Completed The wilderness awaits.

[Miles]

29th of Winter 512 AV

The Winter morning found Miles well away from the safety of his warm bed and out into the wooded wilderness that surrounds the city of Academia, Zeltiva. Upon the season change, Miles had let his cabinets thin too far, and hadn't the money to waste on provisions a few hours of work could grant him.

He strode confidently into the wilderness, a handful of rations to serve both as sustenance until he was able to find the provisions to bring home, and as a guide to know what nuts to look for, what berries to pick and the like. He meant to learn more on cooking and wilderness survival, he really had- and maybe during school he would be able to take a course on local herbs and spices to lighten up the gruel he forced down his throat every day.

He could just get a job...

Miles squashed that thought as he foraged- no way he was going to spend his days in some musty old workroom.. not when there was so much to learn about the world. He surveyed the trees closely, looking for the bark he and Abraham would boil in stews, as well as scanning the ground for edible nuts and berries. Miles did not expect this to go speedily, and so he set his mind for a long day.

That's when he saw it.

It was a few yards out, standing in silence. A deer. She was beautiful and innocent, poised to take flight through the woods at any moment. She lowered her head and took a casual sniff at the underbrush. Miles instantly tensed. Her meat could feed him for ages to come, and to stalk her would be much more difficult than anything he could find to do in the city. The landscape held much more pitfalls and noisemakers than the city, and so he was careful to watch for twigs to step on, leaves that would crumble under his feet, roots to snare his boot and the like. He kept low to the ground and pocketed his rations, determined to follow the doe for as long as he could. He kept a considerable distance out of fear of discovery. Miles delighted in the chase, his heart pounded as he desperately tried to control his muscles and his breathing.

Miles and the doe moved as one, Miles a yard slowly but surely advancing, darting from shadow to shadow. Miles began to develop an admiration for the animal, and did not wish it dead. It was a companion, like he- defenseless in an oppressive world, relying on instincts, speed and cunning to stay alive. Miles watched and learned- the way the doe moved in bursts as not to tire, and always ready to change course. It never moved in a straight line, always looping, making long arcs to sample food here, to rest there. Miles began to tire after an hour of close watch, and settled to rest in a small copse of trees. There he would refocus, and maybe get to the task of the day. The morning was beginning to heat into the afternoon, and he intended to be back in town before that heat faded into the chill of night. Pulling out a small portion of his rationed food, he settled to eat.

[Besnik]

Besnik ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The smell of food drew in the Kelvic. The red haired man had been moving through the forest surrounding Zeltiva for a short while, dressed with only a loose fabric cloak wrapped around himself. His original plan had been to find somewhere to place the item of clothing, before changing into his preferred form and finding something to eat. However, as always a new scent would bring new discoveries and the ever inquisitive man was drawn in a different direction to where he’d been heading. He trudged across the cold ground with bare feet, shivering slightly but putting up with it. Once he’d settled his mind by finding out who the mingling scents belonged to he’d switch to the fluffy dhole form and immediately be much warmer. His movements through the woods were much like that of an animal, exaggerated now that he was within similar environments to where he’d grown up. He seemed to scamper along the floor, belonging within the forest as much as the other animals. He followed the smell until it connected with a more interesting one; deer. He was rarely able to catch one himself, unless it was young or injured, but it certainly made a good meal when he managed to. He licked his lips, tongue gliding over elongated fangs that jutted out slightly more than the average human’s, and wide brown eyes shone with excitement. Besnik moved stealthily, aware now that potential prey was in the area. He almost gave up finding the source of the original scent in favour for the thought of food, until he spotted the one he had been trailing. Settled within a small copse, back to the Kelvic, was a man and, judging from the smell his sensitive nose picked up, he was eating something. The man’s eyes quickly flickered to the doe a short distance away, picking her way calmly at the shrubs. Clearly the stranger had been there some time, observing and allowing the prey animal to adjust to his presence. Slowly and approaching on careful footing, the man with hair almost too animalistic for a human form made it so that he was stood slightly beside the other, but behind. One eye on the doe, but his main focus on the stranger, he leant back against a tree carefully so as to remain quiet. He wore a friendly grin, with a cheeky hint, and his eyes spoke volumes of great adventures and games both done and still to be conquered. “Ho, my friend,” he greeted in a hushed voice, “What would bring you all the way out here?” Humans seemed to prefer sticking to within Zeltivan confines, where safety was pretty much guaranteed and there was plenty of food for sale. He could be wrong, and the man could be some other race in disguise such as himself, yet it was still rare that he found another sentient being when he went to hunt within the forest. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ||Besnik|| ||3 years|| ||Kelvic|| ||Bondmate - Valo||

