An Undeniable Itch

[Kender Bard]

(Sanctuary, Year 1020)

Kaylin had wandered out of her small home. She'd already looked over every inch of it, satisfying her curiosity. Now she had a new curiosity that needed to be slaked. Just as in Acoia, at the height of her fear and paranoia, she had managed to find enough courage to approach civilization and watch people, now she found the same desire to look upon the other Chosen. Her motives were a little different, but the need was still there. She hadn't even bothered asking Nuo to come with her, sure of what his answer would be. She'd simply asked Blueberry to let him know she would be back if he inquired after her being gone.

So Kaylin crept as close as she dared to the heart of the Sanctuary. Maple had followed along, making happy sounds and pointing out a thousand inane things. Kaylin smiled at her companion--she hadn't seen Maple act like her true self in a while and it gladdened her heart to see it now. If the sprites could be revived, then there was hoping for her and Nuo as well.

She began to move closer and closer, risking more as nobody noticed her skulking about. She was careful to use every bit of the sneaking skills she'd honed in Acoia, rough as they were, sticking to deep shadows and keeping low to the ground. She only moved when she was certain no eyes were upon her and stayed as still as possible when she wasn't changing positions.

Like usual on her people watching excursions, she latched on to one person and tracked his movements, making up a story in her head about him. He's was a tall, slim man who had some muscle that she glimpsed, but it wasn't immediately obvious. She'd only spotted the hint of a strong body through her careful watching. He had dark red, messy hair that looked like it'd be curly if it wasn't cut fairly short, blue eyes and fair, freckled skin. His clothing was nothing to boast of, being plain, brown and green. She didn't recognize the cut, though that wasn't unusual. If it wasn't Acoian, she didn't really know.

In her head, she spun a story of a man who was roguish and perhaps even a rake (be still, heart, and don't get carried away with THOSE kinds of thoughts), but if he was Chosen, then he must be... something. She realized that it didn't really mean anything to be Chosen. Just look at her; not devout, not powerful. And at the distance she was, there wasn't a hope of seeing his ring or anything that might hint to which Force had selected him. So she made one up in her head. Thuoth. True he didn't look scholarly, but they didn't ALL look bookish.

And then the light caught the hint of something shiny poking out from his back pocket. Her fingers twitched and she dug them into the mossy ground, as if that would calm them. But the need was there. She wanted whatever the man carried. She swallowed hard and watched him even more carefully, moving so he wouldn't be completely out of her sight, but still maintaining a fair distance. Maple flew into the tree branches high above to follow her silly human.

[Northen Light36]

Mat was enjoying a quiet stroll through the sanctuary, soaking in a rare moment of peace with all of his children occupied, his wife busy sparring with her brothers and the guild, mostly, out of his reach for now and therefore out of mind.

Idly he considered tracking down Zevran for a chat. He liked the man who, despite being a devote Taedian, had a very similar personality to Mat's, right down to prefering the hustle and bustle of the cities to the wilderness outside him. That was something his restless wife and her adventurous brothers would never truly understand. The Sanctuary wasn't quite either, but he was comfortable enough with the blend. Particularly as it was becoming more crowded.

But he wasn't sure where he'd find Zevran at the moment and he wasn't so eager for a conversation that he'd actively search for the man either. He was content to just drift around and hope to bump into the other thief-assassin.

Idly he fingered the silver cat pendant that had been hanging from his back pocket and tucked it in a little more securely, so that only the head with it's emerald chip eyes poked out. Echo had taken it from her parents' jewellery shop the day the pair of them had killed her father and had later given it to him. Mat had kept that little pendant carefully since he was eight, hiding it even from Daniel, and would have hated to lose it now.

[Kender Bard]

Kaylin watched as the item was revealed, sucking in her breath soundlessly. It was beautiful. Not that beauty mattered; she'd stolen junk before for no real reason. Once the urge was there, it had to be satisfied.

But he was still moving! She wanted to wail in frustration. She was not a good thief. Most things taken were taken while they'd been set down or discarded. She had taken something off a person once before, but that individual had been heavily inebreited. It had barely been a challenge, though she'd been near frantic with worry of discovery the whole time.

