Forum Thread

Once Nathana had finished checking Vannister's life signs she turned to check on the large wolf only to find a woman in place of the canine. Her lips parted as she was about to speak, but her voice caught in her throat as she was silently shushed. Her yellow eyes flashed when the bird that had tormented her and lead her to Vannister, appeared before her eyes and just as suddenly as it came to be, it vanished. She knelt there motionless attempting to understand what in the Nine Circles just happened. It's a, no, she's the wolf, AND the bird? Is she related to him or just a friend? Or just some random passerby doing something good? Or what if- She jumped as a cold wet nose brushed against her hand making her look down to see Faolan looking up at her. He made a small whimpering sound and the gurgle from her own stomach made it plain. It was dinner time. She strode across the cavern and pulled a couple strips of dried meat from a bag, setting two down for the pup, and chewing at one herself, her mind resuming it's vain attempt to understand the moments that had just passed.

---

Vannister floated in through dark silence, his mind filled with memories of the past. Memories of long lost friends and enemies alike. His musings were interrupted when something pressed against his mind. Another presence, vying for his attention. He could feel emotions flare out wildly from the thing as it thrummed. Images of blood and fire passed between them, corpses layers out in piles. The beast wanted blood. Revenge for the humans crimes. Life in the forest was meaningless to them, so why should their lives be any different? An eye for an eye, a life for a life. Vannister quickly suppressed the thoughts, the beast returning to the lower depths of his mind. He couldn't give in to base urges like that. He was more than an mere animal, killing on instinct! Right? As he drifted upwards towards conciseness, he could feel something ripple up from the beast... laughter.

The evening sun warmed Vannister's face as he blinked awake. A dull ache throbbed at his arm. Glancing down at it, he studied the fresh bandage cleanly wrapped around the wound. He spotted Nathana sitting a little further into the cave, apparently deep in thought. Keeping silent, he studied the girl's slim frame, knowing the true strength it held. She was quite beautiful, for a she-demon, with her ebony hair and caramel tanned skin. Her golden eyes flashed in the sunset light, holding a deep, almost unnerving, concentration. The eyes of a hunter. A vile thought drifted up through his mind, a skin crawling hunger, pleading to be fed. It tore at him, as the beast thrashed at its mental bindings, fighting desperately for freedom. Vannister trembled violently, stunned by the force of the beast's will. He could feel it pulling free, as panic stripped away his defenses. Claws had begun to sprout slowly from his hand, scratching deep lines in the cave floor. "Gods dammit." He muttered as he picked himself up. With as much force as he could muster, he slammed himself to the ground, directly on top of his wounded arm. The pain screamed through his body, as he and the beast both cried out in pain. Through his spotted vision he could see his hand, clenched tight, but normal.

(Finally huh? XD)

---

He's the guardian of the forest, so could she be the spirit of the forest? Well, she could be, I can't exactly rule anything out, but still. And I don't think she's the bird from before, simple mistake, she was a raven, the other bird is smaller. What if she's not the spirit of the forest? What would that make her? Just another someone residing in the woods? I doubt this day could get much weir- Nathana's inner conversation was derailed as she heard Vannister move and say something, but she couldn't catch wh- "What did you do that for?!" She surprised herself by shouting at him after he had dropped himself onto his wound that she had just gotten to stop bleeding. She was almost instantly by his side checking the wrappings as some red spots began to appear through the fabric. "I'm going to have to change these and apply more poultice," She sighed as she got up and moved over to the bowl of paste that had started to dry. She put in a small amount of water to make it more malleable and grabbed an extra bowl to wash the bandages in since she didn't have any extra cloth.

She set both bowls down next to his side as she knelt and asked him to roll onto his non-injured side so she could access the wound. She pulled over a pelt and waited for him to move before she put it under his head. Faolan made her jump as he nosed at her arm again. "Not now little one," She stretched out to grab a bone for him and she tossed it across the cave and as he ran after it he stumbled and fell just as any uncoordinated puppy would. She turned her attentions back to Vannister and once he had moved she began unwrapping the bloody cloths.

