Waterfall Jumping Is Win [Open]

The sound of bare feet smacking repeatedly against wet stone could be heard as the female raced across the large and mostly flat boulders and towards her destination: the waterfall. There was a method to this madness of course, she was attempting to lose the most recent teacher that her mother had sent to 'train' her. The man was to teach her the art of sword fighting, and Demi wanted nothing to do with him or his nasty little looks and muttered words - hadn't for the past three days he had been attempting to train her.

So, she had distracted him and taken off at a dead run through the trees the moment he wasn't paying attention, following the river, and keeping to the rocks and large boulders so that she didn't leave behind any sort of footprints. The river wasn't large, or powerful, but it did lead to a waterfall that fell about twenty feet before landing in a large and deep pool of clear water - she had been here before, it was one of her favorite 'secret' spots that she used to avoid the teachers her mother continued to try and send to her.

Her long red hair trailed behind her, the hood of her torn coat having long ago fallen away to let the mass loose behind her. As she reached the edge of the boulders, the edge of the waterfall, she didn't slow. She took one final running step and launched herself in the air. In mid air she arched up and then down, hands coming together in a basic diving fashion: and as gravity took over she fell straight and true to the water where she plunged deep underneath, disappearing from sight; all with no interest of surfacing until she was sure she had truly lost the teacher chasing her. It wasn't like the cold water could truly bother her - yes she could feel it, and feel it indeed with her hyper sensitive skin, but she couldn't succumb to freezing to death. She could likely stay here all night long if she wanted; staring up at the bright full moon that hung pregnant in the sky.

Following was a simple affair; he could track her by scent alone and do it when the scent was a month cold. Four very long legs and paws the size of dinner plates made easy work of the rocks and rough terrain; more to the point, the area was familiar, he'd had to find her here before a few times. Hell, he could have just dove into the river and swam to the hidden pool; but running was actually faster in this case; without a strong current and such he would be hindered by the friction of the water. Not that he would much care; the water was part of a tiger's realm, he lived and breathed in the water just as well as any aquatic beast could.

He didn't dive over the falls; there was basically no way for him to dive properly in his current form, he'd cause a major splash and far too much noise jumping in from the top of the falls. Better to leap silently to the rocky shore and slip right in like a ghost; barely a ripple from his entry mixing with the turbulance of the agitated surface. He might need to breath, eventually, but that was a long time off; he could let his body sink down to were the younger was attempting to hide; large paws barely needing to twitch to send him dancing through the water. He merely circled around her; a protective gesture and one that would cause the water above them to distort and shimmer just right to hide even his bright colors; cinnamon and bright white would show fairly well against the dark rocks if the water was calm enough.

Demi's violet gaze shifted as she caught something white and cinnamon colored enter into the water - it wasn't the robes of purple and black she had been expecting, something that all Moors seemed to wear, or at least the higher up royal ones. As she took in the all too familiar sight of Flynn the now very familiar "Mine" word flashed across her mind. It was common now, each time she saw Flynn the word was just there in her brain, floating around, like it belonged there. It made more sense now that she had done some reading; vampire territorialism in all of it's glory apparently. Still, it was slightly odd though, with the way it had randomly just popped up one day after all of the time she had spent with Flynn growing up.

A grin broke across her face, playful in nature as she watched him swim around her in a circle: understanding the protective gesture. She glanced upwards, waiting to see a flash of purple and black that didn't belong in the greens, oranges, and browns of the forest. So far she didn't spot anything.

After a moment she closed her eyes, focusing her mind on the area around; searching mentally for anything out of the ordinary. She could pick up on base instincts coming from the animals around, including a bear that was further up stream attempting to catch some fish, but no Moor teacher lying in wait for her to reveal herself. She reopened her eyes and giggled beneath the water, bubbles floating to the surface. She pushed off of the bottom of the pool of water lightly and shot upwards, heading up until her head broke the surface of the water. She glanced around a moment and then swam the short distance to the shore and climbed up on one of the large flat boulders, figuring that Flynn would be right behind her. Once on the boulder she laid on her back, staring upwards at the moon she could see through the tree branches and leaves above her; hearing the soft sound of the water dripping off of her and hitting the boulder. "Really wish that guy would just give up like all the rest did..."

