Return of a Vagrant (Shock; Ivy(?))

[Requiem]

The small, thin blue practically slithered through the trees. It was a testament to just how long he'd been relegated to the life of a landbound dragon (going to ground meant very little opportunity for flight) that the blue made almost no sound. Certainly not enough to attract the attention of the feline that F'ur was currently facing down with little more than a spear. The blue was so dark as to be black. In fact, anyone would have argued that he was black, if not for the sprinkling of lighter blue and the one patch over his eye. Even then, the lighting had to be right, or he looked like a giant, draconic panda. At any rate, it served him well in these environs. In the dusk of early evening, beneath the thick canopy, Inocenth was practically invisible. He lunged at the feline's back with a snarl, claws digging into the big cat's spine. It let out a bloodcurdling shriek of pain and fury that was silenced in the gurgle of a throat torn out by strong dragon jaws.

F'ur straightened, watching Inocenth ravenously tear apart the wildcat with open amusement. "You'd think you hadn't eaten in a month," he commented. They are leaner and smaller here. They have not had enough competition, and now must compete with each other. "So you're the expert on that now, are you?" The man didn't look like he'd been wandering holdless for over a turn and a half, but he didn't look like the most respectable character, either. His shirt was clean if worn (surprisingly devoid of blood or other animal bits), his pants fraying on the edges but still serviceable. F'ur was barefoot, but perhaps that was to be expected. He was a little dirty and had the outdoorsy smell of fresh air and plant life mixing with sweat that could be attributed to any man who spent most of his time out in the open.

All in all, though, it was clear he'd at least bathed recently, as he wasn't a dark mess of dirt and mud and clinging leaves. And if he was a bit thin it was more a wiry leanness than actually being malnourished. In fact, he pulled out a wild carrot to munch on contentedly while Inocenth finished making short work of the feline the pair had been stalking for over a candlemark. "So, where you think we are?" the man questioned his dragon between bites of carrot. Nowhere near your pet. The middle-aged man narrowed his eyes at the dragon. "I'm aware that F'lix probably skipped up north somewhere. I asked where we are, not where he is." Where no one is.

"Thought as much," F'ur murmured. There wasn't supposed to be anyone south of Blossom Lake, other than a small holding here or there. Why were these mountains abandoned? It appealed to his sense of curiosity, especially noting how lush the jungles were here. F'lix had said something about the exiles maybe making their way up here, knowing it to be abandoned. As of yet, though, he'd seen no sign of dragons or people. Just lean, overbold felines, wild wherries that didn't fear man as they should, and several other types of fauna that were altogether too brave, all things considered. Truth be told...F'ur was lonely. He'd been on his own for near six months now, and had given up looking for his onetime weyrmate for the last four. It was clear that F'lix meant to abandon him.

Reasons aside, that was what it was. F'ur thought it would hurt more. Instead he just felt tired. And alone. Well, except for Inocenth, but even Inocenth (though he couldn't remember individual dragons) was beginning to yearn for them with an intensity that sometimes worried F'ur. It wasn't like there were many places that were safe for them to go. If they couldn't find the exiles...and then there was no telling if they'd welcome the bluepair or not. One problem at a time. Now, they ate.

[Aftershock]

Cainith moved a thick vine aside to let Ivy move beneath it before following behind her. Since her Impression of Perses, she had been assigned extra chores just like Cainith had with Rollhead, and following their reunion at the lake after the move to Burimyu Weyr, Rollhead had insisted he be around the "Clutchmommy" as often as possible. Cainith, for his part, took advantage of his 'mandyr's newfound attachment to Ivy to spend more time with the attractive redheaded Candidate, and since they both had extra chores now, he made it a point for them to perform many of their extra chores together.

This day had them out in the jungles surrounding the Weyr, searching for fellis, redwort, and other medicinal herbs to resupply the infirmary. Considering the work they'd had to do continuing to help injured people from the earthquake, in addition to the workload added by the few mauled Candidates at the latest hatching, the Healers were going through supplies quite quickly, so had been sending drudges (and Candidate on chores) out more often to fetch more.

