A Familiar Face

[Zelda]

the day was young and Zelda was bored. she decided to take a break from the city, and head out to the forest. It was some where she didn't have to hide her face. Also she thought she might practice her magic some.

So she found her self a nice clearing that wasn't too far off from the lake. And she started to levitated stones. And fund her concentration was a bit off. her mind kept wondering. On a whim she climbed up a tree. she was nearly as agile as her elven ancestors and before she knew it she was looking off in the distance at one of the spires of the palace in Aesir. The fallen city must have been easily a day or two day's travel from where she was, but she could see its high point up here above the trees.

She sat there thinking of home for quite some time. After an hour or so passed she heard something rustling in the tree. Well actually she had heard the rustling of squirrels in the trees almost constantly but this was different. It was heavier, and it was moving towards her. She got down from where she was to look don into the branches. It went behind her she turned, noting; behind her again, and nothing then finally she felt little tiny claws on her back She screamed and fell out of the tree. fortunately she had enough sense and reflex to land properly.

He looked up as she scrambled backward and then spotted him, "Needles!?" She exclaimed. The thing tha thad startled he was a tiny dragon, barely bigger than a cat with red scales and stinger on its tail. The dragon jumped up and glided toward her and she got up and grabbed the little guy in her arms and hugged him. "I thought you where dead." She said sounding like a worried mother. The dragon nuzzled against her affectionately.

Needles, had been own by her mentor. But it had been her job to take car of him. Needles had been with her mentor during the fall and Zelda was sure the little dragon had died, and here he was safe and sound in her arms

[Xannon]

Xannon's foot slipped from her perch. The branch thwacked her leg as tumbled down, landing in the cold brush.

She spat a twig out of her mouth, glaring angrily from the bushes.

Who would just scream out in the middle of no where like that? Seriously. What a freakin' jerk.

The little ninja runt of a woman kicked up her short legs and managed to clamber out of the half-frozen bushes after a a fierce battle with the leafless scenery that decorated her pretty pastel clothes with a variety of cruel little cuts.

She wobbled over to an open book on the ground--man, her leg was so going to have a nasty welt later--and picked it up. A few pages were bent. Wincing, she straightened them out and closed the dusty old volume.

Now, then... Just where was that asshole?

She sneaked along, deftly cloaking herself with a layer of magic--not only did it make her hard to notice, but it was warm. She peaked between some pines.

It was Zelda (of course--Why was it always her? Always!) and some red monster.

Xannon puttered out her exasperation. Zelda was a cunning and sexy wench. The midget really couldn't compete against that.

"Hey, Zelda," she said, walking out from the trees and removing her favorite sneaky-type magic, "what're you screamin' for? Sounded like you'd seen a naked troll or something, sheesh."

Speaking of monsters, Xannon's dark eyes flickered over to the red blob. It had wings. It had a tail. It had a nasty dagger-lookin' device growing out of said tail. Her small mouth gaped open. She'd never seen one before--always heard they were a might smaller. And were they supposed to have wings? A real scorpion, she thought, suddenly stopping her pace.

"Uh... um. W-What is that?"

[Zelda]

As happy as Zelda was to see needles, she know that the little drake had scared her on purpose. it had been one of his quirks. and as cute as those antics where she had almost broken her neck falling out of a tree. She was just mustering up the anger to scold him when she heard a familiar voice.

She turned to see Xannon crawling out of the bushes, and Needle craned his nec over Zeldas arm to see who the intruder was, Zelda could feel him growling at the stranger. She listened to all the things xannon said before she answered. "Well, I screamed, because and old friend's mischievous anic have yet to die." She said giving needles a look. The drake just rolled its eyes. but he was done growling. See zelda wasn't threatened neather was needles so ha calmed down.

"And this here. is needles. He's a Pseudodragon. And he belonged to my teacher before he dies in Aesir. Seems liked the little guy found his way to me. She relaxed her arms and Needles slipped from her arms as he climbed up and around her should so he could perch in a spot that that it could see what was going on more comfortably.

"So what are you doing out here?" Zelda asked Xannon.

[Xannon]

Drat. It wasn't a scorpion. It was a d-d-d-d---

"Dragon?! Why do you--Why did your teacher have a dragon? Don't they like eat people and stuff?" Particularly wee ones, Xannon could not help but realize as she protectively shielded her book and chest by crossing her arms in front of her. She was a tiny, appetizing little snack, wasn't she?

Oh, she knew how she looked in hungry beasties' eyes.

"Me? I was just, uh, reading," she stammered, eyes flicking back up to the thing on Zelda's shoulder.

"But why do you have a dragon?"

