RP:To Find A Fox

Summary: With the intent of joining the Ranger's Guild, Khitti and Meri go on the hunt for either Orikahn or Aira, and find themselves tracking the latter.

The Hunting Grounds, Frostmaw

Khitti’s Tikifhlee, that dire-sized, charcoal-colored cat from the Shadow Plane, darted about Frostmaw with Khitti and Meri on its back, carrying them through the city and into the forest where Khitti knew Aira and Kahn would likely be (Khitti was nice enough not to let Meri’s horse suffer in the cold. Just Meri). The problem? Finding someone that likely didn’t want to be found. At the very least, the redhead knew that Frostmaw’s woods was the pair’s hunting grounds but… that was about it. In true hunter fashion, however, Khitti had a plan to sniff one or both of them out, using the Tikifhlee’s wonderful sense of smell and the small pouch of paint Orikahn had once given Khitti in Vailkrin, over two years ago. It might not work, after having been so long, but it was the only lead Khitti had. The Tikifhlee somehow found the scent of that big murder kitty, but once they got deeper into the woods, the Tikifhlee paused. “Mowrowrrrrr! Mrrrowr!” The panther-like cat was quite a bit confused, as Orikahn’s--and Aira’s--scent was everywhere around here. It even smelled… Encara? Khitti could only blink down at the cat once they’d come to a full stop, “What the frak is wrong? You need to speak common, cat... “ She sighed, and slid off the cat’s saddle. “Alright, alright. You can stop here then, I guess. I imagine we’re close if you’re freaking out.” The redhead then peered up at Meri, “I suppose this is where the actual “hunt” begins.” Haha. Ranger pun. Blame Brand for those. She’d grab her bow from the saddlebag and her quiver. “Now where the hell to start.” This place brought up too many memories, but she did her best to ignore them.

Meri 's horse would be grateful to be left behind. Kadence was no fan of the cold, not a fan of the route to get to Frostmaw, and even less of a fan of some of the creatures that lived up here. Perhaps a lot of the inhabitants of this area were used to the fact that giants were found within this region, but Kadence was too skittish to be okay with their size. Most of all the horse hated the amount of noise they produced while traveling. Meri herself was also not a fan of the cold, even if she had some means to combat it just a little. An enchanted black cloak purchased and gifted to her by Alvina, their first encounter. That at least helped to keep her torso warm. The rest of Meri? Well. The Tikifhlee vocalizes her confusion due to the numerous scents that she is picking up. While Khitti and Meri cannot fully understand the why behind the confusion, it is obvious that the oversized cat-thing is not going to be able to track beyond this point. From here it was up to Meri and Khitti. Meri groans and grumbles as she dismounts the large cat, also gathering up her gear. "I can't frakkin' feel my arse. I'm not sure if it is because we've been sitting on that dang cat for so long, or because it's so frakkin' cold here." Cal, Khitti, and Brand were quite clearly starting to influence Meri's vocabulary. No surprise there. She was basically family now. "I really hope we find them soon." Because Meri hated this place.

Aira was blissfully unaware that she was being hunted at the moment. The huntress, having been out most of the day, managed to take down a rather large winter wolf; however, she was struggling to drag it back to the lodge. She had been hunkered up in a tree, watching the pack intently for some time, easily shooting the straggler who didn’t keep close enough to the others. The vixen had leapt from her branch, something she had done hundreds of times, only to land awkwardly and roll her ankle in the process. It wasn’t broken, but she knew she did some damaged as it almost immediately began to swell and putting pressure on the joint was painful. Still, Aira wasn’t about to waste a kill and resolved to tying a length of rope around the wolf and dragging it from the north, back towards the lodge. She should just leave it be, get home before she really did some damage to her bum ankle. The thought of Kahn teasing her for hurting herself so clumsily on a hunt agitates her enough that she gets a second wind and heaves the wolf for a decent distance without a break. Just through those trees and she would see the lodge. “Mrrrow!” The sound pulls the huntress up short and causes Aira to move very quickly, her instinct taking over. Her bow is pulled from her body, an arrow knocked into place, and Aira positioned behind a tree. Her vulpine ears twitch in the direction of the sound, commingled with voices that Aira cannot decipher, and her tail gives an agitated swish. She pulls back her bowstring and sights down the shaft of the arrow, waiting for whatever creature lurks to come nearer so she can fall that, too.