[Miles]

"SWEET LORD ON HIGH!"

Miles nearly jumped out of his skin. He tumbled backward and hit his head on an upturned root, yelping in pain. Miles Naal Muround- master theif. He furiously rubbed his head and beheld the source of his embarassment. "How, how did you?" It occoured to him then that this man could be a killer, with appearing seemingly out of nowhere and all. Miles hastily got to his feet, stumbilng a bit toward the man and catching himself. Confidence. He needed to regain control.

He took a deep breath and surveyed the man. He seemed decent enough, no murder in his gaze, a youthful glint to his eyes. Maybe he could salvage his life out of the situation. "Oh, thank goodness! I'm glad you're here." He edged closer to the man and went to pat him on the back. Miles locked eyes with him- an open man would take unthreatening contact, however a closed off man is a dangerous man. Miles watched him carefully as he stated. "I'm slowly but surely starving to death, as it would be- this forest isn't suited for me. I came out here for some knowledge of it, some hunting, some foraging... but I am just a man, and a badly trained one. Do you live out here?" That hand rested on his back now- it was his move..

[Besnik]

Besnik ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Besnik jumped as the man yelled out, stumbling over backwards and disturbing the peace in the small area. The man had frightened him, though evidently not as much as he had frightened the other. A bubble of laughter came from the man’s chest as the sight of the stranger sprawled out on the floor and he had to raise a hand to cover his mouth as the sound refused to stop coming. As the man finally got to his feet, the Kelvic managed to calm himself down, though the situation was still highly amusing. Normally he would pull pranks to get reactions like this, yet he hadn’t expected the other to not notice him at all despite efforts to remain quiet for the sake of keeping the doe around. The Kelvic swivelled his head to where she had been grazing peacefully, not surprised to see that she’d sprung off in fear of the men she hadn’t noticed before. He grimaced at the thought of using even more effort to find her again, though with his strong sense of smell it shouldn’t be too hard. It was simply a matter of how far the prey had run in efforts to escape from a possible threat. I’m glad you’re here. Besnik tilted his head as his deep brown eyes settled back on the stranger, confusion evident on his face. The other moved closer, though seeing no threat the dhole stayed standing where he was, back no longer resting on the tree after his laughing fit. He listened to the other ramble on; clearly he was thinking on his feet, trying to come up with an excuse to put him in Besnik’s good books. The canine found it highly amusing to be even be considered a minor threat, given that he was one of the most open and friendliest people around. Besnik’s eyes warmed as the other patted him on the back. Either he was doing it in a friendly gesture to test the waters with a stranger, or knew the redhead was a Kelvic and thus gave in to kind touches. The first option was probably most likely, for despite the slightly sharp teeth hidden within his mouth and hair an array of reds with hues of different browns peeking through, he appeared to be an ordinary man. Given the stranger’s friendly greeting, and attempt to make peace despite not knowing the personality of the one he just met, Besnik put on his warmest smile as he answered. “I don’t live here, no, but I used to spend a lot of time travelling through forests on my own,” he responded with a nod, “Perhaps I could teach you some of the things I know with tracking, though I’m not sure I could help with the actual hunting side of things.” He didn’t reveal his race, at least not yet, knowing many people were biased against Kelvics and saw them as pets or servants, one of the reasons he had avoided civilisation for so long. However, other than Valo he only knew a few other people and had nobody he was very close to. If he was to settle in Zeltiva he’d at least like to know a few people, and somebody he met in the forest seemed a good enough place to start. Besides, he couldn’t say no to somebody asking for help. “My name’s Besnik by the way,” he offered, reaching out a hand to shake in greeting as he had learnt was customary for people. It seemed strange to him, yet he supposed a lot of the ways of canines were strange to them if his bondmate’s reactions were anything to go by. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ||Besnik|| ||3 years|| ||Kelvic|| ||Bondmate - Valo||

