Silver and Cold [ Noah, Kane ]

[Piper]

Today was a terrible day for our dearest Piper Thimble. While she thought she could go on a very big adventure, she found herself tired just the second day! Why was this? Well, for one; she was covered in snow of the coldest kind. Secondly, she hadn’t eaten for nearly a whole day. It was best to ration one’s food but an untrained explorer didn’t know what needed to be rationed. She trembled greatly at the frost that licked her skin. Wrapping her tail around her did not help, it only made her tail wet. What a horribly snowy day!

“Phooey, I say!” she exclaimed, kicking snow into more snow. She looked up into the skies of grey. “You can stop, now! I have plenty of snow for snow angels!” Piper wrapped the hood of her olive colored cloak close to her head. She didn’t want a frost bitten ear nor did she need a damp head when it was time to sleep. She squinted her eyes forth and began to stumble toward what she assumed was a fire. Of course, the young fox knew better than just to run out into the open. That would give her up for the kill. Instead, she crouched down close to the snow.

This was her time to investigate for food. She wasn’t one to steal often, but when she did, it was for the right reasons. This particular reason being that she was about to starve! She quietly made her way through the snow, toward the smoke. “Let me see some good old chicken roasting on the fire…” Piper licked her lips at the thought. She hoped and even prayed what she would see was not something particularly frightening. Her head popped out. Nothing seemed suspicious.

Then, before she even really looked at what had sat by the fire, she crept out from the snow and sprinted tip toed to the fire. Her cloak did took the honor of keeping her generically warm, but the fire was going to do much better of a job. Without really thinking, she sat down in front of the fire, curled into her tightest ball. All Piper wanted was some food and she would make that very clear. Finally, she decided it would be a good time to look up at the stranger. With a bit of a smile, she said, “Hi.”

[Noah]

It was a terrible day indeed, the wind up in this mountain forest was cold enough to freeze tears, just as Noah's were as he sits in front of the fire.
The heat was wonderful against his feathers, sticking out from his arms under his heavy woven poncho and thick jacket. He rubbed his hands together, then took another bite out of his recent catch of a snowy rabbit, watching the other cook over the fire.
How long had it been? Two years? We couldn't remember. His search for his missing sister, Layla, seemed to drag on and on. He stopped keeping track long ago. A rustling in the trees didn't phase him. In this short time in the mountains, he had heard enough noises to become immune.
The rustling came again, this time he glanced to his side to make sure his bow and arrows were ready.
The noise stopped, and he realized how sleepy he was… Or his body was shutting down from the exposure to the freezing temperatures. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting out a foggy breath and trying to get a little rest.
He opened his eyes again to a new guest.
She must have been Minish, there was no denying it with the massive furry fox tail and ears sticking out of her ginger hair. She stared at the fire hungrily but calmly. She sat close enough to catch her tail on fire.
After an awkward silence, she finally glanced at him with a small greeting.
He didn't know what to do. Where did she even come from!? His advanced hearing didn't pick up any noise in those seconds his eyes were shut. There were footprints in the snow, so she definitely didn't teleport.
She still stared at the fire.
"H-Hello… Where did you come from?" It was a lame greeting, yes, but it was what he was wondering.

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[Piper]

Piper wasn’t one for immediate introductions. Most of the time, she blabbered on like an idiot, digging through the patience of anyone who happened upon her. She slipped her hands to fall under her chin, which she lifted to meet the eyes of this Noah. At the time, she didn’t know his name was Noah. He was simply the stranger whose hair matched the snow. With a grin that she hoped suggested a yearning for food, she decided answering his question was only polite. Her hand reached back and pointed to the snow.

