FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter Five

Well first things first: pick up more ointment. Falren thought to himself, walking down the stone-paved streets.

That particular mixture wasn't a rare one; it was quite common and simple to make if you had access to the required herbs. You just had to find a healer or such to get it from in the first place, unless you fancied making it yourself. Which, considering he'd just been pointed in the direction of one by a guard, shouldn't prove too difficult. He really wasn't sure where or what his next endeavor would be, but it didn't hurt to have everything in order nevertheless. The path he now walked was a side street that branched off from the main avenue, a number of people moving up and down it. The place he was looking for was supposedly a ways down, at a branch in the street.

After making his way down the corridor of buildings he saw what he assumed was his destination, if the cliché cauldron-shaped sign hanging above its door was any indication. He gave a small shake of his head as he approached the building, he really didn't understand the connection. He'd met people who followed the line of a healer, and there'd been such people back during his upbringing, but the need to relate your work to such a thing still eluded him. He supposed if they were good at their trade he couldn't criticize their tastes in advertising.

He walked up the plain door, gripping the latch and pushing inwards. A slight jingle could be heard as the door hit a small bell hanging from the frame, a simple means of alerting the owner to one's entry. The inside of the shop was quite barren, or at least the front was. A basic counter sat on one side of the room; the rest of the walls lined will shelves holding all manner of things related to the profession.

There was a pair of windows in the front of the building allowing the midmorning sun in, yet that wasn't the only source of light in the room. Rather than any lanterns, the owner appeared to have grown a number of brightly colored plants that gave off a soft glow. They were a different touch that he hadn't seen before, but he wasn't sure of what that said about the resident herbalist. His questions about said person would soon be answered however, for after his brief glance around the interior an aging man came shuffling through a door.

"Ah why hello there." He said in an airy voice.

The man had a slight hunch from age, his shoulder-length graying hair looking to have begun its journey in receding from his scalp. He wore a pair of spectacles perched on his aging features; tired, yet still very intent, eyes watching him apprehensively as he walked over.

"Hello." Falren offered calmly.

"Fascinating things, aren't they?" The man said, apparently noticing him looking at the faintly glowing plants. "I found them many, many years ago in my younger days when I was still learning the trade."

He shifted over to some of the plants, picking up a can that he shook around before deciding there was enough water.

"They serve quite a few purposes." He said as he tipped some of the water into the pot. "A soothing source of light, in my opinion, and you can make a poultice that numbs pain and helps to stop the bleeding from a wound. The leaves, oddly enough, have the opposite effect, intensifying pain and causing the blood to thin so as to prevent clotting, leading to a very painful death should they be used improperly... or properly."

The man placed the watering can back down and turned to him, having finished giving his plants their liquids.

"Now, how can I help you today?" He said with a smile.

Falren wasn't sure if the man simply had a wandering mind, or if that unexpected lesson in his plants had been to get a point across. Whatever the case he was here to procure an item; though he had the feeling this old man knew full well what effect his lesson may have had on a stranger.

"I was looking to obtain a jar of healing salve." He said to the man.

"Ah yes, of course you were." He said, making his way behind the counter. "Always a useful thing to have, though I prefer to avoid injury in the first place. Still, some things are inevitable. It just so happens I made a batch earlier today."

After briefly looking over a shelf behind the counter, he plucked up a small jar and placed it on the countertop as Falren stepped over. He reached into one of his pockets, pulling free a secondary coin purse to the one he'd tossed Velanis earlier. He'd learned that it was a good practice to never keep all your coin in one place, nor in open view. He counted the appropriate amount from the purse, exchanging them for the jar before securing it in a pouch at his waist.

"Much appreciated." The man said, tucking the coins in the robe he wore. "I prefer to not have to treat someone in the first place, but my door is always open should you require the aid of a healer."

Falren gave a nod, turning back towards the shop's entrance. He pulled the door open, stepping back out into the morning light. His first task done, he started back up the street. He looked over the buildings he had passed earlier, the familiar view having shifted just slightly with his altered direction. As he walked on, he passed by the shop face of what seemed to be a tailor, the front window being used to display some of its wares. As he looked in he had a thought cross his mind, rolling it around a bit as he gave it some consideration. It wasn't something he'd initially set out to do, but then, it wasn't a bad idea either. Coming to a conclusion he walked up to the shop's door and went inside, entertaining his sudden idea.