---

"Sorry," Vannister muttered. "Didn't have much of a choice..." He declined to elaborate further, hoping she wouldn't question him further. Turning over, he tried to think of something other than the pain. "Thank you, by the way. I don't know if I would have made it if you hadn't come." He sighed. He wasn't altogether comfortable with being saved by a she-devil, but dying was probably a worse option. A flutter of wings jogged him from his moping. The little bird stood staring at him, puffing its feathers up. It strutted up to his face, clearly proud of itself. Vannister chuckled, giving it a little pat with his uninjured hand. He couldn't help but be curious about the birds strange behavior. It was obviously intelligent, enough so to understand requests, and even to display pride in its actions. Were all the birds in the forest like this? Or was it unique among them? At this point it was bordering on sentience! The small creature cooed at his touch, pressing its soft body against his hand.

She listened closely to the distraught hunters ravings. It was hard to ignore him in any case, what with his sobbing and shouting. He was going on and on about a monster in the woods, though his words were incomprehensible. Another patron slammed his drink down. "Out with it man! We can't do nothin if you ain't tellin us what's wrong!" The stern voice seem to shake the distraught man out of his shock. He composed himself for a moment, before continuing. "T-tore Miguel and Abbot to pieces, right in front of me. Thing w-was bigger than a horse, and all stretched out with black skin. And it's eyes! Like great black saucers I tell ya! It was sc-screechin' and wailin' like a damn banshee too! I just barely got a shot off into it; pinned the bastard against a tree. It was just sat there, screamin' at me, clawin' at me bolt. The look it gave me though... I can't get it out of me head! It was just... dead. Like it weren't even a livin thing at all!" The man broke down into a blubbering mess. The woman leaned back in her corner booth, pondering his words. She could certainly smell the blood on him, along with some... other unpleasant scents. This monster sounded interesting though... perhaps it was worthy of a hunt? She pushed herself up, her claws clicking against the hard wood floor. The room fell into a nervous silence as she leaned over the broken man, her cloak billowing around her. "Where did you see this... Monster?"

(So I got a new job that gives me more time for writing and this site. I know I've said it a lot, but I think I'm here for awhile -//^//-)

---

Nathana huffed as she worked. Removing the blood-soaked bandages and replacing them with fresh poultice and clean cloth strips. She froze as she heard the bird come in, and her golden yellow eyes darted over towards the movement before returning them to her hands. "Well, you're welcome," She bit her lip as she got another look at the wound while she wrapped and applied the supplies. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't slam your entire body weight onto this again..." She said in almost a motherly way, but that wasn't how she intended it to come out. She was already the mother to the wolf pup, she didn't need another thing to look after. She knew she'd have to at least change the wrappings again since he wouldn't be able to reach them himself. She tucked the end of the cloth underneath itself to secure it in place, then she took the stained cloths and tossed them to the side of the cave. "You're going to need to rest that for several days," She stood and walked over to a small bowl of water and rinsed her hands off of blood and poultice. "Do you have a place to stay?" After she asked that absentmindedly she realized that of course he'd have a place to stay. "Somewhere out of the elements? Easy to get to?" Perhaps she shouldn't pester? Though it wouldn't bode well if the protector of the forest died from infection or illness...

---

"Well, I won't be able to reach my nest with this arm, but I know of a few wolf dens nearby that should suffice. I'm sure they've been abandoned by this time." He winced as she bandaged his arm again. The bird had hopped closer to the cave entrance, seemingly uneasy about the confined space. He pushed himself up with his good arm, turning to Nathana. Her face was only a few inches from his own, as he studied her golden eyes, searching for... something. "Why are you helping me? It's not as if I've been all that kind to you. And surely it would be better for you if I was gone." His voice held no tones of accusation, only genuine curiosity. It seemed so... unnatural for a she-demon someone, especially when they held a clear threat to her. He suddenly became aware of how close he was to her, her strange reptilian scent setting all his nerves on edge. Such an odd feeling... not necessarily bad, just odd. Blinking, he leaned away slightly, knowing that his dead white eyes tended to unnerve people.