“That way,” then she pointed diagonally from that direction, “Or that way. What about you?” Picking up her little body, she scurried over to the stranger while the smoke followed her. “You’re a silly man, you know? Sitting in the snow all by your lonesome!” She plopped down exactly next to him and tightened her knees to her cheekbones. What she had just said was very hypocritical in the kindest use of the word, but Piper never realized what she said before or after she said it. They were at a close distance, now. That didn’t bother her because she had no use for personal boundaries. The sacrifice of social awkwardness had to be made for survival. “I’m Piper. Piper Thimble. Nice to meet in this horrific climate!”

Trying to appear inconspicuous, Piper wrapped her tail around his mid-back to the front of his waist and placed her cheek on his arm. This was for two reasons; she disliked how cold he looked and looking pathetic was her form of begging. She sniffed at the chicken, licked her frozen lips and turned to look at him with the biggest eyes imaginable. Oh, Piper’s starry-knocked eyes! He’d give in from the pathetic expression or the annoyance of being stared at. “M-may I have a nibble at your rabbit?”

[Noah]

Her answer was literal, it was obvious she had come from that direction. He wanted to know- eh, never mind that. He squinted at this funny little fox girl, then jumped slightly when she was suddenly beside him, her tail wrapped tightly around his body and her cold cheek against his arm.
He stiffened at this contact, blushing slightly. Not even his own sister was this… huggable.
Or had begging eyes that large, he tried to glance away but couldn't. The warmth coming from her tail suddenly felt better than any fire, no wonder such a small body kept so warm in this climate!
Her stare was so pathetic it made him pity her and laugh on the inside. He glanced at the other catch over the fire, he had planned to save it for his next meal, but it wasn't very hard to catch another with his abilities…
"Go ahead." He sighed, nodding towards it, "It's uh… Very nice to meet you, Piper." Enough with the stare already! "You can call me Noah Griffiths." He was careful to keep his already half-eaten meal away from her, nervous that she might take after a fox and snatch it up along with the other. She had knocked his bow into the snow when she sat, clever thing.
Or it was an innocent mistake. She seemed pathetically innocent enough, but he knew better after his travels.
In an attempt to get her to quit clinging to him, (even though he was enjoying the warmth, suddenly wishing he had been bred with fur instead of feathers) he asked, "So… Piper. What brings you to these mountains? Do you live out here?"

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[Piper]

Piper bounced happily at his reply. Luckily, the man didn’t seem as impatient as she assumed. She made her way to the fire and with a stick used as a spoke, she took the rabbit off the fire. He wouldn’t believe she could eat the entire thing, but Piper knew her portioning. She took her eyes away, sparing him the death she could’ve inflicted. Normally, she was unaware of how sweet or cute something she did had been, but she learned at a young age the begging stare was deadly. Although the first bite burnt her tongue, she ignored her pain and returned to his side, wrapping her tail around him once more. “Noah Griffiths, I think this is going to be a beautiful friendship,” she commented, resting her head on him once more. “You know, you’re not a bad cook. I mean, for camp food, this is pretty swell!”

It was quite a lonely place. By his movements, she believed he still felt she was a stranger. It made her wonder how long it had been since he’d been near people. That was alright. After all, they had only just met and the possibility of Piper even getting him to relax was slim. She answered his question with, “I was born here. I actually moved to Hyrule when I was young. I came back to find someone… He didn’t turn up, as far as I can tell. So, I’ll just keep up my search. He’ll show up somewhere. I know it.”

Looking hopeful, she felt like she was dumping her problems on this poor fellow. She quit the heroic stare and turned her full attention to Noah. “What about you? Why are you up here?” she paused, thinking it over. “Say, why don’t we go along together? I mean, for now. It’s too cold just for one, don’t you think?” Piper started on the second rabbit leg. “After all, I have nowhere in particular I’m headed to and it looks like you need my tail.”

