Walking through the semi-crowded streets of his original home, the blue-furred fox-boy, garbed in a bright yellow vest and dark blue pants, made his way through the people lining the streets over to the Kaima Inn. It had been far too long since he'd been there...going there now even brought back memories of when he was younger than five, though those memories weren't completely pleasant to look back on.

Taking a step inside, however, he looked around to find that there was hardly an empty area, much less seat, to be found in the lobby. There were so many people here, quite possibly explaining why more weren't out in the streets, and he'd be extremely hard-pressed to even find an open seat if it weren't for his good eyesight, naturally enhanced to that of a fox's. Thinking back, though, of course there wasn't much space in here right now. There was the festival tomorrow, that lots of people liked to see, so naturally the Inn would be crowded.

Sighing, he wandered over to the small table near the window revealing the street just outside, looking momentarily to the one seat left in all of the Inn that happened to be across from him. Hopefully nobody unpleasant would take up the seat...that would totally ruin the point of him returning to his hometown to relax.

Tanya walked alone in the streets of Estolad. Tonight her parents was at the center square preparing for the festivities tomorrow so she was able to stay out later without their knowledge of her missing. She pulled her jacket over her shoulders and buttoned it up so she would not be cold. She shivered a little as the streets became crouded. Soon there was much hustle and bustle in the streets and she decided to get out of the streets before the big stuff was taken care of.

She moved towards the sideways and she moved into the kamina inn. Her white pigtails bobbed as she moved inside. The bartender waved hello to her and motioned for her to come and get a drink but instead she shook her head and he nodded. She looked around moving around the newcommers, the inn was filled with them. If her parents came in looking for her so they could go home she knew that they would have a hard time finding her. Which to her was good, she hated being cooped up in the walls of her home. She saw an open seat with a strange figure sitting across from it. She walked towards the figure and stood by him, "Excuse me, may I sit here?" she asked politely.

"Excuse me, may I sit here?" Kai heard someone speak, what sounded like a young girl, and glanced over, seeing exactly that...big surprise. White hair...that was kind of strange, but he probably wasn't exactly one to talk. After all, he was a walking, talking blue fox; probably didn't get much stranger than that.

"Sure, go ahead," he said, glad someone wasn't sitting down there that was more...well, threatening, in which case he probably simply would've moved. "You here for the festival tomorrow, or just walking around?"

(bah, short...sorry)

She waited patiently for an answer from the figure, when he looked up at her she found he was a blue furred fox. She smiled as he looked at her, "Sure, go ahead," he said. She nodded her thanks and sat down. "Thank you sir." she said. He seemed relieved about something but she did not ask why. "You here for the festival tomorrow, or just walking around?". She was about to answer when a barmaid called to her, "Tanya? I thought that was you." she said walking up. "So what will my favorite person be having to drink?" she asked. "The usual." she said. The barmaid nodded and turned and took a few steps away then paused and turned and walked back to her and placed her hand on her forehead as if to check her temperature. Tanya looked surprised. "Whats the matter?" the barmaid shook her head. "Oh, nothing." she said blushing and walked quickly away.

Tanya slumped on the table, putting her hand on her fist and looked angrly at the barmaid then put her head on the table in frustration. She finally realized she never answered the question he had asked her. "Sorry" she said sitting up again and looked at the table. "Actually, I live here in Estolad. My father is a blacksmith here and my mother helps out in the farmers feilds. Right now they are both out helping set up for the festival. So I am out and about tonight trying to enjoy the freedom. she said grimly. She turned and looked at the bartender and the barmaid. She knew they would keep her were-abouts a secret but they would keep an eye on her as long as she stayed there. The barmaid brought her the drink and looked at her again. Tanya seemed to forget the stranger was there for she quickly without thinking remarked, "I am not about to have an attack if that is what you are thinking." The barmaid took a step back and quickly walked off. She then realized that she had blurted it out to the whole room. "Sorry. I just hate it when they look at me like I am about to have an attack at any second. I haven't had one since last week." she said not even touching the drink. she told the blue fox. From the day she was born Tanya was always having attacks. Sometimes they were few and far between but the past few months they had become more frequent as her fifteenth birthday approached. She suddenly realized that the two were not introduced. "Forgive me, I seem to have forgotten my manners. I am Tanya Ecnarudne, what may I call you?" she asked.

