No More Wandering

[Maira]

She had already visited two other colleges but neither of them had felt like "the one" to her so here she was at another. Cedar Valley University was located in the very green, very rainy state of Washington and overlooked Puget Sound. It was closer to Canada than to Seattle and was, at first impression, a very pretty campus.

She'd parked her car in one of the metered spaces near the library and was intent on checking it out when she got distracted by a swarm of students walking by; none of them were human. a few were shifters, a few were vampires, and if she didn't miss her guess completely, there were even some Custoss or Curantiss in the group. Her eyes widened ever so slightly and a small smile crept onto her lips. She'd heard that this college was different than others but she'd thought it was just rumors. For once it seemed the rumors were true.

Dropping her keys in her purse and slinging the bag over her shoulder, Savannah stopped gawking and finally made her way to the library. Some people may have thought her method of picking a college to do her Master's degree at was strange, but Savannah put a lot of stock in a college based on their library. Not only did it need a huge amount of books and other resources but it had to have the right atmosphere. Some were too new, others too stuffy, others were just downright uninspiring. As she walked through the front door of the library, Savannah inhaled the wonderful smell of books and once again smiled.

*****

Her time in the library had almost totally convinced her that Cedar Valley was the school for her but she was currently perched on the edge of a pretty fountain eating the sandwich she'd brought people watching. The longer she watched the more amazed she became with the diversity of the students. She gave up counting how many werecreatures she'd seen, let alone vampires, Custoss, Curantiss, and a few folks that just plain radiated magic. Humans were still the predominant population, and most of them seemed utterly oblivious to who their classmates truly were, but the fact that there were so many non-humans in one place really amazed Savannah.

Once she finished her sandwich, Savannah opened her purse and pulled out the folder that had her transcripts from the school she did her undergrad work at and double-checked to make sure they were in there. She had an appointment with one of the Cedar Valley advisors and she wanted to make sure she had everythin she needed. Seeing that everything was in order, she put the folder away and got up from her seat on the edge of the fountain and pulled out the map of the campus that she'd picked up and found her destination. She decided to take the scenic route so she could see more of her possible future home.

[Demeter]

Romi sprawled on the wide edge of the fountain. To the unintiated on The Ways of Romi, he looked as though he was just dozing in the late summer sun. Indeed, he'd been half asleep when he'd noticed the lioness. There were few lions within the shifter community of Cedar Valley. The ones he'd asked about it said that the area was too wet to be comfortable.

Romi watched the woman as she ate her sandwich and people watched. He was sure that this wasn't one of Leo's lost ones. He made a run out to Haven every few weeks and he'd never seen this girl and Leo hadn't said anything about a new one. He was also pretty damn sure that this wasn't a member of the Pride living out on the lake shore. So, who was she?

He was so distracted by this lioness that he didn't notice when Ruana, Leo's youngest daughter, pounced on him. Groaning, Romi sat up and shoved Ruana onto the ground. "I though we broke you of that habit, Ruana. No jumping on the money men."

Ruana just shook her head. "Uncle Romi, you were distracted. I'd been calling your name for five minutes." Ruana drapped herself over Romi. "So, what's his name?"

"While is name is Lucas, and ihe is oh-so-sweetly-shy and tasty, that is not who I am distracted by." He shook Ruana off and pointed her in the direction of where the Lioness was leaving. "You ever see her before?"

Ruana shook her head. "Nope, she's not from Haven nor from the pride out by the lake. Uncle Romi, she's hurting. We've got to help her." Ruana scrambled from the fountain and started to trot after the woman.

Romi pounced, hauling the young woman back to the fountain. "Curse you for being the most empathic of your siblings. Doing that normally gets you into trouble. The last time you confronted a nomad like that, your brother's had to haul him away before he tore you to ribbons. We'll get Theiry. Theiry will talk to her and see what is what.
***
Romi, Theiry and Ruana laid in wait for the lioness to come back. When they spotted her, Romi, being the sort of man he was, shoved Theiry directly into the woman's path. Theiry, taken by surprise, yelped, tripped and slammed right into the lioness, knocking the both of them onto the ground.

[Maira]

Her meeting with the advisor had gone really well. She'd gotten all her questions answered and then some. They didn't have the exact Master's program she wanted to pursue but the advisor was fairly certain that the history department heads would be more than happy to help her create her own program. Never before in her life had she felt such a strong sense of calm with the prospect of being in one place for an extended period of time and to have it happen here of all places rather surprised Savannah. The climate was -not- something her kind typically favored, after all, but everything was just falling too neatly into place. While she was a nomad by nature, she also firmly believed in the idea of doing what feels right and if that meant staying put that was what she would do.

