Winter's Game [Amondaris]

(This is a thread from Mizahar's fantasy role play forums. Why don't you register today? This message is not shown when you are logged in. Come roleplay with us, it's fun!)

Encompassing a vast wilderness filled with flora and fauna of immense proportions, the Northern Reaches include all the Talderian Forest north of the Suvan and stretch into the vast permanent tundra and ice fields outside Avanthal.

Winter's Game [Amondaris]

Postby Larina on March 29th, 2011, 4:32 am

Outside of Avanthal. Spring 20, 511 AV.

This one was empty too.

Larina bent over to look at the little animal trap she had set a couple of days earlier. A heap of snow had covered the metal switch and triggered the door to slam shut. But even if it had been snowing straight for the past two days, there was no way it should have built up heavily enough to spring the trap. Larina’s golden eyes darted around the woods looking for the soul who was guilty for making her miss a meal, and she soon found it. The tree next to her was laden with a thick snow which had been formed by Taldera’s endless winter. Some of its topmost branches were suspiciously free from the white powder, and Larina guessed that they must have fallen on her trap.

Her eyes flickered angrily up at the tree, and she muttered, “You did this on purpose, didn’t you?” Sighing, she chided herself for not picking up on the malicious intent of the white birch tree. They could be so hard to read sometimes. Larina reset the trap and tucked it more carefully beneath a small shrub nearby, thinking that this vegetation looked friendlier. That was the second empty cage today, which meant just one thing: it was time to work for her food.

Picking up her backpack, Larina trekked a ways away from where her trap was freshly set so that her scent would not linger any longer than was necessary. In the woods, only the soft crunching of the snow beneath her feet could be heard. And although she had no real love for the cold, Larina found this sound to be quite soothing, albeit rather telltale in terms of giving away her position. She soon came across a tree which had fallen some years ago, yet was slow to decay in this frost. It was as good of a place as any. Larina knelt by the base of its stump and dug out a small hole in the snow, which she tossed her backpack into. Quickly, she yanked off her gloves, boots, pants, and cloak, shivering as she stuffed them into the bag. Giving three short breaths to prepare herself for the freeze, Larina pulled off the rest of her gear in one movement, and before the cold could sink into her skin, she transformed into a maned wolf in a dim glitter of light.

Using her teeth and paws, Larina unceremoniously stuffed her clothing into her backpack and covered it up with snow, trying as best as she could to make it look natural. She inhaled a deep breath of crisp winter air and gave a quiet, but happy yelp; it had been too long since she was last in this body. With a flick of her large ears, Larina bounded off into the forest, making sure to attack any shifty looking pile of snow that dared to give her the stink eye. She sprung herself into a rather large snow bed which had built up on the side of a small hill, landing in the heap with a gentle crunch. It came up all the way to her neck, and Larina furiously began to dig her way back out of the mess. She rolled in the soft powder and snapped up mouthfuls of the cold stuff just for kicks and giggles. It felt good to be on four legs again.

Right, enough of that! What would the neighbors think? she mused, scooping up one last bite of snow for the road. Besides, you’ve got work to do. She sprung from the snow bed, not bothering to shake off any flurries clinging to her fur. They would dull the bright red color of her pelt, and hopefully give her some semblance of camouflage. As unlikely as this actually was, the thought still comforted Larina somewhat as she padded her way to the top of the hill beside her.

Stretching her paws out for the hunt ahead, Larina quickly surveyed the landscape around her. Avanthal to the north, a few jagged mountains to the east, the forest sprawling to the south, and the unknown out in the west. Obviously, going back to Avanthal was not an option, and the west area would be explored in good time, just not now. Twitching her nose, Larina debated between her last options and tried to pick up the smell of good game in either direction. The mountains had the promise of fast moving rivers, which would gather prey. Yet the forests were always safe and teaming with protected life. In truth either place probably had tasty eats for her, and now Larina’s calculating mind just had to make itself up.
Image
User avatar
Larina
A Thread in the Tapestry
 
Posts: 72
Words: 73122
Joined roleplay: March 19th, 2011, 4:14 am
Location: Avanthal
Race: Kelvic
Character sheet

Winter's Game [Amondaris]

Postby Amondaris on March 29th, 2011, 9:26 pm

With the infinite patience of someone well used to the slow process of hunting, Amondaris moved through the woods at a snail's pace, moving as quietly as he was able. Inch by inch, the young warrior crept forward, his glacial blue eyes roving the forest floor for anything worthy of notice. Aside from the usual dusting of white powder that blanketed the woodland, his keen eyes were seeking out tell-tale signs of any animals in the area, both predators and prey, for similar reason. Alerting either category of animal would be detrimental to what he was attempting to achieve, after all. As a man possessed of a deep and abiding respect for nature and the wilderness which he called home, he sought to move through the area without disturbing it's denizens too much. Prey would simply bolt, scurrying legs carrying them away faster than the young mixed blood could follow, and predators, well...He'd had enough of tangling with other beings that hunted for a living. He had come here for a respite from the usual confrontation and violence involved in his day to day activities. Today, he was not hunting. No.

