Open Cross Claw

[Viridae Kabre]

91 Winter, 513 AV
Near the Woven Gates

As Kalinor's harsh winter came to a close, so did the memories of winter's past. Of lonely longing, agony, and social isolation. Viridae once again pulled his sleek night leather over his head and wrapped his midnight blue scarf loosely around his neck. He could feel the lukewarm breeze of spring from above the woven gates as it rushed gently across his face, causing his newly short cut bangs to flutter gently across his forehead. The season had been long, and he did not visit the surface much, instead opting to delve into Kalinor's more social gatherings.

But winter was coming to a close, and it was time to get back to work. Viridae had heard rumors passed on by Ina Vine of a large mountain lion with a brilliant ginger coat. Such a fur would catch a hefty sum at The Bat's Head, perhaps enough for him to put a little away and take a few weeks off in the summer.

So in the morning he packed his gear, about three days worth of provisions to be safe, and headed for the woven gate. Not his usually exit from the city, but he was curious to see how much activity would be at the gate after the avalanche had been cleared, and now that he was here, he could see there was not much going on. He took a seat upon the edge of the gate's stone face and let his feet swing freely over the edge, enjoying the slight breeze before his long journey. The large cat was spotted deep within Kalea's mountains, and tracking it could take days.

[Sayani]

Rumors. Winter had been filled with rumors, a very irritating thing, although Sayani had to admit many had been very useful. The fishing trip, the cooking class, and even the kittens. And now, Ina, the one she had gone fishing with, said that there was a mountain lion with odd color. This was different from anything Sayani had hunted before, and it was a good opportunity. She would have preferred to go on the hunt by herself, as there had been few opportunities to hunt alone in the season, but there was no way she could go alone, and the Symenestra knew it. It would be stupid to try.

But it was also a waste not to go searching for this lion. Even if it was just a normal one, it was still a very good practice, and Sayani didn't ignore opportunities like that. Her hope was that, since it was a rumor, other hunters would have also heard it.

That was why she woke up earlier than usual, and grabbed both her knapsack and her pouch, before giving a small dried fish to Ivy, just to keep the kitten quiet until Nissa awoke. She then took her bow and quiver, tying the fishing arrows together with a piece of leather and placing them inside the quiver, before taking her normal arrows, also storing them, but without tying. She might not need to fish, but she would rather hunt for food than eat the provisions she had. And, besides, it was better to go prepared.

Sayani climbed the silken rope and exited her house, heading for the Woven Gate. Hopefully, there would be someone there, eager to hunt the lion, so all her preparations wouldn't have been for nothing. Well, in the worst case, she could always go on a hunting trip by herself. It wasn't like the lion was the only thing to be hunt.

When she arrived, the gate was almost empty, which was a disappointment. But there was a Symenestra there, one she had seen a few times before in the season. He also seemed ready for a hunt, and Sayani allowed herself to hope.

"Are you here for the lion?" she asked, nodding as a greeting, and laid on the wall near where the man was sitting.

[Viridae Kabre]

Viridae twiched slightly at the sound of light footsteps behind him and the inmistakeable rustle of hunting gear. He turned and peered at the woman approaching, before letting his head fall slight to the side. He knew her from somewhere....

Sickle and arrow. Cooking class. Hunter's gather. Certainly he knew her, they ran with the same circles. Hunters and the like. And it was no wonder they hadn't spoken much in the past. Up until last summer, Viridae hadn't been much of the social type, and he felt the aura of another bearing that similar personaility trait.

As she laid on the wall, he considered her complexion for a moment. Purple eyes. Silver hair. Hunter. It was very likely their ancestors had similar roots. Viridae hadn't read too far into his own family history.

"That I am," he replied with a kind smile he did not know he could produce. "I've heard tell it resides in the mountains, north of here. I'm assuming you're here for the same prize, correct?" He smiled again and ran a finger across the wood of his bow, then gave the string a light strum. It sounded a deep and quiet thunk.

"I wouldn't at all mind a little company, if you're willing to split the spoils. I can track fair enough. Together we can bag the beast in no time."

[Sayani]

Sayani nodded, agreeing with what the other had proposed, relieved that at least someone was going to chase the lion, too. She wasn't very good at tracking, specially a lion, an animal she had never tracked before, so it was very good to have some other hunter with her. And she had no real interest in the spoils. Of course she would take some, but as far as she was concerned, as long as the hunt could taught her something, that was enough.

"I'm Sayani Wisteria." she had been introducing herself for more people than she was comfortable with this season, but then, the opportunities had been too good to ignore, just like this one. She waited for the other hunter to introduce himself, before speaking again. "Can you lead the way, then? I'm not a good tracker." yet. Sayani said that easily, not really caring what the other would think of her. She knew the extent of her abilities, and it didn't shame her to not be good on something. There were always ways to improve.

