Not Enough and A Lot of Company

[Anonymous]

Sharlee had opened her mouth to reply, no, she was fine! After they left the camp she started to feel better and better and now she was fine. Really. Not afraid of heights at all! She'd had to even climb up a tree to get Doeshe when he was smaller and got his foot stuck! Of course, she was rather afraid at being shot at by arrows on an unfamiliar Gryphon that she just found out spoke after she'd been treating it like a good puppy.

Unable to find her voice, Sharlee nodded numbly and squeezed her eyes shut and got as close as possible and hung on for dear life. She didn't let go until there was a screech of pain and she snapped her head up and stared ahead before looking down at Cadmus, she had accidentally plucked a black feather which was still clenched between her fingers and she didn't have time to scream herself before she tumbled off of his back.

Her back slammed painfully against a tree and she gasped for breath for a few moments. Her hands were pressed against her chest and neck and as she tried to catch her breath, tears pooled in her eyes and she had a horrible feeling she was dying. Of course she calmed once she caught her breath and wiped away her tears, her back hurt a little and she tucked his feather behind her ear before she crawled over to Cadmus.

Did he die? "Cadmus?" Sharlee said quietly, moving closer and placing a hand on his foot before seeing the arrow, frowning gently, "Oh, no. Caddy! You're hurt!" As if he didn't know, Sharlee moved up to his head and gently pet at his head. Sure he could talk, but that didn't mean he couldn't appreciate a nice head scratch. "I'm a healer, you know. I can fix your wound, you'll have to cooperate with me though, it may be magic but it'll still hurt because we have to get the arrow out and... well, I'm not all that familiar with Gryphon bodies." Sharlee chewed her lip and looked around listening carefully for any footsteps from the person that shot the arrow.

Sharlee wanted Doeshe. She wanted her sister and she wanted to go home. "Caddy?"

[Rhindeer]

Ow...that didn't begin to describe the world of pain he was in.

Cadmus' eyes fluttered open when he heard a voice and felt someone petting his head, which felt wonderful and would have felt even better if he didn't have red-hot agony radiating from his thigh and burning up and down his leg. He gave a little whimper and lifted his head. Ah. There Sharlee was, and while she looked teary-eyed and a little worse for wear, she didn't appear badly injured. At least, he could see no gaping wounds or awkwardly twisted limbs.

Thank the gods. The way they'd landed, she was lucky she hadn't broken her neck.

"I've...had worse," he said, wincing as he rolled off his side until he was laying on his belly. Every movement hurt, and when he turned his head he could see the arrow shaft sticking out of his upper leg, blood trickling from the wound and matting the black fur all around it. Sweet gods, that hurt. "I'm sorry," he added, looking back at her. "For the landing. I think I did something very stupid..."

But what was done, was done, and now he had an arrow in his leg. Wonderful.

When Sharlee spoke, though, Cadmus perked up hopefully. Healer! That was right! She was a mage, duh! Well, damn, what luck to have been stuck with a healer when he's shot from the sky? It was a sort of luck he usually didn't have. Sighing in relief, Cadmus tentatively stretched his injured leg out where she could get at it, whimpering in pain--but then went still when she mentioned that she wasn't familiar with gryphon bodies.

Oh.

Cadmus cleared his throat, which no doubt sounded weird and all too human coming from an animal. "Well then...I have a confession to make," he said slowly, eying her. Well, she'd taken the talking animal thing well, so why not? What did he have to lose? The worst that could happen is she runs for the hills and Sorin gets pissed, but he was willing to take that risk. "Ah...I'm not really a gryphon; I'm a shifter. My other shape is human. I...hope that's not too weird, and I'm sorry for deceiving you, but uh..."

He gave an uncomfortable shrug. "Well, if I haven't freaked you out enough yet, would it help if I changed?" If he had the facial muscles, he would have been smiling sheepishly.