Leaning back into the soft pile of hay, she breathed in deeply, savoring the sweet scent. The cart rumbled slowly along the dusty path, filling the air with the comforting odor of farm life. She stretched out, her cloak folded neatly beside her, letting the sun warm her body. Once he had heard her hunting plan, the old farmer had gladly offered her a ride in his wagon to the distant forest. He was a man of the land, truly a dying breed these day, with friendly, if gruff, voice. What's more, he hadn't even seemed phased by the sight of her "naked" in the hay. "Figured as much." He had chuckled, handing her a hunk of bread and cheese. "Been seeing more and more of your lot around here lately. Don't seem nearly as bad as folk make you out to be though." As they rode on, they made small talk, mostly about the farmers life. Each time he tried to turn the conversation to her, she would avoid the question. It was better that he didn't know about her past.
The oxen didn't seem to be in any hurry, so she would have ample time to plan her hunt. She sighed, pressing deeper into the hay. This was always her favorite part. The calm contrasting with anticipation, her nerves tingling with excitement at the thought of the hunt... true bliss. Her mind flitted through different scenarios, trying to come up with the most effective strategies as her body grew heavy. In only a few moments, she had drifted of to sleep.

---

Nathana had returned to his side and was about to press her hand to his forehead to check for the warmth, but his movement made her freeze. She completely stopped breathing as his sitting up brought him right into her face. After he sat back she realized he had asked a question. How and why did she get so distracted just then? She rationalized it as having someone invade her space simply unnerved her. "Why?" She asked as she slid off her knees and sat on the stone, her legs folded up to her side. "You're the protector of the forest, I doubt the trees and the rest of the inhabitants would be pleased with me if you died." She lived in the forest and quite liked it. Should the plants and animals have reason to hate her she'd need to move, again. She hadn't said if she'd be staying indefinitely or not, and seeing as he hadn't asked she found no need to tell him now. "Besides, if I did let you die, that little bird-friend of yours would likely antagonize me until either I killed it or I left, and I'd rather not do either." A partial smirk had pulled at the corner of her mouth as she added the last bits.

---

Her words sent a warmth through Vannister's body, a bubbly feeling that washed over him. The thought of Nathana and the little bird, locked in fierce combat sent ripples of north across his mind. His face held firm for a moment, before breaking in an uncontainable grin. It was such a foreign action, he knew he must look ridiculous. His needle sharp teeth spread wide probably made comically horrific sight. The image finally broke him, sending him into an uncontrollable giggling fit. It was like a valve had been turned, letting loose 800 years worth of tension, as relief spread through his limbs. He was finally home.

The little bird cocked it's head curiously, confused by the demon's sudden outburst. It watched as he tried, and failed, to compose himself. Was he in pain? Against its better judgment, it hopped closer to the reptile woman. It rapped the stone floor sharply with its beak, squawking at her. She should be helping him surely? Swift movement caught its keen eyes, as the pup nearly caught hold of it. The bird swatted the youngling away with a wing, whirling up into a shrieking fit. Sneezing, the pup quickly recovered from its blow, chasing the feathery thing with glee.

Vannister wiped tears from his eyes, his breath coming in shaky puffs. "I... haven't laughed that hard in... centuries!" He coughed, finally clearing away the last of his laughter. "Oh my. I think I needed that. This place is doing wonders for my temperament..." He glanced at Nathana, the remnants of a smile still playing at his lips. "Today is just full of strange happenings, huh?" Vannister was surprised by how comfortable he felt with This she-demon, having only met her yesterday. He still didn't trust her of course, not in the least, but he imaged that he'd feel a bit bad if he had to kill her now. Perhaps that wasn't a good thing...

---

Nathana watched Vannister's expression as it underwent a complete one-eighty. Her slight smirk transformed into a smile as she chuckled, but it was short lived. "What do you want me to d-" Her question was never finished as she almost fell back over herself as the bird flipped out. She reached out and snatched up Faolan so he wouldn't actually catch the bird. "Shh, shh, we don't eat friends." Her voice was shaking and stuttering from her own laughter. Seeing him go after the avian hit just the right spot. As Vannister settled and finished his fit, she managed a deep breath to settle herself out. "Did you say centuries?" She cocked her head to one side. She'd definitely heard the word right, but he must've been exaggerating. He couldn't be centuries old, could he? She wasn't all that young herself, but, hundreds of years old?