If he could smile he would whenever he was around her; she was much better company then most of his own people, and a nice break from the formality that he was locked into due to his rank and status. Nobility yes, but very low in status; so locked into the stupid rules and such that the lower nobility places on itself. Pathetic, really; acting like submissive peacocks; always showing off everything they could while still prostrating to the 'higher' castes. Then again, he was an alpha male, so any sort of submissive behavior bothered him highly.

He followed without hesitation; pulling his hulking form from the water and shaking the excess water from his fur via a loooooooong stretch and several hard shakes of his body. He wouldn't be dry, but at least not dripping waterfalls now. Thick fur held a lot of water afterall. Silently as he was in tiger form, he merely moved to curl around her form just right to not be constricting, but still allow his much stronger animal scent to overpower hers and hide her from the winds themself. No one would smell anything but damn tiger and water now; only a psychic would be able to find them like this. Or would, if not for his mental walls that seemed to block psychic skills within a small range of his body; he was basically a giant black whole to a psychic, and anyone close to him would be hidden as effectively.

From his large chest began a deep, rumbling purr; strong enough to make even the rock vibrate some. His tail flicked idly, brushing against her lower leg occassionally; completely random movements, he didn't even consciouslly realize it was happening; he rarely did.

Demi glanced over as Flynn stretched and shook the water out of his fur, she laughed softly; glad she would hopefully dry soon - all but her very long red hair, it would likely be wet for a very long time. When he laid down next to her she smiled, she always enjoyed the closeness in general: and the bonus's from his closeness didn't escape her attention - his nearness would all around mask her being there.

She felt his tail flicker against her leg from time to time, and concentrated on that feeling, ignoring the feeling of being watched. It was a normal, and slightly paranoid, feeling she always got when the Moors were around. She couldn't quite breach their mental defenses, not in any sly sort of way, so she didn't know their true reasons for wanting to teach her everything, but she had realized a long time ago that the false smiles and words were just that - and they wouldn't be there had her mother not ordered them to.

She opened her mouth to speak when she heard a shout through the woods, an angry sounding male voice, "Princess Demitria! Where are you, young lady?! This is very not lady-like! You should know better! Stop hiding and come to your lesson! Your mother will hear about this!"

Demi froze for more than one reason - she made it no secret she hated being called Demitria... let alone any sort of royal title being attached - glancing in the direction the voice had come from, which was above the waterfall, and still a distance away. She kept still, listening carefully for any sign that the Moor was coming closer or not. "That's it! I've had enough, if you want to skip this lesson too and be less than prepared for--", the man cut off, obviously having said more than he should, but his voice indicated he was walking away from where they were.

Demi's head tilted curiously, brow furrowing. "I wonder what he means... prepared for what?"

His purrs had become soft growls; the logical sound a tiger would make when someone unknown was in his territory. Anything with keen ears would hear that and think nothing of it; even more so with the strong scent of tiger on the winds. Even the trail of his scent along the banks meant nothing; tigers were all but semi-aquatic, walking along a river bank was completely normal. He kept the growling up for long minutes after the voice had faded; allowing it to melt back into the contented purring once he was reasonably sure the intruder was gone.

He allowed his large bulk to uncurl a bit, stretching out into a languid, feline pull before rolling onto his back and sprawling like the lazy cat he could be sometimes; head twisted just right to let green eyes fall on the female; his upside down expression one of "hell if I know".

Demi pursed her lips, holding in the giggle that threatened to escape; but which was clear in her violet eyes as they seemed to glow softly with her inner laughter. If the Moor could hear the sound of Flynn growling, which she was sure the man likely could, he was probably pissing his pants terrified: and likely running away by this point out of the forest. They were never happy having to come into the forests to teach her - but it was where she was comfortable, and knowing that it made them uncomfortable only helped add to her insistance that they have to come to the forest compared to her going to the city.

