Eris is by Kiri!

It had been some time since the sable-hued woman had traversed into the city. She was fond of these old human ruins. They were good to look upon; such things reaffirmed her superiority. She need only glance at the hollowed towers of the city to know her species' dominance. Luperci had inherited the wreckages of the human civilization, true enough, but they made use of it, too. It was just such a task that sent the dark woman to the city.

The day was biting cold, but Eris had decided to depart from Salsola anyway, heading south. She sorely wished to wear her foxpelt coat; however, its use was reserved for ritual, and she would not abuse that power. Instead, the woman had donned a pelt, fastening it around her shoulders rather haphazardly. It was large enough to provide some cover against the chill of the wind. Trader the horse had been saddled for her by Larkspur, and the hybrid came prepared with various carrying bags as well as a few emptied jars. Now, the bags were filled with her provisions, stocked full of things to keep Salsola through the winter.

The dark woman had left before the sun's rising, heading east and south. Now, the sun was sinking slowly toward the horizon, and she was just leaving the city. It would be late by the time she returned to the pack, and later still by the time she went to bed for the night. Though the long night stretched ahead of her, Eris considered it fondly. These were tasks to be done for Salsola, after all. She would toil at each gladly to keep her pack in good health and preparation.

Trader's movements below her were steady and slow, his hooves beating rhythmically at the broken asphalt . The horse had proven himself impeccably docile, and Eris had come to like him, though not enough to claim him as her own. It would have been her right as The Auxiliary, of course; however, Salsola had but two horses for public use, and Eris would not be the one to drive that number further down. The horse snorted and lifted his head, his gait faltering. He sidestepped, and Eris eased him, stroking at his neck and tightening her grip on his reigns. His nervousness drove him to no further reaction, though he continued shifting, shaking his head from side to side. The hybrid slid from his back and led him backwards, already smelling the blood and death that had unnerved him.

The hybrid dropped the horse's reigns, knowing he would simply meander in a close circle. He was good acquisition, she thought. Though he had been in poor shape when they'd acquired him, the horse had filled out somewhat, and he made a good addition to their stables. Eris turned back toward the scent and followed after it, curious. There was the distinctive scent of feline on the air, and as the coyote moved closer, she heard a mewling sound. The dark woman's eyes swept the ground, seeking the noise's source.

In an old dumpster, turned onto its side, the coyote could see the source of the noise. A dead feline -- a lynx, she thought, or maybe bobcat; she could not really tell the two apart -- and kittens, pawing at their mother. She had apparently sustained a hunting injury -- the coyote saw the gash in her stomach, knowing it had been painful. It had allowed her to crawl back to her den and die, however. She considered them at a distance, pondering whether this particular breed of cat tended toward solitude or paired lifestyles -- she did not want a nasty encounter with the cat's mate, after all.

(574)

[image by sky]

Since returning home from the AniWayan war, Sky hadn't really left her pack's territory. D'Arte was a safe place, without any chance of running into those who had scarred her during her time in AniWaya as a prisoner. However, the plantlife was slowly crumbling under the harsh cold of Winter. Soon, there would be nothing left. The herbs she needed as a medic were already dead. Her stores were running low.

So she'd made sure to inform Taliesin that she'd be making a trip up to Halifax, and to ensure her safe return the next day, she'd left behind her necklace, the one with her engagement ring from Shawchert on it, the one she never took off.

She hitched up Queen with a padded blanket and covered herself with a long, black trenchcoat and a sweater underneath, denim riding jeans on her legs and her boots from Daemon on her feet. She strapped saddlebags (without the saddle) behind her spot on Queen's back and then, with a hug and a kiss goodbye to her mate and daughter, Sky rode off towards Halifax.

It was to her surprise that as she rode down the main road towards the city that Queen started to act up. She snorted in a discontent way and veered to one side of the road, seeming to avoid the other. Sky clicked and muttered to her in low speech, but the mare eventually got too anxious and reared.

The reason?

Nearby, another horse with reigns attached. A male, probably; Queen hadn't ever liked strange stallions, especially ones without their riders. So Sky slid off of her mare and cooed softly, telling her to stay nearby at a comfortable distance. Queen whickered and then sped off. Sky knew she'd stay within calling range, as trained.