She yelped as Faolan bit her hand and scrambled out of her arms to continue his bird chase. It must be something about the rapid movements that drew his attentions. He wouldn't get the bird since it'd just fly above him so she focused on her hand. The area was already starting to show signs of a bruise, and there were several small puncture wounds that were trickling blood. "Even as pups the jaw strength of a dire wolf is dangerous..." She muttered as she tried to figure out what to do with her hand. Treating it just like Vannister's shoulder, she cleaned it in water, applied leftover poultice, but she was struggling to wrap it in the cloth strips. "Damn it!" She cussed through clenched teeth.

---

Moving quickly to Nathana's side, Vannister clasped her injured hand gently, inspecting the wound. It wasn't too deep, but she would need to keep an eye on it. Dire wolf bite were notorious for growing infected. "Here, let me help you." He moved to grab the bandage with his left arm, but pained stabbed through him with the motion. Now it was his turn to mutter curses, as he cradled his own wounded limb. Without thinking, Vannister leaned forward and opened his mouth, allowing several grey tendrils of flesh to reach out towards the bandage. The tentacles worked swiftly, neatly tying up the wounded hand before retreating into the demons throat. "There we go." He sighed, still holding his throbbing arm. I wave of embarrassment washed over suddenly. He really should have asked permission before he did that, or at least warned her. "S-sorry. Old habit." He rubbed his throat, attempting to quell the writhing feeling that always accompanied that trick. He shifted slightly, sitting down beside Nathana, while mentally berating himself for his lack of self control. Why was his hold slipping all of a sudden? He had remained in complete control of the monster for hundreds of year, but just a few days here seemed to be undoing all his mental strength... He tried to shake the feeling. It must be all the memories here. Things would calm down soon enough. They always did. "I did say centuries by the way. My 899th birthday was just last month actually."

---

Nathana's mind had been running on about what to do about her hand, add in Faolan and the bird, and to say she was flustered was an understatement. Her attention snapped to the contact as Vannister took her hand gently to check it. She grit her jaw as a warmth spread on her face showing as a faint blush. She was far from used to her hand being held that wa- What the hell? Her jaw then fell slack as she watched the tendrils manipulate the bandage before returning from whence they came, her eyes lingering on his throat. Shaking her head she cleared her own throat, the blush more under control. "Thank you, no need to apologize for that," She chuckled and using her non injured hand she rubbed at the back of her head. "I never really bothered to keep track at this point, but I know I'm not quite that aged yet." After she said that she realized it sounded a tad insulting and couldn't fight the blush that returned full force. "Uh, not that you're old or anything but, uh, heh... I'm gonna stop talking for a bit." What is wrong with you Nat? It's simple speaking, you can do that. Just get yourself together. She turned to look past Vannister to where Faolan was playing around with a black feather that had dislodged itself from the bird, his claws making a scritching sound on the stone floor. "What are you doing now you troublemaker?" She asked with a sigh hoping to move on from that flub up and change the subject. Where had the bird gone to anyways?

---

The girls flustered demeanor brought a smirk to Vannister's lips, all but erasing his previous embarrassment. "Didn't anyone ever tell you to respect your elders?" He glanced at the auburn light filtering into the cave, signaling the coming twilight. He had been out longer than he realized. He would need to move quickly if he wanted to reach a den before dark. He did not want to be caught out with an injury... But something stopped him. Perhaps it was his injury, or the monster's strange behavior, but Vannister realized that he didn't want to spend the night alone. Such a foreign feeling... He knew the risk of course. This woman had stirred something in the Hollow, drawing out something feral within it. Some sort of... lust? No, It didn't really have the capacity for that. More like a craving, a thirst, driving it to madness. He knew the dangers of keep such a close proximity to her... and yet... "Do you mind if I stay here for the night? I'm not sure I want to be out alone with this injury."


