Oasis

[Mahou-Shoujo]

The presence or lack of cloth seemed an odd way to define someone's personhood in a society, after all, babies were born without cloth among rodents and presumably among two legged people as well, though it would fit among the many odd things that these societies seemed to contain, some reasonable like bowls, and others less so, like their distrust of even non predatory races around them and their homes, the rodents would meanwhile quite regularly drink water with or casually forage in the same area as other creatures that fit into neither prey or predator, since the greater numbers meant they would all be safer.

Sarash had finished it's hunk of meat by the time Ratty gave some more, and sniffed at it carefully for a moment before looking at Ratty, who wouldn't need a magical rock to tell them that expression, the feline was clearly quite grateful and a little happy, and... Something else? It seemed to be looking at Ratty the same way it did the Syol and Uhar, perhaps it's perception had just shifted from 'strange pet' to 'person' with the gifting of this treat, maybe not the intention, but at least it wouldn't be so confused about Ratty now.

Daoin had finished roughly around the same time as Ratty, and was licking their bowl clean when they were asked about the festival.
"Oh! That's right, you wouldn't know what that is... Umm, I don't know all of the history behind it... But I'll try and explain".
They declared before continuing on.
"So... The Sanctuary festival is a big celebration with lots of food and gifts and dancing and music between the Syol and Uhar settlements that's supposed to celebrate when lots of us made it to the forest after the great trek and were welcomed in like long lost family! Umm, I think it's supposed to be about the first big trek, but also new arrivals get welcomed by everyone and get new names if they want! It's where I got my name, I didn't like my old one".
They declared, smiling the whole time, clearly the festival was a good time for all involved.

 

[Fyrra]

Even while the pearl slept, it seemed to continue noting oddities with the rodent's thoughts: a gentle suggestion to turn its thinking around got the rat second-guessing itself again. Perhaps it wasn't the cloth that made someone a person in this society, but the personhood that necessitated the cloth? Again, more strangeness that wasn't worth worrying about too much. Knowing people, it was probably just another tool designed to overcome their lack of fur in holding in warmth. Useful, like bowls. But, in the end it mattered little: the ritual of offering food might not have some greater meaning here, but Sarash seemed happy with the outcome. Perhaps it wasn't a ritual meant to be understood. Or, perhaps it was related to this festival?

Daoin's historical lecture got the creature to set its entire bowl down. It stood unusually still, though every now and then it would reach up to scratch at its head, as though there was something that wasn't being said, but was integral to the explanation. To know that the Syol and Uhar were migrants to this forest changed little, but it almost explained why Elder Syol called the nest 'those ruins' instead of some sort of name like Tarkhal Enial: they didn't know where the ruins came from either. Still, a great trek sounded like much more than a mere day's travel through the forest, to be something to celebrate on a regular basis... right?

This sounds. Familiar. Should not, but does.

Broken signings, with the break represented with more scratches to the head. History was not something the rodent expected to ponder this evening, and it had no reason to sense familiarity in the subject matter, apart from its own nesting grounds being the end result of a migration. But, for a massive amount of people to trek across a great, great distance, something must have.... forced them to do it? Like, if they were fleeing from the appearance of something that hunted people? Or perhaps... that? It couldn't be the same thing, but for some reason the content of an almost-forgotten dream came to mind.

The rodent stepped back a few paces, shocked at the horrifying picture these details were beginning to paint. It stared over Daoin's face for a moment, but it found no traces of the horror such an event would place upon people. But, Daoin was young; perhaps the syol didn't tell their young? It suddenly turned to face Hin, recalling something else that was spoken, that they'd lost something important.... but of course, Hin's expression was still difficult to read, if there was any part of him that could be read. And then there was that other word, family. The dread that accompanied it defied logic, but to hear Daoin say that word with such happiness, the rodent couldn't understand, even when it understood that the definition itself didn't match up with anything bad. The sharing of music and food sounded wonderful, but everything else...

It all sounds so horrible, the rat signed as it faced Daoin once more, wincing visibly: a step up from the last time it heard that word spoken, but when it tried to elaborate, a host of emotions flooded the creature's senses. There was simply too much to absorb, and trying to reach for the memories had brought about more than the rat could parse. It could tell its friend what it had been thinking of no more than it could squish a golem, and part of the creature wondered if it would even be right to mention such an atrocity. In any case, the rodent couldn't, not now, but one detail did resonate with it in a different way, that it could put the words together.

It was a truth, blurred by emotions and the passage of time, yet awakened through its abrupt resurfacing. Apparently, the rodent still held feelings over events that did not take place in this world. It turned, and walked away from the group, suddenly wearing the fatigue of a day's march: the creature had hit its limit. It couldn't face its friends while signing, so it tried from the side.

We didn't like our name either. Need sleep. See you at dawn.