When Flynn's growling turned back into a purr she looked back to him in time to catch his upside down 'hell if I know' expression which cause the giggles she had been holding back to come bursting out, her laughter filling the air. "I'm sure I'll find out soon enough." The wind picked up again and she sat up. She grabbed her hair and gave it a twist, leaning over the edge of the rock so that the water that poured out of her hair landed on the ground and not the boulder. When she was finished she released her long hair, hoping it dried soon, and allowed it to fall back down her back.

She glanced up at the moon and closed her eyes, face tilted upwards. She could see the moons glow through her eyelids, and it caused the smile to remain on her face. "You know... I'm expecting my mother to show up one day with all of the trouble I've been causing them... I can just see it now. She'll show up with her nose turned up in the air and this look on her face that could chisel rock; wearing this... just... horrible purple dress with fur trimming all over it...", she suddenly giggled, imagining it all in her mind, before opening her eyes and looking back to Flynn.

Snorting softly, he allowed his form to begin to change; she was talkative tonight, so he might as well be in a form he could respond properly in. He was no psychic, and she couldn't read his thoughts, so verbal communication was a must eventually. He wasn't going to take this form shift far, merely taking on the almost humanoid traits that confused the hell out of outsiders when they first met a Daione. Outsiders would assume they were some kind of hybrid beings, versus just the result of convergant evolution over the course of.... longer then they would admin, really. Ancient race is ancient.

"She may try, yes; but she must respect our laws while in our lands. You have the protection of our nobility; and her people are... cowards, compared to most. They would not risk a war with my people; our numbers are too large, and our powers to great. They are lucky we allow them here as it is; the High Counsil might drool over their fancy words and tall tales, but the true powers find them to be... detestable, mostly. Even the chaos of your father is more welcome here. Personally, I would prefer just you and your father; his words might be strange, his tales even stranger, but he still understands honor and the worth of truth in words. The other... I would enjoy ripping apart when they being their tales of stupidity."

Demi looked back towards the moon with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Sometimes I think about going and meeting up with my mother... going to her overly large and grand home just like she wants me to. All to find out what in the world her motivations are. She never bothered to care before."

She smiled, thinking back to the past: back when it was just her and her father traveling, and her and her friends. No real worry about anything. Back before her mother started sending random strangers, Moors but strangers nonetheless, to come train her in one thing or another - the random visits, her mother's letters telling her she should be more lady like, that she should act like what she was.

Demi leaned back on the boulder comfortably. "She never cared until my grandmother stepped do---", she suddenly stopped talking, suddenly remember a very important less she had learned - it was all to do with the royals and the laws surrounding them. Her body went rigid, and if she had a heart beat it likely would have been pounding a mile a minute. "Oh my god... I think I know what she wants...."

He was a petient beast, he'd planned to wait for her to finish before voicing his rather amusing mental image of how that would have ended. Had she actually gone to her mother's, he would have taken leave to go with; lately he'd been finding it nearly impossible to be seperated from her for long periods of time, so the idea of letting her go alone never even touched his mind. For the instant before her epiphiny, he'd had the odd.... thought? want? .... of her leaning against his body instead of the rock; all thoughts but worry flying from his conscious mind when she sat up.

For someone like him born and raised into inherited nobility, the connection was instant as well; he was almost certain he knew what she was about to say, but that didn't stop him from worrying that he was wrong and that something was wrong. "What is it...?"

Demi couldn't believe it, for the first second that the idea had popped into her head she had thought that perhaps she was wrong, but within the next second she knew the truth. There really was no other reason why her mother, who had allowed her to travel with her father and do what she wanted for the majority of her life, had suddenly taken an interest in her upbringing: her mother intended to force Demtiria into being queen.