[Anonymous]

Concern was bright in her lavender eyes and she stared at Cadmus' while she pet his head in hopefully soothing motions. "It's not your fault, you got hit by an arrow and it looks like it's in there pretty good." Sharlee gave the top of his beak a quick kiss and smiled before she resumed petting his head, if she had been any sort of flying creature and got pegged by an arrow. Landing nicely wouldn't be the first thing on her mind.

Sharlee jumped slightly when he cleared his throat, her eyebrows drawing together. That was an odd noise. The elven girl perked up when Caddy mentioned having a confession to make and she winced internally, fearing it was something awful. A hemophiliac? Her hand moved from his head and she placed it on her lap, she'd kneeled and was sitting on her feet. Sharlee could feel her back throb and she knew she'd have a lovely bruise up and down the back of it by later in the day.

As it was, Cadmus needed attention now and she listened intently.

Of course, his confession made her ears go red and her cheeks turn pink. "O-oh!" She had been petting his head! And gave his beak a kiss! If he was really a man that meant she'd like... Kissed his nose! Sharlee cleared her throat and ended up playing with a long strand of hair that came loose from her braids. "It would help yes," She confessed slowly, "but, don't do it if it hurts... To shift I mean. I would be more comfortable removing an arrow on a humanoid, I fear that I might end up ruining your leg if I did it in your current form."  Sharlee stared at him, "I... Would feel awful if that happened." A nod, and she clenched her fist.

"I know it hurts, I promise to do something nice for you afterwards."

[Rhindeer]

If Cadmus had been in human form, and if he hadn't been so distracted by other things, he may have blushed, too.

It was always a little awkward making that confession when the person first knew him as a gryphon. Not so much the reverse, because if they knew him first as a human, they tended to be a little more careful around him when he did change, because he was still a human in their eyes, still an intelligent creature. When he was a gryphon first, however, he was just an animal and people let their guards down around animals. Like Sharlee had, with the kisses on the beak, the petting...

Yeeeah. Little weird once you actually thought about it.

Once they realized he was usually in human form, things got a little weird because you wouldn't normally pet a human on the belly unless you were already kinda, y'know, intimate. Seeing Sharlee's blush, Cadmus thought she might be having that realization now.

Especially with his head currently laying in her lap.

And then there was the other issue.

"It doesn't hurt to shift...the only thing that hurts is this, but ah..." Oh, jeez. Why was he concerned with nudity when he wanted to gnaw his own leg off just so it stopped hurting? When it could get infected if nothing was done? Politeness, he guessed, because he didn't care about it himself; after all, he was naked right now. He drew in a sharp, pained breath, trying to keep his breathing controlled even though he wanted to pant in agony--and scream every time he moved. Well, there was no other way. She said it herself: she might mess his leg up if he stayed like this. Besides, she was a healer. Surely she was used to seeing naked human bodies.

"Nn...fine. Let's just get it out before I chew my own leg off...please," he said, then closed his eyes and focused.

In a matter of seconds, the full-grown gryphon was soon replaced by a full-grown man with the same golden eyes, same scars, and a black head of hair that felt a little feathery in places...and which was still laying in Sharlee's lap. Sweat had broken out all over his dark skin.

Which was easy to see, considering he was wearing no clothes.

In this form, it was harder to disguise his pain; gryphons just didn't have the range of expressions a human did, and now his face was twisted into a grimace, hands clutching hard at the grass beneath him and breath coming in shallow gasps. With no fur in the way, the wound looked even worse, the arrow shaft buried in deep and blood trickling down his leg. He was lucky that it hadn't hit any arteries.

"Hope you know what you're doing 'cause I don't..." he panted, starting to feel a little dizzy. Not from blood loss; he was hardly bleeding at all with the arrow in the way. "Never been shot...wish my first time could've been more impressive..."

[Anonymous]

Well that was fast.