She was still mulling over the ideas she would bring to her meeting with the history department heads in three days, after which time she would make her final decision about the school, when she ran smack into a solid wall. Or maybe the "wall" ran into her considering she was now flat on her back with what appeared to be a dark-haired man sprawled on top of her. Before she could stop herself, a hiss escaped Savannah and she scrambled out from under the man. Well she tried anyway, he was dang heavy!

When the man finally got off of her and stood up, he was nice enough to offer her a hand up. Savannah almost refused but Nayeli, her lion half, reminded her to be civil. She also pointed out that the man was a fellow shifter, and that while he was a fellow feline he wasn't a lion. Almost grudgingly, Savannah took the offered hand and used it to pull herself up. *Cougar,* Nayeli informed Savannah as she imperceptibly took a slight sniff of the air.

Savannah eyed the man cautiously for a moment then, when he didn't say anything, she asked, "Did you want something?" He was staring at her a bit lost for words and Savannah hoped that her own words would either prod him into talking himself or just get him out of her way. She needed to find a hotel for the night, and a more permanant place for while she was attending school, and she couldn't very well do either while she was standing exchanging silent stares with a complete stranger.

[Demeter]

The only thing Thiery could think for several minutes was 'Oh god, Saiyuri is gonna freak out if she smells a female on me that she doesn't know." Eventually, he shook his head and smiled at the lioness. "Excuse me, I seemed to have tripped over an idiot," on the word and turned and glared at Romi, promising retrubution, "and ran into you. Forgive me for being so foward, but me and my companions were wondering if you are a lion shifter? We get so few of them up here. We only have two prides, one small and the other is really more a hostel for nomadic lions then a real pride."

At his most charming, Thiery could talk a Custos Lord into doing almost anything. Only a few weeks ago, he'd nearly talked his grandfather-in-law into a dress. Thiery tucked the lioness arm into his elbow and turned her around. "My name is Thiery, I'm a professor here at the university. My companions are Romi, he's a perpetual student here, and Ruana, a lioness, like yourself, who is starting classes here this fall. Her father runs the hostel for lions. And you are?"

Steering the lioness away from Ruana; he'd noticed when she'd tensed up on the introductions, Thiery strolled along the brick pathway leading through the middle of the university. "Are you here looking to attend. The area is great. Are you from around here or out of state?"

[Maira]

When he finally spoke, Savannah decided that the cougar was likely harmless. His voice was too warm and gentle for him to be up to anything malicious. When he asked after her origins, and then mentioned there were two local prides, Savannah did her best not to bolt. Before she could change her mind and do just that, he'd taken her hand and and slipped her arm through his. Just that little bit of physical contact with a strange male sent Savannah into a near panic and then when he introduced one of his companions as a fellow lioness she couldn't help but stiffen.

Were they going to try and force her to stay? Was this going to be a repeat of her attack all over again? Her heart started to race and she could feel her palms start to sweat. Nayeli was prowling inside, trying her best to calm Savannah but with little success. Only when Thiery's questions got through the fog of panic did Savannah calm down a little. He was asking if she was planning on attending the college, not demanding that she stay and join one of the local prides. Trying desperately to hold onto that realization, Savannah answered him shakily, "I really like the school, and if the department heads will work with me on my idea for my master's degree then I will probably start this fall. I haven't decided for certain yet."

As they walked, Savannah turned and looked back over her shoulder at the two people that Thiery had indicated were his companions and did her best not to flinch when she saw that the lioness was watching her very intently. As it was she had to turn her own gaze away quickly or risk the panic returning. She would -not- let the presence of other lions ruin her plans. She would coexist with them peacefully if they would let her. If they tried forcing her to join them, then and only then would she give up on her choice of this college.

After a moment, Savannah realized that she hadn't answered all of Thiery's questions and she added to her previous answer, "No, I'm not from around here. My mother was a nomad, raised me that way, and I've continued that way since she left for Europe when I was 17." Why on earth she'd forked over so much personal information so easily Savannah had no idea. It must've been her nerves making her tongue more loose than normal.

