Miles To Go Before I Sleep

Wysandra snuggled the child and found her hands petting her hair without hesitation. “I’m Wysandra.” She brushed a glance of her magics over the child. So the older girls were right: something was a little out of place. Her eyebrows arched slightly in puzzlement, but she glanced up at Tesni and gave her a calm, soothing look. She could vaguely feel the recoiling danger in Neva and the pain in Tesni, and she reached a hand over to a plate of cookies on her desk. “Do you girls want cookies?” 

Neva clicked her tongue and walked over to the large bookshelf Wysandra had intended her to peruse. Her cold eyes glanced down the shelves, reading titles modern and ancient, some in languages she didn't understand--actually most of the languages she didn't understand. The gold-laced book she was to collect was a massive tome. It smelled extremely musty, vaguely of gunpowder and minerals and mold. She could not read the title, although she thought it should've been in English. It was a very odd English. 

Upon hearing they were welcome, Dis immediately let go of Neva and Tesni’s hands to push the door open and bound inside. “Hi there pretty lady!” She came up to Wysandra’s desk and peeked her little pigtailed head over the top, beaming innocently. 

Wysandra smiled in delight. The child was precious, and the youthful grin was enough to send a surge of energy through Wysandra that was rare and hard to come by. She immediately urged the child to come sit in her lap, patting skirt with a . “Well, hello, sweetling. What’s your name?” 

Neva's shoulders were bunched on instinct. Something was offputting about something that induced such intense nostalgia--a feeling Neva did not truly appreciate on the simple basis she was far too pragmatic. But the rushing feeling of longing for ice and snow and winter on her fur was almost overwhelming. So she gritted her teeth and simply became a grim stone. 

Neva’s chest rumbled ponderously in a half-growl, “I see. Curious. Is she not magical in a way? Perhaps something she did backfired, if the girl is a shaman?” It was the only word she could translate offhand for  sorcerer—she did smell magic on the girl, after all. “We could take her to the unicorn. They have a delightful talent for purging ill-performed magics, or so my readings would have me believe.” 

"Well yeah, she’s one of tha most powerful spellcasters I’ve met, at least for a human. Maybe she was trying out some aging magic or summut and it all went wrong?" Tesni wondered aloud, trying to think of what might of happened. 

Neva listened to the exchange curiously. The conversation had an air of camaraderie that was very odd to her, but she supposed it was to be expected, if they were family. Southerners had that odd thing about family that someone from her realm would not. 

"Tesniiiiii!" Dis bounded up to the Pooka and jumped up into her lap, snuggling into her bosom. 

Neva’s face was almost caught in a smile—even a faint laugh was hiding somewhere between her too-long wolf teeth. “I found her wandering in the forest earlier. We’ve been having a pleasant afternoon of conversation, haven’t we, little one?” She flashed a softer smile. 

"Yep! Puppy Lady’s been really nice to me. And she’s big and strong and she runs reeeeeeeeally fast almost as fast as you and she can smell your real self and…" Dis rambled on happily, telling Tesni all about meeting Neva and their journey to the dining hall in that way that little kids do. 

Neva's chest rumbled ponderously in a half-growl, "I see. Curious. Is she not magical in a way? Perhaps something she did backfired, if the girl is a shaman?" It was the only word she could translate offhand for  sorcerer--she did smell magic on the girl, after all. "We could take her to the unicorn. They have a delightful talent for purging ill-performed magics, or so my readings would have me believe." 

"Tesniiiiii!" Dis bounded up to the Pooka and jumped up into her lap, snuggling into her bosom. 

Neva's face was almost caught in a smile--even a faint laugh was hiding somewhere between her too-long wolf teeth. "I found her wandering in the forest earlier. We've been having a pleasant afternoon of conversation, haven't we, little one?" She flashed a softer smile. 

"Ehehe, I smell fun!" Dis seemed pleased with the description of her inner scent, and skipped a bit in her happiness. It was no surprise Neva could not vocalize the smell of her magic, as Dis’ magical abilities were full of potential. She did not have any leanings towards being able to do one type of magic over another, and the amount of magical force she could draw from was almost unprecedentedly large. Somehow despite being almost unsurvivably weak, even for a human, the stars had alined to give her the brains and power to become an incredible spell-caster. 

Neva's eyes glittered in the light, reflecting a very dry sense of humor. She didn't understand the language Tesni spoke, but the direwolf released her charge and folded her arms in a characteristic closed-off stance.

Neva’s teeth curled into a smile, “I must agree that meat is the best food there is, little one. If you don’t eat meat, how will you get the muscles to use your…superpowers…” She had no idea what the girl meant by it, but she couldn’t stand the taste or texture of greens. Utterly wretched, really.

"I eat meat too! I eat everything! I eat so much my parents have to go get more food from the store every three days!" Dis flailed her little arms even as Neva held her hands, pouting adorably at the accusation she didn’t eat enough meat. Dis was very proud to not be a picky eater.

"That is impressive. Eat enough and maybe you can be as big as I am." Neva mused that it was impossible, but playing along was important when it came to little ones.

"Oh. Well that’s too bad, but you look really pretty and powerful like this, too." Dis slipped her small hand into the one Neva offered and trotted with her towards the entrance to the Mance.

