Where Lies and Truth mingle

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The air around him seemed to coil and twitch in apprehension. To what or over what confused her. But she could feel it and it had her creening questionably at him in her throat. He seemed to stir the confines of his own personal space unusually; sometimes small vibrations and others sporadic. She noted that yesterday as well but those seemed more leisurely than now.

It didn't last though once her concentration focused on him and less around the aura; pupils growing wider. Twitching her chin and rubbing her talons over the other; she nodded again. "Okay." if she could win the earnest most accepting being of the universe award, she would have. The idea of him shifting was strange but that would imply that his races name meant something else.

The avian was naturally quizzical about his process, her expression remaining stoic with minor twinges of difference and wonder passing over the glassy orbs. Bones popped and cracked with disgust but she never flinched. She had no reason too. He assured her already that it was all fine. This was normal for him.

So she did.

Eryn stood patiently, statue like until he was comfortable. The nicker drew her ears up before she nodded to him. He was certainly a pretty horse, noble stride and gait as he moved; simply regal. Eryn waited yet until he made the motion for her to saddle up and cautious of her claws once she did. Though instantly she revelled in the warmth wanting to curl up and bathe in it and the sun all at once. But she resisted. "Ready yes?"
 
Once she was seated properly, Roman started out across the red-packed earth that only got harder the closer they got to the city. Despite his weariness, he kept his head held high and his gait steady, aware of the fact that very soon the Shifters on the wall would start to notice him and at first they would not assume it was their Prince, but soon they would identify him and it was his duty to look the part of royalty whether he wanted to or not.

Sure enough, not a quarter mile from the gate to Aladura and the bells were chiming his return. The noises caused the horse to draw in a deep well of air that made his sides expand before he released it just as slowly as he'd inhaled, readying himself as he passed through the gates. There was already a crowd forming in the streets, whispers passing along, then louder voices until it was a cheer and Roman kept his even pace, looking neither left nor right, but keeping to his course.

Many hands stretched out as if to touch him, but none actually did. It was enough to reach, to show welcome and the Shifter's heart welcomed it, but he didn't stop and soon he was being surrounded by black panthers, eight of them. They were part of the royal guard, twenty of them in all and besides the royal family, they were the only ones allowed to take the forms of big cats. It was either by choice or by birth, and if one was born into the form of a big cat, they knew their career choice from the day they shifted until the day they died. They escorted Roman now and the Prince had to work hard to keep the prey instinct within his mind from going insane, white sweat lathering at his neck. There would be no comment on it, though, as everyone knew how hard it was to control a prey-driven mind and the fact that Roman hadn't bolted or even skittered yet was a testament to his strength of will.

Still, he was far more glad when such will didn't need to be tested anymore as the procession finally reached the top level of the five-level city. The black horse knelt then, letting Eryn off his back and then he shifted once more, giving a sigh of relief when back in his birth-form, standing once more and raking his hand back through his now damp hair.

Looking around, he waved a hand to the still-silent guards. "You're dismissed."

They left without a word, loping away and Roman's eyes moved to Eryn, questioning, before he was forced to focus elsewhere, a blur of a figure nearly crashing into him, giving the briefest of hugs before pulling back just as quickly. Anasi's face was beaming and covered in tears both. "Roman! You're back! Oh, I am so glad! Father will be so relieved to see you safe!"

Roman smiled a bit at her affection, but not at her last words and he followed his cousin's gaze to Eryn, speaking calmly to her question. "Anasi, this is Eryn. She helped me escape my captors. Eryn, this is my cousin, Anasi NightIvy."
 
Everything around her was so enthralling. So clean and bright and just drove her senses crazy. New things to look at and explore only to learn and grow in ways she never thought possible, she only began to return her shooting attention once it was required.

And when the throngs of bodies that seemed relieved to have their prince dissipated much to her own relief. She was in enemy territory, she had to be careful.

Dismounting when it was applicable, moving a stride back not to impose her presence on any prompt to tuck away her hands behind her back; Eryn attention whirled around to catch the darting body as a figure of female heritage. Constraining herself from startling and taking to flight at the sudden movement; the harpy nearly made an unhappy frightened crow at the whole thing. She already missed Yulin desperately, someone she knew had her back as much as she had his.