Khitti smirked at Meri, “Well, we could find you a nice elder vampire to turn you and you won’t have to worry about getting cold!” That’s a joke; there are no decent elder vampires in Lithrydel (have there ever been?). Sure, Khitti was freezing her butt off too, but… well… it was a nice change from the lower parts of Lithrydel and its sweltering heat. Summer sucks, man. As Aira made her approach, the Tikifhlee was gifted with the fox-woman’s scent and the sense of danger. It let out another particularly loud ‘Mowrowr!’, shadowmelded, and darted its way up the nearest (and biggest) tree. It didn’t take Khitti long to figure out what was going on, though she didn’t know who or what was just off in the distance. “Scratch that. I think -we’re- being hunted now.” An arrow was plucked from her quiver, nocked onto Diamond Dust, and its tip pointed in the vague direction that the Tikifhlee called out to. Khitti let out a hrm, then said, a bit more loudly, “I don’t quite care for being hunted. I deal with that enough on a daily basis. Whoever--or whatever--you frakkin’ are, how about you come on out and I won’t have to kill you?” The feel of being back up here in the woods again was getting Khitti a bit riled up--but in a good way. She almost wished that whatever was beyond her line of sight was a few of the undead from the ruined city to the west. Sometimes, they got out. And sometimes, Khitti had to deal with them. Though, after a while, it was like shooting fish in a barrel.

Meri smirks right back to Khitti, about to joke that Cal would probably never marry her if she actually became a vampire. He was paranoid and would probably become convinced that she would try and devour him in his sleep, which would not be an entirely unfounded fear. There are stories about fledgling vampires and their lack of ability to control their hunger. No jokes come though, Meri falls silent in light of the Tikiifhlee alerting them with it's behavior that there was something off in the distance. Up the tree the cat goes, and while Khitti is demanding that whatever is off in the distance show itself, Meri's blue eyes were darting around the area for any signs of what manner of being might be off in the distance. The only clue that she can pick up is the bloodied track that has been left behind as a result of Aira attempting to drag her kill back to the lodge via a rope. The track in itself did not really reveal too much in the way of clues as to what might be in the distance, just that whatever it was must have made a recent kill. Or is possibly injured? The track did provide further clues as to 'where' this 'what' was hiding, and so Meri readied her bow and aimed it in the general direction of where the track seemed to end. The woman is silent, both listening and watching for clues just in case what is beyond that forest proves to be a foe instead of a friendly. One can never be too careful in these lands, especially in the wilds of Frostmaw. She was ready to fire at a moments notice. The woman were in a bit of a stand-off, it would seem. What a nice way to say hello, eh?

Aira holds her breath as the creature—which seems to be a large cat—lets out another howl in her general direction, before scampering up a tree, a little too close for comfort. Still, it didn’t come -at- her so for now, those voices are the treat, not the feline like beast. Her ears strain to catch the voices, preparing to let her arrow fly in case they mean her harm. She was injured and couldn’t move as quickly as usual, so a swift and deadly shot was needed right off the bat. When Khitti’s threat echoes through the trees, Aira’s ears flatten atop her head and her nose wrinkles. “You have some nerve threatening me on my turf,” she calls out, lowering her arrow as she hobbles out from behind the tree to make herself visible. Her head tilts to the side curiously as her copper eyes land on the familiar ladies. Still, there is a smirk curved on her lips as she inclines her head up towards the Tikifhlee. “Did you find a cousin of Orikahn’s?”

