Closed A bear in the woods (Letixia)

[Irriel Lighthand Terras]

33rd of Spring, 514 AV Location: Bronze Woods near the Sacred Arch Hotspring Time: Just after the 14th bell The world smelt simpler here. There were not bodies pressing all around, voices shouting, workers working. Life was uncomplicated, straightforward... It did not require someone to think. It was where Morzak felt most comfortable, in the calm silence of nature where the the hairless two legs did not contaminate it with their noises and smells and strange behaviors. Human's baffled Morzak to some degree. They spent so much time 'talking' when nothing ever truly got done. No, this was the life Morzak truly desired, here where the rules were simple. It was just by chance that the kelvic found this place just a ways from the Hotsprings. A small clearing with some old stumps and large rocks lying about. All of it random it seemed, though perhaps others had come here to do similar things as Morzak. The Kelvic wore nothing at all this time, his trousers laying off to the side in a pile as he stood over a large log, looking down at it with intent. Bending at the knees, keeping his back straight, Morzak dug his fingers into the cracks in the wood, jamming them in and ignoring the pinching sensation it brought. Two deep breaths, before a series of shorter ones, and then with a sudden burst with his legs he pulled with the strength of his arms and shoulders, throwing the log in the air with the force of his thrust while keeping his fingers still firmly wedged in the wood so it did not fly away. Shifting is body and dropping down ever so slightly he moved the falling log so that it landed on his shoulders, squarely gripped by both hands as he grunted at the weight, bearing his teeth as she stood straight once more. Taking two more deep breaths Morzak slowly lowered himself until his thighs were parallel with the ground, then just as slowly stood straight once more. He repeated this exercise 10 more times, then paused to breath once more. Bringing his feet in closer together the Kelvic then began to raise himself on his tip toes, over and over again until his breathing started to get ragged. Sweat pored down his body. The heat, mixed with the heavy lifting and the time he had spent there already ensured he was coated with a thin film of perspiration, but somehow this only made Morzak feel more alive. To feel his body burn, ache and strain. It made him feel alive, as though he were growing stronger with each muscle he worked. Once the final set was finished he would shift his feet out once more, give a heave with his entire body to throw the log in the air once more, catching it on extended arms this time as he slowly lowered it to his chest, breathing in quick bursts as he did before with a grunt tossing it off so that it landed with a heavy thud on the ground. Wiping the back of his hand against his brown the Kelvic moved to his clothing, taking out a water skin to drink deeply as he pondered what to do next.

[Letixia Raigner]

Leti growled loudly in terrible frustration, gripping her longbow so tight, her knuckles whitened. She'd spent the last bell shooting at the same knot in the same tree that had been eluding her aim for the last several days. She was ready to curse, hit something, and quit. Then her eyes saw something breaking through the littered light that shown threw the trees. It was a butterfly, floating aloft, a simple combination of orange and black. Around the air it flew, circling herself, then the tree she'd been shooting at, and landed upon the knot which she constantly aimed. A single beam of light broke through the newly forming canopy, and lit up the wings, making them bright gold. And Leti knew that this must be a sign, a sign from Yahal himself. She sat down, setting her equipment next to her, and pulled her knees to her chest, remembering to breathe in through her nose, deep down into her lungs, and out through her mouth. Tightening her stomach and back muscles, she straightened her posture. Then, coinciding with a breath leaving her lungs, she relaxed her hips, her knees spread apart, moving downward, her feet coming in together. She placed her hands on her ankles, and then began relaxing her muscles, and focused on her breathing. Yahal, help give me the strength to keep my mind pure. I will continue to strive to better myself. I know I lost myself a moment earlier, but I will over come that and improve. She maintained her sitting position until she relaxed, finding a calming peace within herself. Holding it a while longer, she began taking in her surroundings. The chirp of the young birds, the wind moving through the air, the heavy breathing from around the bushes. Her eyes widened, realizing that the breathing was clearly out of place. She stood up, picking up her shield, and unsheathing her sword. Slowly she inched up to the sparse bushes, hearing the breathing getting louder. She tried to step quietly, softening her own breathing, but the ground was littered with twigs and rocks. Peering around the bush, she saw a rather large, rather naked man. "Oh I'm so sorry, I didn't know anyone else was here. I didn't mean to interrupt, I just heard you from my clearing. Don't mind me." She immediately turned around, slightly embarrassed that she'd found a naked man. It was one thing to see a man naked at the baths, or the hot springs, but not out here in the woods. She made her way back to her bow and quiver, picking them up, trying to get back her focus in order to continue her training.

