He Enters the Valley

[ryuukokoro]

Exhaustion pulled at him, but he ignored it. As he ignored the dirt and twigs snarled in his fur, the burrs tangled in his mane. He had been walking since ...he had forgotten. Long before the sun sank below the hills, and long after the moon rose and then finished her tour of the sky. Now the sun was in the sky again, and he could see her soft rays through the trees ahead. A little further. Just slightly more, and he felt he could rest. Something was telling him he could rest.

Step by step he pulled himself further onward, and finally the trees parted and fell away on either side. He squinted his mask to block the bright sunlight streaming around him. After several painful moments he felt he could open his eyes again, and cautiously did so. ...And came to a stop.

Before him stretched a beautiful valley, lush and green. The sun danced in the perfect blue bowl of the sky and sparkled on the water of the lake and stream sitting below. A great tree grew in the center of it all, her arms spreading out far across the grass. Gazing upon her, he felt his weariness lifting, and his heart was glad to have finally found what he was looking for.

Slowly, for he still ached all over, he stepped through the grass and made his way down into the valley. It pained him that his nine beautiful tails dragged in the dirt behind him, but he didn't have the strength to lift them. Soon he could rest. As soon as he reached the safety of that tree, he could rest....

[PandaLover]

Yume had been taking her usual walk threw the Valley, passing by her favorite places. She smiled at all the wonderful things of the Valley, the trees, the pond, the Dryad.

Stopping at the pond for a drink, then continueing on, she saw a tan spot in the not too far off distance. Walking curiously toward it, she saw more tails than she'd ever seen on a Pykiin.

She saw how tired the Pykiin looked, and rushed toward it. "A-are you ok?" She gasped, "Do you want me to show you where the pond is, for some water?" She asked, not bothering to comment on the wonderful tails he was dragging on the ground.

[ditzeeblonde]

Sara padded silently though the valley, just coming from a nice swim in the pond. She saw one of the strangest, and most beautiful, pykiin she had ever seen. He wasnt in good condition, it was obvious, so she trotted up to him. "What happened to you?" She asked, not trying to be rude. She saw the burs and twigs in his fur, and started to get them out with her paws, trying to be gently. "Are you ok?"

[ryuukokoro]

Blinking wearily, he gazed upon the white and mauve creature before him. Lithe and swift, he had never seen another like her. But he felt a kinship with her just the same.

He tried to speak, but only harsh coughs errupted from his throat. It had been several days since he had spoken aloud. Though it had been even longer since he had quenched his thirst. "Water," he managed to rasp, nodding his head in hopes that she would guess the answer to her questions.

He glanced down as a young creature joined them, and tried to muster a smile to assure her that he was okay. He'd survived much worse than this, after all. He would keep going. He had to.

[PandaLover]

"Right, water" Yume nodded, wrapping her thick tail around him, trying to dodge the prickers, and pulling him gently toward the pond, which was only a little ways off, Yume prayed.

What had happened to this Pykiin? He looked like he'd been out for days... no, weeks. No one Yume had ever seen had looked so miserable. She looked at the Pykiin with sad eyes as she led him to the pond.

She looked at the litte cyan kiin, "Hi, dear," she said with a smile.

[ditzeeblonde]

Sara had to smile back, "Hold on, ill be right back." She said, then raced off, her small paws beating the soft ground. She reached the raspberry bush, and pulled off a branch loaded with juicy berries. She raced back to him, the branch dangling from her mouth. "Are you hungry?" She asked, smiling. "Hello." She said, smiling.

[ryuukokoro]

It was just as his instincts had predicted! Somehow he had known, to the north there would be a land that would welcome him and grant him shelter after the distaster. And now here he was, welcomed by these creatures that were his kiin. He would have to ask more about them. Where they came from. How they had found this place. But questions would be for later, when he was rested.

He tried to thank the young one for her hospitality, but his throat ached to be soothed before it would allow him to speak. He took a mouthful of the plump ripe berries hanging from the branches and hungrily chewed, at the same time following the adult toward the promised water. His stomach was cramped with hunger, and the single mouthful of berries only seemed to make it hurt more fiercely. He knew he would have to find a full meal as soon as he had water and rest.

