[Northern Wilds] Squirrels for Lunch? (FINISHED)

[Andalusia]

Sunberth - Northern Wilds 5th of Spring, 512 AV The rolling green hills appeared saturated under the light of the sun, its rays pooling around a few patches of grass, dirt, bushes and dry leaves that surrounded the forest floor. Andalusia reached out to grab a hold of the thick, rough cloth at the end of her tent and opened it up to reveal the beautiful morning sky; a vibrant blue with barely a cloud in sight. "Dan," she practically sang as she called out for her dog, who was still fast asleep beside her puffy bedroll. The large Luvanor opened his eyes and yawned, seemingly begging for more rest. "You can't sleep in today, Dan," she murmured, her voice gentle and soothing as she fished through her backpack. She took out a small leather pouch and jingled it in front of the dog's droopy eyes. The contents barely even made a sound as they tumbled loosely inside. "Do you hear that?" she grinned at him. Dante remained still. "Exactly," she sighed, tossing the pouch back into her backpack as she hoisted it around her shoulders. By the time she had wrapped her beige colored cape around her and had her hood around her unkempt curls, Dante was up on his feet and eager to step outside of the tent. "Easy," she chuckled, fetching her quiver of arrows and her shortbow. The sweet, woodsy smell of the wilderness filled her nostrils and excited her senses, and she could almost feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins as she took silent steps through the forest, Dante moving just as quietly in front of her. Andalusia nodded to her horse, Howlite, as they passed her. She was tied loosely to the bark of a large tree, just next to their tent. The Leopardbred neighed happily in response, assuring her that the camp was safe under her watch. "Dan, squirrels," she licked her lips as she whispered. Dante wagged his tail twice and began to leap across bushes ahead of her. She broke into a small sprint, her feet landing softly and gently with each and every step, her bow at the ready. The forest was silent, save for the occasional rustling of bushes and the chirp of a distant bird. One wave of Dante's still tail and she knew, that something had fallen prey to his senses right inside that thick green bush. One pull, and bam! The arrow shot right through the bushes, revealing the shriek of what surely was a squirrel. "Did you get one, Dan?" she exclaimed excitedly, her hands making their way through the thick branches to remove what was in there. Out came a medium-sized squirrel, shot smack dab at the center of its stomach. She pulled out the arrow, wiped the blood off of it with a spare piece of tattered cloth, and then placed it back into her brown leather quiver. She took the squirrel and held it up in front of Dante, as if it were a prize to behold. And in fact, it was.

[Theodore Bindark]

Theodore is walking through the forests north of SunBerth. He had been walking for days looking for any sign of civilization. He takes a breath the fresh air feels good. His robes drag on the wet ground as he walks. He carry's his fathers staff with a tight grip as he keeps an eye out for anything.

Theodore feels happy to have found such a nice wooded area the shade provided being pleasant but he must keep walking. He continues to the forest when he spots some tracks. His eyes follow them. Knowing he is lost he thinks for a moment. If he followed the tracks he might find someone who knows where they are going or he might find a bandit who want's his things.

"Well anything is better then wandering around forever" He says to him self as he follows the tracks. He doesn't like the uncertainty in his plan but it must do. He cautiously walks next to the tracks keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.

[Andalusia]

The rustle of leaves have changed. They could tell, the both of them, and just as Dante made a sharp jerk of his head, she knew. "Deer?" she whispered to the dog's ear, but he continued to face the other direction. "Human," she tried, and he turned to look at her with much more certainty. "We'll go the other way, then," she stood up and patted Dante's head comfortingly, "a traveler, probably." Dante walked slower and more cautiously now, as he maneuvered through the maze-like paths of the forest. The tall trees provided more shade than light, but the few pools of brightness were enough for both Dante and Andalusia. As she followed the dog, she stuffed the squirrel around a thick piece of cloth that she'd made into a makeshift game sack. Dante wagged his tail thrice and made for another direction. She prepared another arrow and followed suit. This time, the two had resumed their silent sprinting.

[Theodore Bindark]

Theodore comes to a stop infront of some bushes. He looks at the leaves above and then down to the ground again. He notices blood after thinking for a moment he comes to the conclusion that the tracks must belong to a hunter and his/her dog. Theodore Looks back and forth for a moment but can't seem to spot any more tracks.

Theodore decides that he shall follow the tracks back from where they came. He follows the tracks as he does light that filters through the leafs above create patterns of light on his robes and face. He eventually comes to the beginning of the tracks. A tent he stands there for a moment looking at the tent. No one seemed to be in the tent. He looks around him and thinks for a moment.

