Welcome to Gaia! ::

(poor Rhea xd ))

Satou pulled the zipper of the bag shut with her teeth and slung the whole aparatus over her shoulder. It was a good comfortable bag... had to be. I took several days to get to the village when Jack took her and Kylara there.

"It's going to be quite the walk." She realized suddenly that if she wanted to keep ker company she had to be understanding as well as full of information. "Let me know if you need to stop at any point."

And with that she took off into the woods around Keppit's house. She knew it would take at least an hour to walk to the jivvin center, and then in all likeliness, at least one whole day to find the village path...if she could.

A good few days would pass without incident. Two, three days perhaps, spent determinedly wandering the trees with nose sense of destination. But towards evening of the third day, whether by skill or sheer luck, they stumbled upon the carefully hidden path and the forest, recognizing their breed, allowed them to stay on it.

From there, the walk was not a long one. An hour or so later, as the pair neared the outskirts of the Village, their presence was finally noted by one of the nightly patrols. Word was flown back to the Village, and guards were sent to meet the two--or, at least, to distract them until word was returned as to whether they should be allowed in the Village or not. They were far too close for comfort.

Without so much as a sound to betray their presence, the pair materialized out of the forest up ahead--two men, both Sargtlins, each towering examples of their rank. Both were in the fourth form, one dark haired with fur of mottled green, the other dirty blond with fur to match. Nothing particularly special, just the two who happened to be patroling the area when Satou and Rhea were discovered. The darker for the two sent a smirk towards his companion, eyes sweeping towards the Center Jivvins as he placed his hands on his hips. "Well well, look what the cat dragged in. Or lured. They had to have followed someone here, eh?"

"The only thing for it," the other agreed, folding his arms with a more amused smile for the two explorers, though his words were still directed towards his companion. "Probably the same Uuthli who warned us of them. Damned birdbrains'll have the Ssan on us next."

Rhea did as she was told- instantly, effortlessly- the effect of the niche she had always filled in her family. It was not for the sake of the fear that she had for the two Jivvins who had appeared so roughly before them that she obeyed, moving with what she hoped was grace rather than cowardice behind her cousin (although, surely, she felt fear). It was rather for the sake of automation, of fulfilling a need to have someone guide her. It had always been her mother before- and then her sister, as they grew older and Milla stepped forth as a leader. Now, this Royal- who had only ever extended her 'reign' over herself and how her personal rules were governed- answered to Satou.

Pirate... Saty knew who the pirate was...

"I've been here before, and how I got here then is as much none of your business as how we came now... but yes, if you must know. We came from the center..." She thought for a moment about Rhea behind her... She didn't really know her all that well, and now she might have gotten the both of them in trouble.

"I've come here to talk to whoever's in charge here... It's a personal matter."

First shook his head sadly, grimace still fixed on his space as he turned back towards Second. "She's been here before, but she doesn't know who's in charge. Our poor Vhaid would be so offended."

The blond shook his head in disbelief at the very idea, but seemed a bit less bothered by than than First did. Letting his arms fall, he stepped around the darker Sargtlin to approach the pair, quirking a brow at Satou. "You've been here, have you? Who did you speak with then? When last you were here."

That...was perhaps the last thing either Jivvin expected to hear. Both males immediately fell silent, eyeing Satou with a wary respect from where they stood. Raechel and Jatin were no big deal, really, but Soyala.. For an outsider to even know her name, much less claim to have met her? Something was wrong with that, but neither dared to challenge it.

Thankfully, both were saved from replying by the arrival of a third--an Uuthli. The winged Jivvin alighted daintily upon a branch high above the group, attracting the attention of the two Sargtlin's by the sound of the rustling leaves as he landing shook the branch. She offered a wave in greeting, then swept her hand back the way she had come, shouting down to the Sargtlins. "The Vhaid bids them come. Apparently he has heard of them before after all. You're to escort them to his study." She leapt from the branch, took to the air, and was gone as quicky as she had come.

The pair exchanged glances, but finally the blond shrugged, bidding Satou and Rhea follow with a wave of his hand and starting for the Village. The mottled Jivvin waited until they had passed, then fell into line behind them, though it seemed more a formality than anything. The Village really wasn't far at all--within only a few minutes they had reached the first cleared roadway, and only a short while later they were passing between houses, which grew gradually larger and more extravagant as they neared the center of the small settlement.

It was not a long walk at any time, and today it was even less so. With the early hour, there were still plenty of Jivvins out and about in the village, many of whom sent Rhea and Satou confused or curious looks as they passed. The two guards framing the pair were careful to keep the pace quick and the destination clear. They didn't need Satou and Rhea getting distracted and holding up the Vhaid.

Before long they reached the magnificent manor that was the Vhaid's home, as well as the meetingplace of the Council. Without bothering to knock, the blond pushed the door open and led the way inside, down a hallway, finally pausing infront of a closed door. This time he did knock, opening the door when a voice inside bid him do so and gesturing Satou and Rhea within.

The Vhaid was seated behind a large desk on the opposite end of the room, chin resting on one hand as he scratched along a strip of parchment with a large quill pen. He appeared perhaps a bit younger than expected, but seemed quite at home in the elegant office, sure of his position and confident in his power with the others of the Village. Finally setting the quill aside, he looked up towards his guests, than quickly rose to his feet, smiling and waving them forward. "Soyala had warned me you would arrive today. You've been searching for our village for a while, I'm told? Please, come in."