[IC] Death & Taxes (Session 2)

Nera dives for a tuft of reeds near the river's edge, but the creature arcs back down in a swoop—apparently straight for the Catfolk! Nera feels the wind from the creature's wings on her fur, but she sees it arc back upward toward a nearby copse of trees on the opposite bank of the river and a few dozen yards from the spiked fortifications outside the village. The creature alights on a treetop, gripping the branches with its feet and hanging upside-down.

The child's voice calls again, "Butterbean! Come back! Bad girl!"

Nera slowly raises her head from the reeds, just enough to see. If it wasn't for her hood her ears would be pointed upwards for sure.

What kind of adult would let a child have that for a pet?

"Normally I don't suggest this since it gets us in trouble but it's possible you might get slapped by the man child's mum... Nekurr why don't you go smooth things over, I'll drive the cart the rest of the way."

Bruv shrugs, "May be ignorant, but at least deir children don't seem in'erently xenophobic?

We got our "story" down? An' our approach? Let's go make sure our loose-cannon-kit'y doesn't become dog-bat-meat..."

Nera drops her hood, preparing herself for the onslaught of questions.

This is going just great. Why do kids have to ask so much?

Nera puts a finger to her mouth in a *shush* pose. "Yes, yes I am a cat, now please be quiet and I'll try to help."

Nekurr charm smiles Tronus as he smoothly leaves to catch up with Nera. "Hello there! What seems to be the trouble little child?"

At the sight of the horse cart, horses, and four more strangers, the child falls silent. After a moment, he says in almost a whisper, "Cat lady? Ma and Pa say I shouldn't talk to strangers. But you're not a stranger; you're a cat."

As Hildar sees Nera and Nekurr moving to deal with the child and their 'pet' Hildar remains on the cart with Tronus.

"Oh! you like cats little child?" Nekurr moves his hears and purrs "I'm not a stranger as well, right cat lady?" he winks at Nera as he tries to charm the boy

"Um... I don't want to get in trouble with my pa."

Bruv looks on in mild amusement at the scramble to quiet the child, and appease the bat-dog. Looking to Tronus and Hildar, "Should we take da cart on aroun' to a gate? Or, 'ow moch do we really care about it, or need it? Can we just leave it 'ere? Look at da effort it took us ta get it 'ere... It ain't goin' nowhere."