Perhaps there was some tent it could find to burrow up in.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

If the pearl truly was sleeping, then it seemed it left some part of it active to assist Ratty, as it had been dormant previously and yet the translation and odd notes on surroundings and occurrences still worked, it was probably something like how Ratty would breathe even while sleeping, just a feature of Pearl's existence that didn't need constant attention to function, a good thing that, as Pearl seemed to lost focus a lot and that could be troublesome if it happened mid conversation and turned off the translation ability, and downright disastrous if it happened while a magic was being made.

At first only Hin noticed something may be wrong with Ratty, his gaze flicking to their four legged ally even before their horror became more visible, though the others soon followed, concern clear on their faces at the sudden movement, it appeared that Hin and Daoin were able to read even body language as they observed Ratty, and Lizzy perhaps knew them well enough, or may have even been familiar with it somehow in some form, enough to be worried for their friend anyway.
Sarash had an odd look as well, unreadable, the strange cat was too different but did take a careful step toward the rodent.

Daoin and Lizzy made sense not to show shock, Daoin was young, most likely young enough to not remember or ideally, not have experienced the Trek, and Lizzy had not been involved, however, the cook nearby did have a slight sadness to their face, they were old but as much as even the elders, if they knew it then it could not have been an incredibly long time ago, Hin was nearly unreadable, whatever emotion he might have shown was disguised behind concern, despite his apparent willingness to sacrifice the rodent he did show genuine worry about them, which was confusing in it's self unless he wanted them to live long enough to BE sacrificed.

Fortunately no one seemed offended by Ratty calling it horrible... They were at least a little to be sure, but understood that Ratty WAS a totally different being from them... Even if Ratty had seemed to like much of the things they had experienced of their cultures so far... Or at least they thought so based on their own observations.
It seemed like Daoin was going to say something but stopped, not sure what they were really going to say other than asking if their friend was alright... They could tell they weren't exactly alright already.
And Lizzy... Didn't know if she should follow... She knew people liked being alone, her one roommate was similar, she would just be nearby for when Ratty emerged and was more receptive to attention! Like a good friend.

There were many tents around, one seemed to be full of random things, some sort of storage area perhaps, there was plenty of room for a rodent to get comfortable, warm cozy areas between stacked objects.
Apparently the recent mental activity had woken their head friend, who after a moment to take stock of what had happened, did it's best to offer the equivalent of a mental hug, deciding that Ratty wasn't in enough mental danger to warrant a forced exodus into it's own mental fortress.
"Is... Host... Okay? Need... Talk?"
Pearl's hesitance seemed more like actual genuine hesitance rather than trouble speaking this time, it was treating Ratty as possibly fragile, and was completely unable to hide the fact.

 

[Fyrra]

The storage tent seemed as good a place as any to retreat into: lots of containers and crevices to tuck between, away from the bustle of the encampment except for the odd visitor. The rat's friends were reliable enough to be trusted not to get into any sort of trouble here on their way to find a place to sleep, but the creature could have at least waited to see where they would be staying before darting off into the sunset. But, once flopped into a somewhat-hidden location, it was a little too late to go back without being not just awkward, but potentially facing the consequences of what it just told everyone.

No. Talk difficult. Need rest.

The rat didn't want to talk about this, not with anyone, least of all its closest friend who seemed to read its mind. But, after lying still for a good few minutes and not getting any sleep, the creature realized it may need to sort this out, sooner rather than later. The shock of having intense emotions had given Reptile cause for worry once before, and not understanding and overcoming this shortcoming could only lead to worse problems later on. Besides, who else could the creature talk this over with? To tell the others it thought it was a People, they would think it deranged, or misguided. Maybe.

Probably not, but still. A tentative thought pinged the pearl once more, opening their link back up.

We are different, are we not? Or, are we the same? - This question could be posed as a comparison between the rat and its pearl, or the rodent and the memories surfacing in its dreams. Further voicing of the creature's worries pointed toward the latter context. - That impossible place we remember. It cannot be us, but we still feel it. The warmth of Wolf, the intensity of Fire, the dread of Flashing Lights, the... hatred of Family? It cannot be us, but no other possibility makes sense.

An identity crisis. Family was supposed to be a word associated with the kindest of its people, the ones who looked out for it and went out of their way to bring it home when it was in danger at night. The creature felt nothing but warmth from them, but the concept, that word, still sparked a dark, burning turmoil. An outburst, at times. - We cannot recall the name spoken, but That was not our name. This was important. Feels significant. Still feel the memory, even here. Are we unwell? That trek of blood and disease. It could not be real; it was not here. But it was real there, and similar things happen here. That impossible place must be real then?? Is it why humans are easier to understand than other people?

The creature knew the answers, deep down. It just didn't want to admit it. It was all so horrible, and in the depths of its gut, it knew it had but scratched the surface of the atrocities that took place, both in the dream world, and here. Some things were simply not meant for children to know, but for one particular rat, that sort of kindness had already been cast aside. One could even argue that no such kindness existed for anyone who could fit the pieces together: after all, if the rat knew as much as it was willing to show off in front of the elders of the Uhar and Syol settlements, they might not realize they weren't speaking to a wise elder themselves.