[Zelda]

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Technically he's not a dragon. Needle is more technically a drake. It resembles a dragon only in looks. For one, Needles is full grown, he lacks elemental breath, his only means of defense are his poison sting, his ability and..." Needles had been listening and decided to show off. Suddenly the Drake wasn't there, or didn't seem to be anyway "And he has active camouflage." She said and the drake reappeared.

"As for why i and my master have him... Well I'm not completely sure how my teacher obtained him. Pseudodragons are near extinct, but like there pseudo cousins this drake has magical properties. And well, don't you think needles is just the cutest?" Zelda said scratching the drake under its chin and listened to him purr happily. Zelda looked down and saw Xannon's apprehension.

She kneeled down. "Here why don't you pet him." Needles looked over at zelda then at Xannon and growled, it wasn't often people where afraid of him, and he liked it that way, so he had to exacerbate things. "And you be nice." The drake stopped and crawled out on to Zelda's arm as she held it out. It moved like a lot like an iguana. and its skin was about the same texture.

[Xannon]

His only "means of defense" was his poison sting, and yeah, that was the problem here.

Xannon glanced at the wicked blade. Good god. That think could rip off some fingers, gouge an eyeball, or maybe even make a fatal stab.

What was worse? It could disappear with a magic very similar to her own.

Xannon did not, I repeat, did not want an invisible little stabbing winged monster buzzing around anywhere near her. Anywhere near her. Have I repeated that enough? Good.

(She had to admit it was kind of cool. Kind of.)

"Ha.. ha... ha," laughed Xannon poorly as she raised a hand up and took a couple of meek steps back. The snow crunched underfoot, and she felt the naked shrubbery's barbs poke her back.

"You know, drag--pseudodragons aren't really my thing." That was an utter lie and had nothing to do with anything. Rather, she preferred to keep anything that looked like it could take a bite out of her well-away from her person.

Next strategy? Topic change.

"S-So, Zelda... I didn't know you had a teacher. What'd she do--give you a pick-pocketing manual and tell ya to have at it?"

[Zelda]

Needles growled again and raised its tail when the girl backed away frightened. Unfortunately for Xannon she had probably just attracted Needle's attention enough that he would probably go out of his way to mess with her during his down time. Because needle really like how this girl seemed to mortally fear him. It was like a silent compliment.

"Needles!" Zelda scolded and the drake put its tail down and looked up at Zelda with scare puppy dog eyes. And Zelda calmed down. Needles went back to his place on her shoulders, as she listened to her ask about Zelda's teacher.

The strike was fast and unexpected. Zelda back handed Xannon. What Xannon had just said had plucked a very sensitive chord. Needles stayed silent as the situation seemed to get a bit serious. "Talk about my teacher like that again, and it will be a blade." She said.

"My teacher is the man that took me in to his home when my parents abandoned me. He's the one who taught me sorcery. He fed me, clothed me, and treated me as if I where his own daughter, and then Aesir fell and he died." And all Zelda had done was argue with him, and treat him like dirt. Zelda hated herself for that. Her only means of survival since then had been the way of the rogue.

[Xannon]

Xannon swallowed. All she'd ever seen Zelda do was get caught for pick-pocketing. Zelda could do sorcery, too? Eek. Well, Xannon learned something new every day.

Talk about a downer, huh? Her little jokes weren't even appreciated, BUT... The fake mini dragon thing certainly wasn't up to anything, was it?

Her swelling cheek throbbed painfully. Punish the innocents, was it? She clutched her book more tightly to her chest.

And now Zelda even wanted to kill her. What the hell was up with that? She knew she shouldn't have been friendly with that thief from the start, and it had nothing to do with being half-drow.

Xannon supposed she was used to getting beat, but it still stung.

She'd thought she'd almost had a friend around these parts that she didn't actually leech off of.

"Well, excuse me," she finally answered after a long, silent moment. All the teasing smirks had vanished without a trace.

What a b--

"I'll leave you to your pet, then," she muttered and turned away, heading out to whence she'd come. Her pastel clothing clutched around her darkly. The light snow crunched underfoot, and the bristled bushes clutched at her wounded clothing. Her cheek and thigh throbbed cruelly.

She couldn't stand people with fast tempers, and this was only a reminder why.

[Zelda]

Zelda did feel kinda bad for hitting the girl. She hadn't known and it was the subject mater that that was sore. She could have insulted Zelda herself and she wouldn't have gotten mad. But she had insulted someone she cared about, and couldn't get back. "Xannon, I'm sorry." She said getting up and following her.

Damn it she had no idea why she was appologizing and no idea why she wanted to explain herself. It was all Xannon's fault. "I just don't like people talking about my teacher like that."

[Xannon]

Apologies chased them from behind, but Xannon ignored them and continued marching through the forest. She held the dusty volume tightly to her chest.