As they walked, Cainith teased at Ivy, saying, "I've heard there are big jungle felines out here, Ivy. You never know where they might come from." Stalking up as quietly as possible behind her, Cainith suddenly reached out with his large hands and placed them over Ivy's face, playfully roaring, "Grrrr, what a beautiful meal for my hungry feline belly!" Suddenly, he heard what he thought was a voice from nearby, and he stopped immediately, forgetting his hands were still over Ivy's face as he quietly said, "What was that? I thought I heard someone speaking..." Rollhead, perched on Cainith's head, stood up quickly at His' words, launching himself from Cainith's curls to glide over to Ivy's shoulder as his eyes went red and his frill extended, looking back and forth and mindyelling, "No one get past Rollhead to hurt Clutchmommy! Rollhead protect!"

[Ivy]

Chores - oh yay.

Not that she honestly minded them to begin with. Especially when she could do her chores (the daily ones plus the extra ones) with Cainith. Had she known Perses was going to be such a pain - he had taken to stealing another woman's undergarments and hiding them in Cainith's pockets for Ivy to spy whenever they were together, in hopes she'd get angry and stop spending time with the man - she wouldn't have broken the 'no salamandyr' rule to begin with. Oh well, hindsight doesn't change the here and now.

The only part she really minded was being in the jungle. Of all the places of Pern, why did she have to be sent out into the jungle? She could have fessed up to what had happened last time she was out - but she really didn't want to for some reason. She was embarassed she hadn't been able to defend herself. This time though she had Cainith, and surely no one would want to mess with him.

When he began to joke around she rolled her eyes and giggled, "Knock it off you weirdo, you are being loud and really will attract a feline!" Suddenly her eyes were covered and he hushed. Another voice? She hadn't heard... but then she did and her flesh broke out into small bumps. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end - she recognized that voice. Crying out she jumped and clawed Cainith's large hands from her face. Even Rollhead's protective stance and threats did little to comfort her at all.

"Cainith, we need to go." She whispered in a shaky voice, turning back towards the Weyr.

[Requiem]

It wasn't just Cainith who was loud. Both of them sounded much like a herd of noisome, playful runners crashing through the foliage. Nothing but humans were that loud. As the man roared like a feline and the girl giggled, F'ur couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Not as abandoned as we thought. Too bad you can't choose first contact," he commented dryly to the male who was fastidiously cleaning the blood from muzzle and claws, draconic eyes slitted as they focused on the rough area from which the noises were emanating. Lovely. Lovers. And young, stupid ones, by the sound of the giggles and screams. Oh well. Beggars can't be choosers.

He slipped through the trees, commenting loud enough for perhaps one of them to hear if they weren't too busy choking on their own mirth, "Doan' worry; Inocenth'll jus' make another meal o' 'em. One ne'er seems to be enough fo' 'im." The crisp, dry crack of a heavy Fortian accent was unmistakable, and anyone who'd had contact with this particular bluerider in the past would likely recognize him for the underlying trace of disdain that never seemed to quite leave his words. Being an arrogant asshole was almost as much a genetic Fortian trait as being built small and lean (see: Ka'rys and A'emi). Though in terms of small, 5'8" was actually pushing average, especially compared to the two aforementioned riders.

He emerged from the heavy foliage just in time for the blue to make his grand announcement and the girl to shriek and claw at the hands of a man who was easily the largest F'ur had ever encountered in his nearly forty turns of life. Not that it at all phased the man; he merely leaned on his bloodied spear and smiled a bit crookedly. (Not to mention coldly.) "Will you, now, shi'ead? Well fa' be it fo me to challenge a cross between a li'ard and an insect. You may 'ave your...clutchmommy?...sa'e and soun'."

Needless to say, he did not at all recognize Ivy. Women pretty much all looked alike to F'ur; fat and unappealing. He found he had even less interest in hysterical ones. Go figure. Salamandyrs meant Selenitans, though, and Selenitans meant at least a temporary weyr of sorts somewhere nearby. Seems they'd gotten lucky. (F'ur's own little mindleech was currently hidden in the bluerider's mess of curls, quivering in fear at all the noise.) "I say, you there wi' han's the size o' small boul'ers. Thank you can direc' me to your lea'er, as it were? Whoe'er it is now tha' tha' ol' interroga'or-spy who fancied 'imself a warrior bi' it." Naturally he was referring to Ka'rys. Not that many non-Fortians knew the man's former occupation or his reason for being sent to Selenitas in the first place. "Mebbe wot's-'is-face. Tha' li'l Benden brat wot isn' so li'il anymo'...one wi' the touch issue? Error or somethin o' the loik?"

(OOC: I promise not to keep writing the accent lolz >< it just amused me to show what it sounds like.)

