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Chapter 2: The well

Though it is still dark bells can be heard emanating from somewhere in the town. Kyra wakes up to find Renno gone from her side. She stirs looking around the attic. The lights from below has long been extinguished and the attic is dark. Her eyes soon fall upon Renno's silhouette by the window now dressed in Anoran clothing. Elons must have returned while they were resting.

"Hey, you're awake... Your friend gave me this." Renno pulls at his new shirt.

Kyra hardly awake rubs her eyes and try's to gain hercomposure. "Watchers light... already...".

"It's been snowing like crazy you should see this!" Renno seemingly resigned to the fact that Kyra isn't going to understand him talkscasually to her.

Kyra stretches before rising to her feet states in response. "We need to get you to the well..." She thenmakes her way over to her clothing. She examines it rubbing the cloth between the exposed pads on her fingers.It has not dried fully yet. She seems displeased but dressesanyway. Once finishedshe makes her way to the window... "Oh wow..." she states having nowgottena good look at the accumulation. The snow isnearly up to the overhang on the first floor. Kyra climbs into the window and steady's herself on the ledge before letting go and purposely falling into the deep snow allowing it to break her fall. Its very cold and has not packed tightly causing it burst out in all directions in a cloud of frostthat quickly settles. She shouts back at Renno gesturing with herpaws "Come on!".

Renno climbs out of the windoweager to demonstrate his climbing skill to Kyra however, instead misjudges the accumulation of ice on the ledge and looses his grip. His claws failing to penetrate the ice leave Renno falling from the attic window landing hard on the overhang before rolling off in an uncontrolled and ungraceful manner into the snow below next to Kyra.

Kyrastiflesa laugh before coming to his aid. "By Miranare you okay?". Kyra kneels next to him and examines the shoulder he is now clutching.

"Can we not do any more windows please..." Renno says weakly.

Kyra asses him not to be seriously injured. "Okay we need to get to the main street." She says pointingto the front of the building. With that Kyra starts pushing her way through the snow along the building where it is shallowest.In total the snow is deeper than they are tall so they hug the wall and use it as leverage.Moving through snow this deep is a mix of digging thenstepping up onto it and just as it feels almost like you could walk up to the top your next step simply sinksback down. Luckily theyneed not travel far and it only takes thema few minutes before theyeventually reach the main street which is remarkably clear.

Renno hasnot been down this street before. The pair step out into the open and Renno takes in the sights. The street in front of the building is wider forming a small plaza with stone benches and a large four arrow pattern in front of them. Three dark arrows, one of them with a line intersecting. One white arrow pointing down the street to the right. Renno is unable to make sense of the pattern.

Kyra calls to Renno having not noticedher walk off to the left down the road. Though it is lit by torches and lanterns it is still fairly dark and difficult to see. Yet despitethe dark the street is filling with Anorans, many more than the night before. This time including children clinging to their parents. The childrenpay much more attention to Renno than the adults. Before long they reach a magnificenttownsquare.The market district in the center of town.Its still snowing although lightly. In the center of the square is a fountain. Steam is pouring off the water and even the air is quite warm. Here there are many large hand driven carts accompanied by merchants showing off goods.Though it is clear the hour is still early and many merchants are still setting up for the day ahead. There is a haze in the air that is more apparent here than in the rest of town from all the fires and torches burning.Between climbing through the deep snow of the alley and the wet ground Kyra and Renno are already quite damp. Renno can feel a chill beginning to set in whileKyra hardly seems to mind. She is focused on getting Renno to their destination.

