[The Freight Docks] Dancing in the Dark [Lucette]

[Talen Stirling]

29th of Fall 511 A.V. Around the 22nd Bell Shadows danced elusively, chased away by the shimmer of a jolting handheld torch carried through the cobblestone streets amongst the warehouses of The Freight Docks. It wasn't bitterly cold, clouds were veiling the moon and what little warmth the fall day had held was still trapped inbetween the tall buildings. Barrels and equipment littered the street, obscuring alleys and other objects from clear sight. Talen exhaled heavily, smiling at the sight of his own breath as mist in the air before him. His sword and shield felt comfortably heavy, and gave a little extra protection from the occasional gust of wind and cold, alongside his armour and scarf. A woolen cloack was draped across his shoulders, making him seem more bulky than he really were. Feet hit the relatively new stone road steadily, and he looked around at the shadows with as much calm as anyone who had been on nighttime duty in the same place several dozen times. There was never anything but the heavy barrels and transport carts leftover from the day's wo--- Talen's head twisted to the side, a dark movement spotted out of the corner of his eye. A flickering shadow, or something more substantial caught by the flare of his torch?

[Lucette]

Lucette prowled the night, exploring the buildings and back ways of Denval. It was not out of hunger that she moved; for her belly was already full from Justus’s well stocked tables, but from the deep curiosity of a feline. Smells and the sounds of nighttime played against her ears as the Cheetah glided silently between stationary carts and past darkly empty alleys. Once the Kelvic chased a rat, toying with its capture, but after a time she let it skitter away to disappear into the night. Curiosity consumed her. Inquisitiveness urged her on, as her youth and inexperience found creative outlets in the deserted streets. Lucette pounced upon fallen leaves, and pawed at locked storefronts until the games of exploration began to lose their appeal. And there in the distance, a bobbing light! Lucette froze, keen eyes sparkling with strain to make out this new object of interest. It moved, this new target. Her black flecked ears flicked back, playfully. She scanned the distance, but there was no room to run towards the man that held the light, as was her natural inclination. Instead, the Cheetah stalked closer, yet not near enough to the man to be seen. The man smelled of metal and pitch, and leather. Where did he go? What did he hunt with the torchlight that sought to blind her reflective eyes? Slinking low, Lucette followed, intrigued by what she thought was his odd behavior. It was a game in her mind, as she peeked around building corners, crouched low and still to observe him. As he moved, the Kelvic moved silently with him, lithe body light upon deadly paws. But the man paused and turned. The Kelvic froze in place. Patiently she waited, immobile, flattened in the darkened shadows, and very reluctant to be detected and the game to come to an end...

[Talen Stirling]

Feet shifted slowly as Talen turned around and raised the torch high into the darkness, illuminating little more than the immediate area around it. He was awkwardly aware of his exposed way of standing and the loudness of his breath as he squinted into the darkness. Darkness that seemed to be void of anything apart from obscured objects and silent shadows. He waved the torch in either direction, lighting up nothing but a barrel and a tipped over hand-held cart in the orange, misty glow of the torch. Slouching his shoulders and whispering a soft curse about Akajia's humour, he turned around swiftly and walked stiffly along his route. Occasionally, though, he threw a glance backwards or changed the torch from one clenched hand to another erratically. Whatever mind his game was playing with him, he wished it would stop before he went crazy. Talen turned a corner of a large building, with a few open windows. The crates in there were empty, ready to be filled by goods shipped in or those to leave port. The entrance to it loomed ominously over him as he passed between it and the building next to it, a smaller and locked up packhouse with a low wall squaring off a courtyard filled with shadows in front of it.

[Lucette]

Head low, the Cheetah watched the man search the shadows. Her body was unnaturally still, though a low rumble vibrated in her throat. When he moved again, the Kelvic waited to trail along behind him at a distance. Lucette used what coverage the street and shadows offered to her advantage. Dark nostrils flared, inhaling the scent of the torch as it burned and bobbed in his hand. She stalked his movements slowly, though Cheetah instincts urged her to run swiftly at him while he did not see her. But Lucette held herself back, wanting to play, curious to see if the man would prove interesting. The need to play, so long denied refused to be subdued. It bubbled forth and she crouched as her whole body trembled with focused concentration. He looked back once more and the Cheetah stopped, her silent eyes gleaming brightly, willfully. As he turned to look in a window, Lucette ran at the man. The burst of speed made her heart sing with the freedom of the wind as it trailed against her fur. Out of the darkness and into the circle of torch glow she leapt to the side of him. Even without the wishing to kill, or maim, her body and the strength within it were impressive. One large paw outstretched playfully to bat at the burning torch held aloft in his hand. And then she ran swiftly past him, back into the shadows.