Demi opened her mouth once, twice, and then finally cleared her throat and forced the words out. "My grandmother stepped down before she could be removed since her husband died. Moors, well the females, are not allowed to rule without being married - at least not for an extended period of time. My mother took over so that the ruling stayed within the family, but while my mother is single and could easily marry, she has recently been divorced. The Moors have a law that states that a female has to wait five years between marriages, mostly due to how long they live and because of how long the divorce process is. My mother has another four years before she can remarry, but only a year that she can remain on the throne unmarried." Demi finally tore her gaze off of the moon and turned it to Flynn. "I think the reason she's taken a sudden interest in me is because she plans on trying to marry me off and throw me into the position - as her puppet."

No true words could describe the look in Demi's eyes: though terror came pretty damn close. She couldn't imagine having to be trapped in that place all day long, doing her mother's bidding, acting as her puppet, a means for her to rule without having the throne herself. All of those traditions, rules, and the complete and utter lack of freedom - she would take death before that.

Yeah, that was about what he'd guessed; but hearing it from her lips had his blood running cold; no small feat given his size and thick fur. He was routinely called a walking space heater after all. His only thought was 'NO!'; he literally could think of nothing else for the better part of a minute; after which his thoughts were a mix of how he could get himself out of duty for a very, very long time in order to keep her safe from the psychopathy of her mother, and all the ways he could use his connections and his own power; what little he had; to hide her somewhere safe that wouldn't be a prison. That, or talking to her father to make sure that her mother would never lay a finger on her again.

"It will not happen. Not so long as you are with us; not so long as I breath. I will not allow anyone to make you a puppet. You deserve far better then to be some string latched shadow child."

Demi could never remember a time in her life where she had felt as much terror as she was now: and the feeling was foreign and odd. Part of her brain, the part she labeled as the Malkavian part, was rejecting the very emotion - it was on a "el oh el, no" trip when it came to the emotion. But the other half of her mind, the Moor half as she considered it was all for hanging on to that emotion and focusing on it. The idea of what her mother was planning to do, while not downright dangerous or harmless to Demi in the physical sense, was pure torture in the long run. The idea of being trapped there, of knowing that her mother would cut her away from her friends, from Flynn, had her wanting to run, to run and hide somewhere she knew no Moor could find her.

Instead though she focused on Flynn's words and scooted closer; shifting to lean gently against him, her brain throwing out a louder 'Mine' than usual. The closeness helped, it made her brain focus on something other than what her mother was planning. Something was going to have to be figured out, some way for her mother to realize that what she was planning was not going to happen - was not going to be allowed to happen. "Maybe there's some way I can fight it... I still have the book i'm supposed to be learning out of. Maybe there's something in there that'll have some flaw in her whole plan that I can use against her.", her words were soft as she spoke. Despite the situation still at hand she was far calmer than she had been; her brain just refused to over-react with the fact that she was leaned up against Flynn - the "Mine" part over-ridding everything else for the moment, or attempting to.

That was enough for a reflex response; he didn't even consciously tell his body to move, shifting around so that he wasn't sprawl the way he'd be; now laying on his side and curling his enormous bulk around her as he had before; to the point that his tail was all but wrapping around his neck to complete a protective circle around her. Far as he was concerned, no one was going to break that circle until she was ready to move; even without his weapons he was plenty capable of protecting her. Very few beings would even attempt to fight a tiger his size; and the cowards that valued power more then honor that would come after her wouldn't get within dozens of yards of him before they were pissing themselves in fear and running away.

"Possible, but more likely it lacks the information you would need. Why would they risk giving anyone the information they would need to escape the control of the shadow masters?" The way he was curled allowed him to nuzzles against her gently; the feline gesture purely affectionate, an attempt to be soothing for her; he didn't like seeing her so upset and agitated; his instincts screamed at him to calm her down, bring back her happiness. Such an odd reaction; but his mind didn't even register that anymore; he'd long forgotten that he'd ever felt anything but the need to protect her, and all that entailed. Far as he cared, keeping her happy was part of protecting her.

