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Chapter Fourteen

She blinked her eyes open, giving a wide, happy smile up at the still dark sky. It appeared to be night still, or at least, very late night. Either way she knew the end of their overnight stop would be over relatively soon, so it was as good a time as any to wake. That, and she felt so satisfied and refreshed she didn't want to try and sleep more anyway. Her shoulder was a bit sore and ached when she moved it a certain way, yes, but to her it was a good kind of pain. It held meaning and significance for her, and she was happy to bear the mark it left her.

With careful movements she slowly extracted herself away from Falren, her mate having rejoined her in the night. She smiled down at him, pulling herself up into a sitting position. Yes... he was her mate, and she was his.

Mated to a Human. She thought to herself with a silent laugh.

But that was fine; he made her genuinely happy. She didn't feel alone anymore, didn't have the feeling of being an outsider like she had amongst her clan. Falren may have been Human, but he understood her and was more like her than her own clan had been. Something she'd heard her mother say once came to mind, something about "life mates". If that's what they were called, she wouldn't mind it. She didn't care about naming what they were though; they belonged to each other now, and that instinctual feeling was strong in her.

Realizing that Naleen must have been awake as well, she looked up across the fire. The female sat there with head in hands, eyes sparkling with amusement as her red fur flickered crimson in the firelight.

"Hello, youngling." Naleen greeted her quietly.

"Ah, hello Naleen." She replied, grabbing her pack and beginning to fish around in its meager contents.

She was really only looking for two things: her water skin and a bit of cloth. The former she found easily, and the latter she found something suitable enough. She dampened the cloth, raising it up to her shoulder as she peered down at it. Some drying blood clung to her fur around Falren's bite, dark spots against the white, but all she wanted to do was clean it from her fur.

"So, he gave you what you wanted I see." Naleen pointed out as she wiped around the bite.

"Yes." She replied, a bit of pride leaking into her voice as she glanced up at her.

"Well that is good, I think." The female smiled, a knowing look coming across her face.

"It... is, yes." She agreed, ear twitching.

Naleen obviously knew what they'd... done barely a few strides from her, but considering the nature of the bite it was fairly easy to guess. Still, she wasn't making an objection, if anything she looked... amused? She frowned. No, that didn't seem the right word for it.

"You are a worthy female, Velanis." Naleen said quite unexpectedly. "One to be proud of, I think. He deserves to have you."

"I... What?" She aired, slightly off balanced by her words.

"After all he's been through, you are something he needs in his life." The female said quietly, green eyes looking over at Falren. "He's lost much that was beyond his control. I hope he gets to hold you for a long while to come, youngling, and you him. I... would hate to see him lose more."

Velanis remained silent as those words sank in, quirking her head over at Naleen as she sat with a strange look on her face. The way she spoke made it seem... personal.

"You speak very knowingly about him." She stated slowly.

"I know what he has been through, child." Naleen said with a sad laugh. "I have been through something similar, yes? That mate I told you about? He was lost to me as my clan fell around my ears."

When she put it that way, she could understand that she spoke from experience. Still, there seemed more to what she was saying, a subtle message underneath the surface.

"I am sorry, youngling." The female abruptly said. "I did not mean to tarnish your moment with my somber talk."

"It's alright Naleen." She supplied. "I... think I understand what you're saying."

"Perhaps." She mused, turning to her with a glint in her eye. "We all have answers to find, or... sometimes create, yes? Some just take longer than others."

"I suppose." She mumbled, looking over at Falren. "Could... you tell me why he's so reluctant to talk about the clan he came from?"

"Ah, trying to find those answers?" Naleen chuckled, turning her gaze down to the fire. "He simply wishes to put those times behind him, I think. They hold much anger and pain, and many things left unanswered for him. I... also do not think he likes to speak about it, because the clan he knew was very different from what most would know."

"What do you mean?" She asked, quirking her head.

"He grew up with mostly just his master, and a small handful of others, I think." Naleen said, ear twitching. "As he said, those in that clan did not hold his presence in very high regard. His clan, and the one he and his master were part of, were not one and the same. Sort of like you and your clan, no?"

"Maybe." She'd never thought about it before, but she supposed their upbringing was similar. Although... she didn't doubt that he had been through more than her. "You do know a lot about him."

"Ah, well, I have seen such things before yes?" Naleen shrugged. "And... his clan was well known to many in Nel'Vrak."

Velanis hummed, but didn't press the matter. She'd always been curious about Naleen, it was hard not to be. The female was odd in a way; her mannerisms towards her and Falren seemed... motherly almost. She wouldn't say she saw them as her young exactly, but she treated them and acted like... she'd known them a long while. But then, perhaps that's just how she was; she certainly seemed friendly enough.

She sighed to herself, rubbing between her eyes. She liked Naleen as a friend, and Falren was her mate, but the way they danced around questions was infuriating.

But, as she looked up at the sky, she realized that the night was beginning to fade away, and she should probably wake Falren. She scooted over to where he was lying, touching his shoulder lightly. He woke easily, giving a hum as he blinked his eyes open and brought them into focus.

