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 Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 4:00 pm
"Kitchen's too clean as it is. Whut kinda home is this, not even lookin' lived in?" she shot back, turning away from the window. Tapping a hoof, Sakina glanced over at the offered cloak with a tiny frown. "As if I'd wanna wear anythin' o' yers. Be feelin' obligated ta return the dumb thing, since yeh'd come cryin' ta me fer it! No need ta see yer ugly mug again!"
Doing her best to not hesitate, she picked up the pack she'd brought along and trotted right on out the door. The storm truly did seem to be calming, so she needed to get moving while she could, in case this was just a calm spot. She didn't even look back at the house as she headed for home.
Dainty hooves sunk into the mucky ground though, and she needed to take a longer way around due to various areas flooding. The closer she got to her shack, the more she felt the coolness of the wind. It was going to start storming again... She picked up her pace as much as she could, and the moment her eyes landed where her home was.... Tears welled up at the sight of the broken shack. Standing in quite a few feet of water, the shack was missing most of the roof, and two of the walls. ...Her home was gone.
Brushing angrily at her eyes, she noticed something bobbing around in the water. A piece of wood, stuck with a nail. On that nail... Oh! Gasping, Sakina jumped right into the water, which reached just above her waist, and pushed through to get to the little leather purse that was hooked around the nail. The rain started to pour again as she got her hands on the precious package, and held it to her chest. If she had lost this...
A sudden rush of water from the hills on the other side of her home suddenly swept her off balance. The soaking pack was going to pull her under, but she couldn't think enough to get it off... She smacked into a tree, and instantly wrapped her arms around it, pulling herself up higher to grab a branch to hang onto. .....This was going to be a long night...
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Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 4:13 pm
“If only you knew.” Replied Kallan softly under his breath as he kept his back turned away from the female. Only he could remember the scent of cloves and fresh flowers that haunted the kitchen and the petite cervitaur who used to smile warmly at him every morning with some sort of concoction in hand. This wasn’t just his kitchen, in a way it was his shrine to the mother he had lost at such a young age, to the female who’s death had made his father a suicidal b*****d. Kallan was glad for the insults thrown his way as it distracted his somber thoughts, “Hmph. Well I guess the look of a drowned rat does fit you better, go on then. Shoo~”
He really hadn’t expected her to leave just like that. Dishes dropping back on the counter Kallan blinked and slowly looked back towards the door. It was still raining…and it had rained awfully hard the past couple of days. Was she seriously going back down hill through the forest? Wouldn’t the stream be flooded by now? “Hmph. As if I should worry about that disaster.” Muttering to himself Kallan tried to focus on something different and even wandered to his spare room and grabbed a knife to sharpen. He paced with that knife once it was sharpened and then paced some more, each time catching himself staring outside, “Son of a –“ Cursing loudly he grabbed his cloak and a spare on before heading out.
She had to be insane! Going outside now! More thunder clouds were decorating the sky by this point and he could feel the weight of even more rain in the air. Storms weren’t going to stop yet it seemed. The obvious water decorating the forest floor encouraged the cervitaur’s hooves as they quickly jumped over fallen trees and muck in a desperate attempt to race towards Sakina’s home. His gaze was wide in disbelief as he looked at the destruction before him. It was like the whole stream had become a forest river! “Rained more than a little bit.” Biting the inside of his cheek Kallan glanced around, where was she? The stupid girl hadn’t….his gaze narrowed as he glanced about some more.
Dammit he couldn’t really see well, “Sakina! You imp! Where are you?” His voice breaking off as water continued to fall around him Kallan finally managed to catch sight of the cervitaur hanging onto a tree. The tree didn’t seem to be in a good condition either as the water was tugging furiously at it. Well she was alive so he could leave her now, right? It would be good for her spirit to leave her out there like a drowned mouse. Like he could do that though…Running a hand through his hair in aggravation Kallan opened his pack and tying a rope around a tree next to him and then on his waist jumped into the water and began to swim against the current. He was barely halfway when his muscles began screaming at him already, but he only had to look towards her once more to gain energy.
“Jump to me, imp.” Grabbing onto the tree with one arm Kallan reached up to her, “Or would you prefer to live in this tree for a bit?”
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Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 4:46 pm
Having closed her eyes, Sakina stopped paying attention to the surrounding world. Her home was gone... Washed away. The water took everything from her... Why...? It had stolen away her family, and now her home. Maybe she was fishing too much? Ticked off some water god?
Her ears perked at the sound of a different kind of splashing, and her jaw nearly dropped as she cracked her eyes open to see Kallan coming for her. "I was down right about ta give up on ya, hero," she said with a little grin as she carefully dropped herself down into Kallan's waiting arms. She clutched firmly to him, actually quite shocked to see him there. He'd really come after her? ...She couldn't help being pleased though, trying to hide a little smile.
