The first hints of dawn are rising over the horizon. A few shafts of sunlight have fallen upon the burned out wreck of an airship and the scattered tents that surround it. The long and difficult night has finally come to a close. There is little sound this morning, save the rustling of the wind in the savan grasses and the occasional flap of tent canvas in the breeze. As exhausting as light night was, at least one person is awake to greet the new day. Kneeling out in the grasses and facing the slowly rising sunlight is the young Kiriga, Kin. Her makeshift armor gone and the soot mostly scrubbed from her scales and now draped in blue fabric makes a stark contrast to the ocean of brown grasses around her.

A small rustle of fabric – followed by the unmistakable sound of someone yawning – can be heard emanating from one of the tents behind the reptile, and it is soon followed by the emergence of a somewhat dusty looking white Lapi. The doe, who seems to have one of the worst cases of 'bed fur' in Sinai history, is clad solely in a wrinkled tank top and soft-looking pajama bottoms, and her eyes are open to just barely a squint. Without a word, she walks a few paces away from the tents, drops to the ground, and begins to do a quick set of sit ups. "One… two… three… four… "

Webbed ears flick and then the Kiriga's head twists about to locate the voice. After a minute of watching with moderate amusement, she says "You do not sit still often, do you, Lady Snowshoe? I do not mean it is a bad thing, but, have you never just stopped and listened to the world?"

"Sixteen… seventeen… eight- ack!" Kin's comment takes the rabbit by surprise, causing her to lose concentration and fall backwards in the dust, fur frazzled and ears splayed. Blinking, she sits upwards, and turns a squinty gaze to the lizard. "Oh! It's you – I didn't think anyone else was awake yet." With another yawn, the doe gets to her feet, dusting off her sleeping pants while pacing over to the dragon. "With these ears, I can hear the world pretty clearly without sitting still." The rabbit gives a sleepy smile, and takes a seat near Kin. "You're up early today – how do you feel?"

"Sore," Kin answers simply after a bit of thought, "But I will survive. I have wrapped he side and back as tightly as I was able to keep pressure on the injured spots and keep swelling down." She then bows her head and says, "And forgive me, but I do not think I said quite what I meant to. I don't mean listen to the world with your ears, but with the entirety of your being. Feeling the land beneath you, the air against your body, the movements of scent on the breeze. Sometimes I find it the best way to find peace in myself when I try to just listen for the small forgotten things. Like now … Long-Shadow is out hunting. He is too far away now, but earlier I could feel his footfalls on the earth even though I could not hear him or see him."

Anisa seems to mull Kin's words over for a few seconds, then gives a shrug. "I guess I get myself to feeling that way when I'm active. You know, being a force in the world, instead of just a passive viewer." As if to emphasize the point, the rabbit drops back onto her back, and resumes her morning workout. "Like when I'm running… huff… Its one of the most… huff… Exhilarating things in the… fft… World." She pauses at the apex of her repetition. "I can feel the ground under my feet with each step, the wind in my fur as I race it… it just makes me feel more alive, you know?" She continues on with her sit ups, this time counting wordlessly.

"Yes, your kind is built for running, so I can understand why you would feel that way when you do it," Kin says with a small dip of her head. "I had not had the chance to ask you, but did you have any difficulties getting here? We had a few, but we overcame them."

The rabbit pauses her workout, sitting upright and pulling her knees to her chest, paws clasped at her ankles. "Not really, its was pretty smooth trip for us. Well, except for the weird thing we rode when we got to Viper's Hold, that is." She pulls the pendant from her shirt, and looks at it as she speaks. "We got the pendant, but gave the book back after we got it. Without someone to translate it, it was pretty much useless to us. Dagh, maybe we should have taken it, I dunno… " She looks to Kin, crystal still in paw. "What happened when you got to Viper's Hold? Something to do with that governor guy you mentioned?"

"We were attacked on the way to Viper's Hold. Some of these pirates thought our ship was an easy target. Well, they did not realize we were on board. We made quick work of them," Kin explains as she looks back to the horizon. "Arrival in Viper's Hold was the least eventful part of our trip. Because of our witnessing of the airship battle, we were asked to speak with the Governor. After we told him what we knew, we offered to locate the down ship. He agreed to pay us for our efforts and even advanced some funds with which we bought supplies. I should have been expecting a trap; it did seem too easy at the time."

