Balanced atop the roof ridge tiles, Skye stretches, stealing in a long breath, taking in the cool evening air. He looks across the cityscape, watching Rep'idim slowly fall asleep. "Khyyyaaaa … oh, Laks'mi, curl about t'e chimney, t'ey's usually nice and warm. Spent many a nite t'ere myself… "

Lakshmi looks around curiously, her not-inconsiderable weight carefully distributed evenly and carefully around the chimney. Her hiss is reflexively quiet. "You came here often?"

Skye shrugs quietly. "Not any more. But I spent a lot of time 'ere, once. T'ou't yi might want to see it." He pauses, considering. "It's 'ome."

Lakshmi leans her head out to look over the city, then hisses in soft wonder, "Oh… all the lights… It looks like stars… "

Smiling then, the Skreek nods. "Like t'ey've fallen from t'e Procession to dance in t'e s'adows, come each dusk."

Lakshmi coils back, then stretches up, looking around slowly, trying to imagine living here… darting from place to place, sleeping on the roofs of other peoples' houses, living hand to mouth, and most oddly to her, enjoying it! To the extent that this… is "home" to Skye… she finally settles back, resting her chin on her folded hands, and regards Skye thoughtfully. Her soft hiss is a bit wry, "I… have trouble imagining what your life must have been like, Skye… but I can see how the lovely view would make a difference." A little wistfully she adds, "Home… Do you plan on returning here someday?"

Lakshmi hisses softly, "Returning… to stay?"

Laughing softly, Skye's muzzle bobs. "Well I'm 'ere now, yes? But forever … I don't t'ink so. It's … it's like on t'e flood plains, Laks'mi. It 'as its predators, an' its treasures, an' its adventure, but mostly it's a quicksand trap for t'e less t'an s'arp. And t'e w'ispa 'ere, black at 'eart. Sometimes I t'ink of 'ere. If yi are s'arp it's not a bad life. But t'e walls of yi world can be paced in 'alf a day."

Skye stands, and lightly walks along the ridge, stopping at the edge, before looking down for a long, long set of heartbeats.

Lakshmi nods silently, "I… don't know your world, but I think I know what you mean… and… well, I would … um… " she mumbles with a touch of embarrassment, "… would, um … miss you… " She sighs softly, her eyes glowing slightly golden in the dim light. "Treasures… Sometimes I could just hit myself for letting the whispa go… I think, maybe I could have tamed it in less than 4 weeks! And then," she sighs softly again, wistfully, "then I think, what if I couldn't? Was I willing to kill it to see if I'm as good as I think I am?" She falls silent.

Skye looks back up and smiles, balancing on one foot. "Laks'mi, w'at do yi see w'en yi look at t'e stars?"

Lakshmi watches Skye, frowning, "Skye, do be careful please? That's a long way down!" She glances up at his words. "What do I see? Why? Ahh… well, the stars, first. The Procession… " Her voice gets less precise, more dreamy. "Umm… the silver path along which the Great Serpent slides… "

Lakshmi hisses softly, "Sure is lovely… "

Skye nods quietly, spinning about, smiling as he does. "Fall? T'at's not in t'e nite's plan … but … but thank yi. An' if someone was to tell ye t'at just out of reach all t'ey were, were dots of paint on a black cloth? Yi would wish yi were never told, Laks'mi … Khai, yi touched a legend, Laks'mi. And its fur was soft."

Lakshmi is silent for a long moment, staring up at the stars… then she slowly re-settles her chin on her folded hands, and sighs softly, "I know, Skye… I just… wish sometimes… " She falls silent again for a moment, then hisses even more softly, "I just wish."

Skye speaks quietly. "If wis'es were yiffles, then t'e Nagai would be lazy, slot'ful and fat … but, w'at is it t'at yi wis'?"

Lakshmi chuckles softly, "Oh, we're not?"

Lakshmi grins quietly to herself, then adds, "It's not really important, Skye… It's not a wish that could come true."

Lakshmi gently changes the subject. "So… what did you think of tonight's … ah… activities?"

Skye sits down upon the ridgebeam again. "Well, maybe a certain Secretary-General … but don't slither way. Yi wish? Or is it t'e lost w'ispa?"

Lakshmi grins quietly at Skye. "Goodness, you're getting as relentless as I… horrors!" She chuckles, then thinks a bit. "Well… if you insist. I would have liked to make friends with the w'ispa." She takes a slow breath, "Think about it, Skye! A living legend… that's willing to befriend you." She smiles dreamily, "Do you ever wonder if you're really as good as you think? Or if it's just… luck, chaos, whatever… that it was an accident, that you're really not that deserving? What a sign that would be! That a whispa would consider you worth being friends with. How could you doubt yourself… after something like that?"

