Like all the other tents in camp, Anisa's is nothing to write home about on the outside. Merely a plain tan canvas, large enough to temporarily house two Lapi-sized individuals, it certainly does its job. The inside, however, could best be described as 'lived in': the floor is strewn all about with pieces of various wear – of both the outer and inner variety – with the doe's large traveling suitcase shoved to one corner, itself draped with a wrinkled shirt, pair of pants and leather vest. Smack in the middle of it all is a dark pink bedroll, the same color as Anisa's bed at home – apparently to offer her some familiar comfort when traveling abroad.

Not having a door is a bigger pain than one would think. Namely there's no good place to knock. But that doesn't stop an apparent visitor, who raps lightly with a claw tip on one of the center support poles. "Are you in there, Lady Sn… Anisa?" comes Kin's voice.

The sound of yawning can be heard from within the cloth shelter, followed by the rustling of cloth. "I'm here," Anisa replies tiredly to the reptile. "You can come in if you like – although there's not much room in here."

"I do not wish to interrupt of you are busy," Kin says as her head snakes through the front tent flap. "I was hoping you would have a broad tooth comb at hand. I have several knots in my mane and Xander is asleep on my comb. He was so tired he didn't notice he laid on it."

As the reptile enters the tent, she can see Anisa sitting up in her bedroll, legs covered by blankets as she stares bleary eyed in the darkness. "I don't have any- yawn … combs, but you can borrow my brush if you need." The doe rolls over to rummage in a pair of pants laying near. "I think I left it in here… "

"You do not? I thought with your drokkar, you would have one," Kin says as the rest of her slides in and half-coils itself up in a somewhat clear spot. "But perhaps the comb will work well enough. I am not so used to looking so bad."

Rummaging around the trousers a bit more, Anisa finally produces the comb, and leans over to hand it to Kin, eyes still squinting and ear fur ruffled like someone who just woke up. "The drokkars are just loaners, and we didn't get to get them many supplies beyond food when we had to leave," she says. "I've just been keeping their manes straight with my paws for now."

Kin examines the bristles critically. "It usually takes several types of combs to keep a mane properly brushed, but I suppose that does not matter," she says and starts to awkwardly brush out her mane as she twists and bends her neck around. She pauses mid-stroke to peer at Anisa for a moment, just now registering that she looks tired. "Oh, forgive me, you were sleeping. I am still not good at telling the states of your kind. Or understanding them. Xander is in my tent. He is drooling on my travel bag."

"I was wondering where he was," Anisa says, glancing over to the buck's belongings – themselves shoved into a small corner with his rolled up bedroll, completely overwhelmed by the doe's feminine property. "Watch out though, he snores, and he tries to get, er, cozy, if you don't keep your guard up." Giving another yawn, she sits up, drawing her knees to her chest while hugging them with her arms. "What are you doing up so late? I'd have though after all that went on today, you'd have passed out by now."

"I laid with him for a time. Other than the occasional nibble on my neck, he wasn't a bother," Kin comments and resumes her brushing. Now and then she winces a bit when she hits an ugly tangle and has to pull hard at it. "As for sleeping, well … my body is still a bit confused from having to use so much food earlier. It has not calmed down yet. Plus, I can't keep from thinking about the women we left."

"You… laid with him… " Anisa just stares at Kin in confusion, but quickly shakes it off, resting her chin on her knees. "They were like you, weren't they? Something to do with that Hakuu guy?" The doe's expression changes into small frown, one more of sadness than disappointment.

"Yes, I laid with him. I laid next to him while he slept. His actions were why we won today, so he deserved a moment to rest comfortably," Kin explains a bit further. "And I'm not sure if I understand what you mean by they were like me? They are Jadaians, for certain. They are, I assume, his servants, or perhaps slaves. They certainly seem taken with him and protective. I have to wonder at some level if he has at least some redeeming qualities to instill such loyalty."

Anisa looks visibly relieved at Kin's description of her and Xander, then shrugs. "I mean, they're what you would have been like, if you'd stayed there. As for loyalty, that can be gained through fear too – or tradition."

"I am not certain he intended that for me," Kin notes with a small shrug. "I think he planned something grander for me. What, though, I do not know. It worries me they were as good of fighters as they were." She pauses in her brushing again and tilts her head, asking, "Were you concerned that I might be doing something improper with Xander? I think you may be too hard on him; he has a kind heart and is caring."

