[OPEN] Uncertain Return

[Keagan]

The air was warm but held a certain chill to it that only seemed to show itself when the occasional breeze managed to drift over the wilting plains. With fall in full power, claiming the land with browns and golds of fading plants, Keagan made a guess of just how long the Keepers had held him in their windowless cages. Months had to of passed since he was first captured, taken away once more by those damned humans. Never had Keagan truly felt a sense of anger and hatred towards any one, but these twisted humans had the pleasure of being the first. With a heavy snort, the red deer stumbled carelessly onto his hooves, his limbs weak and unsteady after being confined for so long. Even though they fed him and kept him hydrated during his so-called stay, his inability to truly use his muscles as they were made to be used had made his limbs grow weak and, frankly, useless. Chest heaving faintly, the great stag swung his head from side to side in irritation, the quills that protruded from his backside flaring out, mirroring his state of mind. The spines rattled against each other as he stepped forward, his darkened pelt bristling faintly. He felt so off balanced, so out of place. The fields of his herd were to be a place of comfort, yet he could only feel a sense of fear and uncertainty as to whether he would be welcomed back or not. He had been mutated, twisted into a form not like his own. His once proud, rust-colored pelt had turned dull, becoming coarse and holding very little of his previous coat. The quills that protruded out from his spine were needle thin, slowly growing in numbers and thickness the further down they went until they covered most of his flanks and hindquarters. Many of them were short, not stretching further than two feet, but there were others that did stretch out farther, which concerned him.

Moving was hard enough with his antlers to get in the way or caught up in branches. But, to have these now to watch over? It would be a mess and he was sure of that. Ears flickering back, Keagan tentatively stepped out from the cover of the foliage, his head lowered faintly as his wide brown eyes searched for any sign of his previous herdmates. Surely someone would be able to recognize him, despite his odd change.

[ROMA|RED]

There was a pitched squeak that echoed across the plain, followed by a growl and a rush of hooves. In the distance a mass materialized into an oddly mottled horse that, ears foreword thundered toward the forest. Fear did not mark the mare’s face as she galloped lazily, nor did she run as if pursued. Nearing the shade of the forest, the horse spooked once when she spotted the deer like creature and she skidded to a halt for the length of a breath before flagging her tail, and huffing a snort through her nostrils dismissively and trotting around the strange retro into the trees. Over the hill appeared a young woman that trudged to the peak, kicked a rock and slowly trekked back down. She seemed to be following the path the horse had just made mere moments before. Her red curly hair was a mess, her tanned and thoroughly freckled skin was bruised, covered with dirt, and the look on her face was a paradox of exhaustion and fury. As she drew closer her grumbling became audible. “Damn mare betterun,” Roma growled between her teeth. Immediately it was apparent where the identical snarl minutes before had originated. “’Makes what? Four times today? What, do I gotta tie m’self to the damn thing? Dezba!” The last word was hollered toward the forest. Her voice was a touch lower than many women had - curbed with a southern drawl and deep in the treacheries of her threats and anger was a vulnerable hurt to her voice. So preoccupied she was that Roma almost passed right by the retro until, from under her furrowed brow she cast preoccupied eyes to him and she froze. Immediately her face shifted into surprise, and long vowels of uncertainty escaped between her lips. “Uuuuoooo,” she began then cleared her throat with a hesitant smile. He was large, pokey, and didn’t look happy. She pointed toward the forest with an uneasy laugh. “Heh, yall didn’t happen t’ see mah horse flash by here didgya?” She knew Dezba had gone this way, but Roma was smart. The question covered both what she was doing here, and that she wasn’t hunting a retro … she hoped. When the deer-thing didn’t reply her brown eyes scanned him a moment and her expression changed again as her hand lowered. He didn’t look so good. Her attention shifted for an instant as her neck craned attempting to see if the mare was in sight. Deciding both that she wasn’t and that maybe he took priority she looked back to the retro. She didn’t move any closer, but her eyes took on the sheen of concern and calculation as she tucked her hair behind one ear and squatted into a less threatening position. “Hey, you alright?” she asked quietly, her voice a bit lighter but free of condescension.