She waited, as she looked over to the wilderness in front of Kalinor's entrance. It was really early, and depending on how far the lion was, it wouldn't take so long for them to find it. And the snow was not so thick anymore, with the approaching end of Winter. In theory, the hunting would be a good experience, but not a difficult one. But Sayani wouldn't let her guard down. She knew very well how many times impressions were completely wrong.

[Viridae Kabre]

"Viridae Kabre," He said with a kind nod. Viridae squinted for a moment and repeated her name internally a few times. He had trouble with names, but he was sure he'd be seeing more of her in the near future.

"Sure. Did you bring provisions? If not I have plenty for us both. This journey could drag on a few days. Unless you spot the beast yourself, tracking is usually a long and frustrating process." He opened his rucksack and allowed Sayani a glympse of his camping gear. Silk tent, rope, traveler's stock, and other things of that nature.

He waited for her reply before rising to his feet slowly, revealing his tall and thin build, before studying her more closely. She looked strong, quite pretty, but obviously not like the rest of Kalinor's women. Sayani had a sort of 'air' about her. One of secrets. Of uniqueness. Of quiet yearning. This woman was one of curiosity, and he admired that.

"Shall we be off?" He said with a smirk, before edging to the face of the woven gate and placing a hand on its silken cover. He followed with both feet and scaled gracefully down its face, detatching and landing with a light thud.

[Sayani]

The man introduced himself, and Sayani took this opportunity to evaluate the other. He was tall, although she couldn't say if he was taller than her without him standing, and he had short hair colored much like her own. His eyes, although lighter, were also purple. But what interested her more was what was beneath the skin.

His short answers gave away that he wasn't one of socializing just for the sake of it. However, the Symenestra was also kind, and both his question and his offer seemed genuine, as if he truly meant what he said. An interesting character, that was so close to her own, and yet so different. Sayani knew that the chances they would become friends were slim. Very few had the patience and perseverance that kind of relationship with her demanded. But there was also something telling her that she would enjoy this man's company, not out of curiosity to see what she could get out of him, but truly enjoy. It was a nice change.

When Viridae opened his bag for her to see, Sayani looked inside. Yes, pretty much everything she had. The Symenestra didn't have a tent, true, but she had never needed one before, and if she did, well, she would get to it when the problem presented itself.

"I'm ready." she said, and Viridae finally got up. Taller than herself. He seemed to evaluate her, much like she had done with him, and then scaled the silken surface of the gate.

Sayani waited until she heard the sound of him landing before sending a last glance at the interior of the gate. If she thought about it, maybe going on a hunting trip with a stranger wasn't the smartest idea. But the opportunity was too great to pass, and so, she scaled down after him, feeling the silk in her bare feet and hands.

Once her feet touched the ground, she straightened up, and waited for the more experienced tracker take the lead.

[Viridae Kabre]

He watched her climb gracefully down the silk laden stone face. The guesture was the greatest show of wanderlust he'd seen before. To most, leaving the city was a scary process, and hardly carried through unless absolutely necessary. But for hunters like Sayani, or himself, sliding down the Woven Gate made his heart pound.

Heavy suns of late winter pounded his face, but cold crept still from the half frozen ground below, and Viridae pulled his woven tapastry cloak tighter about his lithe frame. The snow beneath his bare feet was thick and wet, stickly, but still soft. It pleased him. With late winter came the promise of spring, and the end of is winter sadness.

The Symenestra drew his hood and glanced to his right at Sayani, squinting against Syna's light. It had been some time since he had traveled in full day.

"Good to be out in the air," He said with an uneasy smile. The Symenestra knew he was not one for small talk, but realized the long walk to the Northern mountains would be long without the conversation. "So you're from the Wisteria Web, correct? I think our sisters are aqauinted. Seivis and Nissa..I'm horrid with names, so my appologies there."

[Sayani]

Winter was the season when Syna's warmth was weaker than Morwen's coldness. That was exactly why Sayani loved it so much. It meant that only the fittest would survive, and that the weak, those who could not survive, would perish if they attempted to leave the safety of Kalinor. It was exciting to know that each step would be decisive for survival. And Sayani loved that, no, she needed it. She needed the danger so she could test herself to her limits.

Everything could be felt when she touched the ground.

Viridae spoke again, making the Symenestra turn her head towards the male hunter. There was an uneasy smile on his lips, and Sayani noticed that, although he was trying to make small talk, this wasn't something he was used to do. She hated meaningless talk, but she also could see why the other was trying to fill the silence. A trip that would take some time, in complete silence, was awkward and uncomfortable to many. Not for her, but she could make an effort. Not for stupid and insubstantial talk, but Sayani was sure the other had some interesting things to say. And she wanted to listen.