Today, he was exploring!

Often embroiled in the continuous cycle of hunting and resting that formed the largest part of his life, he had little time left for matters not essential to his continued existence. He had set aside for himself a few days for quiet relaxation and peace, a holiday of sorts. Thus, without any planning or forward thinking, he had simply set off moving southwards without any destination or plan of action in mind.
Which is how he now found himself in these particular woods, wandering around at random and content to let his thoughts meander as much as he did himself. Setting his booted foot down with the utmost care and precision, he inched forward, placing the rough, calloused pads of his fingertips against the light bark of a nearby tree. One had to take the utmost of care to move through woodland without alerting everything within a very large radius to one's presence. Surveying the ground ahead of you and planning a route was essential, as was soft steps and gentle movement. It made progress maddeningly slow, but Amondaris was in no hurry to get much of anywhere.

He had been making his way through the forest, flitting from tree to tree like some wintry wraith, clad in his usual stark white attire, when he came across a scene most peculiar. A peculiar breed of wolf appeared to have gone mad.
Slowing to a halt behind the bole of a particularly broad tree, he rested his shoulder against the rough bark and leaned his hooded head ever so carefully around the trunk's bulk, peering at the peculiar creature's antics. A mild frown creased the smooth, pale skin of the young man's brow as he watched the canine frolic about madly, seemingly launching a war upon several hapless mounds of snow. This was, he reflected idly, possibly some of the strangest activity he had seen an animal undertake. Oh, he had seen beasts act odd in his years of tracking and studying them, but they had generally done such out of a sense of play or curiosity. This one just seemed a trifle insane.

Shifting his weight carefully to his left leg, he drew his knee forward and rested his forearm upon it, watching the cavorting wolflike canine for a time. Slowly, a broad, warm smile curved the pale lips that were covered by a length of fur tied about his face, the man's eyes suffused with a tinge of gold. It was, he had decided, the most entertaining thing he had seen in seasons. Stifling an amused grunt as the rust-hued animal dove into a particularly deep bank of snow and promptly erupted from it, only to roll about in the pristine powder, thus covering it's fur in large splotches of white that clung stubbornly to it's coat, Amondaris made his mind up. He had decided to track this delightfully bizarre little creature for as long as he was able and observe it's amusingly odd antics. He had, after all, little else to do for the day.

Covered in his enormous white-furred cloak as he was, and crouched low to the ground, he would be difficult if not impossible for a normal being to spot. For an animal, however, which possessed a keen sense of smell and doubtless superior hearing, it was entirely possible to become alerted to the hulking white shape that stalked them at a relatively safe distance. For all the pains he took to remain silent, after all, he could move through a snow-laden forest without making some noise, and of this he was very much aware.
Still. He had never seen a wolf quite like this one before, with it's rich red coat and peculiarly vulpine features, and it couldn't hurt to follow it until he was caught. With this in mind, he began to creep forward once again, drawing closer to the beast as best he could without alerting it.
Last edited by Amondaris on April 2nd, 2011, 7:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Image

Vengeance , Honour, Strength.

Useless, to deny the flood,
The Rage, the Beast we keep chained within.
With slavering jaws and wicked teeth.
The will that binds, so very thin,
To drown us all in blood,
And choke us all beneath.

-Amondaris.
User avatar
Amondaris
Sword of the North
 
Posts: 121
Words: 130093
Joined roleplay: July 22nd, 2010, 12:09 am
Location: Avanthal
Blog: View Blog (1)
Race: Human, Mixed
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook

Winter's Game [Amondaris]

Postby Larina on March 30th, 2011, 2:05 am

To the south! Yes, Larina’s mind was made up. The forest was always teaming with creatures if you knew where to look. Larger game could be traveling in the woods, leaving a decent amount of paw prints in the snow. These, she would avoid. Dire animals were brutishly large and were half as likely to kill her as be killed. Were she in the business of hunting for profit, the dire creatures would be top on her list as their dried meat could feed a family for weeks. But since she merely wanted to satiate her own hunger, Larina would seek out less aggressive prey. She guessed that most of the smaller animals would have taken up residency below ground to glean as much warmth from the earth as they possibly could. Well, that was just fine. Her long legs were primed for rooting through burrows and dens, assuming that she would be able to find them. Now…if she were a mole, where would she make her home?

