Closed [The Sunset Falls] Hunters in the Wood (B'Naomi)

[Solin]

Time Stamp: 59th of Summer, 513AV
Location: Bronze Woods: The Sunset Falls
Who: B'Naomi Tomva

Walking through the thick underbrush, Solin could hear the waterfall off in the distance to the right of him, but he couldn't tell if the waterfall was north of him or south. He ignored the sound for now and continued his trek through the forest. The kelvic looked up into the blue sky and saw a few scattering of clouds with a cool breeze coming from the north. It was a pleasant morning with no chance of rain when he walked through the thicket into a glade of tall grass. The morning sun was starting to warm in the clearing, and the kelvic could already feel beads of sweat on his forehead when he walked into the sun. Since he didn't want to alert potential prey to his position, Solin crept low to the ground beneath the top of the tall grass. As the kelvic made his way through the grass, he heard the sound off rushing water not to far from him, so he made his way towards the sound and saw the glade was bordered by a creek. The hunter stood up and walked to the stream. He knelt down, cupped his hands, dipped them into the clear water, and took a drink water from his hands. Solin splashed the remaining water on his face and looked around to get a better idea of his surroundings. While he was looking, the kelvic saw there was a large oak tree in the middle of the open area, so he figured it could be a good vantage point to scout and stay hidden from his prey. Solin looked at the mud by the river, and he saw the creek was frequently visited by small animals and a larger hoofed creature. The kelvic frowned to himself because he knew his father could tell from the tracks the type of animal who made them and how many of them, but all Solin could see is the size of the beast.

Solin adjusted his quiver and short bow on his back and tightened his belt with his tulwar scabbard on his hip. He made his way back to the tree. Once he made it to the tree, he saw the tree was rather short and stout with a lot of large branches jutting out and close to the ground to the oak tree. He walked over to the tree and saw a few low hanging branches near the ground about six feet off the ground. Solin reached up with both his hands and gripped the top of the branch. He jumped up off the ground to help pull himself off the ground as he swung his leg up and over the branch. Now straddling the branch, he looked up into the tree and saw another branch three feet above him, so he reached up with his hands, grabbed the branch, and pulled himself to his feet. The kelvic held the top branch to maintain his balance and stood on the first branch as he gazed out into the clearing. He gazed out into the clearing, and he saw the clearing surrounded the large oak tree in every direction. The tree line was about a hundred feet away, so he figured if a animal ventured out into the glade. He would see them clearly from his hiding spot in the tree. the kelvic turned his attention to the muddy beach with the animal traffic.

Solin decided the tree would be the best place to wait and ambush a potential prey, so he gripped the upper branch tightly as he swung a leg up and over the branch. The kelvic scooted his butt backwards till his back hit the trunk of the tree. Once his back was on the tree, he pulled a hunting arrow from his quiver and put the shaft of the arrow in his mouth while he pulled his bow from his back and rested it on the branch in front of him. When he was situated, he gripped the bow with his left hand and with his right hand placed the butt of the arrow on his bowstring ready to strike at potential prey. Solin leaned his head back on the rough tree bark waited, rested the bow on the top of his legs, and waited for a animal to come into his sight line.

[B'Naomi Tomva]

Naomi attempted to lick her fur clean from deer blood, which caked her fur from her recent kill. She had been stalking it for half a day and had finally decided to make an offencive move. There was a pleasant wind cooling the north side of her body. Day had dawned only a few hours ago, and already she could feel the heat of the golden sun on her back, even through the trees. She looked down at the mostly eaten deer carcase, sniffed it a bit, then decided that she was not hungry enough to eat the rest. Her face was still covered in its blood though, so she looked for the stream she had passed on the way here. She took off into the forest, leaping over dead branches, gracefully bounding through the trees. She let out a pur, thinking to herself. Indeed, she was the most majestic animal alive, nothing could compare to her beauty. Naomi stopped for a few seconds, to make sure her small pack was firmly attached to her upper foreleg. A few straps were loose, so she Shifted into her human form. She used her nimble fingers to quickly tighten the straps, then took a moment to enjoy the feeling of the sun on her nude body. She let out a sigh, and in a shower of golden sparks, she was a tiger again. She came to a clearing where a stream ran through near the edge and a large oak marked the middle. She cocked her head, listening for anything out on the ordinary. A few small rodents in the grasses of the clearing, and maybe some sort of large bird. She decided it was safe enough, nothing worth chasing away, so she stooped down and drank from the stream, then washed her face in it. A red slick washed down the river, slowly fading as it mixed into the water. Naomi definitely heard something the the tree now, not just a bird. Her head whipped around to look at the source of the sound. It came from about ten feet up the tree, close enough to the ground for her to climb and claw whatever was up there. She hunkered down to the ground, becoming almost invisible in the grasses. She kept her head pointed towards the spot on the tree as she slowly stalked forward, her powerful form inching forward. She would notice any sort movement in the tree, whatever made it. She thought she could make out a humanoid form pressed against a branch near where she heard the noise. Her eyes narrowed. How dare someone enter her part of the forest without her permission. She let out a low growl, keeping her eyes on the tree.

