Noctisardor Bypass wanna play cheat, now says the sloth.

AW but limited to one, please. <3

the bypass held no charm for ava. she missed the coastline, the familiar footpaths of the green hills. she missed psalm, @Judah, and her daddy. 

though there was little warmth in her life now ava tried to make the best of it. she busied herself studying her surroundings, learning the new patterns and rhythms of this novel place. 

stopping for a drink along a chattering brook, ava supped the icewater as her gaze was drawn to a flock of geese flying overhead.

Sven was near his adult height and weight. He wouldn't be tall, but stocky body made way. With pelt of nightime and stars he moved through the areas of his home. Nose on the ground in search of the elusive rabbits. His father's death still heavy as a mantle upon broad shoulders.

Steel gray eyes took in the overcast day, though the wind didn't tear at him like screaming claws of ice. And he shifted and tilted ears towards noises and movements.

One mitted paw after another he tore up the ground ever searching.

ava did not know what to make of this boy, who peeled back layers of crusted earth in search.

she wiped the riverwater from her chin. there was nothing about his scent that was familiar. it spoke of mossy wood, loam, and cold.

what did he search for? she watched him from a distance, hunkering down in a patch of faded timothy reeds.

Sweet sven was oblivious to the watcher in the weeds. Too content on his mission. Ever searching for something to bring back to his family. Maybe get a smile from Astrid, a laugh from Kristjan or Ujurak a gentle kiss from mom. How he wanted to bring them some semblance of happiness and normalcy.

Finally, his search allowed him to chase the gray downy fur of a rabbit on winters habitual hibernation. He had stirred and it had ran and he gave chase.

the boy flushed a hare from its warren. ava hunkered closer to the earth, pupils wide and ears flat to her skull. 

small and near invisible in the autumnal pelage of late fall grass, she watched. 

her heart beat quickened. something bid her to chase. an instinct older than time. 

she burst from the reeds after him, a headlong run in the erratic path of the rabbit.

He was joined by another and looked at her surprised, faltering in his steps, but he pushed back into his stance. 

You chase i catch yea?!

Then he smiled, those steel gray eyes of his alight with the chase, the freckles across his nose bright in the sun. Then he focused back on the rabbit. Trying to keep the girl within his scope of vision and hopin gshe understood what he was trying to do.

for a split second ava met the gaze of the stranger. a world swam within those eyes; of warm forests, silver rivers, and distant wind-blown grasses. a world she might never have known were it not for that sparing glance --

the rabbit!

jolted back into reality ava tore after it. its tail bobbed and weaved like a white flag against the winter ground. she lunged and came up empty, but her efforts diverted it closer to sven's path.

Sven felt a jolt as she returned his gaze, and his smile brightened. Those silver spades of his growing larger with mirth and joy. It felt good to run and play. Fadir would be proud, yes?

She ran towards the rabbit. He laughed. YOu did good!

He chased and gamboled, snapping, finally a well placed bite had it's leg wounded and it limped. You kill it! Your catch!

He felt it the gentlemanly thing to do after all was to let her have this.

the boy frolicked before her, his expression gone from austere surprise to excitement-- it passed over her like the kind beam of a sun ray.

ava was dazzled by its radiance.

the hare! oh! her eyes pulled from that wellspring of molten warmth, at last to the hare which hobbled from an artful blow.

ava struck the thing down unthinkingly -- ultimately uncaring to the life she'd ended as she pushed it shyly towards sven.

all for the sake of a boy who happened to look kindly upon her.

Graceful wven as children. She caught it. Presenting it to Sven as if it were a prize.

A blazing smile lit up thr contours of his steel eyes and he spoke. Kindness and clarity.

Heya! You did amazing. I'm Sven.

He smiled into her two tone face and eyes. Many colors were in hia family, but her bold red made him strangely happy.

ava was breathless as she turned the prize to her new friend. would he want it?

his eyes were the powerful color of steel, but they lit with a forge's brightness as he smiled. the fierce warmth of it fell across ava like sunblade.

sven. the name was foreign to ava. it was not a common name like john or mark or even judas. it was powerful and short.

ava's shy expression burst into a grin. she raised her paw and signed flower in return; while it was not her namesign, it was the only thing she knew to communicate, and she hoped desperately her new friend would not think she was stupid because she could not speak.

She seemed to study him in turn. But he didn't feel intrided upon. She felt warm and safe

 Like his brother Ujurak. But definitely not like Asti. His name was a long one long and deep. Speaking of forebears and grandmother's. But he didn't share that with anyone usually.

