Festival of the night (for all)

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The village people milled about preparing for the event that would come hours later, ignoring the still figure in a purple cloak who stood in the shade of an acacia tree on the edge of the plaza.

Violet eyes scanned every face and possible hiding spot in search of threats. Her tail, ears, and wings hidden by the cloak she shifted as if bored. This allowed her to see the other half of the plaza and continued her search for anything not of the towns normal state.

Nearby a man struggled to tie a banner across from one building to the other nearly falling in the process. A few excited children zipped around the guard who was supposed to keep them inside for the next two hours. An elderly woman was setting up a food stand with the sweet rolls she made this morning. Adnaha waved and gave a meek smile when the woman's eyes found her. A young man hefted a wooden statue over his shoulder as he was directed by several others where to go.

None approached her, some glanced her way, but the most attenton she had gotten was that of the old lady setting up on the far side. So far nothing out of the ordinary. Yet she stayed alert something was bound to happen.

[Shikyo]

Shikyo was walking through the villiage at that time in his human form so he wouldn't cause a scare. He stayed out of the villagers' way but still got close enough to enjoy what was going on. He smiled at all the joy and fun he saw around him. He only wondered if there was anyone he knew there. He also wondered why he felt like this wasn't going to stay all happy and peaceful.

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Adnaha stepped aside as several men carrying a large wooden bench passed her. The scent of something non-human reached her but it was faint and so she ignored it for now.

The guard was chasing after the kids now, they squealed and cheered as he missed their torsos. One-the younger of the pair judging by height-was headed her way. With a sigh she whipped around and caught him. She could only hope no-one was staring at her back as she did it, seeing as the movement had caused her cloak to flare and nolonger protect the fact that there were wings and a tail there for that one key moment.

She looked down at the other boy who had stopped running in his shock over the fact his brother had been caught. The man who served as their guard scooped up the other boy and thanked her. She handed the boy over and surreptitiously made her way behind the acacia tree where she couldn't be seen. That is provided the person watching was not behind the tree as well.

[Shikyo]

Shikyo noticed the event and smiled. He remembered how troublesome kids can be. His son came from the future at an older age so he didn't have to worry about that himself. However, he's seen others in his city and even pack who have had trouble with their kids. He was curious as to who the cloaked stranger was and why they seemed so familiar, but decided to ignore it. If they were any trouble, he would've known.

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On instinct she glanced from side to side before scrambling up the base of the trunk. Now above the crowd she made slower, more calculated movements, keeping in mind her cloak. The long thick branches of the acacia reminding her of life as a leopard and she allowed that bit of instinct take over.

"Hey! Hey! Lady!" The older boy's scream from a nearby window caused her to jolt. Thankfully she didn't fall and her firm grip on a large chunk of bark proved that she had been close to doing said action.

She hauled herself the rest of the way up and shot a death-glare at the boy as he was yanked inside. She sighed and looked down at the thirty-some feet away ground below her for a bit before settling back down with her claok wrapped tightly around her.

[Shikyo]

Shikyo heard the boy's yell and looked over. He noticed he was yelling at the same cloaked figure from before. He also saw her reaction and realized she didn't want to draw attention to herself. That made her a bit more suspicious to him, but he still decided to ignore it. If she was going to be a problem and attack the village, he'd stop her.

So for now, he started to walk around the village more and stay out of her suspicion in case she was planning on attacking the village. After all, if she was and she saw he may suspect something, she may attack him first.

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Stands finished set up and lanterns were lit, the festival would go well into the night and by now it was time to begin. The sky had been painted a golden hue and the children released to go have fun. A hay stack down below the branch tempted her while street performers made their acts and others chattered away, beginning their night with candies and some of the early displays.

A fiddle song reached its peak on the other side of the plaza. With a swift movement she flipped over the edge of the branch. The landing in the hay knocked some of the air out of her and a snorting horse was lead up to the hay. The stable boy hadn't noticed. The horse huffed and burrowed its head into the hay, the muzzle bumping against her back.

