[Azura Rayume]

~*~ ~*~
Garrin ~*~ Donnie ~*~ Brunester

"You need to get out more, buddy!"

That was Brunester.

A guiding hand rested itself on his shoulder.

Also Brunester. The Holeef-soon-to-be-Wood-Rouge could always be counted on to cheer him up.

A low laugh like a bark reached his ears.

Donnie, his ever helpful "eyes."

Garrin smiled slightly as he grasped the etheral ribbon that connected him to Donnie. A tropical breeze ticked his pale cheek, smelling faintky of rotting wood. He walked slowly, feeling his way along the mountian path despite his friends' assistance. "Where are we going":

"You'll see soon enough," Brunester said encouragingly.. "Almost there." His voice betrayed none of the additation he felt at having to walk up the mountian. Walking was one of those unavoidable things when your friend was a water creature. Bandols aren't supposed to venture very far from the water, but they were taking Garrin up a mountian. He had to admit this fifteen-year-old boy appearance was far better than that stupid leaf thing he'd been born as. Luckily that would change once he earned enough to afford the operation.

Donnie padded along quietly, bright eyes watchful. The black and red Sheilupe's head weaved from side to side, sniffing for any sign of danger. He would glance back occasionally to make sure his blind master was alright, no matter how unlikely it would be for Garrin to release his grip on the ribbon-leash.

[Azura Rayume]

"Very funny, Brun," Garrin chided, laughing. He knew the word "see" had just slipped in out of habit, but the Bandol-human simply felt like being a tease.

Brunester laughed with him, realizing the idiocy in the comment. "Sorry, mate. But you will. Sort of."

Donnie snorted as they crossed another trail, this one left by one of the monks. Yes, they were getting close. Soon he could "show" his master the surprise they'd had in store for so long. He didn't even growl like he normally would have at this stranger's scent. The sound of Garrin's laughter was enough to make him ignore the suspicions that immidiatly arose in his mind. If his master was happy, then so was he.

[Kyrit]

Laughter..? This was supposed to be a peaceful place that the trio was headed to, and yet the sound of a child giggling filled the air. What about a temple could a young one honestly find all that funny? It wasn't like anything special ever went on after all.

"Calm down... You're going to hurt yourself." This voice was that of a male, probably in his late teens or early twenties. It was a smooth, calm voice that didn't seem to be filled with any great concern. Of course he was concerned that she might get injured, but his nature just didn't allow him to freak out over her just having a little bit of fun. After all, she had shown that she was getting better at walking around on her own even without the use of sight.

"Ta~" The human form Sightless Kuhna called out in a sing-song voice as she flung her tiny arms around one of his legs. She was, quite a good bit younger then the guy. Probably only around seven or eight. "I can hear so many different sounds~ They're so pretty! The scents are amazing too. Lots of flowers."

(Throwing the blind at the blind? ^^: )

[Azura Rayume]

Donnie froze, a growl rumbeling in his throat, nearly tripping Brunester in the process. Garrin had managed to stop a moment sooner, leaving him on his feet.

"What's wrong, Donnie?" the Bandol asked, laying a hand on the Sheilupe's back.

'Two others... Lucain and Kuhna... Male and female... Headed this way...'

"Ah."

The simple responce wasn't enough for Brun. "What? What is it?" he asked, fear tinging his speech.

"It's nothing," Garrin answered with a grin. "There's just two more poeple than we thought." He paused a moment, and his smile widened. "She seems to be having a good time."

[Kyrit]

Hearing a growl nearby, Tzal's smile at the happiness of the young kuhna instantly disappeared. Why was such a noise vocalizing itself in this place of all places? Nu'san was supposed to be a place of peace and serenity... not of vicious beasts that threatened the life of his ward. "Chimil... Hush for a moment." His voice wasn't harsh, but it was commanding.

"A-Alright..." came the only word spoken from the young kuhna, having heard the growl and knowing that if Tzal told her to be quiet it could only be for her own good. But... what was growling at them? And why? She hadn't done anything to harm anyone... and she knew Tzal hadn't done anything either. He had just been watching over her the whole time they were there.

Suddenly the human form lucain took a step away from her, eyes narrowing. "Who's there, and what is your intent?" If someone made the slightest move at harming Chimil, he would make them pay.

[Azura Rayume]

Garrin turned in the direction of the voice, releasing the ribbon-leash for the first time of the whole trip. He slowly walked toward the hidden speaker, and promptly tripped over a gnarled tree root. He disappeared into the brush between the trails, stumbeling from tree to tree beofore collapsing none too gracefully in front of Tzal.

"Ow..." he moaned, rolling over onto his back, blank gray eyes staring up. He could hear the Lucian anthro's breathing above him and foliage being torn from its branches somewhere off to his left. Brunster's nervous voice sounded from there as well.

"Are you alright?"

He might as well respond. There was no point in making him worry too much on this trip. "Yeah." He then turned his attentions to the two others. "Hi."

[Kyrit]

The young one jumped slightly at the sound of something landed rather roughly on the earth infront of the male lucain and herself. Judging by the sounds of the foliage being torn apart, and soon the voices that followed, whoever this was wasn't here alone. Who was it though? She pressed close to Tzal, arms clinging to his side once again.

