RP:Better Days
Background
These are, simply, a few rps of times that were good, that Nia spent with her family... There's even her being scolded, but it's still a good memory, for parents use scolding as a way of teaching.
Cooking With Brina
Brina walks into the house with Niawtu, hopefully, at her side. Once inside she lets go of Nia's hand and walks straight out the back door. Outside there was a small back yard with a spigot and large barrel, big enough for one to bath in and certainly big enough for a ten year old. She walks back inside with purpose, looking Niawtu over with her hands on her hips "So your the new girl" there was a smile on her lips "I was wonderin'who'ad taken Ranok's heart away from me" it was a jest of course, meant to make her smile. "You hungry?" Her eyes move away as she opens cabinet after cabinet looking for that damned water pale.
Niawtu smiles at Brina's comment and says "Ranok take good care of little Niawtu, I come here many moons ago and he find me and give me food and new clothing." she says looking at the sleeves of the tunic that lay under her slightly rusted armor, the sleeves being so long that they flowed over her hands and the tunic flowed out from beneath her light armor. Her stomach then growls, an answer to Brina's other question. Niawtu blushes and says "Food sounds good, too..." in a quiet voice, for she was quite shy of asking things from people.
Brina looks at the clothes the kid was wearing and was about to comment when her stomach growls. With a bit of a smile Brina ushers Niawtu out to the tub and holds out her hands to either help the girl into the tub, or get the discarded clothes but probably both. The water wasn't incredibly hot, what with it being from a spigot, but it certainly wasn't cold either. In the humid afternoon air it may even feel good. "Why dun ya hop'in 'ere an I'll go get ya somefin ta eat, ya look like ya like meat hm?" Brina had put on a tunic before leaving the tavern though it didn't really fit her. She was a curvy woman with a bit of a belly and an ample amount of cleavage, the hour glass shape just gave her looks a bit of a push. As she speaks she ties her hair up and when it was secure, Nia was in the bath as well, Bri would go back into the house. From where the bath was Bri could watch to make sure she was okay. "Where's yer pack?" She asked, lifting her voice so it carried while she hunted around the house for clothes small enough Niawtu could wear them.
Niawtu Happy to be in cool water, and her first actual bath in who knows how long, calls back to Brina's question with a simple "They're in paradise now. Mean slave traders killed them all and took my twin brother, Maway, and I away. I haven't seen my black wolf brother in years!" she speaks as if it's nothing, she grew up with the fact and though she missed them it made no difference to her. "You know, though." she chimes in again "Ranok is as tall as my daddy was, and he treats me the same way that he did. And you have the same fur that Momma had too... I was the only white wolf in my whole pack." the child shrugs in the bath. She had already been in the tub for a while, but already the bath was cold as ice. Niawtu didn't mind, of course, she had made it that way because she thought the water was too warm.
Brina stops her gathering of clothes as Niawtu mentions her family. It was a fact of life and no one understood better then Bri "I ain't got a pack'neither...well didn't". Her words hitch in her throat when she is compared to Nia's mother. Oh yeah, she was hooked. Briskly she walks back out to the tub with clean clothes in her hands, they smelled like lavender "Ya didn't get yer hair did'ja?" Sighing she puts the clothes on a rock nearby and get's the soap from beside the wooden barrel. If she wasn't pushed away Bri would scrub the girl down till she sparkled. "Feck that water's cold, ya need me ta'eat it up fer ya?" She wonders, of course the frigid quality of the water doesn't stop her from the task. "My pack left me'ere an'when my brother came back ta get me I- I decided ta stay'ere with Ranok" she hadn't told him that bit yet. "Got me a life'ere now" when Niawtu was as clean as Bri could get her, the older wolf moves away to get that towel and extra clothes. Walking back to the side of the tub she holds the towel out so she could wrap herself up "An ya got a family if ya want it" her blue brown eyes dance with the hope of expanding her little make shift family.
Niawtu, giggling at Brina's shock with the water's temperature, simply poofs into her wolf form again and jumps clear out of the water, landing with a light thud upon the ground. She the begins to shaking most of the cold water out of her fur, before it would become ice. Smiling, her fur now twice as floofy as before, turns to Brina and nods. "You an' Ranok, remind me of my pack. Me think I'd like it here." she smiles then turning back into her human form.
Brina smiles right back "I think I'd like it here" she corrects in wolf. Who was she to pester someone about the way they talked? What with her butchered idea of what common was, but still she knew that doors only closed on people whose speech didn't flow. The clothes on the rock are motioned too "It ain't much but it's what I got, there's a tie'ere so's you dun afta look like a bag. I bet if ya asked real nice Ranok'd go buy ya some pretty stuff." She grinned and, waiting for Niawtu, goes back into the house to get dinner ready. It would have been odd for anyone else, her pack and maybe even her friends from Hollow, to see Bri acting so tame. Angry tavern Brina was usually how she was all the time, around the child though her softness came out. Ranok probably knew that better then anyone, perhaps that was why he kept pestering her to meet Niawtu.
Niawtu giggles a beautiful crystalline laugh, the sort that was like two crystal glassing lightly clinking together mixed with a silvery bells chime, at the thought of big, tough Ranok buying her pretty stuff. She then moves over to the rock and smoothly and swiftly pulls on the more comfortable sized clothing. As she listens to Brina's words she scurries into the house and into the bedroom to where Ranok had placed her meager amount of posesstions that were stored in a bag, that including a money pouch with a symbol of her pack upon it. She then pulls out a beautiful and finely crafted lyre harp made out of willow wood from her bag. It appeared to be the same one that would always be seen sitting in the Last Note music shop with a rather pricy tag of 100 or so gold coins. She hadn't stolen it. She paid for it with whatever money she had. She then scurried by to the main room and sat on the floor and began to play the harp quietly. She had walked all the way to Cenril when she was wandering about and came all the way back just to get the harp. The child was quite good at playing this beautiful instrument and the song lightly trickled through the whole house. She didn't see what trouble she could be in to go to Cenril for an instrument.
