The Cat and the Elf

[Tyger]

Late night was the perfect time for snacking. Elessar moved silently through the kitchen, going between the counter and fridge with an armload of fresh fruits and vegetables. A large plate had been set out on the counter and it was on this he began chopping his bounty on. He was making a fruit and veggie plate.

"They're not rabbits, murr, but its eaten like food." came the words of none other than Tyger as he leapt up on the counter from the floor to stand near Elessars food plate, his tail swishing idly behind him. "What is all this." The cat was here looking for food obviously when he spotted the elf.

"I prefer eating vegetables than eating a rabbit." Elessar paused in mid-chop when the cat jumped up next to his plate and gave him a bit of a look. Poor Tyger was the first cat Elessar had seen outside of a television screen. "I was making a plate of vegetables and fruit. I believe I have heard it called a midnight snack."

"Ptf." That's what the feline did, even to sucking his teeth as he extended an arm to paw at the closet vegetable to him, watching it move on the plate or even fall on to the counter if he was lucky. Tyger wasn't actually going to eat the thing he only wanted to mess with it. "Rabbit is good with this." The food he meant. He tipped up his chin. Tyger was defiantly not like a cat shown on tv - not even when they had those talking cats. He was different. "Meow, you don't look like much. Mew. That why you eat this?"

No he wasn't like the talking cat from the TV and that fact left Elessar a bit at a loss. What'd one do when they were talking to a cat anyway? For Elessar it ended up being him watching dumbly as the carrot the cat had been paw fall off his plate and onto the counter. "I found fish to be more enjoyable myself." Don't look like much? The Elf looked down at himself with a bit of a frown. "I look fine and I enjoy vegetables."

Tyger was use to the whole shock factor when it came to people wondering why he could talk. Even those who wondered why he said what he said. it was all fine to him. Using his paw he flicked the carrot about some more until it eventually fell off the table and on to the ground. "Of course fish is enjoyable." he was a cat. "So why are you up, mow. You're not nocturnal."

That was a perfectly good carrot! "I was not aware you had become the night guardian of the Inn." Bending down Elessar snatched up the fallen carrot and sat it back on the counter out of the way of the rest of the food. "I was hungry and wished for a snack. Is there special reason you are awake?"

"I'm a cat." He even had an arrogant air about him saying that. and it was all the info he was saying on that. "Where's the other one." There was a bit of mirth in his voice and the edge of a purr. "The one who destroyed the Inn."

"He's not of your concern." He hopped on the defense quickly and went back to chopping just as fast. He didn't know how the cat knew about Armandeus, though at this point it was likely half of New Haven knew about the incident. Still he wasn't abut to offer up details.

Of course, this being Tyger, he knew of Ryanna's elven friend - didn't know too much but he knew enough - and he liked to pick on issues, pluck strings. He seemed to have done just that with his question. That called for further pressing. "What am I suppose to tell, meow, De'Ryanna?" The cat had his head tipped to the side. "That he ran off?"

"You can tell her I am not the messenger service. She should know where to find him if she chooses to do so." Elessar didn't enjoy having strings plucked especially not when his food had been made fun of! He thought his response would settle it all and he nodded to himself as he picked up a carrot and began munching on it.

"But....." pausing as a growl rolled inside of his chest. Tyger leaned forward towards the elf, his brown cat eyes glowing as those of his kind were known for. Feline curiosity. "You watch out for him." He purred a pleasing sound of delicious satisfaction. "How interesting..."

"Got a problem with it?" Elessar's eyes narrowed as he watched the cat. He was starting to get a bad feeling about all of this and didn't like it one bit. "Stay away from him."

Now Tyger nearly laughed. Cats could laugh - not the same way that humans and the same did but they had their own way . "Why would i, mew, have a problem with that." Tyger rose up on his legs to stand and turned, making sure that his tail brushed along the button of the plate as he began to walk down the counter. "Tell your charge to, murr, stay away from mine." And he shot his tail up in the air as he walked down the counter, looking for something good to eat.

That was it, Elessar was never trusting the television'd version of people or animals again. The talking cats had never acted like this one though who in their right mind would want to put one like him on there? As far as Elessar knew Armandeus hadn't seen De'Ryanna since the night he'd nearly destroyed the inn but he couldn’t help but add to the cat "I believe they are wise enough to make their own decisions in whether or not they wish to see one another."

"I'm making the decision for them. Mew." Obviously. Was the cat's thought. he jumped down off the counter and headed for a cabinet. With the use of his paw he was able to pry it open enough to look in. Grains. Slightly promising. Tyger was an arrogant cat, the matter was not helped any by the fact that Elessar was male.

