The Forest (With Zerren Verre)

[Marin]

“Ahh! I feel as if that is not such a good idea... I need to eat much like you do, as you might not realize.” Marin glared at the catlike man, giving him an almost evil, cruel look. “Why must I leave? What about yourself taking up all of the land!”

[Zerren Verre]

Things were going smoothly, and even mostly according to the vague plan Zerren had worked out. Keep going like this, oh brave forester, and you’ll be giving me a few meals even sooner than I had hoped. Normally, Zerren would have abandoned the fool to his own devices and gone hunting elsewhere in the forest by this point in the conversation, but this time was different. Every time he imagined that white tail hopping off into the forest, he was annoyed and absorbed all over again. Zerren scowled right back at Marin and even growled at him in mock frustration. Hop hop hop. Mostly mock frustration at any rate. “If I’m in an area of the forest, it's because I am here doing work and feeding myself, not to enjoy the scenic views. And if you were here doing the same thing, like you claim to be, then I wouldn’t have walked up on you staring off the edge of a cliff at Zeltiva!” Zerren threw up his hands, as if giving up on Marin showing any signs of intelligence. Now to bait the trap. “Gods above, I could probably catch more on my own than you can using your bow! For all that you’d catch with the noise you make, I could probably be hunting in the upper mountains and STILL catch more than you!” Now to step back and let the pieces fall where they may. Zerren turned in a huff and began to walk, slowly, back into the forest.

[Marin]

Marin noticed the keen way Zerren said this, toying with him in a way. His slow walk into the trees was a simple dramatic effect, or so thought Marin. The swag that he seemed to have might just be play. “Well then! If this simple challenge is proposed, then let it be so!” Marin yelled after him, probably scaring more game away from this region. Marin started to follow him, and as he did said “Do not walk away! This challenge you created now must be faced!”

[Zerren Verre]

Zerren paused, a grin threatening once more to spread across his face. Well, I'd certainly hate to disappoint the poor fool. "Alright, if you really want me to prove to you that you should just leave hunting to those of us who can actually hunt, let's put down some ground rules." Zerren turned around so he was facing Marin once more. "We will both hunt until sunset, at which point we'll bring everything we've caught back to here. You can only use your bow, I will use nothing except myself. And for the stakes... Hmmm... How about everything that the losing side catches during the competition belongs to the winning side?" Zerren watched Marin carefully, waiting for his reply. Things can still go wrong, but I don't think that they will at this point.

ooc :

Sorry about the lack of formatting. DX I'll get it fixed up when I have the time and connection speed to do so.

[Marin]

"PROVE! HA! What do you expect to be able to catch with those tiny hands of yours!" Marin retorted. "I take the challenge, but I want use of my knife." Marin had a crooked smile, watching the man as he stood. "Be prepared to starve!"

[Zerren Verre]

Zerren considered for a moment before responding. "I should say no, simply because you'd be using two different hunting techniques, but I suppose you could make the same argument about my teeth and claws. Deal." I can almost taste the rabbits now. Quicky, Zerren began to disrobe. "If you aren't back here by the time the sun sets, you forfeit the competition." Anything else? Oh! Of the things to mention that's probably the most important. "Also, game animals ONLY. I don't need you shooting me if we happen to cross paths." As he specified that last rule he stuffed his clothes into a hole in a nearby tree.

[Marin]

"AYE! A wolf now? How must one expect such things!" Well you had better be off, because you shall still lose!" Marin quickly grabbed his bow, remembered the spot the were standing in, and started moving north. OOC : It seems that now we get to the hunting descriptions. YAY! I will have one written soon. and by the way(DIBS ON GOING FIRST!)

[Marin]

As Marin walked north, he began to let the competition cool off. Proving himself has been something he had concerned himself with since his fathers disappearance. The voices of the trees came back to him; Nature seemed to be telling him where to go. The simple whisper of the leaves was like a guiding voice for Marin. I see… Yes…. AH! This way…. The forest made him turn and twist as he made his way up the mountain. Soon enough, the game appeared. The other voices of the forest were active again, for Marin was far enough away from the yelling and crazy frenzy of the challenger. I bet they couldn’t hear me this far…. Marin slowed his gait and waited for a while. Small game soon appeared. Marin stared down two small rabbits as they hopped through the undergrowth, sadly they were too far to get an accurate shot. Only seconds later as Marin was focusing a large rabbit hopped directly in front of Marin. Only 20 feet away. Marin slowly moved, pulling his bow into reach. The movement was fluid, that of a semi-experienced hunter. Marin could hear his father voice in his head as he had ever since his childhood: Yes. Now pull back to your ear. Check. Good. His fathers smooth quiet voice, rolling like the ebb of the bay. Now the release. Smoothe. Quick. NOW! Marin released the string, the bow pulling the arrow forward at speeds unknown. Schkuk! The arrow hit in the center of the bunnies skull. Dead on contact. Now good! That is how you shoot! Marin’s fathers voice continued in his head.“Score: 1” Marin whispered. Marin took the rabbit and headed farther north. Slowly and quietly he would his way around, not too far from the meeting point, but far enough that game was active. OOC : Now its your turn! Hahaha! Lets go a few hunting posts each, and then we can decide when we meet.