"I will hide you. I will make sure they never find you. I could easily do so; no matter what political tricks they try, no one would tell. Not for the fear of offending my brothers; Snow and Silver will support me. No one could even begin to go against their commands; they would order your protection if I asked. Would that be agreeable? You have always enjoyed being here, I could show you new places, new parts of the city and the forests this way..."

Demi felt him curl around her and the protected feeling that came from that caused her to relax the rest of the way. She no longer thought about how such a simple gesture comforted her, she just allowed it to do so, accepted it for how it was. She snuggled comfortably into him, fingers idlying trailing through his fur; only adding to the comfort she already felt as she listened to him speak. As he nuzzled her she couldn't help but smile and take a deep, and very relaxing breath.

She was calming greatly now, especially at his words. The fact that he could so easily protect her here; keep her from what her mother wanted to do to her. "I'm fine with that, so long as I'm with you.", such simple words spoken softly as she trailed her fingers gently through his fur again, and yet they meant so much with so much hidden meaning beneath them. She had no problem with where ever she ended up so long as she was with Flynn. She knew it was this "mine" voice in her head, but she had no problem with it, and with the way it made her feel. "If I wait out the time somewhere where she cannot find me then she'll have no choice but to let go of her title and leave me out of her problems. Perhaps even my father can speak to her, talk some sense into her.. they're scared of him, terrified really, just as they are of you - even though they try and act indifferent."

"You know how long we live, what would be years to them would be days at best to me. She needs the negotiations with our leaders to be sucessful; they need the aide, the power an alliance with my people would give; even if they detest us. They pretend to have power, yet it is all talk, all boast. Simple to see through, if you know anything about the world."

He began actively projecting his purring; a little trick he'd learned as a child that allowed him to make the sound far louder, almost like distant thunder. To anyone else, the purr would sound strange; an added tone of pure affection changing the meaning of the purr in ways he wasn't even aware of. He was almost placing a claim with that tone of affection; almost. A claim would be an active act, something consciously done. It wasn't... quiet there yet."

"We can address the Moor that are here; make them relay the messege that you refuse to play puppet to your mother. If they refuse... well, the will not refuse; I will make sure of it myself."

She half snorted, an amused sound by best. "You're right. My mother needs all the backup she can get because her and her people are weak; and perhaps that's what she hopes to gain by trying to control me. I believe she thought that when she agreed to give some of her blood to make well... me... that she thought she would have my father on her side in everything. But, he simply allowed me to choose who I wished to be with and respected it. He's never once tried to force me to do something I didn't want to, he has simply guided me and offered me knowledge - and if I chose to learn by the worlds standards, the 'hard way', he has allowed it, but always been there for me when I've fallen."

She shook her head slightly, the logical side of her brain now working. "I don't know how she expects to win me over. Even now I know I'm more powerful than her - they cannot get in my head, which would be their best plan, because doing so would... well, it wouldn't be pretty. They would damage their own minds in the process, badly." She sighed softly, continuing to run her fingers through Flynn's fur while listening to his purring.

As she kept playing with Flynn's fur another idea began to form in her brain; a very dark and twisted one granted by the voices that were ever present in her head. The majority of the time they were quieted, likely at the request of her father, but tonight of all nights they were more than willing to offer their insight. "You know, there is... there's another way to handle this." She stared down at Flynn's coloring, allowing that to flood her mind as she spoke since it kept her calm. "Among the Moor's there's an even greater power, one that causes the rest to obey. They... they have no choice to obey. They've never had a choice. My mother tried using it on me once.. the last time she visited. But it didn't work... I could feel the pull to obey her, to listen, but I rose above it, over-rode it, took control of my own being. I... could probably do the same to her. I could order her to leave me alone... or perhaps take that control, change things, make things better for the Moor people...."

She closed her eyes, resting her head on Flynn. "But, I wouldn't be willing to do so if it meant I had to leave you. So an awful lot of rules would have to be changed.... but I could do it. I have my mother's voice, I could... use it, and likely she would have to obey too...." She didn't like the idea of having control over someone, that much was apparent in her speech, but it was a power she was willing to use if needed, if it would keep them together, and her mother at bay.

