Chronicles of Croaria: Calamity's Finest Hour (Revival)

Catia went upstairs and looked around for get flint rocks to start a fire in her homemade stone fire pit. She smiled when she found them inside an oak drawer near the stairs that had lead up to the large open room where she'd put her fire pit. It didn't take her long to get a decent fire going and she set her rocks aside before heading to the top of the stairs.

"Keladry! The fire's ready, c'mon upstairs!"

She called down to her.

Keladry looked up when she heard Catia calling her, making her way up carefully as her ears twitched some. Seeing the fire and smiled, walking over as she pulled the rabbit off her belt.

"I hope you like rabbit and berries, that is all I happen to have on me right now. It's enough though we should be full tonight."

She said, sitting down as she went to start cleaning the rabbit and humming happily.

Catia smiled and sat down calmly in front of her fire, the smoke rising up and out of the tree via a large hole in the roof of the room. She watched Keladry and wagged her tail happily.

"Have you cooked like this before? I've never really been terribly good at cooking myself."

She asked her, trying to her best to make conversation.

Keladry looked at Catia and tilted her head slightly, moving to put the rabbit on the fire though as she finished with cleaning it.

"I have been alone for a long time so I guess I learned how to cook. Though I wouldn't call myself a good cook."

She said and laughed a bit quietly, going to put the pouch of berries between the two of them though as an offer to eat them.

Catia nodded and took a couple of the small berries that Keladry had presented to her, eating them gratefully.

"You said that you were wandering around for a long time right?  Why do you still wear your collar?  Can't you get it off?"

She asked her, her own rusted tags on her collar jingling slightly as she tilted her head.

Keladry smiled some and tugged on her collar lightly when hearing what she said about it.

"I tried pretty hard at first to get it off but couldn't really find out how. I guess now I don't care that much, I don't know where my family is and the people who owned me are the closest to family I had since."

She said and shrugged, going to turn the rabbit before going to eat some berries as well.

Catia's ears flattened against her head as she shifted uncomfortably to Keladry's answer.

"It sounds like you found a good group of humans to take care of you. I....wasn't so lucky. My owners were horrible people. They abused me, fed me scraps and made me stay outside in a tiny wooden house in their backyard. The fence was so high that I couldn't get away even if I really tried...humans are just horrible in my eyes."

She told her, her eyes clouding with emotion as she stared into the fire.

Keladry looked at her quietly for a minute before moving closer to wrap an arm around her lightly.

"I understand your feelings. Humans can be terrible, I do not like them much either so I avoid them. I am more likely to trust a fellow Catien rather then a human any day. I do hope you will not feel so down now though since you have a home and a rabbit cooking?"

She said and smiled a bit, nuzzling her cheek.

Catia gave a small smile when Keladry wrapped an arm around her and nuzzled her cheek. She was right, her life wasn't so bad now. It was kind of nice to see another Catien after so long too.

"I guess you're right....would you like to stay with me tonight Keladry? You don't have to of course if you don't want to."

She asked her, smiling a little more and nuzzling Keladry's cheek back.

Keladry was a bit surprised at the offer but she nodded and wagged her tail some when her nuzzle was returned.

"Of course, if you won't mind me staying I don't mind staying in such a nice home. It would be nice to spend more time with another Catien too, I sort of missed it."

She said and went to carefully take the rabbit off the fire since it was just about done.

Catia nodded and her mouth watered at the sight of Keladry taking the freshly cooked rabbit off of the fire.

"That looks so good...."

She said involuntarily, staring at the rabbit with hungry eyes. She hadn't had rabbit in ages!

Keladry giggled some and smiled when seeing her, moving to give her half of the rabbit.

"Go ahead and eat okay? Don't want you drooling all over me."

She said, joking around some as she started to eat her rabbit since she was hungry.

Catia quickly indulged the offer of the cooked rabbit and went to eat it, not paying attention to Keladry as she quickly ate the small creature. A few moments later she stopped and handed her a small waterskin full of cold river water after taking a swig of it herself.

Keladry was rather happy to eat the rabbit, finding it a treat after not allowing herself fires for the past few days. When she finished about the same time as Catia though and noticed her offering the water, she smiled more.

"Thank you very much."

She said and took the waterskin, taking a gulp or two and handing it back. After she went ahead to nibble on the few berries she had in the pouch between the two of them.

"That was a rather good catch and meal, huh?"

Catia wiped her face on a leaf nearby before handing a clean one to Keladry, taking the waterskin back from her and setting it down next to her. She smiled and wagged her tail to Keladry's question.

"Yes it was! Thank you very much for sharing it with me. I suppose now you'd like to rest after eating?"

She asked her, smiling at her as her tail wagged happily. Her belly was full and she had a new friend. She had plenty to be happy and thankful for!

Keladry accepted the leaf that was offered and went to clean herself up slightly before looking at Catia some and tilting her head.

"I suppose a rest would be nice, would you mind me staying near the fire maybe?"

She asked after she finished cleaning herself, smiling though since she was happy to see her so happy.

Catia smiled and nodded to Keladry's request, getting up and touching her shoulder gently.

"Sure. Stay here and I'll go get a blanket for you okay?"

She told her before going downstairs for a moment. She came back up with a dark colored wool blanket. She gestured for Keladry to lie down far enough from the fire that the blanket wouldn't catch but close enough that it would gently heat the blanket for her.

Keladry nodded and watched her leave, yawning slightly as she went to take what was left of her pouches off and sword as well. When she came back though and gestured to the ground she nodded again, going to lay down next to her things but not too close to the fire.

"Thank you for letting me stay here, it is a nice home."

She said and smiled some.

Catia smiled and gently laid the blanket over Keladry's body, patting it lightly as she stroked her hair.

"You're welcome Keladry. Now sleep well okay?"

She told her, giving her head a quick peck like a mother would before standing up and starting to go downstairs.

Keladry blushed lightly from the treatment but she nodded and yawned quietly as Catia went to leave.

"Good night then Catia, sleep well."

She said before starting to doze off quietly, rather happy with her current situation.