East Bank of the Silver Run River
The lands of the Abode surround you.
At the rivers edge, a pool has formed, sheltered by huge rocks on the west side, allowing the water there to collect and empty out somewhat at odd intervals. Here it seems a good place for the washing out of leathers, bathing of bodies and general cooling off from the silky summertime heat. There is smooth white sand, surprisingly, under your feet and you find yourself smiling at this pleasant place. There are a few trees scattered over the beach, providing shade from the hot summer. The bank here begins tapering off into thick woods, limbs covered with lush green leaves. Small shrubs and undergrowth encroaches all around as the bank blends with and eventually becomes the forest. Tiny bugs zip around at ankle height, and occasionally a fish leaps out to snatch at one of them. You hear hushed noises as the holt slowly comes to life as elves and wolves awaken from the hot summer sleep.
Mid-day has passed, the daystar having already reached its zenith, finally beginning the slow descent. The wolfrider guards are bored in the tree tops, the small glider family so far hasn't been much trouble. They can scent Piper before they can hear her, but as she approaches the noise of her footfalls quite audible. Her face has a determined set to it, this is her territory, her Holt and she needs a bath, damn the gliders, she'll get one to and this -IS- the best place to do it.
Savith sits by the edge of the pool, bathing the child. A hunter's ears, the Chosen have, and he glances over at the noisy footfalls. Well, Winnowill hasn't lifted the order to be 'diplomatic' when he's out and about, so as Piper nears, he sends, **Greetings.** He's not sure if this is a wolfrider or not. As noisy as it is, it may be a villager come to live with them. He's been careful to take the time to get the child used to the cool water, and lets the child explore it, though only a few days old. Childern learn fast.
Indeed, its easy to mistake this elf for a Village turned forest dweller. When finally Piper makes her appearance at the pools edge, she's taller than your average wolfrider by a good 4 or 5 inches, her skin a creamy chocolate. At the sent greeting though, she scowls, a look not suited well to her face. Her voice is tight, "Shade." But no sweet water, not for this group she won't wish such a thing.
Savith flicks a brow up at Piper's scowl. Great. Another one. He turns from her, floating Rosendo up to dry, trilling at the boy like a turtle dove. (Hey, it works on Winddance!) **Ah, now that makes sense. A villager. You're far from home, are you not,** he comments, as if trying to make idle conversation. Somehow, the tone seems scoffing, cold, aloof.
Just as she was about to get undressed, Piper catches sight of the cub as it lifts into the air. The cold scowl melts, fights to regain control, then at the trilling, she can't help but let the scowl disappear. Nono, must be angry, Chosen bad! Really - but the cub so durned adorable!. Oh wait, the chosen sent to her didn't he, without really thinking, she responds, her mind easily read as she replies, ** Hmm? Village, me no. And home is just (aww, cub so cute, and it floats alerady! wow oooooo) **
No, the child isn't floating. If Piper knew anything about glider pups, she'd realize the motion was far too controlled for a few day old child. Savith is behind it, wrapping the baby in a warm blanket to dry him, while his invisible hands rub softly, drying. He continues to trill, dipping into bird song as he does, whistling and cooing and clicking. He flicks a glance at Piper, noticing how she melts at his son. His son! WOO! -ahem- Ah, but that's a good thing right now, with so little food, and Yun holding his talonwhip still. **Home is just what,** he prompts.
Piper begins slipping out of her leathers, folding them neatly and setting them where they shouldn't get wet. Initially she just dips a toe in the water, puckernuts, its still cold! Ah well, with a disappointed sigh, she slips into the water, finding a comfortable place to just soak, Moonshade's been working her hard and Redstar to is rough at times. Hazel eyes turn once more on the strange tall father and son, ahh, there is the wolf in her, those eyes, unmistakably wolfin, ** Its here, this holt. I've never been to the Sun Village. **
Savith brings the baby to his arms. His eyes, moss green, flick to one of the swaddling cloth nearby, laundered by Llune. It moves without hands, unfolding. **I see,** he replies deadpan, **And you've some of the wolf in you as well. I've seen the look before.** On Ekana. But let's not goes that river.
