Post by Rotzi on Aug 8, 2005 21:22:38 GMT -5
This is an alternate reality between Kiara and Diven. I want to keep it between myself and him as much as possible. Sorry, people... then again I doubt anyone actually bothers coming here anymore...
The forest was so peaceful and free of any traces of human civilization. It was probably one of the few pure forests on the continent. Despite the absence of human things there was one human in the forest. She walked forward silently - she was surprisingly stealthy for a human. There was a sword strapped to her back as was a small pack. Looking around the area she sighed softly. For the past few hours she had been trying to find a clearing to make camp for that night. Now it was twilight and she had yet to come across one. The adventuress frowned slightly as she continued forward still. She knew that the seasons were changing and that it was growing colder. While her bed roll kept her warm it wouldn’t keep her warm when she slept. Since it had been dry the past week or two she didn’t want to chance starting a fire in the forest.
By the time the moon had risen she had set up a small camp in a small clearing she had found. The girl stirred the fire as her stew cooked. She felt eyes on her as she ate, but brushed it off as her imagination. Once the fire had gone out she laid down. Just beyond the haze of the coals she thought she seen a shadow move, but once more put the blame on her imagination.
It was mid morning when the girl awoke. Silently she cursed herself for sleeping for so long. After she packed up her camp and buried the ashes from her fire she left. When the sun was at it’s peek in the sky she found herself at a cliff. Below her the forest continued but she seen no easy way down. As she looked in either direction she noted that the face of the cliff stretched for miles. The girl decided to take a break for a light lunch and to figure out how to continue forward. Her mind argued that she could easily just follow the cliff since she was just roaming with no real direction in mind. However, since she was quite stubborn, she wanted to keep going straight.
“Guess I’ll just hafta scale it,” she murmured to herself. She went over to the edge and studied it. Just looking down had gotten the girl dizzy. Despite her decision she did have a fear of heights. Pinching the bridge of her nose with a gloved hand she sighed. “Great, Kiara… just great.” She rubbed her eyes before forcing herself to look down again. “Not that high… yea… not high at all.” Her head began to spin once more so she pulled away.
It took nearly an hour for her to calm down and ready herself for her plan. Making sure that her pack and sword were strapped tightly in place she approached the cliff again.
“I truly hope you’re not that stupid, human,” came a voice from the trees.
While she thought herself to be a fearless adventuress she jumped a bit and lost her balance. Luckily she fell on her backside instead of forward and off the cliff. Not waiting for her racing heart to stop Kiara turned to face the forest. “Who’s there?” she called, her voice a bit shaky.
A red fox stepped into view. The girl quirked a black eyebrow. She had heard of anthropolymorphs but had never seen one. Especially in a dress, she thought to herself.
The foxen crossed his arms and frowned slightly. “Here I go to stop you from doing something foolish and you nearly jump to your death…” His voice held a hint of amusement at the thought.
“Well, it’s not nice to sneak up on people,” she replied. She dusted herself off as she stood. “At least I’m not as jumpy as some people I’ve met.”
“You seem quite jumpy to me.” He leaned against an elm behind him. “What is your business in the forest?” He didn’t sound annoyed, just curious. “Humans haven’t been here in ages and they won’t be so long as I can help it.”
The girl mentally winced at his underlying threat. Was humanity really that bad that he would threaten someone he didn’t know? “I’m just passing through. This cliff,” she had gestured to it with her hand, “stopped me from going any further. If you know of an easy way down then I’ll be on my way and out of your hair… er, fur.”
Her response caused the fox to chuckle. He did have both, actually. What humans refer to as hair was dark brown and pulled back in a loose ponytail. Kiara thought it was strange to see a foxen with actual hair like that, but then she reminded herself that he was the first she had seen.
While she was thinking he was studying her. He had his eye on her the moment she came into his territory and she did seem much different from other humans he had come across. She seemed much more… pure… strange to get that from something like her. The fox shook his head to get that thought from his mind. “Come. I’ll lead you down a much safer route.”
The young adventuress blinked a few times before nodding. “T-Thank you.” She extended a hand. “I’m Kiara.”
The fox stared at her hand for a moment. Humans certainly have strange customs, he thought. He did take her hand and shook it firmly. “Diven Highland West,” he responded. A light breeze started and toyed with some wisps of his brown hair.
“Pleasure to meet you,” Kiara said as she idly brushed back her black bangs. The wind picked up again causing her bangs to be in her face again. The two regarded each other for a few moments as if they weren’t quite sure what to do next. The girl rubbed her arm, it was a nervous habit she had developed over the years. “So, you said you knew of a safe way down?”
“Yes, yes I do. It’s this way. I suggest you follow closely and quickly.” Diven turned around to head back into the woods. “You don’t know what’s lurking out here. Down in the valley it’s a bit safer.”
“But I was alright last night. Nothing bothered me at all.”
The red fox turned to look over his shoulder at her as he continued forward. “You were safe because I wouldn’t let anything near you.” He ducked under a tree branch and took her onto a barely beaten path. “If I know humans as well as I think I do, the moment one of you dies somewhere the whole lot of ‘em come out to look for that person.”
“I don’t think you’d have to worry about that with me,” the girl responded irritably. “After my parents passed away I was alone. I’ve no other family and no other ties to the rest of humanity.”
Diven gave her a curious look. This one was much different from other humans he had met in the past. He always thought that they were a social bunch. Then again it was said his kind was social and yet here he was alone. “Seems as if I’m not alone anymore,” he murmured.