[Aftershock]

Cainith started a bit as Ivy suddenly seemed to begin panicking and clawed his hands away from her face, and was about to ask her what was wrong when the voice suddenly seemed to speak to them, and the man emerged from the jungles carrying a bloody spear. Immediately moving protectively between the man and Ivy, Cainith listened to the man speak, and then replied venomously, "First off, whoever the hell you are, you'd best re-think your terminology when you're talking about my bonded. I'm well aware that calling him 'Shithead' was not a mistake in hearing his name."

Fully aware that this "Inocenth" sounded from name and description like a dragon, Cainith's eyes carefully scanned the surrounding foliage for a sign of something large and sharp-fanged as he continued, "As for the rest of what you said, I have no idea who you're talking about. I can send someone out to this area when I get back to the Weyr, but I'm not about to lead someone with a blatant Fortian accent back to my Weyr and deliver to you on a silver platter. Especially considering your foul attitude, and the fact that my girlfriend seems scared of you even before she saw you, which makes me distrust you even more." Turning back a bit towards Ivy, Cainith whispered, "Do you recognize this man? Who is he, and what's his deal? Should I take care of him now?"

Rollhead, for his part, stayed mostly silent on Ivy's shoulder, his eyes still glowing red-orange and his frill and wings fully extended, his tail whipping back and forth as he hissed at the bluerider before him.

[Ivy]

She shrunk behind Cainith, though she grabbed his hand as he stepped between her and the other man. Did she recognize him? Yes. There was no mistaking that voice for someone else. Eyes flicked around nervously and after Cainith said his piece she whispered, "There's another one. There were two last time. Where is the other one?"

Jumping she looked behind her as if expecting the other vagrant to be sneaking up on her (of course she meant K'sel even if she didn't know his name - or that he was actually living in the weyr). Not seeing anyone she peered around Cainith's form cautiously, "Where is he? There were two of you last time!"

She had done her best to keep her voice from giving her fear away, but still the words came out shakily. Perses crawled up to her free shoulder and hissed in F'ur's direction - and Eros appeared and perched in a nearby tree silently. At least the firelizard seemed to trust in Cainith's ability to protect His. To Cainith's question she just nodded, "He... I-didn't-tell-you-before-but-before-you-came-to-the-Weyr-I-was-kidnapped-in-the-jungle-and-almost-cooked. It was him and another man, he kept calling me fat the whole time!" She barely took a breath between each word and when she finished her bottom lip stuck out ever so slightly in a small pout.

[Requiem]

F'ur couldn't help but laugh at the hulking giant trying to be protective and all scary. He just was too amusing. "Don't think your Cainith has good ears, dickhead. Must be the accent." In an instant the Fortian accent melted into a Benden one. It took a little work to keep it going and authentic-sounding, but the older bluerider had a lot of practice back in his younger days. "I said I'm not interested in that girl of yours. Moreover, a couple idiots wandering around with salamandyrs means Selenitans, and a weyr closeby. You already fucked up, Caaainith." His eyes narrowed. "Funny, I thought the Benden bastards' 'muscle' would be a bit...bigger." The grin broadened, going even colder, if that were possible.

Then he found himself squinting at the hysterical redhead who was half-screaming at him while she cowered behind her mountain of a man. Oh. Oh! "Why, if it isn't piggy!" he exclaimed, switching the accent yet again to a southern drawl from the Hyphen region. "Oh, no, K'sel nipped off somewhere else. We were all getting tired of looking for people to roast. If it's any consolation, I have yet to stoop to cannibalism. Did I ever tell you you're exceedingly boring? Bet I know what the old guy is interested in."

Eyes flicked back to Cainith. "Speaking of loving giant jugs, if you can't remember Ka'rys' bleeding wingsecond and can still call yourself a Selenitan - debatable - you should at least remember the slutty failure of a dominatrix who wields a whip. Elysia's jugs are almost just as big." He shivered in revulsion. "C'mere then." Reaching up into his close-cropped curls, his fingers closed around his little mindleech. Noooooooooo, Terror cried plaintively, little limbs scrambling to try to hold onto his perch.

Pleeeeaaasse no, the near transparent blue salamandyr plead with his as F'ur turned his hand over, the creature clinging to the man's fingers with his long tail, frills flaring in a brilliant purple. "Stop whimpering, Terror." Having made the point he wished to make (i.e. he must have been part of Selenitas at one point to have a salamandyr) F'ur closed his fingers around the 'mandyr and stroked his spine, cocking a brow at Cainith and Ivy. "Well?"