[Talen Stirling]

The warehouse's imposing facade and vast interior had Talen walking up to a window just to see if anything might be in there that shouldn't be. He stood up on his toes, and held the torch behind him in his left hand as he peeked inside. Empty and dark, just like the street he'd thought was occupied moments ag-- Movement, he registered, before something big, and fast tore at the torch in his hand. Instinctively, he jumped away from the mass, barely holding onto the torch. The shield on his back scrambled loudly against the building as he fell up against it drawing his longsword. It was out in a flash, and he looked around himself wildly, crouching and muscles tensing before he realized that his mysterious assailant was already gone. The darkness mocked and taunted him with its quiet and still cold. What was it? Where'd it gone? What should he do? for a moment, he was panicked, was it the creature from The Road or it’s creator, would it kill someone again if he left to report, or would it slay him if he hunted it? A dozen questions and possible answers presented themselves all at once, before he shut it all out and made the decision his pride and purpose guided him to. He would hunt the predator, ‘lest it prey on someone else. Talen took a deep breath, and stepped away from the wall. He placed the torch in the crook of his right elbow, and habitually pulled free the shield on his back from the strap that held it in place. With his arm inside the shield-strap and the torch once again safely in his left hand, he started moving quickly through the darkness in the direction he believed the creature had gone. However dark and shrouded the alleys of the ‘Docks were, they were still Denval and as familiar as the sword hilt in his hand. A plan formed as he moved to the docking quays and the water, looking around himself constantly, erratically. Hopefully, whatever it was would follow him. He could feel himself sweating and shivering with both fear and anticipation, but tried to ignore it as he turned a corner and moved towards what he knew would soon be several dead ends, cliff faces and locked wooden gates. The orange glow of the torch bounced much more wildly now, just as the heart of the guardsman racing the dark street.

[Lucette]

A large pile of flat, wooden boards hid Lucette from sight as she crouched in the Denval darkness. Her exquisite eyes gleamed mischievously, her whiskers quivered. The Kelvic was pleased with herself for catching the man unaware, and she waited only for him to join in the game of predator and prey. Ears perked, she could hear him as he approached; the clink of shield and the fall of foot gave him away. He passed so easily and quickly by her hiding spot, Lucette’s amber gaze narrowed upon him from the shadows. If she had been in human form, the Kelvic might have been more than a little nervous to note the sword and the shield now in his hand. But in her Cheetah form, the dire need for play overrode the slave girl’s normal sense of caution. She was a predator that waited, even if it was only pretension, the appearance was the same… intimidating. Her nose sniffed the air, taking in his scent and the foul scent of the torch, with its beams of light reaching ever outwards. Lucette did not like the torch, and it became her primary target… if she could get past the shield also in his left hand. The man walked ahead, his pace rapid. Lucette let him go. Distance meant little to the Cheetah. She could catch up easily when she wished in a wild rush of limbs, and race once more upon him. The tail twitched in excited agitation. But the man turned a corner, and afraid of losing him Lucette padded quickly towards the point she had lost sight of him. Slowly, she peered around the corner as she rubbed her cheek against the rough surface of the corner wall The Cheetah would continue to follow. It mattered not to her that she was unaware of the city’s layout, having spent most days and nights inside the Nakali’s temple. Lucette waited, then waited longer in the silence. But there ahead the torch bounced and teased her… a soft snarl escaped her pulled back lips, and her body lowered, ready to spring once more in a rush towards the man that held the burning prey.

[Talen Stirling]

Talen came around the corner, took a few steps out into the open area next to the water, and spun around fully to see if he could catch sight of any pursuit. Not that he expected to, the damn thing had hit him, and disappeared into the darkness without him seeing what the petch it was. Logic dictated that the only way to catch something so fast, was to trap it. The torch in his one hand was uncomfortable with the shield strapped to his arm, and he stood still for a moment, squinting into the darkness. Nothing could be seen, and the flare of the torch did more to blind him than to illuminate his surroundings... Petching night vision. He held the longsword low, ready to stab or swipe should anything appear out of the darkness. He breathed heavily, his own breath seeming like a loud cry in the darkness that had suddenly turned so hostile. His eyes darted to the right and a road inbetween the fishermen's warf and another packhouse, then to the torch blinding him. Talen grinned momentarily, an optimistic plan swooping down upon him. He shifted his body weight to the right, and swung his arms in tandem letting the weight of his equipment accelerate him into a sudden sprint. He glanced back momentarily, before he skidded into a sharp corner and ran a shot way up the brick road. A smell of fish and oil held it's own here against the cool wind, stacked in barrels inside the warehouse and various tools outside. A very short road ran under an arch between two building on the right side of the road, turning right again but then ending in a dead end at the door to a guild hall. One it's right side was a packhouse, and the other a stone wall. Talen sped up to the entrance, took aim and hurled the torch into the wall at the end of the short road at an angle. It bounced off and out of vision, leaving a faint shimmer to tell that the light had gone thataway. As he saw the torch hit the wall, Talen ran forward, supported on his shield-arm as he jumped over a triplet of empty kegs, falling to an almost prostate crouch behind them. He fought for a moment to control tense muscles and his breathing, taking two deep inhalations of air before forcefully relaxing. The noise he'd made landing had probably been considerable, but if the one he hoped was following him hadn't seen him hide, there was still hope. He lay dead still, sword lying on the ground in his hand, and his shield providing an annoyingly bulky left support for his wait. A fools hope had him praying that his follower would chase the light, leading to it's capture. OOCChoose freely whether you want to fall into the trap or not. We can just as well continue the chase for my sake if you wish! :3

