Back in time for dinner [Open]

Stepping through that weird looking hole had been a mistake. By the time Jyon had realised that, it was far too late for her to do anything useful. She'd just intended on taking a quick look through this strange hole that had appeared in the middle of the forest, and coming right back, but after stepping right through, the portal had closed in on herself, leaving herself stranded in this forest that wasn't her Great Forest. This one wasn't all green, like hers. The leaves were already falling and turning shades of red and russet brown, which meant that wherever she was, it was already a season past. Back in the Great Forest she grew up in, they were still in the middle of summer, and the entire forest was covered in a neverending sea of green, and the balmy heat was present in most of the daylight.

With not a clue as to what she had brought herself to, Jyon took one more look at her back to confirm that the strange magical hole she had come in from was really gone, before she returned her attention front-wards, as her gaze found new attention on the sight of an obsidian spire towering in the sky like a black sword. There had to be people there right? Her only feasible action to explore and discover the path to the spire, and what in the world had just happened. She needed to get back before nightfall, or else her disappearance would be discovered, and the Khan would give her yet another lecture she most certainly did not need. Hopefully, she would come across another soul along the way who would be kind enough to explain what had happened and how she would be able to get home in time for dinner.

True horses were uncommon in the Hollowed Grounds, and so with the current unsettled state of the world it was not a form that Jigano took very often. Every once in a while, though, it felt good to run and give himself at least the illusion of freedom, galloping along the edge of the forest where he could shift and dive into the trees if trouble arose in the form of angry guards. In the autumn sunlight it was a pleasure he allowed himself today, celebrating the momentary quiet from the Queen's Manor as he kicked up his heels and raced for the joy of it, and the wonder of what he had gained in place of his lost magic.

His hooves slowed as he neared the area of the Spire, reminded of the task still ahead of him, and the time that was burning away with every day that passed. He snorted and curved his elegant neck, the smooth lines of his Andalusian body relaxing as he came to a halt to stare at the obsidian obelisk where it rose against the sky. His coat, mane, and tail were a darkish-grey, changed from their more usual white by the art and artifice of his bardic disguise skills, but his eyes were still a bright blue, unusual with his current coloration. He stamped a hoof uneasily--

And then his nostrils flared, catching an unfamiliar scent far closer than he had expected one to be. He turned his head sharply, prancing to face the newcomer as he turned to look her over, tense but not afraid.

Jyon had heard the trembling on the ground, then the familiar sound of hooves, before she even saw the horse approaching from the distance. She was very familiar with horses, and riding them was second nature to her. Like all of the hunters in the Great Forest, all children were trained since they were seven to ride a horse, and by ten, they would have mastered the skills of horse riding. She had not expected a horse to be the first animal she’d seen in this new world, but it was welcome all the same. While she was normally more partial to horses that were a lighter shade of brown, the elegance of this darkish grey horse was just too unique to ignore. It was true that she’d seen horses with a similar shade of grey before, but there was just something special about this one that seemed to captivate her, as those pulling her attraction to it by some unseen force.

As it got closer, she seemed to notice its uneasy, and she placed her hands out slowly, and cooed a gentle melody, in the very same fashion she used back home to calm a nervous horse. She didn’t want to risk scaring it off. The closer she got, the more Jyon realised that perhaps, it was the horses’s startling bright blue eyes that was the key of attention. She’d never ever seen a horse with blue eyes, let alone one as alive and vibrant as this one. Just simply looking at it was mesmerising to say the least. She made a step forward slowly and gently, hoping to eventually close the distance between the two, before she could raise her hand to pat its neck.

The unfamiliar scent belonged to an unfamiliar woman. She wasn't one of the guards he had come to recognize outside of the Notice Boards and Manor, and her clothing was strange as well compared to what he saw among the Naturals of the Hollowed Grounds. Moreover, she didn't appear surprised at his appearance, as he expected Naturals to react to him. Horses were rare enough that most assumed him to be Attuned right away, but this woman...

The melody she sang had his ears pricking forward in professional curiosity, and he relaxed a little, letting her come closer. Was she an Outlander? It seemed likely, from her appearance and actions. If that were the case she might need someone to talk to, but he was wearing the wrong shape for easy conversation. He snorted, mostly in annoyance at himself for not sensing her sooner and approaching in a more convenient form, but he didn't step back until she raised a hand to try and touch him. Then he sidled just out of reach, slanting her a look that managed to be the equine equivalent of slightly disapproving.