[Ivy]

"Why the hell should we tell you? You should know where Selenitas is if you were ever a part of it." Ivy said hastily before shrinking back behind Cainith. Apparently her boughts of attitude and talking back were solely dependent on being able to seek shelter behind the larger man.

True, he did have a salamandyr - and they were only found around Selenitas. Still she was in no rush to just blither out directions to him. Mostly because the last time they'd met he had been intent on cooking her. And now he wasn't going to try and eat her but he certainly wasn't being very nice to either her or Cainith - or Rollhead for that matter. "Go take a long walk off a short cliff."

She glanced around Cainith and looked at F'ur's 'mandyr and felt pity for the poor thing, it looked terrified. Why shouldn't it though? It must be disturbing being connected to the mind of a man like that. A shiver worked its way through her form and she crossed her arms over her chest as he talked to Cainith about large jugs - normally she would appreciate her endowment being noticed but the way he said it was an insult. Of course when he talked about Elysia she knew who he meant, even if she hadn't had direct contact with the woman... word got around. Especially when the one that the word was about also got around. Reaching out she touched Cainith's arm, to calm him most likely, "Even if we don't tell him, he could just follow us."

Her voice was low enough that F'ur wouldn't be able to hear her - though no doubt he would have thought of that on his own. Crazy he may be, but hadn't it been said before that all the most brilliant people were crazy as well? Perses was still in defensive mode, hissing every so often at the spear wielding rider on the other side of the giant man. "Its just him... if we show him the rest of the riders can handle him and his dragon... unless its a trap."

With the way he switched his dialect, it could very well be a trap. For all she knew he could have defected to one of the northern Weyrs and was just playing his 'oh look I have a salamandyr too' card to gain someone's trust to get directions to Selenitas. Though if that were the case, the north probably should have sent someone more personable.

[Aftershock]

Cainith continued to watch the man, the veins in his head pulsing more visibly as the insults to both himself, Rollhead, and Ivy continued to flow from the man's mouth almost unceasingly like a river of abuse. Then, he found out the man had kidnapped and attempted to not only kill, but cannibalize the redheaded love of his life, and suddenly everything around the man went grey.

Rollhead's continued anger at the man insulting "the Goddess" didn't help stem the anger growing in Cainith, and he felt Ivy's hand on his arm, and heard her say something, but it was as if she was touching someone near him... he was aware of the events occurring, but disconnected, everything not related to the foul man before him blurred and indistinct. Even his own voice, yelling loudly, "You insult me and my bonded, and my love, and expect me to bring you to safety? And you admit to trying to kill Ivy? I will end you, you evil piece of dung!" rang hollow in his head, as if someone else yelled it.

Roaring nearly inarticulately, Cainith surged towards F'ur, disregarding the man's spear as gigantic, calloused hands tensed in preparation to break the smaller man in two.

[Requiem]

Saviormine! Terror screeched, certainly loud enough to give even the booming giant a headache. The scream in his head caused F'ur to flinch, pupils dilating rapidly at the surge of adrenaline provoked by a giant rushing him - though most of it was actually more a physiological response to Terror than the bluerider's own situation. The closeness of their bond was a right pain in the arse. It was, after all, the reason F'ur had gotten chomped by a dragon and torn off Ino mid-air...the two were too experienced to not have a set of coordinates stored away for a quick escape just in case. F'ur was well-used to Terror by now, though, and he simply grinned at the charging man while he let the 'mandyr dart up his arm and down his shirt with a cry of Saaaave meeeeee!

It was actually rather amusing to watch this man jiggle and listen to the pounding of his feet as he bore down on F'ur. Granted, the bluerider would likely find an actual fight with the man quite challenging, if only because men this big didn't like to die easily. You had to stab them multiple times, and even in his specialty of unarmed fighting, grappling with a monster of a man was likely to be more foolish than successful. No one said he actually had to subdue or kill Cainith, though.

At the last moment, F'ur lowered his spear and ducked beneath the grasping arms, brushing against the huge man's side and whipping the butt of the spear hard across the back of one thigh and his knee on the far side. It wasn't like to topple him unless he was particularly clumsy, but hurt? Make him stumble? Yes. The man broke into a trot just as two glowing blue/green eyes gleamed to life in the foliage just in front of Cainith, a rumbling growl emanating from the trees. Though...strangely it almost sounded like dragon laughter, too, if dragon laughter could be chilling.

