Post by Kiju on Dec 22, 2006 21:26:58 GMT -5
Kaliska had entered the large city on her own, much to the dislike of her clan, who protested that she should at least have an honor guard at the very least among the soft city-dwellers. She'd flatly refused, and nearly had to sneak out of her clan's camp, which rested at least two or so miles outside of the city boarders. She'd stripped herself of the Chieftain’s Robe in preference of a pair of breeches and a tunic, so she could at least fit in...although if she kept silent, no one would even know she was female, unless they could use their nose that is...Her tail flickered as she was stopped at the gates by a pair of guards both carrying spears much like her own, if not longer and humble. Normally, she would’ve looked just like a citizen of their town, although the runic markings along her left arm, plus the spear of chieftains that was slung over her back gave an obvious hint that she was not from around here.
One stepped forward, a weasel, and looked her over…slowly. “Whatta yew want coyot?” he sneered, and she gave a snort while leaning back on one paw and crossing her arms over her unusually flat chest “I’m here to seek information in one of the local taverns or Inns. I mean no harm.” The second guard, a fox, looked at the viscious looking spear strapped to her back, and obviously thought otherwise, because he extended a paw to her “Then we’ll be confiscating your spear. You may leave it here with us and will have it back later when you leave.” The weasel grumbled, but nodded an agreement, and Kaliska could tell by their armor differences that the fox was of higher rank, even if just by one rank.
Now the coyote woman was happy that she had left behind her clan. They would have spitted the fox and weasel on the spot if they’d ‘dared’ to touch the Chieftain’s spear. But, since she was a bit more diplomatic than the rest, she nodded and un-strapped it from her back, then handed the spear over to the fox…not the weasel. The fox guard nodded and hefted it, then headed back into his guardhouse to open the gates, while the weasel stepped aside, still grumbling quietly to himself. Kaliska guessed he’d been itching for a fight, and decided to keep distance from this one if she saw him again.
Now unarmed, except for her dagger, which she kept hidden at all times, she then walked into the town, looking about for some establishment that would provide good insight as to the information she sought. It didn’t prove difficult, since all she had to do was follow her ears to the loudest part of town, and turns out that proved to be the right way to go, as she soon spotted an Inn, ‘The Paw Pad Rest’. She halted on the threshold to the Inn and peered inside with her ears, wincing from the loud raucous noises that were going inside, not to mention the smells of beer, sweat, and musk…among other things. With a sigh, she padded inside, her entrance only turning a few heads, before they went back to their drinks.
The coyote went up to the bartender and just ordered a mug of water with some coin, which got her an odd look, and a mug of water in a surprisingly clean glass. Well, at least that was one good point for this place. She looked around for an empty spot, and found one in a discreet little corner… ’Perfect.’ she thought, and took the one chair at the table, leaned back in it, and quietly lapped at her drink while listening to the various conversations to try and catch tid-bits of information that she hoped would be relevant. None of it was, until later on in the night, when a rather large crow stepped into the room and headed over to a slightly richer looking table. Kaliska guessed it was a table where more higher-ups sat at to avoid conversing with the ‘riff-raff’, as she heard them put it earlier.
The crow seemed to be complaining about something, and it seemed interesting, since all the others at that table had stopped talking to listen. Kaliska’s ears perked, then swiveled to both face that crow, hoping he carried the information she sought.
“I tell ya, that big buzzard’s gone and lost his big bald head to all that power of his! *hic* Recently I heard that that child of an Emperor had gone and hired another mongrel to be his lackey, a mercenary if ye please! And now that damn buzzard’s gone and hired him over second-claw to work under cover for the Imperials.” The crow let out a guffaw, as if this was something completely hilarious. Other heads turned to listen in on the conversation as he continued “Can’t berlieve that a coyote could get in such a damn high position to be working alongside both the Emperor, AND the Prime Minister! What’s this world coming too I tell ya…*hic*”
Kaliska blinked and perked up a bit ’Coyote? Maybe it’s Kiju!’ with excitement, she kept listening to the raving bird.
The crow sat down and mumbled some incoherent things, then snorted when one of the listeners yelled out to him “Oy, what was his name? I think I mighta heard o’ ‘im.” The bird looked at the shouting one “I dunno! But I heard he’s sleepin’ right next to the Emperor, *hic* lucky little mutt.”
