Despite K’ip and Si’ri getting along much better than they did in the beginning, they still find the occasional opportunity to criticize each other.
For example, K’ip tends to get annoyed by Si’ri’s habit of categorizing him as an elf. It’s true that, if you’re using the very rough, if time-honored, categorization of Human/Elf/Dwarf/Orc/Halfling, he’s probably most like an elf (after outgrowing halfling size, at least)…but in view of all the time they spent traveling, K’ip feels that he’d warrant a more specific categorization.
For there are important differences between Elves and En’ilef, as further events demonstrate – for example, their eyesight. The eyes of Elves are generally held to be exceedingly keen – even able to ignore the curvature of a planet, if Prof. Tolkien is to be believed, and to see in near-total darkness. The eyes of En’ilef, in the meantime…well, they’re also exceedingly keen and able to pierce darkness, but they suffer from certain…uh…psychological distortions of perception which are specific to felines. That means, perception follows the needs of the individual. A hungry En’ilef will perceive everything as food, while at other times they’ll perceive every place as a toilet, or every object as a scratching post, whatever their needs dictate.
I’m not saying it’s not the right way to go through life, but it does have its drawbacks.
Si’ri should look at the positive side, though. They’re within sight of their ultimate goal, the fortress. Which, with a certain but not insignificant likelihood, might currently be under siege. And which, with a certain but quite insignificant likelihood, might actually be made up from a couple of packages of cat food. So, there are questions, but a least they’re undeniably close to the goal of their quest.
More on Mon…uh, Thursday.