quinlan's conversation was cut short by the voice of Oni who was accompanied by the wolf Kaern had sent to the elders. Unlike most if not all of the other kanthrop the outlanders had seen before, the woman known as Oni Swifttalon was dressed in a remarkably well cut robe of an almost unnatural white hue. At least compared to the leather and canvas coloured surroundings.
Last time Quinlan and Guido had laid eyes on her she had been naked ofcourse, and had seemed far more feral than she appeared now. A regal quality emanated from her presence and it was clear that they were dealing with a leader.

She eyed Catherine a flicker before turning to Quinlan. Her features were even sharper in the light of the sun as they had been in the moonlight. She had a quality of beauty about her, but it seemed...interupted by something else. Feathers mixed in with her long hair, her nose a subtle but sharp edge. Her eyes like those of a bird of prey. Fingers and feet ending in talon like nails.

"You are wise to obstain. Words should preceed weapons, at least for now."

The soldiers who had been looking around the village from their elevated position were gradually walking down the slope, to join up with the three at the fire. Kaila was cleaning up around it as if no conversation was going on at all. She knew better than to interfere with Kanthan affairs, even if she had raised this particular one.

"Sir, is everything in order?" Zullo stepped up next to Quinlan. Oni watched him like a...well...hawk, aswell as the others who followed in his wake. Carlotta had gotten up, forgetting her notes for a burn. The tension rose and it was nearly tangible as the soldiers were clearly uneasy about the apparent show down.

The wolf growled.

"If you would follow me?" Oni spoke, directing the question to Quinlan and his. "Feel free to join us Cat, I would have your insight if you'll share it." It was not an order, more of a firm request. The Kanthan waited for a flicker to see how things were decided before turning around and walking east and out of the village, in the direction of Harmony Circle.

[Elvin Motricé]

Quinlan's rejection made her realize her error. What had seemed like a simple invitation for a sparring match could very well result in even more tensions between the outlanders and the Kanthrop.

She was about to reply when Oni interrupted. Catherine did not like her, or to be more precise, Catherine's Inner Animal disliked Oni. Her manner of speaking and her entire behavior had the sharp edge of a hawk which was so opposite to the soft padded footfalls and feline grace it was familiar with. She respected Oni but the hawk shifter's presence made her skin crawl. Apparently she even had that effect on these outsiders, as she felt the tension build up.

"Like I'ld leave this chance to do something useful..." Catherine thought when Oni asked her to accompany them. "As you wish," she swiftly rose and waited politely for Quinlan and his companions to get ready.

[Quinlan Corodin]

Oni's stern words and obvious authority brought Quinlan Corodin to his feet in courtly respect. He acknowledged her with a slight bow from the waist. Even without the adornments that caused her to stand out so, he remembered her quickly as the tribals' voice of reason from the night of the Cryer attack.

Her words weren't surprising, though they were somewhat confusing. Nearly every native had made it abundantly clear that the expedition was unwanted, or at least unexpected. But surely they ddn't expect noone would ever come to the island? How could they conceal the entire land from the world?

Quinlan was reminded once again of the detail that was so mysterious, perhaps fantastic, it had a way of slipping his mind in the face of his tangible challenges. How could they conceal the entire land from the world?

The lieutenant felt the tension rise almost before he actually noticed the approach of the Condotierre soldiers from the inn. He sighed. Of course they couldn't have stayed at the inn as he directed. That would've been too simple.

"Yes, Private Zullo. Everything's fine." Quinlan leveled his eyes at the soldier. "These people have been quite hospitable to us." It was a new dilemma in his career as an officer. How do you order a soldier to simply be a houseguest for awhile?

"Madam," he began to Oni. "I would be... grateful if you would allow my people a little to eat from your cooking fires." As he finished the statement, he turned to Kaila, who seemed to shrink into the background in the face of the white leader. Hopefully, she would stay and have the same calming effect on the other Condotierre. And hopefully, the men would be too busy eating to cause any trouble.

"Mr. Zullo," he said, the lieutenant aspect resuming. "I shall follow the lady. You and the others remain here. At rest." His voice left little room for interpretation in the statement. "And remember what I said on the ship. Best foot forward, yes?"