Sharlee stared down at the gryphon and the next moment it was a human head on her lap. Her fingers still gently brushed through his hair and she swallowed, pausing a moment and giving his body a very rapid once over. Yup, naked as a jaybird. Her fingers ruffled through his hair again and she swept her fingers over his forehead. Before it was only in his eyes, but now it was his entire face and she swallowed and looked at his leg. "I dunno, Caddy. The arrow is in there pretty deep, that's impressive!"

Being able to heal wounds and safely removing objects impaled into legs were different things. She swallowed and gave his forehead a quick kiss - More has a comforting motion, she did it to Doeshe even when he had a limp. Gently she removed his head from her lap and placed it in the grass before she looked around. What could he bite on? Sharlee stood for a moment and stared at his face.

Wouldn't want him to bite his tongue or hurt himself. Ah, she knew! Quickly she removed the leather strip she used to tie her hair back, the two braids tumbled down to her waist and slowly unravelled at the bottom before she wiped it off and forced his jaw open. "Bite on that, you can scream if you have to. I have very sensitive ears but I'll forgive you this one time." Then she moved down to his waist and did her best to ignore any parts that were unfamiliar.

Which was just about everything.

"I'll ask you to keep as still as possible, okay, Caddy?" She kept her voice light and airy, a strange accent tilted her words when she spoke softly and she carefully and bright red, sat herself on his legs so he'd have a harder time moving them. If he cared to look at her the normal porcelain skin would be bright pink. He was naked! Why did he have to be naked?

The faster it happened the easier it would be. "When I get the arrow out I'll have to ... put my finger in it, I want to heal inside your leg too and if I just heal the top the wound will still be inside. I'll do it quickly though, I promise." Her voice was soft again and she took to humming a song from her home. It was a lullaby and her voice didn't waver when she yanked the arrow out and tossed it to the side. It was still sharp and stuck out of the ground at an odd angle before she closed her eyes and worked her magic.

The wound bled freely for a few seconds before her hands got hot and her index finger jammed into the arrow hole and her lullaby turned into a song which she sang while she slowly slid the finger out. Her hands were covered in blood and it was smeared along his leg. Her voice was almost enchanting, the elvish words they sang before she moved her hands and pressed her palms down on his thigh. A few moments of her cleaning away the blood and poking and prodding his leg and she got off of his lap and moved to his side to lay down.

Flushed and panting with her hair slowly coming out of it's braids. Sharlee wiped her hands on the grass before turning to Cadmus and attempting a smile. "Aaallll, bed-ur." She stretched her arms and arched her back before curling up to the side to face him. "Don't worry, I didn't look at your thingy." She reached over to pet his hair again, "The first naked man I see will be my husband." A solid nod and tight lips before she took a deep breath, "Just gimmie a minute to catch my breath, healing isn't easy y'know." A tired smile and she turned her lavender eyes to the sky. It was a pretty sky.

[Rhindeer]

Cadmus snorted and was about to point out that getting shot by an arrow wasn't exactly impressive when it could happen to anyone when Sharlee leaned in and kissed his forehead. That cut the words right off and he blinked up at her in momentary confusion. Eh? What was--? Oh, what the hell. He was in too much pain at the moment to question or care; maybe she still viewed him as a gryphon even while he was human, who knows.

Besides, even if he'd planned on saying anything, he soon lost his chance. He had time only to make a muffled sound of surprise before Sharlee was forcing his mouth open and jamming a strip of leather between his teeth--and then started going on about screaming and staying still...while climbing onto his legs, the slight pressure making him wince. Uhh? Cadmus' eyebrows arched and he stared up into her blushing face and for a second deliriously wondered if they had maybe had some sort of communication breakdown.

That thought died as soon as she mentioned pulling the arrow out and--and what?

Stick her finger in it?!

Yank! There went the arrow.