A cold breeze blew across the small hill and bit at her nose. She shivered a little and tried not to think about the fact that she only had a top coat of fur and completely was devoid of a fluffy undercoat. But a chill was not the only thing which the wind carried. Instinctively, Larina’s shoulders stiffened, and she dropped her head a few notches. Remaining perfectly still, she honed in her senses to pick up the scent which the breeze wafted in. Digging her claws into the hard soil beneath the snow, Larina realized that there was something else out there. Unconsciously, her fur stood on end and her mane bristled, making her figure appear much larger than it actually was. First the white birch and now this foreigner getting the drop on her? Careless and sloppy. But she could chastise herself later for her mistakes, now was the time for action. Because here she was, standing at the top of a hill like a bright red banner for anyone to gawk at.

Carefully, Larina lowered her body to the ground. Hopefully, the large whites of her ears would blend in with the surrounding freeze, because there was no way she was going to pin them back just to make her frame smaller. Her ears pivoted around, aching to pick up even the smallest of sounds, but there were none. The silence was absolute, which in and of itself was a sign that the creature had surely spotted her. Golden eyes swept the forest below her for anomalies, but the view was stunningly monotonous. A blanket of solid white, which was every now and then punctuated by the brown of a tree, and occasionally merging for form the brilliant color of…brownish white. Wonderful.

But, this was not necessarily a bad thing. Sure, whatever was out there had probably seen her, but it was still close by and quite possibly edible. Wasn’t that what she was out here for anyways? Of course it was! And just think, the whatever it was out there didn’t attack her while she was frolicking away in the snow. Certainly, that’s the reason it came to this bluff in the first place. Some poor soul heard the jubilant melody of a creature playing in the some snow flurries and wished to join in the event. But now it had the awkward realization that the playful snow creature was instead a ferocious maned wolf, hell bent on its own survival. And being a completely delicious squirrel or vole or - Larina mentally paused to savor her next thought - or rabbit, it was in a very precarious situation indeed!

Yes. This is the most logical explanation, Larina thought, affirming her beliefs. The creature must be terrified at the sight of me. I should do it a favor and make its death swift. Resolving herself to find the animal which was probably whimpering under the twigs of some brush, Larina slowly eased herself back down the hillside. Her large paws were splayed against the snow and created a surprisingly quiet crunch with each minute step. With her nose to the ground, she carefully followed the scent into the forest. The helpless little creature was probably watching her every move, waiting for its demise. But Larina knew that as she drew closer to its hiding place, the beastie would make a last ditch effort to flee. They always did. But her merciful jaws would be at the ready to end its panic. Just a little further now…
Image
User avatar
Larina
A Thread in the Tapestry
 
Posts: 72
Words: 73122
Joined roleplay: March 19th, 2011, 4:14 am
Location: Avanthal
Race: Kelvic
Character sheet

Winter's Game [Amondaris]

Postby Amondaris on March 31st, 2011, 7:56 pm

I have no idea what this thing is.

The young hunter's head tilted ponderously to one side as he studied the maned wolf which so boldly stood atop the hill, his lambent blue eyes fading to a soft lilac colour, an outward expression of his curiosity. What a peculiar animal...Beautiful colour, like polished rust, or old blood burnished until it gleamed. He found it to be most pleasing to the eye indeed. Most everything in his usual haunts were somewhat lacking in the vibrancy department, when it came to the animal kingdom, or indeed, anything at all. This richly hued wolf-thing was a pleasant change of pace. Now, if he could just figure out what it was...

Judging from the way the canine surveyed the surrounding areas, regarding the varying directions as if gauging where best to go- A simply preposterous thought, really- he had deduced that it had decent eyesight, at the very least. Not many predatory canines would use sight to search from an elevated area, as if seeking any signs of danger, a meal, or perhaps a den. He really had no idea. Most canines used scent as their primary questing sense, but he had heard of a few breeds that hunted almost entirely by means of site. Perhaps this was one such? A mild frown marred the smooth skin of Amondaris' brow as he turned that particular thought over in his mind. That wouldn't make much sense. This certainly doesn't look tame..Then again, I have heard tales of those giant white dogs that those pale seers are supposed to breed, and they're not all too domestic in appearance, last I heard...
He squinted up at the maned thing as if this act would grant him greater clarity in regards to where it had come from, but alas, 'twas not to be so. Being tame would explain the strange activity earlier. Maybe it belonged to a child that liked to play in the snow? He gave himself a mental shrug, resigning himself to Farren, the exotic animals trader back in Avanthal, when returned. If anyone would know, it would be home. Perhaps it had even escaped from his pens? Which presented to Amondaris a dilemma. Should he let the beast go on it's merry way and potentially be lost to Farren forever, or attempt to bring it back to the man?
While he was mulling over this particularly problematic situation, a stir of motion drew his attention, causing him to refocus upon the maned wolf. He blinked. Where had it gone? It had been right the-Oh. It was moving back down the hill. But why was it slinking to the gro-Oh. Shyke. It had caught his scent. Was it going to try and..Attack him? It could well be feral, at this stage..
Sighing inwardly, he slowly moved his hands to the grips of his grosse messers and with the utmost of care began to slide them out fractionally from their scabbards, just enough to allow for a rapid draw should he be forced to defend himself. Well. I can either stay here and hope it doesn't sniff me out, which, unless it's nose is frozen solid, won't happen..Or I can say hello. A wry smile twisted the pale lips wrapped beneath swathes of fur as he pictured himself walking forward and extending a hand to what was probably a completely wild animal, and saying, "Hi, hello, I'm Amon, let's be friends, Mr.Foxwolf."