Anisa tucks the pendant back into her shirt, then flops one of her legs to the ground, leaning forward on the other while resting her cheek on a knee. "Attacked? Dagh, wish I'd been there with you. We were just stuck in the cargo hold the whole trip. So you think the governor set you up? Do you really think he's in league with Vandringar?"

"Indeed. They were poorly skilled, though. Only Master Lightfoot was almost killed. If I hadn't caught him he would have fallen to his death," Kin explains with a small shrug. Her head twists back around to look at the Lapi. "And truth be told, I am not sure what to think. It would not surprise me if this was all a ruse to bring in the Empire. If I may be completely honest here, I do not believe we have much hope in stopping their plans."

Anisa frowns at the mention of Xander's near demise, and she sighs with a shrug. "They've been stopped before, so they can be stopped again. Besides, what's the alternative if we don't at least try? Death? Being turned into… into some sort of animal?" The Lapi shudders.

"I did not say we wouldn't try, I am just being realistic. We are what, a group of five? Your Vandringar has an army and an alliance with some very powerful, and very evil, men. And to make matters worse, we do not even know what their true plans are. We are walking in darkness, Lady Snowshoe," Kin points out a bit grimly. "And part of their plans somehow involves me. I wish I understood what role I was to play in their plans. I wish I understood what powers they are holding over my family."

"I just follow Kinny," someone remarks from the shadows. Stepping out of the dim light, Lilac waves a hand. "I guess you two are awake! I should have guessed."

"And I wish I could tell you," responds the rabbit, "but I can't. The only way we'll find out is if we press on. When you're walking in the darkness, sometimes it just means you have to listen harder." She waggles her ears with a smile, trying to reassure to reptile. Looking over her shoulder, the doe smiles to Lilac. "Same time every morning. Have to get the first workout of the day over and out of the way, you know."

Looking back towards Lilac, Kin nods to the human. "Good morning, Lilac. I had expected you would be sleeping in with Gibson," she says.

"I figured you for being like Kinny, getting up early to practice and such. Me, I like to sleep in, but I don't always get to," says Lilac. She shrugs a little, then plops herself down. "Gibson wakes up early, too, so I thought I may as well see what I could do." The woman yawns, then smiles. "Busy, busy."

"Gibson's an unpredictable sleeper," Anisa chimes in. "When we were growing up, he could sleep until noon – especially if daddy had a lot of chores for him to do around the Tavern. But if he had something he wanted to get up for, it was eerie. He could spring out of bed, awake and ready to get started. Usually when there was some sort of exhibit in town he wanted to see."

"Speaking of sleep, has Vandringar tried to contact you again through your dreams?" Kin asks Anisa. She shifts a bit to the side so she can kick her legs out from under her and then draw them up to her chest.

Lilac tucks her legs under herself, leaning on one hand. "Um." She glances at Anisa, then Kin, then back to the Lapi. "You don't mind that … , um, well, like Gibson, do you, Anisa?"

The doe fishes the pendant from her collar once again, and twiddles the chain between her fingers. "Actually… I think I did. When we got the pendant back, I saw him again, doing more stuff in that weird… place. He seemed to anticipate me this time." She grins, "but then again, I anticipated him, too – and this time, I flushed him!" The rabbit beams, smiling proudly at her feat.

Swiveling an ear to Lilac, her whole head soon follows. "Well, to be honest… you're not exactly the type I imagined him with." She smiles softly, then gives a shrug, the smile widening. "But then again, I can't say who I'd imagine him with." The doe spreads her legs forward. "Just remember, he was my big brother first, and always will be. So you better be good to him." She winks to the human.

"Which weird place? Was there anything about it you could describe or seemed out of place?" Kin asks next.

"I'll take good care of him, Anisa. I might not always remember what I'm doing, but I've never hurt Gibson. I've protected him," Lilac tells the Lapi woman. "Annnnd, I don't really know if he likes me. I'm not sure he should. I'm just … I'm just really glad he's around." She shrugs a little, adding, "Your dreams must be very odd. I don't dream of anything when I'm asleep, or, well … not myself."

"AARRGH!" one of the tents moans. The fabric flaps around for a bit, and then Xander bursts out, hopping on one foot and grabbing the ankle of his other one. "Cramp! Cramp!" he explains as he goes bouncing past.