Staying still was easier said than done. Cadmus bit down hard on the leather and screamed through clenched teeth, but he somehow managed only to writhe beneath her when what he really wanted to do was throw her off and hurl obscenities at her and forbid her to ever, ever touch him again because he'd rather just bleed! But that would have been stupid and the small part of his mind that could still function knew it. Then her finger jammed into the wound and he cursed her as thoroughly as he could while biting down on the strip, sweat shining on his skin and breath coming in quick bursts. Dammit! As if getting speared the first time hadn't been wonderful enough! This was just sick at this point!

And then it was over.

It took a few seconds for Cadmus to register that he was no longer in pain, and that the poking and prodding he felt didn't actually hurt. When it finally did, he cracked his eyes open.

She looked exhausted, and as she curled up, Cadmus turned his head to the side and spat the leather strip out--than made a noise that sounded almost like tired but incredulous laughter. After all of that, sticking her finger in a gaping wound and all, and she thought he was worried about her seeing his parts? Gods above, she was an odd one. Cute, but odd all the same.

"Hmm...I don't really care either way," he murmured when he felt he could speak again, eyes closing again when he felt her fingers playing through his hair. Huh. Guess she wasn't as weirded out as most people were. Not that he minded; petting did feel nice. "I'm always naked as a gryphon, you know." With an effort, because all that had taken it out of him, he pushed up so that he was sitting, leaves and grass sticking to his back, and ran a hand over his once injured leg. Completely healed; all he felt and saw were old scars that had already been there. No new punctures.

"Thank you. I, ah...I'm sorry for anything you may have heard," he added with a slight grimace. Hopefully she hadn't been able to make it out.

[Anonymous]

Naked as a gryphon. Well, that made sense. "A gryphon wearing clothes would be silly." It was a good observation, and she giggled at the image of a gryphon wearing people clothes. She sat up when he did and Sharlee gently brushed the things off his back and pet at his head again, her fingers going up his neck to gently caress his scalp. She kneeled and leaned over his shoulder, looking at his legs.

He sure did have a lot of scars.

"Do you fight a lot?" He must have, to have that many scars! Goodness! "And it's okay. I know you don't mean it now that you're all healed up." A pat at his back and Sharlee stood up and moved to sit beside him, she shuffled and sighed when she sat down again and let her head drop over to his shoulder which she nuzzled against. "Where are we going? Can we rest?" She turned her head and looked up at Cadmus with big lavender doe eyes, "Can I take a nap?"

[Rhindeer]

"We're going to have to rest," Cadmus said, picking a few stray leaf pieces from his hair. "I don't think I'll be able to fly for a bit, much less carry someone else, or even shift." He covered a yawn with his hand, feeling all relaxed with his eyelids drooping--which he blamed partially on getting shot and healed, but also on all of Sharlee's petting and cuddling. It worked when he was a gryphon, and it worked just the same now. After all, his body was still his body, whatever its shape.

He leaned against her head and let his eyes close. "And hmm...I fight enough. I fight when I have to."

Ugh, it was getting harder to stay awake. All that pain and healing and even the bit of blood loss had taken it out of him. "Go ahead and nap if you'd like."

[Anonymous]

Amazing. He wanted a nap too. Sharlee moved her hand over her mouth to yawn and she fluttered her eyes closed after he gave the O.K for a nap time. His head against her was oddly comforting, not having humanoid - because he surely wasn't a human - company. And talking company. Doeshe was great and all but he was still unable to hold a decent conversation.

Sharlee fell asleep pretty quickly. If there was one thing she was amazingly talented in it was falling asleep quickly. Likely due to how little sleep she got on a regular basis, so what little sleep she did get she got instantly when she set her mind to it.

Of course, sleep had a funny way of making people twitch and move and she had found her hand resting on something warm and funny feeling. Since she could only feel her hand on it she had decided it wasn't hers, a quick few gropes and she reeled away with a loud squeak after she mentally made a map of the body and realized just where her hand was.

It had been on his thingy!

Sharlee stared ahead, one hand - the hand that hadn't touched his thingy- was covering her eyes and the other was out and spread open like she'd touched some awful thing. Waving it back and forth to take away the fact it felt so warm now. Because of that.