She needed that pendant, though. The pressure that was building up would soon be unbearable. If he'd just... stand still... Maybe she could sneak up behind him. She began to move in closer, slowly, waiting for her opportunity.

[Northen Light36]

Mat paused, noticing his boot lace had come undone and crouched to re-tie it. He was feeling relaxed and calm, huming to himself and not nearly as alert as he'd normally be. He had the vague feeling of being watched, but dismissed it as either an angel keeping an eye on the Chosen or just simple paranoia.

If he'd been in the guild, he might have been more wary, but he wasn't so...

[Kender Bard]

There! Kaylin looked around--nobody watching them. She didn't think to look up; she didn't think about the angels watching them. She and Nuo generally went unbothered in their home.

Satisfied, she took a deep breath and held it as she scurried out of hiding as quietly as she could manage, trying to come up straight behind Mat so as not to catch the corner of his eye. She reached out and snatched the pendant. Already there was a sense of relief and release, that pressure fading away now that she'd gotten the object of her fascination. But of course she still had to get away and she started to scurry off.

[Northen Light36]

"Oy!"

Mat might not have been on guard, but he still noticed when the familar weight of his pendant vanished and he spun around. His snap eyes noticed Kaylin darting away and he ran after her. "Hey, give that back," he called, his tone more amused then irritated.

[Kender Bard]

Although he didn't sound incensed, Kaylin reacted poorly anyway. She was already on the edges of her nerves for trying something so stupid. For a brief moment she froze and stared at Mat with her wide, mismatched eyes, the tips of her pointed ears poking out from her hair. Between that and her ragged appearance, she had to look like a half feral something.

Then she dropped the pendant as if it burned her and ran with a frightened squeal. So blind with terror, she didn't even heed her natural sense of the ground around her. She tripped and wound up sprawled on the ground.

[Northen Light36]

Mat snatched up the pendant and put it safely around his neck, then approached the frightened... girl? slowly. "Hey," he said softly, crouching a slight distance away from her so as to be less threatening. "Are you hurt? That was a nasty fall you took." He kept his tone gentle and soothing, as though speaking to one of his own children after a nightmare. "It's all right. I'm not mad, see? I just wanted the pendant back because it belonged to a dear friend of mine."

[Kender Bard]

Kaylin whimpered and pushed away from him, scooting with hands and feet. She was breathing rapidly and shaking. "Don't hurt me," she pleaded in a whispering voice. He wasn't acting threatening, but it didn't matter. She was already terrified. "I had to touch it! I wasn't going to keep it!"

A lie. But lying was perfectly acceptable in situations like these. Already she was looking around for something that she could hide behind.

[Northen Light36]

Mat shifted back a step and spoke even more gently. "I won't hurt you," he soothed. "It's all right if you just wanted to have a look at it. It is very pretty, isn't it?" He smiled kindly at the terrified feyling. "I'm Mat. What's your name?"

[Kender Bard]

Should I say? she wondered. He wasn't moving any closer at least. Still, she began inching towards the nearest tree so she could get behind it. "I'm Kaylin," she mumbled. A bit of movement above her made her lift her eyes. Maple was within the tree's branches, watching and clearly agitated. But the sprite knew better than to show herself unless Kaylin was in danger.

[Northen Light36]

"Hello Kaylin," Mat replied with another friendly smile. "You have a lovely name. Are you from around here?" He wondered if the girl was one of Soahc's creations, given her odd looks, or if it was just an accident of birth.

[Kender Bard]

"No," she said. There--in the shadow of the tree, away from casual glance from anyone else, she felt a little better. She drew her knees up to her chest and regarded Mat with a bit less fear and a little more interest. She would have to watch how she answered his questions carefully. "I'm from far away. To the east." There that was vague enough.

[Northen Light36]

"Sounds like you must have travelled a fair way to get here," Mat commented. "Are you Chosen then? Which Force?"

[Kender Bard]

Kaylin wasn't sure if she should answer that or not. She couldn't see the harm, but... Forces, this man is nosy. She decided instead to hold up the hand that held her Efilian ring and she watched her expression.