"He's a likable guy, so I don't blame you." The rabbit smiles to Lilac, then cocks an ear in thought. "I'm not certain if they're even dreams or not, its kind of hard to explain. Its like I'm… floating, but on the… ground? Dagh, that sounds stupid." The doe scratches an ear in thought. "Its this place, with all these shapes around… kind of like my pendant. The float in the air, and you can talk to them. Well, at least you're talking to something, I think. There's this voice – but its really monotone, and doesn't seem… alive." Anisa thinks for a few more seconds. "It reminds me of the Technopriests, of all things, but I'm not sure why."

Anisa's ears shoot up with a start, and she quickly swivels around to look back at her tent. "Dagh, Xander! You'll wake everyone else up!"

Kin's hand goes to her face and she groans. "Xander," she says, "Come here and sit. I'll deal with your foot cramp. Anisa was telling up about her dream."

Lilac's ears shoot up at Xander's cry. She begins to stand, then hears the rest and simply shakes her head as he races past. "Xander is such a … a … hazard." She sighs, then smiles at Anisa. "That's a very interesting dream. It sounds very symbolic, both literally and figuratively!"

The buck hops back over and sits as told. "Sorry, sorry… for some reason I was forced to sleep in an awkward position," he says quietly, and flexes his fingers, which are also a bit sore from last night's polishing – but he's not about to complain about that.

Kin pulls the buck's foot into her lap and she lightly feels around for the knotted muscles. "This will hurt a bit, but the best way to deal with a cramp is stretch it back out," she explains, then just does exactly that. Well, at least she gave some warning. She also tries to alleviate the pain some by firmly rubbing the muscles with her thumbs, following the muscle fibers.

The Lapi's jaw muscles bulge, but he's determined not to make any more distress sounds in front of the women. Especially Anisa, who will tease for all eternity about it.

"Don't look at me," Anisa replies, holding up her paws in defense. "I stayed on my side all night. Well, most of the night, anyway." She smirks, then looks back to Lilac. "I don't know if its symbolic of anything or not, though. Its more like I'm working with a machine or something – like the mateh press back at the tavern, only more complex."

"I did offer for you to join Long Shadow and I," Kin reminds Xander while she works on his foot. She moves from just working on the sore spot to the surrounding area as well, trying to calm the buck. To Anisa, she asks, "Has it always been just you and Vandringar, or have others also shown up in these dreams?"

"Virtual Sensorium Interface," Xander mutters between clenched teeth. "At least, that's what Envoy called something similar she described to Springer and me once. Some First Ones control type thingy."

Lilac says, "Lilac's ears skew, bewildered. "Talking to a … machine? Like a mill press? To me, it sounds more like a golem or something like that Sylvania has lots of monsters – real monsters – and some of them look like machines. It's all magic, though, or so I've been told," she says."

Anisa shakes her head. "Its always been either just myself, or with Vandringar there. When I see him, he's glowing like some kind of white shadow or something. Well, so do I, for that matter." Xander's words cause the doe to give a start, and she stares at him with ears forward. "Wait – you've heard of this kind of thing before? And it has to do with the First Ones?" The doe's jaw seems to drop.

"Mmm. It is good that Hakuu doesn't appear there. I would not wish that man to have access to such technology," Kin admits while she wiggles each of Xander's toes before starting to flex his foot back and forth several times.

"Uh, yeah, kinda," Xander says, leaning back a bit. "I mean, I've never experienced one, but Envoy used to tell all sorts of stories about stuff like that. There's something like it that Exiles go through in the Temple that teaches them Standard. And she likes to talk to thinking machines. But… I mean, she was a little weird. I never thought much about it all."

"What else did she tell you about them?" Anisa leans forward, closer to the buck with nose twitching up a storm. "Did she tell you how to work with it? I figured out some of what I have to do… like I had to sing to it once. I was never happier that momma and daddy made me take singing lessons than I was then… "

"Oh, wow, sing? Maybe it'll enjoy my music!" Lilac's tail wags.

"Oh, really?" Xander asks, wiggling his toes on his own now, and pinching his nostrils closed. Even vegetarians can have morning breath, after all. "She mentioned that. Singing and harmonics are a big part of First Ones stuff, especially crystals. Something about the data density of music being really high or… sorry, I'm not a Chaos Mage. I don't know what she was trying to explain. But singing, yeah, that was important."

"Is your foot feeling better?" Kin asks Xander when he starts wiggling his toes. Her ears flick about as she listens to the discussion between Xander and Anisa. To lilac, she asks, "Did Hakuu have anything music related in his secret chambers?"