He'd been in the wild for far too long. I think I may be going a little bit insane.
Ah, the heck with it. He could use the amusement, and if it attacked him, well..Wouldn't be the first time. Waiting until the wolf-fox-thing drew nearer, he remained as perfectly still as he was able, the rise and fall of his chest the only perceptible motion, and it would be hard to spot, at that. This was a game he had played countless times before. Though never quite like this. Usually he was doing the prowling.
It had come within a few feet of him at this stage, nose low to the ground, doubtless growing eager at the thought of the quivering meal that lay so tantalizingly close now, so close-But Amondaris had other plans in mind.
Rising fluidly and without a sound, the immensely tall hunter stepped out from behind the cover of the tree. The sight that greeted the maned wolfthing would doubtless be an impressive one, at least compared to what it had been expecting to find, were it searching for an easy snack. Towering at a staggering six and a half feet, the warrior was clad entirely in a stark, uniform white, all in studded leather armour. A plate of metal was strapped to his upper torso, the white enamel protecting his chest and back from all but the worst of attack, and twin swords belted to his waist, each almost reaching the length of your typical bastard sword. The finishing touch, and perhaps the most striking thing about the figure, was the sheer amount of fur he wore. It was everywhere. His hands and most of his forearms were swathed in strips of white fur, which were held together by criscrossing ropes of white fabric. A huge cloak of rough, rugged fur hung from his shoulders, enshrouding most of the man's form in a voluminous embrace. Even his facial features were entirely obscured by yet more white fur, a large hood casting a deep shadow which wreathed the upper half of his face in shadow. The lower half, from his nose to his throat also sported white fur, courtesy of what seemed to be some form of wrap or scarf. All in all, quite the odd appearance, giving the man a more bestial cast than a human one.

To offset this rather intimidating appearance, the apparition did something strange.
He waved.
Last edited by Amondaris on April 2nd, 2011, 7:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Image

Vengeance , Honour, Strength.

Useless, to deny the flood,
The Rage, the Beast we keep chained within.
With slavering jaws and wicked teeth.
The will that binds, so very thin,
To drown us all in blood,
And choke us all beneath.

-Amondaris.
User avatar
Amondaris
Sword of the North
 
Posts: 121
Words: 130093
Joined roleplay: July 22nd, 2010, 12:09 am
Location: Avanthal
Blog: View Blog (1)
Race: Human, Mixed
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook

Winter's Game [Amondaris]

Postby Larina on April 1st, 2011, 11:46 pm

A bear. It was a petching polar bear.

The mammoth figure of a dire bear strode out from behind the cover of a tree. Its movement was far quicker and more fluid than any Larina had seen before, and its sudden, terrifying appearance took her completely by surprise. She let out a small cry and jumped away from giant beast, landing stiff-legged in the snow about a foot back from where she had been. Every instinct in Larina’s body told her to run as fast and as far as her thin little legs could carry her, yet she could not move a single inch from her position. It was as if the cold had chosen that moment to snap freeze her muscles so that she stood, completely paralyzed, in front of death itself.

What happened next was, to Larina, completely unfathomable. The bear moved its great claw forward, and Larina readied herself for the incoming blow, the one to strike her down. But it never came. Her luminous eyes watched with pure astonihsment as the beast started to…Impossible. There was no way that beast was actually waving at her. But unless she had spontaneously gained the ability to see visions, that was exactly what it was doing. Wha- …No, she must be already dead. That’s right, killed with the first swipe. And now her oppressor was taunting her from beyond the grave. Having a good little laugh and waving her on as she fades away into nothingness.

That’s about the worst version of the afterlife I have ever thought up, Larina resigned. But she could feel her body, her frantic breathing, her heart as it threatened to break free of her ribcage. She was still very alive, and so was forced to come to grips with the reality that the creature had truly waved at her. Turning her gaze up towards him again, Larina found that her polar bear aggressor was instead a human. Or, at the very least, human-ish. Even when looking directly at his face, she could not discern any of the man’s features; however, the rest of his figure bore a humanoid shape. Though, she could not give an account for the man’s white fur. You know, maybe he does have a bit of polar bear in his blood. From his mother’s side.

A flicker of light caught Larina’s eye and distracted her from any further ruminations. Twin blades lay sheathed and quiet on either side of the man’s waist. Suddenly a light flipped on in her mind. He had been perched behind the tree, completely armed, possibly hunting for game, and had found her. Wolves were not exactly beloved creatures in this region, and killing one would probably been seen as a laudable in the community. And yet the man chose not to collect her pelt or meat, but instead presented himself in the open and extended a greeting. Did he…Know that she was a Kelvic? That might account for his mercy.