[Irriel Lighthand Terras]

Taking large gulps from the waterskin Morzak almost mist that sent on the breeze. The smell of someone new, someone unknown wafting from the trees and brush. Licking the last of the drops from his lips he looked in the direction the scent was coming even before the woman poked her head out. When she made her presence known Morzak simply stared at her for a tick, not the least bit bashful for showing his nakedness to her. He grunted softly, tilting his head and taking another long draft from the water skin as she spoke, though he did not offer any words in return. Capping the bottle he stared after her for a moment as she went back into the brush. Scratching his head the Kelvic quickly lost interest in the woman, his mind already turning over his next task at hand. After all she did say not to pay her any mind. Morzak could still smell her not too far away, but beyond a fleeting glance in her direction once more the Kelvic made no move to follow her. Instead he looked at a large bolder instead, roughly as wide as his chest and thicker than his hardened middle section. Bending down low once more Morzak pressed his chest against the bolder, wrapping his arms around it and gripping it tightly with his arms, fingers digging into the rough stones as he did. Grunting the Kelvic shifted his feet till he was nearly pressed fully against the rock, legs spread wide and out as he pressed hard with his legs, his teeth gritted together as the bolder was lifted from the ground inch by inch. More grunts, grows and furious expressions crossed Morzak's face as he fully lifted the rock, straightening fully as he locked his knees and gripped the boulder with all his might, refusing to let it go. The weight pressed down on his diaphragm, making his breaths very shored and labored, but it would not be this way for much longer. Adjusting his grip the man raised one foot and stomped hard on the ground, grunting as the weight came bearing down from the boulder and he struggled to keep his balance as he leaned to once side before straightening once more. A few more short breaths and he repeated this stomping and leaning, stretching the muscles of his lats and abdomens and straining his thighs and calves to shift the weight without falling and holding his balance at the same time. Straightening up once more he twisted his body, planting is right foot back firmly as he shifted the large rock so that it rested more on his shoulder. Then with a sudden growl and a thrust with his arms and a twist of his body Morzak threw the boulder as far as he good, causing it to land several feet away and digging into the ground as he slid to a stop. Breathing hard the Kelvic rubbed his shoulder, closing his eyes as he let his body relax. His palms and fingers were cut, as were the under parts of his arms that had gripped the boulder. A small trail of blood trickled down his fingers of his right hand where the sharp edges of the rock had cut into the flesh of his palm. Ignoring this Morzak went back to the log, hefting it back onto his shoulders once more as he began taking long steps, sinking down until his knee touched the ground with each one as he made his way across the small clearing. He looked in the direction of the woman's scent once more, absently wondering how long she would stay.

[Letixia Raigner]

Leti slung her quiver over her shoulder, then picked up her bow. She took in several, large, deep breaths, trying to focus, keep her calm before Yahal. Eyeballing the knot of wood that was her target, she knew she could hit it, but she wanted to be able to do it consistently. Taking up her stance, her feet spread shoulders' width apart, one on either side of her firing line for the knot. Drawing an arrow, she kept her focus solely on her task, and not the huge, naked man nearby. She set the shaft atop her gripped fingers, and nocked it, making sure to keep the balance fletching pointed away from her. Three fingers snaked around the string, one above the fletching, and two below. Another deep breath, then she raised her bow arm level to the ground, not locking her elbow. She focused in on her target, remembering to aim small to miss small. Her eyes tried to see only the knot of wood and nothing else. Pulling with her back muscles and using as few of her arm muscles as possible, she drew the string back. Her drawing hand came to a rest on her jaw, and she continued focusing on her arm, feeling the strain in her back. Slipping all three fingers from the string, the arrows was loosed. It flew straight, and embedded itself wide right of the knot. She sighed, knowing she got lucky, since she nearly missed the tree, and would have to go searching for the arrow. She resumed her stance and drew another, when a loud thud and shaking of the ground caused her to loose her arrow early. It thudded into the wooden knot much to her surprise. A sour grin came on her face, for she was happy that she'd hit it, but at the same time it wasn't purposeful. Bow in hand, she turned back toward the naked man, trying to figure out what it was that he'd done to cause the disturbance. Making her way around the brush once more, she noticed that the large boulder was now in a different spot it had been. "Holy petch, you moved that?" Speaking before thinking, she now saw he was doing some work out with huge log on his shoulders. He was in good shape, and he seemed to know what he was doing, so Leti stood there watching him work, hoping to learn something from him.

[Irriel Lighthand Terras]

The scent grew stronger, but for the moment Morzak's own musky stench covered it up as he struggled under the weight as his tired muscles protested every step with a burning passion. With each dip he grunted, a sour look upon his face as he concentrated on keeping the weight centered, his back straight, and his feet beneath him. When the girl's voice sudden came once more the Kelvic found his concentration broken, and his foot nearly slipped as she stumbled a step or two before straightening to turn with the log upon his shoulders. He blinked slowly for a moment, furrowing his brows at the odd question. "I move rock." He said simply, as though it were obvious. After all no one else was around, who else could have done it? The furless apes were all so strange, asking things that needed not be asked simply to hear their own voices, or so it seemed to the simple minded kelvic. With another grunt Morzak rolled his shoulders, releasing his grip on the log and letting it hit the ground with a dull thud and roll back a few inches. Rolling his shoulders the Kelvic rubbed the back of his neck with his still bleeding hand, eyeing Letixia up and down and absently sniffing in her direction, "You smell of city and wood like Hunter did. You hunter too?" He asked, walking a little closer and bending down to get a better look at her, "I never seen girl Hunter in wood before..." He sniffed in her direction once more before clearing his throat and straightening, taking up his water skin and sitting on the rock he had thrown. He quickly drained the last of it, pouring the last little bit over his head and shoulders and tossing the empty holder back to his pile of clothes before leaning on his knees and looking fully at the girl again. He patted his chest with an open palm, "I Morzak. Who are you?"