"Yeah, yeah. And how was I supposed to know you, uh"--insinuating that Zelda was in love with her teacher (as is opt to happen between opposite genders) would probably earn her a sword up the butt--"missed him so much? I only just found out that he was dead!

"And whatever happened," she continued, stopping her fast step and turning around, "to words before violence, huh? The pen is mightier than the sword? Ring any bells?

"Hell," she ranted, putting one small fist on her little hip and straightening her stance, "I only just learned that you were a sorcerer! I thought you were just a thief all your life, for Pete's sake! How was I supposed to know you practiced other stuff, too? Huh? Huh?"

Xannon's small lips and big eyes pursed into a scowl, she turned back around and continued her smoldering aimless walk.

[Zelda]

Xannon was lunch a throwing knife wasn't stuck in her spine after he last little comment. "No, don't even go there, he was like a father to me. All I did was treat him like shit while all he did was keep me alive at his expense. and now he's dead. I can't than him, and I can't apologize. And I'm sure there's no one in that blasted academy that will trust a drow with magic. And no one in the city that will trust a drow in their business.

"And you don't go around insulting people. Last I checked thievery isn't something people are usual proud of." "Oh wait maybe you probably don't know what I mean. your parents probably gave up once you became a toddler, and stopped growing, or at least they never taught you any manners." She said trying find a wound to rub salt into.

[Xannon]

So Zelda was substituting Xannon for herself, huh? Perfect!

"Pfft! You can't miss what you never had, can you?" she retorted. Man, she didn't even know what her parents looked like. Hell, she didn't even know their names!

Zelda was just being spiteful.

"You know, it's not like anyone would have to know you were there if you went into the academy," muttered Xannon, brushing away a branch and letting it swing back behind her. Was this half-drow being close-minded or what? "It's not hard to be Unseen..."

She continued trudging forth through the thin layer of snow, grumbling under her breath all the while.

"That time of the month... sexy women think they can get anything... beating me in place of her younger self... I didn't do anything... wicked crone's probably over fifty anyway... could just use magic... no one would even know she was there..."

[Zelda]

Zelda was tired of following Xannon and nodded at needles to stop her. the reptile jumped of Zelda's shoulder and glided to a tree right in front of Xannon. It tails raised and its teeth bared. "I don't even know why I still talking to you. "You had no right to throw nasty assumptions around. I may have over reacted, but you act as if just because you look like a child you sould be able to get away with what ever the hell you want." Zelda snapped.

[Xannon]

The nasty creature thing (not a dragon) blocked Xannon's path, hissing and showing its teeth like an angry demon. It looked like how she felt.

Xannon yipped, quickly backing up a step.

She froze, a look of contemplation roughing up her angry features and sucking in her cheeks.

Just because she looked like a child she thought she could get away with whatever she wanted? Flashback: getting a free apple the day she met Alex. Flashback: getting free housing from Tiy, although Tiy knew Xannon wasn't really a kid. Flashback: mooching food off of Kokoro (jerky, apple slices, and cookie, oh my).

It occurred to her that perhaps, just perhaps, she'd used her childish figure for her gain. And it wasn't below her to beg and act innocent and stuff to get out of trouble.

Oops.

"Since when was this about me?" asked Xannon slowly, breaking away from her contemplation. Was she really that much of a brat? It's not like she could nab a husband or have kids, so wasn't it her just returns? The only ones who'd want her body were pedophiles. Didn't she deserve something?

Not quite sure whether she wanted to look at the pseudo-dragon or the angry half-drow, the midget maneuvered herself to have either opponent on either side.

"And you have no right to just go around slapping people."

Speaking of slapping, the wee beaten girl's cheek throbbed. Her accusatory eyes rolled over to her assailant, as if to say, I'll remember this, lassie.

Of course, what was she thinking? Her two "opponents," as it were, were twice her size together. She had no fighting skills. Her battle tactics consisted largely of running and hiding--and begging, and using her twelve-year-old appearance to do so.

"It's not like I asked to look this way, ya know," she muttered under her breath.

[Zelda]

Bam realization his Zelda like a brick. Xannon and here where the same in many ways. Both where judged by their looks, and both used those self assumed flaws to their advantage. Xannon may not have like to admit it but getting food for free from a stranger because she acted like a child was no different from Zelda hiding in the shadows to to retrieve a copper from some one who wasn't watching their pocket.

"Aye, you never chose to look so young, but the use you have chosen for those looks has as much virtue as thievery. You use your looks like I use my dagger, to get what you want." She said suddenly realizing that it was something her master would say. Needles was still on the tree watching the two women speak. but he had lowered his defenses and was just watching quietly.