Closed At Home in the Woods

[Dust]

Fall 48, 512 AV Dust had spent seven of the past eight days inside the harbor city's walls, in either form as suited her whim. She explored many of the streets, checking out the buildings and alleys, the strange blue-skinned men, and always the great waterfall which cut the city in two. But now? Now she had seen enough of the city for a little while, and felt it time to explore the country. This particular autumn morning was crisp and clear, composed mainly of vibrant blue sky and chill-edged air. The trees whispered to one another, or perhaps to the sea breeze, in the inscrutable language of rustling leaves. Soon, those 'voices' would fall silent for the winter; even now, the leaves changed color in gradual and certain progression, some species already decked in vibrant golds and reds, others accumulating duller brown hues. Above them all, a white raven glided on the wind, listening to the air rustle through her own feathers. She listened also to the sounds of the forest below. Small passerines foraged amidst the branches, chirping continual contact to one another. Others spoke less frequently but to greater purpose -- calling flockmates to food, warning competitors away, singing enjoyment of the morning atmosphere. The raven listened to them all, and flew on. As she flew, she peered down at the landscape below. With the trees beginning to shed their leaves, Dust could see through to the ground below in many places. For the most part, what she saw was brown and more brown -- the gray-brown shades of tree trunks, the warmer hues of fallen leaves, and the dark loam beneath. Undergrowth provided accents of green, where the shrubs and small plants still retained their leaves. All told, Dust found the vista a most pleasant sight -- after all that time at sea, it was good to be around a forest again. Any forest. Another birdcall rose up from the woods, this one the scolding cry of a lesser corvid -- a jay, she thought. Its rancor piqued Dust's curiosity, and she decided to poke her beak in. Drawing her wings partway in, the white raven ducked down through a gap in the canopy, steering adroitly between the branches. At the end, she backwinged to land on a sturdy bough, blue eyes surveying the surrounding forest.

[Kahno]

Golden eyes peered through the brush encrusting the base of a large evergreen tree. Kahno's senses were locked onto the hare a short sprint's distance away on the other side. The glands beneath his tongue made his mouth water as he envisioned his course. He pictured himself diving through the bush at top speed. The hare would get spooked at the sound, but its attempted escape would be in vain. He would gain on it as it hopped away, and snatch its little body up in his maws, clenching until its brittle bones snapped. Sharp teeth would ravage its warm flesh, puncturing vital organs until breathing ceased. Then he would bask in the sunshine peeking through the trees as he enjoyed his little snack. Lowering his body to the ground, Kahno watched the hare, anticipating which direction it might run in. Hares were notorious for being able to zip through the forest, darting between trees and through foliage with ease. Their little bodies were great at changing directions at hairpin angles. This one would be his, though, he was sure of it. Raising up just a bit, one paw inched forward, hind legs tensed and coiled, ready to spring. The hare nibbled on something green, a distraction. Snagging the opportunity, Kahno released the power in his limbs and leapt through the bush, little twigs snapping and breaking off with the force. His heart drummed with the adrenaline as his mind focused on his target. The hare, startled, bolted forward. Kahno dug his nails into the forest floor, gripping the ground with his massive paws to propel himself on. Ahead of him, the prey bounced frantically. Though it fled in a zigzag motion in hopes of shaking and confusing its assailant, Kahno maintained a straight course, hanging back a bit to give it time to wear itself out and to have plenty of notice in case it changed direction. His anticipation almost instantly got the better of him though; picking up speed, he drew closer to his prey. As he parted his jaws to snap the hare up, it jerked its little legs and turned right in an almost ninety degree angle. In a desperate attempt to follow, Kahno tried to make the turn. His right forepaw slipped and slid behind his left one, his chest and face slamming to the ground. His mouth caught a full bite of dirt as his body smashed against the ground. By the time he regained himself and got back to his feet, the hare was out of sight, possibly hiding in a hole or other hideout nearby. He snorted in disgust and anger, shaking the dirt from his fur, staring after the now invisible lost meal. His stomach gurgled in dismay. It seemed like he would have to track something else down.