[Keagan]

There were plenty of hooved beasts he had been expecting to see. Perhaps Loril would be around, or Duke, even. Any of the others were to be expected too, but the speckled mare that suddenly came thundering towards him had not at all been on that list. Ears pressing forward, Keagan's head jerked up, brown eyes wide as he stared at the mare, bewildered by her sudden appearance. Her scent was foreign, though. He saw no recognition in her form or pelt, and her scent held neither one he had stumbled upon before nor the collective scent of the herd. She was a stranger, a foreigner. But, what threw him off even more was her lack of a certain scent. Being with other of his shifting kind and meeting with a few of the Man-born-animals, he had learned to identify the scent that they all seemed to posses in one form or another. Granted, it was different between retros and shifters, but it was still there, and this mare held neither of them. As she came towards him, the great stag pressed his ears back once more, his shoulders tensing as he gave a sharp snort, the quills along his spine and flank fanning out faintly. He had never seen a mare in this land without her being a shifter or retro. So, it made sense that seeing her now would cause such a sense of confusion. But, before he was able to truly examine her or do anything for that matter, the speckled mare trotted around him as if he wasn't there. His spines were still fanned out behind him, his senses alert, though he was gradually relaxing...at least, for a time he was. The mutterings and grumbles that followed soon after the mare had Keagan jumping back to attention. What was it now?!

Craning his neck faintly, his nostrils flaring out at the appearance of the dirties, bruised female, his quills rattled and rubbed against one another as he shuffled faintly on his hooves. This one brought a sense of familiarity with her, though. Where the previous mare had left him baffled by her scent and lack of others, this female, while still a stranger to him, held that unique, signature scent of a shifter. Keagan's ears flickered forward, eyes following the female as he began to walk around him, apparently going almost completely unnoticed by her. But, his luck did not seem to last as she finally turned to him. He said nothing and did nothing, though. His quills were fanned out still, but he showed no true sign of aggression, only nervousness. Keagan did not fear shifters or distrust them as many others retros did. He had always held a certain interest and curiosity in both Man and these creatures that walked as Man yet changed like they themselves did. Were they just the same, or was there truly a difference in them? His haunches quivered faintly as she spoke to him, her words taking a moment to truly reaching him. Her way of speak was rather unique, something he hadn't heard from another before and it was a bit difficult for him to truly decipher what she had asked him. It was his reason for hesitating in his answering. Of course, perhaps it wasn't her speech that had stalled him. With how weak he was at that point, his ability to truly function both physically and mentally was a bit of a struggle. As the female knelt down, though, keeping herself lowered an close to the ground, Keagan lightly tilted his head to the side. "...While I appreciate the attempt to assure me, there is no need for such precautions, my dear," he finally spoke, his voice soft and deep, but there was an uneasy edge to it, his voice failing him slightly as he failed to answer her question. But, one was to expect as much after he was held captive for so long...

[ROMA|RED]

Roma blinked in surprise that the deer seemed so composed. Most of the retros she had encountered were jittery things that looked as if a stiff breeze or loud cough would tip them over the edge. This guy was obviously different. Not only did he not fear her, but in his compromised state obviously felt no need to be defensive. Granted, Roma didn’t plan on hurting him. Speak for yourself, Sister Wolf’s keen presence in her mind gave Roma the sensation of licking her chops in anticipation. It was disturbing how much Sister used human vocabulary these days, whereas before they communicated through concepts and emotion. Roma firmly shut a door in her mind, closing Sister behind a barrier and away from the sickly deer and preyful drives the situation provoked. Instead, she focused on the retro. Slowly she rose from her crouch, wincing a bit from sore muscles until she stood tall and smiled. “Well then, m’ deer. Guess I’ll ask again standin’,” she winked with the double entendre and sighed as her hands rose to rest on her curved hips. She wasn't accustomed to such eloquent phrases, but rather liked it. Her quip was coy and sweet, free of any trace of a mocking tone. She took a small step foreword, as she was still rather far away. He didn't look injured per say, but still not quite right. Weak, and dehydrated. She sniffed and her nose told her he had just come from the Compound. “Seeins how ya still look like ya just climbed off some redneck’s hood. You alright? Ya seem a bit,” the side of her mouth kicked up as she shifted her weight. “… green in the gills. Sota speak.” “Not that I’d be any kinda help, I ain’t a vet or nuthin’” she said doubtfully. “Still, it ain’t right leavin’ ya all by your lonesome,” her teeth caught her bottom lip in thought. “Yur awful pokey though. Any chance you can change into somethin' a bit more cuddly so mabbe I could help? I know m' way 'round a man in dire straits far better 'en a … well,” she trailed off as a hand lifted palm up – gesturing to the retro. There was nothing in her voice to suggest she disliked his animal shift, on the contrary aside from it looking uncomfortable he was rather beautiful. "Prickly pear?" she finished with a sweet smile.

