FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter Four

"How much farther until we reach this city?" She asked, looking out over the most recent town they sat docked by.

"If I had to guess I'd say not much longer now, judging by how much more developed these settlements are." Falren replied to her.

She gave a grunt, studying the collection of buildings. He was right about them being more developed, as she'd noticed the towns and villages becoming progressively larger the farther they went. Where the previous places they'd docked at had been simple buildings and farmland, they now had started to become large mazes of structures surrounded by sturdy walls and full of people. The guards too shifted in appearance, most now bearing symbols on their armor; armor that had also taken on a more serious nature.

It amazed her that these Humans would build such large and sprawling places. Her people had made homes of course, but those had been simple things, built for safety and shelter from the worst of weather. And Falren had told her these were nothing compared to the size of Amara. He'd tried to describe it at her prodding, but she couldn't grasp the scope of what he depicted.

As she stared unfocused at the surroundings, Durn came walking from the town towards their- His, boat. He'd taken to wearing a weather beaten, brimmed hat atop his graying hair during her days aboard. He gave them a small nod as he walked over the docks and onto the ship, boots giving quiet taps as he moved about.

"I have some good news for you." He said gruffly. "This is our last stop, and from here it's straight to Amara about two days time at worst."

Falren gave him a "Thanks" as the man walked off to prepare for their departure.

"Two days then and we'll be to this place?" She asked.

"If all goes well, less than that." He replied. "This is the farthest you've ever been from your home, correct?"

She gave a nod, watching as the crew ferried goods on and off of the ship.

"Why leave?" He asked her.

She turned an amber gaze down to look at him, before turning it back upwards.

"I grew restless." She said flatly.

"You mentioned that before." He continued. "Were you not welcome anymore?"

"I wasn't forced to leave." She said with an annoyed growl. "I just... didn't fit in with the rest of my clan, I was always... different." She gave a half shrug, not sure how to properly explain it. "My mother always said I had more of my father's blood than hers."

Falren gave a thoughtful hum, looking out over the town as it was illuminated by the high, midday sun.

"Do you have a home, Human?" She asked, looking down at him.

He turned his silvery gaze to hers, giving her a studying stare.

"Never really had a 'home', always moved around and that trait has stuck with me." He said after a moment.

"You don't have a clan or mate?" She wondered with a frown.

He gave a sudden laugh at that, the corners of his eyes crinkled in amusement.

"No, no 'mate'." He said through his laugh. "You mention your mother a lot, but do you have any other family?"

"Just my mother." She said with a flick of her tail.

"No mate of your own then?" He asked her. "You're a healthy female, so I can't imagine you were ignored."

"I..." She started, surprised to hear a Human word it as such. "Some tried, but they never interested me."

She looked down at him, watching his eyes as they darted from each person that moved about in his view. She couldn't help but wonder what sort of life he came from. It was obvious he had a history of fighting, and in that sense she supposed he wasn't much different from another who had lived their life in that manner. But it was the way he postured and acted, the always-calm demeanor. A demeanor that was friendly enough when he interacted with others, but clear to her that violence would cause him no qualms if you gave him reason to.

Most of all though, it was his complete indifference to the fact she wasn't one of his kind. Not every Human openly disliked or directed some form of disdain at her of course, but they never seemed to be comfortable with her presence, as if she were some wild animal who would lash out at the slightest provocation. Falren, though, acted as if there were no difference, as if her and her kind were just a familiar aspect of life to him. That was what had her the most curious about him; the fact that he never offered up more than a few words irritated her to no end however.

She felt a bit of a swaying motion as they were freed from the dock, starting to once more float into the flow of the lazy river. As the town began to recede she bent down and picked up the training sword from where she'd left it, giving Falren the familiar grin. She pushed those thoughts aside as she moved to the center of the deck; her lack of patience wouldn't allow her to dwell on them very long. Falren retrieved his own sword and moved after her, giving unspoken acceptance.

They'd practiced this routine for most of their time aboard the ship, trading blows against each other for lengths of time she never recalled. For her part she greatly enjoyed it, having not had this much challenge, or fun, fighting any back amongst her clan. She felt they'd bested each other an equal amount of times, though she couldn't have called any of them large victories. Still, it just made her want to keep doing it until she could confidently outmatch him.

And with that in mind, she focused on the person in question as he took his stance, circling around him with narrowed eyes as the boat continued on its journey...

By the time they finally stopped the day had faded into evening, a fire having been lit shortly thereafter in a metal bowl that sat on one end of the ship. She hadn't paid it much mind the first day on the ship, but then it had become a routine for it to be lit once the dark hours came, bathing the deck in an orange light and leaving the world around them to the coming darkness.

