Something like home (Highway!)

[Zero]

As Nisha listened to him describe her, it wasn't so bad as she had feared it might be. Most of what he described could have been gathered just from the time they had spent together, short as it might have been. The sadness he described made her wince. What sadness had he seen? Was it because of her illness or her abandonment? Maybe he had sensed both, he didn't seem to know specific things, just the general feeling. Relief flooded through her. Whatever Kyt had seen, he did not know anything that might be dangous to her.

There had been a measure of fear in her when he had mentioned seeing things about people, but that had drained away now. He didn't know what she was, as far as she could tell. What would he do even if he did? She feared people knowing she wasn't human. Some could be quite vicious against anything that wasn't just like them. That had all been driven from her mind, though. A soft laugh escaped as he asked what she thought of him.

"I think you are a very generous, very kind, very strange man, Kyt. I'm glad you came out here to check on me."

[TheHighwayman]

That was a relief to the young man. She had called him strange, but it had been in a friendlier manner than most. He wasn't sure exactly what he'd have done if she'd had the same reaction some had in the past- well, he'd probably cope, as he always did, but that didn't mean the thought didn't make his stomach twist. "Thank you, Nisha," he said.

Kyt buried himself deeper in the blankets, deciding it was probably for the best that he went to sleep. Yawning, he closed his eyes and  turned over on his back, once again giving the impression that he was fully asleep. He just laid like that for a moment or two, before he let out a quiet "Goodnight, Nisha." He couldn't quite shake the feeling that he was forgetting something. As he felt himself drifting off, he struggled to recall what it was. "Oh, and... don't be afraid... to wake... me if... my magic fa..." His muttered advice slowly faded to the point where it was barely audible, and finally gave way to a light snoring.

[Zero]

To Nisha, most people were strange or odd in one way or another. The only person she really knew was her brother. As he thanked her, she assumed he appreciated what she had said about him. Had he been worried? She couldn't imagine why it would really matter what she thought of him. Even so, she found herself smiling brightly despite herself. He really was pleasant company. If he really stayed close to Arca, perhaps she could chat with him again. It would be a shame to see him go in the morning. Ah, but she was used to being lonely.

Keeping quiet she watched him settle down for sleep. She liked watching him. Maybe it was just her curious nature. Maybe it was just nice for there to be someone there for her to watch. Almost she had moved too soon. As she'd been about to get up he wished her a good night and then began saying something before drifting off in the middle. Grinning at his snoring she whispered back to him. "Sweet dreams, my strange friend."

Very quietly she rose and untangled herself from the blanket, laying it carefully over him. Moving slowly and silently she slipped away into the night. In her excitement at actually having a guest she'd forgotten to eat more than a few bites of bread and she was famished. Also, she was determined not to let him leave in the morning without a decent, and hot, breakfast. Eggs would be perfect.

[[Not sure if he would wake up before she got back or not. If he sleeps through the night just have him wake up to her boiling eggs for breakfast or something. ^^;;]]

[TheHighwayman]

It was significantly later in the morning than was typical for Kyt when he woke. Groggily he pulled aside the blankets and reached out for his staff. "Where did I- oh, there it is," he muttered as he scrabbled about for it. He tied his sash over his eyes and turned his attention to Nisha- who he could sense had woken before him. "Good morning, Nisha- wait... are you making...?" The young man sat stock still, sniffing at the scent which he hadn't had the pleasure of experiencing in a long while.  "Are those... eggs?"

Kyt sprang to his feet and drew closer to the cooking fire. Definitely eggs. "They are, aren't they?" the healer's face split from end to end in a grin. "It's been ages since I've had anything other than stale bread or stew." Drawing closer, he sat down right next to Nisha and rubbed his hands together eagerly. The news had put him in such good spirits that he actually started to hum an old tune stuck somewhere in the back of his memory.

Kyt turned to Nisha and raised an eyebrow- though the effect was somewhat lost thanks to his sash- and asked, "This wasn't for my sake, was it?" Though admittedly, just this once he wouldn't really have minded her doing it for him- that smell alone was starting to make his stomach growl again.

