The Calm Before the Storm (Aello)

[Gunho Ma]

Winter 11, 511 AV Location: Still Somewhere in the Wildlands Gunho woke up a little too early. The sky was dim but not dark and there was light enough for him to navigate the woods if he didn't venture too far from the forest. His first order of business was to clean their utensils... easy enough with all the snow. The next, he used what rope he could find to create loops and tied one end of the loop to trees and the other left on snow where he saw rabbit tracks. This was a crude and simple trap he'd heard about before... he didn't know how effective it would be. After the traps were set he started gathering wood, collecting them off the ground or snapping little branches off trees when he couldn't find dead wood already. Another easy though boring task and he even found a few nuts... thick ones with a juicy core. The fire was the real challenge. It was hard to start, it had taken him a lot of work to start one. He had to carefully shred dry wood with his knife into as thin strips as he could make and he ignited with with his flint and stone. Quickly placing it into the heart of the driest branches he had and nursing it into an ember was harder than finding the branches for the fire pit in his opinion. Soon, they had a roaring fire and he melted snow, boiling it into safe drinking water before storing it in whatever he could store it in. The wooden bowls and cups, leather water jugs, his pot and the clay jug that he boiled slowly over time. When morning came it would greet Aello peacefully. The winds would have died down and the light of Syna pale against the power of Morwen. She would find herself blissfully alone with the blanket drawn up all the way to her shoulders in her sleep. Mint would still hang in the air, but everything that had been used the night before cleaned up. If she ventured outside, she would find a half-vantha crouching in front of a fireplace, fanning a small ember on freshly collected firewood. There was a stack of more broken branches at one side of the tent with which to feed the fire later. "You're awake." Gunho would smile at the girl if she didn't say anything the ruin his easy-going mood. "I woke up a little early for some reason, decided to get to work without waking you up." he held out a clay jug towards her, the thing was wrapped in cloth. "I just boiled it some time ago, its lukewarm now but the jar might be a little uncomfortable to touch directly so use the cloth." "I'm cooking potatoes again," he directed his attention to the potatoes he'd allowed to soak for an hour in his pot. They boiled faster when they'd been soaked thoroughly, a lesson he'd learn a few years ago. "I found some mushrooms too, could use that for soup... maybe we can have something better though... I laid out some traps for rabbits earlier, just in case."' He held out a bowl of nuts if Aello took the water he was offering. "Tried a few of them myself. Acquired taste but... you can't be picky with what nature offers. If you're too hungry to wait, I'm sure these can sate your hunger." Strange how he seemed to forget what happened last night. Perhaps it was all that work he was doing that was keeping his mind occupied.

[Aello]