She made a movement with paw, he didn't know it. But she smiled and he wondered ahout it. A gentle glance to her.

I'm sorry I don't understand, but thats okay we'll figure out how to talk you and me. I promise.

rather than look at her if she was strange, sven only smiled and offered an apology that he didn't understand. ava's expression changed to one of silent wonder. never before had someone apologized for her handicap; it awoke a strong sense of gratitude in the girl.

she placed her paw back on the ground. after a long look, she made the motion for flower again, and pointed to herself in pantomime. it was crude, but she hoped he would understand.

rather than dwell, ava pushed the kill to him again, the soft thump of her tail wagging gently against the ground.

Sven didn't see a reason to make her feel bad for her lack of voice. He couldn't speak to birds or foxes or other creatures and it didn't limit their worth or make them less than. A lesson he had learned from his fadir.


He followed thr motion. A furrow in his brow. But he thought perhaps he understood.

You are. then he made the motion she had. 

Well met.

We'll share. But let me take the fur off you can take it with you.

you are. ava's eyes lit up in confirmation. yes! she nodded, her ears half-flopping with the motion.

talking -- or rather, communicating -- with sven opened up a world of possibilities ava had not yet dreamed of. her world had been so small; shuttled from one island to the next, then sequestered in the mainland away from everything but her own family. she was safe, she was fed, if meagerly -- a better life than most but still ava was profoundly lonely.

she peered down at the hare, curious. even in her great restraint, ava could not deny how hungry she was. the bypass was far from fertile hunting ground, and a thinness had sunk into her frame as the weeks passed.

what would he do with the fur?

Sven smiled at her again. Glad he got her name correct or well sign.

He made quick and messy work of the fur. Not quite as finessed as his family. He pressed it nesrby and pushed the hare towards her.

He smiled. i put fur in water. Fishes eat all dead skin. Then it be dried and can wear it on ahoulders. I give you cape.

It wouldn't last long on her growing body, but for a time she'd have a wrap to hold close.

the girl's solemn gaze widened to one of wonder as she watched sven work. his teeth incised expertly along the hare's abdomen; while the end result was gristly, there was no doubt the craftsmanship was there waiting untapped.

ava dug into the hare with a desperation bordering on rude. when she finished, she wiped her chin with the back of her wrist, smiling sheepishly to the boy that had fed her and now, offered a peltskin as a cape.

she took the thin pelt and ran her paws quizzically over the soft fur. it was downy, with residual traces of warmth to it. but what could she give him in return?

He didn't know how to do it really well yet. But he was learning. It was grisly and not fully formed. Truthfully quite ugly. But he was proud none the less.

She seemed as if sje were starving. He swallowed thickly. Perhaps he and Ujurak could find more for her and her family. Take it to where she was staying? But would she like that? Would her family?

A soft smile. It still needs a little work, but it will keep you warm amd it is soft.

ava had never been given a gift before. her face flushed with gratitude — and a sorry sense of shame that she could give him nothing in return.

she wrapped the roughened pelt around her slim shoulders. it was patchwork, and gristle still clung to it — but she liked the way it smelled, for it reminded her of him. 

ava gave a small smile, forgetting her hardships for a rare moment.

She put it around herself. Gore still clinging to it. But well it suited the plains of her face. Feral and wild it ascented that about her. So Sven merely smiled.

You look great in it. he nodded.

He was thinking. Want to play tag? a sweep of his tail. A gentle playful look on his face

would u like to wrap this one up for a new one? i am sorry i let it get out of date <3

he complimented her. ava's gaze swept over him in surprise, a flush to her cheek. she smiled and looked away, suddenly saddled with blushing shyness.

all of that evaporated when he asked if she wanted to play tag. she turned and looked him up and down -- his grey coat, his gentle grin -- and then she dived in a playbow and galloped off, the peltskin fluttering from her haunches.

she paused and spun back around for it -- realizing he was just close enough to tag her!

Sure. Thank you so much for the thread. Last from me.

She agreed and ran though she stopped. Her wrap had fluttered. Sven skidded to a stop, trying not to get dirt on it 

Go ahead and get it. I'll chase you after.

Once she had it securely on herself or to the side. He would chase her then. His laughter galloping through the wind.

the pair played at length. it was the first time ava participated in such rowdiness since she left the island. 

a sad sense of loneliness sat around her shoulders like a cowl when it was time to leave. she gathered her peltskin and waved shyly, trotting back to her family. 

if only she could tell them all about her new friend.