[Solin]

Solin's blue eyes scanned the field of grass, and his eyes fell upon movement by the river as he saw a large bushy tail moving through the grass. The kelvic immediate thought went to cougar, but the large cat emerged from the grass, and it wasn't a mountain lion. The blond man saw his “cougar” was stripped with dark brown, orange, and light brown fur. Since he was curious about the strange mountain lion, so he leaned forward on the trunkto get a better look at the beast. This large feline was about twice the size of a typical mountain lion, and it looked has strong as a bear. The blond hunter hunted the Bronze Woods most of his life, and he never saw such a ferocious and beautiful predator before. It was truly a sight to see. The haired man tried to stay as close to the tree as he observed the large cat bathing itself in the river. Solin raised an eyebrow at it's strange behavior because normally felines groom themselves by licking their paws and running them through their fur. Solin narrowed his eyes when he realized the cat's behavior kind of reflected a human in the ways of bathing. The kelvic looked closer at the beast and saw a leather bag tied to his leg! He thought about the situation for a chime, and he thought to himself when he came to his conclusion, “I will bet my first pup that the cat is a kelvic.”

Suddenly, the large predator turned it's head in his direction, and Solin swore to himself under his breath in Tukant, “Worst petching luck ever!” He sat their in silence as the large cat slipped into the tall grass as his bright blue eyes lost track of the beast in the swaying grass. Solin rolled his eyes when he lost track of the giant feline. Suddenly, he saw a flock of geese land on the shore of the river, and Solin chuckled quietly and thought to himself, “Caiyha, why do you taunt me?” The blond haired kelvic took a deep breath as he scanned the grass for the cat, but he still couldn't find the creature. Suddenly, he heard a low growl coming from the grass close to the tree, and he quickly turned his head to the direction of the sound coming fro m the grass. He made his arrow was tightly on the bowstring just in case the beast decided to pounce at him. Solin knew if it did attack. He would have the advantage of the tree on his side, but also he knew there was no chance of escape for him, so he decided to take a chance that the beast is a kelvic, and yelled down from the tree, “If you're growling to scare me, it is definitely working!”

Once Solin lightened his anxiety with humor, he said clearly as he could muster to the sound in tall grass, “Anyways, I saw you drinking by the river, and I noticed a leather pack strapped to your leg, so I came to the conclusion that you are kelvic. I doubt a large predator would strap a knapsack to his or her leg before hunting.” Solin knew by experience that carrying a backpack in wolf form becomes cumbersome during a hunt especially if the prey was quick and agile. Nervously Solin ran his fingers across the feather of his arrow as he waited for a response. He wasn't expecting a response since he could be completely wrong about it being a kelvic, and the large deadly mountain lion could be just a large predator in the woods. Suddenly, the flock of geese took off because of the sound of his voice. Solin just shook his head and laugh out loud to himself and said to the sound in the grass, “Well I guess my mizas for the week just flew away, so what is your name?”

[B'Naomi Tomva]

A man’s head peeked out from behind the branch, staring somewhere behind Naomi. It was always good if a potential foe did not know exactly where you were. Then, catching her completely by surprise, a voice yelled down to her from the tree, “If you're growling to scare me, it is definitely working!” She froze in surprise, then relaxed in less then a second. An involuntary purr escaped her body; cats, especially tigers, respond well to flattery in any form. But that still did not make of for the fact that he was in her territory. Well, he had surprised her, so she would surprise him. She hit the quick release buckle on the backpack’s strap with her paw, and it fell to the ground with a soft thump. The man seemed determined to continually give away his position. “Anyways, I saw you drinking by the river, and I noticed a leather pack strapped to your leg, so I came to the conclusion that you are kelvic. I doubt a large predator would strap a knapsack to his or her leg before hunting,” he shouted, his voice clear, but with a certain strain on it. He was nervous. That mean he knew he was outmatched, so if it came to it, Naomi could dispatch him. Behind her, she heard a flock of geese wings fluttering, along with their calls. She rolled her eyes. Thats what you get when you shout to the whole forest. The man in the tree laughed and said, “Well I guess my pay check just flew away, so what is your name?” Naomi tensed her hind leg muscles, preparing to pounce. Now was the time for the surprise. She released all of the tension in her body in an explosive movement upward. She became an orange blur as she rocketed towards his branch, a little ahead of him. In mid air, around halfway between the ground and the branch, she Shifted. A flecks of gold were splattered against the tree limb and the man, emanating from her. Now a human, she stretched her arms out and caught the branch. She used her whole body and swung herself up onto the branch until she was straddling it with her bare legs. She gave him a bright smile and said cheerfully, “Naomi! Now, what are you doing in my forest?”