Drooping her eyes away quickly, tossing brief fleeting glances up through her lashes at the female, she could feel the prickling of her feathers at being looked over. The young female was out of her element and starting to feel it. Vulnerable. Exposed. Alone. Everything she didn't know.

Another darting look up to the prince that she finally heard his name being uttered by the woman as Roman; did she nod shyly. Unsure of her voice or even how they greeted another. So she nodded her chin again to this Anasi, apparent kin to that of Roman.
 
Roman easily sensed Eryn's unease and while he knew that it would go along well with their story, he also knew that she wasn't acting. The knowledge drew up sympathy in him and while Anasi greeted the Harpy with friendly smiles that were very much genuine - Roman had never known his cousin to be anything but genuine, something that was surprising considering who her father was - and started talking a mile-a-minute about all that had been done to find Roman in the last many hours, the Prince himself moved a bit closer to Eryn. His fingers discreetly brushed against her own, offering a silent assurance that all was well and that she wasn't alone.

He hoped it would be enough - or something at least - for he could not risk going against his own specie code, nor something he was so unfamiliar with while out here and under the eyes of anyone who might pass by. He did want Eryn to know that she was still safe, though, that he'd not changed his mind about anything.

So he offered the contact and then gave a sigh to Anali, raising a brow and giving her a bemused expression that his cousin soon caught, making her grin to see it as she finally slowed and put her hands behind her back. "I am keeping you from something, aren't I?" she questioned, no resentment or anger in the tone, amusement most definitely, though.

Roman smiled back and glanced to the palace itself and then back to Anali, an unspoken question that made the female Shifter sigh, pushing her blond hair back behind her ear. "He's waiting, yes. Already planning the party, I would think." Anali said it resignedly and giggled at Roman's grimace before she looked to Eryn. "It was very pleasant meeting you, Eryn. I do hope we might talk some time later when you are feeling more settled."

Anali gave a brief, polite curtsey before she waved her fingers to Roman and gave him a pointed look. "Might as well get it over with." she advised even as she started away and the Prince uttered a mild curse after her that made his cousin laugh once more before she disappeared through an archway, leaving Roman and Eryn alone once more, no one but the curious servants coming and going to observe them.

Gray eyes found pale-sapphire then in question, concern. "Are you all right?"
 
Barely making a movement to the slight brush of him to her, keeping her sights drawn to the ground studying the flagstone with a deeper thought while the two spoke; a thousand different thoughts rattled through her skull. Many not worth a mention while other's seemed steely and wide. She was trying to probe the air around her, attempting to feel if there was anything like a extruding power that she could identify as a scale with no avail.

Surprise registered across her face, lifting enough to glance up under her lashes to the woman addressing her. Talk later? Such a thing was a laugh really. Especially if the woman knew what she was and what her own kin wanted to do to their city. "Yes." Eryn mumbled in a whisper. "Good."

Again the vibrations from Roman drew her gaze staring at nothing really but seeing more than most would. It seemed that the mention of the king drew a bit of frustration from the prince... the ripples were tighter together suggesting such. For what reason was beyond her comprehension.

Trailing her eyes upwards to find the gray gleam looking at her, she flushed the deep blue colouring becoming evidently flustered. "Unknown." making a rounded gesture to everything close at hand, before making a casting glance to where his cousin had gone, Eryn let out a very soft saddened warble to him. Only that he should be able to hear, "Don't like..." Eryn pulled her hands over her face at a motion, "Pulling blanket over others." she was speaking of the ill taste for deceiving people, something she didn't like remotely.

Then moved a hand to her throat, "Not know tongue make hard." then her head, "Feel silly... lost. Fish out water." Eryn exhaled, "Sorry. I try harder. Where go now?"
 
Roman tilted his head in pure wonder to her words, unexpected and yet refreshing, and an entirely new kind of interest for the Harpy entered his gray eyes. It was a desire to study, to know more about her as an individual and not merely as a specie. It was an awakening awareness that the person he stood beside was quite an enigma to him and the Shifter had to curb his eager tongue.