Xander flexes his foot, then smiles to Kin and says, "Yeah, it's better now, thanks Kin!"

Anisa leans back on her paws, ears cocked forward in contemplation. "Dagh… the First Ones… I knew the stuff was old, but I didn't think it was that old."

"Good. Now turn around so I can make sure your back doesn't cramp," Kin tells the buck.

Lilac shakes her head. "I didn't see anything like that, just the … caste? … of you, the … women … and the mirror-faced women. The rest was art," she answers.

Kin shakes her head, saying, "Then I do not yet see the link between him and all of this. Well, other than his belief that he is the greatest soul alive."

Turning his back to Kin after getting his foot back, Xander says, "The First Ones weren't all the same. There were different groups at different times, apparently. I'm pretty sure Envoy told us that. She was good at telling stories, but you could tell she was leaving out certain things. Temple secret stuff."

"I doubt Vandringar would let anyone else use the place, and I'd be willing to bet that he has one of these too." She holds up the crystal around her neck. "He seemed to know much more about what was going on than I did, like he had a purpose for being there. I can only seem to go there when the crystal wants me to, and I have no idea why it does it."

Once Xander is in position, the Kiriga goes back to work, looking for the start of any knots in his back now. Her touch is light and in some cases, probably ticklish. To Anisa, she suggests, "Perhaps when the device feels threatened it calls out to other things for help."

Xander tries not to twitch. "Or he tried to do something that maybe requires both, uh, operators to be in sync?" he suggests. "If there are two crystals, it stands to reason that there may be functions that require both of them."

"I think we should see for ourself. I hear lots of stories, and few of them are perfectly true," says the human woman.

"You are rather thin," Kin comments absently to Xander, "Thinner than you look." She might have said that as a distraction, though, because not a moment later she presses hard into the middle of his spine. The repeated pops and cracks are rather loud.

"She told us a story about the Beast Lands once too," Xander notes. "Uh… it involved a tigress and an angry black Khatta and falling off of Rephidim into a waashu that was being eaten by flying predators… and nasty trees and a marriage proposal or something. It's been awhile."

Anisa shakes her head. "I don't think so. I've been there on my own before, and when I show up at the same time as Vandringar, he seems surprised to see me. He usually does something to get rid of me – although last time I turned the tables on him." At the story of the Khatta, the doe just gives Xander a puzzled look.

Xander acks and arches his back! "Owwww… uh… perceptive. What do you mean, thinner than I look?"

"You look a bit puffy," Kin explains, "But it is the fur. Perhaps if you cut it much shorter you would look as thin as you really are." She glances between the others while she works, then asks, "And I have to ask all of you a favor."

"Not all mages subscribe to six-meals-a-day plan," Xander mutters, then asks, "What do you need?"

The doe flops an ear sideways to Kin. "What is it?"

"I need one of you to promise me that you will kill me should my presence endanger the success of the mission. I must assume that I am needed for some part of their plan and I will not allow myself to be used in such a manner," Kin says simply.

"What?" Lilac's ears shoot up, then flatten. "No! I can't do that!"

Xander immediately looks to Anisa.

Anisa exchanges a surprised glance with Xander, then just stares long and hard at Kin. Finally, she responds. "No. Sorry, but that's not gonna happen – none of use can agree to that." The doe crosses her arms defiantly, ears swiveling sideways.

Lilac nods to Anisa, then folds her arms as well. "Sorry, no Kinny. I can't do that. I don't even know how to kill people, and I certainly won't try to learn on you!"

"I couldn't kill you even I wanted to, Kin," Xander admits. "Not if you had any will to live."

"Why?" Kin asks, looking honestly surprised by the reaction. "The mission is the important thing. It is my duty to see to its success. If I threaten it, then I will need to be removed."

"The only time I … " Lilac's ears flatten, and her tail tucks, " … hurt anyone is when someone else to me is in danger. I don't have any control of that – I might even protect you from anyone who tried!"

"Exactly," Anisa responds to the reptile, arms still crossed, "your duty is to see the mission fulfilled, and you can't do that if you're dead. Dagh! What's the point of seeing the mission through if not everyone comes out on the other side?" The doe throws her hands in the air. "Where we come from, you don't kill your friends, not even for that."

"Where I come from, you don't … " Lilac twitches an ear, then frowns, glancing off. "Well, what I mean to say is, I said I'd follow you, and I'll see you home again. I made my promise."