She wasn't that happy to see him! Nu-uh!
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Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 5:12 pm
“Ya should have.” Grumbled Kallan glaring at her, “Only an idiot would keep comin’ after you like this.” As she dropped into his arms the cervitaur tightened his hold on her with one arm before using his other hand to pull on the rope so that he could get them to the shore again. The pouring rain wasn’t helping his situation though and the male cursed loudly as he nearly slipped up several times in his fight to reach land. Finally he tossed Sakina onto the bank and dragged himself on the shore, “Dammit Sakina. You make life hard.”
He was so tired he hadn’t even realized he said her name. Stretching out his arms Kallan hugged the ground for support before pushing himself up to face the female, “What made you go out there anyways?” He grumped, picking up the cloaks he had left on the ground. Shaking any rain water from them he tossed one around Sakina’s shoulders before throwing on his own. Before he could wait much longer the cervitaur flinched as lightning lit up the sky nearby and the loud crack of a tree could be heard in the distance, “Let’s get out of this mess, come on.” Grabbing her hand he started his way back towards higher ground.
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Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 5:56 pm
Sakina couldn't help chuckling lightly. Had he heard himself? "Nice ta hear yeh've come ta terms with yer condition," she teased, digging her fingers into the earth to pull herself further up the new shore. It took a moment, but a small, warmer smile rose. She liked hearing him say her name.... "Only fer you, hero."
When he asked why she'd gotten herself stuck out there, she clutched to the little purse even tighter, her gaze lowering. She was almost grateful that the crack of the tree and thunder interrupted the chance for her to answer. She didn't need him mocking something so special...
She followed along willingly enough, knowing that she didn't have many options. Stay out in the rain, or go along with the bull-headed male and ride out the rest of the storm in a warm, dry home. ...She could suck up her pride just one more time for the sake of safety.
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Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 9:39 am
Snorting Kallan sent her a deathly glare before just shaking his head, “More like I have some sort of parasite attached to me.” Slowly sucking his life blood away…that she was. Yet when she sent that smile towards him the male found his own mouth curling up in a faint smile before he jerked his gaze away. Flushing lightly he just let out a ‘humph’, “Remind me to not be a hero ever again then.”
Thinking about how nicely her hand fit into his, Kallan nearly stumbled. Still the cervitaur continued on the twisting paths that the water had created without losing a beat. The rain was starting to pour even harder now. He couldn’t get flustered now just because of this crazy female! They needed to get home to where higher ground was so that she didn’t get washed away from him again. Just as his mother had…his gaze saddened at the thought before the crack of something took his attention again.
Cursing Kallan pulled her into his arms and away from the falling branches of a tree being dragged down by the water. Breathing in shock at the near collapse the cervitaur just tightened his hold on Sakina before finally taking some steps again, “Looks like we’ll have to find another path as well.” He pulled back from her, still holding onto that hand, as he lead the way back up and around. Finally in the distance there was his yard with the path to safety. Not even hesitating this time he opened the kitchen door and slammed it behind them with a sigh of relief, “Never again.” He muttered before tossing his cloak off and just sinking to the floor quietly.
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Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 6:30 pm
Sakina smirked lightly. "But it's so cute ta watch ya tryin' so hard."
Her snarky comments went silent as the rain poured harder, free hand lifting to clutch the cloak tighter around her shoulders. How did the sky hold so much water? Did the sky break or something?! Her eyes widened as she was suddenly pulled against Kallan, head snapping around to look at the fallen tree. Goodness... That'd been close. Her brow knit tight as they headed on. Kallan was really going through so much trouble to help her. Why?
Even she was relieved to see the house again, and didn't say a word as she was yanked inside. Instead, she slowly pulled the cloak off and made a point of hanging it rather than simply dropping it to the floor like she might have before. She even picked up and hung the one Kallan had discarded. Finally, seeing him hunkered on the floor like that, she felt a tiny itch of guilt. They needed something hot to drink...
Sakina wracked her brain to think back. How had he made the tea? She grabbed the kettle, filled it with water, and put it over the fire. Kallan had pulled little bags out of a box... Which box was it? "Kallan... Show me where yer teas are, an' then go sit yerself down. I'll make you a cuppa," she said softly, fighting off how crummy she felt in order to focus on the tea. Clinging to a tree during a flood wasn't exactly rejuvenating...
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Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 8:56 pm
“Haha so funny.”