[Keagan]

Perhaps it was only a trick of the light or his own mistake, but Keagan was sure he saw a hint of surprise on the female's expression, though as to why he wasn't so sure. She hadn't at all seemed surprised by his rather odd appearance, having neither truly commented on it nor seeming at all put off by the quills that protruded from his backside. So, it had to be something else. His ears flickered faintly as his deep brown eyes silently watched her stand from the ground. She was a rather lovely looking female, something he easily noticed. Of course, retro or not, it was hard not to notice this. Her hair was a rather shocking shade of red, one that he found he admired. It wasn't often he saw Man with such a color of hair. Though, he suppose it was more close to a coppery color than anything else. For a moment, it reminded him of the pelt of the hinds he had left behind in his homeland. The speckled dusting over her features, though, was what really caught his attention. He hadn't noticed it before and it brought a sense of curiosity to his wondering mind. Speckled pelts on his fellow retros, both Herla and Lera alike was no uncommon. It was expected in many of them and he had seen such patterning on many of their pelts. But, to see it on a Man was rather surprising. Did many of their kind hold such features, too? He suppose he had seen something similar before on a few of Man, but it was nothing more but a light dusting over the bridge of their nose. He couldn't recall what they were named, but surely this wasn't the same, right? The Herla's attention was turned back to the female herself, though as she spoke up once more. At her little...comment, though, Keagan honestly wasn't sure as to whether she was simply trying to play or if it was meant as a sort of odd taunt. His ears pressed forward as he pondered her words, not hearing any sort of taunting or teasing edge to her tone, so he said nothing of it.

And, it seems as if it was better that he had let go of such a pondering as Keagan was left in a world of helpless pondering as she went on. “Seeins how ya still look like ya just climbed off some redneck’s hood. You alright?”

Redneck's hood? What in Herne's name was that? The last time he had checked, the Keepers, as many of the land's inhabitants referred to them as, were called as just that. Keepers. She had to be referring to them, wasn't she? What else could she mean by that? But, if she wasn't, then what or who was she referring to? Keagan had no time to truly figure out or decode her words as her next phrase left him just as frazzled and confused if not more.

"Ya seem a bit…green in the gills. Sota speak." The deer's ears pressed back as he frowned, nostrils flaring out faintly in his lost, stumbling state of mind. Why was she talking about those scaled, waterborne Lera? Or suggesting he held part of their form in the first place? He was sure that he had no gills anywhere on him. "I...I beg your pardon," he spoke, shuffling faintly on his hooves. Keagan was well aware of the odd terms and sayings that Man possessed, having heard many of them during his wanderings as one of Man before he had been captured and brought here, but they continued to confuse him. And, the few he had learned and picked up on all those seasons ago were lost to his memory. This female simply wasn't making any sense to him.

[ROMA|RED]