In any case, the hunter had spared her life, a sentiment which would not have been shown by any other predator. Banking on the continued grace of the man, Larina pulled one of her legs up to her chest, folded her ears neatly on the top of her skull, and bowed her head to the ground. Coming out of her rather elegant bow, Larina stared directly into the guarded eyes of the man. She needed to speak with him. A hunter who shows restraint towards his prey is worthy of note. And even though the man looked like he spent a good deal of time in these woods, the barking, growling language she would speak would still be gibberish to him.

Larina dared not risk a transformation here. The cold crept into her skin even now, and taking away her layer of fur would be disastrous. That, and Lady Ilahi always mentioned something about “indecency” whenever she morphed into her human state. Silly thing that. But, her clothes were not that far off. With a small flick of her tail, she headed off toward her hidden possessions, every now and again gazing back at the hunter, as if encouraging him to follow along.
Image
User avatar
Larina
A Thread in the Tapestry
 
Posts: 72
Words: 73122
Joined roleplay: March 19th, 2011, 4:14 am
Location: Avanthal
Race: Kelvic
Character sheet

Winter's Game [Amondaris]

Postby Amondaris on April 2nd, 2011, 3:23 pm

He almost immediately regretted his decision to go along with his absurd flight of fancy.

Petch.

The wolf-thing had leapt back, and the young hunter was almost entirely certain it was about to attack him, go for his throat. Why had he done this again? Thinking quickly, he ran through a handful of quick scenarios as to how to react if the beast lunged at him, and most of them were unfavourable, few of them ending with his throat intact.
Shyke. Gritting his teeth, he lowered his fur-strapped hand slowly to rest atop the handle of his sword, preparing to meet the wolf head o-Wait.What?
His brows drew down, knitting together in a puzzled frown. Was it..Afraid? It couldn't be. Yet..It stood stock-still, staring at him as if he was it’s worst fears come to life, manifested before it like some dread incarnation of death. Baffled, he let his hands drop free from his weapons, cocking his head at the little beast as he studied it, trying to make sense of it’s peculiar behaviour. Most wild animals would react in a much different manner than this one had, when presented with a human. The flight or fight instinct would kick in, and for the larger predators, they usually elected to go the route of fight. Raising his hand to rub at his cheek in his usual habitual gesture when thinking, he paused, staring at the furred appendage with sudden clarity. Oh. Oh. Things suddenly made more sense. This wouldn’t, after all, mark the first time he’d been mistaken for an animal of some sort, what with all the fur and how big he was. He almost snorted with laughter at the thought of some wolf mistaking him for another animal. An accurate enough assessment, if he was honest.
His train of thought, however, was interrupted by the animal performing perhaps the most unexpected gesture he could have thought of.
It bowed.

Now, he had been in the wilds for quite a long time now, without human contact, and it was entirely possible he had gone insane. It wouldn't be the first time extreme isolation had taken the wits of from someone. But he felt lucid enough. He was strong enough to survive this long without sitting down for a chat, wasn't he? Then again, sane people were not in the habit of seeing wild animals bowing at them. Perhaps I should be worried.
However. There was one logical explanation for this that did not result in his being insane. Kelvic. Has to be. What else would bow when met with a stranger in the woods? Explains the fear, too.. Duly satisfied with this answer, and that his sanity was intact, he cocked his head to the left as it trotted off, pausing every now and then as if to check he was following. Why doesn’t it just change here, if it wants to talk? It wasn’t like the last Kelvic he had met cared about transforming in front of someone, even if it did result in nudity. He had just given Kilviara his cloak and politely not paid attention to the lack of clothing. Such things did not bother Amondaris overmuch, not any more. Then again, he had only ever met her, so he couldn't exactly bank on his experience with Kelvics being comprehensive. Perhaps most of them were shy, or felt uncomfortable changing in front of others. Who knew?
Shrugging his great shoulders, the furred hunter set off to follow the maned wolf, moving with an oddly graceful, animalistic gait as he stalked through the woods, snow crunching softly beneath his booted feet. Wonder where this is going to get me...I hope this isn’t an ambush.

I hate ambushes.
Image

Vengeance , Honour, Strength.

Useless, to deny the flood,
The Rage, the Beast we keep chained within.
With slavering jaws and wicked teeth.
The will that binds, so very thin,
To drown us all in blood,
And choke us all beneath.

-Amondaris.
User avatar
Amondaris
Sword of the North
 
Posts: 121
Words: 130093
Joined roleplay: July 22nd, 2010, 12:09 am
Location: Avanthal
Blog: View Blog (1)
Race: Human, Mixed
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook

Winter's Game [Amondaris]

Postby Larina on April 3rd, 2011, 6:16 am

It was unnerving. Completely and wholly unnerving. The Kelvic was being followed by someone who, just moment ago, she thought was going to lop off her head and make a fluffy scarf out of her fur.