Skye smiles quietly, and for a moment he casts his eyes across the rooftops, thinking. His attention becomes stolen, by the towering shadow of the Temple. But he just shakes his head, before looking back. "T'ere's two t'ings t'at do come to mind … Laks'mi, if yi wish, I would guide yi t'ru t'e flood plains every fall … for t'ink … if t'e w'ispa were truly suc' legend, wouldn't it not be but a hollow triumf, if yi were able to befriend t'em in just a 'andful of days? If it was t'at easy, would it truly be suc' a momentous occasion? Or anti-climatic?"

Lakshmi nods. "Precisely, Skye. That's what I've been struggling with, internally… Can I really justify taking time off from work every fall to, in essence, chase a dream?"

Skye leans back, his paws on the cool roof tiles. "I do."

Lakshmi glances curiously at Skye. "Do what?"

Skye freezes suddenly, his ears perking up. They rotate, tracking with practiced precision. Then he points. "Look, t'at s'adow, t'ere. It moves, it skitters, it 'as a sack o'er its back?"

Lakshmi gives Skye a puzzled glance, then looks hard where directed… She knows Skye's eyes are much better than hers.

Lakshmi hisses softly, "Um… I'm sorry, Skye, I can't see it? Is it an emergency? I could move?"

Skye whispers quietly, "Laks'mi, look there 'e goes … gone, back deeper into t'e Darkside alleys." He lets out a slow breath. "Laks'mi, a 'andful of years ago, t'at was me. 'E'll be 'appy, a 'andful of s'ekels. But two days from now 'e's going to 'ave to find anot'er lost soul to roll … but now 'ere I am. I am not going back. T'at' part of my dream. I'm climbing out of 'ere. Every day. Every single day. So if I am following my dream every day, 'ow could I begrudge yours once a season?"

Lakshmi is silent for a moment… then smiles quietly. "All right. I'll do it. Just… remind me when I feel foolish, that this is a dream worth following, all right?"

Skye glances over his shoulder again, and slowly shakes his head, a single short motion. "Oh t'at I will. I know an empty goal w'en I see one. An' yours isn't."

Lakshmi hisses softly, "Thank you."

Lakshmi smiles ruefully again. "I hope."

Lakshmi sighs softly… then grins, "So… how did you like tonight?" She giggles quietly. "I was so bad!"

Skye laughs softly. "Oh, I will."

Looking back, Skye holds up both paws. "I'm of two t'oug'ts on tonite… "

Lakshmi hisses softly, "Mmm?"

Resting his elbows on his knees and his muzzle on his paws, "Eit'er we were watc'ing two average mages in a 'ilarious exc'ange of an age-old feud … or we were so far out of our league we don't want to know."

Lakshmi grins, "I've no idea… but it was delightfully fun." She laughs again. "I can't believe I threw those oghnoighs into the face of that silly Gallee! I knew they wouldn't hurt her, but still. I just… acted on a whim, I guess!"

Skye dryly chitters, "I can't believe that cinnamon candy was so hot … and yes, w'y did yi do t'at? For a moment t'ere I t'oug't' t'at Eeee mite 'ave really 'ad done somet'ing to yi."

Lakshmi looks sheepish. "Er, no… that was me. I um… well, I could tell that she didn't like having them on her and … um… I just thought she … um… rather over-reacted to you?"

Skye shrugs quietly. "Yi know, it's 'ard. I am trying to not be just anot'er Skreek. But it gets awful 'ard w'en I run into someone 'o is being just anot'er Gallee."

Lakshmi nods quietly. "If I've learned nothing else from animals, it's that everyone, animal and sentient, is an individual… and should be treated as such, not as a species. There are vicious beasthounds and kindly ones… and there are good and bad, at least as far as I've seen, in every species of sentient as well."

Skye laughs softly. "T'en we just 'ave to find t'e curious w'ispa, and not t'e grumpy ones … And s'e did try for t'e float, w'ic' s'e didn't have to do."

Lakshmi grins. "Although a lot of folks don't believe me, about the beasthounds."

Lakshmi nods. "True, she did. Heh… I wonder if we could advertise? 'Friendly w'ispa wanted for good home.'" She chuckles, then adds, "I hope you didn't mind getting hustled off quite so quickly? I figured you ah… would prefer not to spend long periods of time chatting with guards tonight?" She smiles.

Lakshmi hisses softly, "To be honest, I didn't want to either."