The retro shifted in silence, and after only a few moments expressed confusion. Unconsciously while talking, Roma had leaned a bit forward – now she straightened. With a sympathetic smile she huffed a small laugh and brushed her hair from her brown eyes. Whether he wasn’t catching on because of the state of his health or because her colorful if not chaotic Texan slang was hard to follow neither occurred to her nor bothered her. “Oh I’m sorry darlin’,” she said sweetly as she took another step forward. “Ya look like yur not feelin’ well’s all.” Despite his size and the fact that he was eye level with her seemed to little matter as she planted her palms on her knees and smiled again. “Ya look like ya might need some rest. If you’d like to share a fire for a bit, I wouldn’t mind the company. I’m not feeling so hot m’self,” she said quietly as if sharing a secret. She gazed into the stag's large, dark eyes and the corners of her mouth turned up. Her hand lifted as if to stroke delicate fingers across his ruddy fur when there was a crack in the forest and Roma straightened in alarm – freezing in concentration for long seconds until her shoulders eventually relaxed and she turned back to the deer. “It’s just Dezba, Imma go get ‘er. You can shift into a two-legger, or not – doesn’t matter much to me. I’ll be right back,” she said all in one breath and turned to tromp through the foliage after the horse. Just before she was out of sight she paused - a hand stretched out to hold a branch from her way as she turned back to flash him a big smile. “I’m Roma by the way,” she said lightly then winked again and disappeared. Sister Wolf was very unhappy with Roma. She was not being safe! That retro could have run them through so easily – especially with that last idiotic move when she had leaned over near his face. Too trusting! Hadn’t the Menagerie taught the girl anything? Settle down drama queen, Roma chided – though her mental tone was full of placation. All of Sister Wolf’s feelings and opinions were as clear to her as if the wolfess had been speaking to her. In actuality they were even purer. They communicated mind to mind – two sides of the same soul sharing one body. Nuances and concepts were fluent and whole; Untarnished or contracted by something as minimizing as verbal language. I have learned plenty in the Menagerie and one of them is when someone isn't dangerous. A feeling of harsh reprimanding flooded into her mind. The stag was more than dangerous. He could have killed them with a single swing – a simple flick of his sharp horns and they would have been dead. Roma sighed against Sister Wolf’s worries. I know, but he wouldn’t have. There was doubt from Sister, her eyes conceptually narrowing as she snorted at the girl's arrogance. Roma remembered his tired but clear brown eyes and she smiled to herself. I just know. It was only a few yards away that Roma caught sight of Dezba and she half limped, half shuffled to snag the unconcerned mare’s halter. With a sigh she turned and led the mare back to the edge of the wood where she’d left the retro. All of the prior anger that had the curvy red head in a tizzy had quite flatly melted away. She was too tired and too sore to care anymore. When they broke the edge, Roma turned to see that the stag had indeed shifted into a man and Roma smiled at his back as she turned her attention to loosely tying the mare to a branch. If any real danger came Dezba could easily break free. If no danger came and she decided to be an ass and run away, Roma would hear the branch and have a chance to catch her. When she turned around her face was inches away from a broad chest, and she gasped and quickly took a step back. Her red hair bounced as her neck craned, exposing her throat as she looked up and up to see the face of a very handsome man. She blinked several times before settling her gaze to his eyes. They held the same stillness as when he was a stag and, after a second of hesitation, she smiled. “Well ain’t you somethin’ pretty to wake up to in the mornin’,” she scrunched her freckled nose and ducked as she pulled her pack over her head and eased into a crouch down to the floor to clear a space for a fire. “Quiet too, you scared the bejesus outta me.”

[Keagan]

Keagan knew well that the woman before him was really only trying to help him understand her words and what she had meant by them, but in all honesty, it was only further stumping him. Perhaps it was his weakened state that dampened his usually sharp wit or his ability to solve puzzles, but regardless of what it was, it was hard to quickly decipher what she was saying. He had come to realize that many of this woman's words were actually mashed together at one point or another and it was that little pattern that made things more difficult. He had to figure out which words were indeed ones that were mixed together and then try to decide which two words the single one was suppose to be. It was definitely something of a brain teaser for the exhausted stag, but he managed well enough. He may have been slow, but he was working hard at it regardless. Once her meaning came to light, though, it eased his mind for a time. Looking ill...Yes, he assumed he did look rather out of shape and not entirely there in both a physical and mental way. With all of his strict, struggling focus, Keagan hadn't even realized how close the female shifter had gotten to him, something that no doubt would've ended badly had this woman wished to harm him. But, he felt nothing that read as a threat to him. As the stag's eyes rested back to the woman, staring at her own dark brown eyes, his ears twitched back as she reached a hand towards him.