Well, let’s face it. My coat would make one heckuva beautiful scarf. And probably a nice muff too. Larina inwardly prided herself on the gorgeousness of her coat, but she also shot the hunter a rather dirty look as if he, too, thought she would make a nice muff. Regardless, the steady crunch of the man’s footsteps behind her was disquieting. This was due, in no small part, to the fact that Larina had rarely the chance to lead anyone anywhere. Normally, she would fall rank in file behind others or go off on her own without having to worry about stragglers. So this was unusual territory for her, even if it was just for just a couple of chimes.

Every now and again she would leer back at the bear-man not only to make sure that he was keeping up, but also just to keep an eye on him. Larina had half a mind to dash off ahead and then ambush his furry white hide. Two-timed by the cordial wolf who had just given him such an elegant gesture before. What poetry! But that was just her Kelvic side talking. Her mind had the tendency to stray into violent thoughts while she was a beast. Even so, Larina still reveled in getting a bit of payback against the man who had frightened her so badly that he just might have shortened her life expectancy, which was plenty short as it was. Yes, a slice of humble pie was definitely somewhere in the hunter’s future.

Finally arriving at the fallen tree, Larina swiveled around so to keep a proper watch over the man. With a new quick swipes of her paws, her hidden backpack was free of the snow. Larina shoved her snout around in the bag and yanked out her familiar wool cloak. She gave a deep sigh at the unsavory idea of having to plunge herself again into the cold. Things would be so much easier if the hunter could just know dog speak. Stupid humans. They sneak up on you in the woods and then can’t even understand what you’re saying if you start screaming bloody murder. At least I didn’t have to tear his throat out. He was asking for it, though. Sneaky hunter polar bear man. Larina blinked her glowing eyes, bewildered at her own aggressive thoughts. …Right. I should maybe change now.

With a glimmer of faint light, Larin’a body instantly shifted from its bestial to its human form. And the second she came out of that transition, the cold bit and snapped at her exposed skin. Shuddering violently, Larina snatched up wool cloak and threw it over her shaking shoulders. Why, oh, why did she have to come to the one place on earth where the sun’s rays couldn’t warm a single thing? It was no fur coat, but the thin cloak did take some of the edge off of the freeze. The rest of her things she could put on in a moment, but there was something to be dealt with first.

Trying to quell her trembling, Larina turned her gaze back towards the hunter. She straightened her back and stood to her full height. Though not as impressive as his, it was still significant for a woman, especially since one who had just been slinking around as a wolf. Her untidy hair still held flurries from the snowdrift she had bounded through earlier and hung messily around her face. But her burning eyes commanded the most attention as they were pointed directly at him and currently possessed a muted anger.

“Why did you not try to kill me?”

A simple, blunt question that desperately needed answering. She had been foolish and let her guard down to romp in some snow dust. She had been caught completely off guard by an armed hunter in the woods. By all means, there should really be more blood staining the snowy floor. But there was none.
Image
User avatar
Larina
A Thread in the Tapestry
 
Posts: 72
Words: 73122
Joined roleplay: March 19th, 2011, 4:14 am
Location: Avanthal
Race: Kelvic
Character sheet

Winter's Game [Amondaris]

Postby Amondaris on April 3rd, 2011, 5:38 pm

He had to admit that being led through a forest by a fox-dog was something of a surreal experience. Occasionally the canine would glance back at him, as if to check he was keeping pace. Once, he even thought he caught it giving him, of all things, a dirty look. Impossible, of course. There was no way this was a natural animal. It had to be a Kelvic. One that liked giving strangers dirty looks. Clearly that was normal.
All in all, though, the man handled the situation with admirable equanimity, taking the whole occurrence in stride as if this was but another day in the Talderan wilderness. At least it hadn’t tried to kill him yet. That was always enough to put a spring in his step, even if it might be leading him to his death, and giving him dirty looks.

Eventually, the wolf thing came to a halt near a tree that appeared to have fallen quite some time ago, the cold slowing the inexorable decay as it always did. Everything lingered here. No quick dissipation into oblivion, no hurried rot eager rush to have the corporeal fade to matter indistinguishable from filth. No, things were more...Stately here. Death had a pleasing dignity to it, as if Dira took her time in shepherding along the souls of the departed. However, the hunter did not particularly want to have cause to linger so, not today. He had many things left to accomplish in his life, and it would not do to die before he could complete his business with the world.
First, however, he had to deal with this animal.

He watched impassively as it exhumed a pack from it’s icy tomb beneath a thing layering of snow. He drew the obvious conclusion, having witnessed such. Animals had no need of packs, or indeed anything a pack may happen to contain. Probably clothing. Which means I should turn around rather quickly. Kelvics have a distressing tendency to roam around unclothed. Heeding his own pragmatic advice, he pivoted on his heel and politely faced the other way, his peripheral vision catching the soft glint of light as the Kelvic underwent it’s transformation back to it’s human form. Welll, at least I was right about that much. Now, wonder if it’s a female or male..