***

She gave a growl as a line of pain raked across the top of her forearm, one of the male Sergals catching her with a swipe from his claws. It only served to make her angrier, lunging at the one responsible with a snarl and swinging her own claws at him. He had to quickly jump backwards, just barely avoiding her swing as it scythed through the air in front of him, grazing his exposed chest. She heard the sounds of claws scrapping on stone, ducking to the side on instinct as the leader tried to grab her from behind. She rewarded him with a kick to his legs, sending him sprawling forwards as they buckled beneath him.

She maneuvered away from them after that, forced to back further and further from the main street so that they didn't encircle her. The Sergal she'd kicked to the ground rose with an angry growl, climbing back to his feet. She flashed her teeth at him, giving a taunting smile. He leapt forwards, taking the bait of her taunt and trying to drag her to the ground. She backed out of his reach, forcing him to come at her with his claws after the failed tackle. She either knocked aside his attempts to beat her down, or weaved out of the way. He was quick, but so was she.

She displayed her speed when he tried to swipe at her again, leaning away from the blow and swinging her claws at him, the natural weapons slashing across the slope of his head. The male gave a yelp as three bloody lines appeared on his snout, red beginning to leak across his visage. He gave a furious roar as he sprang at her, closing the short distance and bowling into her. They both fell to the ground in a flurry of claw and tooth, he trying to snap at her with his jaws, his previous intent clearly forgotten in his rage.

"I was going to make this easy, but I can see you have too much spirit for that!" He half-snarled.

She raked her claws down his front in bloody streaks, turning her head away from his jaws as he tried to bite at her. She felt a hot pain in her side as he dug his claws in and she darted her head forwards, slipping past his and closing her own jaws over his shoulder. The tang of blood filled her mouth as her sharp teeth sunk into the meat of his shoulder, the claws at her side releasing as he gave a yell of pain. With him distracted she curled her legs upwards, planting her feet against the form above her before giving a shove with her strong leg muscles. The kick served to send him off of her, making him land on his back a few feet away.

She was on her feet in an instant, a snarl on her face as she put some distance between the males. The one she'd just beaten climbed back to his feet, blood matting down most of the fur on his front as he glared at her with pure anger in his eyes. His two companions moved to circle her again now that they were untangled, and she moved with their advance, watching them with narrowed eyes.

The one to her right made a lunge at her with outstretched claws, to which she ducked under in a flash and leapt into his chest. He was knocked to the ground with her on top, pinning his arms to the side as she tried to snap her jaws at his face. Before her jaws were able to find their mark however, the other male intervened, stepping in and giving her a whack on the end of her snout. The force of the blow knocked her head back, her vision flashing as pain radiated from her nose. The male who'd delivered the blow grabbed her wrists in one hand while she was momentarily stunned, holding them behind her back so his comrade could crawl from beneath her.

She quickly had her upper body shoved to the ground, the male above her pinning her there with a satisfied grin as she struggled against him. She tried to kick at his legs with a growl, only to have him push down harder on her back. She caught sight of the lead male as he walked up to her, holding a hand to his bloody snout.

"Not much fight in you now." He sneered down at her as the male above fumbled with her tail. She continued to wriggle her arms against the Sergal's grip; he was strong, but he was trying to hold both her arms singlehanded as he wrestled with her tail. She just had to loosen his grip a bit and she'd have an arm free...

"Now who gets you fir-?" The lead one began only to be cut off by something unexpected.

"Do you not have anything better to do then harassing females?" A feminine voice called, making the Sergal jerk his head in the direction of the voice.

She craned her head to look as well, eyes coming upon the form of another Sergal, female this time. She was tall, probably as tell as herself, and her fur was a dark, deep red that shifted in intensity depending on how the light hit it. The fur on the inside of her body was white, following the same style as the rest of her species, and it formed a flare-like pattern around her eyes.

"Let's start by letting her up." The newcomer said to the Sergal above her as she came to a stop in front of them. "Or is there not enough blood left in your head to understand that?"