At least he had a lot of practice in that.

Even the thought was bitter and Roman pushed it away, down to the deep recesses of which it had floated up from, instead bringing his mind back to task. And the first thing he did was reach out and touch Eryn's chin in a gesture he could never really remember doing to anyone before, encouraging her to look at him, but by no means forcing it and he would speak regardless.

"Eryn, I don't like lying either, but in all truth, we have not lied to anyone, least of all Anali. She asked not what you were or where you were from. All I told her was your name, a truth and that you helped me to escape, also a truth for without my life I would not have escaped at all. You saved my life. Therefore, we have not lied to anyone...yet." He sighed, looking down, away, troubled and then shook his head after a long moment. "I don't like lying." He repeated it again as if that might change the reality of what he was going to do despise finding it unpleasant.

"But I like death and destruction even less and if I have to endure one to prevent the other, I will." the Shifter finally concluded quietly before his gaze found Eryn's again, registering the blue flush upon her face with both amusement but also a hint of worry. He would pray she did not do that around his Uncle for no creature that he knew of blushed blue like the Harpies did.

"You're speaking just fine." he assured before looking to the palace again, answering his new accomplice's question at last. "To see the King."
 
Bright bewilderment reflected among the opaque blue eyes, the trails of faint whispering smoke moving away from her gleam as she tilted her chin that had been touched by that of him. He had said his species did not touch, yet in the last two minutes it had been twice with her. It was a funny little thing to be amused by considering this had been the very man she had yesterday helped Yulin kidnap. If she hadn't been asked to tame her avian tendencies, she might have cooed pleasingly at him. A friendly exchange but it remained all locked up behind her mouth.

Rather she straightened her posture to look him direct in the eye, flitting herself between his gray ones slowly growing a little frustrated with what he was saying. But there was no word of sour disagreement to him. He spoke truthfully even if it made a small knot in her stomach. She wasn't too dense to believe that someone wouldn't question her presence eventually and she hoped when that moment came; she could communicate in a way that didn't falsify all they had done. He might not have seen it or understood it, but to be able to speak to another was important to her. She wanted to convey herself properly and show that she wasn't as childish as she seemed. Within boundaries, she was still young.

"Yes," Eryn swallowed hard, moving her hands around to look down at them. The backs slightly scaled like the rest of her and the long length of the almost white talons that sat at the end of the five digits... "Death... destruction far worse."

Then came the knowledge of what was next. The king.

Instantly her hands went behind her back again, brief worry before bobbling her head. Watching him lead the way towards the inside of the palace; curious wide eyes looking left to right, up and down in all directions lost in the wonder of such a place and how it all radiated varying degrees of emotional ripples.

She was lost entirely by it all. Barely paying attention to Roman, merely following with an unusual distracted expert grace.

She only honed in to the awareness once they stood in front of a large door, carved from pure oak and riddled with carvings of creatures she didn't know. Cringing down, feeling a sense of loaded betrayal on her own shoulders for standing here; Eryn dropped her gaze again.

"This place..." she shuttered wrapping her arms around herself, "It's cold..."
 
The hallways were long, expertly carved from the stone of the mountain the city was built into. It was a lone mountain, too, one great giant in the middle of a great plain. Some said that the mountain was a sky-rock that had fallen thousands of years ago, digging itself into the earth until all that remained was the great peak while others speculated that it was part of a tool left behind by a god. Whatever the truth was, Aladura had stood here, in its shadow, built into its hide for hundreds of years.

Roman was proud of his home, loved it dearly and he watched Eryn's reactions to the tapestries and murals on the walls, painting not pictures of history but legends of lore, whimsical and captivating stories that were known to almost every culture in some manner or another. The halls were littered with the warmth of torches as there were no windows this far into the heart of the mountain and the palace itself, but even the torches could not provide enough light, enough comfort once they reached one of the doors Roman hated most in this place.