She now sat cross-legged in front of that fire, still panting a bit from their spar that had been concluded a few minutes prior. She chewed on a piece of the dried meat that seemed to be common fare, taking a swallow from a water skin that had been given to her. A few of the crew stood near the fire as well, the others having taken to sleep so that they could be awake to replace the ones currently watching over the ship.

"Why is it you insist on ruining good meat?" She asked to Falren where he sat looking at the flames.

"To help preserve it longer, and so we don't get sick from it." He replied distantly.

"Sick?" She repeated. "Can you not stomach eating it without turning it into leather?"

He gave a small laugh at her statement. "Humans aren't the heartiest of beings when it comes to that. The only reason that it's cooked and dried so much is to help it last on long trips, when we reach Amara you may be surprised at how different the fare can be."

She just gave a snort and bit into the tough meat. She didn't understand why they couldn't take a small amount of time and actually hunt something appetizing. Then again, she supposed they weren't as naturally adept in that aspect as she. While she was thinking to herself Falren had drawn his own sword and laid it across his lap, setting about cleaning and honing the blade. She doubted it needed any attention, but it seemed to be a methodic ritual for him to pass the time.

She looked at the length of metal as he wiped it down, the surface reflecting the flickering light from the fire. As she looked at the blade the level of quality it held was obvious to her, a refined appearance that common weapons simply didn't have. She also couldn't help but notice how it didn't resemble any Human craftsmanship she'd seen, the sword itself looking as though it were made with another in mind.

"Where did you get that blade?" She asked him.

"It was given to me." He said vaguely.

"Given to you by who?" She prodded impatiently.

"It was my teachers old sword, he gave it to me during my training." He replied, ceasing his movements and looking at the blade.

She watched him intently, never able to get him to speak much of his past.

"Who is he?" She continued.

"He was the person who raised and taught me." He said.

She gave a quiet huff of annoyance, recognizing the telltale signs of something he didn't like to talk about.

"He is the one who gave you your name?" She asked, changing the line of questioning somewhat.

"Yes."

"You said it meant 'defiance', why did he name you that?"

Falren gave a genuine chuckle at that, breaking the somber air he had taken on.

"He did tell me the story behind that, at least." He said to her, looking up from the blade in his lap. "He found me when I was still a newborn, said he'd heard my crying when he was out... walking. When he came upon me he picked me up, and I stopped my wailing as he held me up to his face."

She watched him give a smile as he recalled whatever part of the story came next.

"The reason he named me that is because when he stuck his face in mine, I punched him in the nose."

She stared at him a moment as that sunk in, bursting out into a rough laugh when it had registered.

"I doubt it had even hurt him, but I'm sure he wasn't expecting me to do that." He said as she laughed. "Probably not the smartest thing I could have done in hindsight, but I don't even remember being that young."

She looked at him with amusement in her amber eyes, her laughing having stopped. She knew there was much more to that story than what he had said, but the image of a hatchling punching someone in the nose was amusing enough that she could allow his vagueness to pass this once without irking her.

"So that's the reason he named you so?"

"Well, one out of a few others." He stated. "He told me that when he looked at me then he saw a strong will to live, and as I grew he said I would make a good warrior."

"He wasn't wrong." She pointed out.

"No, I suppose he wasn't." He said, tapping the blade with his hand. "I'm going to get some sleep."

She gave a grunt as she watched him stand and make his way to where he'd taken to sleeping, just on the edge of the firelight. She wondered why he was so defensive of his past; it wasn't as if being raised to fight was a unique one. She still didn't even know where the Human was from. She assumed he had been from this land of Rindal at one point, for she didn't know of any other place Humans came from, but she also had the feeling it wasn't the place he called home.

She gave a sigh, wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her angular head on her knees. She'd figure it out eventually, it was at least something to focus on rather than just wandering aimlessly.

***

Falren was awoken to the feeling of something nudging his side, blinking his eyes open to witness Velanis' visage above him.

"The captain said we're going to arrive at Amara's lake soon." She stated down to him as she withdrew her long-toed foot from his side.

He sat upright from where he'd been using his cloak as a pillow, quickly climbing to his feet and shaking the last of sleeps grip away. He looked at the sky, placing the time at somewhere around early morning. It surprised him that he had slept that long and undisturbed, such sleep was a rare thing for him to achieve anymore.

"Nearing Mirror Lake you said?"

"If that's what it's called, yes." She replied to him with a shrug.

"Alright..." He said, noticing she had both of the wooden swords in hand. "Give me a moment."