Her thoughts were confirmed when a very familiar name was pronounced by the man. Sayani was surprised to hear that, and she allowed a kind and genuine smile spread on her own lips.

"You got the name right." she said, her voice low and soft. "It's a surprise. Nissa usually isn't tolerated by pure Symenestra." Sayani had heard the name before, from her sister's endless chatter, but she could never have guessed it was a Symenestra, and not another half blood. "What did Seivis told you about her?" she wanted to know if Nissa wasn't the only one enjoying the interaction. Sometimes her sister was clueless about others feelings, which had caused trouble more often than not. Sayani wasn't protective of many people, but she wouldn't let her sister get physically hurt because she annoyed another Symenestra.

Sayani looked to the mountains where the lion had been spotted, her predator side twisting excitedly inside her. She took her leather strap from her quiver and tied her hair back. As always, it annoyed her, but she didn't want to bother with her hair if she saw a prey she could shoot. After that, she mimicked the other hunter's movement, covering her head with the hood of her black cloak.

"Are you a full time hunter?" she asked.

[Viridae Kabre]

Viridae turned to look at Sayani, catching her gaze for a moment before looking away awkwardly. He was never really any good with eye contact, unless he was upset of course. When he looked again, he was pleased to see the woman was smiling, and he felt a huge weight leae his chest. Making friends. What a bound in social development.

In concerns to Seivis' interaction with Sayani's sister, Viridae gave a small huff. "Only that she was ambitious. Energetic. Seivis is one of the most esteemed dancers of her age, and she has many fans. I just thank Viratas that she's kind to them. Heavens knows she rarely grants ME that courtesy. "

He grinned as the woman inquired about his work, before answering in a calm and even tone. "That I am. Our web has been hunting since before any of us can really recall. I've been a full time hunter since I was fifteen. Really isn't much else I'm very good at. For a while I considered Tanning, but its not for me. Only concern is, I know eventually I'll be too old to hunt. Then what? You know?"

He grinned and looked at the woman again awaiting her response before asking a question of his own. "And what is it you do? Surely hunting is only a hobby. I don't say that to be rude or insult your skill, I just meant I haven't seen much of you in the Sickle and Arrow."

[Sayani]

So, the girls weren't friends. Sayani let a disappointed sigh pass through her lips, but that didn't change anything. Who her sister befriended or not was of no concern to her, as long as Nissa was safe. Her sister loved many things related to Symenestra, and the aerial dancing was no different. It wasn't a surprise that she would talk about Seivis if the girl was truly a talented dancer. Sayani just had hoped that Nissa would make some friends. Gods knew she needed it.

But that wasn't a topic for the moment, and Sayani looked at the mountain once again. A lion. It would be the bigger prey she had ever hunted, and she hoped that their search would prove to be successful. Her attention returned to Viridae as he answered her question.

The Kabre web. Yes, Sayani knew them as good hunters. But that said nothing to her about the Symenestra. After all, family meant little to her. He had a sister who was a dancer, and that should prove her point well enough. But the fact that he managed to become a full hunter at fifteen said a lot. This required skill and dedication, and Sayani respected him for that. The rest of his sentence made her press her lips tightly together.

"Tanning is not for you because you don't like it, I hope." her voice had lost the friendly tone of before, but it wasn't cold nor angry. Just indifferent. She hated when people gave up because they failed to do something. Everything required time and patience to perfect. However, nothing made her believe that this was Viridae's case. If he became a hunter so early, he had to have dedication. "As for being to old to hunt, Valydor Scarlet is forty-four years old, and he still is an amazing hunt. You still have some years ahead of you. However, you can always learn something new. It's not a matter of how good you are, but how good you can become."

It wasn't usual for her, to say so much at once. Sayani licked her lips, relaxing. However, Viridae asked a question of his own, and she found it curious that he was worried that she would take offense on something so small. Besides, he had never seen her hunt. When she spoke, her voice had regained the friendly tone.

"You need to do much better than that to offend me. But no, I'm not a full time hunter." her finger gently caressed the wood of her bow, and she stayed quiet for a moment, eyes fixed on the path in front of her, before she finally answered. "I'm a doctor, at the Place of Purging. Got apprenticed there at fifteen too, although I only became a doctor at eighteen." Sayani thought for a little while again, before sighing and allowing herself to smile once again. She wouldn't tell him everything, but it might be nice to share something. The Symenestra did it so rarely after her father's death, that she sometimes missed it. "I love to hunt, though. Right before my fifteenth birthday, I wanted to be a hunter."