She turned to eye the stallion. His scent was nothing she'd ever noted before, probably a pack she'd yet to visit personally. A second scent, one of a canine, probably the rider, led off in another direction. Had they lost their horse?

Sky, being the nosey, concerned lady that she was, trotted off in the direction of the rider's scent. A few dozen feet along, more interesting smells bombarded her senses; blood, feline, rot, milk and that same pack scent from the horse. She must've been closing in.

The d'Arte medic made no effort to be stealthy as she finally came onto the scene. A knocked over dumpster and a black woman standing a distance away from it. Inside the dumpster was a cat, from what Sky could tell, a bobcat, dead with kittens pawing at her stomach.

Ew. She muttered before she could stop herself, coming to stand a yard away from the woman with her hands tucked neatly into the pockets of her jeans. Poor things. What happened? She glanced over at the woman, docked ears perking slightly with interest.

The black woman was a lovely sight; barely any scars that Sky could see and wearing only a pelt around her shoulders, her fur as pitch black as the night sky during the winter. Her eyes reminded the medic of the moon's glow, a sort of greenish-yellow, which only added to the woman's 'winter night' appearance. Even though Sanja noted that this woman was a prime target for the 'Dark Wolves' Liam was always going on about, Sky was already fond of her, at least for her appearance. Strange, as per the usual with Sky.

(385)
Sky and Eris actually had a thread together before! :3 I think her appearance has changed enough, though, so Eris doesn't recognize her here... she can later or something. o:

Eris is by Poppz!

Behind her somewhere, the sounds of motion and excitement. Eris's attention whirled from the kittens and in the direction of a frightened whinny, followed shortly by the clopping sounds of a galloping horse. The dark hybrid peered curiously in this direction, hunkering down just slightly. It did not matter if she lost her supplies and the horse. Her life was most important, after all.

Her bright chartreuse eyes caught sight of movement, and her crouch became more pronounced. For the moment, she'd forgotten the gory scene behind her, and the still-live kittens. She was unarmed, as usual, and the sable coyote had gotten no better at fighting and defense than she had been upon first arriving in Inferni. She could run -- dash for the horse and hope they met somewhere ahead. Running was rash, however, and she was not entirely convinced the stranger posed a threat.

Indeed, the tawny canine meandered over rather casually. Eris gawked at her for a moment, certain she knew this woman from somewhere, but could not identify the woman, where they might have met, or anything else about her. The sable coyote passed this off as a coincidence, and rolled her shoulders in a shrug, offering a hesitant smile. This one was casual enough, but the dark hybrid was ever wary of outsiders and their knavery; she did not relax her guard completely, even standing straight as she was now.

Your guess is as good as mine, The Auxiliary said, offering an indifferent shrug of both shoulders. She leaned against the wall of the brick building in her own casual way, and tilted her head at the body and kittens. Hunting, maybe. Or maybe she was just headed home and tore her belly on some piece of metal, even, the sable woman posulated, this time shrugging the shoulder not against the wall. Do you know what kind of cat it is? she inquired. Though she had experience with Itzcitla and her cougar, the sable-hued woman was hardly an expert in identifying felines, and she was not quite certain what this one was. Surely not a mountain lion; it was too small and too fuzzy for that. Still, she was uncertain, and she would not bring home another cougar, no matter how luxurious the pelt had been.

(209) Really? xD I couldn't remember. I thought they had before, but I wasn't sure. Maybe she'll recognize her by her name whenever they actually get to that part.

[image by sky]

Sky tsked softly. What a way to go. Blue eyes flicked from the woman, taller than herself (and come to think of it, a touch familiar in the voice) to the cats and with pausing to consider the danger of doing so, walked over and crouched down infront of the bin, reaching a hand down to run a finger over one of the kitten's backs. It squirmed and made a hissing sound in confusion and Sky smiled.

Bobcats. Mama was a tiny thing anyway; I doubt she would've survived the winter. This was probably her first litter, too. And so late into the season! Poor thing. Blue eyes shifted back to look at the taller ebony woman, gaze becoming questioning.