Eryn was right; this place was cold. Much colder than any other place in the Palace and Roman resisted his own urge to shiver, not so much from the cold but from the sense of...something - wrongness? - he got before stepping into these chambers. His Uncle's council room, a den of politics, deceit and more rules than Roman knew what to do with sometimes. And he was sure he didn't know the half of what went on in this place.

Still, he knew it would never by used by him when he was King, nor would most of his Uncle's advisers, of that Roman was more than sure.

He looked back down at Eryn then and didn't try to attempt a smile, knowing he'd fail anyway. "I am sorry. We will go somewhere warmer soon, I promise." he said to her quietly before looking back at the door and taking a breath, instinctively making sure his clothes were straight, his hair pushed back into some semblance of order and his posture straight, impeccable, before Roman opened the door.

Sione StarShade was by no means a small Shifter. He was a towering, bulky man full of muscle and brutish power behind his expression, and yet he moved with all the grace of a tiger, much as his heritage suggested. Roman knew his Uncle's preferred form was the bear, however, and he'd more than once received a stiff slap or two in combat training from those unforgiving paws. Now, though, the King was in his birth-form and as his nephew and a stranger entered, he turned away from a map he'd been studying and looked to them.

"Roman, brother-son, it does my heart well to see you back home."

He didn't offer any kind of contact and Roman didn't expect any, stopping five feet back, extending a deep bow and hoping that Eryn would do the same. If she didn't, they already had a way to explain that away. The Prince's voice was smooth, calm and his body appeared utterly relaxed, but his mind snapped words it could not say within itself. "My return is only made more gratifying by your time, Uncle. I hope I did not cause you any difficulty by appearing as I have. I know you're quite busy."

"I did have a meeting to attend, so your escape would have been more convenient earlier, but my desire to see you whole and back home was much too great. The meeting can wait." Sione offered back with a smile.

Roman resisted the urge to grit his teeth, keeping his jaw relaxed, his words easy and steady. "I thank you for your consideration of my being, my King. Now, might I introduce my companion? This is Eryn. She helped me escape my captors and I would request that she be given lodging here. I have placed her under my protection."

Sione's piercing, cold green eyes came to Eryn then and for a moment, Roman felt like something dark passed through the room before his Uncle smiled and dipped his head. "Of course. Such an act of selfless bravery should be rewarded. You may stay, my dear and may you feel welcome here."
 
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Stooping a nod in response to the idea of warming up, she had a inkling that she didn't need to explain it wasn't the lack of warmth to why it was cold. But to the darkness that seemed to swirl around the room, radiating outwards like a black plume.

Her trust was evident in how she didn't state or go against what he said. Roman knew his home, she was merely the uninvited hidden guest. She bowed clumsily once she seen Roman do it. Not sure why she had but figured it was important if the prince had done it.

Following him into the large room, instantly her gaze shot to the bear of a man. Intimidation was employed effortlessly. Falling back to almost cringe behind that of the prince, her very flesh prickled sharply in response to all. The calm façade of Roman that played as he spoke and the chaotic scene of ripples humming like a mad hornet around his body spoke of ample conflictions. Confusion spread through her entirety, studying the air currents around him while they swirled and bucked in attempts to mimic a maelstrom.

It was an uninviting feeling that made her own stomach clench in protest. A knot building to stitch violently together.

It didn't get any better either as they continued. But she forced her gaze away from the rippling aura to side glance up to the man that was king. Frightened full heartily; Eryn cringed down as her name was spoke and the man's gaze fell on her.

In that instant, she thought she might burst into ash. The way his cold eyes moved, showing the love for none it was bone chilling.

Eryn swallowed back a frightened creen threatening to rise up, her body shivering from the shade of the room and the freeze pitch that illuminated from the man.

Pale sapphire peeked up through her laces, her hands knitted tight to each other. "Thank you." She managed though it was certainly hard to hear. She felt like a caged animal in here, afraid of what was going to happen. How she wanted to flee. Hide away. Cling up to the rafters! Anywhere than here. As if she would feel welcomed in this hell! Turning a vague look to Roman, she was pleading with him now with the eye sight. She wanted to leave, she wanted to be anywhere else. This man was darkness and it made her ill.
 