The male above her gave a growl at the female, not making any move to release her. She continued to try and wear his grip down while he was distracted, working on freeing one of her arms from his grasp.

"This has nothing to do with you." The lead male said, stepping up to her. "Unless you care to join her." He added with that same sneer.

"Try that with me," The female started, eyes suddenly flashing to the male with a piercing gaze, "And you will regret it."

The male seemed surprised by the venom in her words, taking a half-step backwards. She used the time to flex her arms more, feeling the grip on her arms weaken until she was abruptly able to yank one free. With one hand free she raked her claws backhanded across the male's torso before he could react, making him give a startled yelp as he flinched away from her. She used the opening to wriggle out from under him, springing to her feet with a growl as he retreated back.

The female stepped up beside her then, giving a laugh.

"How well do you think you'd fair against us both, hmm?" She said.

The lead male looked between them both angrily, holding a glare on her that said it wasn't over before turning with a frustrated growl and walking off on unsteady feet, his companions following suit. When the males had walked off she brought up her arm, running her tongue over the slowly bleeding lines there. She pressed her free hand to the other wound on her side, feeling a wet patch as she pressed on it. She stalked off back to the bench where the whole thing had started, her parcels still resting where she placed them as she sat down and tended her wounds. She heard the slight scratch of claws on stone as the female walked up and sat on the bench, allowing a small gap between them.

"Pathetic city rats." The female mumbled. "Wouldn't last a day back in Nel'Vrak."

"Who are you?" She asked, looking at the stranger from the corner of her eye. Now that she was closer to her, she couldn't help but notice that this Sergal seemed at least a bit older than her.

"You can call me Naleen." She offered, watching her with emerald eyes.

"Why help?" She continued, letting her arm down.

"I heard the commotion and thought I'd give a fellow female some aid." Naleen told her with a chuckle. "We need to stick together, do we not?"

Velanis gave a flick of her ears, removing the hand from her wounded side. The bleeding had stopped, but she'd need something to clean it with since she couldn't give it the same treatment as her arm- She flinched as something warm wiped over the wound. She jerked her head down, staring with narrowed eyes as she saw that the female had ducked her head down to run her tongue over the area.

"Did I hurt you?" She asked, looking up at her with a curious expression.

"No..." She said slowly, Naleen quickly returning to helping her clean the wound.

"Why do you help me?" She asked tentatively.

Naleen gave her a laugh as she sat back upright, the wound now cleaned.

"Where we come from if someone is willing to aid you, you take it for what it is." She said, watching her once more. "Perhaps you have been around the other races to long. But with us," Naleen gestured at her, "We are open in our interactions with each other. Either you are my foe, or you are my friend."

"Ah..." She said, turning her head out to look over the street. Her clan had been that way, but it was odd for a stranger to act similarly.

"What was your name female?"

"Velanis." She replied.

"That is not a bad name." Naleen said to her. "Did you come here alone, Velanis?"

"No, I came here with a Human." She said, picking up one of the bundles and unwrapping it. The meat she'd so contentedly been enjoying was cold by now, but as she sliced a piece off and began chewing, she found its flavor hadn't been diminished.

"A Human?" Naleen pondered with a hint of surprise. "Well that is unexpected. What might his name be?"

"...Falren." She replied after a moment.

The female gave a thoughtful cross between a hum and a growl. "A strange name for a strange Human then?"

Velanis gave a snort at that. "Yes, he certainly is strange."

"Did you come all the way here from Nel'Vrak?" She asked her.

She turned to look at the female, confusion written on her face.

"Where is that?" She asked. "You said that name before but I've never heard it before."

"Really?" Naleen said; her head cocked to the side. "You've never heard of Nel'Vrak?"

Velanis shook her head at her, giving a perplexed look.

"You must be from one of the wandering clans then." Naleen said to her with a smile. "Nel'Vrak is where we are from, Velanis, it is our home. I am surprised that was never taught to you, you do have a clan yes?"

"Yes." She confirmed. "We were a small clan in the mountains beyond this Rindal place."

"And you were raised there?"

"For as long as I can remember." She replied.

"Interesting..." Naleen mused, looking her up and down again appraisingly.