Kaliska sighed and leaned back in her chair, thinking about this little bit of information she’d gleaned. Apparently there was some coyote, who as a mercenary, and successful enough at it that the Emperor had hired him to be his own personal guard, plus, the Prime Minister is having him work under cover to supposedly undermine the Emperor himself. Kaliksa could guess why, having understood from the other Tavern-goers that the two were nearly at each others’ throats, and had divided into the Loyalists under the Emperor, and the Imperialists under this…Ahku character. She guessed the Emperor was the better of the two, judging by how this buzzard’s ego got with claiming himself as a God.
Her tail twitched when she figured she couldn’t get any more information just yet, and got up from her chair, leaving a tip for the serving girls, before heading out of the door. At least, she would have left the room, if not for a rather drunken wolf grabbing her tail. He must’ve noticed the coyote was a she, despite her apparent looks, and was thinking of relieving his drunken lust. Well, he thought wrong. “Heya sweety *hic* where do ya think your going?” he said, and grinned as he tugged her back by her tail. That…was a stupid thing to do, since Kali extended her left paw to one of the torches near the wall, clenched her paw into a fist, and ripped the flame off its perch with a jerk of her arm, and into the wolf’s face. He howled with pain and clutched at his now ignited muzzle, as the other spectators stopped what they were doing to look stupidly while the coyote’s tail disappeared around the corner, leaving the wolf’s muzzle on fire.
She padded towards the gate she’d come in by, growling and grumbling quietly to herself. She knocked…or more, banged on the fox’s door, getting an answer from him with a smile “Yes ma’am?” Her teeth were clenched and ears pinned back as she replied “I’ll be having my spear back now…” he looked at her, then shrugged at her obviously angry expression before going to get her confiscated weapon. The fox handed it to her, and she snatched it out of his paw, muttering a ‘thank you’ in there somewhere while moving off down the road, and back to her clan’s camp.
When she got back to the camp, the sun was rising, and she snuck back into her tent just in time, since one of her guards came in to wake her up. Seeing she was up, dressed, and fairly pissed left the male just blankly standing there with his maw wide open. Kali looked up at him and just growled “Get everyone ready, we’re heading towards the capital.” He nodded mutely and stepped out of the tent, the shouting for getting ready already ringing out. As Kali stripped out of her clothes, and back into the clothing her clan wore, she sighed in relief, thankful that at least here, the females were treated with respect…
They started out at dawn, all five hundred of her now quite sizable clan going at the tireless trot that all canines can achieve, each of the five hundred spread out in a random distance from the other, some paired in twos or threes, though the majority were just ranging about alone. Although Kaliska herself had at least three axemen and two archers along with her at all times, as they made their way for the capital of Imperial Sobek, and hopefully a reunion with her long lost little brother, Kiju.
One stepped forward, a weasel, and looked her over…slowly. “Whatta yew want coyot?” he sneered, and she gave a snort while leaning back on one paw and crossing her arms over her unusually flat chest “I’m here to seek information in one of the local taverns or Inns. I mean no harm.” The second guard, a fox, looked at the viscious looking spear strapped to her back, and obviously thought otherwise, because he extended a paw to her “Then we’ll be confiscating your spear. You may leave it here with us and will have it back later when you leave.” The weasel grumbled, but nodded an agreement, and Kaliska could tell by their armor differences that the fox was of higher rank, even if just by one rank.
Now the coyote woman was happy that she had left behind her clan. They would have spitted the fox and weasel on the spot if they’d ‘dared’ to touch the Chieftain’s spear. But, since she was a bit more diplomatic than the rest, she nodded and un-strapped it from her back, then handed the spear over to the fox…not the weasel. The fox guard nodded and hefted it, then headed back into his guardhouse to open the gates, while the weasel stepped aside, still grumbling quietly to himself. Kaliska guessed he’d been itching for a fight, and decided to keep distance from this one if she saw him again.
Now unarmed, except for her dagger, which she kept hidden at all times, she then walked into the town, looking about for some establishment that would provide good insight as to the information she sought. It didn’t prove difficult, since all she had to do was follow her ears to the loudest part of town, and turns out that proved to be the right way to go, as she soon spotted an Inn, ‘The Paw Pad Rest’. She halted on the threshold to the Inn and peered inside with her ears, wincing from the loud raucous noises that were going inside, not to mention the smells of beer, sweat, and musk…among other things. With a sigh, she padded inside, her entrance only turning a few heads, before they went back to their drinks.