Anisa cracks a grin, canting her ears sideways in amusement. "I know he is – he's a good guy really. But he's just like a lot of other bucks I know, very forward and not the least bit shy about it. Give him an inch, and he'll take a mile, so you have to keep your guard up. Its just how guys in my species are, trust me." Seeing Kin fuss with the brush, the doe motions for her to come closer, shifting into a cross-legged position.

Kin works a bit more with the brush and just gives up. So, she scoots closer and offers her the brush, turning away from her in a guess on what the doe intended. "He has never tried anything improper with me," she says, sounding a bit unsure of Anisa's analysis of Xander, "And he has had the opportunity to do so. He has always been a gentleman. But perhaps that is because I am just too 'strange'. He looks at you or Lilac much differently than he does me."

Taking Kin's mane in her paws, Anisa begins to lightly run the brush through it, impressively missing the tangles like an old pro, yet somehow smoothing them out. "That's because you're, um, built differently," the doe replies, continuing to gently brush the Kiriga's hair. "I kind of envy you for that," she says with a grin, eyes still intently watching the hair in her paws. After a brief moment of silence, she finally speaks again, this time her voice slightly more serious. "Thank you for sparing that girl earlier, I know it was hard to do, but… "

"I didn't want to kill her, Anisa," Kin admits as she folds her hands onto her lap and holds still. "But that is the way of my people. I have done us no favors by sparing her. It will mean we will have to fight her again. That is if Hakuu doesn't do something worse to her for failing him. And I have to say … I am surprised they attacked me."

"I know you didn't," Anisa replies, her ears setting back slightly, "but… you had me worried. And you don't always have to follow the ways of your people if you don't want to. If I followed the way of my people, I'd be married, have three or four kids by now, and be stuck in some kitchen in Rephidim for the rest of my life. Sometimes you have to choose your own way, even if others don't agree." The brush snags on a tangle, but is soon smoothed out. "Why are you surprised they attacked you? Isn't Hakuu angry that you fled?"

"The rumors from my homeland were that I was kidnapped. He should not have known I had fled. So … it makes me wonder why they attacked. Especially if he still has some grand plan for me. Killing me would have ruined that," Kin points out. "But perhaps that is also what they fear; that he will prize me above them. I have heard jealousy can cause people to do strange things."

"Maybe they didn't know who you were," the doe replies, "I mean, what are the chances of you just suddenly popping up in the middle of the desert like that? Why is Hakuu so intent on having you, anyway?"

"That I do not know. You know my name is Umeko Tsuguri. I am from a noble family of Jadai, an old warrior family. But now we're just one of several noble families and are no more important than any of the others," Kin says and holds up her hand, spreading her thumb and three fingers wide. "I am not even one of the highest born nobles, as you can see. If I were, I would have four fingers, not just three. Hakuu has four, so he is one of the highest born nobles. I do not understand why he decided on me, or how he even learned much about me. I did not learn much from him either when I allowed him to make a full body cast of me. He is not unattractive; but he is most strange."

"A body cast?" Anisa's ears spring forward in confusion at this, "what on Sinai did he need that for? Was he gonna make a statue of you or something?"

"Well … it is because I asked him to craft my wedding attire and he wanted a model. In truth, I asked him only because I wished to get into his estate and try to learn more about this strange man and his intentions towards me," Kin replies and shrugs slightly. "The casting was cold, but not entirely unpleasant. It was a risk, though, as I was putting my entire life in his hands at that moment. And unfortunately, I learned very little. And I also learned he was not completely uncaring. One of his servants had her jaw shattered by a Dromodon and he was able to reconstruct the broken part with ceramics. So … he is a skilled surgeon and not one without some compassion. Or at least so I assumed."

"My papa always said that Dagh's road is paved with good intentions," says Anisa, mostly brushing the Kiriga's hair out of habit and relaxation now, since its long since been smoothed out and neatened. "The Cinders think that they're the good guys in the world, that their quest will return the world to how its supposed to be and that it'll make everyone happier – of course, they didn't exactly consult everyone else. Hakuu may be compassionate in some weird way, but that doesn't mean he's not evil as well. People can be both."