[Noah]

"W-Why thank you." Noah took some pride in her compliment, especially being that he wasn't even trying to make the meal taste good. He thought for sure it was a little overcooked, even.
When the girl revealed that she too was looking for someone, and suggested that they work together, he was caught a little off guard. He wasn't used to anyone but his sister being so openly friendly with him. Standing at six feet tall, with wide, muscular shoulders and his quiet attire usually threw people out of their comfort zone.
"I'm actually looking for someone too. I'm up here looking for my sister, Layla… She went missing almost two years ago. I came here thinking that maybe she tried to get back home to the City in the Sky sometime. These mountains are pretty close to the sky…"
He looked upwards at the grey clouds, threatening more snowfall that night. Piper's suggestion of coming with him ran through his mind again. Before her arrival, he had been thinking of teaming up with someone to help with his search.
He glanced down at her, surprised that she was already halfway done with her meal while his was probably getting cold. He just couldn't tell her no, she looked so helpless and fragile up here in this harsh environment, even if she was born here.
Also, he did like the warmth of her tail…
"Together sounds good." He nodded, "You help me and I'll help you… Who exactly are you looking for anyway?"
He was already beginning to relax.
Layla had always said that he needed someone cheerful in his life...

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[Piper]

This was the utmost surprise to Piper. By the looks of it, poor old Noah had some harsh times wandering about, trying to find his sister. Piper tried to imagine how pretty she must’ve been if she were related to him. For a boy, Noah was very, very pretty. Smiling along, she scarfed what was left of her little meal and spent the next few minutes trying to chew it all. Piper always bit off more than she could chew, and with eyes bigger than her stomach, she always became infatuated with strangers. Not a crush, necessarily. More like a deep need to comfort. She understood his pain more than anyone else’s. Traveling together was the smartest move.

“Layla Griffiths from the City in the Sky,” she said in a dreamy tone, followed by a sigh of the same emotion. She looked at Noah. “It’s like we were neighbors, isn’t it? Not like regular neighbors. We were special neighbors.” Still warm from her hot meal, she blew her breath onto her hands and rubbed them together for friction. It was strange how two people who never met have had lives so similar and goals that coincided. Like she always said, it was fate. Piper was a strong believer in such nonsense (if you call it nonsense).

She laughed sheepishly. “It looks like we’re in the same boat. I’m looking for my brother, Sage. We were separated a few years ago. He’s a good boy, a very good boy. He’s out there looking for me. We’ve got to run into each other some time, you know?” Piper stood up to her feet and brushed off all the snow. “Anyway, I think we’ll make a good team. I’m the brains, you’re the brawn.” She ought to have been more modest, but that’s unlike Piper. Honesty was her unfortunate specialty. She gestured across the land.

“You have to promise me you won’t betray me. None of that, ‘I’m actually teaming up with you just to kill you,’ things. If you betray me, I’ll, uh… I’ll break your nose! With my…” Piper dug through her bag and produced a ribbon for her hair. At first, her expression seemed annoyed, then rather confused. With a quick change, she stuck it in his face and twirled it like a baton. “My ribbon of pain!”

[Noah]

What a strange little girl…Noah couldn't help but smile at her attempt to strike fear into him. He stood up as well, almost laughing again when the two realized she reached no higher than the bottom of his ribcage.
He patted her head, her tiny orange ears flattening against his huge palm, "I guess I'd better sleep with one eye open tonight." With that, he tossed another piece of frozen wood into the fire, hoping it would last till morning. He then studied the trees above, picking out a thick branch and with a massive leap, was in the tree, sitting on the branch with his back against the trunk.
He glanced down at Piper, still standing in place with her ribbon of pain, he noticed she carried nothing but a small pouch around her neck. "…Do you have anything to sleep on?" Maybe she curled up in a ball like a fox? With that tail of hers she didn't need to worry about a blanket, while he had to keep his balance on the branch while making a sort of cocoon out of his. It was a thick, woven blanket that Layla had made him when they first came from the City in the Sky to these freezing mountains.
The sun had just vanished over the trees, the fire down below lighting up the whole area, hopefully to keep wolves away.
Worry shot through him. Was Piper safe sleeping on the ground? Maybe I should sleep on the ground too… The thought of sleeping in the show made him cringe.

