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Another beautiful day. Katori sighed as she perched on one of the many large rocks jutting around the stream that crossed their family's land. The hybrid girl had been feeling restless and had opted to take a hike around the large valley where they lived that consisted of several acres of open fields that reached out towards surrounding forests. She was along the southern edge of the property today with the northern mountains stretching out into the skies far behind her. Twisting her long strands of white hair back into a braid, Katori stared across the waters with a slight frown. What did she do today? Did she continue along the path or go back home to find something else to do?

What was Taaru even up to? The twins? Her uncle and cousin? So many people and yet nothing to do! Unless of course if she wanted to play games with her two youngling cousins. Katori frowned at the thought. She adored the boys but she just didn't have it in her today to deal with their destructive....err cuteness. At least it was peaceful here by the stream. Katori closed her eyes briefly so that she could enjoy the serenity of nature before a slight rustling grabbed her attention. While nature was beautiful here it did not mean that there weren't dangers. Especially in a larger area of forest like this so near the Sauti border. Is there something here? Katori clenched her fists before slowly slipping down from the larger rock. If there was something here then she would not be caught off guard!

[Katori 1]

"So it's just you, Taaru?" Katori let out a little huff as she greeted her brother. Reaching out she flicked a few more pieces of foliage from his hair with a small frown. Had it really just been Taaru then? Her silver gaze darted about as she listened to the melodies filling the forest around them. Before Taaru had shown up she had sworn that she had heard something else other than the simple bird calls in the distance. Maybe I'm just imagining things. Plus they were in a forest full of all sorts of creatures....so it could have been anything.

Despite everything Katori felt her shoulders slump a bit. Maybe she had been looking forward to some sort of adventure today. It had been too quiet since Tryston and Kukiko had left. The girl sighed once more as she studied the clearing. "Seriously though I think a rampaging mamu would have been quieter." She teased her brother as she shot him a glance. However, her words trailed off into silence as she swore that she had seen a white speck of something through the trees behind him. Tilting her head in curiosity, Katori raised a finger to her lips and gestured towards the forest behind him. Was there something there or had it been a trick of the light?

[Katori 2]

Of course if anyone would attract a strange creature it would be Taaru.

Katori stayed still as she watched the equestrian creature approach her brother. It was not native to the area at all and she found herself amazed by how beautiful it was from first glance. There was a large crystal horn of swirling shades of blue and silver emerging from the center of its forehead and its gaze was like looking into the morning sky. How pretty. Though she couldn't help but to finally laugh whenever she noticed that the quristine was messing with her brother's hair. "Pffft." Katori raised a hand to her lips but it was too late. The sound had started the creature and it was slowly backing up, its previously smiling face more wary than anything.

"Oh no. I'm sorry." Katori whispered as she slowly tried to walk towards the shimmering white creature. What was it even doing all the way out here? Her gaze narrowed thoughtfully, her head tilting as she tried to study it while remaining as calm as possible. Please, please don't run away. She thought as she took another step forward. The quristine hesitated a moment before moving towards the trees again. Katori sighed before realizing that it hadn't gone far - its rump was obviously showing from around a few trees further in the forest. Also was that....red against the white? Katori's frown grew as she looked towards Taaru. How did they approach it without scaring it away? If it was injured then they should bring it back home to help it!

[Katori 3]

Honestly if Taaru wasn't in love with magic and archery, Katori could have easily imagined him becoming a beast tamer like their mama. She was almost jealous of the way he brought the quristine towards him. Though I'm sure if I had fruits too... Her thoughts trailed off as Taaru motioned her closer. Katori hesitated for a moment before slowly approaching the creature. "I think it's injured." She whispered quietly, her gaze meeting the sky blue of the quristine's eyes. They just seemed so soulful and sad which made her want to help even more. If they could just get it to follow them home....her gaze ventured towards her travel bag and the girl thought of the rope hiding inside. Should she? The temptation was there until she glanced back up again at the creature and its gaze seemed to pierce her heart. I can't.

"He's right. We honestly just want to help you if you would let us." Whispered Katori quietly as she slowly took a couple of more steps until she was next to the quristine's neck. Raising a hand, her fingers trembling as she quietly inched them closer to the gentle creature, Katori braced herself to inspect the wound. "It's okay, truly." She continued in a soft whisper as she trailed her fingertips along the smooth body. It was only when she reached the back side that she spotted the wide gashes. Oof. Her gaze softened as she studied them, "Something big clawed him, Taaru." She stated before she pulled her hand back as to not startle the quristine. "We'll have to get ointments to help clear infection and speed up healing. Do you think we could entice him to follow us home?"