A bit of hardness enters her expression again, it looks unfamiliar and uncomfortable for her. She switches to speaking once more, "Yeah.. So?" Her eyes seem to dare, go ahead, make something of it, I'm not alone here you know. But once more, eyes catch sight of the infant, and her expression softens, "Your cub's cute."
Savith glances over as he unwraps Rosendo again and sets him down on his back to fold the cloth about him. You know, he's going to bap Larias if she doesn't learn this and forces him to do it all the time. But... he gets to use it as an excuse to hold the baby, so he won't complain. Yet. To Piper's first question he replies, sending still as he's chirping for the boy, **Just commenting, but I'm glad you think so. I'm... rather taken myself.** Oh, such an admission, but made so coldly.
The dark skinned Piper is soaking in the pool, clothes folded nearby, but distant enough they won't get wet. She's about as far from the glider family as she can be, her eyes and the eyes of those tasked with watching the glider family, are on Savith and his cub. Despite the the heat of the daystar, Piper's expression seems to bounce from sour to soft at random moments as she wars with herself about nastybad Chosen and cute lil cub. She speaks to Savith, who's just bathed and changed the wee one, "You should be. Your his sire, no?"
The forest challanged Go-back comes crashing through the underbrush, hushing the chirping birds with his racket. He bursts into view, staggering a little from almost getting tripped up from some roots.
Savith finishes the last fold of the baby's swaddling blanket, and lifts his gently. While Piper's talking, the Chosen, big bad nasty Chosen that he is, is trilling like a yellow-breasted robin, keeping a smile on his son's face. **I am at that,** Savith replies, halted from sending more by the noise. He tenses protectively, eyes going to the source, almost expecting a bear or something else hideous to come crashing from the woods. Ah, but it's worse. It's a go-back.
Piper spins around in the water, curious as to who could possibly be making more noise than she. Ahh, its him, whats his name? She can't recall, but hey, he's got to be better than the Chosen. A bright smile is brought to light, "Shade and sweet water." The full greeting given to the new arrival just before she dunks herself under water.
And there isn't too many things that can challenge being worse then a Go-back. Seeing the tall bird boned elf with his new addition the Go-back smiles, though a bit lopsidedly. "Leetah, with her hands like warm milk, kept things from getting too interesting?" Prior quieries as he walks over to the glider and peers over the elf's shoulder to see if the child got defected in any way.
Certainly not! Rosendo is the perfect image of a glider child. Small, delicate, pale, and truely full blooded. Unlike hte rest of you mud-bloods. Savith regards the go-back, then shifts Rosendo slightly, brushing away the edge of the blanket for Prior to see. He continues trilling, his son's eyes wide as they survey the world around him. **She did. Thank the High Ones,** he replies, his tone almost cold.
The sounds of water dripping announce Piper's emergence from below water. Hair plastered to her scalp, she wipes the water from her eyes. Aww, no fair! The guest to the holt gets to see the cub up close first. Bah, time to remedy that. Though it means she has to be close to the cold hearted bird brain, she swims over quickly, "Can I see too? I've got a cub of my own now, but didn't get to see her when she was little, I'm curious what she might have looked like." And this makes sense how?
Prior mmms thoughtfully as he checks out the fawn, not quite believing that everything went that smoothly. "I could have helped if she was busy. I had seen Rith, back at the lodge, handle things like that at least three times. Like I was telling you earlier, you just cut a little to make the exit wider and reach inside and yank. Gotta be quick! Otherwise you could loose both the mother and the fawn at once...." He continues on, liking the sound of his own voice and enjoying the idea of being an authority on this matter. "... It was a good thing you stopped here. Don't think you would have gotten much further without making things even more complicated, I shouldn't wonder."
Savith looks at Piper first, nodding faintly. Yes yes, you can approach. His brows tighten slightly. It doesn't make any sense. Of course, Piper's wolf-blooded. That muddles things. It's Prior's comments that disturb him. His features twitch in a light sneer, as he replies coldly, **Yes, well thank you anyway.** And you're not going anywhere NEAR his Larias. So just, go ... over there.