She knew something was wrong before she even awoke. As she bolted up from the hay, the cart lurched sideways with terrible crunch, ejecting her from the vehicle. She tumbled across the rough trail, hearing the farmer curse loudly. His heavy footsteps moved quickly towards her. "You a'ight miss?" She felt his hand rest gently on her shoulder. "Come on, up you go. Not to fast now." He helped her slowly to her feet, as she shook off her daze. "What... what happened?" Her hand went to her temple, hoping to alleviate the ringing. The farmer snarled towards the cart. "Blasted things axle tore clean in two. Sent you on a right rough ride as it went down. You hurt much?" The ringing was fading slowly, as she took inventory of her aches. Some banged up joints, nothing too serious. A few fairly deep scratches, but she was overdue for a molt anyway. What she was most concerned with was her poor cloak! She felt a large tear along the back, spliting the garment from shoulder to waist. She ran her fingers across the beleaguered fabric, slipping them into other small holes and rips. This wouldn't be an easy repair. "I'm fine. Can't say the same for my cloak though..." She slipped the ruined garb on with a sigh. "So I take it the cart is out of commission?" The man moved to the cart knocking the wheel with his fist. "I'll have to refit the damn thing. New axle, new mounting, hell I may even need to replace the wheels too. She ain't going anywhere for now." She sighed again. Just her luck. Evening was coming as well, the air cooling rapidly. She heard the man mumble something to himself, pulling at the ox's harness. "Here, take Ganny. She may be old, but she's still got some pep and she's used to having a rider. She'll get ya to the edge of the forest before dark." He slapped the animals flank. "And don't worry to much about her. She knows the way home. If you ever get into trouble, ask for Barm back at the tavern." The woman stood silent for a moment, unsure what to say. Never before had a human shown such generosity to her. To offer up one of his most valuable animal's to help a stranger... Such selflessness. Oικογένεια. She reached out. "Give me your hand..." He seemed to hesitate for a moment, before placing his rough hand in hers. "I won't hurt you αδελφός. You have done so much for a stranger. You deserve a gift." She traced her claw across the back of his hand. The man's hand flinched slightly, but quickly relaxed since there was no pain. She drew a small symbol, to L shapes forming a square. "Jera..." she whispered, feeling magic flow from the rune. The farmer gasped, gently touching his hand. "W-what is this?" He stuttered, clearly at a loss for words. "It's Jera." She giggled. "It means Abundance" Smiling, she mounted Gally. "Your crops and animals will grow quick and strong. You won't ever have to worry about disease either." She patted Gally's flank, urging her forward. "And if you ever need something, either food or shelter or protection, just draw that symbol on the ground. Say that Aszil sent you. Mother will help you."

---

Nathana moved to clean up the remains of the bandages and poultice, if only to be moving. "You can stay the night. I'll just move some of the furs for you." She answered as she was trying to sort out how she felt exactly about this new arrangement. She was glad he wouldn't be further injuring himself by trying to find a place to stay, but staying with her? He'd be sleeping on the other side of the cave, and there'd be a fire, a light, between them, that thought comforted her a little. He seemed to not care for it, but she needed the warmth, especially tonight with the chill that was in the air. With her cold blood she needed the external warmth. She took about half of the furs from her pile and moved them across the room and began to lay out the thicker ones on the bottom as a pad and the rest as a blanket. "And to answer your first question, no. No one told me that. My childhood wasn't exactly normal by anyone's standards..." She paused momentarily as if sorting memories and thoughts. "Wisps aren't known for their manners..." Her first memories weren't of her parents or even of a real home, but rather of the small orbs of soft, warm light floating above and around her.

---

Grimacing, Vannister glanced at the woman. Just his luck. Then again, he probably should have expected something like this. Demons rarely had what you would call, "stable childhoods." He new few who were raised by their biological parents, and even fewer who still kept close contact with them. Wisps were a new one for him though. Though he'd never seen them, he had heard many stories of the elusive forest sprites. A traveler lost deep in the woods would spot a soft glow in the distance, leading him onward. Whether the traveler survived his encounter or not depended on who you were talking to, some speaking of malevolent tricksters, others, compassionate guardians. Nobody was ever brave enough to find out for sure.