"Where is this 'Nel'Vrak'?" She asked, looking over at the female.

"Oh... it is far away." She said with a smile. "It is quite a long journey on foot."

"What is it like?" Velanis continued. "Are there Humans there?"

"Definitely not." She said with a chuckle. "It is a very wild place, far from what is comfortable to these people. Why would you ask that?"

"I was... curious." She stated, looking at the city thoughtfully. For some reason she thought that Falren might know something about that place, though she couldn't quite place why.

"You are young, it is only natural for you to be curious." Naleen said.

"Why are you here?" She asked, turning to her. "You and those males are the only other Sergals I've seen since coming here."

"I was given a choice many moons ago, and decided to see what was beyond the land I had called home so long." She said. "We all have our reasons, yes? You yourself are here as well after all."

She grunted, her ears giving a flick.

"How did you end up in the company of a Human, if I may ask?" Naleen queried. "I don't find it common for them to associate with us and," She made a gesture to the purse Falren had given her, "To part with their 'coin' freely."

"Ah." She said, looking down to where she'd tied the purse to her sash with a frown. "A group of humans had captured me while I slept, and he came across us while he was traveling. He freed me from the 'bandits' and offered to let me accompany him afterwards."

"Just like that he helped you?" Naleen said, watching her intently. "I wouldn't expect a human to be so quick to offer aid to one of our kind."

Velanis simply gave a shrug in answer.

"Well, perhaps he is more like us in that regard." Naleen mused. "It is not a bad thing that he is willing to help you, I think."

"No, I suppose it isn't." She replied.

She looked at the wrapped meat next to her for a thoughtful moment, before cutting a portion from it and offering it to the female beside her. Naleen gave another of her friendly smiles, accepting it and beginning to nibble on it. It was strange in a way, meeting another Sergal that treated her warmly and didn't look at her like she was different. Whether that was due to being more akin to Naleen, or her simply being that way, she couldn't say for sure. Still, it made her feel a bit more "welcomed"; a feeling she'd only had with her mother... and Falren, strangely.

***

The result of his minds recent endeavors now tucked under an arm, he stepped from the tailor's shop and back onto the street. What he'd obtained was only partly "finished", as there remained one final thing to be done to it before he would be satisfied. An unfortunate side effect of that was he would need to travel to the higher district to achieve it, adding a bit more time to when he said he'd return to his Sergal companion. Still, she wasn't a child and he doubted that with the various things to see she'd even notice the difference in time.

He began walking down the paved street, his feet connecting with the stone in a steady rhythm as he made for the last district. The last district was, of course, the inner area housing the regent and people of import. The man he was currently enroute to see was a practitioner of the more... exotic arts, what most may call a mage. From a small time spent talking with the man himself, and from the mouths of others, he'd gleaned that the mage was quite good at his branch of "magic". That branch being the ability to alter the world around him, or add certain properties to objects.

He was branded so knowledgeable and skilled in fact, that the Lord Regent had taken an interest and took him into the workings of his staff. Being in such a position of course often made it difficult at times to get an audience with the man. Falren gave a mental laugh at that last part, a man he may be, but he was still quite young. Which in a way may have led to how the mage became acquainted with Falren in the first place.

He'd first stumbled into the mage on one of his visits to the inner keep, having finished a rather simple job and just on his way out. The man had started following him through the inner workings of the castle like a fly hovering around, a look on his face as though he wanted to speak but wasn't sure how to begin. Falren had eventually turned on him, at the time not knowing exactly who he was, and questioned him as to why he was following.

In the end it turned out that some of the castle staff had been spreading their own tales about Falren's "off" nature, tales that the youthful mind of the mage had taken an interest to. He wouldn't have said he knew the man well, but they talked a bit on occasion after that. He found the topics of the mage's studies to be interesting, as there hadn't been any such thing back amongst his clan- an amused expression grabbed his features as he vocalized a sad laugh, stopping that thought short.

_How quickly I regress._He thought to himself, paying attention to the city around him once more.