Not giving himself a chance to hesitate, Quinlan followed after Oni Swifttalon. The mission awaited.

'Words should preceed weapons...at least for now.' An ominous thing to say, as Oni must have intended. Quinlan's regret at losing Donelli was renewed as he began taking the steps meant for the envoy.

[Brytan]

"As you wish sir." Zullo answered, some reluctance in his voice which was quickly overshadowed by his sense of duty and moral obligation to his commanding officer. Carlotta seemed a little disgruntled she was left with the soldiers as part of "the rest", but she did not interject.

As Quinlan and Catherine moved away they could hear the soldier say; "At ease men, looks like we get to...ah...how kind of you."

"Eat up dearies, you're lucky the kit didn't eat it all while you were sleeping." Kaila's voice interjected.

Oni moved swiftly across the sand, gravel and grass that made up the path through the village. They passed through one of the openings in the wall, which was guarded by two women holding spears of wood with bone points. They looked fierce and eyed Quinlan warily as he passed. They followed a path Quinlan had not tracked before, to the east in the direction of more woods. Beyond it the mountain range they had passed. After they crossed the initial gap between the wooden wall and the treeline the forest quickly densed, leaving them with little light but what fell through the canopy and the narrow gap left where a path was cut in the undergrowth. Neither Oni nor Catherine had any trouble traversing the path to Harmony Circle, whereas Quinlan found himself getting caught in branches with his scabbard or clothing more than once.

The walk was not very long, taking them to a small clearing somewhat to the east and south or where the village was, Quinlan gathered. Birds chirped in the canopy, a small family of rabbits rushed off as the three entered the clearing.

"This is where we will talk. Lay down your weapons, as we bear no weapons either." Oni indicated the sword by Quinlan's side, then sat herself down on the grass in the middle of the clearing. She paused a flicker before continuing.

"Let me make one thing abundantly clear. You have trespassed on grounds no human has touched...ever. You violated our sacred grounds, witnessed secrets untold to outsiders. The only reason you still live is by the grace of life given by your tribe to save those of mine. That grace is wearing out." Her accent was hard to follow, as Oni spoke rather quickly. Her choice of words left little to the imagination, as did the way she looked at the soldier while she spoke.

"Now, give me an excellent reason for your tribe to leave this isle alive."

[Elvin Motricé]

OOC:
I was waiting for Quinlan and the others but here goes anyway.

IC:
Catherine found the trouble their visitors had with the path quite amusing. "You wonder how they survive in their country. Maybe they don't have any forests over there?" She nodded to the two guardswomen, both of whom she knew only superficially.

A sharp intake of breath was the only thing that indicated her surprise after Oni's words. She could feel her inner animal's urge to hiss at Oni. "Not as subtle as I had hoped... Really, you couldn't have been a bit more diplomatic?"

She leaned against one of the trees, a position that would allow her to react more quickly if one of these outsiders decided to try something stupid, and waited quietly.

[Brytan]

OOC: Considering Quinlan and Guido's inactivity it's a bit hard to continue. Will give it a bit longer as Quin seems to have computer issues, otherwise 'we can always spin it off for Cat.

[Quinlan Corodin]

Quinlan had high hopes for Oni. Pushing his way through the foliage, he imagined what the events might look like written. Kept as in a journal or memoir page, such as the paper he had bought prior to leaving for just that purpose. The image appeared in his imagination in a moment of whimsy. "In the Court of the Beast People," across the top in fine calligraphy. But, every discovery so far was intertwined with tragedy and disappointment, and he had all but forgotten the idea.

The latest disappointment was the white-clad chief's heavy-handed remarks. Quinlan sighed quietly. He pursed his lips. He had wanted to respect Oni, to be an ambassador of the civility of the West, if nothing else. But, the kanthrop tribe were making it more difficult to remain mannerly, little by little. The woman in white in the clearing, the white woman at the campfire, almost every tribal seemed to have a similar message. Outsiders bad. Kanthrop smash. My goodness, if you people wanted us dead so badly, why didn't you simply leave us for the Cryers?