"The point is that future generations are protected," Kin explains, still looking confused. She turns to consider Lilac, then says, "I can't go home again, Lilac. It would dishonor my family to do so. I went against their commands and have cost them face by failing to honor their wishes to marry, well, you know whom I speak of."

"We'll see about that," Lilac says, defiantly. "And if not, you can always come with me and see the world!"

"You can't have future generations if the current one kills itself off," Anisa says, frowning once more as she recrosses her arms. "Why do you think you're part of Vandringar's plan, anyway? He's after artifacts, not people."

"Because his ally, Hakuu, specifically sought me for marriage. He has a collection of women at his call, why would he seek the hand of a woman he never met, save by reputation? Vandringar as well seemed quite interested in me when we spoke as well," Kin explains. "And my family willingly gave into him. Had I not left the Jadaian isles, I would be wed to him and likely helping with whatever goal they are seeking." She sighs and shakes her head, adding, "I haven't been completely honest with you, Anisa. My real name is Lady Umeko Tsuguri, daughter of the noble Tsuguri household of Jadai."

"It could be that this… whatever-it-is… that they're looking for requires a living brain as a host or something," Xander guesses. "And you're smart, so… " He ends by waving his hands a around at the wrist.

Lilac casts a worried glance at Kin, then grimaces at Xander. "Ew," she remarks in response to his comment.

"I think you are still suffering from the effects of your spell, Xander," Kin tells the buck and gives him an odd look.

"Uh… why do you say that?" Xander asks.

Once more, Anisa stares at the reptile. "So your name isn't 'Kin'?" She shakes her head. "It doesn't matter, you've still become my friend, and I still won't let anything happen to you. If Vandringar's making some sort of power play, he and this Hakuu guy may have wanted to marry into your family as a way of getting more connections, that's all. And even if you are key in some way, who's to say killing you would stop whatever plan they have?" She vaguely points to her ears. "These crystals… changed me – physically. I wouldn't be surprised if they could just use them to fix you."

Lilac's ears perk at that. "The crystals can change people's forms? Like, those black monsters Royce described? Like me?" She leans forward, ears swiveling towards Anisa and eyes wide with interest.

"Ah, you do not understand. Hakuu is from a more powerful family than mine. Marrying into mine does not buy him connections; it buys mine connections, something my father was more than seemingly willingly to accept in spite of my objections. This is why I believe he has other plans for me," Kin says, trying to explain further.

"How did you change?" Xander asks, looking over Anisa with a critical eye.

Anisa nods to Lilac. "I think Vandringar needs to the crystals specifically because they can do that. One time, after one of my dreams in that place, I woke up, and my ears were bleeding." She looks to Xander. "I've always had good hearing, but after that, I could hear… well, everything. Stuff was much clearer. Since I've got the pendant back, its been that way again." Leaning back, the doe closes her eyes, as if she were relaxing. "Right now, I can hear Long-Shadow walking through the brush… he must be stalking something, because he's going really slow, and there's something a few paces in front of him. I can hear Gibson's heartbeat in his tent over there – its faster than the Nagas', and has a different pitch." She opens her eyes, and looks to a small, stunted tree several yards away. "I can hear that centipede running up that trunk. He's in a hurry."

The doe looks to Kin, bringing her ears back around. "If he has other plans for you, I can guarantee that killing you won't stop him."

Leaning forward towards Anisa, Xander asks, "Let me feel your skull?"

"You are all very frustrating," Kin says flatly, but then actually smiles s small bit, "But … I appreciate that you care about me."

"Wow!" Lilac leans back, ears up, clearly impressed. "But," she blinks, glancing between those present, "I don't think Vandringer had anything to do with what happened to me. If anything, I think the mysterious Raveness from Sylvania's history did – not that that's any more believable! But, still, maybe there's a … connection?" She reaches up and touches her own ears, then points to Anisa's. "Before I … Well, before this happened, I couldn't see at night. I was, well, not clumsy, but not like I am now. I couldn't smell a smidge of what I do now. It made me something … else."

Glancing at Kin, Lilac grins briefly. "Of course I care about you."

Anisa eyes Xander strangely, but then scoots herself around so that the buck can feel her head. Looking sideways at the Kiriga, she cracks a smile. "You're stuck with us whether you like it or not, killing yourself isn't gonna get you out of it." Looking to Lilac, the doe nods. "I have to say, I haven't seen many humans like you… actually, I didn't realize you were human at first." She shuffles awkwardly. "But I wouldn't be surprised if whatever happened to you is connected to this in some way. It would certainly fall in line with it all, even if Vandringar isn't involved."