Cooing at the cub, Piper can't help but grin wide as she gets a good close look at him. Who cares she's out of the water nekkid as the day she was born? She certainly doesn't. Giving her hand a shake, she gets as much of the water off as she can before reaching forward to touch the new cub, babbling back at Prior as she does so, "That sounds dangerous though? How do you keep the mother from bleeding to death if you have to cut her? Or is that so the cub has a chance even if the mother is doomed? Without a healer, it sounds dreadful really - but, I suppose.." She shrugs, the strong survive and the weak die, there is some sense to it, even if it does give her the willies.
Prior is only happy to explain further, "You know how you hold leathers together?" He makes a needle and thread motion with his hands. "Works pretty well on flesh, hurts like nothing else but it stops the bleeding pretty well."
Savith very skillfully supresses a shudder, as he holds the child out for Piper to touch and coo over. With so much going on , the Chosen stops twittering like a songbird. At the wet hand, Rosendo turns his eyes to Piper, a soft squeel and a slightly shaking send. Savith stays OUT of the conversation, flicking a glance back toward the shelter of the gliders. Larias is asleep? Good.
Wincing Piper lokos down at her nekkid self, not even daring to imagine, *gulp*, "Does that happen often?" Oh but wait? The child held out, Piper moves to pick up the cub, already cooing and baby talking at the poor little thing. To be so uncaring how she looks, all for the sake of a cub - even -IF- it belongs to gliders.
"Hey, where is your mate?" Prior says as he glances about for the she-glider. The Go-back starts to walk away to find the other bird boned elfess, but quite suddenly his ear prick at a silent communication. "Skot and Krim want me." And with that he springs out of view and into the woods, crashing and stomping his way back to the father tree in search of his chums.
Savith was about to snap at Prior to be quiet cause she's sleeping, but as he's called away, he relaxes. It's for hte best, after all. He turns his gaze, instead, back to Piper and his son. Keeping a very firm lock on the child with his mind, he watches with slightly narrowed and protective eyes. If Piper were to try anything, the guards would have to put in a wuiver full each into him, before he'd stop.
Piper cradles the cub carefully, cooing and burbling, mimicing any noise or facial expression that Rosendo makes. Getting comfortable quickly, she holds the cub with one arm, letting him play with her fingers. When he grabs on, she lets out a giggle which startles the cub slightly. A titter, "Oops, sorry bout that little one. Shh, you're welcome here."
Savith watches like a hawk poised over a field watching a mouse. At the titter, he leans forward and whistles softly, his send like the brush of a feather, **Hush hush, hatchling. She knows better than to bite.** A hand lifts, and brushes at an ear. Oh, and the cub giggles at the whistle. He knows who daddy is, doesn't he?
And Piper knows when she's treading on thin ice. She holds the cub back out to the chosen, only slightly reluctant to put a child in a glider's hands - after all, this child belongs with this glider. Swallowing, she brings forth a smile that doesn't quite reach your eyes, "Thank you.. I know you didn't have to."
**Of course I did,** Savith replies coldly, taking the child back with but a touch of a finger until he can settle back and cradle him again. There's a thin hope that him will coax him to float on his own. Time will tell. Once the child is firmly in his grasp, he settles down to try to coax the child to sleep.
Piper moves back towards the water, a safe distance, even if the Chosen is preoccupied with cub, she's heard stories, who knows what he's capable of really? Swallowing she sends, ** No, you didn't have to let me... No one's going to force you to allow your cub to be held. He is yours after all, and its not like... ** you belong here, ahh, but thats not what she says, though thats whats implies, ** you are a part of this tribe. **
Savith shifts his cold eyes toward Piper, a stony green they are, though he refuses to met her gaze fully, almost as if he were above such things. **You have no idea,** he replies, limiting his sends to the elfess before him, and trilling a happy bird song for the baby in his ar,s who yawns hugely. **I am bound to be... diplomatic. It would have been rude to refuse so simple a thing.** Though it's clear he wasn't at all relaxed the entire time.
Piper smirks, but it fades, leaving a lightly amused smile, ** There are diplomatic ways of saying no you know. ** Duh!