They walk past a large free standingstone chimney billowing black smoke into the air. There areseveral of these tall vents thatstandaround the edges of the square. There are a few Anorans standing around each of themholding their paws outstretched to absorb the warmth. Renno takes a step in that direction but is grabbed quickly by Kyra who pulls him along towards her destination. They make their way through the square. Renno finds himself preoccupied with his surroundings studying the people he now finds himself among. Renno takes inall the different appearances of the Anorans finding himself somewhat surprised by thediversity. In their fursomeof themhave rings, othersspots, some even faint stripes. SomeAnoransare more pure white while others are almost tan. Some have markings so dense that parts of their bodies particularly their backs are almost completely black. Some have longer fangs than others that stick out even with their mouth closed. Their clothing varies greatly too with some wearing as little as only a skirt or pants and othersas much as full dress from the shoulder down. Nearly all of them wear a hooded cloak or mantle however few are using the hoods at this time exceptthe children. They tend to wear theirhoods in addition to a full set ofclothing and with multiple layers. Almost every Anoran wears a bracelet made of teeth with markings carved onto them. All except Kyra. Renno begins to feel uncomfortable in the presence of so many Anorans, though he can't put his finger on why. None the less a feeling of apprehension begins to sink in.His confidence in his safety is undermined by two things. The unfamiliarity of the world now having lost his memory and a base instinct not to be around so many pure predators. They continue down another large road away from the plaza and after a while they finally they arrive on the opposite side of town near the wall. There is a large staircase with rune carved stones marking the top. It is dirty. Covered in coal ash. There are guards posted at the entrance.

Kyra approaches the guards. This time the conversation is short. "I have a survivor, we need the well." She explains to the first guard, who does not look directly at her but continues to stare straight ahead as if a statue.

"Proceed, be quick." He states flatly.

Kyra presses the tips of her paws togetherin front of her bowing her head in some kind of salute.

The guard raises one leg and stomps it to the ground in some kind of recognition of her salute.

They pass into the cave, Renno starts to become anxious.

The guard above while similar to the gate guards is dressed in even heaver armor with much more of it being made out of metal rather than cloth and wood. Much of it decorated and painted as well in various shades of blue. The steps lead down into a cave below the city. The air is thick, humid, and warm. They proceed down the hall a way until the come to door in the wall of the cave. The path they are on heads off around a bend and gives off a rich warm orange glow who's source can not be seen. Instead Kyra try's the door but it is locked. The door is comprised of vertically aligned heavy slats of wood. Their thickness as such that there would be little to no hope of knocking and being heard by anyone on the other side. Kyra scoops a sizable rock from the floor and with both hands she uses it to knock hard on the door. After a short time the door opens and a fairly official looking robed Anoran stands before them. Kyra again explains the situation as she understands it.

"We need the well. This Casner can't understand us, I'm fairly sure he is a survivor."

"I have never seen or even heard of a Casner before... What is it?" The figure asks.

"I don't know... it's... well..." Kyra stands aside so the robed Anoran can see Renno more clearly. "It's whatever he is."

"Okay, let me call the guard in case we get down there and he panics." The robed Anoran whistles and a young Anoran Kyra's age runs up the steps to greet them. He is dressed in the lower standard of the gate guards attire. "He's a survivor, escort them to the well. Please, don't mess this up for a change." The robed Anoran orders guard.

It's hard for Renno to see in the dark but it would appear the robed Anoran is much older, with hints of gray in his markings and face.The guard takes one arm and Kyra the other and begin to usher Renno down the steps. It suddenly comes to becomes clear toRennothathe is under arrest. "Wait no! I didn't do anything wrong! Where are you taking me!" he tries to resist.

"Here we go..." Says the young guard.

"Just calm down, everything is going to be just fine." Kyra says trying to be reassuring.

Renno is having none of it and continues to flail wildly. They drag him reluctantly down the steps. Past another wooden door there is a large chamber with a pool of glowing water that sparkles like the night sky full of stars. "What is this?!" Renno asks, to which he receives no answer. They walk him to the water's edge and force him to his knees. "Oh god what are you going to do to me?!" Renno protests raising his hands defensively above his head. The water though it seems to illuminate the room appears black and ominous as it is stared into. Renno is sure now, they must mean to torture him, to gleam some kind of valuable information from him, of this he is certain. Reason has left Renno at this point the fear of having no information to divulge and the optics of his predicament have overcome him. All of the kind words, though only understood in their tone and not their definition, from Kyra are lost on him.

The guard looks to Kyra. "Are you sure before we do this that he is not a bard."