[Solin]

Solin was taken by surprise as the great cat sprint from the tall grass and jumped towards the tree. The kelvic was startled at the distance the cat could jump, so he yelped, pressed himself back against the tree, and dropped his bow. Suddenly, the cat shifted mid air and a attractive naked woman climbed onto his branch. Solin wasn't phased by her nakedness because he was a kelvic too since he preferred being naked himself. He stared at her wide eyed for a moment in shock and just now realized his bow fell from his hand . The red haired woman with a bright smile on her face started to demand why he was in her forest. Solin raised an eyebrow in confusion and thought to himself, “Yep, she is definitely a cat since they all have a tendency to think. They are entitled to everything.” Solin gave the pretty woman a smirk and said with a laugh, “Believe it or not, Noami. I am a hunter. My name is Solin Valhir.” The kelvic looked around at “her” forest, ran a through his blond hair, and said with a half grin, “I didn't know anyone claimed this part of the Bronze Forest. Otherwise, I would have asked permission first. Will you forgive me for my trespasses into your forest?”

Solin bright blue eyes studied the beautiful face of the female kelvic. The woman had long crimson hair hung gently down her bare back. He looked closer at her eyes, and they had the same characteristics of a feline eyes. The wolf kelvic seemed slightly unnerved him because they had a intensity fitting a large predator like himself, but also to him, they seemed to watch him with playful curiosity. Watching her composure, she didn't seem to want to try to harm him, so he relaxed against the trunk. He turned his head to look at his short bow, and he saw it laying in the grass unbroken. Solin looked at Noami and said softly, “As I said, I am a hunter, and since I just dropped my bow, I am starting to think that I am not a very good one.” Putting a stray hair behind his ear, he asked softly with a smile on his face, “How long have you staked claim to this part of the forest?”

[B'Naomi Tomva]

Naomi herself feel satisfaction at his surprised face. She looked down at the bow that lie in the tall grass near the base of the tree. At least he could not shoot her anytime soon, though at this point she doubted he would do such a thing. “Believe it or not, Noami. I am a hunter. My name is Solin Valhir.” She rolled the name around in her mouth. Solin, Solin. She nodded, liking it. “I didn't know anyone claimed this part of the Bronze Forest. Otherwise, I would have asked permission first. Will you forgive me for my trespasses into your forest?” She accepted his apology, it was a sincere one. She gave him a soft smile and said, “Yes, I forgive you. I will allow you to be here whenever you wish, just so long as you do not over hunt. Do not kill the young animals or females, or I will not have dinner in a few seasons, okay?” When she finished, she noticed Solin staring at her, as if sizing her up, but more good naturedly. He seemed to like what he saw, but she was also feeling a sense of anxiousness from him. Eventually, he relaxed against the rough bark of the tree. Solin shifted his body to look down at his bow, seeming relieved at what he saw. “As I said, I am a hunter, and since I just dropped my bow, I am starting to think that I am not a very good one.” She played with her hair, brushing it on her face, feeling it tickling her lips. “How long have you staked claim to this part of the forest?” She let out a triumphant roar, followed by a low purr coming from deep in her chest. She gave him a smug grin and started, “Well, it was actually only a few weeks ago that I took this section of forest from a bear. A great cave bear he was. Sadly for him, I feasted on his flesh after I ambushed him from a bush downwind of his den, one swipe to the throat,” she licked her lips, hungry, despite having eaten a deer not an hour before. “And that is how this forest came to be mine. I have been challenged by other things in the past few weeks, but not one has succeeded, obviously.” She gave him a grin, and asked, “What of you? How did you come to be my forest? Where did you come from?” She gazed into his eyes whilst waiting for his responses.