You might ask before you touch, he thought tartly, the communication slipping out accidentally along the Attuned mental bond. He had become stronger recently, and sometimes didn't shield his thoughts as well as he meant to, especially since he could be heard by other Attuned even when they were in their human forms.

Things seemed to be good well for her for a while, before it turned south, which puzzled her greatly. Jyon mentally checked to see if she was doing anything different or had missed out any steps or jumbled up the order, but no, she had done everything correctly as she always had back home. Did the horses here behave differently than the ones back home? It certainly was a possibility. A new world often came along with a new set of rules, didn’t they? It must be. This horse must be far more unique than she thought it was.

The way it snorted and evaded her hand as she reached out to touch it had surprised her more than she thought. There was just something about its behaviour that seemed strange to her, very much unlike any other horse she’d been with. When the voice came into her mind without warning, her eyes widened in shock as she got chills sent down her spine. Jyon  promptly turned to see who the owner of that voice was.

A quick glance told her that the two of them were the only one in the vicinity, which could only mean one thing. The horse was talking to her. A talking horse. One that speaks directly into her mind. She spoke out loud in reply.

“Where I came from, horses don’t talk, or request for permission before touching.”

Jigano didn't realize his mistake until the woman looked around sharply. He couldn't wince the same way with a horse's face, but his ears laid slightly back, and he heaved an equine sigh. It was a sloppiness he couldn't afford, and he was just lucky that she really didn't seem to be one of Zariah's guards after all. Well. So far, at least. Her answer seemed to confirm that she was an Outlander, though, and the Andalusian's ears flicked forward again in amusement.

Perhaps they do, just not in a language you understand, he countered, a sense of amusement in his tone. And where do you come from, Lady? This world is Caido, and while some horses don't have much to say... you may find that others very much do! He tossed his head, a chuckle slipping through the mental link as his blue eye twinkled with mischief. He was still in high spirits after his run, feeling more like himself than he had in days - which was almost ironic, given how unfamiliar his horse form still was to him. Still, he didn't take any chances with the strange woman, and sidled a little further away, just to remove temptation. Whoever she was, she seemed familiar with horses, and unfamiliar with Attuned, which could lead to an awkward situation if he didn't take care to keep aware of things.

She wasn’t dreaming. The horse was actually talking. A far lot more than just a simple sentence this time. If you’d told her that she’d be in a strange world and meet up with a talking horse in her lifetime, she’d laugh at you until her belly ached. But she is, in a strange world called Caido, her first introduction to the foreign land given to her by a talking grey horse. The way it sighed didn’t really sounded all that different from your typical equine sigh, but there was a peculiar feeling about this particular behaviour that did not exactly seem all that normal to her.

“You may be right. But I will never know. I don’t speak horse, and where I am from, animals don’t speak the languages of the Great Forest. The place I come from is an immense sprawling land filled with a sea of never-ending forests that stretches as far as the eye can see. It is called The Great Forest, and many clans and tribes live within the shelter of its trees. How about you? Are you from here? Caido? ”

The horse settled as she made no further attempt to approach him, and instead cocked his ears forward in eager curiosity as she began to describe her world. Jigano loved to learn about distant places and peoples, and especially their stories and songs. He was a bard and a lorekeeper, and new knowledge was like water to him - necessary for his survival and sanity. He enjoyed meeting the new Outlanders who came through, most of whom were good people who arrived in need of a bit of information of their own; something he was happy to provide. He hadn't intended to begin mindspeech with this particular stranger, but now that he had he supposed it was too late to turn back.

I have lived here but a year, lady, he replied, switching his tail to swat at a late-season fly that tried to pester him. Before that I was from a place called Numeria, a place of rolling grassland and thick forests, and a vast northern tundra surrounding the Silvermount. It, too, was a land of many people, and many races. But Caido... He shook his mane as if to dislodge a pest, then raised his nose, pointing west, to the Settlement. Here within these lands where a barrier once kept any from entering or leaving there are humans and their kin, the four races who spring from the same branch. Among them are two clans: Naturals, who were born to this world, and Outlanders, who arrived as you have, by a portal from another world entirely.