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[Piper]

Piper giggled at the thought of someone literally sleeping with one eye open. In the morning, while one was red and swollen, the other would be normal. She shrugged. “I’d be careful if I were you,” she sang, trying to appear as a real threat. For a minute, Piper watched him shuffle through nature as though it were nothing and then pick his tree to sleep in. She cracked her knuckles, hid the wince and used her claws to climb up the trunk. The branch above his looked quite available. With this, she ignored his question and let it answer itself.

The branches were close enough for her tail to drop and touch him. She tickled his jaw with it, but brought it up to meet her again. Piper’s tail understood loyalty while it was clearly logical. He had a blanket; he would survive without the extra warmth. Piper, however, lost her hot meal to her small tummy and now suffered in shivers. The tail wrapped itself around her, making for a pillow and blanket. She slept with her back against the same trunk as Noah’s and smiled.

“I’m happy I came to this camp. Everyone else around probably would’ve eaten me,” she said happily. “I hope you don’t snore! I’ll tell you if you do in the morning.” Slowly, her eyes began to shut. She wasn’t terribly worried about falling out of the tree. If it happened, she’d wake up before she hit the ground. Luckily, she was not a deep sleeper. Their adventures would be delightful to their fullest and if they met anyone along the way, she’d be sure to greet them wholeheartedly. Noah didn’t seem the type to do such things. Enough with thought. Her eyelids grew heavy. All these ones flowing through her appeased her into sleep.

While she would not remember her dreams in the morning, she’d know she dreamt of wonderful things and some odd things. Piper was never one for nightmares.

[Noah]

Noah's dreams that night were full of happy people with impossibly massive fox tails. They sang and danced around him in the snow of what looked like his home town, their tails warming up the air amazingly while Noah stood in the center, both freaked out and amused.
A tiny girl with the face of his sister pranced up to him, taking his hand and trying to pull him into the crowd of dancing fox people, much to his dislike. Her tail tickled his nose, jerking him out of his sleep to find that it was only Piper, sleeping in the branch above.
His breath came out in white puffs, much to his surprise, the fire below had stayed through the night, even though it was nothing but hot coals now.
The sky above revealed that it was early morning, and time to get moving. Much to his pleasure, the sky was clear, the clouds from the night before had dropped only a few inches of snowfall. Piper's tail twitched in his face again and he swatted it away, only for it to sway back against his ear. Wrapping up his blanket as small as possible and shoving it into his sack at his hip, he crouched on the branch, looking down at the ground to make sure there was nothing waiting for them.
Sure enough, there was a little more snow on the ground, but his fur-lined boots could handle it. Piper on the other hand he wasn't so sure about...
"Piper, wake up. He tugged gently on her tail, his dream still swirling through his senses. He prayed that she didn't wake up noisily. The cold was beginning to sink in, he shuddered and got his bow ready.

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[Piper]

Piper found herself in the state of midwake, where all seemed peaceful and her body happily denied the cold. For a while, without panic, she imagined it to be hypothermia. The first sign was turning warm in the snow. She quivered her bottom lip, wondering, hoping she might move soon. Yet, in her dreams, she found it was futile to try. Essentially, she was paralyzed. That was alright. Piper was totally euphoric.

She was disturbed by a man's voice. Piper became aware of the light behind her eyelids. She twitched her nose, her lip and eventually her entire face. She pursed her lips as if preparing for a kiss and then opened both eyes to their largest proportions. Noah was holding onto her tail, but she'd forgotten him during her wake. Piper shot back. Her tail slipped away from his hand and became her scarf, while she carried a profound look on her face. It didn't take too long to register who he was. She felt ridiculous.

"Happy morning, Noah!" she exclaimed through a yawn and a stretch. Her bones shook her concious, causing a self-indused hug. She turned her attention to her newly found friend and smiled. "Where to?" Gesturing across the land, Piper bowed from what she could manage. Before he answered, Piper dropped down from the tree and into the snow. She hadn't thought beforehand. The snow went up to her shins. Cringing, she held in a yelp.