[Zero]

Nisha had returned from her night of searching before dwan, thankfully not empty-handed. She'd managed to get ahold of four large eggs. Sneaking back in as silently as she'd left, it pleased her to see Kyt was still sleeping. The fire had died down a little while she was away, but she quickly stirred the embers and added a few small pieces of wood. Working quietly she managed to take away the dirty dishes and wash them in a nearby creek.

When Kyt finally began showing signs of waking, Nisha started breakfast. Cracking the eggs open in the pot, it would not take long to scramble them up. She was very pleased with herself. With a spoon she stirred them, grinning as he realized what she was cooking. It certainly didn't take long for him to come join her by the fire. "Good morning, Kyt!"

With a sigh she shook her head as he said that he'd not had anything but stale bread or stew in a long time. Well, that just made her feel all the better about making him some breakfast! It also made her wish even more that she'd had something better to feed him the night before. When he asked if the breakfast was for his sake she couldn't stop a sheepish smile from crossing her lips. "Uh-huh. After what you did for me last night I wanted to at least make you a nice breakfast before you decided to go."

She filled up the clean bowl and offered it to him. "Careful, it's hot."

[TheHighwayman]

Kyt opened his mouth to protest, but his sense told him of the satisfaction she felt about the matter and decided not to press the issue. "Well, I appreciate it," he said. "A lot." Kyt blew into the bowl a few times and slowly began to chow down- clearly pleased with the meal. "Mm..." Too preoccupied with his first decent bit of food in a long while to say much, Kyt remained largely quiet for a while.  A thought finally occurred to him when his food was about halfway gone- it seemed to be disappearing at a rather alarming rate, actually- and turned back to Nisha. "Swoh, woht 'ehppins-" Kyt held up a hand and swallowed before continuing. "Sorry. What I meant to say was, what happens now? I mean, where do you plan to go after this? What do you intend to do?"

He looked down at the ground and shifted the dirt around with his foot. "Because I was thinking, maybe if you were planning on staying in the area..." Kyt coughed and shook his head. "Maybe we could stick together? Or at the very least keep in touch. I don't think I'd be remiss in saying the two of us are probably better off helping each other than we are alone, and I enjoy having someone to talk to who isn't bothered by my magic." Sheepishly resuming the slow demolition of his eggs, the young man waited for a reply. It might have been a trick of the light, but he almost looked a little red-faced. "Besides, it can't hurt to have a healer on call, can it?"

[Zero]

Nisha beamed with pride at his obvious appreciation and enjoyment of the breakfast she'd made. It felt nice to be able to do things for someone again. She'd always liked doing things for people, especially cooking. Not that there had been much for her to cook lately, and no one to cook for. She put a bit of the egg in a second, slightly more cracked bowl for herself. "You're very welcome, I really like to cook and bake. I just don't have a lot of chances to."

She ate her own eggs more slowly. It was a real treat. Anything with meat was too expensive to buy or beg for, and without Gavin to hunt, she'd had no way get it. Again that stab of pain at the thought that she couldn't even hunt food for herself. What a pitiful excuse for a werewolf she was. Or a werecheetah for that matter. Knowing Kyt could sense her moods, she pushed the self-pity aside again and thought of happier things to distract herself.

As he began talking with his mouth full, Nisha tilted her head to look at him curiously. At first she didn't understand. When he continued though her expression began to change, slowly becoming more troubled. Yes, she had thought to herself that if they were both going to be close to Arca that maybe they would see each other again. He was kind to her and she enjoyed his company. That had been idle thoughts only. She hadn't really expected to ever see him again after he went his own way.

"I don't think that would be good. You don't know anything about me. I'm not everything I seem to be, and considering you're blind, well, I'm a burden you really shouldn't trouble yourself with." She knew she wouldn't be able to hide her distress, and so she didn't try to. "Please don't get me wrong, you're so sweet and I would be glad to have a friend like you, but...there are things you don't know about me."

[TheHighwayman]

Kyt thought on that for a moment- she'd said no, and it wasn't something he really wanted to argue about. It was her choice after all. He tapped the edge of his walking stick against his chin, not quite able to shake the feeling that maybe her distress was caused by his magic. "Fair enough," he said finally. "It was just a suggestion." The healer had regained a measure of his usual stone-faced expression by now.