Skye shakes his head enthusiastically. "Talk about empty goals. T'e fart'er I can stay from t'e guards, t'e 'appier t'is little Skreek is. T'ou now, we 'ave very little to worry about. See t'at empty court? T'at's t'e edge of t'e Bazaar. After dusk t'e guards don't come anywhere t'is close into Darkside."

Lakshmi smiles quietly, "You really do know this area well, don't you? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised… I know the wilderness areas around Nagai City rather well too, after all." Curiously she adds, "Is it really as dangerous as the tales say?"

Lakshmi hisses softly, "Or is it just the foolish and unwary that are endangered?"

Skye shakes his head, quiet. "No … "

"… it's worse."

Lakshmi watches Skye quietly, her gaze thoughtful.

Lakshmi hisses softly, "Can you say why? Have you no school here? No … ah… What's it called, no family?"

Shaking his head, he shrugs, very quietly. "No family … no … well … maybe. I wouldn't know if s'e was even still alive. It'd be nice, but we 'ad to run in different directions. You see Laks'mi … you vanis' 'ere? Not only does no one care … no one notices, save perhaps to take w'at little ye 'ave. Lord of t'e vermites? I can summon vermites. Just throw a ten day old haunch of meat on t'e street … five heartbeats, and it's gone."

Lakshmi shudders slightly, but continues listening quietly.

Skye looks across the rooftops again. "… KajKajKaj … "

Lakshmi's tongue flickers slightly in surprise, but she continues just listening.

Settling back down, Skye returns his attention to Lakshmi. "First word I said, t'at's all … and maybe t'at's w'at's so bad about 'ere. It isn't just rough, but it traps yi, like s'ackles, just as 'arsh Temple steel."

Lakshmi's soft hiss is puzzled, "The first word you said was… rough? Or steel?"

Shaking his head, Skye corrects himself. "Kaj. It's chitterspeak. For sky. Maybe t'at's w'y I am not 'ere. Stupid Skreek w'o didn't see t'e street."

Lakshmi hisses softly, "Oh. Why stupid, Skye? You got out… Isn't that wise?"

Shrugging in a dry and friendly manner, Skye nods. "Oh I t'ink so. Katja wouldn't 'elp no stupid Skreek. Ask anyone else down t'ere 'owever … "

Lakshmi hisses softly, "Was that her name? Kath- Katja?" She's quiet for a second, then adds softly, "You miss her?""

Lakshmi hisses softly, "Was she a Skreek too?"

Skye nods, "I guess yi would call 'er a sister, I t'ink. Not t'at s'e was my sister. And I don't know if I miss 'er. Or s'e me. It's different, down t'ere. Missing's a luxury for t'e merc'ants. Sometimes t'ey miss t'eir kittens enuff to pay s'ekels for t'em … but … but, well … "

" … but most nites, I 'ope s'e got away too."

Lakshmi hisses softly, "Well… do you have any idea where she might have gotten away to? Er… merchants miss their kittens? I don't… I'm not sure I understand?"

Lakshmi smiles quietly, adding, "Finding lost compatriots would surely also be a worthwhile dream?"

Skye shakes his head "We ran in different directions. T'ou t'e fact I'm not in … well … a place I'd rat'er not be, leads me to believe s'e's probably safe. An' if s'e's is, s'e's probably off beyond Rep'idim too."

Lakshmi smiles again, "All right. You would know her better than I." She flickers her tongue lightly, "tasting" the air. It's a strange-city taste, to her… not entirely pleasant. Wryly it occurs to her that if Skreeks usually have noses as sensitive as her tongue, she's not surprised in the least that they might wish to leave Rephidim.

Skye stretches, so he can lay back on the tiles. He rambles. "Yi know … if we 'ad a fuff'nar or two, maybe t'at Eeee would not 'ave been so t'reatening." He considers, "Laks'mi, so, w'ere do we go next?"

Lakshmi laughs softly at the fuff'nar comment, then smiles quietly. "I don't know, Skye. It needs to be warm, since it's coming on winter… " She chuckles. "Perhaps it will have the treasures the fortune teller mentioned! I'd like that… "

Skye dryly chitters, "Do yi believe 'e spoke correct?

Lakshmi hisses softly, "Who knows, Skye? He … ah… did not seem the most … ah," she grins, "er… precise of individuals."

Laughing softly Skye says, "'Owever, t'e bit wit' t'e oghnoigh's future … t'at … well, maybe 'e could see. If so, we've got a long travel afore us … so, w'at did yi think of t'e night?"