All of his natural instincts were bellowing at him to turn away or step back. To not let her touch him. Humans had done enough to him as it was and his feral nature urged him to shy away from her touch. It was the skittish nature of his kind. Herla were a strong but nervous race and it was imbedded in their blood to run from such close contact with humans. Yet, he remained there. He didn't pull back or show any signs of bolting. Keagan did his best to avoid looking into the minds of others, the frustrating, invading 'gift' the keepers gave him from the very beginning allowing him to do so. But, even with his efforts, he could not stop the power from reaching out and sensing the presence and mental aura of others. And, in this shifter, he felt nothing that would alarm him, only a genuine emotion of interest and kindness to him. That focus was broken, though, as a sharp snap came from the woods beside him, causing the great stag to jerk back. His ears stood erect as his spines reactively fanned out, the quills at the end of his tail rattling as they rubbed against one another. His nostrils flared out as he searched for any scent of the hidden intruder, yet there wasn't a single sign of a new scent around. So intent on trying to discover the source of the sound, Keagan tensed faintly at the sudden sound of the woman's voice, his sense on high alert at that point. Glancing over to her, his rust-colored ears twitched and flickered in one direction then another, listening to the female before finally forcing himself to relax.

Dezba...Her mare companion he would assume. Yes, of course. He had nothing to worry about. As the quills along his haunches relaxed and laid back down against his form, Keagan was in fact caught by surprise at her suggestion. Shift? Into his Man form? Keagan often refrained from doing such a thing, especially when he was so exposed as he was now. Man had little to no abilities to truly defend themselves. Here he had his strong, sharp antlers and, even if they were nothing but a pained nuisance, he had the sharp, thick spines along his backside to defend himself. But...It would be easier to speak and interact with the female if he was in a form similar to her's. As he pondered such an option, he was interrupted by the soft voice of the woman once more. Looking over to her, he paused as he was finally given her name. Roma. It was a rather lovely name. As the red-haired woman stepped into the trees, Keagan remained where he was for a time before his decision was finally made. His dark pelt melted away, his hooves stretching into the flexible joints of fingers. His only defenses vanished and he was left with nothing more but a pair of torn, dirtied jeans. It felt like it had been seasons since he had been in such a form. Rolling his shoulders back, the lightly tanned man stretched his arms back. Even if he did feel rather vulnerable in such a form, he had to admit it felt nice to be able to stretch like this. As it was, though, despite his enhanced hearing that would put any Man to shame, he was unable to hear the approach of Roma and her mare until they were there. Glancing back, Keagan watched as Roma began tying her companion to a low hanging tree branch and quietly stepped up to her. He really didn't mean to walk in such a manner. It was simply habit. It was how his kind survived. Light and silent on their hooves. Opening his mouth to say something, he jumped just as much as the woman had as she suddenly turned around. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to startle you," he quickly apologized as he took a faint step back, allowing her space.

[ROMA|RED]

Roma’s mouth twitched with humor as she set to getting a fire going. Seeing that there were no larger branches near, her brown eyes scanned their surroundings before she stood up with a smile and pointed to the forest. She had been thinking on how to say things. It seemed he was having a hard time and she wanted to be as simple as possible. “Worry not. I shall go and fetch wood from the forest,” she said in the most terrible mix of British-Texan the world had ever heard. Hey, maybe it would help? She wandered into the woods and gathered a decent armful of fallen timber then dropped the hefty pile to the ground next to her chosen spot. Roma was not one to wait around for someone else to do something, she was the proactive type and when she wanted something, she worked until she got it. “So,” Roma began distractedly. “You happn’ t’ be the first Retro I come ‘cross that hasn’t tried to chase me off or make me dinner,” she said oh so casually. "What's yur name?" She squatted down once more to begin building up the fire – setting the large branches together like a tent, then the smaller tinder inside. It almost looked like she was playing house and making a bed for a doll. Sister Wolf hovered in the back of her mind anxiously, always worried when making a fire. Once it burned for a while Sister tended to settle down, especially if it were cold out and she could feel the warmth of the flames. But it worried her none the less and Roma distractedly sent soothing thoughts her way. It had taken almost a whole year to keep Sister Wolf from having a meltdown once Roma started the fire. It was the creation that scared her – the constancy that comforted her later when she forgot her fear was earned from many nights with many fires. Once she was satisfied with the fixings, she bent down and struck her flint and rock … sending sparks flying like sparklers on the Fourth of July. A few caught and the hungry, burning creature set to eating its meal greedily.