[Andalusia]

Howlite grazed upon the tall bushes and tufts of grass that grew abundantly around her tree, content with keeping watch. The smoke from last night's bonfire still left the air smelling of burnt logs, yet to her it felt more homey than intoxicating. Perhaps she was too used to the place, despite their camp often moving from different spots in the woods. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps rang in her ears, louder and louder, until she was sure it was coming closer to the camp. She stood up straight and looked back and forth, hoping it would be Andalusia, but knew in her heart that she would never tread so carelessly. And there, standing so dangerously close to their tent, was a stranger. His long bright robes and large brimmed hat indicated that he might've been a wizard, but the staff he had clutched around his fingers was the indicator. Wide-eyed, Howlite searched her mind for the command she'd been given in an event such as this. There was no other way to alert her master but to neigh. And neigh she did. Not so far into the woods, Andalusia had just caught her second squirrel as it attempted to escape above a tree, shooting its skull before it could enter a hole through the wood, falling right in front of Dante's eager wet nose. "Carry it!" she hissed, sprinting in the other direction. Dante lunged at the dead rodent and held it tightly in his mouth, steering clear of the arrow lodged in the center of the animal's head as he ran along with her. Fear crept up Andalusia like wild vines, the terror of losing Howlite to a bandit or thief would simply be the death of her. She broke into a nervous sweat, her steps slowly giving away her location. She took a deep breath, furrowed her brows, and took more calculated, silent steps. She took out another arrow from her quiver and prepared it. Whoever was invading the camp was going to pay in blood. A few minutes later and she stood still near the bonfire, eyes wide in a mix of surprise and relief as she saw Howlite yelping in her usual spot, still very much alive. She turned to look at whoever lurked near the tent and found a wizard, cloaked and covered, a staff held casually in one of his hands. She aimed the arrow at him and stared him down angrily. "What are you doing here?"

[Lusa]

Lusa had become quite hungry in Sunberth, scavenging as she had been. Luckily, she was not limited to normal human fare, and so had wandered from her lodging at the Springs to forage for the delicious, nutritious morsels the wilds had to offer. She'd hidden her pack and clothing well in the knot of a nearby tree, and had taken her doe form. In this form she was more comfortable, and she could utilize her grinding teeth and efficient digestive system to consume the more fibrous plant life. And so, she had been happily snacking for a while now.

Lusa froze in her tracks when she heard a rustling. She strained her ears, trying to determine what it was, how many, what direction was it coming from? It sounded like human feet, accompanied by the soft paws of a sharp-toothed one. She wondered if she had time to get to her pack, transform, and dress again. Probably not. She stood in an alert position, the characteristic white tail of her species ready to flash in retreat if necessary. She only hoped that whatever was headed her way so quickly would give her enough time to shift before it attacked.

[Andalusia]

Andalusia stood steadfast and still, her bow and arrow locked into position in front of the stranger. Dante made his way behind her, and gingerly rested the dead squirrel at his feet. A scent, so familiar,filled his senses. "Doe?" his ears perked up in excitement. He took a few small steps towards the scent, wondering what it might be. He slipped through a few bushes to inspect the scent.

[Roka]

The wild was still alive in Roka, he had not forgotten his true home and while he found no lacking of morsels in the gullet of Sunberth he found it relaxing to escape to nature. Returning to his natural skin felt like a wild relief and he stretched his paws happily in the soil. He had stashed his clothes beneath the hollow of a tree and left to follow the scents and sounds of the land as they greeted him. The small mice and squirrels seemed especially cautious. Perplexed he continued on, stopping here and there to enjoy a treat of edible berries, something he had long missed.

The sun fell ripe upon his haunches as he barely reached the brim of the grasses lengths. The faint smell of burning wood soon reached him and he was aware of the many lives that were wandering about. He found it strange, yet comforting to be in the presence of others.

His ears perked as he approached he could hear stalking footsteps and he stumbled upon their prey before the hunters. A doe alert as he looking for the signs of danger. He felt sorry for the creature; his mother had been such a beast, timid and loving. They were just innocent beings of the forests. He barked to her a coming warning and pointed his muzzle in the direction he could hear the tracks.

[Andalusia]

Dante's ears perked up at the sound of a bark. "Dog?" he distractedly turned to another direction. "Fox?" he sniffed, slowly edging closer to where he'd heard the bark, until he'd met eyes with what was indeed, a fox, its coat a beautiful slick black. Its eyes were a beautiful, bright yellow. "Fox..." Dante was so sure of himself at first, but he couldn't help but remain neutral to the other animal. He'd never seen a black fox before. It seemed friendly and uninterested in a fight, and despite the pelt it had that was sure to make them a handful of mizas richer, Dante decided against alerting his master of its presence, or even attacking it. "Safe?" he searched his brain for the answers, but he simply couldn't. This fox seemed uninterested in a fight, and neither was Hamlet. The dog was too busy staring back into the fox's eyes to notice the doe that wasn't too far away.

[Lusa]

Lusa startled at the yipping bark, as she had been so focused on listening for the footsteps that she had not heard a fox approach. It startled her so much, in fact, that she flashed her white tail and bolted forward unthinkingly. Of course this brought her barreling into what appeared to be a rather intimidating hunting dog.

Flailing in shock and fear, she shifted to her human form, resulting in a tangle of naked limbs heading straight for Dante.

As she was tumbling, Lusa caught sight of the fox with lovely fur that had inadvertently sent her running. She decided not to harbor any ill will, since the fox was probably only trying to warn her of danger.