[Katori 4]

Okay maybe she was completely jealous. Katori pursed her lips into a pout as she followed both the quristine and her brother back towards their family manor. Perhaps while she was healing the beast she could gain its trust? Determination bloomed within her chest and the hybrid girl gave a firm nod. That she could and would do! As they headed towards the large building that was a yard or so away from the actual manor, Katori separated from her brother for a moment. The stables was nice and large, plenty of room for several mamu should the weather truly get bad, but she navigated the place with ease. Years of exploring the stalls and of climbing the ladders to the lofts full of stored hay and such above allowed Katori to go through the place without hesitation. She knew where the little operating room with the medicine was. Her mother often took smaller creatures here so that she could patch them up on the long wooden table in the center of the room. Shelves upon shelves of herbal remedies and other such ointments lined the walls along with tomes for healing and other necessary supplies.

Her fingers trailed along the worn wood, the many years of use keeping dust at bay while smoothing down the rougher edges of the sturdy Zenan planks. Eventually her fingers passed the correct ointments, her hands backing up when she almost passed the jars, and Katori quickly grabbed them and several bandages that she could use to keep anything else from getting into the fresh wounds. Now that they were back home she could hopefully get a better look at the quristine. While Katori was not as good a healer as her mother she could at least patch up the creature until Talisia came home from her errands in town. We can do this. Katori gave a firm nod of reassurance before returning to her brother's side.

The quristine seemed more comfortable now that they were in a calmer area and she watched as it munched on the food. The poor creature seemed scrawnier than what Katori had seen in the books. "You think he's been here long? He looks like he's not eaten well for a while." She asked quietly as she slowly started to walk around and inspect the wound. "Just keep him calm while I flush out any dirt with water and then apply the ointment." She instructed her brother while her silver gaze continued to study the open cuts that ran along its side. Now that she looked closely it appeared that there was more than just a beast which had marked the poor creature. Wherever it had come from it seemed that the quristine had struggled its way to freedom before being chased again once it had thought it was safely in Zena. Though Zena was still a far cry from its actual homeland. Katori felt her heart tighten in her chest. Yael is so far away... She had only ever seen such a creature in the books that her mother had purchased from a traveler who had documented various creatures. He had been a Yaeli man himself heading to Belrea from the port in Sauti. His book full of sketches had inspired Katori to want to travel towards the other islands and continent one day. Perhaps now they would have a reason to since the creature before them surely was missing its home.

"Alright. Don't mind me, I'm just helping you out." She whispered as she gave the quristine a gentle path along its back before reaching for the water and beginning the process of cleaning out the wound. It would take a lot of patience and some time so that she didn't accidentally hurt the quristine anymore than it was already injured. Katori took a deep breath and tried to calm her shaking hands before slowly starting to dab at the wound with a damp cloth that she pulled from a nearby water bucket.

[Katori 5]

Thankful for Taaru's ability to comfort the quristine, Katori continued on with cleaning the wound. When she felt satisfied that enough dirt had been removed from the wound the girl opened the ceramic jar and wrinkled her nose at the strong herbal smell. That's definitely a strong batch. She bit her bottom lip before forcing her fingers to slide across the top of the pale greenish blue ointment. After getting enough of the cool substance Katori gingerly applied it to the wounds. "Easy does it." She whispered as she finished up the final dabs of ointment. Even though her words were soft and her expression calm, Katori's chest burned with a flurry of emotions. Whoever had damaged such a beautiful creature deserved a thrashing.

"We shouldn't." She found herself saying though the words tasted disgustingly bitter in her mouth. Her logic was overcoming her emotions, the raging desire to bestow pain upon the perpetrators tempting but not enough to stop herself from thinking. "If we pick a fight they could find us and come back here. What if there's a lot of them? Would you want to drag Papa or Mama into a scuffle and risk the quristine and other animals living here?" Katori questioned Taaru with a heavy sigh. "I would love to give them a good thrashing but I'm also wary of causing even more harm than good." Her heart twisted at the thought as she applied the last of the ointment. "At least we can offer the quristine healing and shelter here. Surely he'll never have to see his previous captors again." If they came here Katori would make certain to protect the quristine! Her lips pursed in fierce determination at the thought.

[Katori 6]

"So I see." Chuckled Katori as the quristine let out a soft neigh before pulling away to continue eating. "At least we found him before anyone else could." She commented as she prepared to put away the medicine. "I hope you don't mind staying here for a bit." Katori rubbed her hand along the quristine's neck. Now that they had helped to patch him up and gave him food the quristine seemed much calmer. I suppose we could get mama's help when she returns home later. Katori thought before glancing over to Taaru.

"Maybe we could take shifts watching over him until he's more settled? When mama comes home I'm sure she'll want to look over him as well." Katori mused quietly as she gave the quristine another loving pat along its neck. Dinner time would be soon so they could eat and rest up before coming back out here tonight. "I'll grab some extra blankets and pillows. We can make a bed out of some hay or even grab one of the travel cots." She offered to Taaru with a small smile. "It's like going camping...just in the barn instead."

[Katori 7]