"Morning, Vel." He stated, pulling himself up next to her as he ran a hand over his eyes.

"Hello." She said, nuzzling into his neck in greeting.

"How's, ah, the shoulder?" He asked her, looking over at it.

"It's fine." She answered. "A little sore, but that's alright."

"Glad I didn't hurt you too much then." He declared.

"Thank you again, Falren." She murmured quietly, resting her hand on his and flicking her tongue out to lick him quickly. "I enjoyed that a lot. And... the way you touched me felt nice too."

"Ah, yeah." Falren muttered, clearing his throat.

She smiled to herself, pressing he her snout into him once more before pulling away. She found it funny how awkward he got talking about their mating. It didn't bother her between the two of them; she knew he liked it, and they were mates after all. But she understood that the whole having her as a mate thing was still new to him. It was to her too, but it felt right so she just accepted it; that was just how he was she supposed. Which was fine, nothing would change how she felt about him at this point.

"Hello, Naleen." Falren stated, taking her away from her thoughts.

"Greetings." The female said with a chuckle. "Sleep well, yes?"

"Aye, I did." He agreed slowly.

"Well that is good." She said with a smile. "Time we get set to leave?"

Falren nodded, climbing to his feet.

Velanis stood as well, moving to get her mail and such back on. She'd figured out a way to sort ofget the tailpiece on, but it was still a bit tedious and frustrating to shuffle the sleeve of metal up her tail. It was for the best though, since she couldn't always just rely on someone to help her constantly. As it was, she eventually got the mail pulled to the base of her tail and buckled in place, Falren having brought some of the cured meat in the mean time She sat back down, now dressed in her attire, and set about tearing at her own share of the chewy meat.

"Will we be able to hunt something fresher soon?" She asked halfway through their meal.

It wasn't that she didn't appreciate having the food, but she'd been containing her desire to hunt on her own for some time now.

"Soon, Vel." He said to her. "Once we get a bit closer to Rain Wood I promise we can take some time to let you hunt. I think it will just be a simpler task altogether if we put the more inhabited parts behind us first."

"Alright." She replied, swallowing down the last mouthful of her food.

"A Sergal on the road is one thing, but I'm not sure how these people would react to stumbling across one in a forest." He added, glancing at her.

"I understand." She could see what he meant, considering most Humans were uncomfortable around her kind. He was only trying to keep her out of trouble, and... protect her. She smiled slightly; it was touching in a way too.

"Well, it's time we get moving." Falren declared, standing.

She climbed to her feet, shouldering her pack as she looked up at the sky through the foliage. It looked to be just brightening by the early sun, and she figured it was time they get moving. When she brought her gaze back down her two companions were ready to go, and with little delay Falren led them once more through the trees.

"Our next goal is fort Green Watch." Falren stated to them. "Named for the border of Rain Wood it stands guard at no doubt."

Velanis gave a half laugh, half snort.

"It's a few days easy travel to get there." He continued. "There isn't much between here and there that should give us any delays."

"Alright." She acknowledged, shifting the back on her shoulders.

She looked ahead at the dirt lane as it ran its way beneath the trees, dappled light playing across the ground from the morning sun. It appeared they'd have another ordinary day ahead of them, and most likely the coming ones as well, but that was fine. She was interested to see this "fort" that Falren talked about, and she wondered how it might compare to the other Human constructs she'd seen. She doubted it would be nearly as big as Amara, as nothing so far had been, but its purpose seemed to imply it held a commanding role on the area.

She'd find out either way she supposed, she simply had to see the days through. And with them all setting a determined gait, that's what she set out to do...

***

That day passed with relative ease, an otherwise typical late-summer day for Rindal. Indeed that night had passed in much the same manner, with him taking the first watch of the night until he eventually joined Velanis' embrace in sleep. Falren didn't dream that night, or at least none that he could recall. He had to wonder what his mind would show him next about that Sergal, for he doubted that it was done with its dreaming messages. His only hope was that whatever it showed him, he could at least understand clearly.

He couldn't deny that his past was something he dwelled on at times, in both anger and sadness. But, his dreams had never been things he let his conscious mind get enthralled in. Mostly because they had never been anything more then memories he could not change, visions of a past long gone. These dreams about that Sergal though... those seemed different. He got the gut feeling that, whoever that Sergal was, perhaps they were still alive. What he could do with that information even if that were the case, he couldn't know.

But it was best to just focus on the present, rather than getting lost in questions he couldn't answer.

The morning found them all awake, leaving them to their daily ritual of readying themselves for the new day. It all passed quite methodically for him, having fell into that state of mind he adopted when journeying long distances. He interacted and traded conversation with Velanis and Naleen of course, nor was he oblivious to his passing surroundings. Simply he paid less mind to the passing hours of the days, and instead looked ahead to their destination. Or, to one of the few along their route anyway.