Tzal on the other hand looked at Garrin with a raised eyebrow, wondering what exactly was going on here. He hadn't noticed quite yet that, much like his little ward, this guy was blind. "Uh... Hi? Who are you...?" Seemed like he always forgot to introduce himself before asking others who they were. Usually Chimil did said greeting for him, but she was trying to stay silent since she had been told to earlier.

[Azura Rayume]

"I'm Garrin," the Bandol anthro responded with a grin. He sat up, staring blankly at where he believed the pair to be. The male voice sounded wary, maybe even angry at the sudden appearance of a stranger. The slight whimpering sound he heard must have been the girl Donnie had spoken of.

"I'm sorry if I scared you," Garrin murmured to her, extending his hand in greeting. He was off by about a foot and obviously didn't know that the girl was just as blind as he was.

Donnie poked his head through the bushes a moment later, eyebrow raised. His master was a strange one... He padded over to sit beside Garrin, gaze shifting from one newcomer to another, then back where he'd emerged form the underbrush. Brun had managed to get himself lost or something along the way.

[Kyrit]

"She can't see your hand. Her name's Chimil by the way." Judging by how Garrin's hand didn't quite make it to reach the child, Tzal figured he was blind as well. Instead of just letting the Bandol's hand just hover there, the lucain took it and tried to help him to his feet in a friendly manner. Well, as friendly as things got for him. He wasn't much for being around others, except when it was to make the kuhna happy.

"And his name is Tzal!" She figured that now that they had both spoken and she could feel Ta move to help the other, she was allowed to talk as well. This must have been true too, as she hadn't been hushed by the other.

[Azura Rayume]

She couldn't see him? A puzzled expression crossed Garrin's face as he felt himself being pulled to his feet. She must be blind as well, he though. Fate works in such strange ways.

Donnie tensed as Tzal's hand touched his master's. He didn't growl, that's waht had sentGarrin off investigating the noise that had been these two strangers, but instead rounded on the forest behind him. He barked rather gruffly to Brunester, both calling the fool and releasing his aggression.

"Chimil," Garrin murmured, a smile on his lips again. "Well, that's a beatuiful name for lovely young girl. At least, that's what the name says to me."

[Kyrit]

A small blush spread across the young kuhna's pale face that the bandol wouldn't get the honor of seeing. They missed out on so many things without being able to see, yet at the same time they gained so much as well. The loss of one sense just meant that the others would make up for it, strengthening over time. "Thankyou." her words were soft, almost shy, which was unlike her. Soon she perked up and added on, "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Garrin!

Meanwhile Tzal's eyes had settled on Donnie, wondering what he was barking at. "So I take it you came here with two others instead of just one...?" Just a random guess, but it was a logical guess as well. "What're their names?"

[Azura Rayume]

"Oh!" Garrin could have smacked himself for forgetting that detail. "Well, this is Donnie, my eyes." He laid a pale hand on the Sheilupe's back again, smiling as he did so.

"I this wise?" It was so like Donnie tho think that way. Suspicious as ever.

Of course. They won't hurt us. His intentions seem to be the same as yours. The last bit was added to reassure Donnie's uneasy feelings about the Anthro-Lucain's tone.

Garrin turned his attention back to Tzal. "And my friend Brun seems to have gotten himself lost." He shook his head at his friend's antics. "This whole trip was his idea. He said something about a garden that I had to visit. What about you two?"

[Kyrit]

It wasn't like Tzal meant anything wrong by the tone of his voice. He usually seemed like he was mad, but as Chimil would say, he 'always had a smile on the inside'. He was always gentle with his young ward, doing anything he could to make her smile. Those smiles of hers were where he got his smiles from, so the happier she was, the more he could truly be happy. So, even if he seemed like he was angry at the world, he was truly a nice guy. He just didn't really know how to express himself.

The lucain was going to answer Garrin's question, but at that time he was interrupted by the child once again. "Ta said he was going to take me to the gardens that were here!" Her tails were thrashing about behind her like a happy little puppy, even though when it boiled down she was actually a cat. "They're supposed to be real relaxing."

[Azura Rayume]

Garrin grinned again. "That's what Brun told me," he said with a nod. "He also said something like, 'Even you can see them.' I wonder what he meant by that."

The next moment, Donnie pulled away from his master and padded over to the underbrush. He gave a commanding bark that caused something in the bushes to jump.

"Alright. Alright!" called a familiar voice. "It's your fault I got lost in the first place. How am I supposed to know where you went when you ran off like that?" Brunester ran a thin hand through his forest green hair, pulling out a few leaves as he did so. "I didn't mean 'see' like with your eyes, Garrin. I promise, you'll understand when we get there."

[Kyrit]

"The sounds and smells... They're vivid enough that even some blind people have said they could see the gardens." As Tzal spoke, his hands moved down to grasp Chimil, pulling her up off the ground until he could place her safely on his shoulders. "I don't doubt their words either... It's quite the place."

As the male lucain began walking, figuring the others would follow him if they so liked, Chimil crossed her arms and allowed them to rest ontop of his head. "So you've been there Ta~? Oooh! What's it like? Are there usually lots of people there? Please don't tell me there's a lot of holes in the ground....."

"You can tell me what you think about it when we get there. No need for me to tell you when you can find out for yourself." Came his answer, which received a small huff from the young one.