Aello rolled over a little as a satisfied smile crossed her lips. She moaned a little with the pleasant dreams she was experiencing in her slumber. Dreams of a time long before the present day, when everything seemed far more innocent and normal. The girl's smile only widened as she stretched her arms above her head, bending them at the elbow and holding them beside her, before pushing them against the side of the tent as she unfurled their length. Her eyes scrunched more tightly shut as she moaned again, and her dreams began to fade, drawing her back into the present. Her brow furrowed as her lips parted, allowing a small yawn to escape before she whispered, rather breathlessly, three simple words. "Good morning Gunho." The aurist rolled over, intending to drape her arms over Gunho's sleepy form in a sort of morning embrace, but found that instead of hitting flesh, her hands smacked the other end of the tent's floor. Startled by his not being there, Aello's eyes fluttered open. A thin white film glided across her vision, but after having had blinked a few times, it went away, allowing the girl to take in the sight of the empty tent. Frowning a little, Aello pressed her palms more firmly into the empty space, to see how warm it was. It wasn't warm, in fact, it was rather cold, causing the girl to think that Gunho had left her there quite some time ago. Uneasily, and with a small groan, Aello pushed herself up, into a sitting position. She turned from the waist a few times, stretching out her aching back as she rubbed the sleep crystals from her eyes, and then dropped her hands onto the blanket. She lifted it up, and held it shut tightly about her neck, securing it before she got to her feet, and pushed out of the tent's flap. She smiled weakly as the sun greeted her, by caressing her cheeks, and casting her in its golden glow. "Good morning," she called out to Gunho, as she crossed the fire to him, happy to know that he hadn't wandered off and gotten himself injured, or worse yet, killed. When Aello reached Gunho, she took the jug from him, holding it against the blanket. Gingerly, she eased herself down beside him, and took several sips, before placing the cup back down, and resting her head against his shoulder. She moved her cheek around a bit, slowly, trying to find a comfortable position, before stopping. "Thank you," she whispered, as she smiled weakly at the sight of the potatoes. "We'll find something to spice your usual up," Aello commented somewhat sleepily, as she pat Gunho's knee softly a few times, "something a bit heartier than what we had last night. Something... harder to catch. Like a deer or something, if any are left this time of year." Aello eyed the bowl of food Gunho held out and shook her head lightly. "No thanks," she whispered, as she pulled her hand down a bit, dragging the edge of the blanket closest to Gunho down with it. She looked down at her hand, smiling weakly. She thought she could hear him shudder as she drew her cheek off his shoulder. "Aren't you cold?" Aello asked. "We could share the blanket, if you want. At least, until we've finished discussing what to make and do today," she finished, her eyes starting to sparkle as every ounce of tiredness crept away.

[Gunho Ma]

Gunho was in a very good mood and it showed easily in his pleasant smile, company was something he yearned for after these few days of solitude with only the the sun, moon and stars joining him for his meals. It did not hurt that Aello was an attractive girl too. The acolyte may have been conditioned to look past petty things such as appearances, but he was a young man and was not without his urges, the night before was proof of that. "Good morning to you too." he replied softly but with undisguised mirth. He was about to skewer the potatoes to test how well done they were but Aello's warm presence on his shoulder caused him to postpone his thoughts about food. He couldn't remember a time when he'd had a girl actually act comfortably around him. If they weren't teasing him they were evading him, Aello's simple careless attempts to make herself comfortable on him was making him a little self-conscious... and a little more happier. He found that he liked the girl's company, not just because she was pretty but because she was actually easy to get along with. "You're welcome." he whispered back. "Its okay, don't think about getting up and about yet. I'm getting a little sleepier now that I've actually done everything I have to." he found that there was no need to raise his voice now, the languid spell this easy morning cast over them was not one he was inclined to break at all. "Did you know, the day before I met you was like this. I was going to get moving but then the weather turned sour on me... I thought it was bad luck." there was a breath that sounded more like a laugh followed by a smile on his lips. "Now I think I was fortunate, it'd have been dreadfully boring if I didn't get to meet you yesterday." The shudder Gunho made when Aello parted from him and deprived him of her warmth was no figment of her imagination. It was like being warmed by a fire that had suddenly become snuffed out. "I am feeling pretty chilly." he had to admit. "Sure, why not... we can share the blanket so long as you don't mind." He would assist Aello in drawing the blanket over the both of them and he would inch a little closer to her and give her a little bit more of the blanket. Last night's activities had helped him loosen up considerably, it was hard to feel squeamish about physical contact after sleeping together in such close proximity. It would've been hypocritical too. "I actually have salted pork here," he bent a little to pick up the wrapped and dried bulk of meat near where he was sitting, it was inside a very thin slip of a bag reinforced only by twine mesh. He'd placed it out here not because he wanted to draw predators near them, it was wrapped up well enough to prevent its smell from being detected, but because the cold coupled with the salt preserved it almost perfectly. "I could cook this now, its not much... but fortunately its just us two. We can just hunt later if you want..." "I saw birds earlier, flying around here but I have no idea where they went. Did you know, birds that can survive in winter are usually nice and plump... I learned that from an old man in Lhavit, birds that don't have fat just die if they can't stay in their nests. I'd hunt them but they'd probably be much harder to take down than a deer on any day." he smiled, eyelids a little drowsy from waking up too early. "Hows your back now? If its still not good I should be able to help. One therapy might feel great, but a string of good massages can do wonders."