He noted that the traffic on the road had lessened day by day, which was no surprise. The farther you drew from Amara, the less reason the majority of merchants had to journey this far. Not to mention that there was less turn around near the edges of Rain Wood, compared to if they travelled the opposite direction towards more populated areas. About the only people who trekked out this far would be the local residents looking to trade, or fresh soldiers cycling into the fort.

That didn't bother him in the slightest though, as he could live just fine with the quiet of the wilderness. He preferred to avoid dealing with the majority of Humans if he could, less problems that way. He just never quite fit in with them, short of Aemon and his wife, and he supposed that it could be attributed to his upbringing, as Naleen had said. That didn't give him pause though, he was who he was, and he didn't care to try and change that. His master had taught him that much, to control his own life; and he did as best he could.

Those were the thoughts that he passed the time with, as the sun climbed its way in the sky, only to begin its descent once more. It wasn't long before he signaled his companions to stop, diverting them into the trees. The forests in this land were nice at least, the trunks dense, but the floor otherwise free of clinging undergrowth. It left for relative ease in traversing them, as well as providing shelter and obscurity amongst them. He soon found himself sitting comfortably; staring at the flickering flames of the fire he'd sparked.

"Falren?" Velanis prodded from beside him.

He hummed, taking his eyes off the fire to look at her amber ones.

"You just haven't said much." She stated, nuzzling into his neck with her familiar affections.

"Ah, sorry." He offered, rubbing the side of her head. "Just thinking to myself."

"Anything in particular?" She asked, tongue flicking out to catch his hand when it drifted down her snout.

"No... not really." He shrugged. "Unimportant things to pass the time."

"I see." She muttered, resting her jaw on his shoulder.

"How has the bite been treating you Vel?" He asked her curiously.

"It's fine, you don't need to worry about it all the time." She chuckled in response. "But, thanks for asking."

"Alright..." He nodded.

She didn't add anything after that, as she quietly rested her head on his shoulder. At least, until she abruptly removed herself from him and climbed to her feet. He looked up at her with quirked brow as she strode over to his horse, the creature giving a flick of its ear as she dug through his saddle. He didn't have to guess what she was looking for, and she made it clear when she turned with one of their practice swords in hand. He climbed to his feet as she made her way over, but she rather surprised him.

"Not this time." Velanis said to him with a chuckle, grinning across the fire instead. "I want to spar with Naleen."

"Do you then?" Naleen spoke up, watching her with a smile. "Well, alright youngling."

She stood, retrieving the leather sheath for her spearhead as Velanis moved to a somewhat open part of their camp. Feeling that it would probably be best for him to be out of the way, he retreated to the edge of the firelight, resting up against a tree as Naleen joined Velanis. This would be an interesting match between the younger and older Sergal, and he couldn't deny that he was intrigued to watch it play out. He watched on as the pair took their own respective stances, amber and emerald eyes locked onto each other as Velanis gave a predatory grin.

Velanis threw the first blow of the session, swinging forwards in a slash that Naleen turned aside with the crack of wood. Vel danced out of reach of the red female's counterblow, the haft of wood slicing through the air in front of her. He watched Vel dart in for a downward blow at her, Naleen catching it on the middle of her spear before shoving the sword away. Vel dodged to the side of the thrust that was aimed at her, bringing up her sword to stop a follow-up swing. She had a silent snarl on her face as they traded blows, eyes still boring into Naleen's.

It was a different experience to watch the two fight, rather than being the one in the fray. He was able to witness their lithe movements as they blocked and swung, the claws on their feet digging into the ground to propel them as they danced. It had been a very long time since he'd seen two Sergals in a clash with each other, but it still struck familiar memories with him. Vel fought with as much ferocity as he was used to, but she was learning to control herself and pace her actions.

And Naleen... her fighting style was much the same as that of the warriors back amongst his clan. She was both aggressive and quick in her movements, handling her spear as if it was a part of her. So familiar was it, that it conjured memories of both sparring with his master, and watching others all those years ago under the sun. He could recognize various similarities in the way she moved, a well-practiced flow that he'd grown accustomed to when training with his master.

After both fighting her, and watching her, he could have said that she'd come from his own clan. He frowned to himself at that thought. That wasn't right though... as she herself said she'd come from a clan far away from his, and had only heard of them in passing. But how did she fight like so many he had seen before? Sure, it wasn't impossible for someone outside the clan to pick up the techniques, but still...

He was shaken from his sidetracked thoughts by the sound of connecting wood, bringing his attention back to the show in front of him once more. Naleen and Vel were still going at it, the older female having made her maneuver around the fire. Vel had a determined grit to her features, but he could almost say she looked to be tiring...

A moment later, be it from tiring out or not, she made a mistake.

She parried aside a blow from Naleen and, in an aggressive move, she lunged forward in a counterattack. What she didn't take into account was the range at which Naleen had swung that blow at her, her lunge causing her to over extend in her attempt to land a swing. The red-furred female saw that mistake, easily stepping away from the unbalanced blow. Velanis attempted to gain her footing once more and bring her guard up, but the damage had been done...