The lieutenant's eyes widened briefly as something clicked in his mind. His eyes hovered over Oni.

You're bluffing.

He slowly began to undo his scabbard from his side. This village didn't even seem to know the word "sword," nor did they seem to have metal tools of their own. The weapons, the clothes, the airship, how foreign it all was.

They are... afraid.

"Right down to it then. Fair enough," he responded curtly, making a bit of a show of removing his sword and laying it aside. "I can do better than only one reason, madam." He eased himself down to the ground a respectable distance away, crossing one leg beneath the other. She was right about one thing: grace did seem to be wearing out.

"The first one is obvious. You have no reason to fear us." He faced Oni directly, looking into those strange eyes. "This is a peaceful expedition. We had no intention of causing harm. Quite the contrary, we're here in the spirit of learning, of exploration. Friendship, even. I'm sure there is much we can learn from one another." Quinlan paused just a moment.

"Second... where I am from, I like to think that fighting together means something. Those Cryers, as they seem to be called... the attack was heinous. Those were brave men we cremated." Deeply as he had been affected, he didn't allow his eyes to wander, or his pace to slow. "They died so we could come to sit here, and talk." Quinlan sighed through his nose.

"Finally, the part you and yours seem to be most concerned with." Quinlan leaned forward. Time for the proverbial elephant in the room - or the clearing, in this case.

"Madam, I don't know how this land has stayed off of maps until now. But, rest assured it is on them now." His tone was low and constant as he explained. "Though we are from the other side of the oceans, scarcely a tide passed from the formation of this expedition to its landing on your countryside. Just a short distance from where we sit, two great empires fought the final battle of a war." Quinlan's expression was grim as he remembered the view from above, watching the battle from the deck of an airship.

"Your village is... a beautiful place. And enough people must have died in that single battle to fill it a hundred times over." Quinlan rubbed his chin lightly, beginning to make as much of an impression on himself as he hoped to make on Oni.

"Let me make one thing abundantly clear," he said, more softly. "Kill us if you really must. Punish us for violating grounds we had no way of knowing were sacred. Murder us for being outsiders if you have to. But... you must see it isn't going to keep the next expedition from coming. Or the one after that."

[Brytan]

Oni smiled.

"Hmm...you're not quite what I pictured you would be Quin...lahn." The Kanthan got up again and turned her back to the Condotierre, gazing up at the sky. "Not what I pictured you would be at all. You're a warrior, but nothing like us. Had I asked this question to kin, they would have most likely reacted differently..."

Catherine got the hint. Oni was referring to the challenge. It was not uncommon for disputes among tribesmen to be fought out in combat. That was even the way of succession when it came to choosing new Kanthans and even an Akanthan. The outsider apparently did not share their vigor, or their bravery.

"Let me tell you a little story." She paused as she cast a cursory glance at Catherine. "Once a long time ago, my people came to this island. Some called it a gift. Others called it a curse. We were told we should stay here and tend to our own, stay out of harm's way because mankind would seek to destroy us."

She turned back towards Quinlan and looked down at him with her piercing bird like eyes. "For a long time we stayed and we forgot the outside world. And it forgot us. Stories of our homeland forgotten, never told, dieing with the elders." She paused again.

"Do you believe in spirits, Quin'lahn? We believe that this land, this world, is filled with them. We believe that they watch over us and that three of them guided us here on that faithful day. Perhaps if you are to stay you might hear the story told by a more gifted narrator." She looked at the sky again, a bird of prey circled over their heads. "So you see...we need no one to come here and tell us of wars that do not concern us. Nor do we believe that you will be the last to try and invade the land given to us by the Mother. It is a miracle none tried sooner, we always knew the day would come."

A gust of wind ruffled the feathers in Oni's hair, her robe swaying in the breeze. "You tell me that you mean no harm, that you fought with us against the Cryers. This last part is true. But would you still have done so without a common enemy? And would I really sit here talking to you if I meant you any harm? We both know this is not the case." She sat back down in front of him.