Roman was more than aware of the question, nay the begging, coming from Eryn and while he wanted to do as she wanted right that instant, to turn around and leave, take her far from this place he'd always hated as well, the Prince knew he could not. He'd not been dismissed, nor given enough time to make his Uncle's cancellation of his meeting worth it. If there was a meeting at all. Roman was meant to assume there was and both he and Sione knew it. To do otherwise would raise suspicion that could not afford to be raised.

"Thank you, Uncle." he repeated after Eryn, her voice almost gone in the great expanse of the room, but that was nothing Sione did not expect. He favored intimidation, found no quarrel with submissiveness and there were many a low-born who'd been too awestruck - more likely terrified, Roman mused - to speak at all.

Eryn's reaction wasn't out of the realm of normal and therefore was not looked on with doubt.

"Were you able to identify those who took you so easily from our walls? I admit, with all the blood, we'd thought perhaps you were dead already." The insults, wrapped up in false and expected concern, were not lost on Roman and he would have liked to have said that he was so used to it that the barbs didn't hurt, but he would have been lying and he'd spoken true to Eryn; he disliked lying. Still, he let nothing show on his face, in his demeanor, though, he was sure his Uncle saw the reactions he was not aware of making even so.

"I only know that they were from the North. A people looking for more land and desperate enough to think that taking me would get it for them. I saw not what standard they bore to give away their Clan." he answered simply, efficient, hands clasping behind his back and posture that of one on display as the King slowly circled, not making it appear as if he was doing so - grabbing wine from this table, picking up and placing down an object from another, merely appearing to listen while he moved - but Roman knew he was being weighed, his words judged for the truthfulness in them. Hence the reason the Prince was being vague and mostly-truthful all at once. The people who'd taken him HAD been due North. He knew they wanted their land back among other things. He had seen no kind of flag to identify them by. And he assumed they were some type of Clan or other such group, a people at least.

"And this young thing helped you escape. Interesting." Sione smiled when he came back around to the front, holding up the wine glass just a little. "Well, we are surely lucky she was there to save you, Prince. The City would have suffered a great loss indeed in your absence." He took a sip of his wine.

"And you, Uncle? How great would your loss have struck you?" Roman's gray eyes flashed, his words deceptively calm, but telling of his inner anger, something he regretted almost immediately but could not take back.

The King stilled for a fraction of a second before slipping back into ease, giving a chuckle as his hands rid themselves of the cup and instead found Roman's rigid shoulders. He gave the Prince a light shake. "My nephew, you are weary and not thinking straight. To bed and rest with you, I say, and be welcomed home!" He released Roman and for a moment the Prince feared that he'd touch Eryn next but he did no such thing, merely giving her a small smile and a nod.

"Please, both of you go get clean, refresh yourselves and worry no more of plight." With that, he turned away, clearly dismissing them and Roman took Eryn's hand on an instinct born of protection, striking so suddenly he hardly thought about it as he led her out of the room and then away from the chamber entirely, passing through the halls until they emerged into a courtyard, into the light and the sun. And only then did Roman realize how tight his grip had gotten and what he was doing, releasing the Harpy's hand with a swift apology, turning away from her then and instead letting his fingers grip the half-wall that overlooked the North side of the city until they turned white, working on tempering the rage inside him.
 
When people talked about getting the chilly feeling down their spine; that was accurately Eryn in this very room. Looking that the man that was the supposed king to the shifter race. She wouldn't normally ever verbally utter it, or want to think sourly upon someone. But that man… that very beast of a man was dark as sin. The malice in his grin – while possible of fooling most- and the cold steel in his eyes and how the vibration of his annoyance hummed madly around him; Eryn knew this man was horrible.

And how Roman spoke to him and the difference in his aura suggested he felt the same way.

She couldn't imagine living in the same place with the king shifter, let alone in the same palace. This place was easily a wasteland for joy and peace. More of a breeding ground for loathing, suspicion and deceit.