[Lucette]

The man ran but Lucette, distracted by the heady smell of the docks, only lifted her head to sniff the air around her. When she looked again the man had begun to round a corner. Powerfully Lucette sprang after him with long strides. She raced, sleek in the darkness, gold flashing in what little light the moon offered. Even without reaching full speed, the joy of running filled her. Why had Roland never allowed her this freedom? She could not begin to understand his worry that this small independence might cause the Kelvic to want for more. It was difficult especially with her speed to find purchase on the cobblestones. Her nails clicked on the hard surface, and she skittered to the side as she approached the corner too quickly. But the man was gone. Slowing to a stop, Lucette peered around in the darkness. Nostrils flaring, she tried to find him by smell, but Lucette was predominantly a sight hunter, not a tracker. And there was no sign of her quarry. But a glow reflected in the mysterious, feline gaze and Lucette’s eyes locked upon the light where it shown from around another corner. With feral cunning, she slowly stalked towards where she thought the man was. Always the smell of fish and oil clung to the air. Lucette’s tongue darted out to taste it, and a soft hunger responded from her belly. Hunger was constant in this form. Running toward the light, Lucette picked up speed, but once around the corner there was only the burning torch spitting on the ground abandoned. It stung her eyes and sensitive nose, and the Cheetah blinked and shied away from its angry flame. Yet there was nothing else in the dead end, and no sign of the man. She snorted. Puzzled, the Kelvic looked around hurriedly and began to pace. Black tipped ears pricked forward upon her head, straining to hear any sound of movement. Lucette was not experienced enough to see the trap she had walked into. But the Cheetah knew the man must be close. Padding along a wall, she silently explored. A small sound caused her to lift her head. What was it? Peering into darkness, the torch so near ruined her sight.

[Talen Stirling]

The click of what must be claws flew through the darkness,causing further tension in both Talen's body and mind. The sound, however faint, died out quickly, only to leave an ominous silence. Whatever creature, for he was now certain it was no man, prowled in the dark he could only guess at. Terror had no name, and it's visage changed constantly in his mind as he fought off weariness and stress in tense limbs. At the sound of running towards him, his breath caught stuck in his throat, heartbeat and the sound of something fast and light covering ground the only noise in the chilly, but smelly darkness. He did not move, not even to find further cover. The noise and sight of it would more than likely cause his notice, and failure. His eyes widened, as the shadows cast by the torch shifted suddenly as something moved to block the faint glow. He felt rather than heard the unknown enter the alley. He got up slowly, recovering his weapons from the ground carefully before threading softly on leather boots past the barrels. His eyes strained to see into the alley, if anything moved to flee he would have to attack immediately 'lest it escape him. He held his sword low to the side, shield held closely on his left to defend or tackle. A whip of cold seawind fluttered past him, but whether it was that or the sight of his quarry that caused him to shudder faintly as he laid eyes upon it was impossible to tell. A giant feline prowled in the alley, it's tan fur and elongated body illuminated by the torchlight. To Talen, it resembled a sort of Dire Lynx, although classification did not seem the most important thing at the moment. He stepped out slightly to the left in the alleyway, using his body and shield to cover his left while the sword wavered ready to strike should the creature move to escape on his right... Or attack.

[Lucette]

Lucette’s ears pricked forward; the man stood in the ally. Clearly and without strain she regarded him in the darkness, with only the far off flickering glow to light him. The Kelvic drew his scent inward as it flew on the fish scented breeze. A tip of her tail twitched behind her in the torchlight. The remainder of her body stood statue still, waiting to see what the man would do. But he did nothing, just stood at ready and waited as she did for something unnamable to signal movement… To her Kelvic mind, it was obvious by his stance that he was willing to engage. To fight or to play... Her eyes danced in the small reflections of the night and with interest. Slinking to the left, Lucette tried to circle the man, but she could not get past to flank him. Changing directions she stalked to the right then stopped. Again she started forward and the heavy Cheetah head lowered to sway above her chest, tremendous teeth bared to the air. Her eyes held challenge, but in the dark would the man see the glow of them? The Kelvic wished to run him down immediately, to wrestle his body to ground, but the human portion of her mind knew to be ever mindful of the sword gripped in his hand. Even if she had not felt the bite of such a weapon before. She had no wish to escape the ally, but only to get closer… Frustrated, she had no where to go… A wriggle began along her shoulders and traveled down the length of her spine, only to increase in intensity as it reached her haunches. It was impossible to wait any longer and the Cheetah sprang. Running impossibly fast towards him, Lucette covered the distance between them swiftly with her long legs. But she only toyed with him - to see what he would do, to force him to play. A rumble sprang happily from her throat as she neared. And it seemed she would leapt upon him, but at the last moment she jumped away and to the side, claws clinking upon the pavement.