"I haven't heard him sing so I am supposing not. Either way I take full responsibility." she says not entirely confidently but enough to convince the guard to proceed. She and the guard take Renno by the shoulders and dunk his head into the water.

Renno flails and in his attempt to get away and inhales some of the liquid. They let him go and he reels back violently and sprawls across the floor. Soon he props himself up with one arm his legs lay limp, coughing and choking, trying to regain his breath.

"Are you okay?" Kyra asks cautiously.

Renno waves his hand without raising his head still staring at the floor, holding his hand out in her direction behind him.

"Maybe it didn't kick in yet." The guard asks uncertain. His inexperience showing now.

Kyra takes a step closer. "Renno?" she asks.

Having caught his breath enough to respond Renno says back to her. "No of course I'm not okay, you tried to drown me." Still nearly breathless he takes a moment then makes the realization. "Wait you speak..." words escape him as he searches for, well, whatever it is his language is called. "You speak my language?" his tone is vague, somewhere between angry, confused, relieved, and frustrated all at once.

"No." Kyra states flatly "I speak no more Your languagethan you speakmy own. The effect of the well allows us to understandone another."

Renno looks to Kyra trying to piece everything together. "You, I." Hestarts to say before he realizes he does not quite know what to say.

"Come on." Kyra reaches out her hand to help him to his feet. "We can't really stay in here. We can talk once we get outside."

"It's freezing out there." He protests.

The older robed Anoran speaks up. "This is no place for recreation you are not to stay here." and gestures frustratingly to the young guard for not doing his duty.

"Oh, yes, you must go now. Your business is concluded here." The young guard says, with no gravitas or authority whatsoever.

The elder raises a paw to his face. "Come on boy." He says with utter contempt.

"We can go back by the fountain where its warm we can talk and figure everything out from there" Kyra try's to be reassuring. Herself feeling great relief the two of them can finally talk. Though her motives somewhat selfish wanting only to explain her actions the night before.

"Okay, lead the way, I guess I don't have much of a choice." Rennoreplies before vigorously shaking his head in an attempt to shed some the water from his fur.Once again they make their way backoutside into the cold. Past the heavy door Renno looks down the curved hallway, nothing can be seen but he can feel the air being sucked in from the outside.They climb the staircase back past the guard, Kyra looks into the sky. It is still dark.

It'snot long before Renno begins with his questions. "So I guess my first question is where are we?"

"We are in the Southern reach in the Anoran Kingdom." Kyra replies as she leads him through the now crowded street towards the square. Kyra thinks to her self about the last day. It dawns on her now that she had not thought this far ahead. She wanted to save this poor creature but now has no idea what to do with him. Her thoughts drift towards this and away from his question.

Renno realizes he has no frame of reference. "And so... where is that?"

"Where is what?" she replies unsure of the nature of the question.

"I..." Renno pauses feeling unnecessarily that he must chose his words carefully. "I don't remember anything."

"I know, or rather I should say I assumed as much. Just what were you doing naked in a cave?" Kyra asks back at him in a disapproving tone.

Renno had forgotten and is embarrassed. "I don't know that's the first real memory I have."

"The first real memory?" Kyra pauses in the middle of the street.

The Anoran's around Kyra brush by, some coming in light contact with her. She seems unphased. Renno however notices he has not bumped into a single one. Odd he thinks to himself though the street is much more crowded than before though there is no shortage of open space. It is like they pay neither Kyra or each other no mind, like neither they nor her are truly there, but Renno on the other hand, he is like an island in the crowd. He is given space they choose not to afford each other. Still none of them look at him, none of them seem to take account his presence. Simply they walk just clear of him as not to touch and carry about their business otherwise unaffected.

Kyra reasserts her self "Hello?" and waves her paw in front of his face.

"Yes?"

"What do you mean first "real" memory?" she repeats the question this time with emphasis on the word real.

"It's the first event I can think of in which I was there. Everything before that. Well..." he pauses to think about it. "I don't remember events, only feelings, like how I feel about things."

Kyra looks confused for a moment and before speaking begins to walk down the street towards the square. Renno follows. "And just how do you feel?"