Brina certainly didn't see any trouble with getting an instrument! She was a musician herself and, had she known that the girl had disobeyed Ranok to go and buy herself a harp, she'd not be chastised. The music was beautiful and, aided by the notes, the making of dinner seemed to go a lot faster then it would have any other time. There was steak cooking and veggies boiling, warming up in the oven were some fresh baked biscuits. When you were in a pack, specially one with loads of boys, you could find your way around the kitchen. Good for Bri she had developed a bit of a flair for it. "Ya like music?" She asks, not looking at the girl but tending to the meat instead "Where'd ya learn how'ta play like that?"
Niawtu continues to play the music as the scent of the food wafts about the house and says "My pack taught music to everyone early. We like music, nature, family, and friends over fighting. I used to have a lyre made with our snow willow. It was like the Great Mother was there to protect us! All our instruments were made with bits of the tree." she says, smiling softly at the past. As she thought of the snow willow that she love so very much the music shifted and morphed into a song that had a sound like beautiful, yet icy, wind blowing the white branches of the willow softly.
Brina had never heard anything that sounded like what she was hearing now. She listened to the music for awhile longer and when the food was done she put large potions onto plates and set it out at the table. "Okay love, we'll play after, time'fer dinner" with a smile the size of texas Bri moves to get some milk from the ice box, pours two glasses, and sits down. She wouldn't eat without Niawtu there, something that Eilyo had taught her. Assuming that the two started eating Brina would continue the conversation "Ya know why the folks in the tavern acted like they did?"
Niawtu finishes up her song and then finds a very nice and safe place for it to sit upon. She sits where Brina asks her to and begins eating, only when Brina does. She knew plenty about table manners, though little about wolf pack manners. After Brina asks Niawtu what she did Niawtu thinks, -hard-, "Ummmm.... They did cuz they didn't like that I smelt like orcs?" she asks, she didn't have a single clue why they acted that way. She then simply takes a sip of milk and continues eating.
Brina smiles and shakes her head "That wolf, the male, his name is Leoxander and he is an alpha. Did your pack have an alpha?" She asks, then continues "When ya see a wolf ya dunno, especially one like that, ya'ave ta show'im ya dun mean no'arm by layin on yer back and exposin yer neck. Get it?" She'd show her what she meant in a bit but for now she just enjoyed the food.
Niawtu pauses as she prossesses the thought of such a thing. "I did have an alpha. He was my father... We did that too, but... I was being taught 'ow to be the next alpha... Daddy told me that if someting 'appened to him I would be next alpha... That why I didn't do that to Leoxander... He's scarry, too..." she adds in and then pops a bit more food in her mouth.
Brina wrinkles her nose in disagreement and adds "If he was all that scary he would have bitten you real bad but he didn't. He's just a bit" she took another bite in contemplation "misunderstood?" In any case she clears her throat, takes a drink, and goes on "Sad enough but unless you start'yer own pack bein alpha's outta the picture fer ya. At least till yer grown up a bit". Brina had wanted to start her own pack but hadn't, only she knew why. "How'er ya feelin? That orc messed ya up pretty bad bu- you okay?" She was asking if she needed any tending too as far as bandages were concerned
Niawtu grumbles a little at the thought of not being an alpha till she was older, she hated being told that sort of thing. But soon her expression lightens up and she shakes her head. "No, Gwenilyn fixed me all up..." she pauses in thought, wondering if she should mention that she's still addicted to a particularly bad brainwashing potion, but desides against it and tries to change the subject of the orc, "Gwenilyn and I think eachother like sisters. She's very nice to me, like a big sister woot be. She even taught me that I shouldn't hold back my howls all the time, because tha' is no goot..." she finishes, her eyes shifting nervously as she hopes that changing the subject worked.
Brina nods "I dunno Gwenilyn" but if she helped Niawtu out that must mean she was a good person right? I mean who doesn't help a kid "An ya can howl all ya want. First ya gotta tell me what yer hidin though. Ranok'll just tell me anyway" and he would, if he knew about it. She was beginning to worry.
Niawtu lets out a long puppy whine and says "Weeeell.... Ranok might not say, buuut... Gwen could only heal my hurts and make the bad potion stop working... But I still addicted to the bad stuff and I tink that if I ever sees it again I would drink some... But Gwen gives me dis phial." Niawtu quickly adds in as she pulls out the phial of rosey liquid and shows Brina. "Gwen say if I sip it when I get wanting to drink bad stuff that this make things better..." she finishes up, practically rushing her words forth.
Brina nods her head and looks at the vial to make sure it looked legit. Not like she would know the difference "Oh, well good." She smiled and ate more of her steak "I need ta meet this Gwen person, she a wolf too?" Seeing that they were both done she takes Niawtu's plate and her's then moves to the sink to wash them. It was quite a domestic scene.
Niawtu shakes her head, "No, Gwen's is fae..." she sniffs the air and turns to see Ranok is home. The child is now in clothing that fits her, not to big not to small, and appears freshly bathed and obviously now well fed. Niawtu blushes and turns around, hoping that Brina doesn't mention that she 1) Left the house and 2) Was a bit disrespectful towards Leoxander in the tavern.