Khitti || “It’s more Hildegarde and Lionel’s turf than yours, to be honest, and with me being Lionel’s second-in-command, I’ve got every right to be here as you do. It wasn’t -too- long ago that I hunted here as well,” Khitti said as her lips twisted into another smirk, her own bow finally lowered. “I kept all of those lovely undead nearby away from your home, you know.” Her line of sight shifted up towards the cat as Aira nodded towards it, a shrug offered, “Doubtful. I don’t think Orikahn’s got any family in the Shadow Plane--not with the way he hates dark magic and the like.” If that was still a thing anyway. Bright violet eyes stared down at Aira from the tree, almost judgingly, the Tikifhlee practically an oversized house cat. There’s hesitation now, as Khitti obviously needed to spill just what the heck her and Meri were doing here, but she lets the thought linger briefly, her attention moving towards the vulpine female’s limp. There’s a slight frown before she finally voiced what was on her mind, “I don’t know if you were ever made aware--it was a long time ago--but Orikahn made me a part of his “tribe”.” That is to say, the guild, of course. She took a few steps towards Aira, a hand digging into the pocket of her coat to retrieve the paint pouch Kahn had given her in Vailkrin after their ordeal with the spiders there. “I imagine I’ve been removed from it, but I’d like to come back. And Meri would like to join as well. I’ve been teaching her how to use a bow, but she’s an amazing warrior besides that. I probably wouldn’t have even considered asking if it’d not been for Encara.” Her line of sight fell to Aira’s ankle again. Did she want to be nice? Did she want to help? Neither of the two had ever really been friendly with one another. Sigh. “I can take care of that as well…” She nodded towards the huntress’ injury.

Meri || Some nerve? As far as Meri was concerned, there behavior and actions were completely justifiable. The Tikifhlee had alerted them that something was in the forest, and the fact that it was not in immediate view after this alert implied that whatever 'it' was, it was hiding. Why would they not ready themselves and make threats? Khitti, however, chimed in with her own two cents, combatting the issue of turf with some valid points. Though had a few points of her own to make, she would leave the issue at that. Did they come to find a cousin of Orikahn's? While Khitti also tackled this issue, Meri could not help but chime in with sentiments of her own, as her blue eyes dart up to the trees where the Tikifhlee was watching from above. "Groooossssss." Meri did not feel the need to expand, she was not concerned about offending Aira. The Tikifhlee was an actual oversized cat, it was a little gross to think about it shacking up with a humanoid type cat. Meri's own bow is lowered and as this action is performed, Meri is advancing forward toward Aira to investigate the source of the drag marks as it was obvious that Aira herself was not bleeding and did not drag herself through the snow. She soon makes discovery of the wolf's corpse, a sight she is not fazed by. "Yeah, what Khitti said." About joining the Ranger's Guild. "You should let Khitti look at the ankle, we can also help with the haul. You should not be dragging it when you're limping around like that." It would put more strain on the ankle. Meri might not be a doctor but she did understand that much. And by helping with the haul, Meri meant she could psionically lift it to whatever location Aira needed, if she seemed receptive of the help. Better than Khitti and Meri doing the physical labor themselves, and definitely better than loading it up on the Tikifhlee for the short distance. They had to ride back from Frostmaw at some point, neither wanted to sit in wolf blood.

