Welcome to Gaia! ::

Naita had considered herself lucky when she, hungry, had found the fat, blue birds in her wanderings. And she WAS wandering, though not alone: she had her trusty 'companion' along with her.

Cid rode on her back, and was visibly disturbed by Naita's feeding. She figured he would be, being an herbivore and all, but she had thought he'd get used to it. He'd seen her feed a bunch of times, but he still squirmed squeamishly and, often, he'd bolt and she'd have to catch him again. It was a hassle, but she didn't want to let him go.

“You know you're not next, right?” she said to the leklan, picking out feathers from her teeth with a claw as she stared at the cringing beast, “I'd never eat you. Not unless you – you know – died.” Besides, the two birds she'd caught had filled her up good. She stretched, licking her bloody muzzle as she looked around her lazily.

A faint, familiar, sound came from nearby. “I might eat your cousin there, though.” she said idly, “Just saying. You're a special case, Cid.” she said, yawning... however, she knew she shouldn't linger. Leklan nearby meant Magescians nearby, and – though they were good meat - there would be more of them than she, alone, she could handle. No, she wouldn't linger.

“I'll rest a bit, and then we'll go flying again, all right, Cid?” she looked at him sympathetically. “Sorry, honey. I know you hate flying. But try to be calm for it, all right? You won't get hurt, that way.”

Cid mumbled, unhappy. Being the pet of a khehora – who creature felt might devour him at any moment – was stressful, and his body was showing it. His wool was frazzled and thinned, and he had small sores on his feet from rubbing them. He was also thin in body – it was hard to eat with Naita nearby.

In other words, he was not healthy, and Naita did not notice, or know what to do...

“I'll not drop you...” she said, stretching her wings and settling in for a brief rest, “Go eat something and then we'll go... I don't know, somewhere.” Serenia, after all, was starting to bore her. “Maybe Eowyn, though it's got so little grass...” she mused, “Or Ayr... or Aisko... We could go anywhere, Cid.” she said, flopping to her side, “Anywhere we wanted.”

(406/900)

Cid sensed Avani's presence and bleated desperately, staggering towards the Orderite.

Naita started, growling. “Hey, Cid, C'mon...” she protested, “Matey, I only just got comfortable...” she murmured as she sat up, “Don't make me have t' chase you over half the forest again.” There was some threat in there, but the thought of actually, intentionally, hurting her pet didn't sit well with her.

She followed after her leklan, finding herself not quite face to face with an Orderite. She paused as Cid staggered and clomped to the Orderite's side, staring at them with blazing fuchsia eyes. “Hey. You there.” She said, and this time the threat was real, “Get away from my Leklan.”

(519/900)

"He ain't my dinner!" Naita roared, smoke curling from her nostrils, then repented as Cid shrunk away from her.

“No!” Naita said quietly, looking at the Orderite in furious disgust, “That's Cid, I ain't eatin' him.” she stepped closer, slightly threateningly, “He's my fluffball, and you can't take him.” The Orderite was fortunate Naita was full and willing to deal. After all, a fireball would toast Cid too, and she didn't want to spook him with claws...

(598/900)

Filthy?! Overgrown?! Naita bristled: she was pretty sure, for a moment, that the Magescian was insulting her Cid. Except... he was kind of grubby.

And then the Orderite started offering things. Naita was floored. Nobody had ever offered her anything before – not so much, anyway. Food, occasionally. Aid, sometimes. But never all of the above, at the change of the surf. Had she not been hostile before? What did she mean by 'with khehora in mind?'


Cid huddled close to his savior, meeping piteously.


Sweets sounded good to the khehora, though – she'd only had them once, on a fortuitous raid with her pack. That had been nice. “What do you mean, groom him?” she asked, her eyes narrowing, “Are you gonna hurt him any?” she hesitated, glancing down at the Leklan, worried about how much he seemed to trust the magescian. Not that she wasn't trusting herself, but...

“You'd better not.”



(752/900)

“All his wool?” Naita exclaimed, horrified, “Why?! What am I going to snuggle?!” She made a sharp khehoran frown - his wool was why she adored him – it was soft and comforting against her scales, and made the world a warmer, more comfortable place. That was why she kept him as she did, because he was soft and cute. But what if he wasn't? Would he still be Cid? Or would he become prey?

Naita hoped not. It would be sad to lose Cid – he was her one friend, in all the world almost. The rest were either gone or dead, and she couldn't count the young Dovaa she'd met, or the Hybrid with her. That had been a one-time deal, unless they were lucky. Unless the three of them were lucky.

But, the Orderite had offered treatment for his feet, and Naita could see – now that she was looking – that he was scratched up and battered from his running and his run-in with the dragons. “Fine.” she grumbled, almost noncommittally, “If you know what you're doing...” she hissed softly, “That's more than me.”

Then again, the Female had been sort of hostile earlier, when she'd thought Cid was her dinner. And now she was friendly? So quickly? It made Naita a little uncomfortable, and didn't quite sit right. Nobody changed their mind so easily. “Say... this isn't some kind of trap, is it?” she asked, wary, “I'm betting red herrings to doubloons that a khehora is worth something, dead or alive...” her eyes narrowed: could she spring for Cid and run for it, “If I go with you, whats in it for you?”

(1031/900)

“Sounds good...” said Naita. A blanket would be nice... not the same as Cid's rich fluff, but nice... and though she didn't like the idea of being tied to a place or being anybodys pet, having some semblance of a future, a goal, even just a plan, was strangely appealing. Assurance that she would have some place to be in the spring, where she was welcomed and expected, was a whole lot more than she had now...

Not that she trusted this Orderite that far, of course.

Of course.

Naita gave her an odd look. “What...?” she exclaimed, bearing a fang in uncertain disgust, “Your daughter. Is a khehora.” She tried to piece it all together from what the Orderite had described. No use. “That's right confusing, it is.” she said. Her feelings about the bonded were mixed. Khehora were khehora, but bonded were odd sorts in general. And now there was one that was with a magescian and not bonded? “But it's a confusing world.” she said, shrugging in resignation.

Despite her reservations and confusion, Cid was still going with her, and there was still an invitation on the table and Naita figured that there were creature comforts. Even if it all turned out to be a hoax, she'd still have toasted Magescian and that would be a fine meal too. Like the Orderite had said – a good deal.

“I'll keep you company.” she said, a little grudgingly. “And I won't eat you.” she mumbled, “You be too strange a magescian... and likely to give me a stomach ache...”

Oookay then. Naita wasn't sure what to think about it, still, but whatever. Wierder things had happened.

“Naita.” said the Firani, “The name's Naita. Firani clan.” she added, “And I don't know if its nice to meet ye or not, but, fire and surf, I guess we'll be finding out.” She looked at the house through the trees... Flame, it was huge...

“Don't ye worry. I won't light it afire.” she quipped, hiding her wariness. “And I'm as ready as I'll ever be t' see your crazy-arse house.” she drolled.