He returned a blue-eyed gaze to Jyon, wryly amused. To the north lies the Greatwood, and within it, the Fae, a winged folk short in height but large in stature. Their forest is not never-ending, but it can feel that way when the magic within it turns you round and round no matter how hard you try to keep to your course. He paused then offered a deep nod of his head; as comfortable a bow as he could currently manage. You may call me Smith for now, lady. And I will try and answer your questions as best I can. I, too, was once a newcomer here, and I consider it both a pleasure and a duty to help others as I was once helped.

Jyon still found it difficult to believe that she was having a conversation with a talking horse. This was in no way normal to her, and it would definitely take some time for her to get used to it before she could in any way feel comfortable about doing so. Nevertheless, she listened intently as her new companion mentioned that he too was not from this land, and began telling her about the world he came from, this Numeria.

It had similarities to hers, such as having forests, and a land of many people and races. Once he was done speaking about his homeland, he began speaking about this world, this Caido, and the barrier that prevents anyone from entering or leaving once they were in it. With the portal she came from gone without a trace, it gradually dawned onto her that she was not going to be back before dinner.

She cursed silently, knowing how much trouble she was going to be in when she eventually gets back home. She was an Outlander, just as he was, people who had arrived into this world through the strange portal she had stepped through. He began explaining to her more about this new and foreign world, mentioning the Greatwood, where the fae, a race with magical powers live within their enchanted forest.

The horse finally gave her a name, Smith. At least it was something. She felt it was only proper that she gave hers as well. "You can call me Jyon. I'm a little curious about something." She paused for a brief moment before she resumed. "Has anyone ridden you before?"

Her attention was encouraging and Jigano was glad for a curious and engaged audience. He offered information in small doses, hoping that something would catch at her and that she would inquire more about the new world she found herself in. He had learned the hard way that he could not simply drop long, complicated explanations on those newly arrived, or they would find it too much to take in at once. It was better, he now knew, to go slowly and let them lead the questioning in ways that were most comfortable to them, exploring both the similarities with their previous worlds, and the differences of the new one. Some wished to know about the races immediately, or magic, or the gods...

He bowed his head at her introduction, but before he could reply in any other way she had continued with one question that caught him off guard - and startled a laugh through the mental link he was using to speak to her, even as he snorted and pranced in his horse form, amusement twinkling in a bright blue eye as he looked her over. Only when I have invited them to, he chuckled. It had been a bit awkward for both of them, in fact, Rory not sure whether to treat Jigano as horse or man and Jigano uncertain of both his new form and how to bear a rider. The blond hunter was still the only one he had allowed on him, though, conscious of his own pride and dignity.

This is not the only shape I can wear, he admitted after a short but thoughtful pause. It was something Jyon would come to realize soon enough as she learned of Caido, and though he had once hidden his ability zealously from others, much of his former paranoia was beginning to soften under the effects of this new world and those he had met here. And I think the same goes for you, Jyon, since you can hear me through the Attuned mental link. He couldn't raise a brow in his horse body, but he did tilt his head, ears flicking towards her as he gave her an amused and curious look, seeing how she would react to that information.

Her eyes opened wide in shock as the horse starting laughing at her question about being ridden. Jyon would never have thought that she would have seen a horse laughing in her lifetime. Even though the voice was a mental one, the way its equine body acted was still very much enlightening to say the least. Well, at least now she could tick it off the list of things she never thought she’d see in her lifetime.

The answer to her question was a yes, although he did not necessarily say the word. It was Jigano’s words that came after that truly made her curious. He mentioned that she was the same, since she could hear him through this Attuned mental link. That gave rise to a whole set of questions that came into her mind like a sprouting geyser. Jyon didn’t hesitate to make these doubts known.

“What do you mean? I'm like you? A horse? What is this Attuned you say? What other forms do you have? Do I have those forms too?”

She didn't know how he would feel about the sudden burst of questions, but now that he had sprung this upon her, she felt it only right that he answered all of them to satiate her curiosity. After all, it wasn't everything that you were told that you could be animal with mental speech.

