Our favorite kitty cat and what happened between the burning building and the prison escape.
[[Part 1|Page 2]]
[[Part 2|Page 6]]
[[Part 3|Page 11]]
[[A Short Interlude|Page 14]] There was one thing Talin could always rely on throughout her life. It wasn’t the people around her, nor her equipment. It was her uncanny ability to tell when something was wrong. Whether the problem was as small as a rotten apple or as big as a group of bandits trying to steal the money she just stole didn’t matter. The simple fact of the problems existing always made itself known.
As a member of the Guild of Illegal Activities, Talin was certain to have made numerous enemies, but her last mission as a member of the guild is the one that always comes to mind when she reflects on the people who want her dead.
Before that fateful night, Talin would’ve thought that her entire life would be spent in servitude to the Guild of Illegal Activities. Now, she fears that the rest of her life will be spent running from the guild and every enemy she’s made who knows that she no longer has the protection of the guild.
Talin’s life has never been more complicated nor dangerous. And it doesn’t help matters that the head of the Guild of Illegal Activities, Marlin Evermore, happens to be the uncle of the girl Talin just kidnapped.
[[Next|Page 3]] “I know we just ran away from a burning building and all, but do you believe we could move the tiniest bit faster?” Talin looks to her left where the niece of the bloodthirsty guild boss nervously glances from side to side.
“I guess we can move faster, but we still need to come up with a plan. Although I have some coin, it isn’t enough for us to last on for very long.”
“We need aliases so that if my father or uncle sends people after us they will have a harder time following our trail.” Iris Evermore grins brightly at Talin, “I think you might make a very cute Cleo.”
Talin shakes her head with a serious frown upon her face, her tail twitching before she sighs. “If I’m to be Cleo, then you must be Nia.” Talin glances at Iris to watch her reaction before tacking on the rest of her thought, “And we need last names and a valid reason to be traveling together. Don’t wanna garner suspicion. Perhaps we are newly weds, Mrs. and Mrs. Snowhawk.”
[[Next|Page 4]] Iris’ eyes light up, “Cleo and Nia Snowhawk. On our honeymoon. I think I rather like the sound of that.”
Slowly, Talin reaches out and intertwines her fingers with Iris’. “You’re comfortable with acting the part?” She stops walking and turns to face Iris, their eyes meeting.
“Quite.”
“O-ok.” Talin nods, a light flush making its presence known. “Guess we should get used to this, then,” Talin holds up the hand that currently resides within Iris’ grasp.
“You know,” Iris begins, “I have never moved so quickly in a relationship before. Normally there would be quite a few chaperoned visits before we ever touched, but here I am, all alone with you only two days after we first met. I cannot say that I do not like this.” She grins at Talin before tugging her along the road. “To the capital!”
[[Next|Page 5]] Talin lets herself get dragged off. If anyone had told her younger self that she would end up leaving the Guild of Illegal Activities with nothing but the clothes on her back and a (willingly) kidnapped girl who she (definitely) didn’t have a crush on, she would’ve scoffed and told them to lay off the mead. Yet, here Talin was, running away from everything she’d ever known with a person she barely knew. She has no one to turn to for help and no plans on what to do other than not die and maybe kill Kallista when they meet again.
Sighing, Talin looks up to the sky and at the stars that glint in the dark. Maybe the only ones who know what will happen are the Spirits themselves. For now, Talin resigns herself to trying her hardest to keep herself and Iris alive and to hoping for the Spirits’ plans for her to not end in tragedy.
[[Part 2|Page 6]] A howl cuts through the silence of the night. Talin reaches for her daggers only to realize that she left them to the flames. “Spirits save me,” she mutters. Iris pulls two small kitchen knives from inside her boots and hands one to Talin.
“How much trouble do you believe we are in?” Iris pushes back her fiery red hair while scanning the forest around them.
“I think this place is called the Wolf Woods for a reason.” Talin tilts her head and lets the sound of the forest filter through her mind by utilizing her enhanced feline senses.
[[Next|Page 7]] Leaves rustle gently, blown by a soft breeze. The wind is coming from Talin’s left, but she cannot smell the wolves, so they are on her right. She hears the padding of paws on the dry, packed dirt. Four sets of paws and something else. Something more cautious.
“There are four wolves coming at us from the right. I think there is a person behind them, but I don’t know whether they want us dead or not.”
Iris blinks in surprise, “You got all of that from tilting your head to the left and squinting?!”
“Yes? If you have a problem with that, consider taking it up later when there isn’t a pack of wolves ready to tear us to shreds.” Talin crouches into a fighting stance and readys herself for the first attack. Iris copies her pose with as much grace as she can muster.
“Oh, Goddess, please do not let me die. I have not gotten to do much yet and I really want to at least kiss a cute girl before I go.” Iris whispers under her breath. Talin doesn’t think she wished to be heard, so she doesn’t let out any indication of having overheard the hurried prayer.