The large hidden pieces of her body bristled violently in response but she tamed herself from actually flaring them out and revealing what she was. Though she could say she hadn't been accurately paying attention to everything that they were saying, far too interested and in turn distracted by the ripples around each.

Once her hand was snagged and herself followed swiftly on the heels of Roman – eyes large as plates by the contact- the relief of the outside world was like gravity itself. Weighty.

Her hand released, twining them together with evident worry in her gaze following that of the shifter as he went to the overlook wall, Eryn craned her eyes skywards looking for perhaps rain. She had heard his apology but thought of it little as there was no reason to do so; she motioned her attention left to right, looking to see if there were anyone else close by. Once she was certain no one was looking; she warbled at him. Clear ringing of worry and question, inching forward to look right over the nook of the wall down to the city.

"Prince Roman… is wrong?" ugh she wished she could formulate her words better. "Your king… uncle?" she gave him a quizzical look at first before knitting her brows tight, "Dark being. Negative… bitter like sour horse water. Not good… feel violent ripples-" she gestured widely; spreading her hands out before her frame, "All round. Cruel… no good."
 
Roman had nearly coaxed himself to a stable irritation, more calm than volatile - he'd had years and years of practice to learn how to do such things swiftly - by the time Eryn was done speaking and he released his grip on the stone, flexing his fingers just a little as he released a deep breath and let his gray eyes flicker to the Harpy, expression steady, not revealing of the true thoughts that lay beneath - though, it seemed that Eryn might be able to sense emotions more than she needed to see them.

Interesting.

Prince Roman is wrong. She'd meant it as a question, he put it to himself as more of a statement. Yes...yes, he was wrong. Wrong to many here in the palace who should have been on his side, those he should have been able to count on.

The Shifter's eyes finally met the pale-sapphire that looked to him and Roman offered a hint of a smile to her gesturing hands, nodding slightly, though he brought his head a bit closer to her own, dark hair obscuring his features slightly from her and more from anyone who might be watching. There were spies everywhere, all employed by the King.

"Be careful how loudly you say such words, little bird. There are many ears in this palace that would be tickled to hear them. I do agree with you, though." He'd lived with it long enough to understand just how cruel his Uncle was and in all truth, looking back, Roman was not sure his father was much better during his time as King. Roman had been so young when his parents had been killed, but hindsight was twenty-twenty as an adult. Many things he'd not understood then he could put logic and wisdom to now.

It was a miracle in and of itself that Roman was 'wrong'. Of course, his Uncle would blame his mother for that.

"Come, Eryn. Let's do as we were bidden at least and become clean. I dare say you're probably hungry, too, aren't you?" He said it with a light tone and a smile, seeking to put the unpleasant event behind him.
 
Dropping her ears as he told her to be careful how loud she spoke about such things, eyes darted left and right curious to see if she could see anything beyond what most would normally with no avail. Pupils shifted in size dramatically, growing and shrinking before she brought her gleam back to him. Curious as ever to wonder why he seemed to be extruding simple gestures in her culture that would be peculiar in his own. But said nothing to it.

But at least he agreed with her. Understood that there was much havoc in this place that all centered around his uncle. Umbra that was blacker than black.

Though her ears shot back up at the mention of being hungry, looking around to see what there was around that she could nibble upon before the apt rapture of confusion settled on her brow. "No..." she made a grasping flick of her hand, "No plants-" her expression turned innocent, "What feed?" Then she looked around again, "Much dust; clean like that? Much dust on self now-" her palms settled on her clavicles, "Is not as shifters do?" she was still avian and often dust bathed over water, but wasn't uncommon to it. But being underground for however long, being able to even dust bathe was an improvement.

She was so lost in this world, it seemed like her kin were nothing short than unsophisticated brutes with maces and grunting tongues while the shifters appeared prim and beautiful. In turn that very thought had brought out a very shy response. Self conscious that actually had the harpy shuffling back a step and looking over the ground again - still curious to know how they fed themselves when there was no cacti on the stone. Being a female, she was a omnivore but tended to stray more to the vegetable side of things while males had the tendency to be carnivores.