Lakshmi hisses softly, "Mmmm… " She stretches carefully, section by section of herself, then grins. "Well… the bit with the oghnoigh could just have been a good guess. As far as projects, we really need another one soon… We have mouths to feed, after all! As far as tonight… " She smiles. "You were right. It was fun."

Skye considers some more. "I wonder if t'at happens all t'e time 'ere?"

Lakshmi hisses softly, "If what does?" Surely it was merely a day celebration?"

Skye shakes his head, sitting back up. "Odd evenings wit' yer'honor Fenter."

Lakshmi hisses softly, "Ah! Hm… I really have no idea, Skye. He seems … um," she grins, "quite the eccentric."

Skye nods again. "T'ou, 'ad yi ever seen an Aeonian before?"

Lakshmi hisses softly, "No, never. Quite remarkable looking, I must say! I wish we could have talked more with her."

Skye dryly chitters, "I wonder if s'e can wear a 'at … S'e seemed to know both t'e Eeee and Fenter, I t'ink."

Lakshmi laughs! "I admit, I'd not worried about whether or not she could wear a hat… Yes, she seemed familiar with both of them. The Kiriga, Catfish… That was an odd one also. I've never seen someone's body change color like that before."

Raising himself back up, Skye chitters quietly, "T'oug' t'e real question is w'et'er it changed back."

Lakshmi hisses softly, "I wonder why he was so thoroughly covered? Even his hands… that's quite odd, since I know many Kiriga have very sensitive fingertips."

Lakshmi's voice is lazy as she murmurs, "Skye… how would you find out if … ah… if Katja had gotten away? Or… if she hadn't, would you help her get out?"

Skye looks down and frowns. "T'at would be 'ard. I's 'ave to start poking my nose around Darkside, and t'at mite be a bit dangerous. Laks'mi … all of Nagai, it 'as t'ese skools, correct?"

Lakshmi hisses softly, "Mmhm."

Skye dryly chitters, "Laks'mi … what 'appens w'en, let's say, someone starts training animals, and t'ey are not part of t'e skool, an' t'ey start being very good?"

Lakshmi hisses softly, "They join the school." Her voice is dry, "Of course."

Skye shakes his head, "An if t'ey don't?"

Lakshmi hisses softly, "But the school would find them before they realized their talent. That's what the school is there for. That… or they stop training animals. An untrained talent… rather dangerous for the poor animals. We would not allow that."

Skye nods quietly. "Well there are skools in Darkside. Kind of. And t'ey don't take it too well w'en … well, w'en two of t'e best second story furrs in ta alleys don't wish to be part of t'e Guild."

Lakshmi hisses softly, "Interesting… two?"

Skye nods. He takes a deep breath. "Katja and me. But t'e only two groups w'o would know would be t'e Guild … ant t'e Kavis an' I never got along. Or t'e last folks we hit, a'fore I … left."

Lakshmi puzzles through that statement, then hesitantly hisses, "Wait… you're saying that only the Kavis or the last target would know you weren't thieves' guild?" She gets an odd look. "Serpent's Scales… who would have ever thought I'd be saying something like 'thieves guild'… it sounds so… melodramatic!" She smiles wryly.

Nodding quietly, Skye confirms Lakshmi's query. "An' t'e last target makes t'e Guild look like newborn pups."

Lakshmi murmurs dryly, "Dare I ask?"

Lakshmi hisses softly, "Must've been something like Temple, for a reaction like that."

Looking over his shoulder, Skye just points. There, a darker shadow against the night sky are the tall ramparts of the Rephidim Temple.

Lakshmi nods a touch grimly, then hisses softly, "You were going for the big one, weren't you? The one to get you both out?"

"I was already 'aving second t'oug'ts," the Skreek continues in his roughly accented Darkside speech. "But … well, it was … somet'in no one 'ad done. But 'ow were we supposed to know t'e Guild also c'ose t'at night to visit t'e Arc' Inquisitor Supreme's apartment?"

Lakshmi arches an eyebrow. "That one? Great Serpent, you weren't thinking small!" She sighs softly, "Well… I suppose in a way it worked – you both had to get out. I… am sorry your adopted sister worries you still, and I would gladly help you with her if you needed it… but I admit I cannot regret what brought you to that escarpment that day… with that exceedingly exasperating Drokar!" She grins quietly in remembrance.

Skye laughs then, bright against the grim roofscape. "It 'adn't rained for a week, until it started to rain satc'els."

Lakshmi grins at Skye. "That it did."

Lakshmi hisses softly, "Thank goodness nothing in it broke!"

His head tilting, Skye looks back at Lakshmi. "Yi know, yi never did tell me w'at yi were doing to get t'e beastie so 'urt."

