Cats and Dogs(Aleksi)

[Jarhal Treeshadow]

89th Fall of 510AV

A comfortable afternoon in Cyphrus, Jarhal crouched by one of the gates with his trusty hound Chural sitting beside him. He would have rather been out doing something, but his strider needed his rest for now. And so there left little for a Drykas to do without his mount, besides being bored. Jarhal had found another way to pass the time: People watching.

To say he hid his glances was a bit much, but he wasn't precisely staring obviously either. Just a quick sizing up of whatever Drykas passed, giving a friendly nod if one should catch his gaze and look back. It was shameful how few people he knew in Endrykas, how much of a stranger he really was to his own people. Even watching the swirling rainbow of colors from green to red to purple to white, the bright clothes denoting the different clans of Drykas, soon grew tiresome.

Raising to a stand, he began to stretch, searching his mind for something else he could go do. Chural began to scratch himself lazily.

[Aleksi]

Aleksi wrapped the leather stripe around her arm once again as both Luc, her favorite kitty-cat as she called him, and herself were dragging the big, black fur of a panther on something that looked like a raft towards the city. Sighing deeply, she shook her head and mumbled something like We should get a horse Luc to her cat before speeding up as they got closer to the gates.

Her pearly white top, even though it was barely covering anything, was stained with blood of the animal she had hunted down, as well as her daggers, pants and any part of her that she could not wash in that lake.

As she got just in front of the gates with Luc, she noticed a man stretching besides them. Lightly tiling her head, she slowed down a bit.... He was someone she never saw before. Yes, it was true, she didn't know many people in person, but at least she knew how most of them look like, this person though, she has never seen in her life before.

Catching herself staring at him made her mumble something to herself and speed up again

[Jarhal Treeshadow]

It was love at first sight, Jarhal found himself smitten immediately and he could think of nothing else: What a magnificent panther! It took him a few moments to tear his eyes away from the heap of the black panther to even notice who it was being dragged by... and soon enough, his eyes wandered back to the woman & cat's catch being drug behind them. It made him lick his lips, just imagining stalking and ambushing the predator. He wasn't sure he would survive hunting such a beast, but taking risks was essential to growth.

It was Chural that broke him from his trance, scratching(and not gently) his leg and giving a whine. Jarhal nodded agreement, and they both set off at a trot to catch up with the woman. One could never have too many hunting partners, and this one had to be capable to survive the panther.
The big cat didn't hurt either.

"Hello! Hey!" He raised his voice to catch her attention, catching her up from the side. His discerning eye looked her over, for clues to what weapon she used and injuries she sustained. "Caiyha surely blesses you, that is a fine predator you have killed. Would you like some help?"

Chural, meanwhile, held back to sniff at the dead beast, as though wary it might suddenly spring back to life.

[Aleksi]

Aleksi stopped instantly, slowly tapping her right thigh to make Luc come closer to her. Hello, she added as her head tilted towards the man. Her eyes were bright green, face and voice quite gentle, but the way she acted wasn't even close to that.
No, we do not need help. We are doing just fine, thank you..., while whispering that, she slowly moved her fingers over the still bleeding scar on her right arm.

Hearing Luc growl though, made her turned back and see the dog next to the beast
If you could please call your animal off.... it's making Luc feel uncomfortable, lightly moving her fingers through the fur on Luc's head to calm him down
And as for the predator, yes... it's a pretty interesting one, but not a big deal when you have someone like Luc to help you out..., her now free fingers moved from the scar to the dagger attached to her pants
And since I'm guessing you're looking for what I've killed it with....

[Jarhal Treeshadow]

He inclined his head to her and moved back a bit, respecting her wishes. Some folks liked to be self-sufficient, which made this a bit more difficult then he'd first thought. She seemed a peculiar woman, after all. He glanced back and gave a sharp whistle, which called Chural off a short distance. There he stood, looking grumpy.

"My name is Jarhal, I just couldn't help but notice. I don't mean to..." He hesitated a moment before ending mildly, "Annoy you. I am a hunter by birth and wanted to congratulate you. I would love to walk with you, and hear the story of the hunt, if you would let me."