Leaning against the wall Kallan sighed and closed his eyes. It felt so nice to be indoors safe from the rain and where warmth radiated from his fireplace. Everything about his home was nice, it was sturdy and reliable…unlike his life lately. The thought made him peer around for Sakina. Frowning in confusion the cervitaur watched as she grabbed the kettle. What was she up to?
Oh. Kallan slowly pushed himself up from the floor, “It’s over here.” Reaching out towards the table he picked up the small wooden box with its intricate carvings. Vines and flowers cradled faded initials on the lid as he opened it, “Here.” He grinned though as he looked towards her, “Do you know how to do it? Let me watch over ya to make sure my kitchen doesn’t get destroyed just for some tea.” She had to be tired as well, so he wasn’t going to make her stand on her own.
Setting the box down on the table he pushed it towards her, “Pick out some bags. I don’t mind which.” Going back to the side he reached over her his breath brushing her neck as he grabbed two cups and set them on the table, “There. Just place the bags in and the water should be ready soon.” Kallan yawned and stretched, “Then I can show ya the rest of the house since you don’t need to be sleepin’ in here so much. It’s a kitchen not a bedroom after all.”
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Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 8:16 pm
Ears twitching, Sakina looked into the pretty box. She couldn't tell one tea from the other... Her eyes flashed up to aim a glare at the male. "Yeh put the bag in the water. Ain't that hard. ...After all, yeh kin do it without torchin' the place." Plucking out two random bags, she set them down and turned to check the water.
The brush of warm breath stroked along her neck, stopping her short as a shiver went down her back. What in the...? Was he really so warm? Ducking her head, she picked the bags back up to drop into each mug. That hot air of his was probably the only soft thing about him! As he spoke on though, she looked over at him curiously. "The rest..?" After all, she was used to a home that was pretty much just one big room. ..There was more to the house than this?!
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Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:19 pm
Chuckling at her reaction Kallan just watched as Sakina worked with the tea. If she truly did manage to set his house on fire he would actually be more tempted to just be amazed rather than angry. So why did he watch her so closely? The buck frowned before shaking his head and moving away from her. He had even been tempted to linger longer right next to her to see how she would react to him, but had moved quickly away instead. Perhaps he was still water logged from this flood? He was pretty exhausted from fighting the currents for her. Still he was glad, glad that she was safely here where they could bicker at each other.
“Yes,” Kallan raised an eyebrow towards her, “Not everyone lives in a one room shack. There's several rooms in this place besides the kitchen here.” The cervitaur sighed dramatically before gesturing towards the water, “Is it ready yet?” He was dying for something warm, “We can take our tea with us if you promise not to throw it on everything. Last thing I need is for an imp to go on rampage and make a mess in here.” He was curious though…if she really was going to have to stay here for a while what would the house be like? For years the halls had stayed quiet and empty save for the light sound of his own hooves while he was here in between hunting trips…would Sakina’s presence make a difference to the ghost filled halls?
Looked like he was going to find out whether he liked it or not.
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Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2014 10:34 pm
"Several rooms?" Sakina frowned slightly. "Why d'ya need so much space? Tha' seems like a downright waste o' material. An' so much ta upkeep!" She shook her head, very much used to her one-room home she'd grown up in. Maybe more than one family had lived here before? ..Maybe he needed all the rooms to fit that ego of his.
Looking back at the water, she pulled it from over the fire and poured it into the mugs. "Only thing I might dump this on be yer fool noggin'," she huffed with irritation, even though she was careful enough when handing the hot mug to him. "So, taim ta show off yer grand mansion, hero." She was quite curious about what she would find, though. What did one male do with so much space?
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Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2014 9:33 am
Kallan just gave her a point blank stare, “Not everyone lives like you do.” The cervitaur huffed, “I like having solid walls around me and room to roam. I’d get tired of staring at some one room shack with its holey ceilings.” He jabbed at her with a finger before shaking his head, “Plus this place didn’t just house me at one point…I inherited it.”
Smirking at her comment Kallan grabbed the mug carefully tilting the steam away from his face, “Here’s hopin’~” He breathed on the tea before looking back up at her, “Guess it’ll do.” Moving towards the doorway he nodded towards her, “This way then.” Grand mansion indeed. Hah! The next room would be a decently wide ‘family’ area with a fireplace burning brightly as well with three rooms connected to it, one would be his own bedroom which was small and simple with a bed and blankets along with a small desk and a chest for storing belongings. The other bedroom was simple as well with just a bed, but Kallan walked past it. “Those two rooms are other resting areas…” He pointed to the one across from the door they were now standing at, “That one’s mine…you should never be in it and the other one stays locked as well.” For now at least it would considering all the weapons and hunting gear he had shoved in there for her arrival…
“This is where you’ll be stayin’ ya imp.” Opening a door which had rarely been used in years Kallan winced at the old hinges which cried at being used finally. This bedroom was the biggest one and had the most care despite the recent traces of newly swept dust. The bed was big enough for two and there were pillows and blankets, homemade quilts sewn with care, laying about it. A vanity stood there by a window which had deep green curtains drawn against it while a bigger desk which held writing utensils and other knickknacks stood in the corner. To the left of the doorway an elegant fireplace burned with new fire. On the mantle were candles in colored glass orbs left burning throughout the summer nights when the fire wasn’t needed. Two chests of white with floral designs painted on them stood as tables for the bedside. A smaller one, more natural as if moved in from another room, stood open at the foot of the bed for Sakina’s belongings.