At that Kin shrugs slightly. "I wish I had a good plan for dealing with this. Xander had some good suggestions, but I do not know if they are possible. One was to actually convince Hakuu that I was on his side and that Vandringar plotted against him and I had left to uncover what his ally intended. But … that would mean I would have to go to Hakuu and, well, submit to him. I have a hard time bowing to others; that always angered Father too," she admits.

At this, Anisa flattens her ears. "I'm not so certain about that plan… sending you back into the dragon's den, so to speak. If Vandringar gained Hakuu's loyalty somehow, it probably wasn't something he came about lightly. Vandringar's people will fight for him to the death."

"What other options do we really have, though?" Kin notes and turns her head nearly completely around to look at Anisa. "I was thinking if we had a thin enough blade I could cut under one of my scales and slide it under my skin. It would hurt, but … I would then have a chance to kill Hakuu later with it. And I am not sure they are completely loyal to each other; Hakuu addressed Vandringar rather rudely while I was there if my memory is correct."

The doe's fur sets on end in with a slight start as Kin twists her head back, which she then smooths out embarrassedly. "I'm just saying that Hakuu may be wise to you now, especially since that one girl got away." Anisa looks puzzled. "He was rude to Vandringar? Why are they helping one another then?"

"I do not know. From what I understand, the Cinders are allied by greed as much as anything. They may just find they have common goals for now," Kin says as her head tilts a little bit. "As for the girl … Hakuu may wonder why I spared her. By our code, I should have killed her. It will seem strange; he may not be sure what to think."

"There was another that got away, besides the one you spared," Anisa says, starting back on Kin's hair once more as the Kiriga looks away. "Maybe Hakuu will think you've been corrupted by a bunch of dirty Rephidimite mammals."

"It is possible. But if that is the case he may increase his efforts to locate me before I become further corrupted," Kin says as she settles back down. "After all, if I am to be his perfect one, then I doubt he will want all of Jadai culture taken from me.  I already removed all the traditional hand and foot bindings."

"Hand and foot bindings?" Anisa's ears splay. "Need I ask? You're culture is certainly… different, Umeko… "

"Women are expected to have small hands and feet. To that effect our hands and feet are kept tightly wrapped from when we are very small to when we are wed as it helps keep them from growing 'too much'," Kin explains and lifts up one of her clawed feet, toes splaying. "It can be quite painful to endure."

"I guess they wouldn't know what to make of me, then," Anisa says with a grin, wiggling one of her small paws, along with one of her massive Lapine feet. "I thought being a doe was bad, but women from your society seem to have it much worse. Er, no offense."

"They would think of you as a short, obnoxious, foreigner with entirely too big ears and feet," Kin explains rather matter-of-factly … but her ears twitch in a bit of amusement; a trait she's seemingly picked up from Long-Shadow. "But yes, life in Jadai can be difficult, even for a noble-born woman. I believe I told Lilac this when she was surprised that I wished to leave but … a gilded cage is still a cage. If I am to die, it will be how I choose to, not how they choose."

"Her ears aren't that big," Xander comments from outside the tent, before poking his head through the flap. "Can't argue about the short part though. I was wondering where you got off to, Kin. It struck me that we should look over Gibson's maps in the morning to see if there's anything about the ruins in them."

"Obnoxious? I prefer to call it 'spirited'." The doe places her brush to the side, leaning back on her paws with a grin. "Your people just don't know beauty when they see it." Anisa's smile fades a bit, but not entirely. "If you're choosing that much for yourself, then why do you choose to keep to other parts of your- oh!" Quickly grabbing the edge of her bed sheet, the doe pulls it up to her neck. "Xander! Warn me before you do that!"

"Ah, Xander, you are awake. Did you sleep well?" Kin asks when Xander's head pokes through. He looks between the two Lapis, then shakes her head. "You two act as if there is something going on between you," she says.

"Huh?" Xander says to Anisa, having to look around Kin to see her. "What's biting your tail this time, Christina?" he asks. "This is my tent too you know… hey, is that all of my stuff wadded up in the corner?"

Xander soon finds a brush full of white Lapi and Kiriga hair hurtling at him. "Do NOT call me that!!"

"Ack!" SMACK Thump Yank Xander jerks back too hard, and nearly takes the tent with him when his head hits the peak.

