The kobold considers for another few moments. "Why do you want to work with us, though? You know I'm a kobold, I'm sure you know what that means." Now it's Dusk's turn for confused speechlessness. "It wasn't that long ago that you elves were trying to kill us all." Oh. Yes, that. Cringing and flinching away from the kobold; guilt. "So I don't see why -"
And now there is a giant lynx in the entrance to the cave. The kobold instantly shifts gears from belligerent anger to silent wariness, but the cat ignores her entirely as it goes to flop its front half into Dusk's lap. The elf hugs it, and buries her face in its fur, and takes a few deep breaths, and, after a few minutes of silence, says, almost like a mantra, "I did the best I could. It worked. It wasn't fast - it wasn't fast enough, but it worked. I did the best I could."
Silence, from the kobold, until it's clear that there's nothing more to come, and then, softly, "huh?"
There's a long pause. "People were hurting. I made it stop."
The kobold... looks confused. Glances up at Elarron. Considers, for another moment, and then - takes a hesitant step toward the elf - is ignored by the lynx - approaches the rest of the way, still wary of the creature. When she gets close enough to touch it, takes a deep breath, and cautiously puts a hand on its flank, petting cautiously for a moment when the touch proves to be ignored like everything else. Calmer, takes the remaining handful of steps to sit by the elf. Waits another moment. And then, quietly:
"That was you? You made it stop?"
Nod.
"They really weren't going to, were they. We thought maybe if we hid long enough..."
Headshake. "So angry."
"Yeah." A pause. "I was a baby, when it was happening, but the other Speakers have stories. They knew, I think. That it shouldn't've happened how it did - that something... something special happened, to make it stop. They don't say so, but the stories don't really make sense any other way - how people acted, what the tribes did."
Nod.
"It must've been very hard."
Another long pause, and the elf looks up from her lynx; at some point she started crying, and then stopped again. She nods, "worth it".
That gets a grin. "...you can pet me, if you want?"
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lurkingkobold) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
glowfic2015-12-18 09:04 am
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And now there is a giant lynx in the entrance to the cave. The kobold instantly shifts gears from belligerent anger to silent wariness, but the cat ignores her entirely as it goes to flop its front half into Dusk's lap. The elf hugs it, and buries her face in its fur, and takes a few deep breaths, and, after a few minutes of silence, says, almost like a mantra, "I did the best I could. It worked. It wasn't fast - it wasn't fast enough, but it worked. I did the best I could."
Silence, from the kobold, until it's clear that there's nothing more to come, and then, softly, "huh?"
There's a long pause. "People were hurting. I made it stop."
The kobold... looks confused. Glances up at Elarron. Considers, for another moment, and then - takes a hesitant step toward the elf - is ignored by the lynx - approaches the rest of the way, still wary of the creature. When she gets close enough to touch it, takes a deep breath, and cautiously puts a hand on its flank, petting cautiously for a moment when the touch proves to be ignored like everything else. Calmer, takes the remaining handful of steps to sit by the elf. Waits another moment. And then, quietly:
"That was you? You made it stop?"
Nod.
"They really weren't going to, were they. We thought maybe if we hid long enough..."
Headshake. "So angry."
"Yeah." A pause. "I was a baby, when it was happening, but the other Speakers have stories. They knew, I think. That it shouldn't've happened how it did - that something... something special happened, to make it stop. They don't say so, but the stories don't really make sense any other way - how people acted, what the tribes did."
Nod.
"It must've been very hard."
Another long pause, and the elf looks up from her lynx; at some point she started crying, and then stopped again. She nods, "worth it".
That gets a grin. "...you can pet me, if you want?"
That gets a grin, too.