Completed The wilderness awaits.

[Miles]

A sense of awe and wonder passed along Miles' face as he watched the shift. He blinked against the light, determined to remain focused to witness every last detail. Miles likened the fur to Besnik's hair, likened the eyes to Besnik's own. He worked furiously to ensure that this creature would stand out amongst others, that he would never lose the impression he had gained upon seeing the change. As Besnik elongated, it occurred to him that he knew little about Kelvic control- what if he couldn't control himself once he changed? What if he sought flesh in his waking moments? Miles stepped back involuntarily, his thirst for knowledge warring with his common sense.

And just like that, it was over. Of the man who Miles had spoken to there was no sign. In his stead there was a creature he couldn't quite identify. It was a fox, but not quite small and frail as most foxes, it adopted the size and stature of a large dog- big enough to threaten a man, not so big as to overwhelm a troop. He pictured it running free in the wilderness, hunting in the shadows, understanding the vast mysteries of nature. There was a small amount of reverence in his eyes before he attempted to interact.

Miles knelt and grabbed the cloak, folding and tucking it away in his pack. He then took a deep breath and extended a hand, speaking softly. "Besnik? Can you hear me?" He beckoned the creature to him, open arms signifying safety.

[Besnik]

Besnik ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Besnik watched a variety of expressions flicker across Miles’ face in the seconds after the change. There was awe, this possibly being the other man’s first time seeing a Kelvic change forms, which was shortly followed up by wariness. Its cautious flame burnt for a couple of seconds in the human’s eyes, and the Kelvic supposed it was to do with the unknown. After all, like this the two would find it very difficult to communicate. The other may not realise the extent of control a Kelvic had in its true form. Though it tended to vary, the dhole tended to err towards his canine side more even in his human form. As an animal every sense was increased and his stealth multiplied, making it his favoured form by far, and so when necessary to be human he brought forth a lot of those instincts and clung strongly to them. Deep brown eyes kept up a stare with ease as Miles bent down and, luckily for the Kelvic, retrieved the cloak left lying on the floor. Besnik’s gaze turned to watch it being folded away, before lifting to find the other’s eyes still open him. At the soft words uttered, the canine would have laughed if he could. The other seemed so cautious, and wary, of him in this form. Instead, the sound that came out was a strange one from a creature who looked so like a dog. Rather than the deep bark to be expected, a high pitched noise, much like a cross between a yip and the blowing of a whistle, came from between parted maws. A couple more followed, mimicking laughter, before the noise died down and left the forest seeming even quieter than before. When Miles opened his arms, the dhole’s large ears perked and he stood swiftly. An affectionate creature for the most part, he wasn’t one to deny an invitation. He leapt forward in an easy bound, completely forgetting that Miles was still wary of how he would act towards him. Landing directly in front of the crouched man, Besnik’s face rubbed against his left arm in a motion similar to a cat’s greeting, then raised to rub once against his chin in a typical canine greeting. He lifted one paw and placed it against the man’s chest, before using it to lever the other foot off the ground. His back legs remained stood on the dirt, one front paw raised in the air and the other on Miles’ chest for balance. He yipped again, in the whistle like way, before letting loose a slightly deeper bark as his tail wagged slowly. Each action was an attempt to make the other understand that his hearing and understanding was unaffected, that in this form the only full difference was his inability to respond with human words. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ||Besnik|| ||3 years|| ||Kelvic|| ||Bondmate - Valo||

[Miles]

Miles was nearly transported back to childhood when the Kelvic barked. There was a carefree part of him emerged with that sound, something that made him laugh almost instinctually. He patted the Kelvic twice before backing away and standing. "Let's see how quiet you can be." He crouched, signifying he was ready to hunt, and gestured onward. "If you smell anything safe to eat, nuzzle it for me, and I'll store it for myself. Otherwise," Miles picked up a rock and hefted it, making sure it was a good weight. "Maybe I can draw some smaller animals to you so you can take them down. Just save some meat for me to cook eh?"

For now, Miles was content to watch the erratic movements of nature within nature. He wanted to learn everything he could, starting with the tracks that Besnik left. In his position, he noted the shape and size of the Kelvic's paws, as well as the lightness at which the Kelvic stepped- whatever trail the Kelvic left, Miles would catalog for further use. He knew very, very little about hunting, but what better a teacher than the wilderness itself?