[Dust]

She heard it before she saw it -- the rustle and crackle of disturbed leaves and cracking twigs, loud to begin with, louder still as the rest of the immediately surrounding fauna went entirely quiet. Something charged through the forest: two somethings, one running from and the other chasing. It seemed as if the entire woods held its breath, awaiting the outcome of the hunt. Dust twisted her head around to peer in the direction of the noise, standing tall with interest. The hare, darting erratically left and right, was almost a blur to her eyes -- difficult to focus on. The wolf which barreled through the underbrush behind was easier to see for the simple reason of size; that, and he ran in a straight line, easier by far to predict. She wasn't sure exactly what the wolf did wrong; after all, she didn't chase prey as he did. But she saw the hare blur sharply right as it approached her tree, and the wolf's feet go entirely out from under him as he tried to do the same thing. He plowed into the dirt practically face-first, loam and leaves scattering out to either side, an outcome which made even the bird wince internally in sympathy. He was a fellow Kelvic, she could tell. Dust's sympathy definitely lay with the wolf. The raven remained quiet as he clambered back up to his feet, spraying dirt every which way with the shaking of his fur; she tolerated the bits which splattered against her own feathers with mild annoyance. Even the forest remained quiet, the little chirping birds apparently not quite ready to presume safety and go back about their business. Not that either wolf or raven posed much threat to them here. Dust contemplated the wolf while he stared off into the distance -- and if she were human-form, that contemplation would have ended in a smile. As it was, she merely tipped her head and peered down at him with one beady blue eye. The raven then grabbed part of a twig in her beak and twisted to snap it off. It wasn't much of a chunk of wood, but she thought it might be enough: Dust then leaned over and dropped the twig on the wolf. The raven called at him, a pair of hollow clicking noises somewhat resembling the sound of something knocking on wood. The timbre wasn't directly suggestive of laughter -- though with the variety of sounds ravens might make, it could have been such. She followed with dropping from her perch and swooping directly over the wolf. Dust landed in the branches of a stout little bush some fifteen feet away, her perch at a level not much higher than the wolf's head. She didn't seem too concerned at being within his potential reach, but voiced an upward-inflected whistle, tipping her head in an invitation for him to respond. With something.

[Kahno]

The light touch of something like a leaf bounced off the halo of thick fur covering Kahno’s body. Black lips peeled back in a snarl as he whipped around. The swift, fair gust of the skybird brushed against his back, and he turned again. His teeth parted and a dark tongue darted out from between them. The raven sat perched before him on a bush, tantalizing. He wasn’t stupid though. If he rushed it in an attempt to snatch it up as a snack, it would fly off. There was no hope for catching the skybirds, with the exception of owls or other large birds. And even then, his only hope would be if the bird was dazed or wounded, left without a way of escape. This raven on the other hand, seemed healthy and able. A gurgle from the pit of his stomach shut his mouth. He was hungry. Stomach pains were setting in. There was nothing like the disappointment of losing a meal and having the second one stare you in the face like a joke. He wanted to sigh and lie down and give up, but this stupid bird had attracted his interest for some reason or other. Hind legs folded beneath a blanket of fur as he sat down with a huff, golden eyes scrutinizing the feathered beast.

[Dust]

Dust wanted to laugh as the wolf whipped around and growled, looking for an attacker (or something) which wasn't there. Her amusement faded back to a quiet simmer as he just stared towards the bird. Blue eyes bright, she waited for a response to her whistle... and got only that steady amber stare in return. Though at least she clearly had his attention, as he slumped down on the ground and... continued to stare. Of course. She took a moment to rue the lack of easy communication between her kind and his -- whatever the wolf was thinking remained inscrutable to her. Words were so nice for fixing that. But just shifting and talking would make it too easy. The raven cocked her head the other way, then fluffed out her feathers and shook herself. Where would the fun be in that? The white raven whistled again, then leapt up from the bush, flapping up to a level just beneath the canopy. She glided out into the forest away from the wolf, her pale form relatively easy to glimpse amidst the half-bare trees. She didn't fly like a creature with a particular destination, but wove through the trees, working her way around to cover more area -- much as if she searched for something. Which she did. Dust didn't usually care about rabbits one way or the other, but she was pretty confident she could find something of that sort. OOCNo preference whether Kahno follows or not; she'll eventually come back if he doesn't.

