Taali
Legacy Name: Taali

“It’s common for you to feel this way. Even though we’re city-dwellers, there’s no denying our call to nature, Miaou.” ​

A cat folk seemingly in middle age, presumably the smaller’s mother, was trying her best to calm her kit down. “Mom, I told you to call me Taali. That’s my Common name! And I’m technically an adult now, so you have to listen to me,” the smaller silver cat huffed. She had crossed her arms over her chest as she continued to glare at her mother.​

The elder cat folk just let out a small chuckle, shaking her head at her youngest daughter. “Alright, Taali, if that’s what you want to go by as you begin your adventures, then so be it.” She opened her mouth to continue her prepared speech, when a horn was heard from nearby. Both of their ears flickered towards the source, and the mother began scrambling to gather her daughter’s belongings. “Taali, you have to go! That’s your train!”

​Taali sprung to action. Giving her mother a swift kiss on her cheek she grabbed her pack and ran out the door. As she ran down the road she called out, “Bye mom! I’ll stop by next time I’m in Chichester!”Barely making it onto the train as the doors were closing, she sat down in the first seat she saw, and eagerly began her journey.

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​It was common for cat folk to leave their home when they turned fifteen and became adults. Taali was always an independent kit, causing trouble for her mom as she would rather be off on her own than play with the other kits her age. Although her mother fretted over it, she was constantly assured that her daughter was just going through a phase and would surely grow out of it.

​Unfortunately for her mother, Taali never outgrew her loner tendencies. As she grew older the comments that she would grow out of it slowed to a stop. She didn’t mind, however. She much preferred nature.

​Taali was 6 years old when she carved her first bow from a twig she had found in the forest. It was her prized possession, and she practiced archery every day for the next year and a half until the bow gave out and snapped in half. That night she came home crying, cradling the broken wood in her arms. When her mother asked what was wrong, all she did was hold out the remnants of her bow and begin to cry harder. Her mother picked her up and cradled her in her lap, cooing softly into Taali’s ear that everything would be alright.

​She went to bed that night with the splintered bow next to her, still tearing up every time that she looked at it. When she woke up the next morning a brand-new bow was laying at the food of her bed, matching quiver placed on the floor next to it. The squeal she let out woke her mother up, and a smile crossed her face as she heard the front door slam behind the excited kit.

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​Leading up to the day before she left home, Talli continued to practice her archery. She also began to teach herself all the plants and animals in the surrounding area of Chichester. By her 15th birthday she knew all the living creatures around her home, as well as how to identify some plants she had never seen in person.

​Although her mother had arranged for her to stay at a relative’s house in a town along the train’s route, something told Taali to keep riding the train until its last stop. So she passed by the stop of her relative, slumping down in her seat so that she wouldn’t be recognized from the outside.

​A day later, and the train reached its final destination. Only a handful of people remained on the train, and Taali easily blended in with them as she exited. Immediately she knew that she had made the right choice to follow her instincts. Laid out before her was a small town, nestled in what appeared to be the outskirts of a thick forest. Making her way to the town’s tavern, she bought a room for the night.

​Waking up early the next morning, Taali began to follow her life’s path. Gathering some supplies from the general store in the town, she loaded up her pack and followed the path out of the town and into the woods. Once she was sure she was far enough out of the town’s sight, she slipped off the path and began to explore the woods that she would call home for years to come.

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​One night after she had long established herself as an Outlander, living off of the wilds and using her small size to her benefit, Taali entered into town. It wasn’t uncommon for her to occasionally stop by the butcher to exchange some game for coin to spend down at the tavern. Although she was well acclimated to her life in the forest, there was a small part of her that missed coming home at night to her mother’s stew. And the tavern’s rendition was comforting enough that it was worth mingling with the townsfolk.

​On this particular night, she ordered her usual: a bowl of stew and a pint of the local brewery’s ale. The regulars were seated along the bar, but it was a group of newcomers sitting at a table that caught her eye. They seemed to be quietly discussing the fact that no one in the town seemed to fit the bill of what they were looking for.

​As her stew and drink came out, she bent her head down to eat as she silently eavesdropped. It quickly became clear to her that they needed someone who knew the lay of the land to aid in their epic adventure.

By the time she finished her stew, she left the coin she had received from the butcher on the table and stood up. Slinging her bow back over her shoulders as usual, she began to head towards the door to make her way back to her camp for the night before it got too late.

​She’ll never know for sure what happened, but as she walked to the door she instead began to angle towards the adventurers. Reaching their table, she put her hands on her hips, a sly smirk on her lips. The conversation quickly died as the group turned to look at her.

​“Hello boys,” she began, “The name’s Taali. I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation tonight.” Her smirk grew into a grin as the group looked intrigued. “I think I might know just the person you’re looking for.”

Story by scout
Art by Savie