"Can go out-" Eryn motioned outwards to the great wasteland, "Find cacti..." she had no idea whether or not a shifter could digest the prickly plant such as herself. She knew many creatures were often poisoned by them.
 
As soon as she mentioned plants, Roman realized how little he knew about her culture or species....actually, he knew nothing at all and like an idiot he'd assumed that her biological system was similar to his own simply because she looked very much like one of his kind or even elven-kind who were very similar to his people. Now he was starting to understand - as Eryn went on - that such was not the case and he shook his head inwardly at himself.

Wonderful diplomatic skills he had. Roman nearly snorted. They needed a bit of work, that was for sure.

Backtracking, he turned to face his companion and leaned against the wall now at his side, resting an elbow on it and tilting his head as his fingers clasped together loosely, the picture of interest that was assuredly genuine at the moment.

"It would appear our versions of eating and cleaning differ, so I will tell you how my people perform such acts and then you might tell me how yours go about it, yes?" He smiled and upon receiving assent, started his own explanation. "Shifters bathe in water, preferably warm water, though, some are not averse to cold and we use herbs and oils to create what we call 'soap. It helps rid of us dirt and dust while providing a pleasant scent." He'd never had to explain such a thing before but thought he did rather well with it, moving on to food.

"As for feeding, well..we're omnivore, but most Shifters tend to enjoy meat more than vegetation. We can eat most anything from all kinds of game to fruits, herbs, grains, plants...but I don't think we can eat cacti, not unless a Shifter possesses an animal form that ingests such a thing." he chuckled.
 
The harpy was intrigued by his explanation of something so easily basic but finding it varied rather immensely between the two of them. While Roman was a being who could take on an animal looks and nature, she was naturally born with it.

His lounging back appearance, the interest and how he began to state the ways of his own breeding to something so minute; she could realize how they differed and yet in the same breath, not so much.

He chuckled and she smirked in response. Fingers tying into the other working around to fish and hook with idle play. Eryn turned her body around once to look all around with nothing special sticking out.

Stopping suddenly, palms planted on her own shoulders. "Is omnivore." a short nod, "Me. Plants more." her nose wrinkled with enquiring thought. "Better immune. Digest raw meats and plants easily." fingers walked along and upwards to tap against the side of her face, "Still animal, bath in dust for feathers and skin. Keeps bugs-" she flicked her hand with a snap to say that it kept bugs away. "But known to brush in water. Not warm... strange but interesting to see."

Rubbing her lips over another offering up a eye that stated she was finished in her own explanation, Eryn inched closer to the wall and to that of Roman to look over it again. "Where go for bidding?" he had said to do as they were bid to do, so she assumed that was the proper word to say she was curious to know how one went to eat and clean up. Though came another thought to her, "Sleep? Nest?"
 
Roman listened to the Harpy with sincere amusement, finding that the more he learned of Eryn, the more he was coming to realize that they could easily be friends. They'd only truly met this morning, but she'd already saved his life and he was in protection of hers. An odd and swift turn of events for two species supposed to be enemies, but he wasn't complaining. Still, it was strange indeed.

The Shifter moved his own body as Eryn's inched closer to his, turning about to look into the palace once more, giving a yawn before he answered at all, feeling more relaxed for having soaked in some of the sun's warmth and for speaking of nothing of importance at all. "I have my own chambers, rooms to bathe and sleep, and you will be accommodated with a room as well. I can have food brought to us so we don't have to use the dining hall." Though, how he was going to get cacti was a problem to solve for Roman. Perhaps he could ask a few servants to check into the herbal shops as he knew cacti had some healing properties....or something. Admittedly, such an area of skill was not his expertise.

Coming out of his musings, Roman raised a brow at the mention of a nest. Did she mean an actual nest or just a place to sleep? He supposed asking would give him the answer easily enough, but if she wanted a nest...he wasn't sure how to go about that. If it would make the Harpy more comfortable, though, he'd manage it some way or another.

Roman was nothing if not resourceful.

"My people sleep in our rooms, in something called a 'bed'. Do your people sleep in nests?"
 