She gave him a small nod and walked away, leaving him to go fetch some food and water before starting the day in full. He gave a stretch after she had departed, working the leftover kinks out of his muscles from sleep. He made his way over to the cabin-like part of the ship, dunking a cup into a barrel of water that was kept there. After he had washed sleeps dryness from his mouth he splashed water onto his face, ducking inside the cabin after he had shaken the water free.

He found Durn sitting at a desk as he stepped inside, the man looking over a few pages of parchment in front of him.

"Morning." He greeted him roughly, not looking up from the papers.

Falren gave him a quick "Hello" in response, taking a small bit from the rations kept sheltered under the roof.

"Seems it will be time for you and your friend to be leaving our company soon." The captain said.

"Seems that way." Falren replied back.

"Well, allow me to wish you luck wherever your waters may take you." He stated, tilting his weathered face to look at him.

"And you as well." Falren mirrored.

Durn gave him a long stare before giving him a nod and allowing the first smile he'd seen the man bear, albeit a small one.

"I don't think I need to tell you this, but life has its ways of coming around. Water flows and always finds its way." The man said to him, standing from his desk and walking over. "Take that small wisdom from an old man."

Durn held out a callused hand, and after a moment Falren clasped it with his.

"Thank you for allowing us passage." Falren said to him.

He simply gave him a sharp nod, returning to his desk and the sheets of paper there, just as quickly returning to his business. Falren ducked back out of the cabin into the warm sun, leaving the captain to his tasks. Velanis was standing nearby, directing a glance in his direction as he chewed down the last of his simple food. He made his way over, the Sergal quickly holding up one of the swords. He supposed one last spar was in order before they would have to leave the ship and join the bustling maze that was Amara.

***

"That is... Amara?" The Sergal asked to him as they stood by the railing of the ship.

"Indeed it is." He replied as they were gradually propelled across the lakes surface.

The sprawling city was built on the shore of the lake, a large, stone dock spreading forth from its walls in a much more permanent construction than its wooden counterparts. Past the large walls the city began, starting from the lower districts containing housing for the city-dwellers, progressing into the trade district home to the many shops selling their wares, and finally the fortified center housing the royals and their like.

"Why is it called Mirror Lake?" Velanis asked, watching the city grow larger still as they were pulled along by the previously unneeded oars.

"I can show you once we reach the city." He told her, rather than trying to explain it with words.

"Alright..." She replied, flicking her ears.

The city became larger and more defined as they glided over the water towards the dock, his eyes able to make out some of the ships docked there and the dockhands scurrying about. Soon they had covered the distance of water separating them, pulling up along side and empty space in the docks as they slowed. Some of the crew threw lines to the dock, where the local hands were fast to grab them and tie them off. Once the ship had been secured, the ramp was quickly placed to allow a smooth transition to and fro.

His horse was brought up from below decks then, the creature clopping over to him and giving a nudge. He responded with a quick pat before taking its reins and beginning to lead it over the ramp onto the hard surface of the dock. Velanis stepped over after him, curiously looking around at the surroundings. He was about to start leading them towards the wall into the city then, but a call from behind made him stop.

"Lad!" The familiar, gruff voice of the captain called to him.

Falren turned, Velanis quirking her head as Durn came walking onto the dock with the two wooden swords in hand.

"Here." He said, holding out the two objects. "There was a reason I ended up with 'em and you can get more use from them then some dogs on a boat."

"Well, thank you then." Falren said.

Velanis had a wide grin stretching her jaws as he accepted the swords and secured them to his horses' saddle, clearly finding this small surprise to be acceptable.

Durn gave a sharp nod. "I'll let you get on with your business. We'll be docked here for the rest of the day at least, should you end up needing passage in our direction once more."

He turned away from them at that, walking back over to his ship to direct the crew in their tasks. Falren gave a gesture to Velanis, setting off down the stone past other ships and men moving about goods. The wall and its gate soon loomed in front of them; the passage left open given the bright hour. There were a number of guards positioned near the entrance, dressed in simple mail and half-helms with swords at their hips and spears in hand. They posed them little trouble as they passed into the wall, giving only Velanis a cursory glance before returning to their steadfast pose.

It was much as he remembered it, the months since he'd last been here having done little to change the city. He walked from under the wall and onto the stone flagged streets, the paved stretch running into the city as it was flanked on either side by buildings.

"Where are we going?" Velanis asked, tilting her head to look up at the buildings around them.

"There's a man who would be put at ease to know I've returned in one piece." He replied as his horses' hooves clapped slightly on the stone. "Hopefully he's still in the same residence."

"It's very... big." The Sergal said musingly.

"Yes, it is. Wait until you see the higher districts."