[PandaLover]

As they arrived slowely at the pond, Yume took her tail back and let the nine-tailed Pykiin do what he pleased. She looked to the cyan kiin with a smile, "I'm Yume," she said, not knowing if she could say anything to the other Pykiin just yet, since she heard he could barely talk. She smiled once more at the kiin, then looked to the tan creature with a concerned face. Picking her paw up, she carefully began picking out the prickers and burs that had gotten caught in his fur, hoping that he was ok with her doing that.

[ryuukokoro]

Though he was grateful for their help, with the sight of the water dancing in his vision, he couldn't hold himself back. He barrelled forward and sloshed into the water up to his knees, immediately ducking his head under the surface and taking deep gulps of the fresh, cool liquid. It had been so long since he had last drank he could feel the water traveling down his dry throat and pool in his belly, but it was a welcome sensation. He felt like a stretch of desert getting pelted with rain, soaking the water in.

He swished his head back and forth, drenching most of his fur in the process, feeling dust and dirt wash away. He drank until he couldn't swallow anymore, then picked up his head and shook himself mightly. The world was spinning. He couldn't tell which way was up and which was down! He struggled to hold still until his vision steadied.

Slowly he turned back to the shore, smiling gratefully at the two who had accompanied him. "Thank you," he said, his voice clear and calm now. There was a melodious quality to his voice, like the ringing of deep bells.

He waded to the shore and dragged himself up on the bank, feeling much too heavy with all the water in his fur. But still, it felt wonderful! "Thank you," he said again.

[PandaLover]

Yume laughed in a way that was somewhat of a giggle as she watched the Pykiin in the water. "Hi, I'm Yume," she said with a sweet smile, looking at his watery fur. "Um... I don't want to be rude, but what happened?" She asked, happy that he seemed cheerier and healthier, but also curious as to where he had come from. In her old home, and during her travels to this Valley, she had never seen a creature like him, who carried so many beautiful tails with him.

[Cameron]

Brandy was running wildly away from her mother when she ran into Yume. Her dark furtufts seemed to gleam in the light and the shine from her jewelry didn't help much. Brandy was shreiking and giggling as she came into contact with the female elven "Oof!" She shouted as seh was hurled to her butt.

Adelina aproached swiftly to see if her daughter was alright, only to notice she has come into sight of the infamous nine-tailed 'Kiin she had heard was coming to the valley.

[ryuukokoro]

He pulled his tails out of the water and tried to shake them dry, sending droplets spraying across the shore of the lake. "It is a long story, Yume," he sighed. "And I would love to tell it, though at the moment I feel I could sleep for days without waking and eat a small horse." He yawned and sat on the cool grass, hoping the sun would dry his fur quickly.

Two newcomers approached at that time, another child and what appeared to be her mother, judging by the coloring. "Forgive me," he said to both them and Yume. "I'm sorry for my rudeness, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Shiranui. I come from the far south. Many days travel from here. I've come seeking sanctuary." He glanced up at the leafy branches of the great tree. "And I do believe I have found it."

[Cameron]

Adelina smiled, "About how far south hun?" She asked as seh nugged Brandy in a loving way, "Oh and pardon me, I'm Adelina, I'm about as old as this here Valley, so if you have any questions feel free to ask me." She smiled warmly and pushed her hair out of her face.

Brandy imitated her mother and replied, "I'm Brandy!" she gave the same warm smile then wandered around Shiranui and began to prod his tails.

[PandaLover]

"Oh, that's ok, Shiranui," Yume smiled. She looked at the two Pykiin who'd just come. "Hiya, I'm Yume" She said, trying to be friendly, since she wanted to know as many Pykiin in the Valley as possible. Then she looked at Shiranui, wondering what the 'far south' was like. Her old home had been in the west, and so she'd never seen any of the south.

Yume sighed and sat down, "Do you want to find some shelter, though, if you plan on sleeping for days? Who knows what the weather may bring."

[Saiki]

Kelaryss had been exploring the valley when she had noticed some Pykiin congrating around another who looked similar to one of the First Four. Curiopusity aroused, she bounded towards the small gathering.

Looking around, she noted the presence of another Elven, though this one was an adult, and three female Pykiin. Though the one who had attracted everyone's ttention was a male... with nine tails.

Her mouth literally dropped open with shock.