 How long? Did he notice? That was so rude. Decent girls didn't just fall asleep and then grope their once wounded pillows! Was that like making moves on an animal? Did Cadmus count as an animal? Did she just molest an animal? Sharlees face was at least six shades of red and she sat with her face covered and her hand up for a while.

With her hand still up in the air she peeked at Cadmus, careful not to uncover any area below his shoulders.

[Rhindeer]

It may have been stupid to fall asleep with someone you'd essentially kidnapped (even though she didn't know she'd been kidnapped) as it gave them ample opportunity to escape, but Cadmus couldn't have stayed awake if he'd tried. It was a warm day, too, or else he would have been shivering too badly to sleep, stuck in a human's bare skin with no clothes to warm him up. Sometime after Sharlee nodded off, Cadmus faded.

He didn't dream for most of his sleep, or didn't remember them at least. It was only when he was starting to drift back to wakefulness that he became aware of his dreams, where past lovers occasionally visited him, and one did in this one. His last one, from years ago, a pretty Serenian woman with pale hair and bright eyes and an amazing, full-lipped mouth that--

"Uwah?"

He was jolted back to wakefulness by something squeezing down there, which was followed by a loud squeak that helped jerk him back to full consciousness. Oh shit! That hadn't exactly been just a dream! Jerking upright, he saw Sharlee--who looked mortified--and his face went several shades darker.

Especially when he noticed the effect it had had on him.

BLOODY FUCKING BOLLOCKS.

Turning away and drawing his legs up to his chest, he closed his eyes and took deep breaths. Think disgusting thoughts, think disgusting thoughts... he chanted in his head, and ran scenes of old, bloody fights, toothless old men, and dead puppies through his mind, still taking slow, deep breaths through his nose. That killed any unwanted effect Sharlee's accidental groping had on him, thank the gods, but it didn't do anything for the feeling of...

Filthiness.

Oh, gods.

"Uh...good evening," he croaked after a moment, the sky having darkened over the course of their sleep, the air growing cooler. He waited a few more seconds, giving himself time to wake up and assess his own strength, then took another deep breath. The rest had helped, and it looked like now was time to shift. It was going to get cold, anyway, but now he just felt awkward, too. He may have been gryphon enough that casual nudity wasn't sexual, nor did it bother him, but he was a man enough that this was troubling and uncomfortable.

"Um...I'm going to shift back now. I hope you don't mind," he said, before concentrating and letting the change take over. It wasn't long before the man was replaced by a large black gryphon, sitting sheepishly with his back turned, wings folded, and tail flicking with obvious agitation.

[Anonymous]

"Hi." Sharlee squeaked out, her hand still covering her face and her other arm still frozen sticking up in the air. She didn't look at Cadmus except for the top of his head, so she hadn't noticed his little problem. If anything, she was trying desperate to forget what it felt like. When Cadmus wasn't looking she dropped her hand onto the grass and rubbed her palm furiously against the green stuff, giving him an affirmative noise when he said he was going to shift back.

Yes, please!! His thingy didn't dangle and he didn't look like a man when he was an animal! Much more comfortable. Please!

Sharlee gave a sigh of relief when all she felt was the tingle of grass on her palm instead of the tingle of skin and she wiped off her hand on her pants before she stood up and cleared her throat. Of course she was still six shades of red, "I... I'm sorry." Her voice was quiet and she still wasn't looking at him, in fact she was facing the other way.

"I really do prefer you as a gryphon. It's not that you're an ugly human, you're quite an attractive one! It's just that you're a naked human, so... You should get clothes.. Before you go into a town and do that sort of thing." Sharlee cleared her throat, feeling the need to explain to him why being naked was bad. Or something. Did he even know? He was probably more worldy than she was. "I didn't mean to grab... That."