This food for thought brought with it an overpowering aftertaste.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Pearl went quiet... But didn't go back to it's sleeping mode, it was too worried for Ratty to leave, while able to control it's own emotions much easier than organic beings like it's Host, it understood how being shocked could be, and these otherworldly memories were always bad news! Once again they caused trouble for it's host, a danger it couldn't beat by itself, so instead it stuck around hoping it's presence would somehow be a relief, as unlikely as it was sure that would be.

The question... Was unexpected, on one hand the obvious answer was yes, clearly the host was different from the other memories and totally different from itself, since Pearl was some sort of symbiotic parasite in the shape of a pearl, a fact it wasn't ashamed to admit, since it was certain it gave as much as it took from it's host, more even, and the host was a living breathing rodent, with it's own goals and experiences.
Pearl was somewhat sure not all of it's memories were really it's own, and that it was clearly a separate being from those particular bits of knowledge, but then again... Where DID the Host's other memories come from? The Host wasn't a magical being like Pearl, able to store so much foreign information with ease.
And why did they have such strong effects? Perhaps there was something to it after all... Some other life somehow part of Ratty... But that didn't matter right now, as it had come to an answer.
"You... Separate, something new, memories maybe... Someone else who was once you?..."
It was trying to get across that Ratty was their own person.
"Like... Parent... Host is, born from.. Other being".
The way it viewed it, Ratty was like a child, or even grandchild, inheriting things from the other being, but not being the same.

Pearl took the time to check Ratty's body for sickness before answering.
"Host is... Healthy, physically... Mentally... Unknown".
It couldn't truly assess the mind, not when it had so little experience, whatever it's purpose, it did not include knowledge of therapy unfortunately.
"A name... Host Need a Name, establish, identity, separate from other".

 

[Fyrra]

The pearl's explanation was a worrying one, but it bore its own sort of logic. Offspring inherit things from their parents, but the thing this creature inherited was not a physiology or biology, but knowledge, memories, and a connection to something ever-present but of a variable degree of relevance depending on any situation's context. The memories could be thought of as stories of another world, perhaps. Lessons to pass down... but when the emotions bleed through to the rodent itself, could that truly be what happened? And, what of the family of rats back at the nest? They had always been so affectionate, and nurturing.

We are.... adopted?

Well, one couldn't fault the rat-kin for doing that. In the old nest's supposedly suppressed reproductive urges, an adoption simply meant taking in a stray: a life that was already produced, rather than creating new progeny. Memories of the old life suggested that this was an unusual trait, but the creature's own memories would call this natural behavior. Who wouldn't take in a stray and care for it as its own? That was simply the right thing to do, when faced with such an opportunity... but perhaps the rodent had taken its kin-rats for granted. They could use hugs, and food, and... a day or three to just exist together. Not with the disaster looming over the treeline, but someday soon.

What stopped the rodent's thoughts was yet another suggestion for a name, an identity of its own, to separate it from... other rats, or the person from whence its knowledge came? Again, the creature considered it, but the thought of not simply being one among many rodents of the nest brought with it a sadness. The creature liked its herd, its nestmates, but it didn't always show it because it always viewed itself as a mere part of the whole. It never wanted to be different, or special in any way, but... perhaps there could be no going back now.

Names come from... That. - At last, after many nights of repeated prodding, the creature was beginning to consider it. - But they also come from the festival. Maybe we could look there?

Once more, a memory from the other world derailed the creature's thoughts: a vague memory, an echo of one of its earliest dreams that made no sense. A time of fear, uncertainty, and a bitter coldness. The declaration, that that was not its name, whatever it was, turned a dismal life into something stronger, with more purpose: a false identity cast to the wind, and a new one seized in the moment, A change of... style? Many moons spent changing its voice, and with that, an emboldened sense of fortitude in the face of many enemies.

The rat finally understood who it was, before it was a rat. It didn't understand the changes, but perhaps that wasn't so important when compared to the ritual itself. Because, that's what it was: a ritual, from which people drew their strength, and it must have worked, for both a potential past self to make use of it, as well as Daoin.

The youngling, it knows the secret of names. They can find something, or we can take one for ourselves. But, we do not know names. Tried pulling names from void, but they make no sense. What does one call a thinking stone, anyway? To use the name of another stone could be rude, but there is nothing else to work with. The same is with rats. What sort of name does Stone like? We think Stone likes 'cute,' but not certain. Something that sounds like it bears wisdom? For us, still do not know what to look for. Names are strange. Maybe want something frightening. Teeth of the Ravenous Dark Abyss! Or, Karmic Retribution, or Beholder of Judgment and Destruction!

Clearly, this creature had tastes of a specific variety that opposed its actual behavior among people, but for what it's worth, the Pearl should be able to detect the faint presence of humor or joy in these suggestions.