[Miles]

Miles warily began to accept the man, using his free hand to complete the handshake. "MIles. Miles Muround. Help?" He looked around at his surroundings, realizing a terribly important fact. "I'll be needing two helpings of that- you see, I think I've lost the way back to the city.." There was still daylight to burn, and he hadn't gathered enough to see him through the season. "I'd love to track, I love the joy of the chase, the silence of the wild. But in terms of help, I also need to scare up some berries, nuts, such things..." He pulled the rest of his rationed food from his pouch, most of which was nuts and berries. Miles proudly showed it off, stating "I figured I could find some of these and stash them away.. running low on food and Gold." It was apparent Miles hadn't much experience in the wilderness, and was growing more confident his position as his human interaction continued.

"So what brings you all the way out here?" Miles hastily cleaned up after himself, spreading leaves around in a completely useless way trying to 'cover tracks'. He pretended he knew exactly what he was doing as he spoke, throwing bits of dirt here and there: "Lets walk while we talk.. maybe you can point out some edible things? "

[Besnik]

Besnik ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Besnik felt relieved as the handshake was accepted, a clear sign that they could be on good terms if the rest of their conversation went well. He was itching to switch forms, for thick fur to replace skin and four paws to replace the two limbs he walked on now. He always found his human form harder to adjust to, shaking slightly when he walked and preferring skittish movements to normal striding. It was most noticeable after the change, when his mind was still very much in an animal state. Luckily he hadn’t changed for a little while now, meaning that the fumbles of hands when they tried to grip and shaking of his legs weren’t so obvious. He only hoped the other man didn’t bring it up. “Good to meet you Miles,” his voice was gentle, with the silky quality to it one would feel when running hands through his fur, and his eyes were both warm and friendly. He chuckled, looking back in the direction of the city before turning to the other man, “Well, I couldn’t leave you stranded out here now, could I?” He listened as the other continued to speak, growing more confidant now that the shock of being startled had disappeared. “No worries,” he nodded, “I don’t know as much about berries and nuts as I do about fresh prey animals or tracking, but I’m sure I could help you out. However, in exchange I’d appreciate your help catching something with meat on it if you have the right weapons with you; I don’t have any on me, you see.” If the other had noticed Besnik’s state of dress, with only a loose cloak wrapped around his otherwise bare body, he hadn’t said anything about it. He was glad about this, for though he usually wouldn’t hide his race, he still hadn’t fully judged the other yet and wasn’t so sure about the reaction he’d be met with once it was found out he was a Kelvic. Since his plan had been to catch a rabbit or two in his dhole form, and extra things means more loss if he couldn’t find his hiding place for them, there had been no need to bring any hunting equipment with him. In fact, he doubted they’d have much of any use between him and the artist he often borrowed things from. At Miles’ suggestion, the canine nodded and began to walk. He headed in the direction the doe had fled, her scent still fresh enough for him to pick up in his human form with the slightly heightened senses he possessed. He picked his way carefully over brambles when they presented themselves, all to aware of how fragile the bare skin on his feet was. “What am I doing out here? I’m hunting, of course,” he grinned, looking at the other before back to the trail, “Oh! Isn’t that like one of the berries you already have?” He pointed to within a dense bush, covered in red berries. He recognised them as having a sweet taste, but didn’t know their name. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ||Besnik|| ||3 years|| ||Kelvic|| ||Bondmate - Valo||

[Miles]

It was strange. Miles' hand lay on Besnik's back, and beyond the cloak, he felt nothing. No padding of cloth, no taunt leather armor- it was as if the man wore nothing at all under that thing. Surely not. His perceptions didn't lie however- they pointed out another interesting fact: the man stated he was hunting like MIles. This would have been fine, however there was no weapon about the man. No clothes in Winter, no weapon to hunt with, a need for "meat"...