Neva’s lips quirked slightly, “Hm. Thank you.” She tried to make sure she wasn’t tugging the child along too insistently, feeling the instinctual reasoning that she wouldn’t like being leashed about by an older person. 

"Yeah, Auntie-Uncle likes food lots. Especially meat. She’s older than my parents, but she’s still a really picky eater. It’s not good! Mumsie and Dadsie are always telling me if I don’t eat my veggies I won’t get superpowers." Dis followed along behind Neva happily as she spoke, trying to keep up with the older girl’s long strides.

Neva's teeth curled into a smile, "I must agree that meat is the best food there is, little one. If you don't eat meat, how will you get the muscles to use your...superpowers..." She had no idea what the girl meant by it, but she couldn't stand the taste or texture of greens. Utterly wretched, really.

"Oh. Well that’s too bad, but you look really pretty and powerful like this, too." Dis slipped her small hand into the one Neva offered and trotted with her towards the entrance to the Mance.

Neva's lips quirked slightly, "Hm. Thank you." She tried to make sure she wasn't tugging the child along too insistently, feeling the instinctual reasoning that she wouldn't like being leashed about by an older person. 

Neva made a ponderous noise in her chest and sniffed the air slightly. The cafeteria…she sighed and slowed herself down, “I must put a glamour on to take you where you would like to go.” She crouched back down for the child to dismount, already missing her fur and claws and teeth and size before she even willed herself to appear human. 

"Huh? But why? You look great like you are right now. And it’s not like you need to hide what you are. There aren’t any mundanes on this island, right?" Dis slid from Neva’s back onto the ground, and looked up at her with a quizzical expression. 

"The cafeteria door is...too small for me to fit comfortably." Neva was a massive beast, all muscle and fur and cold winter given teeth and claws. She took a deep breath and willed her glamour into existence, slowly shrinking from obsidian fur to a dark haired, bronze skinned girl with high cheekbones and a noble bearing--her features somehow proud and wolfish. She had once, and could easily, pass for a native of one of the human clans that she had once hunted. Glamouring her clothes on was easy, too, and her thin, hard body, skinny and long in a way that made the supple flow of her dark black hair seem an extension of already supple motions was soon covered in dark pants and a black, long sleeved shirt. She looked down at the child, now tall but no where near her old size. 

"Wheeeee! Hehehehe!" Dis shrieked and giggled with glee as she hung onto Neva’s back, arms around the wolf’s neck to keep from falling off. The kind of joy felt only by small children flowed through her as she felt the wind whipping past her face, and saw the world around her rushing by in a blur. She was having the time of her life, lost in the excitement of it all. Not a thought was given to what might happen if she fell from Neva’s back, because while some instinctual part of her was aware of the danger, it trusted Neva to make sure she stayed safe.

Neva made a ponderous noise in her chest and sniffed the air slightly. The cafeteria...she sighed and slowed herself down, "I must put a glamour on to take you where you would like to go." She crouched back down for the child to dismount, already missing her fur and claws and teeth and size before she even willed herself to appear human. 

Neva's ears flicked back in response to the whisper, "I am very powerful." She started a gentle lope through the woods, taking care not to jostle the girl more than necessary. Neva knew she was strong, not perhaps strong in the sense of magics or courage or any strange strongness not attributed to brutal tenacity and the force of jaw that could crack a man's skull open as easily as if it were a dry twig under a boot. The strength to take land and make it hers, to keep intruders away. 

Neva was not necessarily sure whether or not she hunted for men who were bad or good. Those words were things attributed to taste and smell; they weren’t really moral bads or goods but things that were acrid and sour or pleasant and warm. That was of course, the general gist of what it was like to be far more in tune to their nature than other magical beings. She found it odd that so many were willing to conform to human ideologies, but Neva found the thoughts a waste of her time. 

"Then I’ll make sure everyone can get their food, and sleep without being afraid." Dis nodded firmly, taking the advice to heart. She looked up at Neva, eyes strangely serious for a child her age. Dis hoped that when she grew up, she could be strong and fierce like the wolf in front of her. That way she could protect people.

Neva yawned in a satisfactory way, "Then do so, if it pleases you." She prepared to stand up, but as the smells and sounds and colors of night began to wax into the sky and the woods around her, Neva felt the desire to roam sparking in her. Did she turn to go and leave the child here? She doubted that would be a good decision.

Neva was not sure it was wise to explain to a child what she truly was, what she hunted. Those that were not of her ilk did not understand the sanctity of their duty in the circle of things. She laughed—a snort and a bark mixed together. 

Neva was not necessarily sure whether or not she hunted for men who were bad or good. Those words were things attributed to taste and smell; they weren't really moral bads or goods but things that were acrid and sour or pleasant and warm. That was of course, the general gist of what it was like to be far more in tune to their nature than other magical beings. She found it odd that so many were willing to conform to human ideologies, but Neva found the thoughts a waste of her time. 

Neva was not sure it was wise to explain to a child what she truly was, what she hunted. Those that were not of her ilk did not understand the sanctity of their duty in the circle of things. She laughed--a snort and a bark mixed together.