Miles reflected a moment on the day's events and what had already been gained. There were a few hours left in the day before he would have to retreat to the safety of closed walls and blankets- a feeling Besnik probably wasn't used to. He took a deep breath and began to walk slowly, letting Besnik take the lead.

[Besnik]

Besnik ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Besnik accepted the pat happily before backing away to give Miles room to move into a crouching position. Got it, he nodded as he turned, tail following his body in a sleek movement as he too prepared to hunt. One red ear turned towards Miles as the man continued to speak, taking in the instructions as his body instinctually lowered to the ground. Smaller animals, he thought to himself, shoulders shifting, now that, I can do. His nose lowered to the ground, Besnik’s head moved in jolted ways across the ground to find a good scent. Considering their limited weapons, attempting to track the doe that had run away would be a mistake; they’d tire themselves out with a low likelihood of even finding the prey, let alone killing it. Large ears twitched back and forth, the only sound being quiet breathing coming from the pair. One could be misled into thinking that they were alone, but the canine knew better. He could detect crossing scent trails of voles and other small rodents that had run through recently, no doubt hiding now amongst the bushes. Birds moved every so often in the canopies above the pair, the falling of a leaf indicating the presence of one who’d misjudged a distance. Brown eyes lifted from the ground, flickering in a blurring movement as an insect buzzed past, going about its work without care for the predators too large to want to bother with it. The Kelvic lifted his vision back to Miles, on his left, as the man spoke once more. I’ll have to control myself, he thought as he lowered his sight back to the forest floor. He knew how aggressive he could get immediately after a hunt, when he decided to eat; he was instinctively very protective over his meals. So long as he backed off as soon as the prey was dead, no accidents would occur. The dhole slowly began to move forwards, mindful of each step he took. His focus shifted to the hunt, weight raised up so that as he moved he seemed to bounce over the dying leaves and branches littering the floor. Every so often a small obstacle, such as a cracking twig, that would alert any prey was in his way. With a small hop he would remove himself from that part of the track, attempting to make as little noise as possible. A short while of moving in this way, not following anything and just moving through the forest in no particular direction, Besnik stopped. His head raised swiftly, whole body moving to a halt so fast that it seemed as though had the movement been faster he would have jolted backwards. Brown eyes moved quickly across the scene, a tension present from his locked legs to his raised shoulders, present over his back and to his straight, raised tail. He could smell rabbits, a warren of them just ahead and slightly to the right. Looking over to Miles, he stared at him to attract attention, before snuffling quietly in the bush. He found was he was looking for and grabbed it between his teeth, withdrawing his head to show Miles. A lock of fur that had been attached to the bush fell from the Kelvic’s mouth, evidence that another animal had been through here recently. Besnik lowered his head and scratched at the dirt, revealing the compact material that wasn’t as loose as the ground to the right or left of them; another clear sign, this one showing that animals frequently went past. Even without a sharp sense of smell, the two small hints would be helpful in knowing that something lived nearby. The Kelvic waited, poised, for Miles to notice and hopefully do something to startle the rabbits into sight. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ||Besnik|| ||3 years|| ||Kelvic|| ||Bondmate - Valo||

[Miles]

Watching the Kelvic move was educational on its own. The way it roamed, how it held its weight, the way it left tracks (which it didn't very much, this tracking thing was much harder than Miles suspected) and of course, the way it crouched when it prowled. Miles tried to strangely copy the Kelvic as it moved, holding much of his weight erect and trying to walk light on his feet, changing direction slightly from time to time, remaining on his toes as he dashed with the Kelvic. He had no real stamina to speak of either, and so lagging back and catching up was a game he pretended he was good at.

The sounds and smells of the wilderness were somewhat alien to him as well, and so at each reaction he saw from Besnik, he tried to register with all his senses, rather than just his eyes. He smelled the air, touched the ground and stilled himself to listen before moving on. Miles didn't know if any of this would stick, but it was an exercise in calming, in melding with nature. He would take lessons at any cost.

It was also apparent how loud he was, how loud humans were in their daily activities. There was no one to talk to, and Miles often found himself imagining comfort at his own voice, wanting to laugh or to talk to Besnik to reassure himself they were both alive and well. It was a silly thing, really- perhaps yet another proof that humans were to removed from the wild. Silence makes Humans nervous- afraid. Another bit of information to remember in his further travels. We break our own silence when we are alone, or feel alone- yet when in groups, we can still be social- hoping that our gestures and expressions are enough to communicate.