A soft breeze rustled the leaf canopy near the entrance, cooling his skin. This forest had a healthy colony of dryads deeper in, which sort of explained the lack of Wisps. Fae and Nymphs tended not to get along. Well, to be fair to the Fae, Nymphs didn't really get along with anyone. They were rather territorial, and... well, let's just say they tend to look down on anything that didn't eat it's food raw. Very snobbish. He'd stumbled into one of their nesting sites on his last visit. That had been rather unpleasant. Who would have guessed that they'd be so accurate with rocks? The memory brought out a thin smirk. He turned his thoughts back to the woman rolling out furs for him. He knew all too well the hardships of being raised by strangers, someone who didn't even look like you, who could never understand what you were. Though, in all honesty, being raised by forest spirits sounded a lot worse than incompetent humans. "Sorry. I hope I didn't offend you." He could tell by her face that something was bothering her, though whether it was his comment, or the fact that he was spending the night he wasn't sure. "I'll could sleep somewhere else if you aren't comfortable with me being here. This is your home after all, not mine. It was a bit... inappropriate for me to suggest it in the first place."



Though a bit slow, Gally was a reliable mount, plodding on despite the rugged terrain. They arrived at the edge of the forest just as the last of the sun's warmth drifted lasily beneath the tree line. She could feel the canopy looming over her casting cool shadows across the ground. The dense foliage gave off an aura of mystery, as if the forest itself was some great creature. Aszil paused for a moment, simply feeling her surroundings. This place reminded her so much of home. The thought tugged at her heart, a deep longing welling up inside her. What she wouldn't give to be back in her warm burrow, with a cup of maple tea... She shook her head quickly. No time to be thinking like that. She would return soon enough. But for now, she had work to do. As soon as she dismounted, the ox turned away from the trees. With a final moan it she heard it begin plodding off back down the road, presumably back to her home. Hopefully she would make it back safe.

It was much cooler beneath the trees than Aszil had expected. She could still feel that glow of life, but another feeling was creeping in... An icy chill clinging to the air, warning that strangers were not welcome here. She crept quietly down the soft dirt path, staying alert for any hint of danger. A vile smell filled the air, thick enough to taste, assulting Aszil's senses. Rotten meat. A few step off the path strengthened the oder, quickly leading her to a carcass. Most of the organs had been picked clean by scavengers, but a good portion of the meat remained, left to fester. Aszil wasn't sure what the creature used to be, but it was abnormally large for a deer. Whatever took this thing down was no joke. She moved closer, stomaching the smell in the hopes of gaining a lead in this hunt. And there it was. As scent, masked, but not emliminated. It was faded by now, but it was unmistakably reptilian. Confusion flooded her mind. A reptile? A drake was totally out of the question, but they were nearly unheard of in this region. Most people in this area still thought of them as myth... the darkness was beginning to deepen as the sun sank lower. She needed some shelter. Reaching down to the forest floor, she scratched at the soil, feeling its texture and weight. It wouldn't was great, but it would have to do. Better to have to deal with lose dirt than hungry beasts.

---

Nathana shook her head as she continued moving around the cave, tidying this, organizing that. "You didn't offend me, if anyone should be offended it'd be you... With that age comment... Not really sure what happened there." She was sure. She'd never had someone, anyone, near her for anywhere near this long. Not to mention someone who could kill her just as easily as she drew breath. She wasn't exactly sure how she felt about sharing her home, but as she'd said yes she couldn't back out now. She wouldn't be able to live with herself for that. The wisps taught her to trust her instinct, except that her instinct was all screwy. "Inappropriate? I, uh... I don't really know what," She paused as if trying to find a word. "I don't really know what you mean by that." She wouldn't say she didn't know what the word itself meant. The wisps might've taught her a few things, but word definitions weren't one of them, nor did she learn anything from humans except for what she heard and could figure out from there.