"Well, I feel like wherever we are, is a place I have never been before. Not that I would recognize. But well, it's hard to put into words. But I feel like if I had been here before I would know."

"Well our nation sits on the south eastern tip of the continent below the great divide. We rule over the whole peninsula. Everything from the White forest to the White Mountains is ours." She says proudly as if Renno should be impressed.

"Do you name everything white?" he asks jokingly shattering her illusion of grandeur.

Tempted to lecture him she holds back and answers the less obvious question Renno had not been aware he asked. "It's the well. The magic that allows us to understand one another but it always translates in the simplest words. It gets more specific eventually. Names and things like that, they get converted when they shouldn't. But don't worry." Kyra reassures him though he were bothered. He is not. "As you learn it grows with you and soon you hear things as they should be."

"Oh" Renno says, trying to remember what he asked and if it was important. He had let his mind wonder as they enter the plaza. He is distracted by the fountain. "How does it work?" He asks as if Kyra were on the same page.

Kyra stares at him blankly.

"The water, how does it do that?" Renno points at the fountain bubbling hot steaming water from the top of a stone pillar twice as tall as any Anoran. It stands in the center of apool of steaming water at least 30 to 40 yards across. It is a brilliant centerpiece the warm humid air rising off the water warms the square but at the cost of the nearby buildings and trees growing heavy with ice from the cooling vapor. There are a few Anorans going about breaking the ice off of more delicate things like signs and the closes most compromised trees. Others are bringing hand driven carts full of snow to the square and dumping their contents into the water. The snow quickly melts away making room for more.

"You remember Eastern Corridor?" Kyra inquires.

"The eastern what?" He responds.

"The cave we were just in with the well." she reminds him.

"Oh yes, that."

"Beyond that is a great furnace chamber where wood and coal are burned. I have heard it boils up the chimney in the middle before draining back down. Its a marvel of engineering the envy of the whole world." She says with complete and total admiration. Somewhere deep inside she knows this to be a lie but she wants Renno to be impressed.

Renno however may not remember a great deal of things but he is certainly capable of recognizing an empty brag. "Is that so." He says, half intrigued but also with enough of a hint of apathy that Kyras expression of admiration quickly melts to that of mild annoyance with him.

Kyra sees this as her opportunity to express the "Correct" interpretation of her actions the night before. "Well, I hope you understand last night." She pauses but just as Renno raises a paw as if about to speak she continues. "I only wanted help you survive the night. You would have frozen. They would never allow you to sleep in Whitehall and so I had to make arrangements with a friend." She looks around nervously and leans in towards Renno as if to tell him some precious secret. "I was just keeping you warm okay? Don't tell anyone." She looks directly into his eyes eagerly awaiting confirmation that he would keep it to himself.

"Why? You did me a favor." Renno is genuinely confused.

"Because Miran wouldn't allow it. Now be quiet okay?" She stares him down somewhat intimidatingly she had not gotten the confirmation she was looking for.

"Jeese okay I won't." He puts his paws up defensively and she backs down. "So who is Miran?" he asks innocently.

Kyra looks at him angerly, but then catches herself, she had jumped to the conclusion he was still speaking of the night before but quickly realizes he had asked a fairly innocuous question. "Watcher Miran is the guiding light of the Anoran people. She taught us our nature. What it is to be Anoran." her tone of excitement and admiration has returned. She adores Miran.

"Is she like your leader?"

"No, she is a Watcher." She states as if she expects him to understand.

"And what is that?"

Kyra is initially put off by a question as if someone asked her "What is the sky.?" They take a seat on a stone bench near the water in the center of the square. "The Watchers are the ancients." Kyra holds her tail in her paws a subconscious habit of hers. "Each species has its own Watcher. They made us or perhaps we were made in their image, I don't know and the texts don't say. But either way they taught us everything. What it meas to "BE" Anoran. Each species has one. I'm sure you have one Whatever you are."

Renno is saddened by this "Your right, I don't know what I am. I had hoped you could tell me."

Recalling upon the night before Kyra answers him. "I have never seen a Casner before I'm afraid I can't help with that."