After pressing his fingers around Anisa's forehead and scalp, Xander declares, "Okay, I didn't feel any bulges, so you aren't about to sprout a horn."

The white Lapi rolls her eyes, and flicks her ears backwards to lightly smack the fire mage in the face.

"I do recommend you do not call me Umeko, though. We do not need any more attention than we already have," Kin says, then has to give Xander a really strange look. "I did not know you were an expert on horns. And speaking of horns, what is wrong with horns?" She looks expectantly at the buck, the ridge of small horns trailing down her snout bluntly obvious.

Lilac's ears wilt when Anisa says she didn't think the woman was human. "Oh, well … um … " She forces a smile. "I didn't always look like this, just mostly. I didn't have a tail, or wings, or these point ears – and I didn't turn in to a monster. I was pretty ordinary. Actually … " She inhales, then breathes a sigh. "Lilac isn't my real name, either. And … like Kinny, I can't go home, either."

"Ow!" Xander complains, rubbing his eyes. "What was that for? I was just checking if Anisa was growing a horn, like the legendary Lapi-demons of the Himaat desert. I mean, the only other person I know who's experienced this sort of stuff has a horn."

Anisa scoots back around. "Sorry, I thought you were making fun of me." She giggles a bit, "and it's notsmart to call a girl a demon, you know. And as for 'Umeko'… Umeko who?" She winks to the dragon. "You're plain ol' Kin to me." The doe pulls out her brush, and starts to work on her still sleep-mussed ears. "I think the fur looks good on you. Quite frankly, that's one thing that's always creeped me out about humans. Its like they should have fur, but they don't. Its weird."

"Right, I'll stick to 'devils' from now on," Xander says quietly.

"Xander, are you certain that these ideas of yours were not born out of drink during your education? I have been led to understand that education in the sky islands somehow involved a lot of drinking. Master Longtooth told me, he has been wherever this is drinking," Kin says as she still stares at the buck oddly.

"You've got to try feeling Lilac's skin though, Anisa," the buck speaks up. "It's neat! And warm too. And… I don't drink much, Kin," Xander notes. "I burn it off too quickly anyway, because I have a high metabolism. From stress."

Lilac grins, this time with genuineness. "Thank you, Anisa. I guess I'm a little more like most everyone else in this world, now. And, well, it's a lot warmer." She wags her tail, then flops it in her lap. Glancing at Xander, she chuckles lightly. "He likes the skin, though."

"He doesn't, however, care much for scales," Kin notes in complete deadpan. "He deliberately avoids touching me if he can."

"That's not true, I… " Xander starts to say, then folds his ears back to hide his blush. "I can't win with you females."

"You really can't!" Lilac agrees, grinning more.

"I'm not much in the habit of touching other women for fun," Anisa says to Xander with a grin, "so I'll have to take your word for it. I thought he cleaned your scales last night, Kin?"

"He did, but then afterward he kept shaking his hands as if trying to get the feeling if touching me out of them," Kin explains.

"Say," Lilac says suddenly, leaning forward, "if the Raveness has control of the same sort of power Vandringer wants – or has! – then, won't they clash? The Raveness, well, the Raveness from story and history, was protective of her own. I don't know if a woman like she was would work with the Cinders, but it's impossible to really know."

Xander hugs his knees to his chest and just tries to bury his face behind his hands and ears.

Lilac glances at Kin, then shakes her head in mock-sadness. "This is why Kinny needs me. I protect her from more than people with swords and airships," she informs Anisa.

"If she has something the Cinder's want, then I'd wager they'll eventually make some sort of move on her," says the doe while nodding to Lilac. She grins at the human's comment, then pats Xander on the shoulder sympathetically. "This is what happens when you interrupt girl talk, Hotfoot."

"So you're just venting your womanly frustrations on me, is that it?" Xander mumbles from behind his hands.

Kin reaches over to try and lift away Xander's hands and ears from his face. "Oh don't do that," she says, "I am just teasing you … Hotfoot?"

"It's hard to tell sometimes," Xander says, uncurling. "Especially when you gang up on me. I mean, I expect it from Anisa, because she's a spinster… "

"More like you're an easy target," Anisa says, playfully rubbing the buck's ears with a grin. At the spinster comment, she gives the ear a flick. "You take things too personally, Xander. We're just messing with you."