When she pulled herself from her thoughts she moved the pile of dry sticks near to where she'd be laying, a branch with an ember held in her hand. "I know you said you didn't want or need a fire, but I need one with the cold air tonight it'd be, rough..." The ember caught the birch paper quickly and a few small strands of smoke weaved their way into the air signalling the warmth that had been birthed there. Cold. That's what she didn't like. The first year without the wisps went well. She had stayed south and kept warm. When she hit the sea, she had to turn back. Back north. Back into the cold. She'd hide in her various forms in towns until she was discovered. Then she'd move further north. One year, she'd failed to find a village. That was the worst. She luckily managed to find a cave and fell into a hibernation. The first days of having woken up were spent consuming and eating, and consuming more. Anything she could find. Fish, birds, bugs, berries, but no big game. There was none to be found. She spent that summer traveling. She found another sea and stowed away in the depths of the hold. She had plenty of rats to eat, and took only some of the crew rations. It was when the cook found her that things looked up. He found her eating a rat as a lizard, and from then on left some scraps out for her. Something of a pet, but still 'wild'. He offered her a place in his kitchen where she stayed warm, so very warm. It was nice. Nothing lasts forever though. The ship made port and the crew left the ship. The ship needed repairs. She had to move on, and she did. The crackle of the fire reminded her of its hunger, so she put a couple logs in it and settled herself down on her side of the cave, her amber eyes shimmering with the firelight that they reflected.

---

Aszil crept through the shaded undergrowth, placing her steps carefully. She had been hoping to scavenge some meat from the animal carcass she'd found, but alas, the bones had been picked nearly clean. Any flesh left was rapidly putrifying, so she was forced to hunt for herself. Not an easy task with the forest floor so thickly covered in gnarled root, ready to tug at unaware feet. There was something else as well though. The energy in this place seemed... disruptive somehow. Like it was fogging her senses, limiting her reach to only a few meters. It would take some time to adjust to this place and it's alien environment. Once again, the longing for home pulled at her.

Pressing on, Aszil soon found a breif respite from the looming forest. A decent size clearing stretched out, bathed in the warmth of the fading sun. A light breeze blew through, pushing back the drunken mist that filled her mind, if only a bit. She suddenly heard a scuffling near her feet. Without even realizing, she had nearly stepped on a plump rabbit hiding in the brush lining the clearing. The creature made a dash into the open, it's powerful haunches hurling it forward. Aszil instinctively bolted after it, her claws digging deep trenches in the soft earth. The rabbit was fast, unnaturally so. It had covered nearly half the clearing in only a few bounds, but the gap between them was still closing quickly. In a moment of uncertainty, Aszil threw herself forward, diving at the animal. As her body hit the dirt she felt her fingers pierce the rabbits flesh, catching deep in the bone. It's pained screeches echoed across the clearing, as she pulled it up. In a quick motion, she broke the creatures neck, silencing its cries. She pulled her fingers free of the rabbit, surveying the area for nearby predators hoping to steal a meal. The forest was quiet, with only the wind interrupting the stillness. Without a second thought, she tore at her kill, devouring flesh and bone as quickly as she could. In only a few minutes, tattered bits of fur were the last remnants of the rabbit. Blood and gore dripped from her lips, staining the grass below. Not her preferred method, but certainly the most efficient. She cleaned her face as best she could.

Moving to the center of the clearing, Aszil listened once again for any movement beyond the trees. Everything seemed clear still. She scuffed the dirt with her claws, finding it just as loose as within the forest. A sigh of frustration escaped her. It would have to do. At least there was plenty of open space to detect intruders. She crouched low, quickly setting to work. Her finger easily tore away the dirt, roots and stones, digging deeper and deeper. After about fifteen minutes Aszil checked her progress. Around ten feet of tunnel sat between her and the entrance to her "scrape". The tunnel itself was not straight up and down, but more of a low slope downwards, ending in a small empty space. "That should work." Aszil muttered, moving back up to the entrance. She tugged at the excess soil left outside, effectively sealing off the opening. Moving back down the tunnel, she pressed against the wall with her palm, feeling for stuctural flaws. Everything seemed in order. With one last check of the ceiling, Aszil wrapped herself in her tattered cloak and drifted off to sleep.