Savith lifts a brow, **Are there now? And would you have believed it polite if I had refused?**
** That would depend entirely on how you sent and what you sent. ** Piper grins, oo, she knows things the Chosen doesn't, like how to be nice and polite.
Savith hmphs softly, glancing back to the cub in his arms. Out like a light. He turns his head and locates Larias with his eyes, and off goes the child, floating toward his mother's arms. Savith taps lightly at his Recognized's mind, warning her and waking her just enough to snuggle down with the baby upon his arrival. Once Savith's certain the child is safe and warm once more, he turns to regard Piper. **Have you a blade with you?**
Uh oh? Piper's eyes get a bit wide at that question, where's Darkedge when you need him? Ah, but wait, the guards are up above, watching just as keenly as she, so really, she must be safe, right? Her eyes flicker towards her leathers near the shore of the pool, ** Not on me, no. ** Of course not on her, she's stark nekkid!
Savith nods, and leans back. Hmph... Means he'll have to wait. **I see,** he comments, looking up to the sky. Breaking off a blade of grass near by, and tucks it into his mouth. He glances at Piper and laughs coldly, "Relax, wolfrider. I'll not fly off with you. You're far to heavy."
Piper's lips stick out in a little pout, "Why ya think I was worried bout you doing anything like that?" After all, he's under the watchful eyes of her tribesmates, and they wouldn't let anything happen to her, right. "Why you wanting to know about a knife anyway?"
Savith grins. He thumbs up toward his hair, "It's getting too long." Ah, see, a simple and non threating reason, "But Mother has a small knife with her. I'll borrow hers." And in the trees, the guards tense. Oh crap. He still has weapons at his disposal?
Piper grins toothily, ** Well, if you need a hair cut, I could get my knife and do it for you? ** Oh, what she would do to those lovely tresses of his were he to give her the chance. Bah, likely nothing interesting, though she'd really want to!
Savith watches Piper. You know, he's not about to let a wolfing near him with a blade. Not while he's under guard. "Thank you, but no," he replies coldly, though trying to sound polite and sweet. It drips with the emotion, like a cold sludge, "I can wait for my mother to cut my hair."
Piper can't help but giggle at the notion, a chosen, with a mother? And here she thought the Black Snake had a hand in making them smoehow. "Your mother??" Disbelief is in her voice, nope, he can't possibly have a Mother, can he?
Savith looks over at the giggles, his expression remaining cold. "Yes. My mother." He looks away again, "I have one those, you know." Well, techinically, he has two. But it's a REALLY long story.
Piper dunks herself one more time, scrubbing her scalp beneath the waters surface, ** No, I didn't know.. Well, I coudl assume, but, you all seem so... ** Oh High Ones, is she going to prattle on about what she thinks to a Chosen? Piper comes back to the surface and heads to the shore, ** I don't know. Nasty? I wouldn't think amother would want her cub to behave like that. I know I'd never let Red get away with it. **
**We are different,** Savith comments, despite what Llune has to say. **I do what I must, and what I'm ordered. Nothing more. Nothing less.** He flicks a glance back to the wolfess.
Piper shrugs as she pulls her pants, then boots, and finally her tunic top. Floofing her hair to shake out some of the water. ** different doesn't even begin to cover it.. ** She gives the cub a gentle brush with her mind, warmth and care, really how could she not? And to the Father, ** I hope your mate stays well, for your little ones sake. ** What, no happy kind goodbye for the Chosen?
Savith sighs heavily, and rolls his eyes. **We aren't mates, but I'll let her know,** he comments. Really, can't these wolves get it right? Larias = Madwoman. He doesn't give the elfess a warm farewell either, but stands, moving to bathe himself before bed. Nothing else to do, but...
Piper slips back the way she came, making just as much noise as she did before. Heh - and she has wolfblood in her - obviously not a great deal.
Savith watches the elfess go, with a shurg, then peels out of his flight suit and bathes. WOOO! Nekkid glider! Are his guards in for a treat. ;> Though, he's no 'treat' compared to Belynrath! Even STRONGBOW thinks he's yummy. heeheehee...