"It's so... c-c-cold..." she gasped heavily. Both her cheeks and her nose turned the color of roses. "N-noah, may I ride on your sh-shoulders?"

[Noah]

Sighing, Noah dropped down from the tree, the snow rising higher than he had expected.
"It's so... c-cold.."
Noah looked down at the small girl stading beside him, shivering so pathetically that he couldn't say no to her question of riding on his shoulders. After all, she couldn't weigh that much, could she?
Her tail... It whipped around his face like it had a mind of its own. Eventually it settled around his neck like an extremely warm scraf, wich he actually didn't mind at all. He hung onto her feet while she clinged to his neck, walking down the slopes of the forest as fast as he could. He had enough of the bitter cold, and he was sure she did too.
"So once we get out of these mountains we should be on a straight slope to Hyrule Field... Maybe we can find a market or a village to stock up on supplies?" He wondered if Piper even carried supplies... For all he knew, she went around giving people big eyes for a nibble of whatever they were eating.
She must've been tired, she remained mostly quiet for most of the walk down. They stopped near the middle of the day for a quick meal before heading back down the final hills that were covered with snow.
By then, the land had taken a drastic turn of climate. The ground was no longer covered in thick layers of snow, but gravel with grass in a few places. The trees became thinner and smaller, and before they knew it they had entered Hyrule Field.
In the setting sun, all that could be seen for vast miles was endless grassy hills, with the occasonal fences and clusters of trees.
Noah gulped. He had heard of strange creatures, bandits, and even ghosts attacking travelers at day and night.
What was he getting himself into, he wondered.

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[Piper]

She really expected him to say no. More often than not, people denied her the wishes she so dearly hoped for. While Piper remained very close to the ground, Noah's height stacked her twice (or at least she so imagined). In the right light, he could shade her completely. Without so much of a word, Noah lifted her off the ground and onto his massive shoulders. She saw the world from a different view. "I'm a giant!" she squealed in joy, wrapping herself around his head completely. It was almost effortless for him! What a good sign.

They began their journey from there and neither of them made conversation. Piper was exhausted; her bones expressed an undeniable ache, her muscles pounded as if they were making up their very own rythmn. Her mouth was despicably dry. She needed water! However, counting the number of times she owed Noah favors, she came up with two whole favors. A third would make her inclined to do something drastic and likely unnecessary. Instead, she played the good little fox. They were bound to run into a stream somewhere.

He was walking at a pace uncomfortably quick. Piper had no fear of heights but falling with someone holding onto her legs meant she couldn't land on her feet. This was exhilerating. He mentioned that they would stock on suppiles, to which Piper responded, "I would need a bigger pouch!" She only carried what rupees she could and maybe something shiny if she ran upon it. She practically napped on his shoulders, propping her cheek on the top of his head.

By that time, he stopped their journey for something to eat. While she munched on her half, she decided to approach subjects he only had to listen to. Stories of the past that she shared frequently, making her seem a little more tough and then, a little weaker. She mentioned her brother's amazing storytelling. When they began to walk again, she attempted a few stories on her own. They didn't work--they were never like Sage's. "I can't tell them the way he did. I suppose I don't have the right voice. It's okay. I'll muster one up for bedtime."

They made it halfway through Hyrule Field when camp had to be set. By this time, Piper was off Noah's shoulders for proper reasons. She didn't want to hurt Noah's back. She curled up by his shins for the fear of anything attacking him. Yes, Piper was more concerned over the man's well being than her own. She forgot about telling him any stories. Being that they spent all day tiring themselves after a tiring night in the snow, she was twice as exhausted as ever before! In seconds, she was asleep, without even the slightest fear of being attacked. Piper had a hunch they'd be left alone.