“Hmm?” Kiara glanced up at him. She hadn’t been paying attention to him since she was paying more attention to the area around her.
The forest was so peaceful and free of any traces of human civilization. It was probably one of the few pure forests on the continent. Despite the absence of human things there was one human in the forest. She walked forward silently - she was surprisingly stealthy for a human. There was a sword strapped to her back as was a small pack. Looking around the area she sighed softly. For the past few hours she had been trying to find a clearing to make camp for that night. Now it was twilight and she had yet to come across one. The adventuress frowned slightly as she continued forward still. She knew that the seasons were changing and that it was growing colder. While her bed roll kept her warm it wouldn’t keep her warm when she slept. Since it had been dry the past week or two she didn’t want to chance starting a fire in the forest.
By the time the moon had risen she had set up a small camp in a small clearing she had found. The girl stirred the fire as her stew cooked. She felt eyes on her as she ate, but brushed it off as her imagination. Once the fire had gone out she laid down. Just beyond the haze of the coals she thought she seen a shadow move, but once more put the blame on her imagination.
It was mid morning when the girl awoke. Silently she cursed herself for sleeping for so long. After she packed up her camp and buried the ashes from her fire she left. When the sun was at it’s peek in the sky she found herself at a cliff. Below her the forest continued but she seen no easy way down. As she looked in either direction she noted that the face of the cliff stretched for miles. The girl decided to take a break for a light lunch and to figure out how to continue forward. Her mind argued that she could easily just follow the cliff since she was just roaming with no real direction in mind. However, since she was quite stubborn, she wanted to keep going straight.
“Guess I’ll just hafta scale it,” she murmured to herself. She went over to the edge and studied it. Just looking down had gotten the girl dizzy. Despite her decision she did have a fear of heights. Pinching the bridge of her nose with a gloved hand she sighed. “Great, Kiara… just great.” She rubbed her eyes before forcing herself to look down again. “Not that high… yea… not high at all.” Her head began to spin once more so she pulled away.
It took nearly an hour for her to calm down and ready herself for her plan. Making sure that her pack and sword were strapped tightly in place she approached the cliff again.
“I truly hope you’re not that stupid, human,” came a voice from the trees.
While she thought herself to be a fearless adventuress she jumped a bit and lost her balance. Luckily she fell on her backside instead of forward and off the cliff. Not waiting for her racing heart to stop Kiara turned to face the forest. “Who’s there?” she called, her voice a bit shaky.
A red fox stepped into view. The girl quirked a black eyebrow. She had heard of anthropolymorphs but had never seen one. Especially in a dress, she thought to herself.
The foxen crossed his arms and frowned slightly. “Here I go to stop you from doing something foolish and you nearly jump to your death…” His voice held a hint of amusement at the thought.
“Well, it’s not nice to sneak up on people,” she replied. She dusted herself off as she stood. “At least I’m not as jumpy as some people I’ve met.”
“You seem quite jumpy to me.” He leaned against an elm behind him. “What is your business in the forest?” He didn’t sound annoyed, just curious. “Humans haven’t been here in ages and they won’t be so long as I can help it.”
The girl mentally winced at his underlying threat. Was humanity really that bad that he would threaten someone he didn’t know? “I’m just passing through. This cliff,” she had gestured to it with her hand, “stopped me from going any further. If you know of an easy way down then I’ll be on my way and out of your hair… er, fur.”
Her response caused the fox to chuckle. He did have both, actually. What humans refer to as hair was dark brown and pulled back in a loose ponytail. Kiara thought it was strange to see a foxen with actual hair like that, but then she reminded herself that he was the first she had seen.
While she was thinking he was studying her. He had his eye on her the moment she came into his territory and she did seem much different from other humans he had come across. She seemed much more… pure… strange to get that from something like her. The fox shook his head to get that thought from his mind. “Come. I’ll lead you down a much safer route.”
The young adventuress blinked a few times before nodding. “T-Thank you.” She extended a hand. “I’m Kiara.”
The fox stared at her hand for a moment. Humans certainly have strange customs, he thought. He did take her hand and shook it firmly. “Diven Highland West,” he responded. A light breeze started and toyed with some wisps of his brown hair.
“Pleasure to meet you,” Kiara said as she idly brushed back her black bangs. The wind picked up again causing her bangs to be in her face again. The two regarded each other for a few moments as if they weren’t quite sure what to do next. The girl rubbed her arm, it was a nervous habit she had developed over the years. “So, you said you knew of a safe way down?”
“Yes, yes I do. It’s this way. I suggest you follow closely and quickly.” Diven turned around to head back into the woods. “You don’t know what’s lurking out here. Down in the valley it’s a bit safer.”
“But I was alright last night. Nothing bothered me at all.”
The red fox turned to look over his shoulder at her as he continued forward. “You were safe because I wouldn’t let anything near you.” He ducked under a tree branch and took her onto a barely beaten path. “If I know humans as well as I think I do, the moment one of you dies somewhere the whole lot of ‘em come out to look for that person.”
“I don’t think you’d have to worry about that with me,” the girl responded irritably. “After my parents passed away I was alone. I’ve no other family and no other ties to the rest of humanity.”
Diven gave her a curious look. This one was much different from other humans he had met in the past. He always thought that they were a social bunch. Then again it was said his kind was social and yet here he was alone. “Seems as if I’m not alone anymore,” he murmured.
“Hmm?” Kiara glanced up at him. She hadn’t been paying attention to him since she was paying more attention to the area around her.