[Solin]

Solin relaxed when the other kelvic accepted his apology for hunting in her territory. The blond haired man knew from experience that predators of all walks of life get territorial when it came to their hunting grounds, and Solin was no exception to the rule. The wolf kelvic eyes widened when she mentioned that she bested a bear for the current territory because he would try to take on a full grown bear in his wolf form. He knew the lumbering beast wear deadly, but the size of the Naomi in cat form gave him the impression that she could take on a full grown bear with no problem. Solin raised an eyebrow at her list of rules in her hunting grounds, but he sort of understood the reason for them since she was worried about finding food. Solin started to wonder if she had much contact with the human world since she was showing more of her feral side to him. The wolf kelvic said with a nod of his head, “Alright Naomi. I will respect your rules for hunting your territory. Besides, it would be a shame if you starved to death out here since I just met you.” Solin smile widened when the woman laughed out loud at his joke. He knew that he was a decent hunter, but he wasn't anything like his father used to be before he passed away. Solin listened to the cat kelvic's story about how she bested the bear and ate his flesh. He personally never hunted bear since he mostly stuck to deer, rabbits, and water fowl, so he was curious about how it tasted, so he had to ask, “I have never tasted bear before. Does it taste like chicken?”

Human's had a saying that every meat in the world tasted somewhat like chicken. Noami seemed like a proud hunter, but she was coming close to sounding arrogant. Solin didn't mind the arrogance because most feline kelvisc that he met over the years always had a sense of superiority of the rest of kelvic kind. She couldn't help her nature, and he won't judge her for being herself. Solin teased with a wink, “Well maybe one day, I will have to challenge you for this part of the forest. I might not look it, but I have been in a battle or two in my days.” Solin listened to her series of last questions, and he sat there for a moment formulating his response for her, “Right now I am living in the large human fortress of Syliras, and I am hunting your forest for food and income, so I can stay in the city. See the humans pay for the meat and the pelts of the prey us hunters kill, so it is kind of my job to be out here.” Solin looked at the woman, and he wondered if she ventured into the city yet, and asked bluntly, “Have you been to the city yet, Naomi? It must be lonely out here in the forest.” The wolf kelvic watched her reaction because he new the kelvic won't be able to live out here for long term. The yearning for a bond mate and shelter will eventually bring her into the city. Suddenly, the thought of a bond mate caused a sadness to wash over him and he looked away for a moment.

[B'Naomi Tomva]

Naomi had not been to many cities, only small villages. Even then, a total time of only a month combined. Some bad men had tried to mislead her, like saying kissing was the common greeting in the town, or money was required to walk through a doorway. She did not mind though, as long as she got what she wanted and was not tricked, she was fine. She liked talking to Solin, he amused her and flattered her, which was good for any race, but even more so for felines. He had agreed to abide by her rules for hunting, and she was pleased, letting out a soft purr. “I have never tasted bear before. Does it taste like chicken?” he asked, he had most likely never had bear, or hunted it for that matter. Bears can survive many arrows, only a luck shot to the eye will really hurt them, but even then, they do not die, just annoyed. “Chick-en? The little fat birds that can not run or fly? Bah! I would not hunt them, they would have no chance. I confess I have not tasted chicken before. Bear tastes like a cross between beef and elk meat, except more gamey. Very worth the fight,” she said, feeling a little bit sad that she had not done something that normal people would have done. Solin jested, “Well maybe one day, I will have to challenge you for this part of the forest. I might not look it, but I have been in a battle or two in my days.” She rolled her eyes and smiled, then her face got pensive. She spoke her thoughts, “Hmm, I do not wish to fight you. I like you, and I could not talk to you if you were dead.” He then answered her previous question about his home and work. “Right now I am living in the large human fortress of Syliras, and I am hunting your forest for food and income, so I can stay in the city. See the humans pay for the meat and the pelts of the prey us hunters kill, so it is kind of my job to be out here.” Solin looked at the woman, and he wondered if she ventured into the city yet, and asked bluntly, “Have you been to the city yet, Naomi? It must be lonely out here in the forest.” Her face fell, her body seemed to compress as bad memories washed over her. A sob racked her frame, tears streaming down her cheeks. She felt she had to explain, wiping a tear of her chin, murmured, “I-I was a slave, for a long time. Th-they did...bad things to me, over and over for nearly a year. I was young then. A few weeks ago, I escaped, fleeing to the city you speak of. I stumbled around for a while, no one wanted to help. Then a man came along, and he got my collar off. He left me. I left through the gate, and went in the forest, and you know what I did then. I feel lonely a lot, though I shouldn’t. I do not know why. It feels like there is a hole inside of me,” she clutched at her exposed stomach, “Do you have that two, do you know what it is?” Naomi looked up to him with tear filled eyes, pain evident in them. She seemed more like a lost girl than a feral cat.