[Aello]

Smiling, Aello pulled her arm back, raising the blanket in invitation. She watched as Gunho seemed to get closer, cozying up to her as he pulled on the blanket and made himself comfortable. As soon as he had, Aello adjusted herself, moving closer, and placed her cheek back on his shoulder. She sat there like that a moment, enjoying the sight of the fire. "Salted pork sounds nice, but something to go with it would be lovely," Aello whispered, as she stared at the fire dancing, and listened to it crackle. "A deer. Some rabbit... I'd settle for a few squirrels to soften the taste..." Aello smiled, her eyes sparkling with the light of the fire as her voice trailed off for quite some time. "I don't hunt birds Gunho. Not when two of my closest friends are birds," the girl glanced down at her feet somewhat shyly as she spoke, "I have a pet sparrow, you know, and one of my companions is a Kelvic. A bluejay. It hardly seems right to kill their kind when you hold them so close to the heart." Aello paused, as she rubbed her cheek against Gunho's shoulder, doing her best to keep comfortable, and build up a slight heat beneath her flesh. "They're such sweethearts," she whispered, as she fell silent for a few chimes. "It's a bit sore, from lying on the ground another night. I think I need a proper bed, or at least a pillow of leaves or something to cushion everything," Aello replied, finally, to the man's last question. "The cold probably isn't helping," Aello went on with a small smile, "but you're helping to warm me up," she added, as she gave Gunho's knee a few more pats, before switching her movements to slow circles. A sort of massage, far primitive to that which he had given her the night before. As Aello rubbed her cheek against Gunho's shoulder a little more, she pressed her fingers into the man's flesh a little more deeply. Not enough to hurt, but enough to make him sink beneath her touch, and perhaps, squirm a little. "I may just take you up on that offer," Aello whispered, her voice silky and smooth. "If you think you can handle it, after last night..."

[Gunho Ma]

"No bird hunting then." Birds for companions... he sort of understood why someone might make companions out of animals. They didn't mind so much and weren't so complicated... well, one wasn't truly a bird but he'd learned a little about kelvics from here-say. Part-men, part animal, fiercely loyal... though how much of that was because of their rumored congenital desire for companionship he didn't know. "Sweethearts huh?" it was a question that didn't need an answer, he just felt like saying something. "Leaves... not going to be easy to find during winter, but I've got most of my clothes with me. I was originally moving to this province to find permanent residence. I'm sure if I lay out my clothes properly it'll do for a fair mattress..." he trailed off, did that mean she didn't mind spending another night together? Of course he wasn't expecting anything to happen anymore, Aello had made him understand that she wasn't the kind of girl who was actually going to do anything with a stranger, she just really enjoyed teasing people... or maybe he was the sort of guy who inspired that reaction from girls. Even back in Lhavit he'd been teased from time to time by older trainees when he was still in the running to become Shinya. He was able to easily dismiss her hands patting his knees lightly, but he had to admit he was becoming a little distracted by her hand which was presently gliding over his knees in slow circles. He doubted that she was trying to get a rise out of him, he quickly shifted his thoughts to how to respond to her statement before they raced towards different scenarios. "You are too, you're pretty warm yourself." he honestly didn't feel much warmer even with blankets before, the warmth of another person helped immensely. His eyes widened slightly when he felt Aello's fingers digging into him. He sort of sagged closer to her, knees trembling slightly at the sudden applied pressure he felt. "I'm sorry about last night," he replied, his voice throaty and deep. "I'm not really sure what came over me... I'll make it up to you later, maybe earn a bit of your trust."