He searched for something else to say, came up with nothing, and set his now empty bowl down besides Nisha. "I should probably be going soon- if I'm going to find work today, I'll need to get back inside the city as soon as I can. I suppose I could stay a few more moments longer though." Besides his stated reason- which was admittedly true, he'd probably slept in longer than he could afford already- he wanted to be gone before she stumbled on the coins he'd hidden under his blankets. Walking stick in hand and cloak draped loosely over his shoulders he looked every bit as frail as ever, but also strangely sure of himself.

"Now, I'd like to ask... does my magic bother you, at all? I'd understand if it did- I'm simply curious." Kyt asked.  "And by the way, you aren't a burden- you've done as much here for me as I have for you. Maybe more." Kyt had gotten to his feet earlier and now stood slightly stooped over so as to still be on a level with Nisha, preparing himself for the walk ahead of him.

[Zero]

Nisha felt bad for saying no to him. Would he understand if she tried to explain it? What would he think of her? The fact that she had just rejected his company was starting to sink in and she felt horrible for it. Her loneliness could only be blamed on herself, she was pushing him away. Still, it was probably for the best. "I know it was, and I'm sorry."

He placed his empty bowl near her and she picked it up, running her fingers over the outside of it idly. She would have to wash the breakfast dishes. She nodded as he told her he would have to leave soon. It was inevitable that he would leave, but she did hate to think about being left alone again. Where before she could barely stop watching him, her grey eyes now avoided looking at him.

Blinking at his unexpected question she turned her eyes to gaze up at his face in surprise. "Your magic doesn't bother me, Kyt. I didn't say no because of you, it's because of me. I am a burden. I was born with a weak heart, it doesn't beat strong enough. I should have died as an infant, but I didn't."

Sighing and running her fingers through her long, dark hair she shook her head and looked down at the ground. He'd told her about his special sight, it was only fair that she shared her own secret. "It's not even just that. I'm...I'm not human." She was afraid of what he would think of that.

[TheHighwayman]

Kyt went wide eyed- though once again it would have been admittedly difficult to see under the sash. His gift meant that people rarely surprised him, so he wasn't exactly well prepared for that bit of information. "You aren't human?...You seem perfectly normal to me." Kyt tilted his head and sat back down, somewhat closer than most would have been after hearing something like that. She wasn't messing with him or making something up to spare his feelings, he could tell that much.

Kyt personally didn't mind the idea of her not being human- if she were some nocturnal predator in a human guise, she would have already eaten him or given herself away somehow. Leaning forward a bit, he asked, "Well, what are you then?" He soon added, "And why should that make any great difference, exactly? You act human and your spirit is human enough. If you mean you'd be dangerous to be around..." Kyt was clearly holding back a chuckle at that thought. "Well, I'd need a great deal of convincing to believe that." Depending on what exactly she was, the young man thought he might very well be the stranger one himself. His interest had been piqued again, and the intent set of his face would indicate he'd largely forgotten about his previous preparations to leave.

[Zero]

Well, Kyt didn't seem repulsed or fearful at the news. Nisha took that as a pretty good sign. Had she really expected him to condemn her or run in terror? To be honest she wasn't sure. Some people were more open to non-humans, and some weren't. Her brother had told her that their conditions should be kept to themselves and never divulged to ignorant humans. Then again, Gavin didn't seem to like or trust anyone. She wondered what Kyt would have seen about him. Maybe she didn't really want to know.

Nisha let him talk, but made a face at his obvious desire to laugh at the idea of her being dangerous. Okay, so maybe she wasn't all fierce or mean, and she was a sickly weakling, but still! Even if she wasn't dangerous, she knew Gavin was, but he wasn't here. What would he think if he came back after her and she was traveling with Kyt? "It's not that I think I'm dangerous to you, I know I'm not. It's just...well, some humans don't like non-humans. I didn't want to bring it up because I was afraid you'd hate me."

Telling him she wasn't human was one thing, but would he laugh at her when she told him what she was? Her brother and father certainly considered her a joke. "Well, I'm a were-woleetah, and I already know you'll ask. It's a cross between a wolf and a cheetah. Please don't laugh."