After only a slight pause, Savannah turned her own questions on Thiery, "So why are you asking me about my plans and my past? Are you trying to suss out whether I'd be a good fit, or a threat, for one of the prides? Are you going to try and make me join one if I stay? Or are you just always like this when new shifters arrive?" She hated laying her insecurities out there for a perfect stranger to see but if the man was going to ask questions about her she had every right to know why.

[Demeter]

The only thing Thiery could do was come a sudden halt and blink at the woman. His brain blanked out for a moment or two before he started laughing. He dropped Savannah's arm and doubled over, chuckling. "My dear, that are things in this town that are far more threatening or worrisome then you," he managed. Thiery straightened up. "This town is a hot spot for other worlders. I'm sure that you've already noticed the varied population of this school. At least half the humans living in this place know about us."

Thiery patted Savannah's hand. "As for trying to force you to join a pride, our two prides have far to much to worry about. A single nomadic lioness probably doesn't even registar to them. Leo is running a pride of 20 plus running the operations for the 20 to 30 lions who stay at the Haven. The other pride, well...that's a single male, a few adult females and half a dozen cubs. You shouldn't assume so much, my dear, it makes you less appealing. I was merely wondering if you had a place to stay tonight."

Thiery waited a moment before cocking his head to the side and looking at the lioness. "Do you have a place to stay? If not, consider the Haven. Room and board is far cheaper there then anywhere in town. Plus there are many lions out there who, like you, have no interest in joining a pride but are looking for a place to stay and, perhaps, heal from whatever they are running from." He handed Savannah a business card. "Give that number a call and see if they have any vacancies."

[Maira]

If his tone hadn't been so matter-of-fact, Savannah probably would have growled at him and stalked off. His words, though probably meant to reassure her, strangely hurt her feelings. It was like he was saying she wasn't even worth the local lions' effort. Considering her past though, she tried to take that as a good thing. Instead of letting her confused emotions get the better of her, Savannah just took the card he offered her and looked at it warily.

Why did interacting with other shifters have to be so dang difficult for her? She wanted to just be able to accept his advice on a place to stay and his other statements at face value but she had gotten so overly cautious over the years that she just really found it hard not to read between the lines. Deciding that she didn't want to prolong the interaction anymore, Savannah slipped her arm from his and with a tenative smile said, "Thank you, maybe I will," then she hurried and walked away.

*****

She was sitting at an outside table at a Starbucks located only a short distance from the college and she was fiddling with the card that Thiery had given her. She did need a place to stay, but she would be just fine in a hotel. But something was telling her that it was time to stop being alone. She knew that Nayeli was a social creature by nature, way more than she was actually, but she just had so many reservations about being around other lions.

Totally unbidden, an image of Grant smiling at her popped into Savannah's mind and she knew that Nayeli was trying to remind her that having another lion around had been nice. "That was only a month though," she argued with herself as an older couple walked by, giving her a strange look. Savannah just glared at them and they hurried inside. Once they were out of sight, Savannah fished her cell phone out of her purse and dialed the number before she could change her mind.

*****

The phone had barely rang twice before a perky female had answered her call and in no time Savannah had booked a private room at Haven for four nights with an option to extend her stay after that. She had just pulled up in front what appeared to be the main building, where the female had told her she could pick up her keys. It was a neat lookin old log building, probably had a lot of fun history behind it which Savannah had a sudden urge to dig up. She hoped that like other old hotels she'd stayed in that this one had old photo albums or old records she could sift through.

She skipped up the few front steps onto the porch and then made her way inside through a creaky wooden door with a bell on it that jingled whenever the door moved. Charming! When she saw the interior of the building, Savannah couldn't help but grin from ear to ear, this place was amazing! The stone fireplace right in the front room caught her attention immediately and she had an image of her curled up in the big overstuffed chair reading a book by the fire on a rainy day flit through her mind.

Once she was able to stop gawking at the homey interior of the lodge, Savannah noticed an amused looking female sitting behind a tall counter. "Afternoon," Savannah said, in what she hoped was a friendly tone. Then she added, "I'm Savannah, I called a little bit ago to reserve a private room."

[Demeter]

Riviera watched as the lioness practically drooled over the lobby. Most of the residents of Haven were out doing their own thing at the moment so the lobby was empty. Riviera didn't mind working the lobby during the school holidays. Haven didn't do a while lot of business so she could spend the time with her daughter or reading or listening to the residents as they fussed over this or that. Having a relaxed and easy nature, she worked most of the front desk shifts so she rarely actively noticed the ticks and twitches of the new comers.