Currently, Besnik signified prey was near, and Miles was quick to respond. Holding the rock in his hand, he nodded once to Besnik, and then threw the stone in a low arc to land directly to the right of the bunch, so they would startle toward them, to their left. Miles (once the rock was in the air) ducked behind a tree, eager to see what the Kelvic would do.

[Besnik]

Besnik ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Besnik’s instincts were on full alert, limbs tensing and relaxing repeatedly in anticipation for the hunt. Usually alone, it was exciting for the canine to share a hunt with somebody else. On top of that, they had the element of surprise with the pair of them working together to startle the rabbits out of the safety of their warren. The Kelvic watched as Miles prepared to throw a fairly large rock towards the warren, lowering himself until his stomach almost fully touched the dirt covering the ground. His blunt claws dug into the soil as his weight shifted subtly towards his front, resting mostly upon his paws. Carefully he lifted one front paw and placed it in front of the other, before repeating the action as he slowly made his way towards the group of rabbits. The rock sailed over his head as Miles released it, spurring him into action. The Kelvic sprung forward as a group of rabbits scattered in front of him, eyes wide as adrenaline pushed him the few bounds into the midst of the fleeing animals. His head ducked as he paused, body arched and snarl present on his features. Weight evenly distributed, his brown eyes swivelled until they locked onto one of the running rabbits. With a swift leap the canine landed in front of the rabbit, terrified creature frozen between his paws. A quick grasp on the neck sealed its fate as he swung his head, flinging it towards Miles before instincts could further take over his mind and cause him to start tearing into the carcass. His attention was away from the other man, so he didn’t know whether Miles was also hunting or simply observing. As soon as the rabbit left Besnik’s mouth he launched back into another attack. He darted forward with the stealth of a predator, quick on his paws as his tail balanced him out. The canine jumped at a second rabbit, placing a paw heavily on its stomach as he bit harshly into it. Once sure it was debilitated enough to not escape, he leapt off and swung around to reach for a third. One ran straight past him, a straggler as the rest had mostly escaped, and he dived for it. Clumsiness came along with the need to catch more prey, causing him to stumble and miss out on the creature. It escaped as he tripped, his weight falling against the floor with a force he knew would probably leave a bruise. Standing shakily, adrenaline and the need to hunt still in his system, he shook his head and took off after the rabbit he’d missed. He chased it for a few metres, diving into a nearby bush after it. Face full of dirt as he attempted to follow it down a much too narrow hole, his back legs were still visible from outside the bush, his tail wagging rapidly as he scrabbled against the dirt. The sound of scampering caused him to pull away from trying to reach the long gone rabbit, as another appeared. It had been frightened out of the hole by the sound of him scratching at another entrance to the warren, and Besnik successfully caught a third rabbit with a high pitched sounding bark. Deciding that was enough, despite the almost overwhelming desire to attempt to dig after the rest of the warrens inhabitants, he backed up with the third carcass still in his mouth and looked around for Miles. His eyes looked almost feral as he tried to calm himself down from the thrill of the hunt. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ||Besnik|| ||3 years|| ||Kelvic|| ||Bondmate - Valo||

[Miles]

Miles watched the show with eager anticipation. Besnik was young and full of vigour in the hunt- it was easy to see that the rabbits didn't stand a chance. It was also easy to see the beast rise over the man when blood was around- a fact that Miles tucked safely away in his mind.

Miles collected the carcases one by one, leaving the last kill to be eaten by Besnik. "You earned that one, friend" he said happily as he picked the two others up. "We can divide the rest. These pelts if hurried to a tanner, may make you some money as well. You may do well to hunt in this wilderness for profit, enough to keep a roof over your head and your belly full anyway. It's not a bad trade, hunting." Miles nodded to himself, fully comfortable with talking to a creature that could not talk back.

Miles grabbed a midsize stick and tied the other two rabbits to it, making sure both hung upside down to drain some of the blood. He was aware that the smell of the rabbits blood would leave a trail- but for what, he was not sure. The sun hung low on the horizon- it was time to get back. "I leave for hearth and home, if you can help me find my way back, I will gladly strip some of this meat for you."