So, for you... how does 'Shale' sound? Titania? Chroma? Lucifer, Bringer of Knowledge? Illumina? Lumie or Lumina for short? Or... Shui? Shuri? Neera? Xu? Raxiatta? Vandrisstanbuizel? Roanoke?

The moon rose while the rat continued trying to bounce ideas for names at the pearl, gauging what sort of reaction the stone might have with each one, and encouraging it to respond in kind. Eventually, the creature's mood mellowed out and it could stomach the thought of looking for its companions again, so it wandered out into the camp and snarted sniffing about. Better that they not worry the entire night, after all.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Pearl wasn't sure where it acquired the definition of adoption from... Or where it's host had to be honest, but it had the information and therefore would use it to answer it's host's question to the best of it's ability!
"Host... Seems to be adopted".
It declared with surprising clarity, having reviewed the oldest of the memories it could find without grazing that mind breaking store of otherworldly knowledge that gave them both so much difficulty in processing, and even attempted to drag the memory it found into clarity, restoring it from the haze it had somehow fallen into.
"Host was... Found, rescued, loved".
Personally Pearl didn't see why it would be so important, it was an artificial being, knowing for certain it had been created... Somehow, and therefore could have no family except for those it chose, adoption just seemed like a natural occurrence, no stranger than birth.

"Perhaps... Name can be found?... I, do not, know where names, come from".
Pearl admitted, it had just been using the word that roughly described it's physical appearance before being ingested, it was somewhat certain it still had that form, so the word had continued to function as the most accurate term in the moment.
However... The prospect of a name, a unique identifying descriptor of it's own, was incredibly appealing, even more so than the most magic filled relic snack, it wasn't sure what 'cute' was, but it deed seem accurate, and so Pearl silently listened to the suggested names, most didn't interest it... But Lumina, the name felt comfortable, almost familiar, but in a strange way, as if it was similar to something they had experienced before, either way, it wanted that.
"Lumina... That title... I will take it for my own".
It was a strangely confident and declarative statement from the usually fairly deferential being.
Lumina unfortunately did not have any names it could suggest, it knew of none but those they had encountered that belonged to others already.

Ratty's wandering would eventually uncover their companions' locations, Lizzy was sitting cross legged close to one of the fires that dotted the camp, eyes open though she didn't seem to be entirely in focus, Hin was exiting a tent with more care than usual, the entrance flap opening enough to reveal a blanket covered, sleeping Daoin, along with the similarly sleeping Sarash.

 

[Fyrra]

Truth be told, the rodent had been reaching into the pit of its forbidden memories and pulling out any sounds that seemed like they could be connected to a person. The creature hadn't quite figured out the difference between titles, the strange world's mythologies, and monikers people used to identify themselves, but it did recall thinking about this a few times in the past few days. What was weird, at least to the rat, was the sudden resurfacing of an old, old memory, of when one of its kin found it somewhere. It just didn't feel right... but it did match up with what it knew about other young rats, namely that they were found somewhere and brought into the nesting grounds.

Names come from the festival of unity, the rodent repeated, assured that Daoin would not lie about something that sounded as important as its friend made it out to be. As for the names it thought up for the pearl and itself, it tried looking for anything tangentally related to water, stone, or light, and when all of that failed, started making stuff up. If anything, dumb luck just happened to provide the stone something it was happy with, but the rat wasn't sure it would be necessary, unless it got eaten by something and Lumina had to communicate with or through somebody else. Or, perhaps the pearl wanted to speak independently to others?

The creature remain undecided on anything to call itself, should any opportunity to speak arise, but just as it was about to give up, it crossed paths with its companions by a tent. What awkward timing: its sudden departure had likely worried its friend, had it not upset everyone else. For a moment the rat could face none of them... but it'd yet to start running from its own mistakes yet, if 'needing some alone time' could be called a mistake in the first place. Etiquette was such a foreign concept, but this seemed more basic. It took the rat a few moments to get its nerve together, before it signed something to Hin.

Apologies. We - a pause. Should the rat be referring to itself as merely part of its nest right now, when none of the others had a hand in this? Or, could the creature even blame the entity it once was, when the one that stood here now was the one having a reaction? After mulling it over, the rodent tried a different word - ...I, was rude. Still learning communication. Still learning many things. Sometimes, is too much. Did not intend to belittle sacred historical festival.

The rodent eyed Reptile once it was done, noticing the available lap, then looked at Hin once more. Without Daoin awake, now might be its only chance to sign something that only Hin would read.

Planning to ask Elder Syol about the first Great Trek on return. Sounds familiar, but details foggy. Much frustrate. Think understand: great loss. Will do much to spare friends from facing that fate again.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"I... Know little of this festival... If it makes names... Do all named persons have, such things?"
Lumina questioned, partly out of curiosity, but also to make sure Ratty thought about it, while Lumina didn't want to suggest that Daoin was lying about the festival's importance, it seemed odd that all cultures would be named in similar ways, so it was probably on specific to these particular people.