Ranok strolls into the house in that way of his. He looked the same as always, except...there was a new scar across his face. Going diagonal across his face, impossible to miss. Thanks to Gwen, however, it was completely healed and looked old, the scar tissue gone white. He looks between the two, from Nia to Brina. He sighs, "Lemmee guess. Ve're keepink her because hyu've fallen in luv vith her, hm?"
Brina hears Ranok's voice and it was all she could do not to spin around and throw herself in his arms. As it was she settled for a smile as she turned around, bubbles on her hands "Naw, we're keepin her 'cause ya went through so'much trouble to get'er all safe". That's right, she'd turn this back on him. "Also, we can't jus'leave 'er anyplace! I mean,'ave ya seen them orphanages? No. I ain't doin that ta'er" The dishes plop into the sink when his new scar is noticed. She does go to him now "Ranok" she makes to put a hand on his face "What' happened? Who did that to you?" Maternal Brina was coming out a lot today. Neither the tavern, nor Leo was mentioned.
Niawtu jumps out of her chair and walks past the two adults to let them talk. She then picks up the lyre that she bought that day, all nice new and shiny and a good sign that she left the house at some point, and then sits down to continue playing her beautiful music that (despite the fact that she is 10) sounds like a professional playing upon the small harps strings.
Brina smiles over at Niawtu as she played her harp then, wiping her hands and stringing on her apron she says "Ya know'ow ta make a cake?" She asks.
Niawtu shakes her head, hair flipping about lightly as she does so. "No, I don' even no what in cake..." she says with her little crystalline laugh undertoning the words which pour from her mind. Even in her human form she can't speak common through her mouth. "Is it like making snow cake?" she asks. Making cake was, most certainly, not the same as making snow cake, for that was simply what her tribe of lycans called making it out of snow the way children do.
Brina blinks at Nia "It-wha?-No it ain't nuffin like snow cake. Jez child! Come on over here'n I'll teach ya." She looks around and takes out a large bowl from the pantry "Can ya get me some milk-eggs-an flour from over there?" She points to the ice box and the cabinet that was right beside it.
Niawtu stands up, setting done her lyre, and does as instructed. As she goes to get the stuff she hums happily. She then carries all three ingredients all at the same time, without dropping even a single thing. "What's flour?" she asks as she sets it down.
Brina blinks again "What's flour? Oh girl, ya gotta lot ta learn, get one of them chairs over'ere so's ya kin see better." Assuming she did that Brina would take out her measuring cups and set them out "Now" she explained "Without flour the cake don't taste good at all it's like, it's the...it's the mamma of the cake world" she smiles and hands the flour bag to Niawtu along with the measuring cups "Now pour that into there" she points to the flour bag and the two cups cup.
Niawtu nods and smiles as she listens to Brina. The marvelous thing about her was that, she didn't know much, but she loved to learn and she learned quick. Soon she is pouring the flour into the measuring cup just as instructed and very carefully. She then sets down the bag when she is finished. Some of the flour gets onto her hands and, curiosity getting the better of her, she decides to lick it. Only to stick out her tounge and say "Blllech!" she also like to learn from experiance.
Brina laughs the laugh of the experienced and, still grinning, she dumps the flour into the larger bowl. "Ya ain't u'pposed ta eat it like that. Ain't good yet. Alright, next lesson. Ya need ta break three eggs" she hands one egg to Nia and indicates that she crack it right over the flour.
Niawtu spins the egg between her finger and then stops and with a light tap against the bowl and almost perfect line cracks throughout the egg. It's almost as though she could find the weak spot within the egg. She then opens the egg over the bowl as instructed.
Brina hands her another one and when she cracked that another "Ya could do that fer a livin" she jokes. "Now that we have all of that together we need the sugar" which she pours into a cup then into the bowl. "And at last, mixing it. What sorta cake ya want it ta be love? Choclate?"
Niawtu cocks her head "What -is- chocolate?" she asks with slight frushstration. "Gwen mentioned it too... I don' know what it is.... Is it goot?" she said with the most adorable confused face ever.
Brina really needed to make more sweets for this girl. "I'll show you" and with that she sidles away from the counter and into the ice box where her store of chocolate was. "This is a chocolate bar" and she hands a dark looking bar to Niawtu, about the same tone as Bri's hair color "And this is vanilla ice cream" once Nia was done with the chocolate she handed her the cold dessert.
Niawtu cocks her head at the sweets and cocks her head. "They smell nice... Kinda like the... What did he call it? Candy? Ranok gave me candy once! Is this the same?" Niawtu asks with a little intrigued thought. It was no wonder the child was quite so scrawny. She had to be one of the few, or the only, child who knew nothing about sweets.
Brina shakes her head and was practically jumping around with excitement "Go on! Dun smell it, eat it!"
Niawtu nips a little piece of chocolate off of the bar, and after a little chewing her eyes glow so brightly that you would think they were gonna explode. And she smiles as well. "Mmmmmm" is all the child can say.
Brina laughs and nods "Yer damn right" and with that she take more chocolate bits from the cabinet and pours a good deal of it into the mixture. Along with coca powder, chili powder, and a bit more sugar then was probably needed. "Now I mix" she picks up the bowl and begins to stir vigorously "Tell me what snow pies tasted like" she'd never seen snow before.
Niawtu laughs so hard she practically falls out of her chair "Silly, you don't eat them! It's what we used to play in the store. One of us would pretend to be a cook and the other would be a customer that gave you a challenge to make pretty ones of their discision! I love snow!" she finishes with a sigh as she watches Brina stir.
Brina grins "I've never seen snow" she says "An I am a cook, what we're makin now, that's fer us but later if ya want ya kin'elp me wit da orders fer the customers. If ya want."
Niawtu grins a lovely fangy smile.
Brina laughs "I take it that's a yes then?" She stops mixing and and begins to pour the mixture into a pan.