She finally turned around and relaxing when he was an animal again. She could deal with male animal. Not male humanoid. That just made things awkward... And gropeable. "Caddy? Are we going again? I don't feel so awful anymore, if you're still tired I can make a fire and we can rest the night and then meet up with Doeshe and your Keeper in the morning?"

[Rhindeer]

"Let's not talk about it," Cadmus ground out, and if he were in human form his ears would have been burning. That was the first time that something like that had happened and as far as he was concerned, that was going to be the last time. For now, though, he just wanted to forget it and shake away the sense of violation.

"And I realize I need clothes to go to town," he added, voice tight. She was sorry and he knew she hadn't meant that, considering her own reaction, but being fondled by strangers in his sleep still wasn't his ideal way of waking. "But I need to go to town to get clothes. You see the dilemma. Sorin has mine right now."

Finally climbing to his feet and stretching out, he fanned his wings out to test their strength. After the rest he did feel better, probably well enough to carry her.

Glancing back at her, he gave a small nod. "We should probably get going again. You'll be getting hungry soon, right?" He pointedly avoided the subject of Doeshe and his 'keeper'. Unfortunately for Sharlee, they wouldn't be going back.

[Anonymous]

Sharlee was sure to keep her head down and her chin tucked to her chest, her hair would fall and make a nice curtain of black to keep herself hidden. She felt awful and the way he was talking to her, gryphon or not, made it obvious he seriously didn't like her accidentally grabbing his... She didn't touch him, but she smiled when he fanned out his wings.

"Well, I suppose," She replied quiely when he mentioned being hungry. "Won't you be hungry too?" She cleared her throat, "Um, where will we go?"

[Rhindeer]

"I will, but I can go a little while without," Cadmus said, and then gave Sharlee his best attempt at a smile. He was still agitated, but he was trying to push it away. It had been accidental. It was better to just forget about it entirely, which was fine by him. "I don't suppose you'd like what I eat." Which mainly consisted of raw meat he'd hunted and killed himself.

He gave a dog-like stretch, head down, bottom up, and spine bending, then held the position and kept his wings down and out of the way. "Well, get on. Let's get moving," he said, avoiding her question.

[Anonymous]

"Okay... Only if you're sure." Her voice was soft and she chewed on her lip before pushing her hair over her shoulder and quickly tying it in a loose knot and then got her seat, her fingers holding onto his fur loosely. Feathers. Sharlee gave his neck a few pets and she mumbled another quiet apology. She'd just made the sorta-friend and then she went and had to cuddle and put her hand somewhere where she shouldn't have now he hated her. And could easily eat her face.

"Okay, Caddy." She didn't ask where they were going again, maybe he didn't tell her because it would be pointless to mention. She didn't know anyway! But Caddy seemed nice and if worse came to worse she could take care of herself just fine. At least she didn't feel sick anymore.

[Rhindeer]

As soon as Sharlee was on him, and as soon as he felt that she had a good grip, Cadmus straightened and took off with her at a swift trot, his gait a little awkward with his eagle-like forepaws and lion-like hindquarters. Besides, riding a lithe feline in general was far different than riding a broad-backed horse with their smoother gaits, but either way it was only like that on land for Cadmus. Gryphons were meant for the air like fish were meant for water and humans were meant for land.

Once he caught sight of a good break in the canopy above, Cadmus picked up his pace and then launched into the air, climbing swiftly. In seconds they had broken through the canopy and soared above it. Hopefully this time they would have better luck--but this time, he just knew to fly higher, out of range of projectile weapons.

"There's a town some ways ahead. I saw it on my way to where you were," he called behind him. "We'll stop there for a meal."

After all, it was a long ways to the coast near La'marri, and he was already tired. But tomorrow after he was rested, they would have one hell of a long stretch ahead of them.

[Anonymous]

Sharlee was a little worried about flying again. The last time had ended badly and then the new beginning on the ground ended badly too. Poor Caddy, so embarrassed, and poor her! She still liked him, even maybe liked him a little more when he was an animal, because that meant she could pet him and not see bareman chest. Or bare other man things.