He didn't comment on it, but his eyes held on her daggers. He had only his quiver and composite bow, and the idea of hunting with a dagger was very interesting in itself. One might think that the cat did all the work, but then why would she be so bloody? He was hungry for the answers, and it showed through plainly in his greyish eyes that were usually so unremarkable.

[Aleksi]

She chuckled and shook her head. No one ever talked to her like that before, no one ever actually bothered to say she did something good
Very well, do come with us if you wish, but trust me, it's not a really interesting story... by the way, I'm Aleksi... yes, a male name for a female.., frowning softly she pointed at the other side of the raft and Luc went there, starting to pull lightly again as Aleksi started walking

I guess I was born in a wrong family at the wrong time.... all my life I've been a hunter as well... or well, something between a hunter and a warrior. sighing with a bit of relief as she saw a white tent that looked familiar, she continued to talk
My father's only wish was to teach me how to use daggers and whips, so here I am, hunting panthers and bears down with Luc. He's a good boy though, since he's usually the one holding the animal down while I jump on it and cut it's throat... it's quite simple... most of the time..., she then smiled and looked at the scar on her right arm
But sometimes they scratch you back.... I guess that makes it even more fun

[Jarhal Treeshadow]

A slight smile played across his lips and then went away, as he walked alongside her with Chural on his other side. He did not move to help drag it, since she had already said she didn't need any help. It was her kill after all, she could do what she wished.

"A name is like a cloak, you wear it until it gets moth-eaten and frayed, and then you discard it and take another." He gave a slight shrug, he certainly doubted he'd call himself Jarhal forever, "I am no warrior, maybe that's the difference. If I miss my shot, then I don't eat and maybe get scratched too. The scratching is usually not as fun as you make it sound, though."

He said the last playfully, with a small smirk. There were little feelings worse in the world than missing your shot, to Jarhal. So much wasted time, in setting up the ambush, and for nothing but embarrassment in the end. But the feeling of hitting your mark, bringing down the prey with a single arrow, felt so good it was worth the occasional embarrassment.

[Aleksi]

Aleksi giggled at the name comment before wrapping the leather stripe around her arm again
True, name is like a cloak.... but I tend to wear my cloaks longer then others., she said quietly before speeding up just a bit.

Once you're a warrior, the first thing you learn is how to miss the shot, since you need to know the consequences of it to never make the same mistake again, shrugging softly, she looked down herself. That was probably the reason why her body was mostly covered with tattoos. Each and every one of them was covering one or more of her scars. Not deep ones, not the ones you could feel if you touched the pearly skin, but the ones you could see, if they were not covered with ink

I find the fight itself more important and interesting then the kill... I'm not sure why, her eyes moved to Jarhal softly and she smiled in something like a polite manner
But if we were all the same, it'd be quite boring, don't you think?

[Jarhal Treeshadow]

He nodded agreement, the Drykas as a whole were so different in their own little divisions of Clan and Pavilion and job and everything else that it was hard to imagine otherwise. It was all like a large sieve that everyone gradually fell through into their own little places and their own little purposes. If you took away any of the pieces that made a Drykas, they seemed woefully incomplete.

"The release of a clean kill is one of the greatest pleasures I know." He stayed silent for a few moments, before asking boldly, "I'd like to go hunting with you, sometime. Talking about it is a far cry from actually experiencing it, you know?"

He glanced over to her, unsure just what her answer would be. It was usually a simple matter to get another Emerald clan hunter to accompany him, but this woman seemed quite a bit different from them. Quite a bit different from most everyone he'd met, in fact. And like she said, it'd be awful boring if she was the same.

[Aleksi]

She chuckled quietly and looked down at Luc cause he made something like a whiny noise
I'm not quite sure Luc likes the idea, and well, I sort of understand why.... you're a hunter from afar as far as I remember....

Tilting her head, she stopped again, gently pulling her hand up to rest it before she continues
Are you sure you could keep up with a one on one fight, up close, of course? I mean, neither Luc nor I have time to look at what others do while we hunt, so you do understand you're putting yourself up for a huge risk

The thought of hunting with someone didn't really bother her much, but at the same time, she didn't want to have anything or anyone to slow her down in any way. She loved fighting, not killing. She loved how it felt to have an animal fight back as you try to kill it
And, one more thing....If it is a smaller animal then this, I'm usually trying to make it more angry before I start fighting with it... as I said, fun...