Naleen darted up behind her, swinging her spear low at the backs of Vel's legs. The blow struck, her legs buckling underneath her to send her sprawling onto her back with a grunt of air. Naleen was over her before she could attempt to stand, bringing the sheathed point of her spear to rest in the hollow of her throat.

"Dead." Naleen stated with a grin, tapping the spear against her collar. In that moment, as Velanis stared up with a growl, he could have almost seen a ghost with how many times his master had done that to him.

Naleen quickly withdrew her spear, reaching an open hand down to Velanis. She grabbed the offered hand, pulling herself back to her feet with a huff. He stepped over to his horse as she did so, taking his water skin from the bags and walking back to the fire. He sat down, the two females following suit, albeit Vel made sure to sit closer to him and drape her tail across his lap. He held the skin of water out to her, which she eagerly accepted, taking a long swallow from its contents. She handed it back to him when she finished, giving a frustrated stare at the fire.

"Do not look so discouraged youngling, you fought well enough." Naleen said, sensing Velanis' mood. "Keep practicing with us, and you will improve. You must realize that I've fought most of my life, yes? Do not worry too much."

"I suppose." Velanis mumbled in reply.

He idly started tracing his hand along the tail in his lap, the appendage twitching against his touch. Velanis shifted up against him at his attentions, putting an arm around his shoulders and pulling him closer.

"Why so quiet now Falren?" She asked, poking at his ear with the end of her snout.

"Nothing." He dismissed, blinking as she breathed against the side of his face.

"Ah, thought you may have had something to add." She chuckled into his ear. "Did you... enjoy the show at least?"

"I suppose you could say I did." He replied, glancing at her as she rested her head on him and closed her eyes. "Just be patient and calm when you're fighting, otherwise it's too easy to slip and make mistakes."

"I know." She hummed. "I just get aggravated."

"Yes, but you've been working on keeping your temper in check." He stated. "Better to work it out with us than in a real fight. And like Naleen says, we're... a bit of a special case."

"Yes, you are." She replied quietly, pressing a bit more heavily into him.

"Why don't you get to sleep Vel?" He suggested. "You sound tired, and you should probably get your rest while you can."

"I'm a little tired, yes." She said, sitting up straight. "Do you want to join me... mate?"

He turned his head to find her giving him a meek smile, an expectant look in her eye.

"Aye, alright." He conceded, to which she promptly grabbed her bedroll and laid it out for them.

He migrated over to the bedding at her beckon, seeing as there wasn't much point in arguing. Not that he wanted to argue anyway; he was content to get to sleep himself, and he may as well share it with his partner. She welcomed him into her embrace happily, wrapping her arms and tail around him in the familiar warmth. He didn't have to remind Naleen to wake him at this point, as they all knew their routine. Velanis fell into sleep quickly, giving a murmur as she pulled him tight. As he played a hand up and down her side he figured he would join her, closing his eyes to her warm presence.

***

They continued on with their venture come morning, setting off under overcast skies. It hadn't decided to rain on them at least, nor had it decided to in the handful of days that followed. Little of interest happened, unless you could consider passing a wagon with one of its wheels half-splintered something of interest, and he simply joined those hours with the others of his time spent on the road. Although, he didn't brush off all memories of that time, he made sure to put his time with Vel and Naleen to memory. A new chapter as it were; or he hoped as much.

Beyond that, the days went by without any problems, and they made good time on the road. So much so in fact, that by the third day's afternoon following that morning he gauged them to be close to fort Green Watch. A river was flowing to their right, the water running past them as the road they followed slowly angled away from the lake in the distance behind. The trees started to thin as they progressed, the results of them being cleared away by the residents of what would soon be visible.

Within a few moments the view ahead opened, their group stepping out from the remaining trees and onto an open swath of green field. Ahead of them, down the road a ways, stood the familiar stone-grey construction of Green Watch, the bastion standing tall as it watched over the landscape. It was half a small town, and half a garrison for soldiers to house in as they kept the peace on the fringes of Rindal. There was a small collection of buildings set up near its walls, serving to house the civilian population that chose to dwell there. Most likely they felt safer out here being watched over by a fort of stone, filled with men of the crown.

It actually served one other purpose, or punishment depending on whom you asked, and that was to train some of the new blood inducted into the kingdom's ranks of arms men. Punishment, because the legate of said fort ran a very strict and trying establishment for the men under his command. Falren had met the man once or twice, and although he was strict, he was fair in his treatment of you. He didn't discriminate, regardless of who you were; either you were worth his time, or you weren't. A rare trait, he found, and one that had undoubtedly caused him trouble along the way.

"So this is that fort then?" Velanis asked him, quirking her head at the construct of stone as they walked down the dirt path towards it.

"Aye, it is." He nodded in agreement.

"Well, it is bigger than I was expecting." She mused. "Though still small compared to Amara."