Lumina had admittedly, not even considered the possibility of communicating independently with others, for one thing it had no idea HOW it would go about doing so, but also... Why would it? People were difficult to understand, and all it had to focus on was making it's host stronger and improving chances of survival, though now that it had a name, putting it on par with humans in more than just it's intelligence, maybe it SHOULD? After all, it could prove helpful for the host to have someone else be able to take over and explain certain concepts, or even just to tell someone to go away if they so desired.
However Ratty being eaten was not something it deemed a possible event leading to communicating with others, for one thing Lumina was pretty sure it would be damaged in such an event, and for another... It's goal was to avoid things like that! It would be an incredible failure to allow the host to be EATEN and not have a safe way back out.

Hin seemed to take it well, he wasn't exactly angry looking, just his usual carefully guarded expression, but he DID seem to lighten a little bit, maybe anyway, it could be so hard to tell when people were well practiced with hiding feelings, especially with how weird two legged smells were compared to rodents, Lizzy at least smelled somewhat like lizards so could be compared to them but Syol were not like any animal.
"Do not fear... Communication between most people can be... Difficult, but I and Daoin could tell at the least that you intended no offense".
Ahh, the benefits of magical translation abilities, was hard to accidentally offend someone who knew what you were trying to say, possibly even when you yourself didn't.
Hin seemed to have lightened up in general a little, perhaps he was more relaxed now that Daoin was safe and sleeping? Or more embarrassingly it could be related to how Ratty had sort of freaked out, he did seem to look at them differently, almost questioningly in a way, like he was reevaluating some things.

His response to that statement was surprisingly understated, earning a simple stoic nod before he apparently deemed it necessary to speak.
"She knows it far better than I... She was there, we..."
He gestured at the tent containing Daoin.
"Came at a later time".
Apparently the Great Trek was a long time ago, but not so far that all the participants were dead.
"It's... Not your duty to protect us young one, nor do we need it, few are willing to invade our new home, and even fewer would survive such an attempt".

 

[Fyrra]

Conversing with Lumina felt sort of like one of those memories from its dreams, in the chamber of tables and lessons. If there was a sort of act for comparing observations made between two people learning, it might match the conversation happening between the pearl and its host... if the host had to be pressed to think harder about things sometimes. - Do not know. Maybe different in Other World, but local rituals seem more relevant. Maybe similar rituals? Recalling intense dislike of old name, whatever it was. Memories strong. Daoin didn't like their old name either. Festival helped them. Perhaps there is another source?

Then again, to be named by a Syol or an Uhar ritual, would that be okay? The rat might have had no desire of its own to go seeking out something to call itself, but it also had no desire to establish any sort of identity outside of the nest it was born from. Lumina called it a protector once, and also 'cute,' in a sort of way that sounded like it was just echoing Daoin's exclamation. That much should be enough to get by as a rat, possibly even as a person-rat. Right? But, with Reptile nearby... one might wonder if she had a name as well? Nobody seemed to ask this of her, either. Names appeared to be more important when identifying a specific person, but when 'demon rat' or 'serpent scion of the flame' got the message across, why fix what wasn't broken?

Or, perhaps it was for those who didn't stand out amongst their people? In any case, this was the sort of thing the rodent had no intention of asking anyone about... yet. Maybe once it figured out squeaking words... or even started trying to figure that out. It seemed a little less urgent than the danger that lie in wait for them tomorrow, whatever it might be, and also, something seemed off with Hin. The rat couldn't put a clawnail on it, so it watched the tall archer, observing his apparently relaxed demeanor. Once again, a guarded read, but there was much to work with now, and he didn't appear upset.

The rat offered a nod in acknowledgment to most of Hin's statements, but for the last few it used words again, its ears perking up at the mention of its youth.

It was an invasion? - The rodent shook its head, reconsidering just what Hin had to say; its ears perked up at the mention of its age. - Anything that could threaten an entire town would stand beyond our reach... one would think. But, duty? Even if it wasn't, it is now that we've told the leaders of two communities that we're looking into it. Or, is this not about our journey tomorrow?

Cue a yawn.

You appear more relaxed. Is it because we're done speaking with the elders for now?

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Maybe Ratty would end up requiring a name at a later date, especially if communicating with many two legged humanoids became a regular thing, which it appeared it was inevitably going to, even disregarding Lizzy's presence... As for her name, Lizzy COULD be a name, it seemed like it would be acceptable for some people to be called that, but it didn't seem entirely like it fit, maybe she didn't have a proper one? And it didn't seem to bother her much, though perhaps she merely hit it like Lumina had done before it was brought up, only way to know for sure was to ask, which... Could be awkward, especially with how relaxed the reptile currently appeared to be as they soaked up heat from the fire.

"Not at all... It was... Related to an invasion and some saw it as one, but the great trek was more of a... Homecoming than anything else, there was no threat to any of the peoples already within the forest".
Hin explained, not wanting Ratty to get the wrong idea about such a formative event, he at least didn't seem annoyed or upset at the misunderstanding, he may have had the ability to understand anyone, but his own ability to get things across could be ironically limited sometimes.