---

She was correct, of course. The morning rose and Piper was the first to wake up. She nudged Noah to his senses, asking for something to drink. Her body could only survive so long without liquid. So, altogether, those were five favors total and probably more to come. Piper expected by the time they got to the market, she was going to find him shiny. Something really shiny! She pulled out her rupees and counted them, trying to turn her shoulder so he might not see.

A thousand Piper comments and Noah nods later, they had reached somewhere considered a market. The air smelled specifically of bread and meat. It twitched her nostrils. She wanted them! "We should get bread! And meat!" she informed her big friend. Seen from another point of view, they looked very close (either siblings or in a relationship of sorts). Piper hung on Noah's arm like it might offer protection, jolting him around and sniffing him ocassionally. It was all very normal.

In the midst of their viewing, Piper saw something peculiar. Something beautifully, beautifully peculiar. Her eyes shimmered with the sparkle of what caught her attention. It appeared to hold the value of crystal. Unfortunately, this item was not in the stands nor was it in the hands of a merchant. Piper was sad to say that it was in the pocket of a stranger who darted through the crowd. "Hey, Noah! Will you look at these apples for me? Find the ripe ones!" she asked. She tried to get his attention elsewhere.

Whether he was paying attention or not; she no longer was concerned. Piper left her friend's side and went through the crowd. The stranger ambled about, unaware of his attacker's intentions. She darted to his side. With all her might and will, Piper Thimble jumped on his back, claws out, and took him down. "You're being robbed! Give me all you've got!"

[Kane]

Man, what a hell of a day… Kane trotted through the busy streets of the town marketplace, dodging the bustling crowds, careful not to hit anyone with his sword case slung over his shoulder.
His tail twitched around nervously, the fur on the end brushing against people's legs and making them jump.
He gripped the coin bag in his pocket, staring at the ground. He didn't sell much today, being that he didn't catch much the day before, leaving him with only enough for a meal and a place to stay. It was satisfying, but no one could live with just the necessities in life.
A large, sapphire glimmered at his side, hanging from the golden chain attached to the inside of his coat pocket. He held it to his face and smiled. The result of a good sale a few days before.
He made no eye contact with anyone, keeping his blue yes on the ground. People often were afraid of him because of his monster origins. He didn't blame them either. He himself was afraid of some of the monsters of Hyrule. They had the reputation of being mindless, chaotic beasts that attacked anyone who came near. But he's different, he knows. He didn't bother hiding his pointed ears, sharp teeth and pathetically thin tail. What was the use? It was too much to worry about.
He stuffed the sapphire back in his pocket, cursing at himself for letting it hang out in the first place. Anyone could want to-
"You're being robbed! Give me all you've got!" A weight landed on his back. He stumbled forward, falling on his face, the sapphire tumbling out and into the gravel road.
He scrambled towards it. He saw a flash of orange from above him, his attacker still on his back.
"W-What the HELL?"

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[Piper]

Piper’s excitement was hard to beat. The man beneath her was a total stranger, whose face she had yet to see. He didn’t matter to her, however. It was the object in his possession. While he scrambled to his senses, Piper snagged the sapphire and held it close to her chest. She still had this poor man in a daze, where he was screaming profanities. She wanted to slap him on the wrist for such language in front of a girl. She shot off from his back and tucked said sapphire into her shirt. “Finder’s keepers!” she exclaimed, with her tongue out. “You’ll never catch me!”

Then, in her glory, Piper started running toward Noah. He was quite a ways away, now, because she had run so far into the crowd. She pushed people out of her way, harshly. A childish smile wore all over her. It was like tag! Except this man might actually hurt her. Yet, with Noah, she didn’t feel a bit of fear. She screamed over the crowd, “NOAH!” This was in hope that he might pull her out of the ruckus and she could climb onto his back. The man she tackled wasn’t even half of Noah’s height! She didn’t bother looking back. There was a fear that she might lose her footing.