The wind whipped her hair around having came loose from the knot she tied and Sharlee carefully, very very carefully, moved her hands from Cadmus's fur to gather her hair and stuff it down her shirt. There was enough of it, it should stay down there. Caddy had chewed on the hair ties before. Maybe she had something to pawn off. Though, Doeshe had her bags. And the egg.

Sharlee frowned before she dug her fingers back into Caddys self-made handlebars. Well hand grips. The fingers that weren't clenched in a death grip absentmindely rubbed against his fur, petting him.  "Do we buy you clothes and then feed you? Do you eat raw meat?" A pause, "Do I say you're my pet?"

[Rhindeer]

"It would probably be easier if you bought me some clothes and brought them back so I could change. I'm...not sure how well the townsfolk would take a gryphon walking among them," Cadmus called back to her. Especially considering he'd just been shot, and at least one Serenian province hunted gryphons ceremonially. Needless to say, he was a little wary of walking around populated areas in this form.

Lights glowing below caught his attention and Cadmus started to descend; that had to be it. He didn't approach it directly, though, instead wheeling around so he could prepare to land just outside it. "I mostly eat raw meat, yeah. I do a lot of hunting like this. But, ah, I can eat what you eat. I mean, I do masquerade as human a lot. Alright, hold on..."

Backwinging carefully, he touched down lightly on the ground, then bowed and fanned out his wings so Sharlee could climb off.

[Anonymous]

Sharlee just smiled at him for a moment. She'd answer him once they landed. Which was apparently very soon? She pushed her hair away and shimmied off of Caddys back. She wanted Doeshe, and she stared at Cadmus before she reached forward and scritched his head with her finger tips.

"I forget that you can ... Do the human thing." Sharlee laughed to herself, she much prefered him when he was a gryphon. Easier to talk to. He was a talking animal then, not a grown man. It was different. Somehow. "I've gotten so used to taking Doeshe with me everywhere, I never even considered what they'd do to you! You do look much less threatening than my dragon, he's big and got those teeth." To illustraight teeth, just in case Cadmus didn't know, she stuck her hands by her face with her pointer fingers down.

"You've just got a beak. Not that it's not  a lovely beak." She had a pouch with her, a meager savings that she used when she was in towns. There should be enough for a shirt and some pants, more than enough, maybe. "Okay. I'll get you some pants and a shirt. Stay right there, maybe go and crouch down behind those bushes!"

And she was off and running into town.

It was at least a half hour before she got back, folded clothing under one arm and her hair done in one large braid swooped to over her shoulder so it could rest against her chest and down her torso. It was decorated with various flowers and she looked at him sheepishly, her immaturity and age made obvious by the fact she had someone braid flowers into her hair. "It was a free hair tie, but I had to let them do it." She motioned to the hair, explaining.

"I got you your clothes?" She held them out before she unfolded them, held out the pants, turned her head and closed her eyes. Giving him some privacy. Sort of.

[Rhindeer]

Cadmus started to suspect that Sharlee might not return.

He should have figured, he supposed. Maybe she was brighter than he'd assumed and had seen this as a chance to high-tail it? Time crept by and just as Cadmus was about to give up, she returned, hair plaited with flowers--and clothes in her hands.

Thank goodness!

He crept out of the bushes he'd been lounging behind to greet her, still in gryphon form. "I was starting to get worried," he said, amusement in his voice. Reaching up, he plucked the clothes from her hands, holding them carefully in his beak, and spoke from around them, voice muffled. "But I see now why it took so long. Thank you."

Turning away from her, he wandered back behind the bushes to shift and change, yanking on the shirt and pulling on the breeches, which hung a little low on hips--they were obviously made for a wider man--but fit well enough. Brushing leaves from his messy hair, he stepped back around to face her, tugging and adjusting the clothes to make them fit better. "Ah, much better."