The sound of thunder drew Luthe from his den like a moth to the stars, his paws leading him over the rocks to the small lake he used to drink from as well as to See. No one, not his nyanya, not even his mzaa had been able to explain why it was that his visions came to him in the ripples of water, rather than some other form. Dreams or simply visions, perhaps, but water? He was the son of Messengers, grandson of Pleasure. There was absolutely no connect to Water or the related domains that anyone was aware of. Either way, he had long since given up trying to figure that one out.
Drops started to fall slowly onto his fur by the time he reached his lake, his eyes focusing on how the slow rain made ripples in the still water. He learned from the water, far more than just what he learned in his visions. The ripples, they were life. All he had learned and this was the simplest, most basic lesson and far more important than anything else. Just as a single drop of water sent out ripple after ripple, changing one thing which in turn changed another, then another, so did his actions. Especially from his visions.
What he Saw, he knew it was never concrete. Things changed. Against all odds, so many fought against the paw of fate. As simple as turning to the left instead of the right, or as great as saving one life when all the odds were against it, everything changed the future. All he Saw were the possibilities.
Granted, there were so many times where those possibilities weren't even fought against, as well as others where the knowledge and the fighting against it was what ultimately lead to the foreseen outcome, but... He liked to believe in a bit more lee-way in life.
The rain started to come down in a much more steady flow now and while it wasn't snow, it was certainly cold. He wouldn't be able to stay out long, much as he would wish otherwise.
Tory confused him, something he did not care for in the slightest. He understood that his body was drawn to her, just like it had been in his brief encounter with a mermaid, but that was where the similarities ended. She intrigued and frustrated him, amused and enchanted. She took to the pictographs with an ease and enthusiasm that astounded him, but her stuborness in regards to finding his mother's pride could drive him off the mountainside.
He just didn't know what to do with her.
His paw ran over the top of the water, sending out ripples that intersected and bounced off of others caused by the rain.
The sound of rain and thunder woke Tory from a sound sleep. Luthe had given her an isolated alcove in his den to sleep in, but the unfortunate thing was it was close to the den's main entrance. It meant that sounds coming from outside, especially the wind, were quite loud. Unsure of when it was in the day, she stretched the sleep from her muscles, rose, and left her private area. Curiosity drove her actions as she padded farther into the den, trying to find her host.
She didn't expect to find him outside.
Tory had almost passed the side entrance to his den, would have missed him completely if a thunderclap hadn't drawn her attention. There Luthe sat, out in the rain, next to his lake as if he were studying it as closely as he studied the symbols he taught her. What was he doing out there? He could freeze if he tried hard enough.
"Luthe?" She watched as his ears flicked back and he turned to look at her. There was a frown on his face, not of anger but as he if was confused by the sound of her voice, as if he hadn't expected anyone to be there much less call out to him. In the days she had been here working with him, she came to know a great deal about the male. Honestly, she'd read him wrong. He liked his privacy, he liked living up here where he didn't run into others often, and he most certainly liked the lack of female attention. He was not awkward with her, but he didn't treat her in any disrespectful manner. He just taught her, even chose to talk with her as an equal rather than as a teacher to a student. It was like he bled neutrality when he was around her, like she wasn't a female to take a fancy over nor a student, neither a friend nor a colleague. It was like she was simultaneously nothing and something to him and she couldn't figure out what that something was.
There was no mistaking the disappointment in his eyes as he glanced once more at the lake before walking over to her, returning to the dry shelter. Probably as a forethought, he hadn't been wearing his cloak and the strange golden medallion. But he did, however, still have the deep red stone around his neck. Tory briefly wondered if he ever took it off.
"You're soaked." Tory's words were soft and only held the barest hint of disapproval as Luthe stopped before her. His mane had fallen from its usual curled nature into something of a wet flop further into his eyes, making him wonder if this was almost how his mzaa saw the world. The thought was extremely short-lived, however, because his senses became filled with Tory. Frustration had surely cursed him without his knowledge, or sent her here on purpose, for there was no better word to describe her effect on him. She was just as much of an enigma as his family was. No matter how hard he tried he Saw nothing. Absolutely nothing. Granted, that didn't mean a damn thing. He hadn't been able to See anything about Katerina or Altair. He was starting to think that maybe when someone was far too tied into his own destiny, be it a blood or just close relation, he was blind to them, just as he was blind to himself.
"You're very astute," he replied without missing a beat, the barest hint of dry sarcasm underlying his words. She was looking up at him with an expression he couldn't really read, but it was soft and she was far too pretty for him to resist. A soft growl hummed in the back of his throat as he leaned down and nuzzled his cheek against hers.
"What are you doing?" she asked, though she didn't push him away, her tone didn't register as anything but a bit of surprise and curiosity. He smiled into her fur and his head shook just a little bit so that he didn't have to break the contact.
"Something stupid and impulsive." He needed to stop this. She didn't even really like him. It took every ounce of will that he had and drew back, studying her face. She didn't say a word. Her silence worried him something fierce, but was able to hide it without any trouble. He moved past and away from Tory as he said, "I'll go dry off. Don't want to catch a chill."
Tory stared as he walked away, frozen by his actions.
(WC: 1,394)