Aira scoffs at Khitti’s explanation that this isn’t exactly -her- turf. “In case you haven’t realized, we don’t exactly play by the rules,” she adds with a wink. She’s tempted to make a comment about how her and Orikahn were -attacked- by the undead but it was a long time ago and it didn’t really matter now. “No I don’t think Kitty—Kahn,” she amends, “would care much for the Shadow Plane.” Aira stands there rather awkwardly on one leg, leaning against the tree. She had sheathed her arrow and pulled her bow over her body once she had realized there was no threat here. At Meri’s interjection she arches a pale brow and turns her unblinking gaze on her. If she thought that idea was gross she definitely did not want to know the nature of Aira and Orikahn’s relationship! When Khitti finally approaches, bearing a familiar oil-stained pouch, Aira nods. “Aye he told me, but then I never saw you after that.” Truth be told, the vixen wasn’t exactly giddy with the idea of Khitti joining the guild years ago. Back then, the two weren’t exactly on “good terms” with one another. Not that she actively disliked the woman, they just always seemed to be at odds with one another. At least that’s how Aira viewed it. Okay, maybe she was jealous, too, but she would never voice that aloud. “I don’t really think we -remove- people, rather people just seem to disappear.” Aira shifts awkwardly and winces when she steps on her bad ankle. “We’ve been trying to get some steam back in the guild, it’s just been Kahn and I for a while.” She blinks curiously when the drow is mentioned. “You know Encara?” At the offer of help from both Khitti and Meri, Aira’s eyes widen slightly and she hesitates. It’s nothing personal, ladies, she’s just a stubborn little vixen. But you had to trust your (potential) guild mates, right? “Uh, sure, that would be great, thanks.” She sticks her leg out a bit and huffs in annoyance at herself. “I landed wrong jumping out of a tree and rolled my ankle.” She then points to the east. “The lodge is just through there. I wasn’t -that- far when I shot the wolf.” Lies. “And it seemed wrong to waste the meat.” More lies, she just didn’t want to admit defeat. “I’ll talk to Orikahn about it but I don’t see an issue with you two joining.” Meri is given an apologetic glance. “Kitty is the keeper of the anointing stuff so you’ll have to wait for that…er, my Kitty not this one,” she says pointing to Khitti.

Khitti more or less had felt the same as Aira back then, but she was just as stubborn as the former high elf and would’ve never admitted it. Lots of things had changed, clearly, if Khitti was willingly seeking her out. “After the war with the frost giants was over, I… had my own path to follow for a while.” Of course, that meant getting kidnapped by a dragon and eventually dying a fiery death in order to get her vampirism cure, but uh… Khitti left that part out. “That’s good to know though, about the guild. And yeah. Meri and I have gone on quite a few adventures with Encara lately. She’s been helping me with some bad stuff going on in Venturil, and we helped her hunt some wraiths there as well. I’m surprised she hasn’t told you, though I guess she’s been feeling a little solitary lately.” Khitti frowned at the thought because she could certainly relate. The redhead smirked a little at the nickname Aira had given to that big murdercat, but didn’t comment on it. Instead, she clicked her tongue a few times and her own big murdercat hopped from the tree and landed ever so gracefully near Aira. “Down,” Khitti commanded, then nodded her head in the Tikifhlee’s direction, “Go ahead and get on her if you’d like--she manages to listen well enough to Encara, so she’ll probably be fine with you too. I’ll take care of your ankle when we get to your place.” And then to Meri, “You too, Frosty,” with an innocent grin, meaning that Meri could join Aira on the cat. “I don’t mind walking.” If Aira would direct the cat on where to go, then Khitti would follow, keeping an eye out for anything that might try to attack them along the way--that wolf’s blood was going to attract other predators if they didn’t leave soon.

Meri already knew the nature of Orikahn and Aira's relationship, it was obvious enough that one might want to be concerned if Meri could not pick up on the nature of their relationship. She has seen how concerned Aira gets when Kahn engages in a battle. But the two of them, as far as Meri knew, were both furry-humanoid things. Which meant they could love up on each other as much as they wanted, Meri could really care less. It was not a -cat- and a humanoid-type-cat. One seemed far more like beastiality than the other. But Aira was free to make whatever assumptions about Meri that she likes. Meri herself was not going to argue the issue of turf, it seemed that the normally chatty woman was going to let Khitti do most of the talking on this matter. Her silence and lack of apology on this issue should make it obvious that Meri herself was quite capable of being stubborn as a mule, and she would not waiver on the issue that both she and Khitti had every right to be in this space, just as much as Aira. There is a nod to confirm Khitti's statements that she did in fact know Encara. Meri was half tempted to stick her tongue out at Khitti before hopping back up on the Tikifhlee, but it was too cold out for those shenanigans. The blonde takes up a position in the front of the cat and leaving Aira to take up the rear. Why? Meri did not know Aira well enough to know if this dame could drive, Meri has never crashed her horse and thus felt confident in steering the oversized kitty. Once comfortable, it is with a thought and a small amount of concentration and the wolf would levitate right along side the Tikifhlee as they traveled the short distance to the lodge. Once at the lodge, Meri would await instruction from Aira as to where to put the bloodied corpse - because it was the nice thing to do. Better than just plopping it on the front porch?