Leaning a little further over the edge before she seemed to forget what she was suppose to doing by not climbing around, the small harpy did exactly that. Digging her talons into the stone to skitter up and almost right off the edge, leaning far out and near tempted to go jumping off for a glide.

Hearing him speak up returned the youngling's focus back and she quickly squatted down on the top of the ledge, drooping her ears and eyes looking every bit ready for a scolding. Scraping her claws over the stone peeling bits of crumbs away, gray hair fell forward to hide herself a bit. "Okay." she replied to the idea that he kept his own private quarters, supressing the wonder of bathing and sleeping in such a remote place.

His question lifted one ear. "Nests. With others. Keep warm."
 
Roman hummed thoughtfully to her answer, his mind at once starting to work on how to solve the problem of the absent nature of nests within the palace. And while he thought, he turned to look at his companion, blinking once to see her on the wall and then doing something he'd been given disapproving looks often for. He jumped upon the wall and gave a grin to the Harpy, something like pure mischief dancing in his gray eyes before it was tempered again behind his calm mask. It wasn't even a true attempt to hide anymore but rather a learned habit to keep most of his expressions and emotions inward.

Standing fearlessly upon the stone, he started to pace with a fluid grace, slow and languid, thoughtful. "You'll be plenty warm here, you need not worry about that, but I will admit that I don't have a nest to place you in."

The Shifter spun about on his feet, sure, balanced, confident and then looked back to the palace and then to the Harpy, questioningly. "Would you like me to show you your room?"
 
Crawling forward as the prince had jumped up with a fluid grace, pacing the wall with ease and poise that suggested this was nothing new to him; Eryn watched with a tip of her head. Reaching forward with her front hands creeping slowly at first before halting and backing up readily once he turned around, she schooled her brilliant curiosity.

"Always worry." She cooed softly, "Cold blood. Cold bring death." it was a grim thought but it was nothing short of the truth for her. No heat of any sort meant a certain slow death for a harpy. Not painful mind you but certainly one that no one wanted to go through. "But trust prince." chin nodded assuredly to him. "Know will be safe. Gave feather, trust." chirping that in a full confidence, Eryn craned her head almost fully sideways like a dog to a high pitched noise.

He certainly didn't seem that frightening once she was right here with the man. Though he was scary when he was attacking them before. Yesterday... and the death of her own on his hands. But it was defense.... she wondered much about the prince. Wonder how he was suppose to help her when it seemed that his uncle 'had spies' everywhere like he had mentioned.

But she could ponder on such things later. "Room?" her head did a full twist to tilt her head from right towards her left and back again. "Okay."
 
The feather had meant....oh.

Roman found himself placing a hand over the feather in his pocket and he looked at the female before him with some kind of wonderment, confusion and curiosity both. Why would she extend her trust to him so easily? She knew nothing of him or his intentions. She had only his word, his untested, unproven word and yet...she was placing her safety if not her very life into his hands. Why? He would not betray her. Roman knew he was true to his word, but she didn't and there was nothing remarkable about him to have inspired such a quick decision to trust his words and actions.

So why?

It was an enigma he could not figure out, no matter which angle he looked at it and he debated asking, but decided against it. These halls were not the place to do so. He would have a hard enough time getting them to where they needed to go and finding what they needed to find as it was. He could do it, but the task would push the limits of his knowledge of his own home and everyone in it.

The Shifter hopped down from the wall and beckoned Eryn to follow. He led them in silence through much brighter halls, most open to the elements at this time of year, the winters in this land not all that harsh. Light filtered in through many windows, most open to let in the warm breeze and Roman seemed more relaxed here in the Western Wing of the palace, a place that belonged exclusively to him, more and more rooms given to him as he'd gotten older until he'd claimed the rights to the entire Wing. No servant he'd not approved came here and nothing in these halls and rooms was done without his sanction. It was a place he felt more at ease if not entirely safe - no where in the palace provided that - and Roman brought Eryn to an elegantly carved door, opening it gently for her and stepping inside first to show it was safe before he beckoned her in as well.

"This will be your room for as long as you stay here. My own is only three doors down, so I'm not far."

(describe room as you wish)
 
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