It whinnied and she tensed before hopping out the side opposite. Adnaha flashed a grin at it and brushed herself off. Head down she crossed the plaza, weaving through the crowd without interrupting anyone to much. The old lady blinked at her for a moment before smiling. "And what would you like dear?" Adnaha pulled out a few coins- all of which gold- and replied, "One sweet roll, you can keep it all." Shock was paved over her face, the three golden coins were most likely more than she earned in a year, judging by the price of the rolls.

She took the treat with a grin and settled down with an audience near the fiddler, nibbling away at it the whole time.

[Shikyo]

Shikyo was walking around starting to enjoy the festival and the music. Then he suddenly heard a voice call him.

"Hey dad!" Jordon yelled from part of the crowd. "I decided to come to so I can see what this festival is like."

"I'm glad," Shikyo said. He quickly warned him about the cloaked figure but told him not to seem suspicious. Jordon understood and headed with his father to where the fiddler was playing.

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Adnaha's wings pressed even closer to her body and she stiffened jus a bit as the not-quite human smell got stronger. She paused in eating the sweet roll and glanced back and forth without turning her head, any further and anyone watching would notice.

The fiddler finished his song and the people clapped. Only a few walked up and gave him some coins, she walked up and placed one of her golds in and went back to where she had been when the fiddler started up again.

[Shikyo]

Shikyo and Jordon clapped as the fiddler finished. They didn't have any coins to spare to give to him, but they still wanted to listen to him and enjoy. They saw the one they've been watching secretly go up and give him some money. They really didn't seem bad. However, they seemed familiar and different for some reason still.

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As the fiddler finished up and more performances began the last thing Adnaha wanted was wind. Light breezes made her cape flutter and threatened to expose her. A particuly strong gust blasted her for just a moment, still she was certain the eyes she felt on her back had noticed the feathery apendages as the cloak wrapped back around her smoothly. Her hood was still up at least and that couldn't have been seen.

This time she wasn't surreptitious at all. She shoved through the crowd and up the tree without fear. The canopy of leaves this high up acted as a cushion beneath her and the thin interlocked branches and leaves that held her up hid her from view. She was up much higher now and to jump would be suicidal let alone falling. Her cloak was wrapped around her and her frightened breathing was slowly calming.

Only an expert climber could reach her without the help of magic or flight. These thoughts are what kept her in her perch for now.

[Shikyo]

Shikyo and Jordon both saw her feathers and saw her climb up the tree. That made them even more suspicious although for a different reason. They now assumed she was just a creature who didn't want to reveal themself amoung so many humans. They understood that very well as werewolves. Shikyo and Jordon made their way to the tree.

"Hello?" Jordon asked. "Um, we don't want to cause you any harm or trouble. We just want to talk to you. You seem like you don't want to reveal your true self. We can understand that. See, we're really werewolves."

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Adnaha could tell by the inflection that is was directed to her only through her extremely sesitive hearing, she couldn't really pick out the words though as she was to far up. Her movement stilled and she knew that they had seen her, but how would they catch her.

All this was very vauge, through sent she could tell there were two, through hearing she could barely detect their speaking, and the distance made none of this reliable.

[Shikyo]

Jordon noticed that she seemed to not hear him and shruged. "Oh well. Maybe we should just wait for her to come down." He then leans on the tree gently and waits with his dad who agreed.

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Adnaha twitched, seeming to realize they weren't going anywhere soon. With a leap she was down to a thick branch, they seemed to have relaxed out of boredom as she had spent quite some time further up in the tree. Now back within safe jumping distance she fell into the hay once more; Rolling out the side opposite the acacia.

With a sharp intake of breath she wove her way through the spinning dancers with moves that seemed elegant and flowing but more practiced than that of the dances around her. A blue and silver flute bounced against her side, reminding her that she did have an escape route if they did prove to be violent. This caused her to relax some and enjoy the amazed grins of those she switched to dance with, as these dances required massive crowds of people dancing in pairs and switching on que. The twirls and steps faster and more flourished than even that of the nobles, the top of her cloak stuck to the back of her shirt while the bottom flared, her current partner a young noble son of the towns cheif was doing his best to find a dance to match hers and the cheery folk tune of the music.

(You are so paitent I am sooooo sorry my computer broke and there was nothing I could do. Ps. You're awesome.)