"It both is and isn't related to tomorrow... For a long time our people have relied on ourselves, we are more than capable of continuing to do so, and do not need to burden you with becoming our protector... As for our current journey, that is somewhat different, while we benefit from it to be sure, your duty is to your own people, whatever this anomaly is, will only hurt your kind in the long run as well, as all animals and even insects flee, there will be nothing to encourage growth among the forest and food will grow sparse".
Come to think of it... There HAD been no insects within the ruins either, and were fewer than expected in this camp, Ratty might not have known why that was important, but it seemed Hin had at least a faint idea that they helped plants somehow.

Oddly enough he seemed... Almost a little embarrassed about the question, and nodded after a moment's contemplation.
"Is it that obvious?... I have never been... Fond of speaking with people, despite or perhaps because of my ability to understand them, with such serious topics it is even worse, though that is only part of it... I will admit, I am concerned about Daoin, they are my family and though I will not prevent them from attending this quest of their own free will, I will admit to feeling safer when they are asleep and away from danger".

 

[Fyrra]

The rodent pondered on a few things: the plausibility of Lizzy the Lizard and further wisdom from Hin regarding things the rodent had already mentioned about small creatures fleeing from the wood. It seemed they were of a similar mind when it came to this sort of thing, though clarification on just what precisely The Great Trek was only made it clear that it was a big, complicated mess that should probably be tackled another day, when that great big ball of fire in the sky had time to brighten everyone's wits. As things were now, the rodent simply didn't have the words to ask what it was thinking on that subject.

But, it understood the concept of self-reliance more than anything else, even if its ears flattened at the mention of a duty toward its people, and again at the word 'family.' The rat had already found a new nest for its kind to inhabit, and in a way, even if the circumstances of this one task weren't dire, befriending the two-legged folk served their interests as well. If the creature could find a way to prevent its kind from being hunted, that would solve all sorts of problems, probably, but probably not the immediate concern of 'what if the magically renewing food supply stops being enough; what if it stops functioning' that had been alluded to by Lumina earlier. What luck that a crisis should tie everything together.

You understand why we dropped everything we were doing to help, then. Good. Then, if you won't have our protection, would you like us to share knowledge instead? We feel it would be rude for us to hoard such a thing.

This might have been a better question for Elder Syol, but asking Hin had its purposes too. The sentry was impossible to read, but his words felt honest, if nothing else. Curt, cutting, and perhaps a touch insensitive, but honest. He was like a well of uncomfortable but useful insights.

We... I don't like bringing the young one into danger either. Mixed feelings, but it sounds like there is no other way. We are trusting you both to return with your lives intact. But, we... I understand. Lengthy communication is unpleasant enough on its own. Worse with.... family. For me, anyway. First family... do not like. Current family is better, but there are things they do not understand.

Cue another yawn. The rodent was tired, and apparently still struggling with the concept of a 'self' that is separate from both the nest, and its previous life. At least the creature was beginning to form opinions outside base concepts like 'threat,' 'food,' 'friend,' 'tool' and such. It sat down by the reptile's side, brushed up against her leg while watching Hin.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

The problem of being hunted was likely not as impossible as it might seem at first glance, with all the rats in one, easily defendable location, it would be easy to spot and then stop any would be hunter who attempted to go after the nest, as for when the rats were out and about, well it wouldn't be too hard to convince the Uhar and Syol not to shoot them, they already saw Ratty as an ally after all, they might even be able to help with outsiders who decided to hunt the rats.

Hin considered Ratty's words for a moment before nodding.
"Information sharing puts you at no extra risk or material disadvantage, I... May not be the best one to accept such information, the elders are certainly much more experienced in complicated matters, but if it is important to the mission I shall attempt to take in any information you offer".
He seemed grateful this time, and perhaps relieved? Though that could have been something else.

"As I said before, I have no intention of needlessly throwing away any lives, heavens willing we will all return home in triumph, having banished whatever the source of this anomaly is".
He raised an eyebrow at the latest nugget of information.
"I was not aware your kind had such a thing as adoption, though with what I know of you so far, I must admit it was naïve of me to make any assumptions about the cultural aspects of your kind, you are clearly not normal rodents after all".

Lizzy didn't respond immediately, needing a few seconds to exit her meditation induced fog, though instinctively stroke the rat without thinking for a moment, before pulling her hand away, no doubt embarrassed by her careless invasion of personal space and boundaries.
"Apologies... I was... Distracted? Focused on something else?"
She didn't seem entirely sure how to describe whatever she had been doing.

 

[Fyrra]

Given the nature of Lumina's suggestions, it appeared the pearl was catching on to why the rodent was taking as much care to communicate with these bipeds and assist with their problems... though, it might just as easily be because the rat liked its friends Daoin and Reptile, albeit in different ways. Hin too, maybe. The way he spoke, it was starting to sound like he wasn't going to sink a feather into the rodent's hide the moment it became useful after all, and that the rat was probably just overreacting. Maybe it was a way to put some distance between himself and those around him?