Renno laugh's.

"Whats so funny?"

"Nothing its just, I thought you wanted my name. My name is Renno Casner. Well it might be. I admit I don't recall, I made it up."

"Oh" she says looking off into the distance. "Well in that case I really have no idea what you are. You don't remember even how you got here?"

"No nothing before last night." Renno says with a hint of sad hopelessness in his voice as the notion sinks in.

Kyra tries to piece together a plan. Its clear she won't be able to simply direct him back to where he came from. She had hoped he had simply become lost. It never dawned on here that Renno may not want her help. Though she may deny it if asked she is compelled to help others in need. Renno would not even be the first. "Well I can't take you to Whitehall." She says feeling and sounding like the statement would disappoint Renno.

Renno cracks a smile at the name.

Kyra picks up on his smirk and the reason why. "We have a lot of words for White okay?! She states exasperated but energetically.

Renno laughs openly now.

"I will push you right in to this pool if you don't stop laughing right now." She says with clear hyperbole.

"Okay okay, I'll stop. Besides I don't want to be thrown back into the snow afterwords again. Say, why did you throw me in the snow?" He protests jokingly only half expecting an explanation.

It is Kyra's turn to laugh. "To get the water off, don't you know?" For her it is common knowledge. "The water will freeze in your fur, the snow if dry enough can help soak it out if your quick about it and the conditions are right."

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that." This time Renno truly is impressed.

"I suppose I should take you to stay with Minetz."

"Your friend at the inn?" Renno asks.

"No that was Ellons. Minetz is different. You'll like him. If you really knew Ellons." She rolls her eyes. "He makes my ears hurt you wouldn't like him for long." She says exasperated even at the thought of Ellons.

"He must be some friend then." Renno jokes. "Are you sure Minetz won't mind my staying?

Kyra looks confused but answers, "He doesn't really have a say in the matter. Lets go." And with that Kyra releases her tail and jumps to her feet.

Renno follows her and they head around the plaza this time to the south. Near the southern exit to the market another black and white stone arrow pattern is layed into the ground This time the bottom arrow is white and the top arrow is barred. "Whats with these patterns?"

Kyra looks blankly at him and follows his gaze to the street beneath their feet. She steps back off the arrow she is standing on and explains." Its a compass. The north is barred and the quadrent of town is set in white. This is the south quadrant."

"Oh I get it." Renno looks around trying to establish a pattern. It is much easier to see now as the first light begins to pierce the clouds now. The snow has stopped and brilliant pink orange light streams in between the overcast edges of the clouds in the sky.

Kyra continues on down the road. "This was the capital not long ago. We built this city as the first city about three hundred years ago when the tribes united. But after the war a new capital was built by the coast to the north. Its still being built really. I swear its twice as large every time I go there."

"So they built this city from scratch for no reason?" Renno felt compelled to challenge the notion. A feeling deep inside that cities either did not, or should not normally come about in this manner.

"When the tribes first united they were happy with the new laws but they didnt want to live together if it meant letting the others move in to their territory. So they needed a common place where all were welcome.".

Renno is intrigued. "Why not?"

"The great philosopher, arbitrator, and later first matriarch Anora negotiated the treaty that first united the tribes of the peninsula." The Rohean, Ieza, and Airet tribes had long warred with each other for dominance over the best hunting territory and resources. They believed if a tribe could take something by force from another that it was just. Anora challenged them . She used the teachings of Water Miran to..."

Renno interrupted. "Is Miran watcher for all 3 tribes? Or did they each have their own."

"Miran is watcher for us all, anyway, Anora had her own interpretation that the teachings about the natural order of the world didn't apply to the individual. The original scholars and chieftains believed that if someone was strong, or noble, able to negotiate or take a thing then that thing was theirs. That the natural way of our people was though individual strength and that a tribes strength is just a product of united individuals. Anora taught that this only lead to unproductive fighting. That together we could be more. If individuals could make a tribe then tribes could make a nation. The natural order wasn't based in the will of an individual but in the inherent strength of the species. That we should work together. She would travel from village to village and challenge the scholars in public debate. Her and her followers would brings goods from all over the peninsula with them and give them to the people. Showing the riches of the region beyond the scope of any one tribe. For many it would be the first time they would see others with different coats working together. Yet despite..."

