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[Ndale Soromund]

Season of Winter, Day 30, 511AV She was a hunter. With each step out of the city she could feel most of her human traits fade, it was a strange transition, while a part of her continuously questioned and wondered the other part of her overrode it. It’s only goal for the moment was food, hard to come by in the city and she was certainly tired of eating fish! She needed something that would actually fill her and sate her hunger. Of course now she was simply amusing herself but once she had reached a ways on one of the more shallow mountains her focus was narrowed, her head cocked as she moved along slowly, listening for even the faintest sounds. For their was one thing she prided herself on and that was her hearing, her vision, while better than in her human form was still impaired by her left eye. There was nothing. Nothing but sparse grass and dirt, she was too close still but she could stop a few trees up a head, it was a small spattering but it would be easier pickings. She took her time though, moving slowly and tracking the smaller bugs that scurried about, nabbing one or two beak fills of dirt when she missed her query. But she eventually reached them and the noise of the smaller creatures and the faint rustle of grass as the wind kicked up, slicing through her feathers. She gave a quiet chirp of indignation before her attention returned to the task at hand. She lowered her head to the ground, not touching but closer than average, her ear tilted so she could her even the lightest scurrying of feet. And her pose stayed like so, every once and while hopping from one side to the next in an effort to find something larger than a beetle. How many chimes she stayed there in wait she did not know but the closer she got to the tree the louder it grew, light but dragging. Obviously only four legs but there was a fifth increment, a tail! A lizard! Target acquired the peahen moved with hesitation in the direction of the noise, her ears blocking out the rest in favor of the delicious sound ahead of her. Upon reaching the tree her eyes scanned, wrapping around it from midway and down, it should be around there somewhere… Ah! Closer to the ground, hunching down slightly she ruffled her feathers in anticipation and waited. Not moving at all, her eyes locking on where the lizard should be exiting from, waiting for the faintest change in the gray scenery around her to let her know it was on the move. There! The bubbling sensation released from her gut in the form of a loud howl, her head surging forward—but her beak clamped on naught but air, her eyes and head swiveling to find the little escape artist. It was a bit difficult, the nasty little lizard was the same green as the grass, smartly hiding in the small patches as it darted away from the hungry bird. But no grass had a tail and no sound would block it’s odd walk from the her ears. Darting forward she involved her feet, stampeding around the lizard, sometimes feeling the faint ripple of its muscles under her feet and other times nothing but the dirt beneath them. Almost! Almost! The starved peahens anxious heart beat increased as--there! She managed to stop it completely, its tail pinned beneath her rough toes. A triumphant squawk filled the air moments before her beak once more arched down. But it would seem that the lizard had more will to live than she to eat for the sneaky little bugger gave a fierce tug and scurried away, tailless. She attempted to pursue it but it ran for safety towards the dark grass and without its tail she would not find it so easy. Kicking the ground in annoyance the animal moved back to her previous location. She would not eat the tasteful lizard but she would not go without for its tail lay unmoving on the ground and without further ado she snapped it up, swallowing it whole and if her beak could grin surely it would have been.

[Ndale Soromund]

Ndale stayed in the small clearing of trees for a few more chimes, actually, many more chimes, simply enjoying the way the breeze was not harsh and the small bugs that emerged from the ground, she would have to return in her human form and collect a jar. Spreading her wings she tested them against the air but did not try to fly, instinctually knowing it was still too soon from her last bruising to be able to actually fly and even spreading her wings to their full extent put a bit of strain on her muscles but it was a pleasant pain. A few moments later though she closed them, folding them neatly across her sides and squawked lightly in contentment, she was far from full but she was sated for now, she wouldn’t mind a piece of fish and she was sure she had some back at her cottage. Waddling and teetering she moved awkwardly down the hill, going up had been much easier than going down and she found herself spreading her wings out every few steps for extra balance with her tail, the wind was not helping either. She managed to make it almost to the bottom of the hill when she seen it. It was obviously the same lizard, tailless and scurrying across from hers a little way. Her movement was instantaneous, stumbling in the direction of the lizard a loud battle squeal tearing from her beak. She would catch it this time. That she would! But her frantic chase had alerted the slippery little devil and he moved swifter, though it was drastically slower and more off center without his tail. Ndale kept her eyes on the prize though, moving with purpose, however awkward it was to go sideways on a hill, which was, or course, the precise reason she fell not a few moments later. She would have rolled completely down the hill if it were not for the fact that she managed to utilize both the breeze and her wings to gain a few inches off the ground and stop herself from careening into the ground. The tiny little morsel was obviously not going to be worth the effort. That thought didn’t stop a sense of frustration go through her at the loss of her target, she could nearly taste the delectable little reptile on her tongue. Ah, well. There was always fish. Pecking and stomping the little ants the rest of the way down the hill Ndale made it back into the inward parts of the city, but not too close, staying along the outsides of the streets she waddled to her destination. Which wasn’t very clear, she vaguely remembered waking with a purpose but her thoughts were muddle as she idled and picked the things littering the street floor. And content to simply stroll about the city, it would come to her. Eventually.

[Paragon]

Adventurer's Loot N'Dale's Loot : N'Dale Skill XP Reward Hunting +1 Tracking +1 Observation +1 Lore: Observing Changes, Tracking Small Prey, Knowing When to Give Up Items or Consequences: Nil I know you ended this early, but I enjoyed it all the same. You write as a Kelvic well - if you have ANY questions or concerns about this grading, don't hesitate to PM me.