Riviera rested her elbows on the desk and smiledwhen the lioness turned to her. "Hi Savannah. I'm Riviera and welcome to Haven. I've got you down for a single room cabin back in the woods. You'll like it. The cabin is close enough that you can dash over for food or over to the hot tub but far enough away from everyone else that you can have your privacy." As she talked, Riviera bent down and dug through a basket for the keys to the cabin. "We have a community kitchen here at the lodge but each cabin has a small gallery kitchen. We all kinda pitch in to keep the kitchen and lodge clean. Ah-ha! Found the key. Come on, I'll walk you back to the room. This your first time in the Northwest? It's kinda wet but we do get some nice days."

She walked Savannah back out the front door and around to a crushed gravel path. It took fifteen minutes to get to the path and Riviera took the time to point out points of interest. She took Savannah down a little side path and showed her the meadow. "Most everyone prefers to run in the forest behind the refuge but we have the meadow of community get togethers when the weather is nice. The pride lives over on the other side so we won't bother you too much." Riviera blinked and then narrowed her eyes. She sighed and pointed. Sitting smack in the middle of the meadow was her father and a bunch of the cubs. "And that's my dad, the leader of the pride, sitting in the middle of the meadow. He's the one wearing the daisy chain crown. Hey, Emmalyn is supposed to be taking her nap right now. Grandfathers, they'll spoint the kids rotten."

Riviera led Savannah back to the cabin. "If you ever need anything, just as my dad, Leo. He'll see that it goes done. This refuge is all his work. His newest pet project is taking shape on the north side of the meadow. A refuge for big cats who've lived in captivity and cannot go back to the wild. Now that he's found a way to help shifters, he's looking for a way to help our cousins."

Riviera unlocked the door to the cabin and stepped back so that Savannah could enter first. "There's always someone at the front desk if you need anything. You're welcome to go anywhere on the refuge and we do have a safe in the main lodge if you want to keep anything safe. We've got a secure wireless network. Instructions have been provided for you to log on with your own computer." Riviera smiled at Savannah and handed her the keys. "Welcome to the Haven, Savannah. I hope that you find what you are looking for here."

[Maira]

Savannah listened as the female, a lioness called Riviera, told her about her room. When she'd reserved it she hadn't realized it was a cabin. She had just figured that at best she'd have a normal hotel style room with a bedroom/living area, a bathroom and a coffee pot, and at worst that it would be a bit more old-fashioned with a bathroom in the hall. Instead she was now following Riviera down a gravel path towards her own private cabin.

As they passed the meadow and Riviera pointed out her father, the alpha male of her pride, sitting with a bunch of cubs and a daisy chain crowning his head, Savannah giggled. That was certainly something she had never imagined when others talked about alphas. He still had an aire of authority around him but seeing him like that also made him way less intimidating than she'd imagined the local pride leader would be. Maybe living here for a while wouldn't be so bad after all. Of course, she still had yet to actually meet him or the rest of the pride. Not to mention the second pride and its leader.

Trying not to think of the prides anymore, Savannah concentrated on what Riviera was saying about Haven's accomodations. For the price she certainly would be getting access to a lot. A hot tub and wireless internet? That would be amazing! If she really would be staying in one place, she might actually invest in something bigger than her little netbook, it would be nice to not have to squint at the little bitty screen for a change.

As Riviera handed her the keys to her cabin and welcomed her to Haven, Savannah turned and gave the other woman a genuine smile. "Thank you Riviera, I think this will be a good place for me to rest for a while." And she did think that. Like the college, something just felt "right" about this place and she was eager to find out why. Before the other woman could turn and leave Savannah asked, "I know this is a place for shifters and all, but are we allowed to let our other halves out to run? She's eager to explore but I don't want to do anything that would cause a problem."

[Demeter]

Riviera could only smile at Savannah. "It's not only okay to let our other halves out, we actually encourage it. We're far enough out in the country that we rarely get anyone driving by and the refuge is mostly screened by trees to keep any of the ones who don't know from spotting us. You've got the meadow for lounging and the forest for running. This area of the forest is considered neutral territory so you might run into other shifters. We do get some hikers back there throughout the year. The ones who know just stroll on by but it's fun to watch when people run across a shifter. Sometimes they get freaked out but most would probably think you're a cougar. King of insulting but cougars are native to the area so you wouldn't get animal control sicced on you. 'Course, Animal Control is mostly made up of shifters these days. Anyways, Savannah, enjoy your stay."