"Er.. I have but a cooking knife.. " Miles feigned checking himself for a weapon he knew wasn't there. Stopping the saunter, he stood strait and eyed the man openly. "How do you normally catch prey?" There was no disdain in his voice- there was a flatness that spoke of honesty. MIles would not mince words with him- either he was a crazy man, which meant Miles would exit quickly, or he was not human, in which case he was intrigued. He knew a little about races outside of his own, this was Zeltiva and all- however he had never had a friend who wasn't human, and who didn't automatically turn into his enemy once some things turned up missing.

This, was an opportunity to learn. The more he learned about his body's limits the better. Miles then began to look at the man's hair and teeth questioningly. No fear shown in his eyes as he awaited Besnik's answer.

[Besnik]

Besnik ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Besnik continued walking at a steady enough pace, Miles behind him. He could hear the man ruffling with the fabric covering him, probably touching the cooking knife he had mentioned. Well, Besnik’s plan to try and trick Miles into believing he was human seemed to slowly be falling apart piece by piece. A cooking knife wouldn’t do well for hunting, considering the effort needed to skin even a rabbit with such a blade. Although the man preferred his claws and teeth to blades, the clean cut made by natural means so much more satisfying after a good chase, he knew a little about the utensils men used as substitute. He felt Miles stop before hearing the footsteps cease, acute senses able to hone in on the way the other man breathed and the sounds of rustling cloth as his pace changed, slowly almost immediately to a halt. Wondering why he had stopped, the red headed Kelvic turned as Miles’ next words met his ears. How do you normally catch prey? Besnik took in the other’s expression. It was not cruel, holding an air of superiority, nor was there a sneer present as though a dark secret had been found it; it was instead rather a plain expression, one that jumped to no conclusions but gave no leeway in its want of an honest answer. Honest by nature, the Kelvic would not give a false answer. He had only been attempting to associate with the other races properly for nineteen days, since his meeting with Valo, and so far there had been mixed reactions to him. That was to be expected, of course. Some treated him like a pet, offering him food which despite feeling irritation he wouldn’t say no to. Others saw him as a child, speaking to him in a voice that made him feel inferior, whilst a few saw him as scum and their voices contained tones that told him he was inferior. Rare were those who treated him as they would another human, probably due to his animalistic view on the world, and a couple would take the opportunity to learn from him. Those that fell into the last category he would gain the most from, being treated as different but not unequal and given the chance to learn more about humans worked as they learnt about him. “I kill with claws or teeth,” he answered with a truthful smile, brown eyes still warm and unaffected by such a simple view on killing animals. The response may have seemed blunt, but it was sincere. His eyes dropped to Miles’ hands, then skimmed his waistline, before returning to his eyes, “I think you were mistaken about the knife; I don’t see one around.” Taken in the wrong way, the words could seem like a threat, but that depended on the person listening to them. Besnik meant no harm, merely stating a fact, and his gentle smile remained on his face throughout the conversation. He was hoping to make a good impression, for when the other realised he was a Kelvic there was a very real possibility that the meeting would turn hostile. The friendly canine hoped it wouldn’t come to that. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ||Besnik|| ||3 years|| ||Kelvic|| ||Bondmate - Valo||

[Miles]

"I have one in my pack-" Miles stated without hesitation. "But it would not be as effective as you are. Hunt in your way, I do not persecute you or any. The only object of my disdain is a fool with too much money." He let a chuckle slip at that, a moment of mirth amongst gravestones. He began to prepare his mind for quick action, in case the beast took Besnik and attacked him. Miles stepped back and prepared for him to change- considering the temperature, it must be agonizing for Kelvic in this form. "Go ahead, I will not stop you."