Sisters
Gwenilyn hugs her little sister and just rocks with her awhile. A grin crosses her features and hse begins to finger comb the child's hair. 'Nia, I would take you out, but I amnot certain it would be wise. I don't know if Belphesius is near and I would not want to chance your life simply to take a walk about Kelay. Do you understand?'
Niawtu shudders at the thought of Belphesius finding her and nods. "I don' want the orc or anyone he knows to find me..." she mumbles. "Gwen keep me safe?" she asks, with a meaning of that she wonders if Gwen will always be there to keep her safe.
Gwenilyn hugs her sister tightly, drops a kiss on the top of her head and nods, 'Aye, littleon. I will always keep you safe. Tis what sisters do, you know.' She smiles warmly at the little girl. 'Did you know you have another sister, and a brother as well? Your sister's name is Sophie. SHe is an elven lycan. Your bother is Verthica, a Silver Dragon.' Gwen speaks with quiest pride of her adopted kin and wants Nia to know there are others who will love and protect her as well.....
Niawtu leans her head softly against Gwen's shoulder as she thinks about that. "Niawtu likes having a big family. Now she has a mommy and a daddy, two sisters and a brother!" she says with a smile on her face. "I missed having a big family!" she giggles a little with happiness. "And now Niawtu has a new willow lyre too! Everything's getting like it was many moons ago!"
Gwenilyn sighs softly, strangely content with her little sister in her arms. 'I never had a large family, so perhaps that is why I love having you as sister along with Sophie and Verthica. You are all very dear one me.' SHe falls silent for a moment then, 'How silly! I fogot! You are also an aunt. I have two children of my onw. Analise, who is a few years older than you, and Allan, a boy who is five years younger than yourself. How do you like that?
Niawtu giggles happily at that thought. She was quite happy to know that there was also family around her age. "Will I ever get to meet my family?" she asks with a smile growing upon her face.
Gwenilyn gave 1 Silver comb to Niawtu.
Gwenilyn digs in her satchel for a moment and produces a silver comb which she gives Nia. 'Aye, that you shall, though not right now. Analise is off training, just now and Allan is down for a nap at home. But soon, I promise. Now, here. And see you make good use of it, missy! *winks and laughs softly* I also have an ornament for your hair, if you would like. It is in the shape of a butterfly....'
Niawtu takes the beautiful comb and brushes carefully through her hair, tiny amount of frost glittering down from out of her hair. As she brushes her hair she hums for a moment and then says "I like butterflies, they look so pretty on flowers!" she says smiling at the thought of them. "I like spiders, too. People think they're scary, but not Niawtu. They help get rid of the bugs that bite people, I don't even mind the giant ones!" she says with a giggle "People are scared of them, too. But they're just big softies. They like being itched behind their heads!" she rambles off a little bit. "I think that people are afraid of what they don't understand..." she finishes with a little bit of a sad look in her eyes, for she knew that all too well.
Gwenilyn gave 1 diamond-butterfly clip to you.
Gwenilyn finds and offers the child the clip with a warm smile. 'Then here you are, sister. It think it will look well against your pretty hair.' She sighs softly and adds, 'Aye, dear one. I fear you are correst in that. That which many do not understand, is exactly what is feared....' She subsides for a moment, then shakes herself a trifle, good humor restored. 'Tell me, Mia, would you play something for me on your lyre? Ishould so enjoy a bit of music.....'
Niawtu clips the butterfly clip into her hair, using it to her her bangs out of her face. "Yuh-huh! I'd love to!" She says, jumping off of Gwen's lap and going to where she set her lyre. She then comes back and crawls onto Gwen's lap once more. Once she is settled she begins to lightly play away, her fingers practically gliding over the strings. The lyre is beautiful and made of darkly stained willow wood. It has many intricit carving along it, a willow tree is carved into the front, and there is a beautiful necklace that is circular (a silvery cresent moon filling half of it while the rest is dark blue enamled glass. There are five icy blue gems glistening through out the necklace and it is suspended by five cords of different blues) it is hanging from the lyre and looks like Niawtu tied it to the lyre. As her spindly fingers play the quiet music seems to fill the house and its sounds would make one feel as though they are inside her memories of how beautiful and lovely her homeland is. Snow lighting falling always, little lycan children playing in the snow, adults sitting around in a hut that is partially under the snow and dome shaped (though is not an igloo). All the while there is also a sound like a mystical weeping snow willow watching over the town. The sound fills the house with it's beauty and happiness. It is amazing how well such a young child can play an instrument such as a lyre harp is.
Gwenilyn :: For long moments, Gwen simply listens, seeing the scene Nia paints with her music as if it were right there in front of her. A tear glistens on her cheek where it has slipped from behind closed lids. As the child plays, music rises from the fae's soul to weave a delicate counterpoint to the child's poignant melody. To the snow one might glimpse tiny shafts of sunlight drifting through cracks in the clouds, making the snowflkes wink and dance, full of prismatic colors as they fall. Despite the cold, a breath of spring wafts gently through, a promise of what waits.
Niawtu smiles as Gwen's soft music adds to the beauty of the picture her music has painted as the song progresses on the child softly sings in her native tounge, her voice beautifully pure. Her native language is one never heard or known by anyone else. She had come from an extremely Northern land, not many would head that way and there aren't even any maps of the lands. As she sings and weaves her words into the song it gives the hint of the elder of their tribe, a priestess of Great Mother, weaving a beautiful story about her tribes creation as they all sit in the snow in front of the tree. One would see in their mind's eye a tribe of lycans in their wolf forms listening intently. There are wolves of many colors every single wolf a different color from the next. Only one white wolf, only one black wolf. Sitting directly below the willow tree behind the elder with their mother and father as the elder priestess speaks. All is surrounded with the feeling of love and family. Peacefulness blanketing the room as the music plays. Soon the music fades away as her song ends.