Riviera gave the woman a grin and wave before turning and jogging down the path towards the lodge.

***

In the Meadow, Leo sprawled on his back and, ignoring the cubs that tumbled around him, stared up at the sky. He'd spotted Riviera with the new resident but would bid his time before venturing over to introduce himself. Experience had taught him to be wary if welcoming to the new ones. Some would either flee while others tried to pick a fight with him.

Besides, he had bigger problems. There was a gang of immature males causing trouble. Ousted from their pride by a take over these teens had wandered a bit before being scooped into the system. Luckily, someone had clued in and realized just what they were before sending them up here to stay until they reached maturity. Their boarding was paid for by the state but it was up to Leo to handle them.

He was pretty damn sure that he'd have to invite Carma and Darius out to teach the three males some manners. They thought they were the badest thing in town. Carma and Darius would teach them a thing or two about just where they ranked.

And then therewas the small pride out on the lake. He'd had some contact with the male, Liam. Enough to know that the pride was still very young and all of them were very nervous. Leo snorted. He had his work cut out for him, that was sure. Perhaps the young female would be a welcome distraction.

[Maira]

She didn't wait long after Riviera left to decide that a run was definitely in order. Instead of bothering to get her stuff from the car, she slipped out of her clothes and out the front door to her cabin. Once she shut the door behind her, the shift took Savannah almost immediately and Nayeli growled her happiness at finally being let out again.

The large light sandy colored lioness took off from the cabin at a slow jog and set off into the trees. All of the sights, sounds and smells of the forest engulfed the lioness's senses and her jaw dropped open in her version of a smile. It was just nice to actually be able to stretch one's legs and feel free for the first time in a long time. One of the drawbacks to being a nomad shifter was that one could never be too careful about where one let their animal half out. More often than not, Nayeli's "runs" consisted of being locked in a hotel room for a night. It wasn't an ideal arrangement but it had kept both Savannah and Nayeli from going crazy and kept them from getting in trouble with the locals.

Nayeli hadn't spent long in the forest when the image of the nice sunny field came to her mind, and the idea of a nice long sunbath sounded like the perfect way to spend what was left of the day's sunshine. Turning around, Naylei headed in what she was pretty sure was the direction of the field and in a short time she was rewarded by glimpses of the field through the trees.

Excited to romp in the sunshine for the first time in ages Nayeli bounded from the tree line into the field. The sunshine was warm, a butterfly lifted off of a flower she brushed against and despite her better judgement, Nayeli leapt into the air after the colorful and delicate creature. She had never intended on catching it so when she returned to the ground without it, Nayeli just turned her head to watch it flutter away. Once the butterfly was out of sight, Nayeli turned to survey the field for the place most likely to stay sunny the longest.

[Demeter]

He knew that the female was in the field. Without really thinking it, he grabbed the scruff of one of the more adventurous cubs anad hauled him back. Lightly tapping the boy on the nose, he shook his head. "We wait for her to make the first approach. You, Mister, will wait. Not everyone enjoys being mauled by cubs." He said it to the group of cubs as much as the squirming boy. Emmalyn, barely more then a year old, stared up at her grandfather with large blue eyes for a moment before going back to her game of delicately plucking blades of grass and setting them on a growing pile to her right.

Satisified that the cubs, both members of the pride and the children of some of the refuge's residents, would behave, Leo reclined back into the grass and soaked up the sun. It wasn't far past noon and the meadow wasn't shaded when the sun was at it's highest points. Taking advantage of what would probably be last of the really warm days, the meadow had been a popular place today.

His eyes may have been closed but Leo's ears tracked everything. The sound of the romping cubs. The rumbles his fellow pride leaders were creating from where they were sprawled on a pile of rocks. The sounds of other residents walking throughout the refuge. The sounds of construction to the north. The cars swooshing by on the road. The new female cautiously padding through the grass. He'd get her story out her soon. And if he didn't, one of the girls would.

***

Navid turned his motorcycle into the refuge drive and just idled there for a moment. He sighed, once, before revving the engine and bumping along towards the lodge. School had only recently started and he already had more then his share of headaches. Though he still had follow state and federal laws, Navid's school was for other worlders only and that caused all of his headaches.