Velanis stayed quiet after that, merely observing as he moved deeper into the city towards where he had last known the man in question to be living...

***

"This is his home?" She asked to Falren as they walked up to the front door of a modest two-story building.

"It was the last time I saw him." He replied.

When they arrived at the wooden door Falren gave it a few quick knocks, waiting for a response. It had taken them over an hour to reach the place, a trip that had taken them above the lower district and into the beginnings of the trade district as he called it. Falren told her that this part of the city held a majority of its shops and businesses, and that the next part of the city held the "nobles" and the inner keep.

The sound of a latch being pulled drew her attention back to the present, the door in front of them opening partway. The face of a female Human became visible as she stood inside the door, her hair tied behind her head. The female's gaze first fell upon her, brow furrowing slightly as she looked up at her visage. The woman seemed unsure at first, until Falren gave a cough and drew her attention to him, a look of surprise crossing her face.

"Hello." He said to her with a small smile. "Is Aemon home?"

The woman quickly took on a smile of her own, any uncertainty she may have had upon seeing a Sergal at her door quickly gone as she seemingly recognized Falren.

"Yes he is." She said opening the door in full and stepping back into the home. "Come in, Falren."

Falren stepped into the home, Velanis ducking through the door after him.

"Husband!" The woman called after she had closed the door.

A loud "What is it" could be heard from somewhere in the house, or perhaps outside it.

"There is someone here to see you." She called in reply.

The sound of a door closing in another part of the house served to suggest the person was outside, heavy footfalls echoing on the floor. A large man in a heavy leather apron soon appeared around a wall, his exposed arms and face bearing a slight sheen. The man stopped when his gaze fell upon Falren, standing in what she assumed was the main part of their den.

"Falren!" The man boomed in his deep voice, quickly stepping over and locking his burly arms around him in a quick hug as she stood off to the side.

"Hello, Aemon." Falren said to the man after he had released him. "It's been awhile."

"Indeed it has lad!" Aemon said to him, that smile that had been stretching his face sobering slightly. "I almost wasn't certain if you'd be coming back in one piece."

"I'm still alive and well, don't you worry."

"I can see that." He said back, the smile returning. "And who is your friend here...?" He added, blue eyes turning to look at her.

"This is Velanis. She's been accompanying me for a time now."

The man stuck out his hand at her, leaving her to stare at unsurely until she gingerly lifted her own hand. Aemon quickly grasped her forearm, causing her to give a growl of annoyance as he gave it a shake.

"Well it's nice to meet you, Velanis." He said after releasing her arm. "This is my wife, Melan. Welcome to our home."

She directed her gaze to the female, giving a grunt as she brushed down the misplaced fur on her arm.

"Come, you both must be tired from your trip." He said. "Let's see if we can't get a bath drawn to help them wash away the toils Melan."

The female, Melan, quickly came up and placed a hand on her back, beginning to lead her to another part of the den. She gave Falren an unsure glance, to which he gave her a small smile and a nod as she was led away from the pair. Melan led her down a hallway and into another room, a large oval-like bowl resting there. A window on the outside wall served to illuminate the room with the late day sun as they occupied it.

"If you'd care to take off your armor and things I'll go heat water for a bath." The woman said to her kindly before leaving once more.

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other awkwardly for a moment in indecision, before she settled that Falren surely trusted these people. She set about removing her pieces of armor, placing them on a nearby chair over which she then draped her sword. Melan came into the room as she was doing so, tipping a bucket of steaming water into the tub before departing to fetch more. After a few more trips it was filled enough that she'd be able to submerge herself halfway in the water, and the last thing the woman did was place two objects on its rim.

"There's soap if you use that sort of thing, and a brush for once you're finished washing." She stated. "I can clean those for you as well, if you want." She added, gesturing to the two cloth fixtures.

"Ah... No." She said, flickering her ears.

"Alright, I'll give you some privacy then." She said, departing and closing the door behind her.

She unwound the cloth from around her waist and shoulders after the female had left, carefully folding and placing them atop her armor. Down to nothing but her fur she lifted a leg over the rim of the tub, settling down into the hot water. She couldn't help but give a sigh as the warm water soaked into her muscles, a welcome change after the cold water during their travels. It reminded her of the hot spring she'd found in the area around her clan's home, a place she had often gone to when the weather grew cold. It wasn't quite as good, as the water there would stay warm, but it was still nice.

After she'd dunked her head below the water she reached a hand over and picked up the... soap, in her claws, giving it a sniff. It had a faint flowery scent to it and after a moment she scrubbed it into the fur on her arm, the soap leaving behind lather. She rinsed her arm off in the water, inspecting her fur. She supposed it left her feeling cleaner, and with a flick of her ears set about rubbing it into the rest of herself. She had to admit it didn't exactly smell terrible either...