[Aello]

Aello smiled as she slid even closer to Gunho. "Don't be sorry," she replied, her voice smooth as silk, as she slowed the motion of her hands, and dug her nails in a little deeper, yet still, not enough to hurt. But enough to perhaps, wake her companion up a little. "It wasn't your fault. We all have trouble controlling our urges sometimes," Aello went on as her eyes sparkled. "But that doesn't mean you have to relinquish your offer." Aello's smile widened as she stared into Gunho's eyes. "Especially when I want to know what else your hands can do. How they can make one feel." Aello chuckled, as she slowly ran her hand over Gunho's knee one last time, before pulling it away from him. "But only after a long day's work, out in this lovely forest of ours," Aello continued with a chuckle, as she drew her cheek off of Gunho's shoulder. "No time to relax and enjoy ourselves until everything is done, which for me, means going out to find something tasty to eat, and for you, cooking whatever that is. Unless you want it burned." Aello's smile widened as she delicately lifted the blanket off of herself, and tucked the loose corner across Gunho's chest, to help lock the heat into his body. "You can come hunting with me, if you'd like," Aello said, as she got to her feet, and moved over to her things, lacing them into their proper places before turning back to Gunho. "It may help if you ever want to learn how to use a bow. Unless, you have other things that need to be finished up around here? In which case, you can always wait for me to get back," Aello concluded, as she tightened her grip around her bow, obviously waiting for a response from Gunho, before she moved into deeper portions of the forest.

[Gunho Ma]

The increasing pressure of this girl's slender fingers on his knees jerked his mind into quiet activity. Gunho met the girl's sparkling eyes for a fleeting moment before he blushed and escaped her eyes by looking straight into the potatoes boiling in the pot across them. He swallowed his saliva and pretended not to be bothered but his mind was a whirlwind of confusion. Either Aello really liked getting a rise of people, or maybe she wasn't at fault for her behavior at all. Maybe he was to blame for his own predicament, presenting himself as a vulnerable and over-disciplined was probably not the best course of action to do when you were around girls the like of Aello. Aello's smile hadn't gone unnoticed. The masseuse smiled weakly not quite sure how he felt about a second round after what happened last night... but he was the one who made the offer and backing out now was not an option. "I'd hate to disappoint... Maybe I can try a full body massage." he offered helpfully, not sure if he was going to regret this proposition later on. "I'll accompany you, I think these are good anyway." he pressed a fork into the now soft skin of the potatoes and carefully took them off the fire to lay them up on a rock. With the lid on he wasn't worried about creatures trying to get into the pot, it was going to be too hot for any of them to touch it, animals or insects. He didn't to do much re-equipping, unlike Aello he hadn't had the need to strip almost bare so he simply presented himself as he was. "Would be nice learning how to use a bow," he told the huntress brightly. "you'll never know how useful things like that can be." "Wait a second, before you go out like that." he strode into his tent and left it with a piece of cloth, something worn on the head. It was a hood, the thick wool would be able to ward away most of the cold from one's face if properly secured. "Lets see if it fits... if you don't mind?" with Aello's permission he would slip it over her head and fix it properly so she'd be warmer. Hopefully with this and the spare jacket he'd given her last night, she wouldn't get too cold. If there wasn't going to be any issues he would head into the forest a few steps behind Aello. He made sure to keep his steps quiet, he didn't want to compromise Aello's hunt by scaring away whatever game was left in these frozen woods anyway.

[Aello]

