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Rose: Distilling the Kitsune Blood

Rose awoke to quiet murmurs. She knew where she was immediately- she was still excited to even be on this adventure. But she also was curious to see- what were they talking about while she was sleeping.

However, the quiet talking ceased. She almost frowned at that- which certainly would have given her away. Instead, she yawned. She felt that doing that, at least, and rolled over. Might as well have them know she was awake.

She opened her eyes and almost screamed.

Two inches from her face was an unfamiliar face, staring into her eyes.

Rose backed up immediately, temporarily forgetting that she was sleeping against a tree. She hit her head on it, and watched as the new person simply watched her. Looking around, Rose saw Sahm frowning and Kyrre laughing silently from the middle of the clearing. The female kitsune, whose face had been so close to Rose's when she'd awoken, simply nodded.

"You're right." Trella said. "This isn't going to be easy."

Rose frowned, rubbing her head. She knew that this new kitsune was talking about her as if she wasn't right there. She was a little perterbed, but still wanting to make a good impression.

"Hi, I'm-"

"Blueaecid Rose. One quarter kitsune, and still the strongest royal bloodline of the Gaian Kitsunes that we have. Also, you are completely ignorant to everything kitsune..." Trella had interupted, but ammended; "except the ability to grow a tail, ears and whiskers."

Rose frowned even deeper than she just had. She had half a mind to-
but she wouldn't anything, since her thoughts were cut off again.

"I am Trella. Kitsune Shaman and Den Warden of the group of loyal kitsune warriors that Kyrre leads, in the name of his father Hichon, may he ever run the trails, and in the spirit of King Ludan, may he hunt peacefully in the White Forest." Trella intoned this, as if it were some kind of rite. It was.

"Um, nice to-" Rose started again. And was cut off, again. This time, she wanted to yell at the kitsune. The girl didn't look but a few years older than her, anyways! Who was she to keep cutting people off!

"I am here at the request of my Den, and Den Leader." Trella stared at the girl, trying to will her into being quiet so that she could do her job correctly. Thankfully, the girl did not- this time- try to speak through the pause. "We would like to offer you all that we have in order to allow you your chance to take your rightful place in our tribe." Another pause, and Rose was still silent. Good. She lifted her staff off the ground about an inch. "Do you accept the gifts we will give you without guilt, the lessons we shall teach you without pride, and the consequences of these things without remorse?" In finishing the question, Trella thumped her staff into the ground. At that, Kyrre winced slightly.

Rose waited- to make sure this girl's rant was over-which it seemed to be. "Yes, Den Warden Shaman Trella, I do." Rose answered.

Trella looked surprised, and glanced back at Kyrre and Sahm. They looked... sheepish? Rose wasn't sure, but she was fairly certain they hadn't expected her response to be so... thorough.

Trella's overly serious face turned back to Rose, only for Rose to notice that Trella was smiling- on the verge of laughing, even.

"What?" Rose had to ask.

Trella did laugh, then. A moment later, she answered. "You do learn quickly. That's good. And you do have a strong will. Also very good. I think I like you, Rose. But..." she paused. "I will have to tell you, later, all that your answer has done. For now..." she said, leaning a hand down to Rose to offer her help up. "You need to eat. And take your medicine."

Rose frowned a little. She didn't like that this Trella had just told her that she had somehow done more than answer the question she thought she had answered. But there was nothing for it now. She was starving, and she knew the kitsunes were on a time crunch still.

Rose accepted the help up, and followed Trella to the campfire, where Kyrre and Sahm were. She sat down between them, feeling more comfortable with them than Trella for now, and Trella sat across from her. Sahm dished Rose a plate of food, Kyrre handed her a cup, and she ate while Trella spoke.