[[Next|Page 8]] The wolves slink out of the woods and onto the road, moving to surround the human/tabaxi duo. One of the wolves leaps at Iris. Its jaws snap shut on air as Iris jerks away from the wolf and brushes up against Talin’s back. Talin lunges out at the receding wolf with the kitchen knife. The blade slices across the beast’s snout and it whimpers in pain. The other wolves take advantage of Talin and Iris’ momentary lapse in guard and dart forward.
Two of the creatures dig their claws into Iris before she can react. She gasps as her skin is torn open and blood falls to the ground. Talin spins around to help Iris and yelps as the fourth wolf takes the opportunity to claw her leg. Iris attempts to ignore the pain from her fresh wounds and uses her kitchen knife to jab at the nearest wolf. The blade catches the wolf in the shoulder and slips out of her hand. The wolf backs away with the knife buried deep within itself.
The first wolf, likely the leader of the pack, hurls itself at the injured human. Before it can reach her, a cage materializes around the duo. The wolf slams against the side of the cage, teeth biting at the metal bars.
[[Next|Page 9]] Talin’s eyes dart from side to side, but she cannot locate the being who summoned the cage they are now in. The wolves cock their heads at the odd duo in the cage before twisting around to face the forest. The beasts growl at the trees, their hackles raised. Talin and Iris squint into the night, searching for the wolves’ new source of antagonization. Before the wolves can attack, the loud crack of thunder echoes through the night.
The wolves whimper and back away from the cage. Within moments, they whip around and vanish back into the trees from which they came. Silence is all that is left in their wake and Talin takes a deep breath. “Well that was something.”
Iris snorts while prodding at the metal bars which surround them, “I wonder who conjured this cage around us. They must be quite powerful.”
[[Next|Page 10]] “That I am.” A voice echoes through the night, seeming to come from every direction at the same time.
[[Part 3|Page 11]] A shadowy figure emerges from the woods, their features hidden even from Talin’s sharp feline eyes. The figure holds up their left hand and a small orb of light materializes above their palm. The globe lights up their face.
“I,” The figure before them smirks, “am none other than Viscountess Valthana Winterblossom. And you are?”
“Uh… I’m Cleo Snowhawk and this is my wife, Nia.” Talin’s eyes flash over to Iris before returning to the stunning elf before them. The Viscountess' broad gesture towards the duo draws Talin’s gaze to the slightly uncovered, green tinted, yet lightly tanned skin. “Our thanks for helping with the wolves. I fear that without your help, it would’ve been much worse for the two of us.”
[[Next|Page 12]] The Viscountess nods slowly and the cage fades away. She glides over to where the cage once stood and studies the two people in front of her. “I never thought I would be rescuing such beautiful beings while in these woods, but the Spirits have a way of pulling those meant for greatness together.”
“Oh, uh, yeah, the Spirits do th-those things,” Talin stammers, the words falling out of her mouth while her brain works to catch up with the situation. “Might I ask what someone like you is doing out here?”
“Someone like me? Whatever do you mean by that?” Viscountess Winterblossom’s mouth quirks teasingly.
[[Next|Page 13]] Iris softly murmurs while gesturing at the Viscountess, “You just seem so spectacular.” Her eyes widen as words continue to slip out of her mouth, “Like someone so-” Iris shuts her jaw suddenly, cutting off the stream of words.
Viscountess Winterblossom seems to deflate as she speaks again. “Although I must be off,” her eyes twinkle as the corners of her lips lift up, “I do think I will be seeing much more of the both of you.” Her grin lights up her face as her eyes flit up and down each figure before her. “Well, then,” she sighs, “goodbye, my lovelies!”
The air around Viscountess Winterblossom ripples and wraps around her. In the space of a blink, the elven woman disappears before their eyes. The only thing she leaves behind is the glowing orb, a fluttery feeling in Talin’s stomach, and a light flush across Iris’ cheeks.
[[A Short Interlude|Page 14]] The fire crackles as the guild hall collapses. People rush about, dumping water on the smoking ruin. Marlin Evermore’s face twists at the sight of his livelihood becoming rubble. A soft hand falls onto his shoulder and he glances towards it.
Beside Marlin is his older brother, Aldrin, who is looking rather peeved himself. “I would not be here if not for the disappearance of my daughter.” Aldrin’s grip tightens. “So, I kindly ask that she is safe from harm, for if she is not, if I do not have a daughter anymore, I may also lose my brother in the process.” Aldrin releases Marlin’s shoulder and turns to face him dead on.
[[Next|Page 15]] “Well, my dearest brother,” Marlin drawls, “I think we are on the same page for the first time. The brats who burnt down my guild are the very same brats who kidnapped Iris. Perhaps we could work together to hunt them down?”
Aldrin’s mouth twists into a cruel smirk, “I believe they should do well to fear the wrath of the Evermores.”