Orikahn and Aira's Lodge, Frostmaw

Aira nods her head when Khitti speaks of forging her own path for a while, unaware of the pain that the redhead had endured. “I get it, we all seem to have that happen in varying degrees.” She pauses for a moment and gnaws on her bottom lip. One nice act deserved another, right? “I’m glad you decided to come back.” At the question about Encara she gives her head a shake. “I haven’t seen her since the werebear incident some time ago.” And they all almost died. Just another excursion for the Ranger’s Guild. Aira watches the Tikifhlee leap down from the tree and lay down at Khitti’s command. The vixen hesitates at first but eventually hops over towards the creature and climbs atop, sliding in behind Meri. She didn’t much care that she wished to steer as the vixen was used to being on foot anyway. Had she been a mindreader, she might have explained that she wasn’t upset by Khitti and Meri being here, she had only been jesting about the whole turf thing. “I’m afraid Kahn’s not home right now,” she tells the psion, wanting her to know that no anointing would take place once they got to the lodge. She wasn’t lying when she said they were close to her home, as about fifteen minutes of walking later they stumbled upon the wooden structure. “Over there, if you wouldn’t mind,” she says to Meri, pointing towards a tree. “I’ll let Kahn hoist it and bleed it.” Gingerly, Aira slides off the back of the Tikifhlee and half limps, half hops towards the entrance of cabin, holding back the hide to invite Khitti and Meri inside. “I promise, it’s warmer in there than you might think.” Once inside she would gesture towards a bench near the hearth, silently inviting them to sit if they wished while coaxing some flames in the fireplace. “Once it really gets going I can put some water on for tea if you’d like.” Without preamble, Aira flops down on the ground and unlaces her boot before easing it off with a groan.

Khitti’s crimson brows furrowed at the ‘I’m glad you decided to come back.’ That was certainly not something she expected to hear. “Heh, yeah,” was all Khitti could manage, feeling a little awkward. “Perhaps you could persuade Orikahn to come find Meri somewhere in a bit of a warmer climate. She, uh, doesn’t like the cold much--which is funny considering Frostmaw is where I met her.” She stuck out her tongue at Meri as they wandered along towards the lodge. As two dismounted, Khitti would rummage around in the seemingly bigger-on-the-inside saddlebag and dig out Tenbatsu Kaji, while putting away her quiver and bow. “Come on, you. I need to borrow your magic again,” she whispered to the sword with a heavy sigh. She’d follow the two inside, sword in hand, as her olive-green line of sight peered around the fox and the murdercat’s home. “It’s nice here,” was directed towards Aira as she sat down to remove her boots, “and tea would be lovely.” There was another bout of hesitation before Khitti moved to where Aira sat, “Can I?” She gestured towards the vixen’s ankle and would kneel in front of it soon after to inspect it, when she was given permission.

Meri already had full understanding that she would not be considered apart of the Ranger's Guild today, she did not expect that Kahn was home. Still she nodded to indicate to Aira that she understood. The wolf finds a resting place beneath the tree that Aira indicates. It would be after that, and while Aira was dismounting that Meri would say,"Well when you and Orikahn make your decision, the two of you can come find me in the Kelay-Sage area and let me know what you decide." That made more sense to Meri than her trying to check back every so often, pestering for some sort of decision. If they even were interested in having her at all. And it was like Khitti said, Meri did not like Frostmaw, which is funny considering this is where they did in fact meet. Meri was not going to expand on how that happened. Meri dismounts the Tikifhlee, only after Aira has managed to land safely onto the ground and distance herself from the large cat. The invitation to go inside is declined as the blonde's own black boots hit the snow. "I'll hang out here with the cat. Don't rush on my behalf." Khitti should know Meri well enough to know that is not sarcasm. Patch Aira's leg up, have tea, Meri didn't care. This was not up for argument with Meri, so off Khitti and Aira go. Inside the lodge.