Miles noted to himself every detail of Besnik's visage, hoping to categorize him well enough to notice unique traits of the being in animal form. Miles noted the colour of hair, the teeth, the slant of the man's jaw and the like- ensuring that in either form Besnik would be recognized. "This means you can smell and hunt better than I can. Perhaps then we can arrange- teach me the ways of the quiet hunter, and I will help you in the city however you wish." Miles had learned today that hunting animals on instinct was much more treacherous than following humans from bars, and lo and behold a guide appeared to assist him in both. If he could learn from the Kelvic, perhaps he could work harder at mastering his body. With his body mastered, only the Djed would remain...

He smiled at the thought- Besnik would be useful indeed.

[Besnik]

Besnik ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Besnik nodded his head, accepting the answer regarding the knife without doubt, believing there was no reason for Miles to lie. He was still wary, and a little on edge, not knowing yet how the man would react to what he really was. When he spoke his next words, the Kelvic visibly relaxed, glad the other man had accepted what he was without apprehension. As Miles chuckled, so did Besnik; a short bark of a laugh that released the small build up of tension that had been growing within him. “A fool with too much money I certainly am not,” he smiled, “I have what I need to look after myself, but even if I had more money there would be no use for it. I have no permanent home right now, so there’s no need for me to hoard money to save for anything.” A small breeze was all it took for the Kelvic to break out shivering, the thin fabric cloak doing nothing to protect him from the elements. Glad that Miles seemed almost eager for him to switch forms, Besnik nodded with another smile. “If you wouldn’t mind carrying my cloak in your pack as we hunt, I’d be thankful; people within Zeltiva are against seeing me in this form without one, and the rest of my clothing is in a place I can’t access unless this is my appearance.” It was stupid of him really, to leave his pack behind a door, when he knew all too well how quickly circumstances can change and how he may need to make a hasty exit in his animal form. Still, for now it couldn’t be helped. An intense flash of light suddenly appeared in a temporary swirl around Besnik. He felt his fingers and toes shorten and draw in, his head morphing and bones switching as he underwent the change. He felt the familiar burn of energy being used that would leave him hungry and very much in the mood for a hunt, as his fur sprung from his skin in red locks that flooded his body in a silky ocean of reds, browns and oranges swirling together. His tail lengthened, black tip the same shade as the nape of hair on his human form’s neck. White appeared from beneath, extending underneath the entire expanse of his body; under his tail, over his stomach and chest, it ended in a lower mask covering half his face. All this happened in a manner of seconds, before all stilled and the forest went on as though nothing had changed. The Kelvic shook his pelt, allowing the cloak that had half slipped from him as he changed forms to fall fully to the ground. He hoped the other would pick it up for him, as carrying it in his jaws didn’t make for a very effective hunting technique. He stepped to the size, fully away from the large piece of fabric, and shook again to resettle his fur into its correct place. Now the size of a large dog, Besnik looked like a perfect cross between a fox and a dog. As a dhole, his legs were elongated in comparison to his body, showing off his specific species’ ability for jumping and swimming. Deep brown eyes, the same as when his stature was human, looked out from the sea of red, and up at Miles who now stood tall over him. Sharp senses took note of each detail of the man before him with a higher accuracy than they had been able to in his other form. He could almost feel as the man breathed, how he shifted ever so slightly, and he could tell the other had stepped back. It occurred to the canine that he hadn’t informed the other what his true appearance was, and perhaps Miles had been expecting something larger to take shape. Besnik lifted a nimble paw for a fraction of a second, head cocked to the side, before sitting down. His tail wagged in a way much the same as a dog, though slower and in a more graceful lateral movement. His posture displayed the same welcoming and friendly stance as it had in human form, though if one wasn’t used to being around animals the subtle signals he sent off by perked up ears and calmed eyes would be difficult to notice. He waited for Miles to speak, unable to communicate with the man in this form but perfectly capable of understanding. It was up to Miles to take him through what he wanted now, but the Kelvic would take the lead when it came to actually stalking the prey. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ||Besnik|| ||3 years|| ||Kelvic|| ||Bondmate - Valo||