After she'd scrubbed herself from head to toe she sunk lower into the water, allowing it to come up to her neck. She brought up and hand and rubbed her chest, the wound having already shed its scab and leaving behind a fresh, pink line. She tilted her head back and peered up at the wooden beams above, tail swishing idly in the water as she lazed for a time. She thought back to what Falren had said on the boat, about her being a "Healthy female". Her mother had said she was an impressive example of her kind, no matter how her clan treated her, but she'd never had anyone besides her mother say something like that to her.

She gave a grunt, dunking her head below the waters surface once more before it grew cold. She stood from the steadily cooling water, giving a shake to rid some of the liquid before picking up the cloth that had been left with her, clearly intended for her to dry with. She quickly rubbed the heavy cloth into her fur, soaking up as much of the water as she could. By the time she was done the fabric was drenched, and without knowing where to put it she folded it over the side of the tub.

Annoyingly, the act of her using it to dry with left her fur sticking up haphazardly in every which way. With a growl she snatched up the brush, setting to work on smoothing down her fur. She took some small amount of pride in keeping herself groomed, and she'd do her best to hold up to that. After a few minutes she set the brush down, her fur now back to its more-or-less normal state, and moved over to the chair where she'd placed her few belongings.

She reset her cloth wrappings to their customary place without pause, but when she reached for her armor she stopped herself. She was with friends of Falren at least, so she decided to just buckle her sword on instead. Giving herself a little reprieve from the armor while she was in these people's home wouldn't be so bad either. She cast a look out the window, being presented with a view towards the back of the building where there seemed to be an open space. She noticed the day was growing dark, having spent so much time traversing the city and her most recent reprieve.

She quickly departed the room, closing the door and walking back in the direction she had been taken from. She stepped back into the main part of the human's den, seeing Falren and the man Aemon sitting at a wooden table.

"Ah! Just in time." The large man called upon seeing her. "Come, take a seat! We're just about to have some dinner."

She slowly did as he bade, moving to the seat next to Falren with her ears laid back as she sat down, slipping her tail through the back of the chair. No sooner had she sat down Melan came into the room, setting down plates in front of them all before returning back to where she guessed they stored their food. She quickly came back bearing a plate of bread, a large orange tinted wedge of something, and the remains of a cooked chicken.

"Go on, help yourselves." The man stated as everything was set down. "It's nothing grand, but I'd have gone out and gotten something a bit more... substantial, if I'd know you would be showing up."

"It's perfectly fine Aemon." Falren said, tearing a small chunk off the loaf of bread. "You know you don't even need to do this much."

"Nonsense!" He exclaimed. "You know you're always welcome here, lad."

"I do appreciate it nevertheless." Falren replied.

After Falren had taken his small portion she set about collecting her own. The bread and bird she was familiar with, but the soft wedge she was now cutting a slice free of was something new. She brought it to her snout, giving an experimental nibble on the substance. It was... different, and she couldn't quite compare it to anything else she'd had before. Then again, the food she'd had before was quite simple compared to how many different things these Humans did to their food.

She set the slice down, instead favoring the other things by tearing alternating bites from the cold meat and bread.

"Glad to see your companion has an appetite at least." The man commented while chewing on his own food.

She gave a flick of her ears, slowly chewing down her mouthful.

"Don't let me stop you." He laughed. "It's always good to have a meal in front of you."

She supposed she couldn't argue against him in that regard, returning to working on her food, periodically running her tongue around her maw to keep it clean.

When they had all finished and the dishes had been cleared, drinks began to be placed as they sat around the table.

"Still not one for drink, eh lad?" Aemon said while taking a sip from his mug.

"Afraid not." Falren replied as Melan set a steaming cup in front of him.

"What about your friend here? Can't say I've met enough Sergals to know what they like to drink."

"Just tea." She said in reply, keeping a neutral demeanor as she sat.

A mug of her own was quickly placed in front of her, the now familiar scent of tea reaching her nose. She picked up the cup, taking a small swallow of its contents.

"So how'd you end up with Falren here?" Aemon asked after a short time and a few swallows.

"He helped me." She said, casting a glance to Falren beside her.

"A group of bandits had taken her captive on the opposite side of Rain Wood." He started on his own. "I stumbled upon them when I was passing through, and I decided to release her." He cast a look at her, his arms propped on the table. "They'd beaten her up pretty badly, so I ended up treating her injuries."

"Hope they got what was coming to 'em." The man said, taking a sip from his mug. "So you decided to accompany him after that?"