[Keagan]

Despite the fact that the retromorph had spent some time with Man on his own before he had been captured, his fascination with them driving him on to do so, he had never actually experienced fire. He had heard of it and its magical properties. How it ward off the dark like Man's white lights and kept its masters warm. But, he also knew of the destructive force of it. How it ate away at everything it could grasp, consuming it greedily like a starved wolf. He had been fortunate enough to never see this power, but it still made him nervous. Blinking, staring at Roma as she spoke of gathering wood, Keagan stared after her for a time. Was that what fire ate as well? Wood? Remaining silent, he sat himself back down onto the ground, letting out a heavy sigh as he did so. Even an action as simple as that felt tiring and draining. He would definitely need to work on regaining his strength in the next few moons. With the return of the woman, Keagan watched her with his deep brown eyes, observing her in a way. He hadn't even thought of the fact that it could be considered rude to stare so blatantly at her. The stag may have traveled with Man, but his behaviors and habits of manners still eluded him.

"Keagan. My name's Keagan," he finally offered after a moment, smiling warmly at the woman before the small shower of sparks flew forward, startling the man. Flinching back faintly, he stared at the small, smoking bundle of dry grass and twigs before a small, yellow light leapt up, the flames licking at the wood as its reach slowly spread. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as he stared at the small flame grow, his instinct to flee this dangerous and mystical thing running through him. He was of the Herla. His kind and all of the Lera feared this Fire. It was a weapon of Man and they all knew of it since birth. It was rather unnerving to be so close to it. With a glazed look of uneasiness and even a glint of fear flickering in his eyes, Keagan pulled back from the fire, his fingers nervously tapping against his knee. There was an urge to shift lingering in him. To revert to his original form. He always felt a sense of comfort and safety in his natural form rather than this foreign being. But, he would then leave Roma in no doubt an odd situation herself and he would've rather her be comfortable rather than himself. "...How do you control it," he eventually asked, his nervousness clear in his tone, but there was a sense of awe in it as well.

[ROMA|RED]

His eyes on her were unwavering, Roma noticed – he watched her as a deer watched a wolf when unsure of attack. The truth of the thought made her smile to herself and shake her head as she sat back on her heels to watch the flames grow. In the back of her mind Sister Wolf was settling now that Roma wasn’t leaning over the hot, ravenous creature. Fire could never be sated. Though Sister felt no connection to prey animals as a rule, in that moment she could relate to the retro in this matter. The consideration tuned Roma in to the man that stood quietly watching as the fire burned brighter, hotter, and more powerful. The nervousness the retro had of the flames was palpable, and after a moment she looked up to see a quiet discord flickering in the depths of his brown hues. Keagan, he said – giving her his name. It was an interesting one for sure. Roma had never heard it before. Sure as hell was better than Tex, Chad, or any other millions of nick names the red necks she grew up around ended up with. “Keagan,” she repeated. “I like it!” She deemed with a decision and committed it to memory. She pushed her curled red hair back with her fingers and sighed as she watched the flames. She’d always loved the smell of a campfire … How do you control it? He asked in a mix of wonder and trepidation. The side of Roma’s mouth kicked up and she licked her lips. How could she explain this in terms an animal would understand? She’d have to think about this. “Well,” she began and paused for a moment in consideration. “Fire is a livin’ creature. You gotta take care of it to get it to grow. Each time you make a fire, it starts out as a lil’ baby. Ya have to feed it slowly so that it can build up its strength so that it can eat bigger stuff. As it gets bigger and stronger it gets hotter, and more demandin’. If a fire doesn’t have enough to eat it will die so you have to feed it constantly. However, fire is greedy as hell so you have to watch out that you don’t let it get stronger than you can handle. Like right now. We only need a little fire for us two,” she gestured to them both and smiled. She did her best to say everything slowly. “There are other things you can do to make sure it won’t run away,” she continued and started pushing random rocks around the base. “You gotta be the boss and baby sitter, or the fire will run away and burn down a forest. And that,” she said with sincerity. “Is never a good thang.” She settled back again and sighed. It was growing dark, and the crickets were beginning to chirp. The sound of Dezba cropping grass nearby was a nostalgic treat she’d not thought to miss until she’d heard it the first night she’d had the mare. Roma closed her eyes and listed to the sounds of the fire, the horse, and the night. Sister was busy worrying about the stranger, her lupine ears sharp as she listed to every move he made. His heartbeat and breaths were solid triggers if he were about to attack, and Sister Wolf would rather they were far away from here before he got the chance. Roma ignored her, but opened her eyes to watch him curiously.