There, at last, was the flood of questions he'd been expecting, and he would have grinned merrily if he'd been wearing his human shape. Instead he snorted, tossing his head in amusement and approval at her curiosity. I'll start with Attuned and we can go from there, he said, a chuckle underlying his mental voice. Remember those four races of humans I mentioned? Those of us who come through the portals find ourselves remade, in a way, by the passage through them, so that we fit in to Caido better. We fall into one of those races, whether we will it or not, I'm afraid. Attuned are one, though, that have the power to change their shape between human and animal. For some, it is only one animal. For others, it can be several, as they become more used to what they are. But when in our animal forms we have the ability to speak to other Attuned through a mental link. There was so much more than that, but it seemed more than enough to begin with, and he tilted his head at her with a smile in his eyes, even if his equine face couldn't even begin to manage the expression. Since only Attuned can hear each other through that mental link, and you can hear me... I assume you are one as well.

Her other questions were a bit more personal, and some of his humor faded to solemn courtesy as he pawed the ground thoughtfully and considered his answers. Some share an animal shape, but I have no idea what yours is. It could be a horse, or a mouse, or a bird, or a cat. Or something else entirely. I have seen snow leopards and owls, elk and lions, hawks and wolves, hummingbirds and raccoons. When you are ready, seek inside yourself, and you will discover your own animal. He considered her for a moment longer, then gave a regretful shake of his head, mane flying. As for my other shapes, though some people are quite open with what they can be, it was... not something spoken of openly in my family, on my world. Nor am I comfortable transforming in front of others. Call me eccentric, but those are parts of myself I do not easily share with strangers, until friendship has been earned. He paused a moment, then dipped his head in wry acknowledgment. Or unless an emergency arises that a different shape could help with.

There it was again. The sight of a horse laughing in such a way that felt entirely weird to her. She didn't think that she would ever get used to the sight of it. Those thoughts were quickly shifted as Jigano began to explain what the Attuned were, and how they were not just animal shifters, but some could even have multiple forms that gave them the perfect disguise. He also explained about the mental link that all Attuned shared, and suddenly, the whole mental conversations the two of them had been having started to make a whole lot more sense.

She was an Attuned as well. Flabbergasted by the thought of it, it only seemed to prompt more questions into her mind, and her new companion seemed to guess what she had in mind, for he was quick enough to answer that he did not know what her animal form was. Birds were part of it as well. Honestly, she preferred being a mammal compared to being any kind of bird. Bird-brains was a common insult in the Great Forest, and she didn't want to have any association with them, and besides, she loved animals a whole lot better anyway.

She was just about to interrupt once more, but once again, her question was answered before she could even voice it out. The answer he gave was vague and poetic, and she didn't found it to be entirely helpful. How was she supposed to seek within herself to discover her animal? Deciding to give it a try, she placed her fingers together, interlocking them before closing her eyes as she forced her mind to reveal her animal form.

Several moments passed, and there was nothing but frustration. It didn't work. Opening her eyes, she let out an exasperated sigh. "Is it supposed to be so difficult? I don't think I'm doing it right."

He watched curiously as she concentrated, wondering what her form would be. Some found it easy to transform, the shift from human to animal an instinct that had been just waiting for them to unlock with a little nudge. Others struggled the first time, perhaps trying too hard, or in the wrong way. As silence stretched and nothing happened, he began to fear that she would be of the latter category, and he snorted softly in apology, bobbing his head at her frustrated admission.

I don't think it should be difficult, but... that doesn't mean it's easy the first time, he tried to reassure her. It was an ability that I had before I came here, so it didn't seem strange to me. I wish I could explain it more clearly, but it was something I was born knowing how to do, so I never had to learn it. It makes it more difficult to explain or teach to others, he apologized as well. His parents had both been of the trickster shapeshifting folk from Tien Xia, and his mother had also shared the affinity for shifting to their animal form. There had never been any question of which form he would take, and he had begun doing so around the time he had learned to walk, a time of his life he had no clear memories of.

It may be enough simply to know that you have the ability to do it, for now. Let your mind mull over it in the back of your thoughts for awhile. It may take a stressful or dangerous situation for it to emerge, when you not expecting it. Or you may fall into it when you're not even trying, and find yourself relaxing enough to let it flow freely. He tried to encourage her, knowing by now after welcoming several other new arrivals how difficult it could be to adjust to the news that they had become something different and were trapped in a new world. Perhaps she could use a break? There is a town nearby, and a tavern where you can get food and drink, if you would like a place to rest for a bit, he offered gently.