"In this land there will be few things that compare to Amara." He chuckled in response. "But this is big enough. It houses a fairly large detachment of men, enough to reside over the surrounding area. It also is neighbor to a small town, as you can just make out from here."

"I can..." Velanis replied; ears twitching as she looked over the sight in front of her.

"We'll be staying here tonight." He declared to both her and Naleen. "The hours late enough that we won't put much distance between us. I happen to know that this place is kept clean and orderly, so there's no harm in a bed and warm meal before we truly set off into the wilds."

He glanced back at his two companions, the sun still bright but clearly growing old in the sky.

"I'd also like to check in with some things anyway." He added. "See if there's anything of importance we should know about on our path ahead before we set off."

"Seems reasonable, yes?" Naleen agreed. "You are sure these people won't mind the presence of two Sergals in their town?"

"No, it should be fine." He said dismissively. "The locals won't start any trouble if you don't. The legate wouldn't appreciate people causing trouble anyway, though... he won't hold it against you if you defend yourself."

"Ah, well I hold no argument." The red-furred female stated. "A bed and hot meal would not be unwelcome before we venture into, ah, Rain Wood."

Velanis didn't say anything further, her amber eyes gazing curiously as they drew ever nearer to the fort.

They were approaching from what was more or less the front of the garrison, the road running past the small village, and then by the stone walls on its way off in another direction. Those walls were thick and tall, erected around a central point that served as the keep. In all honesty the fort was big enough to be considered a small castle, and perhaps it even had been in the past. Now though, its purpose was quite simple: keep watch over this corner of Rindal.

It wasn't too long before they came to the beginnings of that village, trodden dirt leading into its heart. It didn't hold a large population, and as such there weren't a lot of faces to greet them. There was still some, be they going about business or carrying baskets of goods to and fro, but unlike those in the capital the dwellers here all had a purpose. None cast them any lingering stares, beyond what anyone would give a new person to put their face to memory. Falren led his group into the town, before turning to them.

"I'm going to get us a couple rooms at the inn." He said to them, keeping his horses' reins in hand. "You can take a look around if you want, just come to that," He pointed to a building down the lane, "Building before supper gets served, or chances are you'll miss out. I'm going to attend some things of my own as well."

"Alright." Velanis said, ducking her head in to lick his face quickly. "I'll meet you later then."

"Aye. He replied, raising a hand to stroke the side of her face momentarily. "Stay out of trouble."

He directed that last part more to Vel, knowing full well that she liked to explore and poke her nose into things.

"I will watch over her." Naleen piped up with a chuckle. "Do not worry, yes?"

"I'll try not to." He mumbled quietly, taking the reins and turning back to the town. "See you both later."

With that he set off towards the inn, deciding he'd get their two rooms rented before evening fell. He figured that they would only need two, considering Vel would no doubt be sharing his sleeping arrangements. And, quite obviously, Naleen would want a separate room of her own. He actually rather doubted she would care whether or not she had to sleep in the same room as they, but he'd try and get her a room of her own before it came to that...

***

With Falren gone off to take care of his arrangements, that left Velanis standing in the unfamiliar town, unsure of what to do but feeling a bit curious to look around. With that in mind she started to wander down the road, feet unconsciously starting to guide her in her curiosity.

"Going exploring, youngling?" Naleen chuckled, falling into step beside her.

"Perhaps." She replied, flicking her ears. "I don't just want to stand around."

"I understand." The female hummed, looking up at the stone fortifications that loomed over the small town.

"Do you think we could go in that?" She asked, following Naleen's gaze.

"There's only one way to find out, yes?" Naleen stated, motioning to her to follow. "This particular fort is quite open to traffic, I think, as I imagine both it and the town here are one in the same. Come, let us see."

Considering there wasn't anything else to do, she altered her direction to follow Naleen towards the open archway that passed under the wall. Her previous statement about it not comparing to Amara was very true, yes, but she couldn't call it small either. Indeed it was still quite large, the high walls and inner buildings adding their height to its size.

She could plainly make out the pair of guards flanking the gate, and some watching out from the battlements, all dressed in the same mail and half-helms. The only true difference between their attire, and the ones back in Amara, was that their tabards were black, bearing the vague blue outline of an armored man holding up a shield. She mused that it possibly represented their role here, acting as a shield of sorts to the rest of Rindal. Not that she could accurately say the reasons for Humans doing the things they did, but that was her best guess regardless.

Soon they were standing at the foot of the wall, the open portcullis just in front of them providing a narrow few of the yard beyond. The guards didn't appear as if they were going to stop them as they approached, although they gave them both an intent stare. The one on the right did hold up a hand when they came within a few strides of entering the archway though, signaling them to pause.

"What might your business be?" He asked them, looking them both up and down. "Can't say we get many of your kind visiting here."

"We are simply stopping for a nights rest here before we move on." Naleen spoke up, giving the guard one of her smiles. "My companion here was interested in looking around while we waited, and wanted to see if she could have a look around your grounds."

Velanis watched the guard frown slightly, appearing uncomfortable under Naleen's smile and emerald stare.