"And who put you in charge of them?" Oy Elbeth he was aruging with a cat and starting to loose ground. Elessar didn't know about De'Ryanna but Armandeus would probably have a few choice words to say about the situation, even if Elessar was trying to be on his side.

As if Tyger had discussed any of this with anyone. This was only something he decided to do because - from how he saw it -the two people in question were incapable of handling their own affairs. Therefore the cat didn't answer Elessar right away and continued rummaging through the bottom cabinet instead. By passing the grains he came upon some jerk - this was more his style - and he pulled the package out. Tyger didn't even glance at the elf before he started cutting a hole in the package with his claw.

Perhaps the two in question were incapable of handling things, but from Elessar's view that was something the two of them should conclude to. The Elf watched the cat warily as he popped another vegetable in his mouth. Having never been around a cat before and never seeing jerky for that matter, he only assumed the package the cat was cutting a hole in was a form of cat food. His gaze lifted then, looking towards the small fountain bubbling on the wall. Well, at least the cat wasn't trying to eat the fish.

He hadn't noticed the fish. But if he had, and if he knew that it was a concern of Elessar's, then it better be believed that the fish would have a lovely target written across it. This wasn't the best jerky that Tyger ever had but it would do - he was going to have to see about getting some decent food here if he was expected to spend his time around this place. "Meow.. Sylvan elf?"

If the fish became a target Armandeus would most certainly have Elessar's head and that wasn't about to happen. Satisfied the cat hadn't noticed the fish, not many did considering it lived inside a water fountain, the Elf returned to his food. At the cat's words one fine eyebrow arched up as Elessar gave him a look. "How did you know?"

Tyger smirked as he continued to look at the elf. Another piece of jerky was pulled from the bag and he brushed his ear with his paw. "Aside from the ears, murr. It's your actions." HE stretched, His front legs picking at the wooden floor. "Weak."

Leave it to his ears to give him away. Elessar bit back a grimace and shoved down the sudden self conscious urge to cover his ears. It was a habit that had taken him a long time to break from and now was not the time to fall back in it. He snorted softly as he contemplated the cat. "What would a cat know of an Elf's strength?"

He tsked and then pushed the bag of jerky away. Just because he had gotten it out didn't mean he was going to put it back. Besides, he got the feeling that the elf wouldn't make a deal out of it anyway. "Your actions, mew, not the entire race." Tyger was moving around the counter towards the front where the door lead to the main area. 'You remember." he growled almost threatening. "He stays away. "

Elessar followed him, the long fingers of his right hand curling inward to brush against the brace on that wrist, and more importantly the dagger secluded underneath. He wasn't weak. The cat growled at him and received a growl in return. "He will see her if he wants to and you will not stop him."

Tyger wasn't going to respond back. Instead he pushed the door open and exited out to the main area. He was now behind the bar. He even scratched the floor with his back paw as though dismissing the elf. Because he was. Of course he probably did Ryanna a favor by going in and talking to that elf for now, if he knew the mechanics of people, Elessar was going to tell Armandeus what had happened, in turn making him seek out Ryanna. And, of course, the cat always had fun pushing buttons. He had no such rule of telling the truth bond to him.

Elessar wasn't going to be rid of so easily. He didn't know where this cat had came from but he wasn't about to take orders from it, especially when his friend was concerned. Elessar had a stubborn protective streak a mile wide when it came to Ar and given what had happened it was rearing it's head. "I will not tell him to stay away from De'Ryanna until she comes and tells me such herself."

"I think you said that, mew." He turned his tail up in the air as he continued to move behind the bar. He was heading towards the sink, as he was thirsty after his jerky. "I warned you. Mow. You'll only hurt him." Ah the sink. He jumped up on the ledge and started messing with the handles.

"He deserves the chance to speak with her." There was a partial growl in his tone at the cat's admission that he would hurt Ar. This was ridiculous. The cat was toying with him and it was working!

"Armandeus..." it sounded as though the cat hissed at the end. "Can do what he wants." A murr followed by that before Tyger turned on the sink and the water started coming out. He lapped at it and even brushed some over his head. "Or what he doesn't." Goading. That cat was doing that. But he delivered his message.

Elessar growled again and his hands clenched into fists. He hated being goaded and was starting to find a hatred towards the cat in general. "Just stay away from them." If the cat came near him . . . Elessar turned suddenly and stalked off towards the hallway and bedrooms.