Gwenilyn finally falls silent to let the scene float there, beautiful and serene. When Nia stops, Gwen will offer a sighs of contentment, a smile, then another sigh. 'Thank you, sweet Nia. Your music has eased my heart this day. With your talent you would do well in the Bard's Guild, if that was your choice.' Another tender hug is given. Gwen then puts Niawtu from her lap and rises with regret. 'Little sister, I fear I must depart. There is one who calls me and I feel Imust go to her. SHe is in need...... Will you be alright? IS there anything I may bring you when next Ivisit?'
Niawtu smiles at the thought of that Gwen was pleased with her music, a slight fading to her eyes at the news that her sister must depart. "I just want you to visit, Gwen, Niawtu needs only family and friends!" she says sweetly with a smile, giving her sister one last hug before she departs "Niawtu will be ok, I probably just practice my music or take nap in backyard..." she begins to ponder what to do for the rest of the day, but soon snaps herself back to attentiveness. Gwenilyn smiles gently and returns the child's hug. 'I promise i shall not be too long, little one. And then we shall have a nice long visit. Perhaps get Brina to teach us how to make those incredible eclairs of hers!'
Gwenilyn :: With these words and another quick hug, the fae moves quickly to the door and out into the courtyard with this admonishment. 'Lock the door behind me, sweeting. I shall returns soon!'
Niawtu's First Scolding
Ranok carries Niawtu into the house and plops her onto the floor. Frost adorns his arms. Brina didn't seem to be home, and it was likely that she was either searching for Nia or out hunting. Along those lines, at least
Niawtu looks at the frost that covers Ranok's arms thickly and mutters 'monster' under her breath to herself. She then begins to head to the bedroom, her little soft tail between her legs. She wasn't going to lay in the bed though, not in the icy condition she was in. No, instead she begins to head to the closet wanting to sleep in there instead. At least in there, so she thinks, she couldn't harm anyone or be in their way. Whether Ranok was done scolding her, or not, she didn't know. She just simply continued to head in that general direction.
Ranok brushes the frost off his arms. No worse for wear. The metal that he wears was chaotically infused, meaning that magic was mitigated greatly. As untrained as Nia was, the worst that happened was the metal got a little cold, and he can tolerate that. He tsks as Nia walks away and steps after her to stop the girl, "No, ve're gunna nip dat vun in de bud. Hyu hain't a monster, Nia. Hyu are chust a child beink a child. Hyu don' onderstund dat de dangers out dere are kloser den dey look. Ve adults chust vorry after hyu because ve realize vat's out dere und vant to keep hyu safe. None uf dis monster business, do hyu onder schtund me?"
Niawtu stops in her steps and wimper, she turns back into her human form, it is very noticeable that rather than trails of tears trailing down her face there wer trails of ice stuck to her face even from her tear ducts. She doesn't look Ranok in the eyes but she nods. No one had ever agreed or disagreed with her about being a monster, not even in her own pack. She simply stands there after nodding like a statue. Her hair was a bit of a mess and there was frost falling all over from her hair, hands, and of course the patches left behind from her feet. It was causing the house to become a bit of a watery mess. She didn't know what to do, or what to say. She had never been scolded by anyone her whole life. Yelled at, yes. Cut, beaten, bruised, slapped... Most certainly. Whipped with a blade whip, plenty. But simply scolded, never. It was so confusing for her that she just simply had no clue whether to move, say anything, or just go to bed. So she just stood there, causing more frost and ice to pile up around her.
Ranok sighs and lumbers down to a knee. He gestures for Nia to come to him, and if she did he'd give her a hug, "Ve don' tell hyu dese tinks to be mean or kruel. Tink uf it like...an Alphe teachink hyu how to hunt. Hyu don' schprink at de deer, right? Hyu hef to be schneaky und kareful, und alvays hef de pack vith hyu because hyu kan' do it alone. Hyu've got a pack now, Nia, me, Gven, Brina. Hall dese pipple dat vould kome to help hyu in an instant. Hyu chust hef to ask us to go zumvere ontil hyu're schtrong enough to hunt on you own, hokay?"
Niawtu doesn't go towards him, only because her bare feet are now frozen stuck to the ground (not that that could possiibly hurt her, she's just to sad to retract the cold from her feet), and nods "Ok" she mumbles "Niawtu just not used to rules... Me never have them... Only my own... I once even met a "spider queen" not drow one, just a really big spider... Eek is her son.... I just ran away cuz I not like all the fighting and arguing that happens... Why do people 'ave to fight? The ogre and bear man, and the elves and drow... I see pain in the elves eyes... It hurts.... I jus' wanted to run away from it... My pack teach me either fight or flee... Nothin else..." she finishes up with sadness and pain reflecting in her icy eyes.
Ranok hms. "Dat iz a lesson in life dat Hy don' really tink hyu're prepared to get, Nia. Chust onderstund dat it heppens, und ve vill try to proteck hyu from it."
Niawtu nods at Ranok's words, the ice beginning to melt away from her as she warms up. "Can I go to bed now?" she asks in a small voice. She would accept any scolding or punishment that came to her, but she felt as though he was being to light on her for she knew nothing else of punishments.
Ranok nods. "Go und get kleaned up, und den get dressed. Hokay?"