"In a way." She replied.

She looked between the Human and his mate, wondering why they seemed so... enthusiastic, even with her presence.

"Do I not bother you?" She asked, watching Aemon intently.

"Bother me? Why would you?" He said with a frown. "Any friend of Falren is a friend of mine, regardless of what you may look like."

She gave a flick of her ears, staring down at the brownish liquid in her cup. Everyone seemed insistent on making her out as his friend, and it annoyed her that everyone assumed such. He obviously wasn't her enemy, and she'd grown more comfortable around him after their friendly spars and the week or so that had passed, but still...

"Where are you from, Velanis?" She blinked; paying attention to her surroundings once more as Aemons voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Don't see your kind around here often."

"My clan is from the mountains beyond," She gave a small circling motion with her hand, "Rindal."

"I see. So why come all this way by yourself?"

She gave an annoyed huff of breath, tail twitching behind her.

"She has her reasons." Falren cut in, obviously seeing she didn't want to try and explain it to another.

The man gave a nod, not trying to press her as he tipped back the last of his drink.

"You two must be tired, a warm bed and a roof will do you good I think." He stated, pushing himself up from the table. "We can talk more once you've gotten some rest, I can't imagine you want to hear me pestering you with questions after coming all the way here."

"We can go stay at an inn, Aemon." Falren said to him. "You don't have to go through the trouble."

"We have plenty of room." The man said in dismissal. "You should have gotten a room at an inn _before_coming here if you really thought I wasn't going to have you stay with us."

He gave look over at her.

"Unless your friend would prefer to stay elsewhere that is." He added.

"It doesn't matter to me." She said meekly with a shrug.

"It's settled then, you're staying here." The man said loudly, clearly not interested in any argument Falren might make in the matter. "Would you prefer one room or two?"

"Aemon..." Falren said slowly, a touch of warning to his voice.

She quirked her head at him, confusion in her eyes.

The man gave a reverberating laugh. "I'm only pulling you around lad. I see you still haven't quite gotten used to sarcasm."

"I'm never sure when you're joking or being serious." Falren said dryly.

"In his defense, I don't think he is either." Melan spoke up with a smile.

Aemon gave a loud snort, giving a dismissive wave of his hand. "C'mon, let's show them to their rooms."

She downed the last of her tea, climbing to her feet as he motioned for them to follow. She followed down the hallway from earlier, walking past the door where she'd bathed and to a staircase up to the den's second floor. There were only a few doors on this floor, and the man quickly stopped by a pair.

"It's simple, but it's a roof and a clean bed." He said, more to her in particular. "Have a goodnight." He added with a smile before departing.

"They seem... friendly." She stated after he'd left.

"They're good people." He said to her.

"Where are we going come morning?" She asked. Surely they wouldn't just be staying at these peoples home.

"Well, I'll be going out into the city." He told her. "You're welcome to come along, it's you're first time ever being in a city like this after all."

"Alright." She said flatly.

"There's a lot of different things here, I'm sure you'll see something interesting along the way." He added with a reassuring smile. "Get some sleep, I'll wake you before I leave if you aren't already."

She nodded, turning to the door and pushing it open into a dark room. Her eyes were able to make out enough to move by as she shut the door behind her, stepping towards the familiar shape of a bed. She quickly curled up on the bed, this bedding much softer against her fur than the ones she'd slept on in the "inns". She gave a sigh as she relaxed into the padding, resting her head on the pillow and closing her eyes.

***

Bright light shining into her eyes made her raise a hand with a growl, blocking the rays from the nearby window. She cracked her eyes open to a room completely illuminated by the sun, stray motes drifting in the air. She sat up in the bed, reaching out her arms and giving a satisfying stretch as she opened her jaws wide in a yawn. She looked around the room, spotting her armor stacked neatly on a chair by the door. Strange that she hadn't woken up to the intrusion, but then she supposed she'd been deep in sleep judging by how she felt.

She climbed to her feet, quickly brushing her hands over her fur to arrange it. She wasn't worried about cleaning it again, seeing as she'd had a thorough bath just the night prior. With that out of the way she made towards the door, stepping from the room and into the rest of the home. Falren hadn't woken her, so as she made her way down the stairs she assumed he was still here. That assumption proved true when she stepped back into the open part of the den, Falren once more sitting at the table with Aemon; who had traded in his apron for a simple shirt. Falren was dressed in a cloth shirt and pants, a strange sight after she'd grown accustom to him always wearing the armor.

"Ah, morning!" Aemon greeted her, enthusiastic as always.

She gave a grunt, looking over at Falren as he sat with hands clasped.