"You come on a mission of peace but you bear weapons. To defend against threat no doubt. Meaning you do not know much about us, or you know a lot about us. Surely you must have known the possibility existed you would find people, or at least living creatures on this isle. Since we are strangers, we should know who we are speaking with."

She turned to Catherine.

"We will ask you a question and you can ask us one question. After that we will see. Catherine. What would you ask someone who walked up to you with a hunting party and spoke of peace?"

[Quinlan Corodin]

Quinlan forced himself not to roll his eyes. He could understand Oni's concerns on some level. But every time he repeated himself about the expedition and its mission, the tribals would repeat themselves in kind. Invaders, weapons, threats, it was starting to seem like they were simply going to refer to the same things with different words. The expedition was not going to cease being "invaders."

The question Oni asked of Catherine was obviously a loaded one, and Quinlan was not anxious to hear the answer.

"Of course, I should have explained more from the beginning," he stated. "Some of the finer details have been omitted in the... confusion of the past days. I am sorry." It was true, there had never been anything like a proper introduction.

"I'm from a land called World's Mouth. It is in the center of a vast land far to the west. World's Mouth also holds dominion over the nearby land bridged to this one. We call it Aveas." Quinlan's explanation was quick, and concise. He stressed the words he suspected might be foreign to the kanthrop. "I am a lieutenant - a lower tier leader, you might say - in one of its armies. Condotierre. The Condotierre specialize in flying ships like our Tal'Fea, though it is among the smallest."

"You're right, we did know there were people here. When your land was found, scouts were sent to explore it. They had fleeting glimpses of what I presume were your people. So, my expedition was assembled immediately to make contact."

"It's only fair to tell you that I was meant to provide protection for our group. Another man was... to sit here where I am. He was lost in the attack." Quinlan bit his lower lip briefly.

"That, madam, is who you are speaking with."

[Elvin Motricé]

OOC: Projects and my paper keep me sooo busy lately, sorry for the late reply! Knowledge about the Empire of the Seven Isles is taken from the wiki...

IC:
The blonde woman listened attentively to Quinlan's story for many of the things he talked about were alien to her and their kind. They knew of only one Empire, one that had already offered veiled threats, even before their island had been this accessible. "Why would the land of this silly man be any different?" the leopard shifter wondered wryly.

Her muscles hardened when Quinlan neared the end of his story. Surely he would claim satisfaction for this kind of insult. Yet the man did nothing, she saw Oni's look and nodded slightly... A sense of apprehension filled her and one of her earliest lessons with Finaqa sprung to mind. "Remember, young kit," her Kanthan had said, "The outside world is quite different from what we hold dear. Their is no directness in their words or actions. They know no honour in their dealings with others. Their words are like a slow working poison, lulling you to sleep so that they might attack you when you least suspect it..."

She was still pondering her mentor's words when Oni said her name. The question took her completely by surprise and Cat threw a venomous glare at Oni for dragging her into the discussion so unexpectedly.

She pushed of from the tree she was leaning against and walked past Quinlan, clasping her hands behind her back as she looked at the trees surrounding harmony circle. And again, words tumbled out of the stranger's mouth, words that could not clear the Kanthrop's fear and anger. That the man was never meant to be the leader, and told so freely,surprised her. In their culture he just admitted to being incompetent, after all if a leader fell the most capable person would take over without making excuses.

Walking past him had given her the time to carefully pick her own words. "Quinlan, your reasoning is alien to us. Know full well that your appearance here is unprecedented. There was a good reason why this land was hidden for so long," long graceful strides took her past the man again. She remained silent for a moment, turning around when she stood next to Oni.

Cat looked at Quinlan, her cat-like eyes thoughtful: "Our ancestors fled to this place because of they were prosecuted by others. For fear of their children they fled, leaving their old lands. We've been kept safe for a long while by the grace of the spirits that protect us. But that protection is no longer there. Once more we find ourselves in a world that we don't want to deal with. You come here with a group of men that is armed as if to take whatever to find by force. You speak of controlling a bridge of land, you speak of war. Although we know what those words mean, we do not use them. A war was fought and armed men explore the lands that are our safe haven? Know then, Quinlan, that you breached lands that are sacred not only because of their history but also because they're the home where our children can be raised without the influence of wars, without someone controlling them."