His recollection bought him a little reprieve from the tedium of traversing the city, his legs moving unconsciously as they carried him. He was on the main avenue once again, walking down its edge as it ran towards the inner circle of the city. He could see the towers and walls that made up the central section, a gatehouse visible where the street eventually ended at the wall. He would arrive at the gate soon, and then he'd have to gain entry. The average person wasn't allowed to simply stroll through the grounds unless they had business there, and in a way he did. It was all a matter of whether or not the guards would present him a difficult time.

Soon the steady rhythm of his feet brought him to the end of the avenue, the wall and its gate now before him. The archway was left open given the hour and state of things, simply a small number of the armored guards watching over the passer bys. He approached the gate calmly, and although the guards made no movement, he was well aware that they were watching. He stopped just short of their armored forms, one of them finally making motion as he looked Falren up and down.

"Business and name." The same one stated, his slightly muffled voice ringing forth from his helm.

"Falren." He replied in suit. "I'm here to see Darion."

"For what purpose?"

"I require his services." He said, making an indication to the bundle under his arm.

"The residing mage does not serve in the affairs of the local populace." The man stated simply. "I'm afraid you will needs find another to aid you."

Falren gave a small frown at that. The guard wasn't giving him attitude, that much he could tell even through his masked features, and he was just about to suggest having a runner sent to the mage before he was interrupted.

"That's enough formality." One of the guards to the left called out. "I've seen this man before in the grounds attending to the Court's matters, he'll cause no trouble."

"Very well." The first said, turning his head back to Falren and motioning through the gate with his gauntlet. "Through you go, but make your business quick."

Falren gave a nod, making his way under the gate's stone arch and into the castle grounds beyond. It was as one could expect from a place of such high... stature. A groomed collection of small trees and various plants occupied the area between the granite walkways, benches of the same such stone arranged throughout for when the denizens may care to use them. He spotted a few other people walking through the grounds, some guards and some richly dressed nobles or such other.

He made his way down the smooth walkway, moving towards the large stone structures that resided over the area. Directly ahead was a great pair of wooden doors that led into the main area of the keep, more guards flanking the arches. That, although it too would lead him there, was not his destination. His destination was one of the large buildings that branched from the main section, and to get there he preferred to walk through the grounds rather than the keep's interior.

As he turned onto the path leading to the building he had to admit that, despite it not being his taste, they did do an admirable job tending the grounds. He had to follow the walkway for a bit of time as it branched to the left, curving its way along the high walls. He walked by a few other guards on his way, though they didn't make any effort to question his presence seeing as he had been allowed through in the first place.

At last, the building in question came into view. It was a tall affair, built on the lake-ward facing side of the grounds so that its windows were able to look out over the expanse of water. He walked up to the small set of steps, ascending them to the polished wooden door that he pushed open on its well-oiled hinges. The first floor was much the same as it always was, a decently large room with a hearth at one end and a collection of tables and chairs in between. At the moment it was empty and silent, so he turned to the stairs on his right and began to climb them as they wound up to the higher floors.

Most of the tower-like structure was left empty, the man he was here to see having taken to spending most of his time on the upper floor. Although, even before him taking residence here the building had still been left unused. He passed several doors on his ascent, finally coming to a stop at the eighth. He didn't immediately open, instead taking a moment to knock on its wooden surface. He'd learned that it wasn't a wise idea to go barging in on magic users when they could be in the middle of just about anything.

"Enter!" A familiar voice called from beyond the door.

Warning given and permission granted, he pushed open the door and stepped into the room. Sun light shown in from the multiple windows, illuminating the much more cluttered space where the mage chose to spend his time. Tables, shelves, bookcases, all were present baring varying degrees of rare materials or items native to their owners abilities. The owner in question was a thin fellow, dressed in a loose cloth robe and baring the appearance of one who preferred the indoor life. He decided to turn his gaze to Falren after the door had closed, looking out from under his mop of sandy hair.

"Well if it isn't Falren." He said, the items on the tabletop forgotten. "Back from some great adventure are we?"

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear, Darion." Falren replied back, stepping further into the room.

"Well what is one to believe when you never state otherwise, hmm?" Darion said, walking around the table.

"My tales aren't for telling." He responded. "You'll find that the truth of things isn't what people tell in stories."

"Yes, of course." The mage said with a wave of his hand. "I am not so foolish- anymore- to believe every story."