Y'know, Bobcats are tamable. They're right the smart little buggers, too. Can even learn high speech, if I remember correctly. My sister and I used to run into them all the time back when we were rogues. She smiled, finally reaching out to pick up a squirming, unhappy and confused kitten, eyes just barely open. Cute litte fella... would be a shame if he were wasted. Think I'll take him home with me. Sky; the heir for the Crazy Cat Lady title, currently held by Esther back in d'Arte.

Eris is by Alaine!

Eris was unsympathetic to the cat. She couldn't have done anything to change the past, and if she had happened upon the mother still alive, she couldn't have done anything to mitigate the cat's suffering. She was no healer, and if she was -- well, it was doubtful she would have wasted time and skill on a feral cat. There was nothing to be gained from saving an adult wildcat, and in any case, Eris presumed a capable wildcat would have turned around and bitten her, even if she had been trying to help rather than harm.

She nodded slowly at the response, her gaze shifting to the kittens. If the mother was small for a bobcat, did they grow as large as cougars? The sable hybrid had found her puma nigh impossible to contain near the end of its life, and she had begun fearing for her children. If this mother cat was tiny, how big would her kittens grow? The sable woman contemplated this, but relinquished her thoughts as the tawny woman again spoke, drawing her attention. She nodded and listened as the other woman continued, her chartreuse eyes considering the other kitten.

My Itzcitla does not speak. I don't think anyone ever taught him. He understands, though, she said, rolling a shoulder in half a shrug. It was probably for the best, anyway -- she wasn't sure if she wanted to her all her little ocelot had to say, nor was she certain she wanted him to go about speaking to others. A silent companion was a good thing, at times. He is an ocelot -- do these bobcats grow much larger than they do? she inquired, uncertain if the stranger knew about how large ocelots were. Her own Itzcitla was on the larger side for the cat's size, but he was a male, too.

(209) --

[image by sky]

An ocelot? This woman owned such an exotic cat? Sky sat straighter, the kitten in her arms finally calming down and accepting her scent for the time being. Pretty sure they'll be almost the same size, if my memory holds. I haven't had the pleasure of actually seeing an ocelot up close, but I've read about them in books. Mama's small, so these guys will probably be smaller, but not by much. She explained, thinking it over as she did.

She looked down at the kitten left by its mother and sighed softly. ...that's if the poor things survive the winter, though. Without their mother, it'll be hard for them to eat. They don't look as if they're ready to be weaned yet, sad to say. Sky had goats, though. Goat's milk was good for tiny newborn critters, especially carnivors, if the doe's diet was supplemented ahead of time.

She'd have to ask Skye for a lot of Chedder's milk. Hopefully the capitina would be accomodating.

Name's Sky, by the way. Sky Rhiannon. I'm d'Arte's crazy witch doctor chick. She mused without any real display of professionalism. Why bother? I've got goat's milk at home for this little Fella, but we don't have enough to spare for two. Would anyone you know be up to caring for a kitten, talkative or not? I'd hate to leave here thinking this little fluffball's sibling would be abandoned to die. Pfft, a soft spot for kids, no matter what species.

Eris is by me!

The dark woman nodded her understanding, yellow-green eyes still studying the other cat and its dead mother. If it was a female, would she have to keep the girl and Itzcitla separate? If they were together, would they breed exotic hybrid kittens? Would her lovely spotted boy even appreciate such a companion? Eris knew the work that went into raising a kitten -- even the older kittens were work. The cougar Ouija had delivered to her had required training, but at least she had been of-age to eat meet. Eris could not imagine the time and effort that had to go into raising a kitten younger than Queen. She considered, flicking an ear toward Sky to listen even as the gears in her brain whirled around the possibility of this kitten.

The introduction sent a jolt of recognition through the dark Auxiliary, but even knowing she had heard that name somewhere before did nothing to jog her memory of where they had met and what had happened. She frowned, turning to look at the woman. Eris. I think we've met -- I have quite the poor memory for acquaintances and the faces of passerby. Forgive me if I don't recall our previous meeting, if in fact we had one. This was spoken in a brisk manner, though the dark coyote did not intend to offend, either by suggesting Sky was merely a passer-by in life or by any other means. The apology stood to prove that: the dark coyote rarely, if ever, asked for forgiveness.