If so, the creature could learn a thing or two from this one about social etiquette, but it was hard to be aloof and intimidating when surrounded by one's affectionate friends. Upon possibly annoying Hin by making him repeat himself about not throwing his life away, the rat plapped a hand upon its forehead, then waved it around before looking in Daoin's direction. - I know, I know, it's just... - Them. Try as it might to appear seasoned and capable, the creature's motivations might not be so easily hidden from the archer's keen insights. But, that was fine too. And, it was nice that he just understood things: what a useful ability. The rodent might wonder just how much of what wasn't being communicated got through to him, for curiosity's sake: he'd done much to establish himself as forthright, if nothing else.

All the more amusing when the rat's continued attempts at communication got interrupted by a long petting.

Normal is... - Cue a shudder from the petting; the rodent turned about to look its reptilian companion over. - Hello there! Apologies for leaving so abruptly. <squeak> planning to <slumber> soon. Is <night> good? All is well?

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Perhaps copying Hin's mannerisms wouldn't be the best for Ratty even if they could easily match it, if anything it may make people more on guard around them, which didn't seem very useful for most if not all situations.
However, with that thought, maybe Ratty's current mannerisms were good? Not only was it natural so easy to do, but appearing friendly and affectionate would probably put people at ease, or have them underestimate the abilities of the supernaturally powerful rodent, at least more than they would by appearances alone, and that could be useful in a situation where they needed surprise on their side.

Hin simply nodded, seeming as if he might have understood what Ratty was saying, unfortunately before he could make himself open his mouth to speak Lizzy interrupted the conversation, and he apparently decided it was ended there, retreating into the tent to escape needing to speak with people, he didn't dislike speaking with Ratty, just speaking in general was a problem, so he would take any chance to escape conversations, it was one of his biggest weaknesses.

"My night is well... I am fed and warm and clothed, indeed it is better than most nights".
Lizzy assured her friend and travelling companion... Leader? She did sort of follow them around so leader seemed like it might be the best fit, though she felt it could make the large rodent uncomfortable so did not mention it.
"I was meditating upon my knowledge, it is crucial for mages to do so in order to advance and strengthen their abilities and I have not had time to do so..."
She was interrupted by a yawn, showing she was likely planning to sleep as well.
"It's very tiring though... I will sleep as well, here is okay though, the Uhar say they keep the flames burning high without pause".
She did seem to be somewhat comfortable around the fire, and was sitting upon a comfortable looking fur creation rather than the hardened dirt.

 

[Fyrra]

Again, the pearl's wisdom was difficult to argue with: its host was most certainly more cautious around Hin after a certain declaration of resolve that sounded just a bit edgier than it needed to be, but what if the rodent didn't want to be friendly? What if it didn't want to curl up near the fire with its reptilian friend and its two escorts from Tarkhal Enial, on this wonderful moonlight night? - A few seconds of examining those thoughts were, of course, enough to shut that trail of thought down. There were certainly people about to provide more opportunity for the creature to be rabid, brooding and intimidating that it would know what to do with, but these settlements' inhabitants were not those people, even if the rat wanted to learn Hin's behaviors well enough to escape conversations.

But really, if the creature wanted to be sure it was underestimated by potential adversaries, it should stop ordering these people about like it was in charge, even if it had no intention of following anyone else's orders unless such things aligned with its own motivations, goals, or ideas. But, people and rats alike listened when power was demonstrated, even if that power was befriending a giant reptilian biped and climbing atop them: balancing between putting forth an air of 'to be taken seriously' and 'easy to underestimate' was tricky.

And, if Reptile's words just now were anything to go by, it still had much to learn about the world around it, no, much to learn about merely wielding magic. This 'meditation' sounded like it was basic knowledge... but it, like many things, would have to be meditated upon another day, for the rat merely nodded to acknowledge it, before tapping at her thigh and looking up at her. Assuming no adverse reaction was had, it continued climbing into her lap before curling up to slumber.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Though Lumina was currently being quiet, perhaps thinking on or processing something that it had remembered or that Ratty had experienced during the day, it was probably safe to assume the magical pearl would have some way to help it's host learn more about magic if asked, after all it knew enough to affect Ratty, and allow them to use magic fairly easily all things considered.
And failing that, Lizzy would probably be all too happy to teach them, she always seemed happier, or perhaps calmer? When speaking about magic, it was a field she was confident in and it certainly showed.

Lizzy seemed fine with sharing her lap, and allowed her small furry friend to claim it as a bed, an act she in fact benefited from, specifically the warmth of her smaller friend would help the cold blooded reptile get sleep as well, she HAD planned to go searching for a tent but... The fire was too warm to want to leave, and the Uhar had assured her they didn't let the central fire go out at night when in smaller camps such as their current one, where there were few enough of them gathered together that some animals might invade, either to steal food or even carry someone away during the night.
She did eventually move to lay down though, going slowly so as not to wake her friend.