[Zerren Verre]

Zerren shouted angrily after Marin as he ran off into the trees. "A panther! I'm a panther you petching..." Zerren let the yell die into silence when he realized that Marin probably couldn't hear him anymore. A lone wolf couldn't hunt half as well as a panther... Though I wouldn't challenge a pack at big game hunting. Luckily, I'm not dealing with a pack, or even a lone wolf, I'm dealing with one loud human with a bow.

Zerren slipped into his panther form and felt the thrill of the power it lent him. What a glorious second skin. Silently, Zerren slipped out into the embrace of the forest, a black shadow sliding easily among the shifting shade of the trees above him. A quick warm up before I get to the real fun... Zerren leapt up into the nearest tree and waited, staring at the ground and straining his ears for the slightest sound. He saw a rabbit stop about fifteen feet away from him and slipped silently back to the forest floor.

Zerren hadn't learned how to hunt from anyone, he learned from his instincts and they served him well. Slowly, too sudden a motion and the rabbit bolts. But not too slowly, the longer the rabbit MIGHT see the threat, the more likely it WILL see the threat. The rabbit was now ten feet away. Nine feet. Eight feet.

The rabbit's ear twitched and Zerren froze, no longer even breathing. One... Two... Three... Four... Five... Go. Zerren crept slowly forward once more, ever vigilant for the slightest hint that the rabbit suspected a threat. Seven feet. Six feet. Five feet. Zerren paused and crouched, knowing that he couldn't afford to spend any more time, the rabbit was starting to get tense.

Zerren leapt trough the air and extended his claws, clearing the remaining distance in less than a second and latching one paw on to the rabbit. Quickly, before the rabbit could cry out and alert any other prey in the area, Zerren swiped once across the rabbit's throat. The half formed squeal cut off, leaving silence hanging like a blanket in the air.

Not a bad sized rabbit, but I can get better. And the last time I saw better was just this morning at a stream about ten chimes north of here. I should even be able to catch a couple more of these fellows while I walk. Zerren traced a vivedly red 'z' into the rabbit's side before he shifted to human form and hung it high in a tree by it's ears. He might lose one or two rabbits to scavengers, but he wasn't overly worried. Shifting back once more into a panther, Zerren dragged his claws along the tree twice before continuing on.

[Marin]

Farther north the air slowly started to get colder. Part of which of course was the fact that the day was aging. Marin noticed the sun. Aye! I had better be quicker… Marin thought to himself. That darn cat better not have any lead on me… A CAT! A DAMN CAT! How could he even go about tricking me into believing that he is a human! Those eyes…. I should have noticed the eyes! They were so strange…. My father always said to stay away from that race… Those Kelvics… “What strange creatures” he always said. Although I never believed him…. I met a nice Kelvic once… It was out hunting! Just like this…. Long ago…. That was sure long ago… He was a cat too! I cant believe that I didn’t recognize the eyes! He shifted as I happened upon him. He froze! I froze too. The simple stare between us… It was like a shared thought…. “He cant hurt me…” He stepped closer, watching me for the slightest movement. He came so close! Then he rubbed his head against my leg. It was like he knew me. Then my father spoke from behind me, and the Kelvic was long gone before even I noticed… What fun times…. Marin was startled out of his retrospective thoughts as a click of a branch was heard in the trees. Game! Marin quietly moved in the direction of the sound. Only moments later Marin was closing on the creature, sneaking through the forest. A large pheasant appeared through the brush, pecking at the ground. Its simple lifestyle was an advantage for Marin and other hunters. Score! Now that is some meat… His fathers bow was in front of him, so quick and quiet it was almost invisible. The rough string tickled Marin’s ear as he pulled on it. His fingers strained with the weight. He could feel his pulse in the tips of his fingers, pulled tight to the string. Ba Buh. Ba Buh. Ba Buh. It was slow and calm. Marin’s eyes focused on the foul, his brain moving fast. Release! The arrow left the bow with a deadly force. Marin could see the arrow hit the bird, and could almost feel the force as it knocked the bird back. It was sickly, as death can be, beautiful. The slow motion stopping of the soul… Marin crept over to the bird and retrieved the body. “Score: 2” Marin whispered. “Yes…."