She sighed: "I have been asked to ask you one question. I know not what I want to ask... I would ask about your intentions but you already explained them. But can we trust your words?" She looked at him, slightly bending her knees expecting a challenge by questioning his honor, "Why did you want to make contact, Quinlan? You have your country and we have ours, none of our people has ever made war upon you, nothing bad filtered from these lands to yours so why have you come? With someone who draws and records and men armed to fight a war. Do not tell me to explore even though you might think so. A flying ship, more then a score of men of a realm we have never heard of before, this seems an awful lot of trouble for just explorers... No, an answer to that question would not be able to convince my heart that it is true."

Her eyes glittered and she crouched even more, the natural poise of a feline ready to spring: "Tell me, Quinlan, are people free to do as they please in your country? Are they free to talk, to love, to believe? Or is there fear for those things you can not explain? Do your people destroy what you fear?"

[Quinlan Corodin]

There is no place without the influence of wars.

It was a strange thought to have pop in his head at that moment. It came like a retort, a chiding response to the rhetoric of the kanthrop. Quinlan frowned at himself, taking a moment and a breath to maintain an even disposition.

He was told over and again he didn't mean what he said. Now this Catherine crouched before him, as though she would tackle him if he gave an answer she didn't like. Which was just great, since kanthrop women didn't seem to ever hear an answer they liked.

Who knew playing envoy would take so much fighting of its own kind? Sometimes it seems like they're just trying to goad me or somesuch. Keep your wits, now.

"Back to the beginning, then," he muttered wearily. With one hand he rubbed his eyes. "We're invaders for wearing weapons," he replied calmly, "but if we came without them you'd probably call us fools instead. Tell me, do you stroll happily into the unknown with no means to protect yourself?" Quinlan laced his fingers over one knee, giving a shrug as he did so. "Before we ever set foot on this soil, I gave my men explicit instruction not to even draw a weapon unless they were attacked."

"As I was trying to say a moment ago, it wasn't even a little bit of trouble to journey here. Our coming was as easy as, well, walking through a doorway." And quite literally, if one considered a portal's arch to be a doorway. "All the trouble only started after we arrived."

Quinlan instinctively wanted to answer "yes" to Catherine's latter round of rather idealistic questions. In World's Mouth, he had not a second thought about doing whatever he wished. But one memory gave him pause. During the war, he had witnessed firsthand adhiel being escorted from the city. Dominicus's name had been part of the reason for war, hadn't it? Was the answer no, then?

"Yes," the lieutenant uttered. The war was over. The inquisition was over. "People do as they please. And I think that fear isn't something that rules in World's Mouth." Crowns, perhaps.

For all their apparent fear of invasion - and for the lost men and the troubles - Quinlan found it bitingly ironic that he expected the Mouthie powers-that-be wouldn't find anything particularly interesting about Terra Nova. Just woods and dirty savages, so they would think. No trade goods to monopolize. No coffee beans.

"I won't pretend to know the rulers' minds," he eventually continued. He felt just a little righteous with the statement, though the reason why was inexplicable to him. "But my mission was to come and learn, and noone ever said a thing to me about invasion of any kind. That's the truth." Quinlan cocked his head a bit, looking quizzically at the catlike Cat. "And what's so hard to believe about it? Why, I was excited to be chosen for the expedition. I looked forward to seeing a land that noone I knew of had set foot on before." Another irony, he thought.

Perhaps we should take the hint, as it were. Catherine's interrogation brought to mind that little had truly been said in the way of specific goals or timeframes. Look around, make contact. Both of which seemed to be accomplished.

Quinlan seemed to stare at the ground. He wanted to learn more, and was sure Miss Serafini had taken only the barest of notations by now. On the other hand, what have we really found, anyway? How long could he ask the expedition to remain? How long in peril of shadowy monsters at night and prickly tribals in the day?

"Far be it from us to impose," he said flatly, before he could change his mind. "We will begin preparations to leave... at first light tomorrow."