To Renno her words would seem to trail off as he contemplated her statements. He interrupts her again to ask a question. "Different coats?"

"Yes, us Rohean have rings see?" She holds out her arm and points to the rings of black covering her fur. "The Ieza only have spots." She points out a brilliantly bespectacled male Anoran passing by without a shirt on. "The Airet..." Her tone changes to that of annoyance. "They have solid black stripes and are much larger than the others. They don't like to live in the city and mostly keep to themselves."

Though she had not stated it directly Renno could tell that there was more to it than that and suspected quite correctly that there was still some internal conflict between the Airet and the other races. They have arrived at an open air workshop of brilliant tools and work benches though completely unoccupied by any workers. The work benches nestled off the street below the overhang of the second story of the building. The first floor though half the size of the second is comprised of a main stone structure with large wooden joists supporting the floor above reaching out to five large wooden support beams along the street front. The beams are connected by heavy wooden arches that are decoratively carved with a triangular pattern along the top and edges. Below the overhand are two open furnaces cold and dark the likes of which have not been lit in a long time. Each have a chimney that extends upwards into the floor of the second story and pass all the way through to the roof. Making the front of the 3rdfloor. The chimney of each serving a secondary purpose of supporting the structure above. The second floor is a white plaster finished with beams of wood dividing it the segment between the lower arches into squares, then diagonally again into triangles save for the two symmetrically positioned windows which are shut with heavy wooden shutters attached to hinges above. The third story is set in from the street but extends the entire width of the building. Though it can not be seen from this angle it is asymmetrical reaching all the way to the back alley giving the building a 2 story facade with an overhanging roof before the 3rd story in the front, and a clean three story facade from the perspective of the alleyway. The building sits prominently on the main southern street with a large deliberately planted pine center of the street on either corner of the front of the building. The building faces west. Before it like at brown hearth a small open plaza and another compass set into the cobblestone road surface.

"Your friend lives here?" Renno asks timidly.

"For now, yes." And with that she simply resumes her history lesson. As they proceed towards the front door. "Despite being travelers of all tribes they gave away these goods for free which would get the members of the tribes to attend the debates. Moved by her clarity they would then donate them gifts and they would depart for the next tribe and begin the cycle again until one day the three chieftains challenged her directly. A large gathering here, in the open field where this town would later be build convened where she bested all three of them in a weeks long event. At the end the chieftains met and came out in agreement. A treaty would be forged in the coming months and we would be united under one banner. Once signed they appointed her first Queen and the nation was born. She declared the very spot on which the debates took place would become a symbol of our unity and Anorans from all over the peninsula came together and constructed the First City. Aht'Regenia." Kyra pushes open the front door of the building which sticks rubbing the floor as the hinges are worn and in dire need of replacing. She pushes a second time harder with her shoulder and the sound of the wood rubbing the floor echos through to the second floor. "Minetz!" She shouts to what appears to be a relatively empty and dusty building.

Renno repeats back to her. "Aht'Regenia".

Kyra turns back to him as they step in the door. Other than a staircase leading up to a banister overlooking them the first floor is comprised only of rows of wooden cabinets each with heavy metal latch like lockers. "What about it?" she asks.

"I heard it as you said it. Does it mean anything?" Renno picking up on the inconstancy of the translation.

"Aht is a short way to say Cat." She pauses and says again after a moment slowly. "Ah-net" Then repeats it "Cat, Ah-net, Cat, Ah-net, Ahnet" she says it a few times more until eventually Renno only hears the true word. "Ahnet". Kyra then forcefully pushes the door shut.

With that light rapidly pounding footsteps can be heard before a figure bounds over the balcony through the air down at them landing gracefully on the floor no further from the pair than they stand from each other. His ears standing tall one flopping over momentarily due to the momentum of his athletic feat. He stands upright. The rebounding ear grazes Renno in the face.