Perfect Harmony

[Lief]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF5bADlrhTc​

​

Ariel circled overhead.

Groom curled at her feet.

And Kida... Kida felt extremely content. Safe.

The cold sea breeze sent a shiver down her spine, as briny spray washed over her face. The edge broke away to a sharp decline, choppy waves breaking against the cliff face down below.

Her bare feet swayed amidst the coarse grass, toes curling. Such a luxury, to be able to feel so free without silly hindrances. No shoes, the bare minimum in clothes... Time had become meaningless out here alone. Sure, the sun rose and fell as it made its way across the mountains. The tide came in and out with the phases of the moon... But that meant little.

Groom lifted his head just a little, before settling his chin against her foot. A slight whimper revealed his hunger. The silly pup wouldn't leave her side, not even to hunt, without her say so. When had she become the alpha of their little pack?

With a slight nod the pair rose, and high above Ariel moved to shadow them. Together they scampered down the snow streaked hill, coarse grass becoming soft beneath what had quickly become paws instead of feet. A slight growl was all that remained of what had begun as a light laughter.

And as they came down to the shore, they expertly pounced. The water was terribly cold, but she had adjusted long ago. She had been on this strange world of ice for so long now...

Time to hunt themselves some fish.

[member='Kiriko Howlingfjord']

 

[Micah tol Powl]

The small bear had dropped onto all four paws.

Coarse sand kicked from underfoot, as the small cub charged through the surf. The salt spray of the Great Maw rushing through the cub's white fur as the foamy tide came rushing over the shore where one small Beorni ran along the beach.

He wasn't fast, and it had taken time to build up momentum, but the young cub had a strong gallop going now. Small, round ears perked as the youngling put his head down and felt the wind in his fur as the cold waters rushed over his paws. Bounding up and down in the surf, it was quite the splashy spectacular to observe.

Then something raced out in front of the small bear, diving from out of the rocky hills to pounce into the Great Maw. He had only a glimpse, a brief opportunity to witness some dark flash as it shot out into the sea.

And then the moment had passed, and the two shot past one another. The blur to the sea, and the bear bounding across the shore.

Putting his butt down, the small cub applied the brakes to his headstrong lead of motion. Skidding in a seated position, the small cub was spun around in a circle as his body weight - which was substantially more than appearances alone would tend to indicate - brought him to a halt.

Lifting himself up, the salt and sand encrusted Beorni shook out its fur like a dog out of water - starting from his shoulders and working back to the puffball tail. Then, rising up on his back legs, the cub walked out like a humanoid toward the sea.

The cub's button black nose wiggled ferociously as the youngling tested the air. There was definitely a different sort of scent here. Wading up his his knees in the water, the small white cub waited for whatever, or whoever, it was to surface again.

[member="Kida"]​

 

[Lief]

Her maw was the first thing to resurface, within which a large salmon-looking fish was wriggling. She shook her head from side to side as she lolled back toward the shore, removing the excess water from her fur until she remained just a little bit damp instead of drenched.

Once safely away from the water she dropped her prize and immediately began to tear at its flesh. She hadn't really had much in the way of fish prior to coming to Midvinter, usually she dined on small critters and animals which stayed on dry land. Ariel had helped her reach her hunting potential though. The great älk were no match for Kida, and the fish never knew what hit them.

From above the andoryn swooped toward them, intent on claiming some for himself. That was simply the way of things between the trio, they all shared in the bounty they gathered. Groom wasn't too far behind, an equally large fish bared between his teeth. He spat it out, having no real love for the taste of it, and nudged it toward the already half eaten duplicate.

It took just a few more seconds for his ears to prick, and then all three were on high alert. Gazes turned toward the fuzzy little creature sat in the sandy shore.

Forsaking her dinner, Kida took a few steps closer and sniffed the air. Ariel settled upon a craggy boulder which marred the beach, picking remnants of what little of the fish he had started to eat from his talons. Groom was statue still, lean muscles poised ready to pounce.

Her shoulders rolled back, whiskers twitching as she took note of the creature. White fur, thick skin, tubby... No doubt heavier than it looked. Blubber was like that. In her feline form very little escaped her senses.

A low growl escaped her, as she tried to gauge the stranger's reaction. It was just a pup, just as she was... But would it cause them any bother?

[member="Kiriko Howlingfjord"]

 

[Micah tol Powl]

The strange creature came from out of the Great Maw.

Two of them, though not entirely the same. One clutching a fish in its mouth, as it made its way back up on the shore. It's fur familiar, but it's body strangely lean. Did the creature not eat? And it's tapered ears were quite a strange sight to behold. Did those hurt?

As the small bear stood there, marveling at the wild nature before him, one of the birds of the sky came and perched down beside where the pair were feasting upon the catch. It was a rather remarkable trio, and not the typical behavior that the small cub had witnessed on his native island. But the one who had caught the fish seemed the strangest of all. Was it some manner of starved, emaciated cousin? Some wild beast with features both familiar and distorted?

The low growl seemed to suggest the latter.

"A growl should be a terrible way to bid 'good morrow.'"

The cub's speech was both thickly accented and strangely articulated. The Beorni's exile and exclusion to a small island away from the evolution of the Valkyri society that they had first taught the language too creating an insular pocket on the planet where time had stood still and the way in which the Beorni spoke today was little different from how it had been spoken hundreds of years ago.