There were it times when keeping students and teachers apart was the easiest thing he had to deal with. Football at Cedar Valley's School for the gift, wasn't just football. It was football with claws and teeth and the use of elemental weapons. It made for interesting meetings with the mortals who just didn't know. They were always very uncomfortable conversations.

It also didn't help that he didn't fit the general discription of a school principal. Most of his fellow prinicpal's didn't wear jeans gone white at the stress points to school. Nor did they drive a Harley almost every day. They didn't have tattoos on their wrists or wear studded bracelets. They also didn't play in rock bands on the weekend or have long hair.

Grumbling, because his fellow prinicpals generally annoyed him and he'd had a trying day of girls purposely being sent to his office because they wanted to stare at him with big, calf eyes, Navid parked in front of the lodge. Once inside, he dropped his helmet on a chair and draped himself over the counter.

Riviera poked her brother in the shoulder with a pencil. When he just grumbled and halfheartedly swatted at her, she slid down from her stool and draped herself next to him. "Long day?" she asked.

Navid turned his head. "You have no idea. I think half the new students have crushes on me."

"Sucks to be you. Everyone is waiting in the meadow. They decided that today's session should be out doors because it's just so nice out."

Navid sighed and dragged himself away from the counter. Being an afterschool tutor wasn't so bad and the member's of the pride didn't hit on him. But those three terrors were out there, just waiting to be snarky. One of this days, he was going to shift and teach them a lesson. Oh yes, just let those testosterone filled teenagers call him pretty boy one more time and they'd be getting their asses handed to them.

Shuffling his feet, Navid headed towards the meadow. He stood at the edge and glanced around. Today's session would involve keeping his charges in line in stead of teaching anything. The meadow was a damn busy place. When the scent of a new lion reached him, Navid turned until he found he new female sitting close to the edge of the meadow on the western side.

He itched to introduce himself to her.

[Maira]

Savannah wasn't certain, but she had a feeling that she was being watched. She had settled into a nice sunny spot in the meadow and was currently laying belly in the air enjoying what little bit of heat the autumn sun was giving off. If she hadn't felt eyes on her she would likely have drifted off to sleep, despite being in a new and strange place.

After a minute of feelin somebody watching her, Savannah rolled over and took a quick look around. Nobody in the meadow was watching her, but there was a man in the direction of the lodge. As soon as she spotted him their eyes met, her breath caught, and her heart began to race. In a flash she was up and boltin for the treeline ont he edge of the meadow.

Once safely within the shadows she turned and peered out across the field toward the lodge. He was still there, watching the spot she had dissappeared into the trees. Why the hell had she paniced like that? He had done absolutely nothin menacing toward her, all he had done was look at her. He wasn't even scary looking. Sure he had the bad-boy thin going on, which was actually a really good look for him, but she had no reason to associate his appearance with a bad experience that would cause the panic.

Only then, after admitting he looked pretty good, did somethin start to take form in her mind. She wasn't about to admit it though. in that split second that their eyes had met she had felt something. She refused to call it attraction, interest mapy, but not attraction. She was a nomad, -not- a pride lioness. She could never settle down with a pride lion and instinct told her that, despite his bad-boy look, the man was most certainly a pride lion. Nomads just carried themselves differently, more warily, and that man had radiated confidence and authority.

Not wanting to look at the source of her sudden looming identity crisis, Savannah turned and loped deeper into t forest following her own scent back to her cabin.

*****
Despite her better judgement, Savanna found herself curled up on one of the couches int he lobby of the lodge. She had brought her laptop and was happily filling out the last few forms needed to complete her enrollment in her new college. Of course, she was also people watching. She refused to give into the panic caused by the sight of the strange man and was prepared, mostly, to confront it head on. So far however the only people coming in were there to use the kitchen.

Once she finished her forms, Savannah slipped her laptop back into its sleeve and then into her messenger bag before pullin out her Nook. She had a couple new books she had been meaning to read and now was as good a time as any.

[Demeter]

He knew that he looked like a nerd. Anyone with a light strapped to their foreheads would look like a nerd. But he was a hot nerd, Navid thought as he finished his run and slipped into the main lodge by the kitchen door. After the day he'd had, the run had been well deserved. Between the young toughs who thought they were better then him, the cubs who didn't want to learn but play and the lioness who'd all but run away the moment she'd seen him, Navid had needed the run.