Niawtu nods and goes to the kitchen quickly to get warm water to wash her face of the ice. She then goes into the bedroom and puts on her baggy clothing to sleep in. She carefully removes the butterfly clip from her hair and sets it aside, and then goes and carefully jumps into the bed. At one point she finches in pain and sees that a piece of ice had given her a cut upon her palm, but all she does is kiss it herself and then lays under the covers, she shivers a bit. For the first time in her life her punishment was harmless, and infact helped her. Yet, for the first time in her life, she was cold.
Ranok busies himself with locking up. This time he brought out the oaken bars that sat across the windows once and had been taken down. Back up they go. He wasn't going to take any chances this evening
Niawtu watches as Ranok locks up the house. Was he doing so because of her, or because of enemies? She didn't know. She soon simply closed her eyes and pretended to go to sleep. She wasn't tired at all, but she didn't want to get in any more trouble.
Ranok wouldn't have had time to install these measures overnight, and the brackets were there awhile. He has paranoid habits, far more then the obvious ones he shows. What had chased this man, or who, to make him this way wouldn't be spoken of easily. After the doors are barred and locked, he would finally take off the armor and begin to care for it. Polishing, buffing, oiling, whatever it needed. It would be how he would spend a large part of the night. Not sleeping. As a matter of note, none of the beds in the house looked like he used them, not even the one Brina used in the loft.
Niawtu opens one silvery eye, that glows in the night. She frowned when she saw him working so hard all of the time. She was too young to tell an adult what to do but, even she, knew that it was not good for one to not sleep. So she slides out of bed and walks quietly over to Ranok, when he's too busy to notice, and gives him a hug. Naturally she can only reach around his leg, but it was a hug nevertheless. She had thought he stayed up because he was frustrated, and hadn't know what was wrong with him that caused him to stay awake.
Ranok looks down at the tiny thing that hugged his knee. In a not completely stern voice, he says, "Hain't hyu supposed to be schleepink, Nia?"
Niawtu looks up at his face and says, though not trying to be rude, "Hain't hyu?" mimicing his accent very well. If she kept up mimicing his voice people could start to believe that she was truly his child. She didn't like when people over did themselves.
Ranok looks down at the tiny thing that hugged his knee. In a not completely stern voice, he says, "Hain't hyu supposed to be schleepink, Nia?"
Niawtu looks up at his face and says, though not trying to be rude, "Hain't hyu?" mimicing his accent very well. If she kept up mimicing his voice people could start to believe that she was truly his child. She didn't like when people over did themselves.
Ranok smiles slightly, despite himself, setting aside his work to scoop Nia up to sit in his lap. To anyone else, he'd claim that he couldn't stand children, and this was more or less true. But he seemed to have a soft spot for Nia. "Hy...do not need as much schleep as odder pipple, Nia. Even ven Hy hef been avake a long time."
Niawtu allows herself to be scooped up and sits upon his lap, not anywhere near as frosty as just earlier. "But I never see you sleep. You like a statue..." she says quietly as she looks up at his face. She couldn't get to bed anyway, though she probably should, considering her age.
Ranok hehs, once, "Hy hef been kalled Rock Head on more den vun occasion."
Niawtu smiles and softly giggles, happy that she was at least able to make him a bit happier. However, suddenly the warmth being drawn back into her body gets to her and causes her to yawn softly.
Ranok sets the girl onto the floor and gently pushes her towards her bed, "Alright, den, off to bed vith hyu. Und dis time Hy mean it!"
Niawtu walks to bed, her hand softly on Storm's back and says "Yes, sir" she then allows Storm to jump in bed first and then she cuddles up to him and dozes off again practically the moment her head hits the pillow.
Ranok returns to his work shortly enough.
Story For A Dragon's Egg
Ranok asks Nia to tell a story, to a dragon egg. It is a Frost Dragon, that Ranok hopes will grow and become Nia’s protector. So, Nia tells it a story about herself.
Niawtu looks down at the ground "Ummmm.... Hmmm... Once... Once there was a small village in the land of Alicorn... Ummm the village's name was Oina... Lycans called Oina their home, and made huts out of snow, ice, and rock. The houses were made in a dome shape... ummm.. A great snow colored willow tree, the oldest in the land, protected the town and was as tall as a mountain... Umm... The lycan's all lived in harmony, children play in snow and adults hunted and made musical instruments... All was happy... One day, on the Winter Solstice two young cubs were born to the Alpha male and wife... A black haired boy was born first, and the tribe rejoiced at the birth of a healthy baby boy, the next Alpha... But then the other was born... A skeleton thin child with hair the color of snow. Her body was as cold as the ice and her skin was as pale as the moon.... Ummm... Also she had ears and a tail, though she was not in wolf form... They all thought the child was defective... They thought she'd dye easily... The father was disgusted and wanted nothing to do with the child 'What a little monster!' he growled. The father wanted to get rid of her, 'feed her to the ice spiders' he growled. But the mother wouldn't let them. She save little wolf girl for she was the mother's daughter and she couldn't let her die..... *she pauses for a bit thinking* The children were name... um... Spirit Moonwater... and umm... Shadow Ravenwolf.... Shadow grew up surrounded by the other lycans, but Spirit not want attention, ever. She would run away, sometimes for moons at a time... She didn't eat much, and she was able to make friends with spiders and dragons and many frost creatures. They taught her many things about life, and taught her about the Great Mother.... After a long while the two children were completely opposite.... uhhhmmm... They started to notice that pampering the son had made him too spoiled to be a leader, for none had taught him what Alphas needed to know.... But the daughter was seen with her talents of music and her bravery... She not want to be Alpha of a pack that wanted to kill her though, and so she run away... She loved her family, even though they didn't love her (except her mother) and... uh... After a while a blizzard came about, and she couldn't see well... Suddenly Spirit see a big shadowy thing walking toward her, she wanted to see what it was but when she got close it was a big, scary man. Before she could escape he caught her and knocked her out........ *pauses, involentarily for a moment* ummm... umm... um... *clears throat* I leave story off there..." she finishes trailing off. The child then looks upon the ground with a sigh.