“Feel free to make yourself comfortable.” Kallan gestured inside, “I hope it’s good enough for ya.”
It better be…it had been his parent’s bedroom after all. Mostly his mother’s considering how long his father had always been gone into the forest. Even now the cervitaur hated standing in there for too long. Her memory really did linger here. In the knickknacks and in the chests full of her old belongings.
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Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2014 3:48 pm
Blinking, Sakina could hardly imagine having so much space. "Yeh have all the woods ta roam about." Her eyes lowered slightly, and her spunky tone turned with loss. "Ain't matter that it had holes... It was home." It was where she had grown up, and now it was gone. Why did the water hate her so much? All she knew was fishing. What else could she do?
Feeling gray now, she followed along through the tour with a rather downtrodden posture, taking slow sips from the tea. It was sinking in. She'd lost everything now...
Yet, when those bedroom doors opened, her eyes lit up in awe. The room was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen! It was bright, and warm, and clean. Everything about it was welcoming, like a mother's open arms. Enough? This was more than she could have imagined. A bed of furs and a warm space, sure. This? This was like a piece of heaven. She could feel the lump in her chest grow. The tenderness in this room was something she'd been missing since her mother had vanished...
Almost afraid to mess up the room, she walked in slowly and lowered a hand to stroke the covers of the bed. No. She shouldn't be afraid of this room. It was meant to be used. To give the love and protection that she felt radiating from every corner. She could see that this room had been tended to recently. "Kallan.. Who had this room afore me?" she asked softly, looking back at the male. Had he grown up with someone who'd kept such a room?
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Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2014 11:22 am
"And all the woods to want to kill me." The cervitaur shook his head at her. Did she not understand the meaning of a safe space? Even if the woods were his home they lived in the far parts that meant danger to most. Living in the edges of the living forest was risky for most as they believed the forest to hold remnants of older, more feral magics.
His gaze did soften slightly, secretly of course!, when he noticed her mood had dropped. She had lost everything after all...not that he would pity her...yet a part of him did care...not that he would admit it. Kallan did though smile as he watched her reaction to the bedroom. Strange how she could bring light to a place that held a shadow over his own heart.
Kallan sighed as she asked the dreaded question, "Does it matter whose room it was? It's yours for now..." The cervitaur turned as if to leave, "Just rest up for now and we'll figure out what to do with ya tomorrow. I have a yard to take care of before even more rains come down..." He did hesitate as he went through the doorway, "Kitchen is yours to use as well if you get hungry again."
On the final step before he let the door close behind him Kallan softly added, "It was my mother's." With that said he went towards the kitchen to go outside and see the damage to his own yard.
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Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2014 1:23 pm
"Eh, not all the woods," she said playfully, tail twitching with amusement. Okay... maybe he was growing on her a tiny bit. Tiny! A very, very tiny bit.
Her hand paused as she reached out to touch one of the lovely quilts, and lowered her gaze. "Well, she was darned curious about who would keep such a gorgeous room... And now she would get to sleep here! Maybe she would see what was there and fix up a bite to eat. After all... despite how annoying the male was, he had saved her from the sudden flood.
Any thought of food was momentarily wrenched away as those soft words were spoken, eyes widening. This had been his mother's room? ...That brute had a mother!? Past tense... it had been his mother's, and he'd left it in such pristine condition... Sakina's eyes dampened slightly as she reached forward again, running her hand over the quilts. A loved one of Kallan's had made these... A loved one had slept in this room, and been here for when she'd been needed. ...When had he lost her, for he obviously had?
Gulping back the lump in her throat, she waiting until she heard him go outside before heading for the kitchen. She refreshed her tea before shuffling through the cabinets and ice box. There was so much to choose from! She chose what she knew; a variety of veggies, and chopped them up into large chunks to toss together in a colorful salad. Maybe Kallan would be less hesitant to eat this since she'd made it with his food. She grabbed a plate, a fork, and started eating. No need to wait for him. He would probably spend most of the time telling her how to not mess up the bedroom anyway.
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