So, once he was done for the day, he'd tossed what he considered his work clothes into the corner of his room at the boarding house and donned the nerdy headlamp, the short pair of running shorts and bolted for the hills. He'd spent hours running the trails and only now decided to come back. Since he knew the at the boarding house kitchen contained only beer and, at best, chips of some varity, he'd opted to forage through the lodge kitchen.

Coming up with a sandwich and a bottle of water, Navid rambled into the lobby. He really didn't except anyone to be there but was drawn up short when he saw the new loiness sitting on one of the couches.

He was also very aware of just how he looked - and smelled - at the moment and could only grin.

[Maira]

As tended to happen with her, Savannah was totally lost in her reading. Sure she still heard things going on around her, still saw things out of the corners of her eyes, but for the most part it was all just background information that she could care less about at the moment. She rarely ready any fiction books, but this particular one was third in a series that had been recommended to her years ago and she was only just now getting around to reading. She had been unable to put them down since finally starting them.

When yet another lion wandered into the lobby it took Savannah a moment to realize that the person wasn't just passing through but was instead looking right at her. Tapping the corner of the screen to mark her page, Savannah turned lifted her head and looked at the person staring at her. The sight of a man in very short running shorts with a headlamp strapped around his head caused a small laugh to escape her before she could stop it. Not wanting to seem too rude, Savannah set her Nook down and then unfolded herself gracefully from the couch and walked over to the man hand extended. "I'm Savannah, sorry about that," she apologized. Only once she was closer, and no longer distracted by the man's goofy attire, did Savannah really notice his eyes and when she saw them she nearly backpedaled to the couch to get her stuff and run out the door.

Somehow she managed to tamp down the panic that was once again surging inside her and kept her hand extended toward the man to shake. It was too late, if she ran now she'd look like a weak, timid little lioness and that was the last impression she wanted to make. Many males would take that as a sign that she would be easily coerced into joining their pride and that was not on her list of things to do. Savannah was happy being a nomad damnit.

...Or at least she had been until she'd laid eyes on this man standing before her, now she wasn't so sure and that was making her incredibly uncomfortable.

[Demeter]

Navid could only blink. He had the most definate impression that the lioness wanted to bolt. He sidled closer to the front door in order to put an obstacle in her way. He wanted to at least meet her. He often thought it was a plus to at least know the names of the lodge residents and why they were here. He took the offered hand and shook it. "Hi Savannah. I'm Navid. I'm also well aware that I look like a nerd." He motioned to the light strapped to his head before pulling off and tossing it in the general direction of a chair.

Keep a wary eye on Savannah, Navid took a step closer. He glanced around her at the bag and Nook on the couch. "So, why are you here? I live here and attempt to keep my father in-line and I attempt to educate the younger ones. I also attempt to run a school for other worlders in town. Not exactly the easiest job in the world. I have a hell of a time trying to keep students out of one of my chemistry teacher's pants. He definatly doesn't want his students in his pants."

He smiled at her. He'd also completely forgetten that his was mostly unclothed. Considering that everyone on the refuge was some sort of shifter, nudity really wasn't a big deal but Riviera got pissy when someone sat their naked ass down on one of her couches. While he was wearing shorts, Navid figured that a sweaty, if clothed, ass would piss his sister off just as much. So he shifted his stance again and leaned his shoulder against a pool. He waitied for Savannah to spill as to why she'd decided on the refuge.

[Maira]

At Navid's joke about trying to keep student's out of one of the teacher's pants, Savannah couldn't help but return his smile. When he asked her why -she- was staying at the refuge, Savannah did her best not to fidget. She wasn't really fond of divulging why she did things but as this man lived here and she would be seeing a lot of him, she figured that a bit of disclosure now would go a long ways towards a good neighborly relationship. Sure, that's what it was.

"I'm doing my Master's at Cedar Valley University and needed a place to stay. One of the professors I met there gave me a card with Haven's information on it and suggested I'd be welcome here, so I called." There, that was really all she needed to say. It gave the basic answer to his question and didn't give away any of her more personal information that she didn't like sharing.

And yet, the lioness inside of her wanted nothing more than to tell the handsome lion her life story. What on earth had gotten into her other half, Savannah couldn't help but wonder. Sure, Nayeli was a female in her prime, but good heavens this was ridiculous! She was a stinking nomad for goodness sake! Nomads did -not- get involved with pride lions, it never worked out. Never.