"Your name is Christina?" Kin asks and turns her head around again to look at the doe. "It is a beautiful name. Do you not like it?"

"Its my first name," Anisa says, ears splayed in annoyance. "'Christina' is fine, or 'Chris', but eventually everyone wants to call me 'Christy', and I hate that name."

"I've got somebody's fur up my nose," Xander complains quietly from outside, followed by a series of sneezes.

"Speaking of maps, that reminds me of something else I was wondering; may I borrow the crystal you took today? I wish to examine it before I sleep," Kin asks Anisa, then swivels her head back around. "It is not fur, it is mane. I do no have fur, as you well know."

The brush returns softly through the flap, now devoid of bunny fluff or Kiriga hair.

"And we should let Xander in," Kin adds. "He will behave."

Smoothing her ears back, Anisa nods to Kin. "Sure, let me get it." The doe gets up from her bedroll – and unlike the others, is short enough so that she can stand straight – and walks over to her suitcase. "I've been keeping it covered, since they use it for their eyes or something. Who knows if they can still see through it." Rummaging around a bit, she eventually pulls out what looks to be a rolled up checkered scarf. After unraveling the garment, eventually the crystal is produced. "Make certain you keep it covered when you go outside," she says, handing it to the Kiriga, "we don't want to take any chances."

Kin takes the crystal and peers deeply into it. "Those are most wise precautions. I will do so," Kin say with a small nod. "I wish I understood magic. I do not see how they could see with this."

With a sigh, Anisa nods. "C'mon in Xander, I'm sorry I threw that at you." Bending down, she picks up the brush. "But from now on, only Gibson gets to call me Christina, okay? And… um… didn't this brush… have fur… on it?"

Rubbing his nose, Xander warily enters the tent. It's a bit of a tight fit though with three people and "The Luggage." "I cleaned the brush," the buck explains.

Kin pats the spot in front of her, noting, "Sit here with me. We will take up less space." She tucks the crystal lens into her kimono front.

Regarding Xander oddly, Anisa retakes her seat on top of her bedroll. "If you're gonna sleep here tonight Xander, I'll move my sheets over to give you some space. I figured you'd found somewhere else to bunk tonight."

"Of course I need to sleep here," Xander says, then quirks his own ears. "What gave you the idea that I'd be sleeping somewhere else? The other tents are full."

"It may be because I told her we had been sleeping together earlier," Kin explains.

"Well, the fact that it's the middle of the night, and you weren't here," Anisa says, grinning to Kin, "and what she said."

"But that was just until Long-Shadow finished his watch," Xander notes, then doesn't look so sure. "Wasn't it?"

Kin nods. "Unless he didn't mind all of us trying to share the same tent, yes," she answers. "Still if you remain in this tent my bag will be spared your drool." she pats the spot before her again and says, "Xander, sit."

Xander sits obediently. "I was drooling?" he asks. "Wow… I didn't realize how badly I needed some real sleep then. Even after you kissed me."

Anisa's ears perk at this, and she gives Xander and Kin a wordless grin of amusement.

"Yes, you were drooling on my bag," Kin notes as Xander sits down and she drapes herself over his shoulders. To Anisa, she asks, "Was it improper to kiss him? I thought Lapi used affection to show gratitude and thought it was the right way to show him I was grateful for his assistance."

"Depends on the kiss," Anisa says, holding a paw to her mouth to keep from giggling. "Was it like a sisterly kiss, or was it something else? You might send Xander mixed signals!" She grins at the buck.

"What is a sisterly kiss?" Kin has to ask. To Xander, she asks, "Was it sisterly?"

"I only have brothers," Xander admits. "But Anisa says she thinks of me as a brother, so if she gives me a kiss now, we'll know the difference!"

Anisa taps her chin with a fingertip in thought. "Hmm, maybe later. Sisterly kisses are harder to come by, really. Do it too much, and people start to say things… "

"Well, it is not as though I kissed him as I would kiss a Jadaian. In Jadai, all things are done with skill, poise, and art. If I had kissed him in Jadaian style, it would have lasted longer and have been more involved," Kin muses and rubs her chin for a moment. "And those only come before a union of bodies and spirits."

"What about a sisterly hug then?" Xander asks.

"Without the rib cracking," he thinks to add.