Slowly, so as not to startle him, her, whatever it would turn out to be, Amondaris turned back to face the-Pretty girl. Blinking in mild surprise, he raised a hand to rub at his eyes roughly, squinting at Larina’s face as if to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. ..Are all Kelvics attractive women? First Kilviara, now this one? What next, twins? It seemed the Kelvic world was out to cause him no end of distress and embarrassment. Just once, once, he’d like to meet a Kelvic clothed. Was that so much to ask?
Suppressing a despondent sigh, he cocked his head at her as she asked her question. Kill her? Do I really look like that bad? A mild frown marred his formerly smooth brow as he stared at her, eyes twin orbs of icy blue. Eventually, he spoke, his voice rough and hoarse, clearly rusted from lack of use. Yet beneath the hoarseness lay a soft, gentle voice that was surprising in such a large, visually wild person. “Kill you? Why would I kill you?” He lifted his hands and gestured with them dismissively, waving them casually about in the chill air. “I have no reason to kill you. I only kill when I need to eat, or to defend myself. If you had attacked, I would have had reason to kill you.” The immense bulk of the white furred cloak shifted ponderously as the man’s shoulders rose in an indifferent shrug. “You did not attack.I like animals, and I wasn’t hunting today.”
Satisfied that this would be explanation enough for the woman, he bent at the waist, executing a fluid, graceful bow. Straightening, he reached up and grasped his hood, drawing it back and at the same time tugging loose the fur covering his face. With his coverings gone, he proved to be handsome, in a cold, hard sort of way, with long dark hair, skin crisscrossed with dozens of small scars. To offset this intimidating display of old wounds, the man favoured Larina with a small smile, the gesture warm and open, friendly.

“I am Amondaris. I intend you no harm, Lady. Of that, you have my word. Might I ask as to whom you are?”

OOCApologies about this post, trying to write with screaming children just outside is hard work. D:
Image

Vengeance , Honour, Strength.

Useless, to deny the flood,
The Rage, the Beast we keep chained within.
With slavering jaws and wicked teeth.
The will that binds, so very thin,
To drown us all in blood,
And choke us all beneath.

-Amondaris.
User avatar
Amondaris
Sword of the North
 
Posts: 121
Words: 130093
Joined roleplay: July 22nd, 2010, 12:09 am
Location: Avanthal
Blog: View Blog (1)
Race: Human, Mixed
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook

Winter's Game [Amondaris]

Postby Larina on April 5th, 2011, 7:51 pm

Tilting her head slightly, Larina considered the hunter’s surprised reaction to her being a Kelvic. It shouldn’t have been that much of a shock; generally speaking, wild canines don’t bow to their aggressors nor lead them through the woods. The hunter would have known that. He had all the mannerisms and appearance of a one native to the tundra. And why else would he have followed her if he did not assume some kind of human intelligence? …Did he believe her to be some kind of forest spirit? A benevolent specter sent to be his guide and steer his life in a new direction, no doubt.

Well, I just ruined the glamour of that idea. No life changing wood nymph for you, Sir Bearman, she thought with an inward sigh. Larina had rather liked the notion of her being an ethereal forest guide. I could have convinced him to catch me some dinner…And then made me some pie.

Alas! There would be no pie for her! Larina shrugged off the idea and instead listened to the hunter’s explanation for his actions. She bristled. He had called her an animal. She pulled her cloak tightly around her body and unconsciously dug her nails into her skin. Before she has the chance to stop herself, Larina glared up at him and hissed, “I am more than just a beast.”

Alright stop. Take it easy. This was not a slight against her. The hunter had meant nothing with his wording. She had been in her dog body when he came around, and he most likely thought that was her true form. And that was all. Gently, Larina drew her nails out of her arm and softened her gaze. “I-I didn’t mean to…Um,” She felt silly. Even more so since her mind stumbled for adequate Vani words to use. She hadn’t meant to snap at him, especially when he had done nothing wrong. Larina shuffled her feet in the snow and muttered, “I…Never mind.”

Slumping down a little, Larina passively watched the man returned her earlier bow and pulled off some of the furs masking his appearance to reveal his face. Vantha, naturally. His tell-tale eyes gave away his heritage, or at least part of it. The hunter did not exactly fit the bill for one typically found in the icy north. He was taller, by far, and as fair skinned as she was. But, ah. His lineage was blended with the noble polar bear clan; that would account for his different features. Attractive thing, that. Polar bears always seemed so stately! What was more, he even bore a warm smile for her. She felt even sillier now. He had been nothing but welcoming to her, and she had returned his good grace with accusatory questions and snippy attitudes. More than just a beast? Yeah, he’s totally going to buy that one.