F'ur was upon Ivy by now, slinging an arm about her shoulders and walking her in roughly the same direction she and Cainith had come from. "You know as well as I that I come from Selenitas Weyr, not the new one some of the other escapees set up," he commented pleasantly enough to her, as if there were not a man attempting to kill him at his back and he hadn't kidnapped her and threatened to eat her not so long ago. "Now I could very well just mount Ino and no doubt we'd find the Weyr because it can't be far, but this is just more...convenient. For all of us, really."

A glance was flicked back over his shoulder at the giant scary mad man or whatever image he wanted to present by lumbering at someone like a drunken zombie screaming at the top of his lungs. "Does he know how eager you were to service us when we were trying to 'eat' you?" His voice lowered further, dipping into a tone slightly more dangerous. "You really think that if I'd tried to kill you, you'd still be alive? You weren't even that fun to play with." He brushed the back of his fingers lightly over her cheek. "Giving up so easy."

[Aftershock]

Cainith, expecting to have to dodge a spear strike, was caught off guard when the smaller man dodged him and struck his leg with the butt of his weapon instead. He skidded his massive weight to a stop, his brain noting the dragon's eyes glowing from the foliage, but his rage forcing him to ignore it as he turned to pursue the man again, his anger getting a fresh boost when he saw F'ur approach Ivy and put his arm around her, directing her towards the direction the two had originally approached from.

Advancing towards the man once more, thick fingers curled like claws and a growl undercutting his voice, Cainith said, "You hurt a fucking hair on her head, and I'll make you die slow. Break every bone in your body and leave you out here for the felines..."

Cainith wasn't the only individual looking to attack the man, however. Being insulted, then having his Goddess insulted, then having his Goddess attacked, Rollhead was just as enraged as Cainith, and the aggression of each was feeding the aggression of their mindmate. When F'ur came over and put his arm around Ivy's shoulders, where Rollhead was perched, he quickly dodged the arm, and seeing his Clutchmommy in potential danger, he decided enough was enough. Hissing in sibilant rage, the blue salamandyr scaled the man's arm like a shot, leaping for his face with claws extended and teeth snapping, his long tail whipping out to wrap around the man's neck and secure him so as to let him rip and tear without being removed as easily.

[Ivy]

She watched as her words seemed to just drift in and out of Cainith's ears. She'd lost him to his anger, which became apparent when he pulled away from her and stumbled furiously towards F'ur. Ivy grabbed his arm again but then shrunk back when she saw F'ur move forward. A few steps back and she covered her eyes as if that would protect her somehow from the scene about to unfold. She envisioned in her mind the other man stabbing Cainith in the gut or something and the giant of a man falling over.

Suddenly she felt an arm around her shoulders and leading her away. Without thinking about it her feet moved without any resistance, until she opened her eyes and realized it was F'ur who was leading her away. Blinking a few times her mind hardly registered what F'ur was saying to her before Rollhead turned and flew at the man's face. Yelping out she felt Perses' claws on her wrist as he took off towards the man he felt was a threat to His. Eros dove from the tree towards the dragon - flaring his wings he hissed as he put himself between the larger Blue and Cainith.

Without thinking about it Ivy let out an ear piercing cry, "STOP!!!!!!!!!!"

Perses pulled away from the man and looked at her, Eros turned to peer over his shoulder at her, and she shook F'ur's arm off her shoulder. "EVERYONE! Rollhead! Cainith! STOP!" She couldn't handle it if the dragon or the rider hurt Cainith or any of the annoying Blue pests around, "We'll show you damnit, just everyone stop!"

Her fear seemed to have disappeared - or perhaps it was so deep she realized that if she didn't get control over things now something bad would happen. Fight or flight and all that - though neither of those seemed like viable options at the moment. "If you're looking for the Selenitas you once left behind - or perhaps were kicked out of? - you'll be disappointed. A quake took it out and everyone who lived moved."

There was a venom in her voice now as she spoke, glaring at the man while keeping an eye on Cainith as well. "We'll show you where it is and then you and your damned dragon leave us alone, do you hear me?"