Ranok pats Nia on the back, "See, Nia? Everyone hes a schtory in dem, even if it's chust ders. Hyu deed goot. Hy'm sure you nev friend appreciated it. See? De egg schtopped movink."
Niawtu looks shocked at the fact that the egg stopped moving " Is it ok????" she asks in shock, going to snatch it, carefully, out of Ranok's hands to cool it off with hers.
Ranok holds it out of her reach, "No, no. It's probably tired. So klose to hetchink, it needs to konserff energy. Now, let's let dem rest. Und get hyu uff to bed. Tomorrow vill probably be de big day."
Niawtu looks excited enough to explode and says "Really? Oh... But Niawtu not wanna go to bed." she says it in her usual stubborn way, but a yawn escapes her mouth as she does so, and she sets Maway, a black wolf cub, on the floor from being to tired to hold him.
Ranok would scoop up Nia, "Kome on den. Uff to bed vith hyu. It von' do hyu henny goot if hyu fall asleep right after hyu get introduced to each odder. Hy promise dat Hy'll vake hyu up if hennyddink heppens, hokay?"
Niawtu yawns and nods as she is carried to her room "Ok... I hope it hatches safe..." another yawn escapes her lips, as she looks at the floor, where Maway is being carried by Storm.
Ranok takes Nia to the bedroom to tuck her in, "It vill, don' vorry."
Niawtu yawns as Maway is set beside her, by Storm. "Good night, daddy..." she says sleepily, as she dozes off, her white hair falling slightly over her eye. She was deep asleep already, too much excitment for the little one
Ranok shakes his head. Children. He had a soft spot for them that he'd never admit to. The man leaves soon after, closing the door behind him, to watch and tend the egg as it neared hatching.
Daddy, Can We Keep Her?
Tysinni begins to feel slightly uncomfortable. She could tell it was only a few seconds from being 'family bonding' time. Which always made her remember 'quality' time with her own father. A completely horrible subject to dwell on. She shuddered delicately and then abruptly stood up. "Heist. Go. I...." She takes a deep breath and fixes a weird sort of creepy smile on her face. "I have to go...plan something. That you probably don't want to know about." She then makes her escape with all possible haste, out the window. Because really, she wasn't thinking straight.
Ranok remarks, "It's disturbink how easily my home iz penetrated und escaped from, despite hall my precautions."
Niawtu shakes her head, her bones finally making very little noise. "Ty had bad life with family, me thinks.." she could tell, even at such a young age. "What excersizes can be done for Change?" she then asks Ranok, standing up and moving to the closet to hang her cloak up, now that she didn't need it. It would be noticed that a black and white bat were sleeping within it.
Ranok is paranoid. Has been paranoid. Always will be. Those same precautions were in place before he ever took in Nia, and they'll exist should she ever leave.
Niawtu looks back at Ranok as she closes her closet, leaving a crack for the bats to slip through when needed. She patiently waits out Ranok's explanation.
Ranok tells Nia, "It's chust a series uf postures und schtretches. Tink Yoga. Don' vorry. It hain't herd. Hyu might hef hete it, but eventually it vill become a part uf you day hyu kan' go viddout."
Niawtu looks a little less than thrilled at that, she hadn't known what yoga was, but she basically understood. "Oh... " she says… Niawtu then goes over to her bed and just crawls in, lying on top of the sheets. She goes onto a totally different subject, by saying " 'Ow come you not tell Nia stories like you did... I knows they not true... But I never get told stories... They bad for mind or somthin'?" she asks, as she stares at the ceiling, with her arms crossed.
Ranok goes to tuck Nia in, "Vell...mostly because dey are outrageous. Und a schtory dat a hyung vun believes iz different from vun zumone vo knows betta vould."
Niawtu said to Ranok, "oh, ok. *shrug* That ok."
Tysinni ||The street outside the house would soon be filled with noise. Whether or not the occupants inside heard any of it, depended on their attention and hearing. The loud, vicious barking and snarling of a couple of large sounding dogs could be heard over the many raised voices calling out in anger. A slight rustling and the thump as something hit the edge of the window would be the only sounds that proceeded the figure all in black leather, diving through the still open window. Ty hits the floor with a soft thud, expertly tumbling and ending up in a crouch. Without looking at either Ranok or Nia, the thief would crab walk over to the wall near the window and press her back up to it. Slowly she stretches her neck out to glance over the sill into the street below. Not seeing any of the pursuers heading towards the house, she breathes a sigh of relief before turning and giving her friends a large smile. "Hey guys."
Ranok says ever so sweetly, "If hyu ever lead an angry mob to my door again, Ty, luv, Hy vill flay hyu aliff und giff dem hyu personally." And he meant it. He strolls up to Ty to pinch her cheek, "Now get up, hyu're makink a fool uf youself."
Niawtu shot up into a sitting position the minute she hears all the clamour and noise. "What in the...?" but her confusion is answered the minute that Ty comes diving back in through the window. "Oh." she sighs and then begins to laugh. Yes! Tysinni actually made the child laugh just the way a child of 10 is supposed to! Her crystalline laugh so wonderful and full of joy that it may even bring the others to break into laughter as well. She had never seen such a scene in her life. It appeared to be just what she needed to cheer her up, as well.
Tysinni looks up at Ranok with wide eyes, trying to appear completely innocent. "What makes you think they're after me?" Without waiting for his answer, she complies to his 'request' and jumps up, heading over to Nia's bed. She plops down on the edge, giving the laughing child a big grin. "Well, you look a lot better than you were earlier." She looks rather composed for someone who had just dived through a window.