[TheHighwayman]

A were-woleetah- Kyt thought about that. It wasn't hard not to laugh at it- he just needed to remind himself that it would be like her laughing at his sight- but it did certainly give him pause. It was unusual, and certainly not intimidating as far as lycanthropes went, but he found himself liking it- perhaps for those very reasons. "You must have a rather low opinion of me, if you think I'd hate you for an accident of birth. Even if I had a reason to fear or hate what you are, I can't afford to hold petty grudges over things that can't be controlled." 

Tentatively he decided to broach the earlier subject again. "So I clearly don't hate you, and if you've a weak heart that's all the more reason to have a doctor nearby- though I admit I'm a pretty sorry excuse for one. Will you reconsider sticking together? Now, I'd understand if the answer were still no, and if that's the case I'll not ask again, I swear. I just want to be sure it's not because of your condition that you refused." Kyt reached up and untied his sash, making it a point to- well, sort of-  look her in the eye while speaking. "I enjoy your company, and I don't like the thought of leaving you by yourself. And like I said, we're probably both better off together. You can borrow my strength- or what little I have- and I can borrow your eyes." The healer slipped the sash into the hand holding the walking stick and held the now free hand out towards her, waiting patiently, not wanting to rush her.

[Zero]

Unusual was a nice way to put it. More like a very rare freak of nature. Canine and felines weren't known to get along, let alone were-creatures of different species. It still annoyed Nisha that her father thought of her as such a joke. It was his fault she was a half-breed. Maybe if she'd been one or the other her heart wouldn't have been defective. Ah, she would waste her days away wondering about what-ifs, but that would get her nowhere.

She flushed slightly with guilt. "It's not that I have a low opinion, just, well people can be nice one moment, when they think you're human, and the next..." It had happened to her on a few occasions. As nice as Kyt was, she still didn't really know him that well, and he didn't know her that well either. Even with his unique gifts. She wanted to trust him, and he seemed trustworthy, but she still felt the need to be cautious.

Nisha couldn't argue with just how useful it would be to have a healer on hand to help her should she become exceptionally ill. Thoughts of burdening him still plagued her. What if she had an episode and he made himself weak to try to help her? He didn't need to be giving all his strength trying to keep her alive. If she said no again she believe him when he said he wouldn't bring it up again. It would be simple to say no. She didn't really want to. More than anything Nisha hated the thought of being left all alone again.

Chewing softly on her lower lip, she looked into his eyes as he took the blindfold off. She knew he couldn't really see her looking at him, but she knew he would know. After searching his face for a few moments she left her eyes drop to his out-stretched hand. Slowly she reached out and let her fingers curl around his. "Alright, on one condition. If I get very sick, I forbid you to exhaust yourself on trying to help me. I won't put you in danger because I'm weak."

[TheHighwayman]

"Deal."  Kyt held onto Nisha's hand for just a few seconds before letting go. "But you need to quit worrying about being a burden." Getting to his feet again, he retied his sash and asked, "So what's the plan? I didn't really have any ideas as to what to do or where to go next- did you? And I get the feeling I'm forgetting something..." Kyt furrowed his brow and tried to recollect exactly what it had been that he'd been concerned about earlier.

"Oh!" he started. "I suppose there's no reason to hide this anymore then." Kyt floundered about, trying to find the blanket-pile. When he found the corner, he reached under and frowned. "Come on now, where did I stick that... there." When he stood back up, he was holding the bag he'd been trying to leave with Nisha earlier. "There's enough money in here for a night at a cheap inn, or two days worth of food if we're smart about it." Slipping the bag back into his cloak, he looked away a bit sheepishly. "...And don't ask me why I left it there." He almost hoped she'd assume it was out of caution- it would likely save him from a short argument, and he got the feeling she thought he was too trusting anyway.

Sitting back down, Kyt resumed his humming from earlier, tapping his staff along with the tune. Sometimes the healer could be difficult to read, but it was rather obvious that the prospect of having Nisha along with him put him in excellent spirits. He hadn't realized how long he'd been on his own, and a reprieve was long overdue.