Darion closed the distance, holding out a thin hand that Falren clasped.

"Now what brings you here? I know you aren't one to just stop by for no reason."

"I was curious as to whether or not you could put the same ward as before on this." He replied, holding up the rolled bundle of cloth.

"Of course I can." Darion replied. "What happened to the last one, did you go and ruin it?"

"No, it's still perfectly intact." Falren stated. "This is for someone else."

"Oh is it then?" The man said, taking the bundle from him and shaking it out. "Found someone to adventure with?"

"Not adventuring, but yes. It wasn't something I planned to happen but that's how it turned out."

"Mmm, the greatest and most exciting things usually happen unexpectedly." He replied musingly, studying the long garment as the difference folded on the floor. "Tall sod isn't he?"

"She." Falren corrected. "And yes, she is tall."

"Well that would be an interesting thing to see, a lady being taller than you." Darion joked, carrying the item to a nearby table.

"I think her height wouldn't be what surprised you most." He said.

"Yes... perhaps not." He replied, barely paying attention now that he was already engrossed in the task before him.

Falren left him to it, instead walking the distance to one of the large windows overlooking the lake. The water was a blue and white collage, with only the form of the occasional ship breaking its reflection. He could see down to the docks as well, the moving specks of the people there just barely able to be made out. He could understand why the mage preferred it up here; it was quite peaceful and undisturbed yet you were able to look out over the bustling city and the world beyond.

Even after the many times he'd been here, he still wasn't entirely used to the city. It wasn't that he was intimidated or overwhelmed by it; he was able to navigate it just fine. It was simply the nature of it, the cold stone and towering structures. Given the lifestyle he'd come from it wasn't entirely possible to accept it as "normal", unlike the people that spent their lives around such things. He gave a quiet laugh at that, looking over the maze of wood and stone.

I wonder how Velanis is coping with it when even I know the way around at least... He gave a frown as that sunk in.

As he mulled that over he was unsure if leaving her alone was the best decision. She could take care of herself, that he didn't doubt, but it was easy to get into trouble if you didn't know what was what. She had wanted to look around though, whether or not she'd admit it. He gave a sigh, once he was finished here he'd be going back anyway; there wasn't much to be done at this point. He doubted she could have gotten into trouble on such a well used and watched over area...

"And all done." Darion abruptly said behind him, breaking his line of thought.

He turned away from the view, looking back to the mage as he was re-rolling the cloth.

"There you are, one warded cloak." He said holding out the rolled up cloak. "Hopefully it suits your friend."

"It may take a bit of convincing, but she'll appreciate it." Falren replied, taking the bundle and tucking it under one arm.

"Suppose you're off on another adventure then?" Darion said.

"What I do is far from 'adventuring', Darion." He said flatly.

"Whether or not you think so it's still more of an adventure then sitting up here in the castle." The man stated.

"The world beyond these city walls isn't always a nice place, you shouldn't scoff at them." Falren said to the mage sternly. "But I thank you for the service, I left my... friend to wait for me down in the markets and I should be heading back."

"Oh very well then, I certainly am not one to stop you." He replied, walking back to the table he had first been hunched over. "Do need to finish my studies in any case..."

Recognizing when the man had already diverted his attention to another subject, Falren moved back to the stairway door and slipped through it. He began his descent to ground level, stepping back onto the building's first floor. As he stepped out into the aging sun, he decided that there was one thing he could do while he was here. With that in mind he walked off down the path leading back to the front of the castle grounds, set to check one final thing before returning to Velanis.

***

"So this human, is he from this place?" Naleen asked her, breaking the silence that had settled.

"I... don't know." Velanis replied unsurely. "He's never said. Wouldn't you think he is from here, since he's human?"

"Perhaps." She said with a quiet growl. "His name is strange, that's all."

"Do you know what it means?" She asked curiously.

"Of course!" Naleen replied with a chuckle. "That is why I find it strange, but it may just be a coincidence."

"Well, you may meet him if you stay." Velanis said, casting a glance up and down the street. "He should be back soon."

It was starting to shift into the midday hours, the sun shining down brightly on the crowds of people that hadn't seemed to lessen any with time. Despite the drawbacks her spot may have had, she was at least glad for the cool shade and relative seclusion it gave. She was perfectly content for the moment to simply talk to the female beside her and stay out of the crowds.