(sorry for the delay...)

Glancing over, Kai noticed a barmaid come up to take any orders they might have. She was acting sort of strangely, though, as if she was checking on this girl; almost as if the girl was sick or something, which she might've been, he couldn't be sure. Not wishing to go into it as the barmaid walked away to get whatever the girl's usual order was, he watched her leave, then turned back to the girl in front of him.

"Sorry," the girl said, though Kai wasn't really sure why...maybe because she hadn't been able to answer his question yet. "Actually, I live here in Estolad. My father is a blacksmith here and my mother helps out in the farmers feilds. Right now they are both out helping set up for the festival. So I am out and about tonight trying to enjoy the freedom," she said grimly. Then she turned to look at the bartender and barmaid that had taken her order, who shortly after came and set her drink in front of her. "I am not about to have an attack if that is what you are thinking." With that, the barmaid took a step back and quickly walked off. "Sorry. I just hate it when they look at me like I am about to have an attack at any second. I haven't had one since last week. Forgive me, I seem to have forgotten my manners. I am Tanya Ecnarudne, what may I call you?"

That answered that earlier though, she was sick in some way. But that was her problem and none of his concern, so he still didn't go into it. "My name's Kai Darkflame, pleasure to meet you," he said, offering a hand in a friendly gesture, regardless of the fact that the fingers ended in small claws; never harmful unless he wanted them to be, though.

Tanya smiled at the blue furred fox. He seemed nice enough, she felt an aura around him that reminded him of someone she met before, but she could not quite put her finger on the name or face. Tanya glanced back at the waitress and bartender, they seemed to have gotten the message and only glanced at her once in a while to see if she was okay with the strange figure. She clasped her hands under the table and smiled as the man introduced himself. "My name's Kai Darkflame, pleasure to meet you," he said extending an arm that ended in small claws. She smiled and took it. "The pleasure is all mine Mr Kai Darkflame!" she said in her normal perky manner.

She watched out the window as people hustled and bustled getting the festival ready for the next day. She did not see her mother or her father but saw many familar faces. She seen a few children she played with often. "This will be my fourteenth festival. Its nice...That I get to see it this year. Hopefully next year I'll be seeing it again..." she said her voice trailing off as she turned back to Kai. She knew she might not make the next year, she wondered if she would see the temple of life one day. The place she desired to go.

"The pleasure is all mine Mr Kai Darkflame!" Tanya said in a perky manner, taking his hand lightly for a moment. "This will be my fourteenth festival. Its nice...That I get to see it this year. Hopefully next year I'll be seeing it again..." she continued, her voice beginning to trail off.

So she was sick in some way...but unfortunately, while he could give his flames a certain healing property for some light injuries, he was no healer. He had no experience with poisons or diseases or the like, and thus couldn't do a thing about them, regardless of the fact that he would've liked to be able to.

"I suppose I probably shouldn't ask why..." Kai said, "but I'm sure there are plenty of ways to make sure that you will still be around for the next festival. Even the temple of Life or something of that sort, or any of the many healers that I'm sure are around. I even know of a pretty good healer that I've met during my travels, and heard he's around Arda...well...somewhere. Probably in some forest."

Tanya rested her head against the window glass looking outside at the people walking around. One of the other children saw her and waved, she smiled and raised her hand back then the child ran off. "I suppose I probably shouldn't ask why...but I'm sure there are plenty of ways to make sure that you will still be around for the next festival. Even the temple of Life or something of that sort, or any of the many healers that I'm sure are around. I even know of a pretty good healer that I've met during my travels, and heard he's around Arda...well...somewhere. Probably in some forest." Kai said.

Tanya turned back to him. "I am not to sure, maybe at the Temple of Life. The Goddess there could help me, but I am not sure about any MORTAL healers. The doctors who helped me were the best healers in this village and in Lomedor, but none of them could help. They say I won't make it to my next birthday. And it might just be that. But I am not giving up. There are too many people out there who are waiting to die. Who are lying in bed just waiting for their sand to run out. But I won't...Life is not meant to live like that. It is meant to be lived not just waiting for death." she said then realized she was rambling. "Oh...Sorry. I don't think you would want to hear about my problems and the way I live."