[Zero]

Nisha considered protesting, but she knew he would just keep insisting that she wouldn't be a burden. Well, she was determined to make herself useful. There had to be ways for her to contribute without aggrivating her condition. As nervous and uncertain as she had been about accepting his offer to join him, now that she'd agreed there was a measure of relief at not being alone anymore. It did give her a lot of things to have to consider, though. What would she do about the meager collection of items she had gathered? It didn't seem efficient to try to carry everything around. Some things would have to be left behind.

"I don't have any plans. I've just kind of been scrapping by day-by-day. What about what you said before? Finding work..." Her voice trailed off as Kyt had started looking for something, talking to himself for a moment before pulling out a bag of coins from under his blankets. She was not an angry person, but her eyes narrowed slightly. He said not to ask, but Nisha really didn't think she needed to ask. How could he even think about giving her that money?

Well, there wasn't really much that could be done about it now. Rolling her eyes and biting her tongue, she let it go. At least he seemed to be in a good mood. Even annoyed at his selflessness on her behalf, she had to admit she was in a good mood too. "I think the first thing we need to do is decide what we're going to take with us. I think the pot, bowls, and spoons need to come. They're really not too heavy. The blankets might get heavy when it rains, though."

[TheHighwayman]

Kyt sighed as the shift in Nisha's spirit let him know that he'd been figured out. At least she didn't seem to want to argue about it. His mind turned to more practical matters as she brought up the issue of what to bring along. He agreed that the cooking-ware would be good to have along, but he also knew how cold it could get when one wasn't lucky enough to have a fire. "I think we should bring one or two of them, though- I've never been one for traveling in the rain, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem if we only bring a few. What do you have to carry the pot and such in?"

As for finding work, Kyt was a little bit unsure of what to do. There was his standby of offering to aid the sick, but people tended to be a little bit mistrustful of healers who looked unhealthy themselves. Not only that, but he'd also have to ask for either more coin than his usual price or room and board for both himself and Nisha now. "And I wouldn't place much faith in my ability to earn any coin," he admitted regretfully.

Then he realized he'd been overlooking something rather important. "Wait a moment... Do we even really need to leave this spot? It's not too far a walk into the city for me to make every day, and you've clearly been able to carve out a nice little set-up here. And out here we can have a fire every night. If we're caught flat broke in the city, that wouldn't be an option."

Frowning, the young man tried to weigh their options. As far as he could tell, the easiest solution would be for them to keep the camp there, and he could try to supplement whatever Nisha could find in the area with what little food he could earn from his services in the city. "What do you think?"

[Zero]

Nisha didn't like the idea of leaving anything behind. Everything she'd managed to collect was an item of use. Even rolled up properly taking all the blankets would be far too bulky, and much too heavy for her to carry. The idea of making Kyt carry things was not one she wanted to consider. She didn't know if he could even carry that much either. They made quite the pair, didn't they? Both frail, both alone, and both dirt poor. Well, being alone wasn't a problem anymore, at least. "I figure we could just roll the pot and bowls up into the blankets."

It was a good thing Nisha couldn't read minds. The thought of making Kyt work harder would have again made her declare that she would be a burden. Maybe even make her change her mind about staying with him. A soft sigh escaped her at his admittance that he wouldn't be earning much coin. Not that she minded a lack of coins, she never had money, but it made her sad that he had so little faith in himself. "I'm sure together we could make enough. I could cook or clean for money, maybe."

All the possible ways she might be able to earn a bit of money began running through her head. It was a pitifully short list. Still, she refused to be discouraged. Even as happy as she was to have found a friend, Nisha felt almost sad to leave. Sure, this place wasn't much, but she'd worked hard to make it livable enough to stay, even temporarily. Then he suggested staying and her heart near skipped a beat.

Excitement filled her. "I think that'll be perfect! I mean, this isn't exactly a palace, but this room has most of a roof, and we could even try to make repairs. I've been doing my best to straighten it up. We probably couldn't rebuild the entire house, but we could maybe get this room solid again, and maybe even a second one. We could make this work." With a stable place to live, they really could work on building something for themselves that they might not have otherwise been able to accomplish alone and wandering. Together and stationary?

