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Fel knew she was not meant to be outside the city alone. Normally, she would abide by the rules of Llethanyl. The young night elf did love her city, though at times she might feel as though it did not love her in return. But more than the city, Fel loved the wilderness. The sky peeking through trees that towered high above, and those many creatures that called the forest home. She was not frightened by the Dangers, she knew most would not do her harm. And if something or someone were to attack, she was confident in her abilities to fight back. It was the sort of place that she came to when she needed to calm herself.
The forest was a quiet kind of place, especially at night. In these warm months the girl would listen to the crickets and their kin singing softly. On the brightest nights, the wolves could be heard on their hunt as they dared closer to the city. The people of Llethanyl had often argued over whether the city should be better protected from the outside world. Things would sometimes slip in and out, going completely unnoticed. Fel had heard that the humans in their distant city had locked their people inside with a tall, thick wall. She, and many of her kind, could never imagine such a fate, to never leave the city, never to see the world outside.
Of course, most elves would never voluntarily leave the city, even if there were no strict laws in place. Laws were meant to be put in place for the better of the people, afterall. Inside the city, one could be safe from the many vicious beasts that roamed the land beyond. But the city could never have been so safe if not for the city’s great force of rangers. They were the protectors, they were soldiers, they were keepers of the land.
Fel had only just recently joined their ranks as a trainee. Rangers were expected to start off very early in their careers, and she wanted to start as soon as she could. Elves did not so much keep track of age or general time, but Fel had worked hard to prove her maturity sooner than most. She felt a sense of home now that she was among the other rangers, she knew this was the right place for her to be. When her parents returned to reclaim their immortality, Fel hoped they would be proud of her. That is, if it ever were to happen.
Fel wasn’t sure how long she had been walking when she jumped at a sudden shrill sound. It was unfamiliar to her, which was uncommon for her. The young elf knew the calls of most creatures that roamed these woods, be they dangers or common animals. The forest had become eerily silent now, the only sound being the slight breeze whispering through the leaves. The silence was broken with strange screams. They seemed to be growing louder, closer.
Fel knew she should have turned back long ago now, and yet her curiosity was stronger than her sense of self-preservation. There was a chance that this creature could be a completely undocumented one, and Fel could be the first to spot it and identify it. Now that would be exciting, and perhaps the other rangers would finally see her as more of an equal then they did as a little kid. She knew she was quite young, but she couldn’t help but feel patronized by her older peers at times. It seemed like they didn’t take her seriously, and that frustrated her. Fel knew she was good enough for it, so why couldn’t they see it?
The creature yowled again, and Fel could tell that it was very close by now. Something about the sound was sort of sorrowful, and she felt a slight sense of pity. It was probably just some innocent critter out in these woods in the dark of night, feeling lost and confused. Out in the wilds of Terryn, one could never really feel safe. One must keep their wits about them, a good ranger had sharp eyes and steady hands. Fel kept her eyes forward, stepping so lightly that no sound could be heard. Ideally, she would sneak up on the unsuspecting thing and catch it. But other than that, she didn’t have much of a plan. And even if she were to have a plan, the girl wouldn’t have expected for the creature to fall straight on top of her.
With a screech, the bony creature watching from a branch above flung itself at their suspecting target. It thudded right on top of her head, immediately digging its fangs and claws into her hair. Fel slid onto the ground in panic, screaming as she rolled around attempting to pry the creature from her head.
“Felasege!” A familiar voice called her name. “Hold on, I’m coming to help!”
She finally yanked it away from her head, losing some hair in the process. It wasn’t a particularly large creature, but it had a tight grip and sharp claws. It held on so tightly, in an almost desperate way. It continued to thrash and roll about in her arms, but she was able to keep her hold on it. At this point, her ‘help’ had arrived.
“Callum?” Fel looked up, the beast still scrambling around in her arms. “What are you doing out here?”
Her superior looked at with tired eyes. “Felasege. I should be the one asking you that.”
“Oh. Yeah.” The creature bit down on her hand. “Ow!” She didn’t pull away, just let it keep chewing on her hand. “Look at this Danger I caught! I’ve never seen one like this before, not even in a bestiary.”
Callum sighed. “It’s a feisty thing, for sure.” He looked at the animal, which seemed somewhat content now that it was mindlessly gnawing on Fel’s hand. It was a bit bigger than a squirrel, with striped fur and pointed ears. With its patchy fur and collection of scars, it was a bit monstrous looking. He leaned in a bit closer to see it better, then it hissed at him and began screeching again.
“It’s not venomous.” Fel was already covered in scratches and bite marks. “I don’t think so, at least.” She looked excitedly up at Callum. She really did think it was some rare, undocumented Danger.
“It’s called a cat.” He said plainly. “I’ve never seen one in person, but I’m told they’re quite a common animal in other parts.”
Fel was clearly disappointed by this. Her new discovery had turned out to be nothing more than a simple forest animal. “What’s it doing here, then?” The cat had calmed down a bit, but it was still on high alert. It seemed to enjoy chewing on her captor’s hand.
“I don’t know. But she seems to like you, at least.”
Fel looked at the rough-looking creature in her arms. It looked back up at her and Fel looked back into those with big, round eyes. One eye was as bright as the sun, the other clouded over with blindness. The cat hissed at her again. “She’s pretty cute, isn’t she?”
“In a way, yes.” Callum swallowed. “I’m told that the humans of Freestone love these creatures. They keep them around everywhere, as companions.”
Fel smiled again. She had long been fascinated by the human people and their culture, and now she had a piece of their world in her arms. The cat had its claws completely wrapped around her hand and was making soft noises as it chewed on Fel’s hand. It was strange, but sweet.
Elves would sometimes keep animal companions, though Fel hadn’t met one with a cat. The girl had never had a pet before, maybe now was the chance. She looked back at the older ranger. He already knew what she was going to say, but he let her ask anyway.
“Can I keep her?”
Callum rested his head in his palm. “I don’t think I could stop you if I wanted, Felasege.”
The young elf laughed at that. That was as close as she was going to get to a yes. The two sat in the quiet forest for some time, listening to the cat purr in Fel’s arms. She was getting used to the pain of the cat’s sharp teeth already.
“Callum, were you following me?” Fel finally asked.
“Yes, Felasege.” His eyes were somewhere distant.
Fel couldn’t help but feel guilty for a moment. “I’m sorry that I worry you sometimes.” Callum would never say it out loud, but he certainly wasn’t keeping his concern for her secret.
“It’s alright.” He turned to face her directly, something wistful in his gaze. “What will you call her?”
She looked at the cat for a long moment, whose head she had begun softly stroking. “Not sure yet. I think her name will come to me when it’s ready.”
Callum looked at the two of them, just a girl and her cat. Despite her appearance and behavior, the little thing looked almost tame now. He tentatively reached out to pet her.
But before he could reach her, the cat sprang up and tackled his hand, biting down viciously.