"We were just having a little chat while you were sleeping. I hope you rested well?" He asked her.

"Yes." She replied.

"Good, good. Take a seat, are you hungry?"

"I suppose..." She said, ears lowering. He certainly liked to fawn like a mother tending her young.

She sat at the table once more, Melan appearing with a plate that she set in front of her as if on queue. It was a small meal of some bread that looked as though it had been fried, and a bit of meat. That was fine with her, as she didn't much feel like eating very much.

"What is it you do?" She asked Aemon as she bit into the bread, looking at him curiously.

"I'm a smith of course!" He said, indicating his thick arms. "Couldn't you tell?"

"So you craft weapons and armor then?"

"Oh I make a number of other things, little lady." He said with a chuckle. "But yes, I think I'm quite good at making those things as well if I may say so."

'Little lady...' She thought to herself before the man went on.

"Matter of fact, I taught Falren here a bit 'o the trade as well."

"Did you make his armor?" She asked, biting a chunk from the meat.

"No, he made those himself he did." He replied with a smile.

She turned her gaze to Falren sitting beside her, ears quirked in interest.

"Honestly the lad would have a fair living in blacksmithing."

"You know that life isn't for me, Aemon." Falren stated distantly.

"I know lad, I know. You've still got the talent even so." He said simply.

"So you taught him your trade?" She asked, interested to see what their relation was.

"A bit of it during his time with us, aye. Was as much to teach him as it was to give him something to focus on." Aemon replied.

"How did you come to teach him?" She continued on.

"Ah..." He said in recollection. "He was walking the streets in tatters with that sword of his, looked like he'd crossed half 'o the world. How long ago was that, Falren?"

"Five years, two-hundred days." He replied without hesitation.

"Aye... So it was." Aemon said, watching him. "You weren't that old, just barely a man, looked at everyone as if they were holding a sword to your throat. You never told me what happened to you lad."

She looked at him, curiosity in her eyes as she swallowed down her food. He gave a hum in response, looking out the nearest window at the city outside. When he stayed silent she returned to her meal, chewing down the last of the meat and bread. She quickly finished, running her forked tongue around her maw before looking intently at Falren.

"I'm going to take care of some things Aemon." He said, either noticing her look or acting on his own. "I'll be back later."

He climbed to his feet at that and she quickly mirrored him, eager to do something different.

"Alright." Aemon said to him as he made his way over to the door. "Warn me before you go disappearing this time, aye?"

Falren gave a nod as he opened the door, stepping out into the sunlit street with her in tow. She closed the door behind her, squinting slightly as her eyes adjusted to the bright lit.

"Where are we going?" She asked, looking up and down the street.

"Well, first I'll be taking you to what could be considered the heart of this city." He said to her, walking off down one direction of the street as his footfalls gave subtle claps. "I think you'd be interested in seeing it."

She gave a quiet grunt as she made after him, following as he led her down the cobbled street towards new parts of the city.

***

A time later, and much walking down many different streets, led her to what Falren had called the "Heart of the city". A very wide path that carved its way between the buildings, seemingly running from the "Main" gate of the city all the way to the towering structure at the center. It was paved in smooth squares of stone, all kept in uniform placing and all unbroken in appearance, as if someone kept careful watch over their condition. Running down the swath in rows on either side were large, and very old looking, trees; all thick oaks and maples. To add to the large scale of it there was a crowd of people making their way up and down its length, some browsing over stalls set up under the trees or others simply moving about on their own tasks.

She stood looking upon it with a slightly awed expression, ears turning this way and that.

"It is different the first time when you're not used to big places with a lot of people." Falren said from beside her as she gazed. "Come on, it's better to walk it then to just stand staring."

She followed him, stepping out of the side street that had led them there and into the throng of people. She looked around intently as he led her through the bustling crowd. Between each of the tree's trunks a stall was set up, a merchant behind trying to sell their wares of all kinds to the passing people. She noticed that in intervals there seemed to be a guard standing under the trees, these men much different than the ones throughout the rest of the city. They were dressed head-to-toe in heavy plate, flowing royal-red capes rippling slightly in the breeze as they stood still as stone with polearms propped and swords at their belts.

"Are there always so many people?" She asked Falren as they passed through the crowd.

"They thin out during the night, but for the most part yes." He said back. "It's better at night when they light the lanterns and some of the people clear out."

She returned to looking over the people and the many different wares. They seemed to have passed into the section devoted to those selling food, as her eyes and especially her nose seemed to be telling her. The plethora of scents that assaulted her sense of smell was almost overwhelming, making her mouth unconsciously water. There were so many different things, multitudes of vegetables and meats roasting on spits or stewing in large pots.