I think I might take it. Perhaps it would be a companion for my ocelot, the coyote said, stepping forward. She reached a hand toward the small cat, which spat and hissed much like its sibling. Nevertheless, the dark woman plucked it up fearlessly, scruffing it behind the neck as its own mother might have. She held it up, tucking her other hand beneath its back legs so it did not have to dangle painfully. It regarded her with fiercely blue eyes, a high-pitched growl rumbling from its tiny throat. Oh, I've made a friend, the coyote muttered, grinning at the little thing all the same.

(244) --

[image by sky]

Eris? That did sound familliar... I think I met her back before I'd settled into Cercatori again, after looking for Orin. She thought to herself, humming in thought. A few months back, actually. We ran into eachother back when I was considering leaving d'Arte. My hair was longer and darker back then. She murmured, not bothering to mention her obviously recent scars; her ears still hadn't grown their fur back completely.

The kitten in her hands squirmed and squeaked and she perked said torn ears to listen. Shh. She hushed the tiny thing, moving her hand across his back to calm him down.

When Eris mentioned that she'd bring the sibling home, Sky smiled. Here's hoping they get along okay. She offered, moving to stand again but pausing mid-kneel to watch the tiny thing in the black woman's hands, attitude all around. Laughing softly, she finished standing and brought her own new companion closer to her chest.

Heh. Feel the love, huh? She mused, though she didn't really like how the woman held the little thing; it wasn't her place to say anything, though, so she held her tongue. Blue eyes, in the meantime, travelled to the abandoned body of the mother. Now what about her? Her pelt doesn't look too bad off yet. Still warm. Unless you want it, I might bring it back and make some use of it. If Queen would even let her bring it anywhere near the haughty mare.

Eris is by me!

The dark woman nodded, and peered more closely at the stranger. Her demeanor had seemed to change since their last brief meeting -- perhaps that was the most striking difference, the thing that had set her apart. Eris nodded slowly, understanding -- it must have been much like meeting her while in Eterne, and meeting her again here; she could not imagine the difference between her two selves. You had different energy then, she offered. I think that is the most striking difference.

The coyote tucked the kitten closer to her, deftly wrapping a hand around its legs so it could not claw her. She relaxed her scruffing grip and rubbed the kitten behind its ears, hoping it would calm. Her chartreuse gaze shifted to the other canine, considering her question momentarily before responding. All yours. Perhaps an ear or toe, to keep this one calmed by her scent until it grows used to me, she said, not particularly minding one way or the other whether she got her request. Such parts were rarely used, and she figured on keeping the kitten half in a particular pelt still on Trader's back, wrapped securely so it could not escape and fall to be trampled beneath the horse.

The bones teeth might also make good trading. I cannot make such things, but others in the world might make jewelry of the teeth or carvings of the larger bones. That's a job, though, hacking that up here, she said, making a face at the work involved rather than the gruesome detail of dissecting the dead thing and extracting the bones. It wasn't something she was prepared to do, but if Sky wished to undertake such a task, Eris would be the last to stand in her way.

Perhaps in a year or two, she'd encounter a trader with a necklace of a particular lynx's tooth -- the world worked strangely that way sometimes, and if she was meant to encounter these teeth and bones later, she would -- perhaps it was just as she had encountered this woman again? Eris contemplated that, wondering if it meant something. Perhaps this one was meant for her Salsola yet -- still, now there was something different entirely about her, to the point that she was unrecognizable. That was off-setting to the dark woman -- it hadn't just been her hair and scars, it had been as though a different woman stood before her entirely.

She mulled these things over, and the kitten stopped its squirming in her hands, either too tired to fight anymore or acquiescing to her touch -- either way, acceptable. The dark hybrid murmured a noise of approval to the kitten, relaxing her grip on its legs. It shifted, but did not move to escape. They were still young enough to be tamed, though Eris pondered whether they'd retain the feral streak attained from their young wild days. She was certain she could keep it, if the cat grew similarly to Itzcitla. Salvia might help her tame it, even. Her daughter seemed more distant with the coming of her younger siblings, but the dark woman did not dwell on these things. Salvia was an adult, and would do as she would.