"O' right, well, keep to yourself and don't go poking your... noses where they don't belong." The man grunted, lowering his hand. "The yard is open to common folk, but don't go trying to explore the keep or barracks."

"We will keep to ourselves." Naleen said, walking forwards into the gate. "Thank you."

Velanis followed after her, the quick conversation over as the two guards returned to staring out at the landscape. The wall was a few of their strides thick, leaving them to quickly exit out the opposite side and into the fairly large grounds inside the walls. The majority of the ground was simply packed dirt, with grass growing in the un-trodden sections.

There were a number of buildings besides the "keep", mostly all wooden constructions that she was used to seeing. She spotted one that she recognized as a stable, though the rest were unfamiliar in their function. There were quite a few long, single story buildings, as well as a quite large one with a sloping roof residing near the inner area. It all appeared quite simple really, though she supposed it had little reason not to be such.

There were a number of soldier-looking humans moving around the yard as she and Naleen wandered, though they all largely ignored them. A feature that did catch her eye was a large ring of dirt, a number of the humans standing around it, or a few standing inside looking to be sparring with their ilk. Her curiosity drew her over, watching the men as they fought each other with wooden weapons much like she and Falren used. It all just appeared to be training, and compared to her spars with Naleen and her mate she found it to be quite slow and boring.

She gave a snort as one of the men fumbled his sword, being rewarded with a smack to his arm from his opponent. She silently hoped they were new trainees, and not what passed for trained warriors amongst Humans. Velanis watched for a moment longer before she grew bored, moving to turn away and find something else to catch her interest...

"Oi, is something funny?" A voice called from nearby, making her turn her head with eyes narrowed.

Approaching them were two humans, dressed in the basic attire with short swords around their waist. They seemed to have been in earshot of her when she snorted, standing as close as they had been. The two appeared rather typical for humans in appearance, though the lead one had an air and look about him that already irritated her.

"Can you speak common?" That same one prodded impatiently. "I asked you a question, mutt."

She felt her lips rise at the insult he threw at her, a quiet growl starting in her throat as the two stopped a short distance from her.

"I can speak your language just fine, Human." She snapped.

"Oh, so the savage does speak." The man sneered, looking to his companion with a laugh. "I'll ask again, is something funny?"

She felt Naleen place a hand on her shoulder from where she stood next to her.

"Come Vel, they are not worth your time." She stated quietly. "They are simply runts trying to get you worked up."

"Watch what you refer to me as." The lead on retorted, directing his insults to Naleen now. "I am of house Heldring, and I will not be talked down upon, red-furred bitch."

Velanis felt her temper rising as the pompous man tried to insult Naleen as well, her lips rising to expose her fangs in full as she crouched into an aggressive posture.

"It looks like the savage wants to fight." He said, his hand lowering to the hilt of his sword. "Come on then, let's teach you some proper respect."

She was a split second from lunging at the two, clawed hand ready to grab her own sword and teach the irritating man how wrong he was. She never got the chance though, for their confrontation was stopped before it began...

"Enough!" A loud voice abruptly barked, making the two men jump in surprise.

Velanis jerked her head to the side, lips lowering as she glared at the person striding towards them. He was very different than the rest of the soldiers here, dressed in the same plate-mail and red capes she'd seen those "High Guards" wearing back in Amara. He wore no helm, showing his close-cropped gray hair and beard, and his aging face. Whoever he was, he seemed to bare some authority over the men, for they quite instantly had the pompous looks wiped from their faces.

"Care to explain to me why you whelps are provoking strangers?" The man demanded, ignoring her for now.

"The creature was mocking us." The one in question spat out.

"Was she then? Then perhaps there was a good reason." The armored man stated. "I think this 'creature' has a name, new blood. Or do you think her lower than you?"

"I'm of one of the noble houses, and they refused-"

"Your 'nobility' means about as much as what I left in my chamber pot this morning." The aging man said, cutting him off. "And it certainly means nothing to them. Here, under my command, you are a recruit, nothing more nothing less. Your station amongst the nobility is worthless titles until you prove your worth to me. So far, you haven't."

The first man stammered, looking lost for words.

"Unless, you'd care to prove how 'better' you are with this Sergal in the ring." The authoritative man stated calmly. "I've seen how her kind fight, and that is a show I would quite like to see, Lamley. Otherwise, I suggest you two retire to your quarters. You're going to have a long day of training ahead of you tomorrow, and you'll need your rest."

The man, Lamley, stared speechlessly, before setting his jaw and turning on his heel; stalking off towards one of the long wood buildings. The High Guard watched them go with a stare from his dark eyes, turning his head to her and Naleen when they'd disappeared. Velanis looked down at him, quirking her ears as he looked between them both.

"I apologize for that display." He offered to them both, bowing his head slightly. "You may refer to me as Mickel, or Legate if you wish, and I'm the commander of this fort."

She gave the man a hard stare. "Velanis." She said with a grunt.

"You may call me Naleen." The respective person offered.