On her way, she did something ridiculously Piper-like. She saw a carrot—and, because she was already a thief for the day, she took hold of it and waved it in the air. “Success!” she exclaimed. A satin cloth came into her possession, along with a hat, what looked like a ball of yarn, and a martyoshka doll. People in the crowd were getting knocked on their feet and all that could be seen was a curious fox tail. Her heart beat so fast, she was certain she would explode! She laughed playfully, hopping over and around market stands, knocking fruit off their shelves and breaking pottery. This was fun. On the way, many tried telling her to stop but it was nearly impossible to catch a happy Piper. As she said, she was sure this boy could never catch up to her. The little thief!

Finally, Noah came into sight. What she wanted to give him most was the sapphire, but all these things were to satisfy. She looked rather ridiculous with all those things pouring out of her arms while she ran, trying to keep them in place. All appeared hectic and the crowd that surrounded them didn’t seem too happy with the chase in motion. Gasping for air, she said in between her inhales, “This boy is chasing me. I-I got you something…” Piper scurried to hide behind Noah's back. “Hide me!”

[Kane]

Kane coughed violently as dirt from the road was kicked into his mouth as his attacker scooped up his prize and bounded away.
He leaped to his feet, swearing loudly and the chase began!
From the glimpse he got, the thief was a tiny girl, even shorter than him! A massive fox tail flared out from her skirt, making her stand out in the bustling crowd, This will be easy… He would've grinned in excitement, but he was so pissed all he could do was run as fast as he could, gritting his teeth.
She vanished into the crowd then. Thinking fast, he skirted the frenzy of people as the girl took more of the market for herself and leaped up onto the top of a nearby stand.
Cries escaped the poor shop owners and civillians as the two tore up the crowd from above and below. He caught glimpses of her from his place on the rooftops.
The thought of taking out his sword came to mind, but he decided against it, involving a weapon ever looked good.
"YOU THEF! GET BACK 'ERE BEFORE I KILL YOU!" His rage came out in words. Suddenly she was right below him. With a massive leap and a perfectly timed roll on the ground, he was back in the crowd. She had slipped past him by inches, the tip of her tail brushing his face and making him sneeze.
Spinning, he saw her orange figure vanish again.
Damn it! He scrambled up and shoved past a few panicked people and he was right behind her. Many new items were crammed in her arms, if he caught her now, that would make him the hero!
"Got you now!" He leaped forward, colliding with her tiny back heavily, just as she did to him moments before.

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[Noah]

As Piper had pointed out, Noah was busy picking out all the best apples he could find. She had wandered off somewhere, he was worried but didn't think she was inn too much trouble. He planned to look for her right after he picked his share.
An excited but panicked cry of his name made him look up in time to see Piper burst out of the crowd. Her arms were full of random items from food to jewelry, and from the angry shouts in the crowd and the fact that she was running like that, he knew she didn't buy them herself.
Piper!? What are you-" His breath caught in his throat when a man(more like a boy with his looks) suddenly leaped out of the crowd. He hit Piper hard, throwing her tiny body into the dirt road and spewing her items everywhere. Surprised gasps came from the crowd around him, the two scrambled around on the ground.
Noah's instinct kicked in.
With a swift and smooth movement, his massive hand yanked the man off Piper by his collar, his other hand punching him square in the face.
When the man fell, Noah pulled him up again and half shoved, half threw the man many feet away.
Placing himself between the attacker and Piper, Noah spread his arms, the long feathers creating a menacing appearance. When the man didn't get up, he turned to Piper, worry shooting through him, "Piper! Are you alright!? What were you doing!?"

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[Piper]

He’d nearly caught her if it hadn’t been for her decision to pick up her pace. She laughed when he sneezed, thinking it was cute in a way. Piper’s tail was always so mischievous. She wasn’t thinking clearly, so her instincts kicked in half way in. The chase lasted for only a few minutes, to Piper’s surprise. She was suddenly on the ground. It was after that the pain hit. She yelped in pain, her face getting friendly with the dirt. “Get off of me! You weigh a ton!” she exclaimed with a red face, trying to sit up on all fours. Instead, the weight was quite suddenly lifted. Piper turned onto her back and watched as the massive giant Noah took the predator into his arms. She was terrified.