[Requiem]

"Yeah, yeah, you adore the redheaded girl. Got it," F'ur commented, his tone decidedly bored. These people just weren't getting it, were they? He didn't care about them. Ivy and her shrieks and potshots from around her man shield or Cainith and his booming death threats. Really he'd just like an actual homecooked meal and maybe a familiar face or two. Sel'n. Sel'n. Of course the old man had to be around here somewhere. And if these candidates were out here chances were Kaaoloth was within broadcasting distance...then he wouldn't have to bother associating with idiots and risk their idiocy rubbing off on him. (It was already too late with Sel'n's. That ship had sailed decades ago.)

Inocenth stretched out his awareness to the surrounding area tentatively, skirting the minds he found. A great, great many. There. Picking up that faint trail, he tugged on it until Kaaoloth's familiar consciousness presented itself. Kaaoloth? Do you think we could filch coordinates? Surely the brown would not have forgotten the bluepair completely.

Face. Claws and teeth slashing at it. F'ur was quick to drop his spear and snatch at the creature - who had inadvertently made it that much easier by anchoring himself to the bluerider's neck - and hopefully capture the sharding thing so he could finally take full control of this farse when a second body flung itself at him. The bluerider ducked and flun the 'mandyr at his owner in the same motion in the event that Cainith chose to take advantage of the double pet attack, thinking that at least he might slow down to be careful of where he put his giant boat feet.

Then the screeching started. All women were harpies. Wasn't this proof enough? His response was even crispier and chillier than a Fortian was already known for. Definitely indication of his irritation. "Idiots. You are going to turn my brain to mush by your mere proximity. If I was looking for the Selenitas I once left behind I'd look where I left it. And I certainly wouldn't fling my salamandyr at people to see what happens when it gets crushed. Even a fool like you doesn't deserve that."

The bluerider wiped the blood from his cheek with the back of his hand when it seemed that - at least for this moment - Cainith was listening to the shrilly shrieking harpy woman. Then the man bent down to retrieve the spear he'd cast aside just a few moments ago.

[Aftershock]

Ivy's reaction had pulled Cainith out of his rage-state, and as Rollhead was flung in his direction, the 'mandyr popped his wings open and glided to land on Cainith's shirt, crawling up to perch on His' shoulder, frill still extended and eyes still orange, though seemingly calmed now that he had been able to draw blood.

Seeing Ivy escape from under the man's arm, Cainith waited till she caught his eye, then silently motioned his head to indicate she should back away while she still could. At the same time, taking advantage of F'ur's distraction with both looking at the blood on his hand from Rollhead's attack and reaching for his dropped spear, he quickly jogged forward, his long legs eating the distance between himself and the bluerider, and attempted to stomp down on F'ur's spear to keep him from becoming armed once again, while at the same time reaching one hand to grab the back of the man's neck and the other hand to attempt to grab his arm to pull it behind him, keeping the man both disarmed and putting him in a hold wherein he could let Ivy escape, then hopefully find a way to disable the man so he could get back to New Selenitas without leading the stranger right to the hidden Weyr.

[Requiem]

All the hairs pricked up on F'ur's neck, and Terror sent a (blessedly silent) scream through the man's head. Early warning system, anyone? Not that a man Cainith's size was likely to completely get the drop on him dashing for him like that, not when the bluerider knew better than to leave his back fully turned to a potential attacker. Rather than spring away immediately, though, he paused to acquire the spear and in that made the mistake of underestimating the giant's speed.

Instinctively the bluerider let go of the shaft before Cainith's stomp could crush his fingers beneath it. That would have been bothersome. He also threw himself forward into a roll in the same motion and could actually feel the fingers catching in his clothing where they might otherwise have latched on to a limb. It completely misdirected his roll, turning him over his own arm instead of his shoulder and swinging his momentum back around toward Cainith's side.

At least it had also served to tear the clothing free from the man's grip with a lovely rending sound. F'ur skidded in a crouch, planting a hand to stop himself with a curse as dirt and stones tore into his palm. Rather than take advantage of Cainith's exposed side - a dubious advantage given the speed of the man's reaction would probably elminate any real target he presented considering the time it took F'ur to reorient himself - the bluerider leapt immediately backwards and out of the immediate range of Cainith's arms.

"Come now, old chap, if I wanted to fight you don't you think I would have already?" Have you gotten ahold of Kaaoloth yet? He is obtaining permission from the prerequisite shinies. Should I inform him that a runner-sized man is currently attempting to smush you into a rather unsavory pile of slop and unless they want said man to come back in pieces they should probably speed things up? Please do. Or at least send someone out here with a bridle if they're going to take their sweet time about it.