"Believe me, I've been called a lot worse than old." Vannister chuckled. "And I only meant that I'll leave whenever you want. I don't want you to feel like I'm forcibly intruding." He gave a heavy sigh. "This forest hasn't been my home in a long time after all. You have much more claim to it than I." He watched as the last light of twilight faded, soon replace by dancing firelight. He did his best to look at it, keeping a healthy distance from the flames. "Do your transformations affect your human form? Do you need to control your body temperature like a reptile?" He knew it was probably a rude question, like asking a lady her weight, but he couldn't help being genuinely curious about Nathana's ability. His own transformation seemed far more disconnected from the human side than her's did. Maybe the more instinctual reptile brain was easier to control? Or maybe he was comparing apples to oranges here. In the end, their transformation were vastly different. A faint squealing echoed through the cave from somewhere in the forest. Vannister listened as the noise suddenly cut off. Something out there had caught itself a Hare. Hopefully it stayed far away from their shelter.


(Took me long enough, huh?)

---

Nathana nodded slowly as she understood what he meant. "You don't have to leave, I," She paused having realized something that had been nagging her. "I actually enjoy having someone to talk to..." Her eyes snapped up to the mouth of the cave as the sound of death echoed in the night. She took a few breaths as she returned her gaze and watched the fire, memories of cold, bitter cold, nights seeped into her mind. "They do sometimes, and sometimes I shift in my sleep. One time I shifted and woke up almost frozen because of it... I learned quickly how to build a good strong fire." She reached a hand up and gently ran it along her jaw where a few scales shimmered in the dancing light. "I don't really know why some traces of my changes remain in my human form..." A quiet chuckle passed through her half smile. "I don't really know a lot about my powers other than they're a part of me, and me a part of them." Her hand returned to its previous spot beside her other as her smile faded. "Controlling my temperature is easier in human form since I can just add or remove layers of furs or garments if I have any, but, well, I suppose this is silly, but I worry sometimes that I won't change back all the way and that I'll get..." Her eyes followed a few stray sparks as they flew up from the fire when it spat. "Stuck." She added one last log before pulling a large deer fur over her legs. She hadn't been insulted at all by the question. It seemed to be a very smart question to ask.

---

Vannister nodded gravely. He knew exactly how she felt. Accidental transformations, constantly having to account for the needs of your other half, the struggle to retain your "humanity". He wondered if she too felt the need to hunt. Not like a man hunts, but the strange instinctive craving an animal feels. The desire to chase, to run down prey... it was awful. He could feel his youngest writhe at the thought, eager to taste fresh blood. He too retained traces of his "Shift", though they weren't nearly as noticeable as Nathana's. "I know what you mean..." His voice echoed softly through the cave. "Do your... 'Shifts'... give you any trouble? Do they fight your control?" He gestured aimlessly in the air, trying to word his question correctly. "I don't mean actively work against you... Like, when my emotions are running high, the Hollow tends force it's way out. I don't really think it has a mind of its own of course. It's just an extension of myself after all. But if I don't hunt, if I don't let it out, for long periods of time it gets harder to control." Vannister sighed heavily. "I don't know. I feel like I'm trying to find similarities in our powers that just aren't there." He glanced at her across the fire. "I mean, you're only the second shapeshifter I've ever met... Someone who knows what it's like. People like us just aren't very common." He gazed into the flickering light of the small fire.

---

Nathana listened to him, understanding the majority of what he was asking about. "My "Shift" as you call it, is something like an extension of me, but more of a connection and relation to nature... I can't really describe what it's like... I'm not afraid of my change, and I'm not saying that you're afraid of yours, but you seem to have to keep a constant vigil over it otherwise it would take over... My change, my "Shift", is more like me tapping into something... Something that's within me, but also around me..." Her gaze met his through the tongues of flame that reached into the air and she was quiet for a moment before continuing. "I only hunt when I need to. I feel no urge or desire to take life that doesn't need to be taken. I understand that it's the Hollow that has that want, but," In that moment she realized that she was actually concerned about his well-being. She'd made a friend and wanted to protect and help said friend. She only hoped that Vannister felt the same. They'd known one another for a mere couple days, and already she was attached in some form, but what if he didn't think of her as a friend? Sure he accepted her offer to stay, but what if that was only for the shelter and he didn't enjoy her company? She took a deep breath and shook her head clearing those thoughts, but gasped slightly as she felt a cold wet nose touch her elbow. She smiled as she looked down to Faolan and she smoothed out a spot on the furs next to her. He walked around in a circle on that spot until he felt he had flattened it enough and curled up against her legs.

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