Miles let the blood drain a few moments before stopping to look at Besnik, surely basking in his kill. Nature at its best: Miles couldn't help but respect a hunter in its element. Perhaps one day, he would hunt men the same. "I need to learn to be quieter," he mused, "and move with more efficiency." Miles thought of himself crouched and poised to strike against prey- and resolved to possess at least a base understanding of combat, and of the hunt. If anyone would be able to teach him, it would be Besnik. It would have to be.

[Besnik]

Besnik ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Besnik dropped the carcass he held in his mouth on the floor at Miles’ comment, dipping his head to tear into is as the other man moved to collect the other two bodies. He certainly wasn’t one to reject food. His fangs bit into the flesh, a faint grumbling coming from his chest and a slowly wagging tail showing his pleasure at the tang of fresh blood that struck his taste buds. The rabbit was still warm, the meat tender and sweeter to his senses than anything able to be bought at markets. It was only when he was eating, in either form, that Besnik truly found himself as aggressive. He was highly possessive of food, thus only eating when alone or the food had been solely assigned as his. The Kelvic placed one paw on the body as he dug into it, head shaking rapidly as he tore off trips of flesh and swallowed them quickly. He ate fast and was almost half way through the rabbit by the time Miles spoke up again. He kept his eyes on the carcass but his ears perked up, indicating that he was listening. He couldn’t help the possessive growl that slipped from him, quiet but there with an underlying threat, nor could he stop his lip curling up even whilst his teeth were still buried in the body. It was reflex to prove that the meal was his, despite that fact that the other man had no intention of taking it. Brown eyes glanced up, the only part of him that showed him as more than the sly predator he appeared. They said that the eyes were the pathway to the soul; that one had to look another in the eyes to truly tell someone’s intentions. Perhaps that was why the canine felt uncomfortable talking to someone whose eyes were shielded. While Besnik’s whole self appeared to be a snarling animal, his eyes held a deeper intelligence that showed understanding at the words directed to him. The words sunk in and the Kelvic considered them for a moment before going back to the meal. He’d never considered selling what he caught, eating his prey alone unless he was hunting with someone else or getting something as a present for a friend. He had enough money to scrape by, but it was always useful to have more on hand. Unlike the animal world, people had to pay for what they wanted and you could never know what sort of emergency might crop up requiring money. He wasn’t the best hunter in the world by far, but maybe he was skilled enough to make a few more catches and sell the extras. He always had free time on his hands, so it wasn’t like he had anything better to do. The only problem was that he didn’t know where to go to sell the pelts, nor how to skin the rabbits in order to be left with solely that part. His immediate reaction to catching food was eating it, as he’d already proven. Once he was back in his human form he’d have to ask Miles for some instruction in both removing pelts and where to sell them once that was done. Though the sun was low, there was still some time to the day. He didn’t know how long places remained open, but perhaps there was time enough for the other to show him where to go and how to sell the pelts. As Miles set about tying the rabbits up to carry easily, Besnik finished off his meal. He was fairly quiet, only the occasional snarl or snap after tugging at a tough part of meat showing he was still there, and he finished quickly. He backed away from the remains of the kill, no longer interested in them. Birds would pick at thin bits of flesh that he would normally spend a few hours chewing from the bones and smaller animals would carry off inedible parts for their own use in nests or other activities. Besnik had no time to clean off all that could be eaten, but it was of no concern to him. Within nature nothing was wasted. Every remaining part of the rabbit would be used by something. He licked his lips, collecting the stains of blood there and drawing them into his mouth. With a small shake of his head, he looked back over to Miles, expression no longer so feral. Strangely the man was already looking his way, something Besnik hadn’t noticed before. He wondered how long he was being watched, unsure how long he’d taken to finish off the kill. It couldn’t have been long. Now that the hunt was finished, the Kelvic decided it would be better if he were in his human form to actually communicate with Miles. Aware his cloak was in the other’s pack, the dhole bounded over to the man in a few energy filled steps and stood before him, looking up expectantly. He was pretty positive it wouldn’t be appreciated if he changed before the cloak was placed over him. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ||Besnik|| ||3 years|| ||Kelvic|| ||Bondmate - Valo||

[Miles]

The savagery was what stunned him. Miles was used to cooking and eating, the sounds of bones crunching and flesh being torn almost turned his stomach. Almost. He watched the Kelvic as it ate, and the grim reality set in once again: to live meant to take life. This raw truth he could not escape, here in the wild- home in the "safety" of walled towns. Watching Besnik lick the blood from his maw was difficult, but the man managed to keep his face smooth as he forced himself to watch every last detail. The wild in the Kelvic's eyes he had seen in many a cutpurse and a brigand- thugs whose sole purpose was to feed off the ripe lives of the unprotected: wolves feeding off rabbits. Was Miles a wolf?