OOCAsk about the hunting in the next post, it will flow better. Thanks

[Solin]

Solin mentally chastised himself for making the kelvic woman cry. He wasn't trying to bring up bad memories for her, but the moment she told him that she was a slave. The wolf kelvic immediately started to envision look of hopelessness on the slaves faces. For a few ticks, he clenched his fist in anger at himself, but he calmed himself enough and listened to B'Noami story. As he listened to her, she told him that she was only a few years old, and she spent half her short life as a slave. The kelvic immediately thought her birth city was either Ravok or Sunberth, but he decided to pose the question later. As he listened her, he played with on of his bones tied to his hair with his fingers. The kelvic was just silent when she mentioned the collar. He couldn't imagine wearing a collar, and he knew if it were him. He would have died trying to get it off him. He cherished his freedom to much to allow someone to collar him. When she mentioned that she came to Syliras to seek assistance. Solin just smiled and said softly, “You definitely came to the right city to seek refuge.” Solin eyes looked at her hands as she pressed them to her belly and told him that she was starting to feel the growing yearning for a bond mate. It was empty feeling that can only be filled by another person. A feeling the wolf kelvic knew all to well.

Solin watched her for a moment and started to think about his mother. He knew from his adopted father that his mother was a kelvic used for breeding in Ravok. The Hunter didn't say much about her other than the fact she looked like a Drykas woman, but he remembered the hunter speaking of her fondly when he spoke of her. Solin could only imagine B'Noami's life in captivity, but the way she started to break down made his blood boil just thinking about it. Deciding to comfort her, the wolf kelvic reached out, brushed away a tear from her cheek, and said sadly, “Yes, I do know the feeling all to well. I have been alive for five years now, and I have never given anyone the chance to bond with me.” He gave her a weary grin, took a lone strand of hair, placed a lone red lock behind her ear, and said gently, “B'Noami all kelvics are made by our creators to bond with another mortal, and the empty feeling you are experiencing is your yearning to bond with someone.” Solin looked away, narrowed his eyes in anger and said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, “Honestly, I think it a cruel joke played by our creators if I ever meet them. I will punch them in throat.” Realizing he was talking more to himself than her, he blushed in embarrassment and apologized, “Sorry, I think five years of dealing with the emptiness has made me cynical, but I think you will find a bond mate much sooner than I.” He put his hands back on his lap and said softly, “Anyways, I didn't want to bring up bad memories for you, and I especially didn't want to make a pretty girl cry either.”

[B'Naomi Tomva]

Naomi felt a tingle run down her as Solin softly touched her cheek, wiping away salt tears. She blinked the moisture away and moved to embrace him, resting her head on his shoulder. It would not due to have the ruler of the forest in such a state. His body was warm and comforting, despite being fully clothed. He explained to her about bonds and lack of one in a quiet voice. She gasped whether spoke I'll of their creators, whom she had never met, though she still owed them her existence. She heard a bit of sarcasm in his voice, though she did not fully understand the concept of the humans' backwards talk. A found danced on her face as she disagreed with his opinion on their creators. He gave her an apology that was coupled with flattery, she looked into his eyes, and purred "Do you really think I can find a bond fast? Should they be in Syliras?" He then told her that she was pretty. She felt her eyes well up with tears once more, as no one had ever truly meant a compliment given to her, at least, no one she had known well. He cared. Naomi pressed herself against Solin, putting her soft lips on his for a moment. She quickly apologized, as he may not have had the same thoughts as her "Sorry if that was wrong. It's just that... You... Umm... I don't know." She was flustered, looking down at the branch nervously. Could she bond with him? No, she still felt an ache deep in her when she was with him. The task of finding one seemed daunting. What if they made her a slave again? She cringed at the thought of going back to her old life. Everything had gone wrong after Kalinor. She reassured herself that she was stronger now, and that it wouldn't happen. Tomorrow, she would go into the city and find someone to bond with. She liked the forest, maybe they could come live with her in her den. It did not have many things nice houses did, but it was home. "Could you take me to the city, unless you have to hunt more, then I shall go alone." she asked, hoping dearly that he would.