It was almost a hiccup, a near choke. The purring sound had ended abruptly, taking his mostly calm mood with it. That... he did not like that. Any of it. There was nothing about that idea that appealed to him; yes, it might be easier in some ways; but that was... no. A horrible path to choose; just asking for terrible things to happen. To exert that level of control over even one person, even worse an entire people... it was terrible. He knew his people's history; many an Alpha had tried to do just that; and every time it was attempted it ended terribly. They were fresh off an alpha's attempt to do just that; and he wasn't about to let someone he cared about fall down that same destructive path.

"No. Absolutely not. There is always a better way then forcing control. Always. That is a dark path, a terrible path. Once you start, there is no turning back. You will lose everything that is you, all you care for, everything worth having, if you take that path. I cannot support this; in any way. I have seen first hand what becomes of the controlling and tyranical; the freedom of choice is the greatest gift a leader can give. To force people against their will is... cruelty beyond measure."

Demi snuggled up closer to him, sighing softly. "I know. It would solve the problem with my mother, but in the long run it wouldn't make anything else easier. I'm not for taking someone's freedom...I don't want my own taken, I can only imagine they don't either. Perhaps that is part of the problem though. My mother uses her abilities whenever she can... controls everyone she can touch, can get access too. But, I would hate myself in the end, among all of the other problems that would come from it..."

She shifted her position, getting more comfortable. "Maybe that's what's wrong with the whole system, the reason they're dying out. My mother only cares for herself, for her goals, and she's willing to use that power to gain them." She returned to running her fingers through Flynn's fur, hoping to hear that lovely purring again that put her at ease. "But regardless, I don't plan on going and even talking to her alone. I don't trust her, and if she can't win me by controlling me, or by favor then she'll do so by force; and there's only a few things she can threaten me with. I don't hold material possessions for any worth, so that would only leave the people I care about."

She sighed again. "Maybe just hiding from her would be better... she'll be removed soon enough, she only has a little while left to go."

"You have that advantage; she is under the pressure of time, you are not. You are young, you have far more time to wait then she has to win her prize. Better to wait, even if it means hiding. She cannot harm your father, that is not something you need worry about. So long as you are smart about it, you can take who and what you care about with you and make sure that you never have to worry about any danger."

Because there was no anger, it took nothing more then her saying she wasn't going to attempt to force control to calm his nerves; his worry that he would lose her like that. Yes, it would be as much his own fault, his own morals, what little he had, forcing him to walk away from that; but it would be for one of the very few instances that he would not negotiate; not ignore his own feelings. "If it comes to having to talk to her, I will stay with you. She cannot use me, my mental blocks keep me safe. None of her guards could even harm me if they tried; it would be perfectly safe."

The fingers in his fur... that felt amazing; enough so to bring the purr back; bring it back as loud as it had been before, almost more so. He knew she enjoyed the sound, he wanted nothing more then to give her more of what she wanted; and the sound at a distance would serve as a warning in case anyone tried to come close; the noises of a tiger were always a warning to stay away, no matter what they were. "Stay here were you are safe. Stay where I can protect you. They can't hurt you here; they can't force you to do anything. They have no power, this isn't their world."

Demi smiled gently as she heard his purring start up again; the sound calmed her even more and she found herself thinking that she could likely stay like this for a very long time - all night long if allowed. However, the thunder that began to grumble over head, indicating the approaching storm in the distance, was more than enough to cause her to roll her eyes, annoyed at mother nature for a second. She personally didn't mind the rain, but the pool of water nearby, and the river that fed it, would likely rise and very quickly, so staying in this particular spot was likely a bad idea in the long run.

Demi nodded against him, continuing to run her fingers through his fur, knowing he enjoyed it. "That's what I'll do... I'll stay here with you, where it's safe. If my mother comes looking for me I'll go somewhere and hide. Or confront her with you beside me..." Yes, this was the best plan, the plan that made the most sense - the best out of everything else they had discussed tonight. But, for now, with her mother miles upon miles away, an her teacher having not shown his face again since he had chased her, she was content with forgetting about it all and just focusing on now - an the rain she could now smell.