The coyote went up to the bartender and just ordered a mug of water with some coin, which got her an odd look, and a mug of water in a surprisingly clean glass. Well, at least that was one good point for this place. She looked around for an empty spot, and found one in a discreet little corner… ’Perfect.’ she thought, and took the one chair at the table, leaned back in it, and quietly lapped at her drink while listening to the various conversations to try and catch tid-bits of information that she hoped would be relevant. None of it was, until later on in the night, when a rather large crow stepped into the room and headed over to a slightly richer looking table. Kaliska guessed it was a table where more higher-ups sat at to avoid conversing with the ‘riff-raff’, as she heard them put it earlier.
The crow seemed to be complaining about something, and it seemed interesting, since all the others at that table had stopped talking to listen. Kaliska’s ears perked, then swiveled to both face that crow, hoping he carried the information she sought.
“I tell ya, that big buzzard’s gone and lost his big bald head to all that power of his! *hic* Recently I heard that that child of an Emperor had gone and hired another mongrel to be his lackey, a mercenary if ye please! And now that damn buzzard’s gone and hired him over second-claw to work under cover for the Imperials.” The crow let out a guffaw, as if this was something completely hilarious. Other heads turned to listen in on the conversation as he continued “Can’t berlieve that a coyote could get in such a damn high position to be working alongside both the Emperor, AND the Prime Minister! What’s this world coming too I tell ya…*hic*”
Kaliska blinked and perked up a bit ’Coyote? Maybe it’s Kiju!’ with excitement, she kept listening to the raving bird.
The crow sat down and mumbled some incoherent things, then snorted when one of the listeners yelled out to him “Oy, what was his name? I think I mighta heard o’ ‘im.” The bird looked at the shouting one “I dunno! But I heard he’s sleepin’ right next to the Emperor, *hic* lucky little mutt.”
Kaliska sighed and leaned back in her chair, thinking about this little bit of information she’d gleaned. Apparently there was some coyote, who as a mercenary, and successful enough at it that the Emperor had hired him to be his own personal guard, plus, the Prime Minister is having him work under cover to supposedly undermine the Emperor himself. Kaliksa could guess why, having understood from the other Tavern-goers that the two were nearly at each others’ throats, and had divided into the Loyalists under the Emperor, and the Imperialists under this…Ahku character. She guessed the Emperor was the better of the two, judging by how this buzzard’s ego got with claiming himself as a God.
Her tail twitched when she figured she couldn’t get any more information just yet, and got up from her chair, leaving a tip for the serving girls, before heading out of the door. At least, she would have left the room, if not for a rather drunken wolf grabbing her tail. He must’ve noticed the coyote was a she, despite her apparent looks, and was thinking of relieving his drunken lust. Well, he thought wrong. “Heya sweety *hic* where do ya think your going?” he said, and grinned as he tugged her back by her tail. That…was a stupid thing to do, since Kali extended her left paw to one of the torches near the wall, clenched her paw into a fist, and ripped the flame off its perch with a jerk of her arm, and into the wolf’s face. He howled with pain and clutched at his now ignited muzzle, as the other spectators stopped what they were doing to look stupidly while the coyote’s tail disappeared around the corner, leaving the wolf’s muzzle on fire.
She padded towards the gate she’d come in by, growling and grumbling quietly to herself. She knocked…or more, banged on the fox’s door, getting an answer from him with a smile “Yes ma’am?” Her teeth were clenched and ears pinned back as she replied “I’ll be having my spear back now…” he looked at her, then shrugged at her obviously angry expression before going to get her confiscated weapon. The fox handed it to her, and she snatched it out of his paw, muttering a ‘thank you’ in there somewhere while moving off down the road, and back to her clan’s camp.
When she got back to the camp, the sun was rising, and she snuck back into her tent just in time, since one of her guards came in to wake her up. Seeing she was up, dressed, and fairly pissed left the male just blankly standing there with his maw wide open. Kali looked up at him and just growled “Get everyone ready, we’re heading towards the capital.” He nodded mutely and stepped out of the tent, the shouting for getting ready already ringing out. As Kali stripped out of her clothes, and back into the clothing her clan wore, she sighed in relief, thankful that at least here, the females were treated with respect…
They started out at dawn, all five hundred of her now quite sizable clan going at the tireless trot that all canines can achieve, each of the five hundred spread out in a random distance from the other, some paired in twos or threes, though the majority were just ranging about alone. Although Kaliska herself had at least three axemen and two archers along with her at all times, as they made their way for the capital of Imperial Sobek, and hopefully a reunion with her long lost little brother, Kiju.