Ah, but she didn't own any of this. The farmer that actually owned the land had built his family a new house a few miles away when this one had burned. So far he'd been nice enough not to run her off, but how long would that last? Well, she'd just have to go talk to him.

[TheHighwayman]

Kyt nodded, he liked the idea, and it clearly seemed to be encouraging Nisha. "It could work... but I'm not sure how much help I could be with that." Nisha would probably have to do much of the work on that project herself, but Kyt could use his magic to make it easier on her. As he thought on it longer, he was certain it could work- he'd no longer be spending any money on lodgings, so what didn't go towards food could be used to help repair the place. He was really starting to warm to the idea when he sensed a moment of disappointment from Nisha.

"We can do it," he said. "What's bothering you, exactly? I'm sure it's something we can sort out easily enough." Kyt stood back up and threw his cloak more securely about his shoulders. His jaw was set and if his eyes were visible Nisha would have been able to see a fire within them. It was about time he had something to work towards, and not just drift along. "Just tell me what you need from me, and we'll do it."

Now that he was motivated, he realized he'd still probably be able to find something worth doing for a few coins if he left for the city now. "I think I should be getting back inside Arca now, if I hurry there's a chance I can earn a bit of money before the day is up. Is there anything you'd like me to do while I'm there? Or would you like to come with me for that matter?" As he spoke, the young man took a few steps back and tried to get his bearings. He was fairly certain he could remember the way back to the road without any trouble, and from there it would be a simple matter of navigating the familiar streets.

"Oh, and maybe you should hold onto this," he muttered, tossing her the coinpurse. "It's probably safer in your hands than mine. Less likely to get lost somehow."

[Zero]

Nisha was very excited about fixing the old house and making it their own. The arrangement would be mutually benefical. Kyt would have a place to sleep every night, Nisha would have a healer in case she needed it, and together they would surely be able to gather and earn more food and money than each on their own. Arguably the greatest benefit was the company. It hadn't taken Nisha very long at all to realize just how horrible it was to be alone all the time. Yes, she was very excited about joining forces with her unique new friend.

"Yes, yes...we can do it. I know we can. Don't worry about what's bothering me, though. I can take care of it." She certainly didn't want to worry him with her thoughts about the actual owner of the property. They didn't use this relatively small patch of their farm anymore, and they knew she was here. If she just spoke to them Nisha was sure she could work something out. There was no way she could buy the property, and she didn't know how much it would even cost, but maybe in exchange for something other than money. There was always work to do on a farm.

She'd been deep in her thoughts before blinking and shaking her head, realizing Kyt had been talking to her. "Oh, sorry. I was thinking. You should go without me this time, if you really think you should go. There's something here I want to take care of sooner rather than later." She caught the purse easily enough, looking down at it uncertainly. "Are you sure?"

Getting up she pulled a few coins out and tried to press them into his hand.  "At least take enough to buy something for you to eat."

[TheHighwayman]

"Thanks- I'll try to bring something back for you as well." Kyt slipped the money into his pocket, offered Nisha a brief smile, and started off. "Be careful," he called out before going to far. "And best of luck with whatever you need to do." Hurrying on, Kyt soon found himself nearing the road. His speed surprised him, and he realized that he'd been moving along at a brisk pace rather than his usual cautious trudging.

It wouldn't be long before he'd reach the city, he thought. It would almost be a bit of a relief- as much as he enjoyed Nisha's company, the area was unfamiliar to him and it made him worry about tripping over something or other. The streets of Arca, on the other hand, he knew as well as most people knew their own houses. And with any luck he'd be successful in finding work and would return somewhat triumphantly. His grin widened at that. it would be a good sign for the future and probably keep them in good spirits for a while.

Kyt attracted a number of odd looks once he was inside- he was well known enough, and it certainly wasn't very typical of him to look as joyful as he did right then. He wasn't deluding himself, he knew full well that it would be hard work to carve a place for themselves in the wrecked farmhouse, but frankly he decided he didn't care. He was used to hardship, the difference was that this time the hardship would have a better reward than simply staying alive.

((OOC: Not really sure how to handle it from here. Let me know what you'd rather do.))