Trella told Rose about the potion. Rose had known about it from what Kyrre and Sahm had described. They had left a little bit out though. The potion was like a blood distiller. It would single out the kitsune genes in her, and amplify them, while completely blocking any traits she had from her other heritages. That concerned Rose quite a bit. But... she'd gone this far. Trella also explained that the potion would leave her incapacitated for anywhere from 20 to 50 hours. She would be conscious, but not able to move anything but her eyes and eyelids. Kyrre and Sahm had only mentioned that she would not be able to move for a while after taking it. This was... more information she needed to know. Trella also reminded her that the potion lasted two weeks.

Trella finally explained that the reason she had come to meet them was that it was still two days until they reached camp for Kyrre's Den. Trella could administer the potion to Rose now, and Kyrre and Sahm could take turns carrying her as they ran. Rose would not be in any pain, just immobile. So another pro for doing it now- besides the Den or anyone else finding out just how non-kitsune Rose was, was that Trella would be able to teach Rose as they ran. Trella would explain customs and history that would be imperative to any kitsune.

"Okay." Rose said, finally done eating (after taking thirds on Trella's insistence. She wouldn't be able to eat or drink until the potion had done it's job). "So, when do we do this?" she asked. There was no immediate response, so she reminded them. "I already agreed- and you are short on time."

With that, Trella nodded, and stood.

Sahm got up too, after taking Rose's plate, and Kyrre helped her up.

Trella had pulled what looked like a dried squash out of her pack. It had a stopper in it, and Rose realized it was like a canteen. She smiled at the quaintness of it. Trella brought it over, and unstoppered it. Kyrre hadn't let go of Rose's arm, and instead moved around behind her, and put his other arm around her waist.

Startled, Rose started to turn to look at him.

"Rose." Trella reminded, and Rose turned to Trella, with the potion.

Trella quietly said a few words in an unfamiliar language, and lifted the bottle, nodding at Rose when she put it to Rose's lips.

Rose drank the potion, still uncomfortably aware of Kyrre's hand on her waist and on her arm. But the potion tasted like bark. And dirt. And... musk? She wanted to spit it out, but Trella had poured quickly, and Rose had already swallowed a few gulps. The effect was almost immediate.

Rose, no longer in control of her muscles, started to crumple. She quickly understood what Kyrre had been doing, as he moved his grip from Rose's arm to under her knees, his other arm going from around her waist to behind her back, and caught her up into his arms in one swift movement.

"Well, " said Trella. "That is three now."

Rose was dying to ask three what, but couldn't.

Kyrre cleared his throat. Trella rolled her eyes. "Three times I've doubted this plan, just to be proved wrong." She explained for Rose's benefit, as Sahm kicked the campfire remains out and Trella reslung her pack and gathered Kyrre's. "But, you should know, you'll have to do a lot more than that to prove Kyrre right."

Trella's eyes seemed to blaze with that, like there had been some kind of challenge or power struggle over that exact subject.

"Oh. And I might as well tell you now, Rose." Trella continued. They were leaving camp already, and started out at a run. "One of the repercussions from the way that you answered my bid, since it was a magical rite-"

Rose would have winced at those words, had she the ability to move anything but her eyes and eyelids. Instead, her eyes just twiched a little. Kyrre noticed the movement, and Rose could hear his almost-silent chuckle as her head as against his chest.

"-is that you have acknowledged me as your Den Warden and Shaman. For all those that have acknowledged that, under normal circumstances, usually, that means that I can issue magical decrees to them. Obviously, if you do become Queen, I can not tell you how to rule. But I will still have some powers over you. Thanks for that." Trella said, seeming a little gleeful about that. "Oh, and it's quite a promotion for me, too. Royal Shaman. If you become Queen, that is." Trella rambled. "Funny how now I am even more interested in seeing you succeed, Blueaecid Rose."

This was going to be a very interesting run, indeed. Rose already felt like she should be sick from worry. However, she really just felt kind of... fuzzy, tingly. She couldn't move, but she felt like her insides were scrambling. It. Was. So. Weird.