She'd found out a bit more about Naleen from talking to her, and for the most part she had been open to the subjects. It was... interesting to hear about life in Nel'Vrak where she'd come from, though she admitted that it had been many moons since she had been there. In many ways it didn't seem so different from how she'd lived with her own clan, though the number and size were greater there.

"Why did you leave your clan to come here?" Velanis asked, casting a glance to the older female.

"Nel'Vrak is my home, and it always shall be young one." She responded with a small sigh. "But when I left it was... far from a peaceful place."

"What do you mean?" She queried, her ears giving a flick.

Naleen's maw parted to speak, but before she uttered a word she quirked her head as she looked off across the street.

"Is that the human?" She asked.

Velanis followed the direction of her gaze, eyes coming to rest on the familiar sight of Falren as he walked towards them.

"Yes." She said, standing to her feet.

She noticed Naleen stayed seated behind her, emerald eyes watching Falren carefully as he approached. She turned her gaze back to Falren, his stride slowing slightly as he saw the other female behind her. She watched a frown cross his features as he drew near, his gaze shifting to the fresh wounds.

"What happened?" He asked her, stopping a few steps away.

"A group of males who couldn't control their urges." She said with a snort.

"Are you alright?" He continued, looking between her and Naleen.

"I'm fine. They gave up after I bloodied their noses," She looked back at the other Sergal, "And Naleen helped scare them off."

"Ah..." Falren said, regarding Naleen. "Thank you then."

"I was only giving another female my help." She replied, a small smile now touching her features. "She'd have handled them herself I think, though they'd have been worse off."

Falren looked at the marks once more, a flash of something flitting across the steel surface of his eyes before it disappeared just as quick. She reached a hand down to her sash and untied the purse there, changing the subject.

"Catch." She said; mimicking what he'd done to her earlier by under handing the pouch to him.

He blinked, his free hand darting up to snatch it out of the air, weighing it before quirking a brow at her.

"What?" She said, cocking her head at him.

"I thought you'd have spent more, judging by the look you were giving everything." He said with amusement.

She gave a small shrug. "What is that?" She asked, gesturing to the thing under his arm.

"This," He began, transferring it to his hand and holding it out to her, "Is yours."

She gave a frown, narrowing her eyes as she took the rolled up cloth in her claws. The cloth was heavy, slightly rough against her fur, and she almost mistook it for black until she recognized it as a deep, dark green. She shook it out, the cloth unraveling until it nearly touched her feet. At first she wasn't sure what it was, but as she fiddled with it she realized that it was actually a cloak. Her hands were grasping the "shoulders" of the garment, a deep hood in the space between.

"I..." She started. "My fur keeps me plenty dry and warm."

"I thought you'd need some convincing." He said. "But trust me, it will be much better in the rain and cold than getting your fur drenched."

She continued to stare at the cloak unsurely, a frustrated growl quietly rumbling in her throat. She knew he meant well, but she really wasn't sure she liked the idea of wearing it... A chuckle and the sound of claws on stone made her turn her head, watching as Naleen came up next to her.

"Accept it child." She said, taking the garment from her hands and throwing it around Velanis' shoulders. "He is right, it will be much better then relying on only your fur in the elements."

Naleen stepped away after draping the cloak over her shoulders, leaving her feeling a bit awkward as she shuffled her feet. She looked down at the cloth, seeing a metal clasp at the collar that she brought her hands up to and hooked together. Unlike the outside, the inside was lined with a different material that was softer against her fur.

"Thank you..." She said to Falren, ears pinned back in an uncomfortable look.

"I wasn't sure how well it would fit, but it looks good enough." He said.

"It's fine." She said, flicking her ears.

"Naleen, was it?" Falren asked, turning his attention to the female.

She gave a nod, green eyes watching him with interest.

"You are not from here I imagine?" He asked.

"No, I am not." She said with a smile. "I am from Nel'Vrak."

Velanis watched Falren curiously as she said that, wondering what he may say to that.

"You've come a long way." He said carefully, measuring his words.

"Yes, but it is a humbling journey." She said, tilting her head at him. "Have you ever been there, human?"