She watched Noah hit the kid in the face and drop him on the ground. She hollered, “Wait!” When Noah responded by throwing the kid away, she covered her face. This was all too frightening. She didn’t want anybody getting hurt. Guilt surged through her and she almost started to cry. “I’m okay! I’m fine! I just… took a few things. I wanted to give you a thank you present,” she mumbled. Standing up, she said, “He had a pretty sapphire and I saw a few more things, see?” She walked in front of him and dumped said items at his feet.

Then, her attention turned to the boy who was in a world of pain. She ran to his side and held his head in her hand. “Hey…” she trailed. Her hand came down to push his hair back. He was hit hard enough to be left with damage. Piper tilted her head, with a twitching ear. Blood started from his nose. “You poor thing! Let me take care of you!” She grabbed the end of her skirt and ripped it to her knee. She dabbed his nose gently, realizing that, while caked with blood and probably ready to hurt her; he was really handsome!

She crawled back and grabbed the sapphire, dropping it on the boy’s chest. “I didn’t think he’d hit you that hard. I’m sorry, mister,” she paused. Piper held two fingers up, “How many?” Then, she looked over to Noah. “Oops…”

[Kane]

For a moment, he thought that the girl has punched him in the face. What a hit!
He lay curled on the ground, gripping his face, hissing every swear he knew through his clenched teeth. In his daze he saw a massive man with wings attached to his arms standing in-between him and the girl. HE must've been the one to hit him.
He knew now not to mess with her.
Suddenly she was above him, cradling his head in her arms. His senses were starting to come back, he could feel her dabbing at his nose with something, along with her setting the stolen sapphire on his chest and apologizing. She kept speaking to him, holding up two fingers. He didn't even comprehend what she was saying.
"G-GET OFF!" He scrambled back, clamping his hand over his nose, "I don't need your help! Why are you even…" He looked at his hand, seeing it covered in blood, "…Oh…"
He closed his hand into a fist, glaring at her. He saw the sapphire lying on the ground where he had sat up. Keeping an eye on her, he scooped it up and shoved it back into his pocket, Note to self… Buy a chain with a hook…
He got a good look at the thief now. She was tiny, with a tail as big as her body and tiny, tiny pointed ears on the top of her head. Her long red hair was messy. She was the last person he'd guess to stir up so much trouble. Her huge eyes made his heart jump and he glanced away, blushing.
She was quite cute.
Shaking his head of these thoughts, he glared at her, "Well!? What the hell were you thinking!? If it wasn't for your friend I would've…" He shut his mouth, glancing up at the said friend, who towered above the girl protectively.
His tail whipped back and forth angrily.

[/size][/justify]

[Noah]

"Piper! What are you…" Piper was suddenly treating her attacker like a friend! Speaking to him like a little kid who just lost his favorite toy and then apologizing to him!
The man scrambled back then, yelling at her but stopping just in time.
Noah's face burned, he wanted to pound this guy into the ground. He clenched his fists. For Piper's sake, he held himself back. He knew for sure that he had terrified her.
Instead, he stomped up to the man, sizing him up while towering over him at the same time, letting him know that he was not messing around.
The crowd was beginning to settle down, he knew for sure that the town authorities would be here any moment.
"Come on." He gripped the man's thin arm, dragging him out of the market, he wasn't about to drop this just yet. Not until there was a proper apology exchanged and Piper learned her lesson, "Piper! Come on! Leave everything where it is." He looked over his shoulder, making sure she only received what was rightfully hers.
He pushed his catch roughly along, making sure he didn't fight back. When they were out of the market, he loosened his grip and looked down at Piper, "Well? What do you two have to say?"

[/size][/justify]