Besnik intrigued him- how could he hold human form and civilize himself, yet revert and brutalize a creature? Was raw meat his only, true means of satisfaction? Between the two Besniks, the animal seemed right: Besnik's eyes even spoke of his ferocity, though as a man he seemed light hearted and calm. Which was the mask? Which would be shed in dangerous times? Miles could guess- when given the choice to be the hunter or the hunted, a wise man chose the aggressor.

Finishing up tying the rabbits, Miles took Besnik's cloak from his pack and held it up. Now that the hunt was done, Miles gave the creature the option, laying it on the ground before Besnik to see the Kelvic's reaction. Noting that the kill was not entirely obliterated gave Miles some knowledge: a fresh kill is started by the killer, and finished by the scavengers. This was the same in the back allies: when weakened, one not only had to worry about the hunter, but the scavengers- who were often more dangerous. Gaining status in the underworld meant pulling attention from scavengers- those not powerful enough to be outright hunters, those who fed off a man's downfall. The natural world wasn't so different from what he witnessed this day; it gave Miles more resolve to tackle East street.

Miles stood after laying the cloak down and waited for Besnik, asking himself this question over and over in his mind: what made killing men and killing animals different? If there was none, it meant the stronger predator had rights to feed off the weaker- as long as balance was maintained, the law of Nature stood. An unwary rabbit was a dead rabbit, a clumsy hunter was a starving one. So it would be for him: so it would be for Zeltiva.

[Besnik]

Besnik ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The human mindset pulled itself in front of Besnik’s natural canine behaviour, settling in place like a well fitting mask. Deep brown eyes lost the glaze that had overcome them during the hunt, red furred body visibly relaxing as he shook his pelt. The action felt as though he were shaking off his real self, like he would water after going for a swim. Though he was constantly disguised by a personality that wasn’t truly his own, it was how he preferred to live. He hated the feral side of himself and the hyperactive, child like mask was a good cover over the simple yet sometimes frightening canine characteristics which tried to overrule his rational mind. He wanted to be friendly and sociable, to fit in with civilisation rather than be exiled as someone who lacked humanity. Thus he forced his mind to override his instincts the majority of the time, only letting them completely loose during a hunt when it was beneficial to live and act in the moment. The Kelvic’s ears perked as Miles removed his cloak from the pack, glad his intentions had been understood. He stood still as the other man laid the material on the floor, then stepped forwards as Miles stepped back. He lowered his nose, shifting one edge of the cloak a little, before pushing his whole muzzle under it. He nudged it as he lowered his belly to the ground and crawled under it until his nose poked out as the other side. Lifting his head quickly, he managed to position fabric so that it was draped around his shoulders and covered his body. Now that he’d eaten his fill he was ready to shift his form again. It would be very tiring to do so twice in one day but he couldn’t exactly walk into town as a dhole if he planned on selling rabbit pelts. He shut his eyes and tensed his muscles, going through the same change he’d done a short while ago, in reverse. His limbs grew out, tail shortening before disappearing, and fur retracting under his skin. Very quickly he was stood as a man again, a warm smile on his face and plain cloak draped over him. He adjusted the fabric so that he was wearing it properly again, then looked to Miles. “That was a good hunt,” he grinned as he stretched his arms, readjusting to his human form, “We should do it again some time.” He had enjoyed stalking prey with a companion, and with Miles’ help could learn different hunting techniques and work more efficiently. Besnik looked up to the sky, noting the position of the sun, then breathed in through his nose to take in the scents surrounding them. He located the track they’d come by and looked in that direction for a moment, into the trees in the direction of Zeltiva, before facing back to Miles. “I don’t actually think we’re too far away from Zeltiva,” he told the other, “I’d be grateful if you showed me how to strip meat when we get there. I normally just eat it; I’ve never considered selling the pelts before. Could you show me where to go to trade them?” He didn’t know the workings of the city, let alone what one was supposed to do to sell something. The money he had came from doing odd jobs if he found himself in the right situation, but perhaps it would be a good idea to actively start trying to earn something. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ||Besnik|| ||3 years|| ||Kelvic|| ||Bondmate - Valo||