Not realizing she was doing it, Savannah started to back away from Navid. Only when he legs hit the couch and she nearly tumbled to the floor did she realize she was preparing to bolt again. Damnit. Not wanting to seem rude, Savannah calmly packed up her things and slung her bag over her shoulder and apologized, "I'm sorry, its been a while since I've been around other lions and I think I'm going to head back to my cottage now." She held out her hand once again and added, "It was really nice meeting you Navid." As soon as he shook it, she turned and headed out the door.

[Demeter]

Navid watched as Savannah left. He waited until the door was closed behind her before sniffing at himself. He didn't smell that bad so there was something else about him that was offensive to the lioness. Scooping up his lamp, Navid headed out through the lodge's back door and treked across the refuge to the boarding house. He let himself in, kicking the door shut behind him, and greeted the males that lounged around the living room. He grunted when Nico made some comment about his shorts and shoved his younger brother from his bar stool on his way past.

Flopping onto his bed, Navid decided that he would give Savannah a few more days before he really started prying.

[Maira]

She had been living at Haven for a week now, had been attending classes for a few days, and while she was totally comfortable with her situation logically, she was also starting to feel restless. Nayeli hadn't been let out much as Savannah wasn't sure she trusted the lioness not to go running to Navid, flop over on her back and show him her creamy belly as an offering if he would just let his lion half have his way with her. Tonight however was the dark moon and the night was calling to her, demanding that she let Nayeli run free.

As she slipped out of her cabin into the darkness, lit only by stars, Nayeli surged to the surface and before Savannah could take off her clothes they were in tatters around the large sandy colored lioness that was standing in her place. Nayeli inhaled deeply the scents of the night and gave a roar that shattered the silence before tearing off into the trees surrounding the cabin.

*****

She didn't know how long she'd been running, or even where she was really, but Nayeli was thirsty and had found what appeared to be a freshwater lake. She padded up to the water's edge and started lapping up the cool liquid. Once she'd slaked her thirst, she made her way to a large flat-topped rock at the edge of the water and jumped up onto it. It was a good spot to sit and watch the night go by.

The long run coupled with the late hour soon had Nayeli drifting off to sleep on her rocky perch. Only something kept flitting at the edge of her mind, nudging at her. She forced herself awake again and noticed that a wispy spirit had found her and was swirling in the air around her, sometimes brushing against her fur and that contact was what had woken Nayeli.

The spirit was familiar, she followed Savannah and Nayeli wherever they went. Tonight she appeared as a lion cub rather than a human child and the heart of the lion and woman tightened at the sight of her. Kimana should have been two this fall, she should have been running and playing with the other cubs of Haven but instead she romped in the night, brushing up against her mother's fur as nothing more substantial than a breeze and a wispy mirage of starlight.

Lost in the sight of her lost daughter, neither Nayeli or Savannah noted the approach of a large male lion until the wind shifted and she caught his scent. **Away with you my darling, we will play another night,** Nayeli/Savannah sent to the little spirit before turning her attention to the approaching male.

[Demeter]

Leo always felt that he shifted more than others. After all, Nasha had been locked up for close to three centuries. The first few years, he'd spent as much time as possible as a lion. Even now, fourteen years after the spell had been knocked free, he still shifted several times a week. Nasha had been most dipleased at being locked away. He was still rather miffed about the whole affair.

On that subject, though, they were in agreement. He knew that all of his children where trying to push him towards divorcing his absent wife but he didn't really want anything to do with her. And she wanted nothing to do with him. it seemed, since she'd never contacted him about a divorce either.

Leo shrugged and shifted. It was Nasha who used a massive paw to open the glass door that was always left open a crack. He didn't run but he strolled through the refuge. He checked borders and looked on the first resident of the new wildlife refuge. Poor thing, he though of the aged lioness who'd been horribly used. She'd live out her life here in the refuge and never know what freedom would be.

After circling the refuge, Nasha headed into the forest. He wandering both on and off the pathes until he'd travelled up the mountain lake. Subconciously, he'd been following the scent of a another new resident of the refuge. Savannah. The one that was still hiding behind her very tall walls.

He slipped from the trees, making his approach very obviously. The lionness spooked easily, he knew. He sat on the lake's shore before turning his head towards the night's sky. **Lovely night, isn't it? Before long, late night runs like this will be impossible and we'll all be snoozing under piles of blankets and all but in the fireplaces. The curse of the northwest isn't just the wet but the deep, bone-chilling cold of the night.**