Freyen: Ah yes, boundaries are an olfactory construct. Got it. Therefore, I shall just hold my breath when crossing them.
Ahlai: No--
You can start if you'd like!
Jie
Level 74
Joined: 3/6/2021
Threads: 24
Posts: 650
Posted: 4/9/2023 at 12:30 PM
Post #12
A crisp breeze chilled by the coming winter billows through scarlet, orange, and brown foliage. The buzz of insect's wings and echos in the otherwise stagnant air, devoid of bird song and the other signs of life Ahlai has always associated with the forest.
Dried leaves crunch under her feet as the guardian stalks forward, not bothering to hide her approach. It's not like her intruder bothered to hide theirs.
A robin landing on a twig above her head with news of someone crossing her border - in pursuit no less - was hardly how Ahlai planned to end the day, but whoever assumed that she'd let the offense slide due to the time of day was sorely mistaken. If they've a good explanation, maybe it won't be their last.
Larkian
Level 75
The Tactician
Joined: 5/15/2018
Threads: 105
Posts: 17,021
Posted: 4/9/2023 at 6:29 PM
Post #13
There is someone unwelcome in this forest, and he intends to catch them.
He has been in pursuit for days. His quarry has been here for longer. At first, he had paid little mind to word of a newcomer. The comings and goings of the forest's inhabitants, after all, are of as little consequence to him as the changing of the seasons. But even if he does not act, he still watches and listens, and when whispers and fears began to spread of malevolent intentions, he at last had a reason to give chase.
But this target is...evasive. For the last few days, he has nearly been on their tail. But they must know they're being hunted, for every time he draws closer, they manage to sneak away, slippery as a fish. How exasperating. How exhilarating, too. He is nothing if not endlessly patient, and he is closer than ever, now. And if this hunt leads him deep into unfamiliar territory, then so be it. He's passed through the territory of others several times already on his way, but met little trouble--he doesn't linger nor challenge them, and if not also out of deference, his itinerant reputation precedes him. If he bothers no one, he will generally not be bothered.
But now he stops, tilting his head at the sound of leaves being crushed underfoot. Ah. It seems someone else is here. He hopes that they have the sense not to interrupt him now.
Edited By Larkian on 6/23/2023 at 11:07 PM.
Jie
Level 74
Joined: 3/6/2021
Threads: 24
Posts: 650
Posted: 4/10/2023 at 8:42 PM
Post #14
(Ooh, I love your writing! Also, not Freyen casually throwing shade at Alhai. ;) I don't know if I should expect it to get better or worse now that she's actually confronted him. )
A final rustle and Ahlai emerges from between the branches.
Several quick steps bring her in front of Freyen, shoulders pulled back and head held high. Light from the setting sun limns brown hair and casts dark eyes in shadow. "You trespass on another's land," she says, letting tension turn silence into a weapon. "With what will you excuse yourself?"
A single eyebrow raises before the forest spirit hears cacophony of caws in the distance, head snapping sideways in a moment of distraction. That sounds like an alarm call.
Larkian
Level 75
The Tactician
Joined: 5/15/2018
Threads: 105
Posts: 17,021
Posted: 4/12/2023 at 12:02 AM
Post #15
(Aw, thank you! I love your writing/writing style too :D
Apparently he hates being bothered as much as Ahlai hates trespassers xD At least he keeps the shade mostly to himself, though lol)
So much for not being interrupted, then.
He looks up with a forcefully calm stare, all the while mentally cursing his luck for having tracked the intruders all the way to the territory of what seems to be the one person who would take offense at his presence--and who would interrupt his hunt, no less.
He can only hope that this will be resolved quickly enough that his target does not gain too much ground on him, but there's a dreadful something about the way the other guardian is looking at him that suggests a situation much to the contrary.
Shifting smoothly into his other form so that he can better look Ahlai in the eye, he inclines his head and bows slightly as he raises a hand to slip his mask aside. Upon further consideration, he lets his spear drop into the grass behind him, too--he has little familiarity with whether or not that sort of thing is considered a threat to others, but best to be certain. "I apologize for my intrusion. Although you may not yet have been aware of it, there is an...unwelcome presence in this forest. I took it upon myself to hunt it down, and it seems to have led me within your borders. I...I promise I have no interest in neither your resources nor your land, and certainly not in threatening your people," he adds for good measure, an awkward tug at the collar of his cloak the only outward indication of his growing unease. While he stands here explaining himself, his quarry may well be getting farther by the second, or even already causing havoc without him at their heels. "In fact, if I am correct, you might--" He breaks off abruptly at the distant call. Am I already too late?
Edited By Larkian on 6/23/2023 at 11:08 PM.
Jie
Level 74
Joined: 3/6/2021
Threads: 24
Posts: 650
Posted: 4/13/2023 at 3:32 PM
Post #16
[ Aw, the toxic coworker relationship is already blossoming. It brings tears to me eye :,) ]
The other's body ripples, bending and blending until a masked man stands in front of her. A rack of antlers parts the waves of his hair, and a spear tumbles from his newly-formed fingers. Her own twitch; the impulse to extract judgement is strong.
Instead, she begins to speak, her voice mild. "Perhaps a report would have sufficed? I have many that I would trust with investigating here."
A message heralding the possibility of an intruder would have been treated with respect and have garnered ample support. Ample support that would have been able to accomplish much more than a lone hunter, granted that this one much more accomplished than most. The Hunter, her mind supplies.
"Freyen," Alhai says instead. "Thank you for your help." If he'd cared to inform her ahead of time, they could have worked together. As it is, she will have to finish the manner herself, something she opens her mouth to inform the other of, only to be cut off by an alarm call.
Mouth suddenly dry, she takes off. "This will be finished. Later."
The forest passes by in a blur. It knows Ahlai, and she knows it; the woodland guides her path as she races, dignity forgotten.
Go to Page:
1, 2
Confirm Action
Are you sure you wish to delete this post?
Confirm Action
Are you sure you wish to restore this post?
Confirm Action
Are you sure you wish to report this post?
Go to Top
This Page loaded in 0.010 seconds.
Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Credits | Job Opportunities
