literature

Aurek and Quilla meet Rufio

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After a cold, long night in the open terrain of the Blasting Moors, Aurek and Quilla reached the edge of the mountains in the Singing Vale. Neither of them knew where to begin looking for Rufio, so they decided to wander along the bottom in the lush vegetation, hoping to find a village where he might reside. Aurek was uncomfortable in dense trees and brush as it limited his sight. “Stay close, let me lead.” he ordered.

Quilla was happy to follow, not eager to run into a boar family again like last time she was here. But perhaps she could manage it this time? She had learned to fight and hunt, after all. Maybe she wasn't as weak as she thought she was.

Aurek made sure Quilla stayed right behind him, his ears twitching at every sound. Colorful birds flew overhead in the canopy, and the occasional imp called to them from above. To the brown male, any one of those sounds could mean danger.

Soon they came across a small stream, rushing with clear cold, mountain water. Quilla immediately jumped in, splashing Aurek in the face. She laughed at the male's unhappy expression. He shook off as much of the water as he could before jumping onto a large rock by the stream.

“Come on!” Quilla called. “The water feels great!”

“Uh, no thanks, have to keep watch while the beauty has fun.” He winked at her, and got a smile in return.

Towards midday the pair of ketu stumbled across a small village. It didn't take them long to learn of Rufio's whereabouts. One of the humans had pointed to a large ketu house on the outskirts of the village. They had gotten lucky. Hesitantly Aurek knocked on the large door. Although he had heard much about his great grandsire, he had never met him before. A lump formed in his throat as the door opened.

Before them stood Rufio, his red frill at attention. The elder was large, taller than Aurek and a giant to Quilla. His red frill was slightly raised in interest. In silence he slowly swished his large fantail back and forth as he surveyed the pair and waited for them to speak. Aurek nervously cleared his throat.

“Greeting, Rufio! We have never met, but I am son of Gasoline, son of Tikaani. My companion here is Quilla. We wish to learn from you, if you have a moment to spare.”

Rufio's eyes stared at them intently. To Quilla, she felt like he was looking into her soul. She cowered behind Aurek. Her shy demeanor did not escape the elder's gaze. “I will teach you. Follow me.” The elder walked past them and into the trees outside the village.

Aurek glanced at Quilla before following his grandsire. He knew he had nothing to fear, as long as he remained respectful. Quilla, on the other hand, hesitated. Elders always made her nervous, but she trusted Aurek to look after her, so she followed.

The pair followed Rufio up a mountain path to a spot that was clear of vegetation. The mountain rock was covered in a layer of sandy gravel. Rufio circled the area, sweeping his tail back and forth, creating a bit of a dust cloud. “When you're in the middle of a battle, sometimes you just have to do what you have to do in order to make it out alive.” Rufio spoke as if these were words he had recited to memory. Which he probably has, Aurek thought to himself.

“Taking away your enemy's sight can save your tail in a tough spot. If he can't see, he can't defend himself or attack properly. This can be accomplished two ways. First, you can attack his eyes and blind him. A little bloody, but very effective. Or, you can use the terrain and throw dirt, dust and rock bits in his face. If you miss with this method, you may not get another chance. The choice is yours. Practice on the wildlife or on each other, does not matter. I will wait here. Speak to me when you have perfected this technique.”

Aurek looked over at Quilla, concerned with what she might wish to do, and got a face full of dirt. It was bad enough she was laughing at him, but her sneak attack also made the elder chuckle. With a sigh Aurek shook the dust from his fur and feathers, and wiped his eyes. The look that he gave her silenced her laugh. With a mock roar he grabbed a pawful of dirt and threw it at Quilla. Unfortunately for our hero, Quilla was as fast as she was small. She used her speed and agility to outmaneuver the larger male while still successfully blinding him repeatedly. But Aurek had stamina that Quilla did not possess. As she wore out, he landed more and more successful blinds. With one last burst of energy, the small charcoal female threw herself at the brown male in a playful tackle. With a burst of laughter Aurek allowed himself to be pinned.

“Well I think that does it, little champ,” Aurek sighed, wiping dust from Quilla's frill feathers. He led the way back to Rufio, who had been napping in the shade under the nearby trees. “Elder Rufio, we have completed our training.”

The dark ketu yawned at them. “Yes, you finished hours ago, but extra practice never hurt anything. This is all I have to teach you. Where are you headed next?”

Aurek looked at at Quilla. Loudly she cleared her throat and spoke to the elder for the first time, her small soft voice barely audible. “Well, sir, we were told we should head to Shalekesh next, but I'm not exactly sure what we are looking for...”

Rufio sighed. “In Shalekesh you will seek the jade female elder, Kaur.” The red-frilled elder paused in consideration. “Quilla. You showed remarkable talent today in your training. You are stronger than you think. Be confident, and good things will follow. Aurek, you are a good companion for her, but I must say I expected more from someone of my blood. Don't hold back, work hard, and be strong.” The elder turned and walked back down the mountain path toward the village, leaving both Aurek and Quilla plenty to think about.
Previous: Aurek and Quilla

Import link: matriarchs-haunt.deviantart.co…
Quest name: fighting dirty
zone: Singing Vale
honor or notoriety: honor

Import link: matriarchs-haunt.deviantart.co…
Quest name: fighting dirty
zone: Singing Vale
honor or notoriety: honor


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