"I've been many places." He stated, skirting around the question. "I'm going to buy some food myself, and probably something for Aemon as well." He directed at her.

She gave a grunt as he turned away, walking off towards some of the stalls. Her amber eyes watched him as he moved into the crowd, a frown on her face. Naleen walked up besides her, giving a chuckle.

"I see now why you took a liking to this human." She said, peering at her.

"What?" Velanis questioned, her eyes narrowing.

"Do not take it so seriously." Naleen said with amusement, raising a hand in a calming gesture. "He is a good person to have as a friend, even if he's human."

She snorted and turned her head away, spotting Falren as he stood at one of the food vendors.

"It was pleasant to talk to you, Velanis." Naleen said to her. "Perhaps we may have a chance to speak again, I will be here for a time I think."

"Thank you..." Velanis replied, wondering what she had somehow gleaned that she herself hadn't.

"Of course." She said, treating her with another smile as she turned to go, walking away down the street.

Velanis watched her stride off, before she began to move towards the more populated section of the street where Falren was. She weaved through the people, coming to a stop besides Falren as he surveyed what one of the vendors had to offer.

"Where did the female go?" He asked her, trading a few silver coins for a package of whatever meat was being offered.

"I'm not sure. She said farewell and that she would be in the city for a time." Velanis responded with a shrug, looking over some of the stalls she hadn't inspected before. "What are those?" She added, gesturing to one of the stalls a few places down.

Falren gave a hum, looking up and following the directing of her hand. "See for yourself." He said with a chuckle, producing a coin that he held out to her.

She gave a frown at the piece of metal, but took it reluctantly as she moved over to the aforementioned stall. The man behind the wares was large, an apron wrapped around his wide frame. He gave her a large smile as she stopped in front of the stall and looked over what was being displayed in wavy glass containers, though whether he was genuinely friendly of simply greeting her as a potential customer, she couldn't tell.

"Hello my furry friend!" He greeted her merrily, though his choice of words annoyed her a bit. "How can I help calm that sweet tooth of yours?"

She cocked her head at him, giving him a frown as the meaning of his words eluded her.

"Ah, you must be a newcomer!" He proclaimed at her confused look. "Here, allow me to suggest some things..."

The man then happily went about pointing certain dishes out to her, to which she simply took in as her ears twitched at his words. These "pastries" as the man called them were something entirely new to her, so despite his efforts to inform her about what was best she really had no idea what to pick. In the end she settled for one of the oblong-shaped varieties, an odd substance covering it. The man quickly retrieved a pair of the indicated objects, loosely wrapping it in parchment before handing it to her. She exchanged them for the coin in her hand, the man giving a tip of his head.

"Enjoy!" He called as she turned away, striding back to where Falren was waiting.

She removed one of the pastries from its wrapping as she walked alongside Falren, giving the slightly squishy creation a sniff. It had an odd smell, obviously not like any kind of meat, nor quite like any of the breads she'd smelled. With naught else to do, she opened her jaws and bit a chunk from it. She was surprised to find it was filled with something sweet and fruity, the shell of it like doughy bread.

"What do you think?" Falren asked as they walked along, an amused grin on his face for some reason.

"It's different." She said, swallowing the mouthful.

The sweetness wasn't something she was used to. She'd eaten fruit before amongst her clan, but that was only a vague comparison. She bit another piece from it, chewing thoughtfully. Humans did like to experiment with their food it seemed. She finished the sweet pastry, licking her claws clean. After a moment she couldn't help but notice Falren still bearing a grin on his face, odd for him to wear it for so long.

"What's so funny?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"You got some on your snout." He informed her.

She gave an annoyed growl, flicking her tongue out around her maw and catching the remnants of the snack.

"Where are we going now?" She asked, having cleaned the mess.

"Paying Aemon a visit at his shop." He said, guiding her along the streets. "Thought you might like to see his work as well."

"Alright." She said nonchalantly, looking around at the parts of the city he was taking her though. "Ah... Do you want this?" She added gingerly.

"No, you can have it." He said with a chuckle.

Her tail gave a flick as she unwrapped the second pastry, eating a bit more slowly this time to enjoy it...