[Keagan]

Keagan did his best to follow the woman's words and the interesting way of her explanation. Fire was a living thing...So, was it like one of the Lera? Did it have families, packs? But, that didn't make entire sense, either. If it was living as she said it was, then why did it not move, not hunt? Staring at Roma, the retro crossed his legs over one another, staying near Fire yet not too close. The crackles and pops reminded him of the growls and barks of predators such as the wolves, the Varg. It was so similar to others and yet so foreign. Roma's words made sense to him and he understood what she was saying, but her meaning...well, that was what eluded him. How could something be living, needing food to live and grow and yet not live or do as a Lera would. Perhaps that was the magic of it. It was the thing that lived yet didn't. That must've been the power that Fire held. As the woman went on to explain it, Keagan's gaze gradually turned away from her, staring instead at the flames that engulfed and consumed the wood the woman had offered it. "I see..," he murmured, falling silent for a moment before he dared to scoot a bit closer to Fire, taking in the warmth it offered. "And, how did you call to it? Those stones," he began, gesturing to the flint and rock that she had used to start it. "do they call it here?"

Really, this had been the most he had ever truly learned about such things. When he the red deer had walked with Man he had kept silent. He had observed, but asked of nothing. He had tried to ask such inquiries at the beginning, to learn of Man's way, but many scoffed or laughed at him for asking such stupid things. To them it was common sense, but it was nothing more but a mystery to him. But, this woman was patient. At least, for now she was, and he was more than grateful for that. She had not laughed when he had asked about Fire, she had explained it. Or, at least had tried to. But, it was the thought that counted, even if it had only left him wondering far more than he had before.

[ROMA|RED]

Roma watched the flames, absorbing the heat despite the fact that it wasn’t that cold. Not yet anyway. There was however a breeze that was a bit chilly, foreshadowing the winter to come and the blankets of snow that would cover the Menagerie. Roma usually stayed in her wolf form during those frigid days – it was too hard to get any additional clothes to keep warm and Sister Wolf was a master at digging out a tiny den for them to spend the harshest of times (usually too small for a human). Her warm, brown eyes watched the man as he settled by the campfire trepidatiously. The side of her mouth kicked up, she couldn’t help the small innocent smirk … he was rather adorable. Were all retros like this? The ones she had experienced had been animalistic, utterly uninterested in interaction, and quick to attack. Despite the fact that it was clear he was prepared to dart off at any second, he somehow reined himself in enough to hang out. Curious. As the sky darkened, Keagan directed her attention to the flint and her brow furrowed in thought. What did they call them? They certainly had a purpose? But a specific name? “Well, Firestarters … or flint,” she fished from her pocket the flint and held it up for him to see. “And rock.” She set the flint down then held up the rock. “When you strike the flint with the right kind of rock it makes sparks, or liiiitttlleee tiny baby flames.” She struck them together and a few sparks flew. She chuckled and offered them to him. “Just don’t take off with ‘em, hear? It’s hard to find those damn things in this hell hole,” she said a bit lacking in threat. She was tired, and very sore from her multiple unscheduled dismounts. Her eyes felt heavy as they returned to watch the fire. It seemed, she was the only one of the three of them that actually felt comfort in the flames. Dezba let out a large sigh as her head lowered in rest. Her thread-bare tail flicked back and forth, and the plains to one side glowed in the moonlight. On the other side, the sparse forest was dark with haunting silver light dappling through the treetops. Small noises drifted through here and there ... she yawned. "So, I reckon you just got out from under the Keeper's thumb ..." when he looked at her with a blank, questioning gaze she blinked and said it another way, partially clear of her accent. "So you just escaped from the Keepers? You okay?"