[Kahno]

Golden eyes locked onto the white bird as the wolf scrutinized its behavior. A Kelvic, like himself, he was sure of that. The being possessed a higher intelligence than its kind, giving hidden meaning behind its behavior. Kahno refused to shift to ask it point blank of its intentions. His two-pawed form was something few ever saw. It was a weakness, to be like those two-legged creatures. They didn't know how to live off the land as he had. They didn't know the secrets of the wild. No, instead Kahno stood apprehensively, gazing around the woods to see if anyone or anything else was watching. Frightened critters had all run and hid at the alarm of there being a predator on the loose. He cursed to himself and looked up to the skybird. It had taken flight, floating on light wings near the canopy. He felt like a silly weakling, but there was something the skybird was showing him. Confusion rattled his little brain as he placed one paw in front of the other, his nose in the air, and followed the creature.

[Dust]

Rabbits. Round head, long ears, bouncy gait, eat greenery. Dust didn't see any of them as she roamed the forest, though she did notice the gray wolf-shape padding along in her wake. The raven would have smiled, if she were human; she was pleased he had figured out to follow. And was interested enough to do so. Something had gone right. The search for rabbits, maybe not so much. Had he managed to scare them all away? The white raven continued her flight between the trees, gliding more than flapping, with one eye to the tree limbs and the rest of her attention on the ground. And though she flew some ways beyond proximity of the wolf's hunt, the rabbits out there apparently still practiced prudence -- or at any rate, she couldn't find them. Annoyed with the situation -- as a demonstration of her skills at prey-finding, this seemed a distinct flop -- Dust fluttered to a perch on a sturdy oak bough and glowered down at the ground, first on one side, then the other. It took her a few moments to realize the dark splotch at the base of the tree, half-hidden by a small fern, was probably a burrow. But was it a rabbit burrow? The raven had zero clue. She glided down to the ground in front of it, cocking her head and peering in with one bright blue eye. That doing so brought her down into the wolf's zone, she didn't worry about too much. Actually... the bird looked back over her shoulder at him, tipping her head and voicing a quiet chirp. Maybe he could figure out if it was an inhabited burrow.

[Kahno]

Kahno’s muzzle pointed in the direction of the raven above as he padded along half-interested after it. The wolf remained unsure of what exactly the raven’s intentions were, but he was curious nonetheless. It stopped and grasped with little talons the branch of a tree. Golden eyes bore into the feathered creature. A solid, awkward moment passed before he finally followed the skybird’s gaze. Down, down, down, he searched around, looking from the bird to the ground. Its sudden descent spooked Kahno. The wolf jumped slightly, and huffed an irritable puff of a sigh. What was it getting at? Brave little thing, thought he. What made the bird so sure he wouldn’t snap it up in his teeth and munch on it? His mouth watered at the thought of fresh blood, but he shook the sensation. Something was at play here with his new acquaintance, and it wasn’t like he had anything better to do. The raven peered backwards at him over its shoulder, and emitted some inviting chatter. One paw in front of the other, Kahno made his way over to the skybird. A furry snout dropped to sniff at the hole before the raven, dirt spraying as he nosed around. The mouth of the burrow was disturbed, the dirt fresh, like little feet had scuffled in and out recently. It was a sign of life, of habitat. It was a home or hideout of some sort. Amber eyes met blue ones as the wolf cocked his head to survey the bird. Why was it helping him? A huff issued from his nose, a half-hearted gesture of appreciation. No need in being thankful for something that was not yet promised. Kahno stuck his nose down into the hole and sniffed around. The scent of a rodent filled his lungs. A rabbit, maybe? He didn’t care. He stood stock still, his breath short and steady as he listened for some sort of sign of presence in the burrow. A breath! A nervous fidget! The wolf’s heart skipped. Almost instantly, he jabbed his nose down in the hole as deep as he could, the bloodlust taking him over almost entirely. He was hungry, there was something in the hole. The pain cut into his stomach as he snapped his teeth viciously, desperately, in an attempt to snatch something out. His wide, furry head would not reach far enough. He backed up with a snarl and, with both paws, began to dig at the ground. Dirt flew in all directions, all regard for the little bird subsided. The mouth of the burrow widened as Kahno ripped into its surface. Something backed against the far wall of the hole, he could hear its fearful movements. He would never reach it. These blasted things could run for feet, deep into the ground. It would take forever for him to dig to the creature inside. He had to flush it out somehow. But how could he manage that? Frustrated, he jumped over the hole and paced a tight circle before returning to snarling into the hole. He was not dense; he knew that he was just scaring the creature further into the burrow. He was overrun with desperation. Something had to give. OOCSorry for the delay!