Turning to whisper to Kin, the buck asks, "Is that what you meant when you said you'd do more if I wasn't so tired?"

Leaning over, Anisa gives the buck a playful hug, drawing him in more like a teddy bear than a person. "Fine, you can have one of those," she grins, resting a head on his shoulder. "Think of it as my way of apologizing for the brush."

"I do not remember," Kin tells Xander with a perfectly blank expression.

"Ah… well, this makes going into battle worth it, almost," Xander notes, looking more relaxed from the hug. It doesn't take much to put the buck into his comfort zone apparently.

"She thinks the plan of me going to Hakuu and pretending to work with him is a bad one, Xander," Kin tells the buck.

"Mmmmm," Xander replies, closing his eyes. "Oh, right… what about going to the Governor in disguise? Although really, we should use Gibson for that… "

"Well, I am not sure we have time to try and convince the Governor of anything. The empire may have already removed him," Kin says with a small frown.

"I just think its risky, is all," Anisa says, continuing to lean on Xander, her hug slackening a bit. "I don't like the idea of her being trapped there with those psychos. From what she's said, this Hakuu guy is carrots in the head, and I'm worried about what he'll do to her."

"Then they'll have a small army there to secure Viper's Hold," Xander notes. "That was your original idea, wasn't it, to go get the army?"

"I doubt they would spare the army for us," Kin points out with a small sigh. "It is not as if they really believed us." She shakes her head and says, "Maybe I should just go surrender to them. At least I would learn of their plan and perhaps come up with a counter."

"Let's wait until we're beaten for that," Xander suggests.

"Do we really have any other options? Outside of trying to sneak into the outskirts of the ruins and look for doors or clues," Kin says, "Maybe I could do that disguised as one of the handmaidens."

"The ruins, yeah, they're the key," the buck mutters. "We should know what they're looking for, right?" Xander chews one of his ear tips in thought, then goes, "Oh! Wait… never mind… "

"What?" Kin asks as her neck stretches forward, then twists a bit so she can almost look Xander in the face. Never mind she's sitting behind him.

"We do have that mask," Anisa says, letting go of Xander and leaning back on her paws. "Do you think that would work? You said he treated failure harshly, what if thinks you're one of the ones that failed him?" She turns to Xander, "What were you going to say?"

"Oh, just… there's this spell called 'Rain of Fire' that could wipe out the hole camp," Xander explains. "But we're missing one critical component to make it work."

To Anisa, Kin says, "Well, he may. But that does not mean the guards in the camp would. I would just have to not be taken to him. He would recognize me immediately anyway, if I did go before him."

"Not to mention we'd lose any clues in the process," Anisa says to Xander. At Kin's words, she nods, twirling an ear with her finger in thought. "That's true, the mercenaries would probably leave you be. Maybe that's our ace in the hole."

"I would feel more comfortable with doing that if we could alter my coloration before trying that plan, though. Could we manage making me completely black?" Kin asks.

"You mean your scales?" Xander asks, sitting up straight again. "Black clothing maybe… "

"Scales and mane. Golden Kiriga are rather rare," Kin notes with a small shrug. "Umeko Tsuguri's claim to fame; being golden."

"Maybe we could tunnel under the camp and eavesdrop instead," Xander suggests.

"A life mage could turn you black," Anisa says, "but we don't have any of those just lying around. Can we soot up your scales or something? My fur dyes easily, but I have no idea how scales work."

"Well, soot could do it if I explored at dusk, perhaps, and kept my distance," Kin muses. "And there is no way we could tunnel that far. That is silly, Xander."

"There might be a tunnel there already, in the ruins," Xander says hopefully. "We're Lapis, we're good in tunnels."

"With us this close to the ruins, perhaps your crystal pendant will send you a dream of guidance, Anisa," Kin says, remembering something suddenly.

"Dream of guidance?" Xander asks, and turns to look at Anisa with his ears lowered. "Do you kick and punch during those?"

Anisa shrugs. "Maybe, but that's only if the ruins have something to do with the ones who made the crystal." The doe fishes the crystal from her nightshirt, and examines it between her fingers. "This thing is unpredictable." She looks at Xander oddly, "why would I kick and punch during a dream?"

"I don't know, but I want to be prepared," Xander says.