There was a momentary urge to say something... violent, about her mother appearing. His inner feline was already territorial as it was; likely why none of his feelings toward the female even registered, it was normal for him to get possesive and such veru quickly over people he liked; and it was just... very ready to end the problems being caused by this one person. Everything he'd been told, and what he knew from his own snooping; it was part of his job to be almost better informed then the people he was protecting after all; he knew without a doubt that he harbored an active hatred for Demi's mother, and most of the Moors in general. It was starting to border on an almost racial level hatred; but that was unfair in a way; he was just reacting strongly to the idea of having one of the people he cared most about in the world being forcibly taken away, and against her will at that.

"I will be there. Even if I can't stand directly at your side, for whatever reasons, I will be there. Even if someone tried, they couldn't keep me out of the official meetings; and outside of work, I remain by your side. they will not find you without me; I swear that."

"Hnn...."

The sound filled the air, agitation to the core. She was tired of walking, tired of trying to stay awake, tired of being hungry - cue the stomach roaring to life as the thought passed through her mind. The roar of her stomach caused her to pause in her stumbling, at least up until she heard voices - familiar sounding ones.

'How can anything be familiar? All I know is.... ', the thought stopped, as the answer flashed through her mind - make the female voice sound younger and more childish than it did and it would be Demi. Demi had been one of her friends before she was kidnapped, before she spent ten yeras in hell. She used to sit by and listen while Demi told her stories about the races she was part of, about her travels. They used to play together....

Nidalee lurched forward, crying out, screaming Demi's name; only it came out as a hoarse whisper at best - the problem with having spent so many years in silence. She pushed herself forward more, making an awful racket as she did so. Twigs snapped beneath her feet, or as she swept past them, leaves rustled. But, she didn't care. She wasn't trying to be silent, she was trying to be noticed - to get help. Her brain, processing time far differently, made her believe that it took forever to finally break through the branches and finally spot her old friend - who was looking mighty comfortable and protected by the large tiger wrapped around her.

Nidalee collapsed to her knees, the rest of her strength momentarily draining at the sight before her - she had finally found someone she knew, she was... not home, because nowhere seemed like home, but perhaps safe now.

Demi smiled gently and nodded against him: she knew she would be safe - the Moors would be foolish to try snatching her out in the open, and even here like this with how protective Flynn was of her they would be downright stupid to try as well. Yes, she truly had nothing to worry about past the storm that was threatening to come in.

But, just as she was beginning to decide that she didn't care how much it rained on her she had no intentions of leaving this spot she heard a rustling off in the distance, and as she listened it sounded as if it was coming closer and closer. To make matters worse she heard a hoarse sounding voice call her name, specifically her name. Her body tensed, but she didn't move. She knew she was safe by Flynn... but who would be so foolish as to come looking for her out here?

She kept watching, and then... she reached out mentally. Her curiosity got the best of her, especially as the broken looking female came into view. She took in her appearance, and the mental information came flooding into her mind as the female collapsed. "Oh my god... It's Nidalee...", the words left her like a whisper, gasped almost due to her surprise. The friend of hers that had gone missing one day, never to be seen from again -kidnapped but unable to be found, whose parents had likewise disappeared on their quest to find her. Nidalee, who she had heard whispers of was thought dead....

"...." A... a biskmatar? No wonder his nose hadn't told him anything was wrong; he'd been caught about as unaware as possible by this. A biskmatar was no enemy of his; they were of his people, if not his specific species; he felt no threat from them. If not for the racket being made, he never would have paid attention to the young girl until she was right next to them. Demi's reactions had him moving though; she sounded surprised and horribly worried, and his natural reaction was to help the poor girl anyway.

He was uncurled and moving to make sure the girl didn't fall any further; large arms easily able to support and lift the girl; she weighed next to nothing to him really. "Fill me in while we move, let's get her back to the city. She needs help, yes?"