"But, I shalt not disturb thy feast. We leave in peace."

Holding one paw out flat, the cub placed a closed fist against the palm before giving a short bow toward the trio. Then, taking a step back, the cub turned and started back along the shoreline. His legs sinking into the sand with each step as the ocean lapped over his feet.

[member="Kida"]​

 

[Lief]

Kida's ears twitched almost too knowingly as the creature responded. Not with growls or bared teeth, not even with a swat of its huge paw, but with... Something else. Something she knew she should have remembered but for the life of her couldn't. Her head tilted to one side, and as the creature continued on with its strange sounds recognition entered her expression.

Uprights. It was singing the song of the uprights. Jaxton, Furry, Mythos... This was their song, their voice. Their growls, she supposed.

How odd. How very peculiar. She didn't understand though, it had been so long since she'd heard their tongue, but when the creature bowed and turned to leave Kida realised she wanted to find out more. Had she scared it off? Oh, she hoped not.

Bounding around him in the water she came toe to toe with him, her nose sniffing again now that she was closer. Both Groom and Ariel stayed back, sensing the lack of threat. And without warning her great tongue sprung from her mouth to give his fur a quick lick. Tasted like brine, which made sense.

She stepped back, lowered her head to the ground in submission. A sign that she meant no ill will.

[member="Kiriko Howlingfjord"]

 

[Micah tol Powl]

He turned around, and was still facing the strange emaciated creature.

Blinking, the cub was amazed by both the speed and grace with which the not-quite-bear-like figure bounded. Beorni were neither fast nor quick, so to see a creature move with such light of step was actually quite incredible for the small cub.

As the creature put its head down, the cub was confused for a moment. Idly scratching the back of his head, the child crouched down. Hugging his knees against his chest, the boy sat in the surf and looked back at the creature. "Ye, I don't have to leave if you don't want me to," the young Beorni remarked aloud.

He was getting the feeling that the creature wasn't much of a talker.

"Do you have a name?" the cub inquired, perhaps rhetorically, as the creature seemed to be more of an animal. And animals didn't talk.

"I'm Kiriko," the cub offered, pointing toward himself.

[member="Kida"]​

 

[Lief]

Splash.

Water was kicked up as the heavy lump of fur and blubber sat back in the surf. Far from being put off, Kida yapped at the droplets and tried to spring upon one before it fell back among its kin with nary more than a ripple. Another yap, which turned to a growl, before she turned her attention back to this strange creature.

Another bit of noise she didn't understand. How infuriating. Why did things have to rely on guttural sounds to communicate? She, Ariel, and Groom all managed to understand one another. They didn't need upright words!

More sound, and then a gesture. A name? She knew names! Jaa, and Furrryyy... They had taught her names. Hers was...

Damnit, what was her name? Kitty. That was the first one, and...

She growled, before realizing that she had not the voice for upright words. That had her frown. Perhaps...

Oh, but it was so cold... But she wanted to try. It had been so very long since she tried.

With a horrific snapping sound her body buckled and shrunk in on itself. The fur retreated into skin, and hair covered just the tip top of her head. A yowl of pain turned into a cry, and soon Kida lay bare in the terribly cold surf. No longer a feline. Instead a girl. A child.

She lay there, gasping for breath as she always did following a return to her true form, and tried to gather her thoughts. There had been a reason that she changed back, there had to be... Only right now she couldn't remember.

[member="Kiriko Howlingfjord"]

 

[Micah tol Powl]

The young cub was confused.

But that was okay, because the really thin not-quite-Beorni person-thing seemed like he, or she, were confused too. "That's okay," the boy opined aloud, holding out a paw as though to reassure him.

Her?

It?

"We can make a name..."

The cub trailed off, the sound of something snapping catching him by surprise. The rounded ears went back. The forward. Then stood up with the fur at the nape of his neck as the creature before him was...

...was...

Something.

"...up for..." he managed to murmur, as his tongue seemed on autopilot, continuing the previous thought for another couple of words, before he arrived at a point where he found himself staring at a creature that had nearly no fur. No fur at all. Except for the head, but it didn't wholly cover that either.

It was the strangest creature, the likes of which the cub had never seen, nor heard, nor dreamed existed.

"Bloody hell."

That was really all there was to say on the matter.

[member="Kida"]​

 

[Lief]

Panting.

She was panting, but each breath she took stung as though invisible ice had been shoved down her throat. Burning... How could the cold burn? Then again her transformations were usually slower on this frigid world, it gave her body time to adjust to the lack of fur and fat. This time though she had rushed it. Why?

Her head turned slightly, sweat beading on her brow despite the temperature, and when her gaze settled upon the fuzzy white bear her eyes widened immensely. What was tha--oh... That was the reason she had changed.

Groom moved from behind Kiriko almost protectively standing over the shivering girl, and the close proximity allowed a slight transference of body heat. Enough to have her stabilize her breathing. Gratefully she pulled herself up into a seated position and hugged the tuk'ata around the neck. "Garooom" she murmured to the Hound who seemed to have eyes for only her, a gaze which softened when set upon the small child yet hardened with all the ice of Midvinter when looking toward potential threats.

With a blink Kida turned her gaze back to Kiriko. Her mouth moved soundlessly for a moment, but she couldn't for the life of her remember her name. It had been too long, too very long, since it had been said.

[member="Kiriko"]