"Isn't that what you tried last night?" Aello asked, as a small chuckle escaped her lips. Her eyes sparkling pleasantly as she laced her bow up the length of her arm, and gestured towards the forest with her right hand, as though willing Gunho to hurry up and come along before all the game went away. As though willing him to hurry up before she changed her mind, and retracted her offer. Aello was surprised then, when the former Shinya insisted on stalling their departure a little longer, to fetch her a hood. When he tried to put it on her head, Aello pushed his hands away, before gently helping to ease the hood over his own head. Her fingers wove between the man's own, taking note of how cold they were as their tips brushed the soft fabric. "You know, my cloak has one of those," Aello whispered, as she forced herself to smile. "It'll do far more good then, on your head, then on mine." Aello chuckled. "Quit trying to be such a gentleman, and you should do alright." Aello's smile widened, "after last night, we know it can't be too difficult to be improper, at least, every once in a while," Aello finished, as she let her fingers unravel, and slowly trail down the length of Gunho's form, to his pectoral muscles. Aello allowed her palms to rest there a moment, before pushing him away gently. "Come, it's time to hunt," Aello whispered, as she allowed her hands to droop to her sides, and then slowly, made her way past Gunho. Making it a point to allow her shoulder to brush up against his side as she glided along, through the line of trees, and away from their camp. Stepping lightly over the cool terrain, the rough terrain, her eyes scanning the area from left to right, in the hopes of finding something to eat. After several chimes, Aello came to a halt beside a larger tree. She thought she could hear something. A rustling of leaves. It may have merely been the wind at work, but as she looked around, she could see that the coniferous trees were not only swaying, but their branches were sinking, as though beneath a great weight. Deciding then, that it could be something leaping across their expanse, Aello pointed, before pressing a single finger to her lips, to remind Gunho to remain silent. As soon as she was certain Gunho had gotten the picture, Aello lowered her hand, pulled her bow off her shoulder, and placed it back in her left hand. When she was done, she crept forward, until she was standing several feet away from the line of coniferous trees. She scrutinized them, but found nothing. Sighing in defeat, she forced herself to move on through the forest; despite the nagging feeling that she was rather foolish.

[Gunho Ma]

She had a point, why was he fussing so much. He didn't have to, the girl could surely take care of herself since she seemed well off even before he joined his camp. Perhaps it was just years of habit that was making him extra careful with people, there were no expectations for him to meet anymore, he did not need to keep up his act... maybe it was just a matter of bad habits being hard to break. He would probably mellow out and become more relaxed in time. "Sorry about being uptight." he chuckled and allowed her to lead the way. While they cut into the forest on foot he made it a point never to lead, only to follow yet somehow Aello was somehow repeatedly bumping into him with her shoulders. He didn't know if it was accident or if she was steering him somehow, without even noticing but he paid it no mind. How could he be bothered by a little physical contact right now. There was subdued excitement shining in Gunho's eyes when Aello wordlessly informed him through a gesture made with a finger and her lips that there might be something just up ahead. He didn't want to hurt her chances at getting her prey so he obediently did what he thought was the best thing to do, he remained silent as a mouse. He controlled his breathing, kept his feet quiet and his center of gravity low and stable. When Aello took up her weapon and stepped forward with bow in hand, Gunho thought that maybe she'd just lost sight of the animal, whatever it was that the huntress had spotted. Whatever the case Aello was on the move again and he shadowed her, his eyes glued to the girl so he wouldn't miss an instructions that she might give him, verbal or non-verbal.

[Aello]

Aello kept on moving in silence, shaking her head lightly to herself as she did so. Her long brown hair splaying across the sides of her cheeks, tickling her cool flesh as her grip tightened around her bow's frame. Why is hunting always all the more difficult this time of year? Aello wondered, silently to herself. Why can't it be as easy as it is during the spring, or even the summer season? Sighing, Aello forced one foot ahead of the other, over and over again. Her eyes scanned the terrain, her ears prickling, as she tried to pick out any other sounds save for the footsteps of two human hunters. There was the wind, the rustling of tree branches. A sort of crunch as the ground sank, but little else. The forest seemed so still, so devoid of life, that it was almost startling. Thin wisps of silver smoke escaped Aello's lips as she kept on walking in silence for several chimes, until she heard the unmistakable scurrying of a squirrel up a tree. Smiling silently to herself, Aello stopped moving and looked up, gesturing to where she saw one run across a barren tree branch, before tossing an acorn down at two squirrels by the base of the tree. Another was running across the ground, towards them. Surprised by the bold nature of the furry little critters, Aello took a few steps back, into the shadows cast by another evergreen. She looked over at Gunho, before holding out her bow to him. "You're shooting," she mouthed, as she waited for him to take the weapon. As soon as he had, she'd step behind him and help teach him how to do everything properly.