The next morning Ratty would be awoken by the sounds of a camp getting to work, there were clothes to be washed, hunts to be done and breakfast made! And the Uhar moved with the kind of efficiency born of a history of nomadic life, even after becoming mostly settled they still learned how to function within a camp, and it showed.
Lizzy was already awake, having remained laying down, no one seeing fit to bother her as she waited for Ratty to wake up, the two Syol were nowhere to be seen, though judging by the Bull Cat laying nearby, they were most like awake and nearby.

 

[Fyrra]

The night's dream featured that weird mask again, but rather than focus on a narrative or a memory, it was merely that: a dream that had almost no basis in the creature's memory that it hadn't already puzzled over. A night of that loud, yet somehow dulled music, and a crowd to dance with. The rodent's motions were awkward, partially because it had yet to figure out walking on two feet with any amount of grace (yet for some reason that hadn't applied in dreams before now?), and partially because the chaotic mess of lights and people bumping into one another made any fancy movements not just difficult, but dangerous to perform. Yet, in the middle of all the blurred, masked, or otherwise out-of-focus faces, Daoin was there. It made little sense, but some dreams weren't meant to.

When the rodent awakened, it took a few minutes to piece this one together, but couldn't come up with anything beyond a desire to see the festival its friend had mentioned the day before. With little more than a glance in the direction of the almost-empty tent, the rodent dragged itself off its reptilian companion's stomach and back onto the ground, shaking its head to jumble its senses into a more alert state. Today was the day! The day of the mission!

...but one doesn't face a mysterious peril on an empty stomach, no?

The creature waited for Reptile to stand up, then squeaked a loud squeak in the cat's direction in an attempt to awaken it as well, before wandering back toward the cook's tent. Assuming the uhar had dawn-food for everyone, another offering would be made to Sarash. Or, if there wasn't any food to chomp down on, it could search the camp and the trees for the syol. After all, Hin had the map: the mission couldn't start without him.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Lizzy stood up and stretched quiet thoroughly, several popping and cracking sounds filling the air, she seemed to have slept well the previous night, missing most of her usual signs of slight exhaustion that had clung to her since meeting Ratty, she was also surprisingly adept at the quick morning warmup, despite being what Pearl seemed to class as a 'scholar' which was apparently like the elder rats, in that they knew many things and were less active, though obviously Lizzy was much younger... At least in two legged terms.
"You... Were quite warm".
The scaled woman declared, it seemed that she meant it as a compliment, which made sense, since as a cold blooded creature Lizzy most likely held warmth in high regard.

Sarash merely opened it's eyes and got up to follow Ratty, it hadn't been sleeping, merely basking in the sun while keeping an eye on the strange rodent and the scaled two legger, having long decided it's role as protector also included these two, it didn't hurt that last time it followed them there was tasty food involved, and indeed there would be again!

In the same tent as before the same Uhar was cooking another big pot, though this time there were several others helping her, specifically by preparing what looked like another pot as the main cook dished out what had already been made to the occasional Uhar who wandered by.
"Ahh! The guests! You rested well?"
They questioned, already dolling out food for them without being asked.
"You must eat, you have a difficult trek today, will need your strength".
Word had definitely spread of their purpose, which, while quite possibly adding more pressure to succeed so as not to disappoint them, did at least appear to earn a larger than usual portion, even for Sarash, who received a bigger chunk of meat than before.
"Hin and Daoin were here before, I believe they are bathing, will return soon".
Well that explained where the others were, and why Sarash had not gone with them, it was instinctual knowledge that most felines seemed to dislike being in large bodies of water.

 

[Fyrra]

The rodent couldn't be sure if it was the fire, the fur contraption, or its own proximity that contributed to its reptilian companion's boosted spirits, but chances were if she was unwilling to get up while it slept on her, then the rodent need not worry much about personal space. The squeak got the cat's attention, and a quick visit to the Soup Goblin got everyone fed. Interestingly, word was already spreading about the upcoming trek, most likely due to telling the guard what was going on, or the elder informing its people, and with that the rodent could rest knowing its objective here had been fulfilled.

And for what it's worth, the creature drank and ate at least two-thirds of what was being offered to it, though it took some time to consider the benefit of having a satchel for carrying things, like Reptile did. Surely it wouldn't have trouble finding food in the wild, but it could be helpful to not need to forage for it when pressed for time: more things to consider another day, no doubt.

In response to the cook's questions, the rodent gave a friendly wave and a nod, but otherwise kept the conversation limited. As much as it wasn't a morning rat, it could at least keep up some sort of politeness if it tried. Plus, without the Syol here, communicating took energy, and ran the risk of being misunderstood in some way or another. So, the rodent minded its meal, and when it was finished it tried lifting the bowl back up above its head: possibly a futile attempt if its hands weren't big enough to grasp properly.

Once everyone was done with their food, the rodent decided on wandering about the encampment to kill time until its other companions returned.