Ranok glowers. Again.
Niawtu reigns in her laughter and then makes a little coughing noise, pointing out Ranok to Tysinni with a quick finger point. She then itches her nose with the tip of her index finger's claw-like nail and says "How you not see humor in that, Father?" whether it was right or wrong to say, she didn't care. The prospect of a thief jumping into the house and then being talked to by a man the size of a small preklek like she was Niawtu's age just seemed to be hilarious to the child. And on the bright side Niawtu's color seemed to have returned from the laughter... What little coloring her skin has, anyways.
Tysinni grins up at Ranok, looking completely unrepentant. She would've never come to the house if she thought they would see her. She had more sense than that. But it was funnier if he thought she didn't. Leaning back on her arms, she bumps Nia playfully, before mimicking her tone. "Yes, how do you not see the humor in that, Father?"
Ranok rolls his eyes, "Hy'm tryink to figure out vich uf hyu iz de adult und vich uf hyu iz de child."
Niawtu presses both her hands over her mouth as she holds back another round of laughs at how the two are acting, she then removes her hands and says "If Nia not know better, me think you two was brother an' sister!" she then lets out a few more giggles at that. From her perspective the two truly were acting like an average big brother to a younger sister kind of way.
Tysinni eyes Ranok as if she were contemplating Nia's statement. Still grinning, she leans over and mock-whispers to the girl. "I don't know...I don't remember seeing him around the dinner table growing up." Still having a great deal of enjoyment from teasing Ranok, she continues "I'm the adult of course. I don't have a bedtime."
Ranok makes a hiking motion, "If hyu schtay here, hyu do now. Get outta dat bed onless hyu're gunna attempt to talk me into a schleep over. Und if so, hyu'd betta hef a tongue made uf gold."
Niawtu looks up at Ranok with the best puppy eyes she could ever make and, whether it works or not, she says "But, it not safe outside for Ty... Daddy can we keep her?" she adds, now picking up a bit of that joking attitude from Tysinni.
Tysinni gives her best 'sweet and lovable' look to Ranok. "But I came back! Obviously, you must know how much I love you guys. I just can't stay away." She makes a silly face at Nia, quite entertained by the way she seemed to be rubbing off on the girl. "A sleepover would be great! I could teach you how to pick a lock and tell you about the time I talked a rug merchant into signing over his warehouse."
Ranok shakes his head, "Hy vould keep her, but she's trubbel enough already. Und Brina vould not be too pleased."
Niawtu wimpers and steps up her begging face a notch by adding a pouty face and dropping her ears a bit. "But... But... You let me have two bats, a giant tarantula, wolf cub, an' dragon... But you not let Nia's teacher stay -one- night?" she then opens her eyes as wide as they can go, and though it's a bit painful to do so, she holds this face as long as necissary.
Tysinni assembles her face into an expression of extreme outrage. "Trouble? Trouble? I will have you know, I am ever gentle and maidenly. I wouldn't know trouble if it came up and bit me." She watches Nia's antics in silent approval for a moment before remarking, "That is some impressive pleading. I couldn't've done better myself."
Ranok makes a dour face. He was immune to puppy dog eyes. "Ve'll chust pretend dat a giant didn' kidnap hyu to be his luv schlaff und trev hyu uff a kliff ven hyu didn' vant to, shell ve? Now up. Hy hef tinks to do und Nia needs her schleep."
Niawtu sighs and releases her begging face when she sees it didn't work. "Niawtu not sleep any way... Just think of things better than sleep..." she mumbles with minor upsetness. She then looks at Tysinni and allows a smile to appear on her face at Ty's praise. Not the -best- thing to be taught, but she certainly wasn't learning how to go and kill a random by-stander, so what could be wrong with that? She then looks back at Ranok and decides to try something else. "Can' I jus' stay up a little longer an' learn something from Tysinni? I not tired at all, promise!" she says, adding in a hint of the puppy dog eyes again... Not that they would do anything.
Tysinni rolls her eyes at Ranok's words. "It was not my fault. He thought I was so overwhelmingly beautiful, he just couldn't help himself." She returns Nia's smile, pleased that the girl seemed to genuinely enjoy her company. "I will always be around to teach you stuff if you want, you don't have to learn it tonight." She really didn't want to step on any parental toes, as much fun as it was to torment Ranok. She appreciated being brought along as a friend.
Ranok makes a shooing gesture, "Saff zum for tomorrow, Nia. No means no. Now git."
Niawtu sighs, in dissapointment. "Fiiiine... Goodnight 'Aunt' Tysinni!" she says giving Ty a hug. She mostly said that because of her feeling about how her and Ranok acting like syblings. She then says "Night, Dad." and then lays back down and stares back up at the ceiling, with a mildly bummed out expression.
Tysinni looks rather startled at Nia's new name for her, blinking several times before she stands up. "Good night, Wolf-girl." She gives her a sweet smile before turning to Ranok and sticking her tongue out at him. "See, someone wants me here." Grinning, she heads starts to leave, heading again for the window.
Ranok waits until Ty was out the window before he shuts it. And then bars it. Shaking his head at his apparently lax security measures, he goes over to Nia to kiss her on the forehead, "Get zum sleep, Nia." And then the man leaves the room, not blowing out the lights, but making a crushing gesture with his hand in the doorway. They all immediately extinguish.
Niawtu blinks a few times, not expecting that (the kiss on the forehead). But she then simply sighs and, closing her eyes, thinks of many things that Ranok would possibly frown upon... But they were only her mind's adventures. The child soon drifts off to sleep.