14th Day of Winter 509 AV
Gromhir never really liked leaving Kamalia. He felt a lot happier when she was around, no matter where they were. He worried about her safety all the time but that was because he cared, it wasn’t just his duty. Still, she was safe in her buildings with her books, studying. But he had needed to stretch his legs. It had been a few days since he had been out running with Skyla’s pack and it would be another day still once today was over. He had spent a lot of time reading over the past few days and helping around the Timandre Household. He had helped to sweep the floors and dust the shelves while spending time learning with Kamalia.
But now, he had time to himself. Bells were what they were called. It was what human’s measured time in. The need for humans to quantify everything astounded him. He assumed it made things easier but it was not something that he saw as important. Days were so long afterall. To him, there was dawn, midday, dusk and night. Why should they be called anything else? What was wrong with those measurements? “They’re too vague, Gromhir,” Kamalia’s musical laugh rang out in his ears and he smiled. The stoic Kelvic gave a genuine smile.
It was polite to smile after all. Even if he did not understand the joke, he was told he should smile. He didn’t really understand jokes at all. Another odd bit of language, there was so much that went into it. Kamalia had lost him at sarcasm. Was it sarcasm? It expressed dislike through the opposite of what was being said. Kamalia had said she wasn’t very skilled at sarcasm and couldn’t explain it very well. He had to find someone who knew it well. He wasn’t sure he could recognise sarcasm.
Splash! Gromhir was awoken from his stupor. It wasn’t really the rain that bothered him nor was it the puddle that his foot was now submerged in. The noise. He made too much, he always had. He could track his prey and he could take them down easily but he always made too much noise and in the past it had cost him a meal. Not that he had those worries here. The Konti made sure he was provided for but he would always hunt every few days, whether it was with Kamalia or Skyla never bothered him. But today, he was on his own in the White Woods. Here, alone, making noise could spell a failed hunt.
Thankfully, he knew many of the grazing patterns of most of the herds and knew there was little chance of him being spotted or heard out here. He continued walking despite his now sodden foot. In this rain, there was all the chance that he would be soaked anyway. He knelt down in front of one of the larger bushes. The cupped leaves holding the water in small pools on their surface. The Kelvic lifted one and watched the water dance down the leaf’s oily surface. All the plants of the isle were paler shades of their Syliran counterparts. He remembered reading that it had something to do with the water. Vision Water. The Konti used it for so many things, including their strange ability to tell the ‘future’. Only Nature could divine the true future, what these white maidens saw was only one possibility.
Gromhir looked skywards. Usually, the sky was a vibrant blue and Syna was high. Her glow made the trees glisten like the stars in the night sky. If you looked at them in just the right way, they flashed the colours of the rainbow. But today, grey clouds hung in the air, drizzle rain on the ground. It allowed a fine mist to roll in around the feet of the Kelvic and reduced the distance even his eyes could see. It also provided a steady background noise; it was perfect for the less stealthy hunter.
The Kelvic rose to his full height and strode purposefully through the brush. The human form felt more natural without the need for clothes. He felt more like himself in this form when he was naked. He knew he would always feel better in the Ivaski form especially out in the wilds. But there were times, usually when he was with Kamalia that he preferred to be in human form. They could talk together when he was human, understand one another and question each other. It was strange but certain situations just seemed to be better in human form.
Movement. Gromhir dropped low. He could feel adrenaline pump into his system, strength flow into his muscles as time slowed around him. Nostrils flared, taking in the smells of the forest around him. The pungent smell of rain, the sweet smell of pollen. No scents. Ears strained. The patter of the rain on the leaves, the small plops as it dripped into puddles, the crunching of foliage against bone. Where? To his right. He looked for the source. He had seen it move but he had to gauge his surroundings. The rain hid scent and quieter noise but Gromhir knew this was not a herds grazing area.
The creature stood majestic, even in the rain. Powerful flanks, large proud horns, shimmering white coat that shone with the gloss of water. Why would a stag be so far away from his herd? Unless it wasn’t? Maybe the herd had shifted because of the rain. Surely it had seen, Gromhir. The Ivaski had made no attempts to hide until now. No, it would not still be grazing if it had not seen him. Gromhir weighed up his options. Attacking a stag alone was dangerous. The antlers could cause a lot of hurt. If there were a herd nearby, then there would be a calf or at least weaker creatures than this Stag. But attacking the herd would draw in the stag and there was little chance he could get past the Stag.
He had little chance of finding an easier quarry if this herd was so close. He could not shift either lest he give his position away and risk the stag fleeing or worse, charging. This left him with two options, retreat to a safe distance to shift but loose sight of the Stag. He could wait for the right moment and hope to surprise the Stag by shifting. He was not fond of either option but he could not let the Stag out of his sight. His decision made, Gromhir steeled his nerves.