(244) I can't help but wonder what it would've been like had Sky ended up in Salsola. XD It's just so tempting now.

[image by sky]

Sky turned to look at the woman when she mentioned her having a different energy... a striking difference. ...probably right there. A lot has happened since then. That was the understandment of a lifetime. Sky had no intentions of sharing her hardships with this woman, though; hell, she knew nothing of the dark-furred Eris, except for her scent bearing that of an unknown pack.

Well, you're welcome to the tail if you want. Makes a good charm and it's easy to remove. And Sky wanted to keep the claws; cat claws were hard to come by and she had a post at home with some very naked painted skulls on it; surely some claws and bones would add to her warning? Yes, yes they'd do nicely.

Ironically, I think I have a use for the bones and such. However... She tested, smiling over to the woman. I don't suppose you'd be willing to meet with me again sometime in the near future? I don't sell the things I make; I'm no trader. But I wouldn't mind making a pendant for you. Her reason? A mystery. But her smile and the way she offered it seemed as if she was doing so in good intent, a way to perhapes secure a new friend or perhapes earn the woman's approval; why, she had no idea... but it just seemed the right thing to do.

Eris is by Poppz!

The coyote nodded, needing no explanation. Life was cruel and unpredictable, and she herself had gone through such transformations before. She had been a princess in Eterne, something to be revered within the Kimaris family; when she had departed that place and wandered north, she had been a different creature entirely. Now, half of Salsola's reigning leadership, she was again a princess of sorts, though now the dark hybrid was not quite so naive as she had been.

The dark woman murmuered her thanks and bent to twist the tail off, using her claws to sever some of the flesh there so the job was easier. There was not a hint of distaste on her as she did this; though cats were pets, this one was dead, and there was no harm that could come in taking pieces of its body. All for the greater good, after all. She leaned back upright, still clutching the kitten close, and looked at the tawny woman queerly, chartreuse eyes half-slitted in suspicion. Something for nothing? she inquired, her head half-cocked to one side.

I hold no opposition to gifts, but if there is a price to be paid, I'll know it up front, the coyote said. There was still sweetness in her voice, but firmness, as well -- Eris was unwilling to budge on this point.

(244) Short, sorry. x:

[image by sky]

At Eris' suspicion, Sky shook her head. Not at all. A gift of good faith. She smiled again, this time a touch more innocently. I've seen enough chaos to know that a smile is worth more than any coin. Human terminology, but her meaning was clear. The dark-furred woman had earned her respect.

Plus, Sky hoped to teach Liam that not all black canines were evil. Surely this woman, kind enough to save a kitten from death, wasn't evil. Good deeds deserved to be rewarded, at any rate. No matter how selfish certain parts of her could be, Sky was naturally not the type to turn a gift into a trade. It had been a while since she'd had the chance to do so and apparently, the world was starting to forget the gift-giving process; was the world really so... impersonal?

Please accept my gift.

(--)
All good, dudette. c:

Eris is by Kiri!

Faith was something Eris could understand, and she nodded her comprehension of the idea, smiling a bit herself. She was never opposed to gifting, but she would not have been surprised if this Sky expected a favor later, either. She might have done the same thing -- agreed to a gift now, expect a little bit "extra" later. This was not so bad, but she would not have any misconceptions about this being a trade or similar. Now relaxed regarding the idea, the coyote stroked the small lynx in her hands, which seemed finally calm enough for her tastes. Tiny blue eyes peered at the world around them with both curiosity and anxiety. Once more, Eris was thankful they had discovered these kittens now, at this age. They would still be trainable, young as they were.

I do like your turn of phrase, she purred, very much a true statement. Eris was unfamiliar with poetry and short quotations -- none of the books she'd picked up in her brief struggles as a reader were particularly poetic in nature, nor did any have quotes aside from the usual introductory banter. She nodded definitively. I would very much appreciate your gift, yes. Thank you, she said, preemptively thanking the woman for the gift as well as the mere offer. If it never came through, it was no particular disadvantage to Eris, but she would not snub something offered for free. Where and when would you care to meet again? she inquired, swishing her tail in anticipation, though she expected an answer dated for the distant future.