"Well, I am pleased to meet you both, and allow me to welcome you to Green Watch on better terms." Mikel stated to them both. "I assure you that the actions of those two is an uncommon thing here. Simply the spoiled brat of a noble who thinks he's more important than he really is."

"We thank you for stepping in." Naleen said to him, giving a smile. "It would have been... less than pleasant if you hadn't, I think."

"I would like to see them learn their mistake first hand. But, while it's true I don't give a damn about their birth, their houses would still give me a mess of a headache." Mikel stated with a snort. "They are my problem though, not yours. If they give you any more trouble, come to me personally. Try not to beat them too bloody first though, or else I'll have so many 'representatives' crawling up my ass I won't be able to sit right for a week."

"We will keep that in mind." Naleen replied with a chuckle.

Velanis took a breath as her temper cooled, relaxing her posture as her muscles settled.

"Tell me, what brings you so far out here?" Mikel asked, looking around at the yard. "Beyond the fresh recruits I get sent, we don't see many visitors."

"We are... traveling." Velanis said, careful not to say too much to the stranger.

"Aye, most people are." He replied. "To be stopping here you must be heading north, or... leaving Rindal entirely."

"The latter." She agreed.

"I see." Mikel nodded. "Well if that's the case I'll inform you that things have been quiet around here lately, so hopefully you don't encounter any... issues on your path. But you have naught to worry from me where your destination lies; my duty is to the people of this land, and the royals second."

"An interesting outlook amongst Humans, no?" Naleen mused. "You bear the dress of the High Guards of Amara, why are you stationed so far on the outskirts of your land?"

"This..." He started, gesturing to his attire. "Is more for show at this point. You could say I am still officially one of the High, but I volunteered to take this position. I grew tired of sitting on my ass, dealing with drunken brawls most of the time."

"Ah, I see." The female chuckled.

"Tell me, do you travel just the two of you?" The man asked, looking at them both curiously.

"Oh, we travel with another, yes?" Naleen responded, continuing after a moment. "A Human, named Falren."

"Falren, eh?" Mikel repeated with a grunting laugh.

"Yes." Velanis agreed, giving the man a narrowed stare and quirking her head. "Do you know him?"

"Couldn't say I know him, no." He said. "But if we both speak of the same individual, then I've seen and met him when he passed through here many moons ago. I tend to not forget... competent persons."

She hummed thoughtfully.

"Well regardless, your business is your own, just be sure to tell him things have been quiet this side of the Rain." He stated, turning his weathered face to the groups of men on the grounds. "I have duties I must attend to, so I won't take up any more of your time. Enjoy your stay here, and remember to notify me should you encounter any trouble amongst my... ranks."

"We will remember." Naleen said, dipping her head to the man. "Thank you again for your hospitality."

Mickel gave them a nod, turning about and walking off to attend his business. Naleen turned her emerald gaze to her, giving a smile.

"An interesting, and blunt, individual." She stated amusedly, waving her to follow as she made to walk back to the gate. "Let us go meet with Falren and get some food, yes? Perhaps some tea as well to help relax, if there's any to be had."

She hummed, casting her amber gaze around the courtyard before stepping after Naleen. They left the same way they came, crossing out from under the wall to head back down the path towards the town. It was close to evening now, around the time she'd noted that Humans liked to have their dinner. She supposed that was way Falren had told them not to take too long; else they'd miss whatever this inn was serving. She also couldn't help noticing the large clouds that had started to roll across the orange sky, her ears twitching as she gave the air a sniff. It smelled of a brewing storm, and she supposed the weather would be taking a turn...

It didn't take them very long to find their way back to town, and from there, the inn. The windows in its front were lit with an orange glow, a sign she'd grown accustomed to associating with it growing crowded. As they neared the door though she couldn't hear a lot of people, unlike the other inns she'd been by. She was hopeful that would mean it would be quiet, and as Naleen stepped up to the door to open it her hope was partly answered.

There were still a number of people in the front room of the inn as they crossed over the threshold, but while there was talking, it wasn't the loud obnoxious kind. Which was perfectly fine with her, so long as she could more or less have some peace. She quickly spotted her mate, sitting up against a wall in the back of the room as was usual for him in these places. She figured it was because he liked to have an eye on things, and not be surrounded by people. Falren raised his hand in a small wave, drawing them over to the table at which he sat.

Her and Naleen both took a seat on the wooden benches, she situating herself closely next to Falren. Velanis promptly wrapped her tail around his lap under the table, pressing up against him.

"Hello Vel..." He greeted, feeling him run a hand over her tail as she wanted.

"Falren." She grinned, nuzzling the top of his head quickly.

"Enjoy your time around the town then?" He directed to them both.

"Ah, yes." She replied, ear twitching.

"Anything interesting happen?" He queried, the movement not lost on him.

"Nothing interesting, no." Naleen said, resting her arms on the table. "But we did meet the... leader of this fort here."

"Mickel?" Falren asked, quirking a brow.