"Oooo, you're in trouble now," Lilac says with a laugh.

"How can I make it up to you?" Kin asks the buck. "I thought by teasing you I was showing that I considered you a friend. That seems to be how your culture shows affection, no?"

"Us men are fragile, you should dote on us more," Xander sniffs, winking at Anisa. "At least Kin knows how to do casual cuddling for companionship." He smiles to Kin, and says, "Oh, you don't have to tease. There's nothing wrong with being straightforward. I know that that's difficult for women though – you like to have an escape route all the time… "

"Xander prefers to rush right in – like a fireball," Lilac quips.

"Escape route? If I needed to leave I could just break your arms and legs," Kin points out and taps the bucks nose.

"I put up with six men teasing me all the time," Anisa says, returning her attention to brushing her ears, "so don't tell me guy's don't give as good as they get." She stifles a giggle at Lilac's comment.

"See, I can understand that," Xander replies to Kin's comment.

"Oh, I guess you don't want to know all the best spots to scratch on Gibson to drive him wild then, Lilac?" Xander says to the human, waggling his eyebrows.

"Is it normal for bucks to know how to scratch other bucks to drive them wild?" Kin asks Anisa. "In my lands, males that do that are looked upon strangely."

"Oh, I have a good nose. I'll find them," Lilac answer. She grins widely, wagging her tail. The woman laughs at Kin's comment, nodding.

At this, Anisa doesn't even reply – she just falls to her back, laughing wildly.

"We all have the same spots is all," Xander notes. "We're simpler than women that way."

"Oh, of course," Kin says with a slow nod to Xander. "It must be the same in your lands too, then. Do not worry, your secret is safe with me."

Xander glances sidelong at Kin, and says, "I'll give you a treat if you come sit in my lap, Kin."

Sensing she is being challenged, well… Kin lifts herself up and then promptly sits down into Xander's lap. She looks at him expectantly.

Anisa's laughing slows, and she sits back upright, wiping a tear from her eye. "Dagh, this is better than a full night's sleep."

Xander chants a cantrip, and then lays his hands on Kin's neck. They're really really warm from the spell, and he spreads the heat along her shoulders, throat and the sides of her neck.

"Be nicer to me, and I might do this for you next time you get a bruise or strain a muscle, Anisa. I can make it cooler too," Xander says.

Laughing, Lilac stands up and shakes her head. "Well, I love chatting with you all, but I should see what Gibson's about before we have to leave. I may not get any more time with him in a while, if I have to fly in to the Beast Lands." She gives everyone a wave.

The doe gets to her feet, dusting off her pajamas and placing her brush back in her pocket. "Bruises build character, Hotfoot, but I'll keep that in mind."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do, Lilac," Xander advises.

"Oh that leaves a lot open," Lilac remarks as she walks off.

The warmth does get Kin's attention, at least. Well, in the form of the reptile tensing up suddenly from surprise. That doesn't last long, though, and she practically melts in his lap. It also unfortunately gets another reaction in that the dragon literally wraps herself around the buck.

"Gibson's asleep again," Anisa says, swiveling her ears back in the direction of the buck's tent. "He probably needs a wake up call. See you!"

Xander rubs Kin's back now, and smiles happily. Cuddling is good, even if it's casual.

With a stretch and another yawn, Anisa starts off in the direction of her tent. "Well, so much for my morning workout. You two better get up and get ready, the soldiers are starting to wake up, so we'll probably be moving on soon."

"And I still have to change," adds the doe, grimacing down at her sleepwear.

"And wash your face," Xander adds.

"Curse you fire mages and your spells of warmth," Kin grumbles teasingly. She even frowns at the comment about needing to get moving. So, she untangles herself as much as she doesn't seemingly want to at the moment. "Right. I should re-pack the wagon and then find Long Shadow for breakfast. I would invite you, Xander, but I know you do not like meat," she says.

"That's alright, I have to prepare my ritual for the day anyway," the Lapi says, and stretches before getting up. "Just need to get my components from the tent," he notes, and jogs over to it, forgetting that Anisa is changing…

An angry, feminine Lapine scream pierces the otherwise calm serenity of the Savan, causing several of the waking soldiers to look about in alarm, and even more to be roused from their slumber. Xander should have checked first.