Falren seemed to notice her hungry look as she stares, for he abruptly stopped and turned to face her.

"Velanis." He called, shaking her from her stupor. "Catch."

She barely registered his words before he underhanded something to her, instinctively bringing her hands up to catch the item with the sound of clinking metal. She gave him a confused look as she glanced up from the small pouch, recognizing it as the thing he kept the small coins in that seemed so common here.

"Take it, just try not to eat too much." He said back with an amused look.

"Why..." She said, head quirked.

"Why not? You've never been anywhere like this before." He replied. "You're here in good standing and of your own choice, enjoy it. I'll go take care of my things and be back soon."

He didn't give her time to mouth another sentence, as he turned away from her and made his way off into the crowd again on his own unspoken agendas. She looked down at the pouch in her hands, giving a snort as two sides argued with each other. It was an argument that her stomach won, however, as the smells of all the cooking foods continued to reach her senses. With a huff she faced the nearest stall that caught the interest of her nose, the carcass of some animal slowly roasting over a low fire as a man tended it...

Having visited a few other different vendors, she sat herself on a stone bench beneath the trees as far from the crowds as she could. She'd collected a bit of what she thought would be the most appetizing of it all, although what she now had didn't put a scratch in what still remained. She was content with this though, as she unwrapped the first bundle of parchment and sliced a piece from its contents with her claws. She brought the dripping meat to her jaws and popped it into her mouth, chewing on the meat as it practically melted on her tongue. This more than made up for the less than savory fare she'd been exposed to previously, and she quickly cut another piece free, biting into the flavorful meat with a murmur.

After finishing the first variety she licked her claws clean and moved on to the next, chewing slowly this time as she looked at the surrounding city. She wondered if her mother had ever been somewhere like this, she'd never spoken of such so she didn't really know.

She'd like the food at least. She thought to herself, an amused smile spreading her features at how foolish that sounded.

Her mental wanderings were disturbed as her roaming eyes fell upon something, or someone, unexpected: A group of Sergals. She stared with perked ears at the three as they walked in her general direction, surprised at seeing others of her kind. They weren't wearing much, just simple loincloth-like garments that left the rest of their forms exposed, revealing theirA black or dark blue fur. What she found most intriguing though, was that they looked to more resemble her than those of her clan; given the different color of their fur and how they stood nearly as tall as her.

They seemed to notice her inspecting gaze, for they seemed to exchange words to each other with a laugh before altering their directing to make towards her. She narrowed her eyes at the group as they closed the distance, coming to a stop closer to her than she would have liked. She'd stood to her feet already, ears laid back in a defensive expression as her tail twitched behind her. They may have been her kind, but they were strangers to her and she wasn't going to trust them.

"Look at this _impressive_thing." The tallest of the three said, leering at her.

The other two had partially stepped to either side of her as the first spoke, and she felt a growl unconsciously rise in her throat as she watched them.

"No reason to get aggressive." The first said, bringing her attention back to him as he flashed his teeth. "We haven't seen you around here before, and we'd like to get to know you better."

She let her growl become a snarl as his words sunk in, she had a good idea of what he implied by that without him even saying it. Now she regretted not wearing her armor or sword, she had a strong feeling these males weren't going to let her go easily. One of the males made a sniffing sound as he inhaled through his nose, turning to look at the evident leader of their little group.

"I can't smell another male on her." He said to the others.

"That's a shame, such a pretty female is all by herself." The lead one said to her with a grin as that information was passed to him.

She continued to glare at him, until she felt a hand grab at her tail causing her to whirl around to face its owner with a furious set to her features. That act seemed to only be a ruse however, for as soon as she turned to face the male the lead one stepped up behind her, pressing himself into her back. His hands came to firmly rest on her hips, his head darting in to lick from her neck all the way up to her ears. She forcefully slapped the hands from her hips, giving a shove backwards to send the male staggering backwards. He gave a growl as he regained his footing a few steps from her.

"Touch me again and I'll rip that tongue from your throat." She snapped at him angrily.

"You've got some fight in you." He said with a laugh. "That's fine, I like that in a female."

She glared at him with a hateful gaze, stepping away from the group so they couldn't surround her. Picking this secluded spot didn't seem like the wisest choice now, as she faced the Sergals in her aggressive posture. She gave a snarl, swiping her claws at one of them as he tried to make a grab at her. They seemed quicker than others she was used to, and stronger as well given their larger stature. She gave another growl in warning, as futile as that seemed given how determined they were. She could tell they wouldn't be dissuaded easily, but she refused to let them have their way.