Aira snorts in amusement when Khitti asks if Kahn can meet Meri somewhere less frozen and nods. “Yeah that shouldn’t be a problem. I am from Rynvale, originally. If you would have told me I would end up living in a tundra I would have laughed in your face.” Before entering her home, she turns back towards the poison and nods. “We are down there often enough, it won’t be a problem.” Inside, once the flames dance more steadily in the hearth, Aira hangs a kettle over them and looks back to the hide in the doorway, towards where Meri remains. “I can give you a flask of tea if you’d prefer to get going after…” she gesticulates towards her injury, nodding when Khitti asks her permission. “I do appreciate it,” she says genuinely. “I know it’s not serious but trying to hunt on a bum ankle makes the task that much more difficult.”

Khitti eyed Meri as she decides to stay outside, but nodded without question. “A flask is probably better.” She’d gingerly take up Aira’s foot, nodding once more, “Yeah, it doesn’t look broken, which is good.” Well, good for both of them. Just how much magic would it take to heal a broken ankle? It’d taken quite a bit to heal Celaeno’s lesions. “Just, uh… just be still a moment, alright?” She dropped the katana at her side; the sword didn’t even hitting the ground, and immediately uprighted itself as if it were a person. When Khitti was ready, the warm, golden glow that the sword gave off was transferred to her hands, which now hovered just above the injured ankle. Khitti focused her mind, fixating her thought solely on the injury, the holy aura shifting from gold to a dark orange. Khitti’d been wrong, of course. It didn’t matter how much magic she channeled from Seika, it still drained her. As the magic soothed the aches and pains in Aira’s ankle, Khitti became visibly tired, and it took her a moment to even stand. “There. Good as new,” she said at length, a hand propped on the sword now to bear some of her weight. “And, perhaps the offer of tea should wait for another time. I’ve just remembered I’ve some things to take care of at my shop in Cenril before the night’s over with. Financial stuff and all that.” Khitti was full of as many lies as Aira was, when it came to keeping her own problems secret. “Just let us know when Orikahn’s ready to talk, alright?” She mustered a smile, then headed off towards the exit. “And be careful!” Once she got outside, however, she let out a heavy sigh, slowly making her way towards Meri and the Tikifhlee, “Meri, I think I need you to take the reins for a little while.” At least, until they got to Sage anyway.

Meri continued her attempts to try and befriend and charm over the Tikifhlee while Khitti was inside tending to Aira's injury. Which is about the norm for Meri, she liked animals. Before she knew it, Khitti was emerging from the lodge, bidding Aira goodbye and requesting that Meri take the reins of the Tikifhlee for a bit. "Hopefully we'll hear from you soon," Meri calls out to Aira, hoping that she can be heard. This was not a request that Meri minded at all, it would be a spot that she would be content to take for the duration of the ride. Khitti would take it easy for as long as needed, all the way back to Cenril as far as Meri was concerned.

Aira eyes the sword cautiously. She wasn’t sure how an apparent weapon is supposed to heal her but this was a good lesson in trust for the huntress. The vixen remains still and silent as Khitti does was she needs to do, Aira watching the whole healing process with unblinking eyes. When the redhead is done, Aira rolls her ankle a few times, flexing and pointing her foot to test out the pain. A grin spreads across her lips when she feels none and she catches those olive green eyes, easily seeing the exhaustion there. Aira pushes herself to a stand and offers a hand to Khitti in order to help her up as well. “Thank you again, truly.” She nods her head when the offer of tea is postponed, walking towards the entryway and holding the hide open for Khitti to pass through. A parting wave is given to Meri. Aira doubted that Khitti had to rush off to do work (if she had so much work why come all the way up to Frostmaw in the first place?), but she wouldn’t push her to talk. Perhaps these two were more alike than they thought. “Kahn and I will come see you soon!” She assures the pair before heading back inside the lodge to enjoy a cup of tea for herself.