Lakshmi looks indignant. "I?! I did nothing of the sort! The foolish beast broke her tether and ran off. A fine day of it I had tracking her down, too! To leave her with a halter on and a trailing leadrope would have simply condemned her to a slow and unpleasant death, when the rope caught on something and trapped her. So I followed her, all blasted day! When I'd found her she'd manage to loop the rope around her legs as well as catch it in some rocks, and that was how she had that nasty case of rope burn!"

Lakshmi hmfs, "Silly mare… Tthat was one of the fluffy-headed-est Drokars I ever saw!"

Giving Lakshmi an equally indignant look, Skye teases back, "An t'e first t'ing it did was bite me! W'at is it? Every beast of burden t'inks t'is Skreek is a trailsnack!"

Lakshmi opens her mouth to make another indignant comment – then pauses, thinking… then, despite herself, starts laughing! "Oh my, so she did! I'd forgotten that… " She laughs delightedly, remembering, then grins at Skye and hisses teasingly, "Well, maybe it's because you taste so good?"

Lakshmi giggles, "I think that serendip was convinced, in fact!"

Skye lets out a long slow breath. "Or good taste, I don't know w'ich. But it was a good turn of fate. If it wasn't, I would probably been wandering across t'e desert not knowing w'at a goos'urm was … and aye, it did. Or it t'ou't my tail was a really big worm."

Lakshmi grins teasingly at Skye's flamboyant hat. "Good taste? Hm… I suppose the hat passes." She smiles more sincerely, adding, "I'm glad you made it there, right at that moment, Skye. Not only was it invaluable to both me and the Drokar… but the desert is no place for a fresh-from-the-city boy to be wandering alone, I think."

Lakshmi dryly adds, "Any more than here would be a good place for me to wander alone, I think."

Skye quietly shrugs. "It was me w'o found t'e way back to yi camp, remember … but truth, it was t'e first time I ever saw anyone care for a critter. Most folks, well, t'ey really don't."

Skye shakes his head. "Actually, I t'ink yi are wrong about t'at."

Lakshmi frowns quietly, "Yes… I know. I wish I could convince more people to have some consideration for their charges… " She pauses, glancing at Skye inquiringly. "Mmm?"

"Sure, yi would need me to keep yi from walking into t'e equivalent of quicksand or getting lost in t'e maze of alleys." Skye continues, "But yi look at a bunc' of critters, an' in a heartbeat or two, yi start t'inking like t'ey do … Yi would do t'e same 'ere … just like yi would any small valley wit' five too many predators."

Lakshmi looks puzzled. "I… don't think I understand, Skye. In a valley with too many predators, I'd probably hunt some of them down, and domesticate the others to work with me. The impression I've gotten from you is that this would not be feasible here?"

Lakshmi sounds curiously thoughtful, "Or… are you saying it is?"

Skye dryly chitters, "Yi would understand t'e behavior of t'e furrs 'ere, Lakshmi. Probably better'n them themselves. T'at's your edge. Could it be feasible … t'at's for yi say, yes?"

Lakshmi looks very thoughtful, then hisses softly, "What a… fascinating thought … if also rather ah… creepy."

Lakshmi gives Skye a curious glance, "Could you, now? Use what you've learned here, if you wanted to find your sister?"

Skye sits back, watching Lakshmi think. "Yes. I guess that makes us a strange predator now, Lakshmi. I guide … Yi understand t'e prey. Darkside or t'e Savan. Eit'er way, it's a bite to eat an' a new 'orizon come each sunset.

Lakshmi gazes at Skye in puzzlement, then suddenly draws a long, slow breath. "Oh… I think I see… you want us to find her?"

Skye blinks, looking back, quiet. "I … meant yi and I, we'd be comfortable 'ere, just like we were off t'e Island. I 'aven't t'ou't about finding 'er. It's … it's like 'unting w'ispas, Laks'mi. I'm … I am not sure of t'e answers I mite find."

Lakshmi hisses softly, "Oh… all right." She's silent a moment, thinking, then nods slowly, "Yes. I can see that… both for our living comfortably, and – and what quests tell you about yourself, as well as whatever you're questing for."

Standing again, Skye straightens out his long whiskers, once again walking to the edge of the roof, balanced on his toes. "Lakshmi, I 'ave never been as smart as you, w'en it comes to t'e p'ilo'py matters. It's just simpler. W'at if … w'at if s'e's dead? If I look, ant find s'es died, between t'en and now … but … "

Skye dryly chitters, "… but if I don't look," the little black Skreek shrugs, "if I don't look, s'e'll always be alive."