The Hidden Mountain Pass

Quiver was nearly quivering with excitment as he lead you along. You could hear him listing names of various whorlings under his breath and he tried to decide who to bring you to see next. So intent was he on that task that he walked right into a sleeping whorling. The much larger female sat up indignantly.

Quiver backed up with a gasp, "Parvanem! I thought you'd be out in the desert..."

With an almost purring sound she crouched done menacingly towards the small male, "Well, I came back, silly little kitten." She stretched out her paws and showed of a set of very scary looking claws. Quiver gulped. "Uh, I was just showing this human around..."

Parvanem narrowed her eyes, "I can see that. Though I don't see how you'll do a very good job of it if you don't look where you're going yourself." Quiver curled up in a little ball, expecting some kind of punishment. The female sighed, "Pitiful. I know Istalen is just over there, maybe you can bring the human to meet him."

Quiver nodded with relief, and grabbing you by a pant leg in his teeth, led you away from Parvenem.

Istalen turned out to be a blue male with wings and no hind legs. He was hovering when the pair of you approached and turned his head curiously at the sound.

Quiver bounced forward. "Istalen! Come meet the human." The blue male glided over sedately to take a good look at you. "Haven't seen one of your kind around here in a while." Quiver bounced, "That's because without a good guide like me they wouldn't know where to go!"

There was a snort of laughter to that statement.

The pink female was watching from the shade of a large rock. "Don't ask Parvanem for any recommendations."

Quiver whimpered, "You saw that Falish?"

"Indeed I did," she replied. "You were very lucky Parvanem was in a good mood or you'd have a scar or two to remind you to watch where you're going."

Istalen listened to the exchange in silence, his head turning back and forth slowly between the two speakers.

"Eeeyyaaah!"

A male similar to Quiver in colouring came leaping out of the bushes, "What is wrong with her?!? Someone really ticked her off!"

It was obvious the male was speaking of Parvanem, he came from that direction. Quiver hid behind your legs. Surprisingly Istalen came to the rescue, "You know how she is Cernin, always tempermental. Perhaps its something as simple as a bee sting."

"Yeah, probably. Just wish she'd keep the stinging to herself..." he proceeded to lick a small scratch on a hind leg.

"It wasn't a bee! It was Quiver!" the young female announced. You couldn't help but stare at her delicate antennae, those were a first. Quiver quivered in embarassment.

"Did everyone see what happened?" he asked pitiously.

"See what? What did Quiver do Eemer?" The male lay down to relax in the shade. As the female told the tale of what happened with Fatish helping out, the newcomer sat up straighter and straighter till his chest puffed out. "And he survived that! Wow, this is a tale indeed."

Quiver moved closer to the male, "Do you think Parvanem will come after me Larvam?"

The male shook his head, his horn moving from side to side, "No. If she let you go the she let you go. But don't assume she's forgiven you. That would be a grave assumption to make. Best avoid her from now on."

"But that's what I was trying to do, I just wasn't looking where I was going..." he said quietly.