"That was he, yes." The female nodded. "He seemed friendly enough. He also seemed to know of you, told us to let you know it was 'quiet this side of the Rain'."

"Ah, well that's some good news at least." He replied simply, glancing to the side as the people manning the inn started to ferry plates of food to the patrons. "Let's eat first, then we can talk."

She grunted in affirmation as some plates were carried to their table by a woman, the inn worker setting them down with a glance between her and Naleen before she departed. It was typical human food; but it was the more appetizing variety, so she held no complaints as she set into it. They ate in relative silence, the patrons around them keeping the din to a low. In fact, the loudest part about their meal was when the crack of lightning reached her ears from somewhere in the distance. Her long ears twitched at the thunder that followed, casting a look out the inn's front windows in time for it to be illuminated for a split second by another bolt.

"Well, can't say I'm surprised to see a storm." Falren mused as they finished their food. "Always tends to get a bit rainy around this area."

She hummed, licking off her claws idly. "So, how does that Mickel person know you?" She asked.

"Ah, I was attending a job through him a while back." Falren shrugged. "Simple work, there were bandits in the area and it was best suited for... someone like me to go rooting them out. Highwaymen aren't uncommon around here; easier for them to pick on travelers and merchants when there's less crown influence."

"Oh." She mumbled, ear twitching at another resounding boom.

"Decent enough person; doesn't forget a competent face." He added in passing, silver gaze staring out the window. "I think I'm going to retire now, get some sleep. Hopefully the storm doesn't get worse come morning."

Velanis stood with him, clearly meaning to follow him to sleep.

"I shall do the same, I think." Naleen said, mirroring them both. "This old Sergal is tired, and I may as well get the sleep while I can."

With that the three of them departed the room, leaving the hall and its residents behind as they scaled a set of stairs to the second floor. Up here she could hear the pelting of rain just starting against the roof, the storm apparently having decided to start in earnest. This inn was bigger than the first one she'd encountered, with more rooms to sort through as they walked down the hall of doors. More well kept too, if she had to guess. Falren led them about halfway down the hall, before stopping near one of the doors.

"This one is mine... and Vel's." He said; gesturing to the one he stood by. "That one right there is yours, Naleen."

"Thank you." The female chuckled, moving to the door. "Sleep well, yes? I will see you come morning."

Naleen ducked below the frame afterwards, wasting little time as she closed the door behind her lightly with the sound of a lock moving into place. She looked to Falren, giving him a smile as she squeezed the latch to their room and pushed the door open. He stepped in after her when she crossed inside, the moderately sized room gloomily lit. As far as inns went it seemed normal to her, with a single bed, a small end table and a chair. She quickly set about depositing her pack and belongings down by the bed, taking off her sword belt and laying it down with them.

She saw that he'd brought the canvas wrapped case of his master's up, undoubtedly not trusting that possession to the night. Velanis cast a grin over at Falren as he sat on the edge of the bed, working on getting his boots off.

"Feels familiar, does it not?" She stated.

"What do you mean?" He hummed, setting his boots down.

"When we stayed at that inn the first time." She clarified, unbuckling her mail jacket. "Although, I didn't quite trust you enough to share a room with you then."

"Aye." He replied slowly, looking up at her as she worked out of her mail.

Velanis lifted her lips in a smile, displaying her teeth as she walked over to the bed and settled down on it.

"I think I quite enjoy sharing a bed with you now, though." She said, tail flicking on the bedding.

Falren settled down next to her, after having at least taking off his own jacket. She pressed up against him, nuzzling into his neck as the rain picked up on the roof above them. He stroked a hand against the side of her head in turn, running it up and down the fur softly. She shifted over on top of him; straddling his hips and pressing her chest down on his as he quirked a brow at her.

"When I started to have these feelings for you at first, I... wasn't sure if you'd be attracted to me." She said quietly, peering down at his silver eyes. "If you'd want to mate me, with how different we are."

"You know I find being around your kind more comfortable, Vel." He stated up at her, rubbing the side of her head still. "And you in particular. Never thought I'd be... mated to a Sergal, no less."

"I know... I didn't think I'd mate with a Human either." She mumbled, closing her eyes. "But you're what I wanted, I just wasn't sure at first. Naleen helped assure me that you did care about me, and that you just didn't want to see either of us hurt. I guess she was right. She understands a lot about you, you know."

Falren hummed, playing with her ears as she rested her head down beside his.

"She's motherly, almost, in her actions." Velanis said, cuddling up against him sleepily.

"Aye, motherly..." Falren repeated with a frown.

She felt very tired then as she laid with her mate, the storm outside lulling her to sleep in a way. Falren stroked the top of her snout, making her murmur as she held him close in her embrace.

"Get some sleep Vel." He said into her ear, settling into the bedding with her.

She gave a soft growl, flicking her tongue out to half-heartedly lick him before relaxing. Another resounding boom echoed forth from outside as she slipped into sleep, looking as though she'd get a full night's rest alongside her mate this time...