Hoping to prove her own hospitality, Larina managed to pull off a small smile at his introduction. Normally, she would have been skeptic as best if a stranger bearing arms like he did told her that they meant no harm. But Larina believed him now. Amondaris had plenty of opportunity to attack her before, and it would make little sense to strike her down now that she was facing him directly. She also wanted to make up for her little outburst, and questioning his motives was no way to do that.

“I am called Larina,” she said with a low nod. “It is a pleasure Sir Amondaris. I did not think I would meet anyone here. So, forgive my…well, um…” She didn’t remember the Vani words for “indecency” or even “nudity.” Giving an apologetic shrug, Larina turned back to her bag and rummaged through its contents for the rest of her clothes. While Amondaris did not seem particularly perturbed by her nakedness, Larina had spent enough time among humans to abide by their customary sense of decorum. This, and her feet were bitterly cold in the snow. She donned her gear quickly and quietly, relishing the heat that each new layer trapped.

As she drew her cloak back across her shoulders, Larina gave a happy sigh and turned back to her guest, more at ease to talk in her comfortable warmth. “You said that you were not hunting. Then…What were you doing here?” She couldn’t fathom why anyone would actually choose to brave these frozen wastes if not to catch game. Not if they had a cozy home or bed they could rather be in. “Do you live out here? Alone?”
Image
User avatar
Larina
A Thread in the Tapestry
 
Posts: 72
Words: 73122
Joined roleplay: March 19th, 2011, 4:14 am
Location: Avanthal
Race: Kelvic
Character sheet

Winter's Game [Amondaris]

Postby Amondaris on April 9th, 2011, 3:08 pm

Ah. He had offended her somehow. Had he really called her a beast? A mild frown creased the pale skin of his brow. No, he was sure he hadn't. He might be sorely lacking in experience when it came to social situations, but he wasn't an idiot. Turning over what he had said in his mind, he attempted to pinpoint what exactly he had said to aggravate her. Probably the "I like animals" part..Surely she was wise enough to realise that he meant when he had been unaware of the fact that she was a Kelvic? Females, no matter the species, were odd creatures it seemed. Always so eager to take offense at the most harmless comment. It made for mildly distressing conversation.

His head tilted to one side gently as she spoke once more. Shee seemed to have lost a touch of the anger he had caused, judging from the softening of her expression and tone. Well, that was good. Perhaps she was just snapping because of the fright he had given eher. He couldn't really begrudge her the brief flare of temper. He had effectively ambushed her, after all, coming out of nowhere like that. She was likely test from being startled, that's all. Probably. One never knew with women. At least she smiled. That was always nice. And it did make her already comely appearance all the more pleasing to the eye. No complaints here..

It was a testament to the immensity of his willpower, or perhaps his deeply ingrained sense of propriety and manners that his gaze was kept rather firmly above the neckline. No wander gaze from this man. He even politely turned away once more as she began to don the rest of her clothing. Suffice to say, his courteous and formal manner of comporting himself was very much at odds with the wild, almost feral appearance his attire gave him.

His musical, peculiarly soft baritone permeated the area as he spoke. "The pleasure is mine, Lady Larina. You have a beautiful name, by the way." He may have been a halfbreed, but he was still partly Vantha. He could greatly appreciated words that were both pleasing to the ear and sweet on the tongue. "I did not exactly anticipate encountering anyone here, either, so we were both equally surprised, I should think." Over his shoulder, he gave a dismissive, affable wave of one of his large hands as he spoke. "Don't worry about it. This isn't the first time I have encountered a female Kelvic unexpectedly in the wilderness. One tends to grow accustomed to the, ah..Accompanying nudity. Somehow."

The rustling whispering that accompanied the donning of clothing now ceased, he turned back to her as she began to speak again. In response, his large shoulders rolled upwards in a slow, easy shrug. "No, I don't live here. I hail from Avanthal, though I spend a great deal of time outside in the tundra. I'm just on a small holiday of sorts. I like to explore." A simple, endearingly honest smile accompanied this statement, the man's eyes shifting to a warm honeyed hue. There seemed to be a definite lack of guile to this man.
He cocked an eyebrow and waved a fur-strapped hand at her languidly as he asked his own questions, "What about you, Lady? Are you traveling to Avanthal? Forgive me, but you don't particularly look all that much like a native."

Image

Vengeance , Honour, Strength.

Useless, to deny the flood,
The Rage, the Beast we keep chained within.
With slavering jaws and wicked teeth.
The will that binds, so very thin,
To drown us all in blood,
And choke us all beneath.

-Amondaris.
User avatar
Amondaris
Sword of the North
 
Posts: 121
Words: 130093
Joined roleplay: July 22nd, 2010, 12:09 am
Location: Avanthal
Blog: View Blog (1)
Race: Human, Mixed
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook

Next

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests