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Post by Lex on Jan 25, 2009 17:22:00 GMT -5
Signs of the night told Ecl that it would be getting darker soon, she was traveling from a town called Holdpass on Riku over rough looking paths that no weak human should be able to go through before sun-high the next day. A few minutes ago she had spent her time around holdpass disguised as a regular human girl watching what everyone was doing. Going into buildings, running around to unknown destinations, it was entertaining for awhile. The busy town seemed interesting in the beginning but slowly throughout the day everything began to get rather dull for her curious eyes. She wanted to see everything the world had to offer.
Not taking anything Ecl left the town in the middle of the day to go hunting with Riku. Slipping out they had managed to capture a nice rabbit to eat together raw. The warm meat felt nice sliding down her throat, the last meal Riku and Ecl ate was yesterdays breakfast of carrots. After the meal Ecl got back on Riku to take off toward a new destination, they flew high to avoid the eyes of others if spotted.
In only moments the smoke of a camp fire could be seen in the distance. Both Ecl and Riku were curious as to who or what was so high in the cliffs and mountains. Diving down a fair distance from the smoke the pair set off silently over small inclines and over a little hill, Riku running and jumping quickly to see what was going on when the scene became clear. There was some sort of human who had built a small fire that barely seem to be enough to cook with. Riku went in a large circle to get a view from the other side of the man while Ecl watched him quietly from behind a rock, she was a bit scared of approaching this stranger, but wanted to know why he had traveled along such a rough path.
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Post by Lex on Jan 25, 2009 20:47:20 GMT -5
Watching the man for awhile Ecl thought he looked strangely different than the other regular humans she saw in Holdpass. From her place in hiding from the rocks she couldn't quite make it out though. She passed it off rather quickly as he cooked some meat over the fire, it looked delicious but Ecl just ate and wasn't very interested. When his hand went to the hilt of his sword Ecl didn't move until the stranger leaned back against the rock wall and glanced around, that's when she crouched lower and flattened her ears back until his gaze rested on the stars above. She only looked up for a short time before looking back at him, dashing quickly from rocks to rocks until she reached one that was only about 10 feet from him. Ecl thought the man a normal hearing human who wouldn't be able to hear her scuffling, obviously unaware of his part Elvin heritage.
Riku had traveled to the opposite side of Ecl, she was behind the man while he stayed directly in front, hiding in the darkest of shadows, his black spotted pelt helping to conceal him yet his eyes glared fearlessly at his opponent. He lay a good 25 feet from the man. When Riku smelled the meat he completely ignored it, the rabbit was satisfying enough. Riku was paying close attention to Ecl, to him she was more like his sister than just a best friend. When she crept closer to the strange creature he shifted uneasily but stayed deep in the shadows that provided his cover. If she were attacked he could easily jump to her rescue.
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becca
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Post by becca on Jan 26, 2009 13:30:06 GMT -5
Alone in a small stony recess, Lily was waking up. She’d been sleeping for quite some time, recovering after her long and possibly foolish journey form Holdpass and the memories of the past week had haunted her dreams. Why had she chosen to leave the city
Purchased Items:[/hr] She’d been safe there, or reasonably so, and she had always managed to find enough food. That aside, she had never left the city before and had little knowledge on how to survive in the wild. It seemed stupid now, as she uncurled herself from her sleeping position and rubbed her eyes to clear them, but at the time it just seemed... Necessary; as if she had no choice but to leave. For months the itchy, painful feeling had built up in her stomach until she could bare it no longer, and so she had set out without even deciding where to go. Now a hunger stronger than any she had ever felt racked her frame, after a moment’s thought she realised she hadn’t eaten anything for three days. The thought made her stomach cramp and she spent a second combating light-headedness. She needed food.
But it seemed her luck was changing. The smell of smoke and fire-cooked meat wafted through the air, making her mouth water with anticipation. She could smell human to, but that didn’t bother her much; humans weren’t often a threat. Fluffing her soft fur out, Lily rocked into a crouching position, crawled to the lip of her little cave and peered downwards. Below her she could see a male, still rather young, wearing armour and carrying a sword. The sword was... Annoying in a way. She had planned on simply scaring the man away, apparently the sight of a hissing fur-covered girl with nails like claws was not one normally seen by humans, but the sword complicated things. In her hunger-weakened state she was in no state to fight, she would simply have to ask for food. With an inward sigh she lurched forward, preparing to descend onto the stranger’s ledge, but then she stopped. New scents had caught her attention, one she didn’t recognise either of them. She Gazed around more closely, trying to see where these strange smells came from, but to no avail. For a moment hesitated, her hunger battling with an instinctive fear of the unknown, but then she scrambled down from her cave, dropping onto the ledge with graceful ease. She supposed the man would have heard her descent, and so she stayed still, waiting for him to react. She flicked her ears from side to side nervously; the strange smell was stronger down here.
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becca
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Post by becca on Jan 26, 2009 15:56:36 GMT -5
Lily was unprepared for the man’s reaction. She was not trying to scare him and she had been careful to avoid looking aggressive, and so the fact that the stranger had reached for his sword seemed strange to her, she struggled to understand why he should be instantly hostile, although she had made no move to attack. Her body was frozen in genuine fear, an emotion she had not felt for a long time. And it took her a moment to get her act together and dash into the dark shadows that clung to the cliff wall relax. There she began to relax, she silently berated herself for surprising the man, perhaps if she’d called out before jumping down this mess could have been avoided. Still, she couldn’t leave now, the smell of the cooked meat was incredibly appealing down here and she reasoned that the risk was worth it. She began to walk forward, wondering how best to show her peaceful intentions, though she stopped as he began to speak. Judging by the man’s tone of voice, he was actually willing to attack. A fresh wave of panic had Lily rooted to the spot, breathing as shallowly as she could to avoid being heard. Then she could do little but blink in surprise, momentarily lost by the man’s strange words, what did he mean by “anything sentient”
Purchased Items:[/hr] And then she understood, the stranger simply hadn’t seen her. Considering all the strange and dangerous beats that inhabited the canyon, it was hardly surprising that he should react as he did. She waited for a little while longer and then finally showed herself.
Lily did her best to look as unthreatening as possible. She flattened her fur against her skin and bunched herself up small before stepping slowly into the firelight. “I’m sorry that I startled you,” she said in a quiet voice “I don’t mean any harm”. She kept her head down while she spoke, though she flicked her eyes upwards to read the stranger’s reaction. She decided that, if he tried to attack her, she would simply take what food she could and run. She may be weak, but she hoped she would still be quicker than the human in all his armour. She might not make it out, but if he caught her what did it really matter
Purchased Items:[/hr] She was going to die soon anyway, unless she ate something.
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Post by Lex on Jan 26, 2009 16:47:00 GMT -5
Ecl wouldn't dare venture out into the open while the stranger unsheathed his sword. The threat of being attacked over staying hidden without the risk, she would surely stay among the shadows. A landing close to Ecl scared her to death, she would have jumped up and ran to Riku if he hadn't been on the other side of the man in front of her. Her tail bristled as fear clutched her, making her sink down further around the rock. She stayed completely still and silent as she listened intently on what was going on around her. Hearing footsteps grow fainter toward where the man and fire stood, Ecl looked nervously over her rock to see what was happening.
There was some short looking creature covered in fur talking to the stranger! The thought of a cute baby deer popped into Ecl's mind and she let out a little squeal of delight. Regretting it instantly, Ecl covered her mouth and pressed herself at the very base of the rocks though now she couldn't see the two's reaction.
Where Riku hid he couldn't hear the noise off feet landing on rocks over the cracking fire. He heard the man talking to himself and drew his sword, Riku had to hold back a snarl, but at the sight of a new creature approaching he grew instantly anxious for now it could be two on two if a fight broke out.
Even from Riku's distance he could hear Ecl's squeal, he thought she was under attack from yet a third creature and leaped fiercely from his hiding spot. Flying over the two he already knew of, Riku let out a menacing battle cry as he headed for the third who he wouldn't find. Locating Ecl easily by her familiar scent Riku looked around for the attacker. When he found none he looked at Ecl questioningly.
Ever more startled as Riku suddenly appeared quickly to her side Ecl slowly began to understand why he had given them away. "I'm sorry there's no one else around right now." She whispered when Riku looked at her. "Common..." Ecl leaned on Riku as her steps carried her shakily from her hiding spot over to where the other strangers were. "Um..I guess you figured out we were here huh.." Her voice trembled as she searched for the right words. Even with Riku so close she felt extremely nervous and shy around these new people; and afraid they might attack her after seeing Riku's vicious display.
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becca
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Post by becca on Jan 27, 2009 14:03:10 GMT -5
Lily fell silent as a strange noise emanated from somewhere in the darkness. She turned her head sharply in its direction, remembering the unknown scent she had detected earlier; suddenly realising how much stronger it had become. But before she could begin to think of what this meant a dark shape flew over her head and landed behind her with a great cry. Shocked, Lily followed it with her eyes as it walked, first in one direction and then another until it disappeared into the darkness. Straining her eyes Lily thought she could see it peering up at something, though what that something might be, she couldn’t guess.
She didn’t have to wait long to find out; soon the strange beast reappeared from the gloom, this time with another figure leaning over it. Lily stared at the two in amazement, there was no doubt that they were what her keen nose had detected, but she had never seen anything like them before; She had no idea what the beast she had first seen was, perhaps an animal of some kind, while the other seemed to be a girl with a tail, not to mention large cat-like ears and a collar and leash around her neck. Lily watched slightly nervously as the two approached, remembering the first beast’s apparent aggression, but she relaxed as the girl began to speak; there was no aggression in her voice, in fact she sounded terrified.
Unsure of how to react, Lily’s eyes flicked to the man standing by the fire, afraid that he would see the newcomers as a threat and thus chase them all off. She sighed in relief as he sheathed his sword and began to speak, it seemed she was still in with a chance of getting food. She spent a few moments just staring at the ground, wondering how she had ever ended up in such a situation. She barely noticed as the man put out the fire, but her ears picked up as he mentioned the word she’d been waiting for. Her eyes flicked towards the pack and she took a step forward, but then she froze. How much would the strange beings want
Purchased Items:[/hr] Would they mind her getting food first
Purchased Items:[/hr] Part of her told her to just go and eat, but another part told her to be cautious. She took another unsteady step forward then heard the man speak again. She waited till the end of his speech, and then her hunger took hold. She moved quickly forward, eyes on the pack that lay on the floor some metres away. Once she reached it she undid the various chords and fastening, fumbling a little in her haste, and finally pulled out a piece of raw meat. It was not her habit to eat things raw, but her stomach had reached the end of its patience. She swallowed it almost without chewing and then took a piece of bread. Although still hungry she ate no more; she was very aware of the strange beings and made sure to leave a little for them. Instead she backed off, thinking about what the human had said. She had never had company before, apart from her mother, but the idea of travelling with the human appealed to her. Chances were she would be able to get a little free food that way... She chuckled quietly as she realised how much her life revolved around her need for nourishment. “I’d like to come with you to the city” she said quietly. Returning to Holdpass had not been part of her plan, but she would have walked to the end of the world if it meant she could stay with this human.
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Post by Lex on Jan 27, 2009 15:48:56 GMT -5
When the human looking stranger started waving his arms around franticly Riku growled while taking a protective step forward. These strangers were not something he was going to take very lightly, if his only family was threatened he'd risk his life to defend it. This was no different situation, eventually his growl became no more than a soft rumble in his throat. His eyes never left the man, following him intently; the other female creature seemed much less of a threat. She seemed like all she wanted was food.
Ecl put an arm over Riku's back when he took a step forward, she didn't want a fight to start if there didn't need to be one. "We..we have al-already ate Sir.." she stuttered wincing as the man sounded annoyed to her. "And we'd like to tr-travel with you..f-for awhile..." she added. Ecl was still curious as to why this man, and girl now, were in this rocky place so now was her chance to get to know them.
Watching the furry little girl attack the pack Ecl let out a light giggle. "I could have Riku go ahead of us and catch something for you if you like
Purchased Items:[/hr]"[/color] She offered, Ecl liked offering her help whenever she could. Walking quickly after the scary man Ecl let her ears lay back so that she could hear her reply.
Following Ecl with the fur on his hackles raised, Riku continued to stare at the threatening man, though he kept his ears strained behind them for sounds from the female creature behind them.
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becca
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Post by becca on Jan 29, 2009 13:08:03 GMT -5
Lily was instantly glad when the girl declared that she and her strange companion would be travelling with them. It wasn’t that Lily was scared of travelling alone with the man, but given the choice she would rather have more than one person to talk to, particularly if those people would also offer protection from the vicious canyon dwellers that lived in the area. But her real joy came with the announcement that the two had already eaten. “Excellent” she’d muttered to herself, before rushing back to the pack and taking another piece of meat out. Her hunger at last sated, she’d followed the man as he resumed his journey, agreeing with a nod when he’d told them to be quiet, they could all talk later.
The steep bit of track was little challenge for someone with Lily’s climbing skills, and she almost protested when the man switched ledges. She caught herself in time, and scrambled onto the new ledge with little more than a quiet grumble; she had chosen to travel with these three, and she would have to accept that they could not travel as quickly as her, just as she probably couldn’t fight as well as them. Once on the new ledge she decided to scout ahead a little. She ran a short way ahead and gazed about her, trying to see any possible threat by moonlight. The scent of some animal lingered in the air, but the trail was days old and seemed to head away from them. Just as she prepared to head back a slight change in wind direction brought the smell of her travelling companions towards her... And something else. Something was following them in the darkness, something large. It was the same animal who’s trail she had picked up earlier, of that she was sure.
Feeling slightly nervous, Lily jogged back to the safety of the group. She fell into step beside the man and began to recount what she had discovered “Don’t panic” she muttered in a whisper just loud enough for the other two to here “but I think we’re being followed by something”. She turned her head upwards to peer into the gloom, but saw nothing. “I’m not sure what it is but it’s quite a way back.”. She glanced at him, wondering how he’d take the news, “It’s probably just watching us until we leave its territory, it might not attack us at all” This idea was based off the fact that Lily had found its trail earlier, suggesting that it lived here permanently. In truth she had no idea whether or not whatever it was would attack, though the fact that it hadn’t already seemed like a good sign.
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Post by Lex on Jan 29, 2009 14:01:20 GMT -5
Riku leaned down to allow Ecl to climb back on him as the slope made its way suddenly upward. Jumping up easily with a couple beats of his wings Riku followed the group without much difficulty. Looking over to the fur covered girl he watched her go ahead of everyone, then come back with a report. Riku had recognized enough words to know they were being followed. He let out a low growl showing how he was uncomfortable with being stalked.
Ecl nodded at the need for silence, even if talking was all she wanted to do. She would just have to be patient.
Getting back on Riku to go over the steep ledges Ecl looked on at the other girl who went ahead, thinking about how the stranger leading them told her Riku couldn't scout ahead. Yet hearing that they were being followed when she got back made Ecl worry, looking over her shoulder nervously. Ecl always looks on to the worst case scenarios, not knowing what could possibly be following them didn't help. "Oh, what if it's a big scary creature with large teeth and claws coming to eat us
Purchased Items:[/hr]"[/color] She whispered, panicking a bit while she fumbled with her leash, "What will we do
Purchased Items:[/hr]"[/color]
Ecl looked over to the two ahead of her expectingly; her and Riku could just fly away from here to the safety of the sky, but she didn't want to leave yet, she still didn't know anything about anyone.
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becca
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Post by becca on Feb 1, 2009 10:57:04 GMT -5
Lily felt slightly safer on this narrower path, anything very big would have difficulties fighting well here, but what she really wanted to do was scramble up the cliff face and escape the canyon. She didn’t actually know what she would find there, but it had to be better than this frightening place. Every once in a while Lily would stop and check on the pursuer’s scent. It was definitely following and it seemed to be getting steadily closer, though as of yet Lily didn’t know if it had remained on its ledge or if it had moved up onto hers, if it moved up there was no doubt that it meant trouble. She did her best to avoid wondering what the creature could be, with any luck she would never have to know.
After a while Lily stopped thinking about whatever was following her and her companions and started thinking, as she often did, about her stomach. She wasn’t hungry yet, though she would be soon and there wasn’t a lot left in the man’s pack. She began to feel a little guilty for taking so much. She decided that, once they were out of the canyon, she would go hunting and bring the others something to make up for it. Just as she was beginning to relax a distant scrambling sound interrupted her musings. It took her a few moments to realise that the sound was the pursuer climbing onto their ledge, but when she did she had to struggle to stop herself running away as fast as she could. Once she had pulled herself together she gazed at the others and whispered “The thing is definitely following us, I think I just heard it climb up on this ledge”. She stopped then and sniffed the air. “And it’s been getting closer to us”.
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Post by Lex on Feb 1, 2009 20:57:52 GMT -5
While Riku did all the vigorous climbing Ecl drew harmless pictures in air that simply made a light breeze, change its direction, and let it disappear. She repeated these drawing to keep her mind away from thoughts of whatever could be following them. The news about it getting closer and closer, not to mention that it would most likely attack them, didn't help her stay calm. She knew she wasn't going to help anyone by being a stressed out burden though, especially to Riku who was carrying her. Panic claiming starting to claim her once more Ecl tried drawing pictures she knew wouldn't make anything at all. She slid into an ignoring ease again.
As Ecl played with the breezes a whiff of yet another creature went into Riku's nostrils. The fact that he even caught a whiff of it proved it was growing closer. Every passing step the muscles under Riku's spotted pelt grew tenser, this thing was trying to sneak up on them so it probably wasn't friendly.
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