[Dust]

The raven hopped back a couple of steps as the wolf came forward, then fluttered up to a low branch in the tree, the better to observe. Burrows weren't her thing. Meanwhile, the wolf snuffled at the dirt, ears perked sharply forward; whatever he sensed, the bird had no idea of. Then the wolf seemed to explode into motion, scrabbling at the earth in a frenzy, scattering dirt to the winds -- or, in this setting, to the trees. Dust squawked with surprise and jumped up a few more branches out of startled reflex. Then a couple more for good measure. Tipping her head and peeeering down at the wolf's activity, she watched his excavation for a few moments, then concluded he must have the matter well in hand. He was a wolf; presumably he knew how to get prey out of a burrow. The white-feathered bird felt her job here was concluded. Dropping from her perch and spreading her wings, she glided out into the woods. She had made it past only a couple of other tree trunks when the wolf's frustrated snarls from behind announced his continuing difficulties at reaching the end of the burrow. His renewed attack upon the burrow entrance had the side effect of galvanizing the creature inside into action -- or at least into remembering that past the doglegs in its tunnel lay another exit. Dust knew nothing of its subterranean scramble, but as she came about to see why the wolf hadn't made his kill yet, the raven glimpsed movement near to her position. Quick, erratic movement close to the ground, something that might have been a fleeing rabbit. The raven uttered a series of sharp croaks to try and draw the wolf's attention, then folded her wings partway in and dropped down out of the air. She didn't move to catch the rabbit -- Dust was no raptor, and it never occurred to her to try -- but aimed for a point beyond the fleeing herbivore, feet hitting the ground and wings flaring out to provide a larger-seeming obstacle. Run the other way, critter!

[Kahno]

Sharp ears swiveled to capture the sound of the raven’s call. The alert drew his attention almost instantaneously, his keen senses on point with the rush of the chase and bloodlust running thick through every fiber of Kahno’s being. A flash of dusty white skimmed across his field of vision. The rabbit was escaping, but the skybird took adequate and rather intelligent action. He hadn’t expected the hunt to be a collaborative effort, but his instincts drew him into the ploy. He had worked in a pack before, sometimes just himself and another male doing the hunting. One would chase, the other would attack. It took swift thought and pinpoint precision. One misstep could ruin the entire effort. The light pat of the taloned bird lit the forest floor in front of the rodent. Frantic and confused, the furry being sputtered and zigzagged, seemingly debating on going around the raven. Powerful hind legs kicked into high gear as Kahno took off in the direction of both miniscule creatures. The rabbit spun and at the last minute, and a minute too late. The wolf opened his massive jaw with a snarl just as he ran up on the skybird and rabbit. The rabbit nearly slipped right past him on his left, but with a chomp, sharp teeth found soft flesh right around the middle. A squeal pierced the air as the prey was caught, and Kahno slid to a stop, barreling straight over the little bird. With a brutal jerk of his head, the hunter shook the rabbit back and forth. The crunching of brittle bones filled his ears as his teeth cracked down into the rabbits body, long canines sinking into the warm, bloody flesh. The trauma ceased the critter’s life, and the bloodlust grew within Kahno as the copper taste of blood filled his mouth. Plopping to the ground, the wolf began to feast, his mouth salivating onto the carcass. It may have been rude, but for the moment, he disregarded the presence of the skybird. It didn’t take long, however, for the small catch to be devoured. Sticky red caked the fur around the wolf’s jaw as he slinked up onto all fours and stretched, his belly satisfied for the time being. It was then that he recognized that perhaps he owed the bird a show of his appreciation. He turned to face the feathery thing and stared at it, golden eyes glimmering. The blood on his face made a fearsome creature, and he knew that the bird may be frightened of him. Normally he would have snatched it up for a second snack, to ensure his satisfaction. Though he was proud and full on conceited air, he remembered what it was like to hunt with a pack, and for a moment, he almost missed it. Kahno approached the skybird and with one massive padded paw, stepped on its tail feathers to keep it from flying away. Massive jaws opened and closed proximity to the being. Surely it was frightened. But he simply let his long, black tongue unfold out and licked the bird across the head. He felt a little bad that some of the fresh blood smeared its white feathers, but it was a sweet sight. Kinda. He nosed the creature and then walked around it. In a flash of light, a man took shape in the wolf’s place. His hair was unkempt, his body sporting some dirt in places, the same blood smattered across his face. Identical amber eyes locked onto the bird. In Common, the newly formed man said, ”Thank you, Skybird, for your assistance. I hadn’t expected it, at all.”