[The Southern Hills] Eye of the Tiger (Cypress)

[Nustril]

Timestamp: 40th of Spring, 510 A.V.

Heavy paws fell silently upon the green grass of the hills as Nustril stalked his prey. Very softly with the exhale of his breath he released a purr in anticipation. With belly low to the ground and tail tip twitching eagerly he slunk up the back of the hill with ease. Several times he moved passed an object which would have given him away in human form. Stepping over a brittle stick, moving aside as his sharp eyes noticed several loose rocks in front of him, carefully avoiding a collection of dry leaves filling a small hole in the dirt.

The prey he hunted was unaware of his presence here, though surely it knew he stalked these hills. His golden eyes fell upon a beautiful black horse. It stood grazing at the peak of the hill, on the side from which he approached. The creature's tail swished and it looked directly at him. Unperturbed, it resumed its delicious southern lunch.

Though there was no worry that the animal would give him away he was mildly upset. When the horse saw him, it meant that he had made a mistake. All well and good when he was hunting here, but from what he had heard of the grasslands he could not afford to make a mistake there. Next time he stalked this prey he would avoid the gaze of the horse.

As he neared his target his purring ceased. It would give away his position if he was not careful. Extending his claws to gain a better grip on the angled turn, he moved around the curve of the hill. To the northern side was a cart with two oxen. It was well supplied, by all appearances. The horse had been on the eastern side. Upon completing his circling he confirmed that the western side of the hill was marked by a neatly pitched tent, and the south was unguarded and unobstructed.

The hunter's tail twitched in excitement.

Hunkering down even lower to the earth, the tiger dragged its belly on its approach from the south. An attractive young woman was standing near an open flame, collecting ingredients no doubt for the pot which was hanging above the fire. Her back was to him and her attention was elsewhere. The circumstances could not have been more favorable lest she had been asleep. Massive muscles in the animal's shoulders bunched, as did those in his hips and all along his back.

Like a coiled spring the great cat exploded forward when he released his power. Paws spread wide, claws retracted, he bared his fangs and roared as frightfully as he could. His target was the young woman's back. How he loved to nom on the knots which she so painstakingly wove into her hair each morning.

[Cypress]

By the time she realized she was not alone, it was far too late and the only response she could muster was to spin on her heel. At least she would face the beast head on rather than be forced into a faceplant on the unforgiving ground.

In a stance that had now become familiar, she searched for as much stability as was possible and awaited the 'pounce'. The wait was short as the tiger slammed into her, sending them both tumbling toward the ground. With such massive weight behind the pounce, it was amazing the amount of delicacy the beast had adopted. He pulled back at the last moment so as not to crush her, while still offering enough force to get the job done.

Most of the breath rushed from her lungs, but still a wide smile spread across her face and her pale blue eyes sparkled. She pried one of her arms free and reached up to take a velvety ear between her fingertips. She gently pushed her thumb along the soft curve, caressing it as she purred from deep in her throat.

She spoke in a quiet voice, "You will be a shadow, they will never see you coming. "

[Nustril]

Nustril was gentle with her, for someone who was plowing another person into the ground. As he stood with a paw on either side of her shoulders, she reached out and rubbed his ear. The cat's golden eyes closed as he pressed his face against her hand and his purring rumbled through both of them. What a wonderful time for traveling spring was turning out to be.

The tiger slid off to the side of her so that she could breathe more easily. Using his hips to lead the way he flopped heavily onto the ground beside her and slapped a heavy paw to her shoulder to hold her still. Nustril had still not gotten what he had come for, and he intended to enjoy his victory.

Giving her one long lick across her shoulder he playfully slurped her hair into his mouth and nommed on it with his lips. It was not the sort of gnawing where teeth would sever hair, but the sort where slobber would soak her entirely if he was left to his own devices. With the tip of her pony tail hanging out of the side of his mouth he looked at her mischievously.

[Cypress]

She pressed her hand over the meaty paw and turned toward the tiger. Her face was the picture of tolerance as she felt the tug of him nomming her hair.

"Must you? Every time? " A sigh mingled with soft play of laughter slipped from her lips. Though the end result would leave her feeling a little like a doused rat, she quite enjoyed the playful attention. She even went so far as to tilt her head and free up another long tail.

The tips of his long whiskers bobbed in front of her, dancing over her arm like dried leaves over the ground. She reached over ruffling those whiskers and watching as his lip twitched involuntarily.

[Nustril]

Every time she messed with his whiskers his face twitched like he'd been popped with a hot bit of grease. It may not have hurt, but it really felt weird. As long as he had a pony tail to nom he could ignore the annoyance.

His scouting throughout the area had proved fruitless. Even the roads in this part of Sylira seemed dangerous to him, so he made sure to examine their back trail and surroundings several times each day and night. It had saved them from unpleasant encounters on more than one occasion in the past, and he hoped to be able to say that in the future as well.

After releasing her pony tail he reverted to his human form with a shimmer of bright light. Uncoiling from the ground he stood to his full height and stretched as widely as he could. "I am hungry," he said simply. The wind on his naked skin felt delightful. Hilltops were a type of terrain he could become accustomed to. With a pang he sought out his toga and sandals, tugging them on.

[Cypress]

As her back lifted off the ground she flipped the long tail over her shoulder where it landed with a moist smack. She pushed off the ground to stand next to him.

"As it happens, I've made food. So this is your lucky day." She smiled and moved toward the fire after planting a kiss on his bare shoulder. "Did you find anything on your scout?"

With fluid ease, she crouched by the fire and began scooping the bubbling stew into bowls. She blew over the top of one bowl and handed it to him. With bowl in hand, she sat on her curled legs and began to eat. Once a spoonful was in her mouth she rolled it around on her tongue, and a strange expression developed on her face.

"How does it taste to you? I added a new herb that I found."

[Nustril]

Having not felt hungry before he shifted, he ran his hand over his stomach as he felt it rumble. If he'd come across any game during his scouting he might have killed it and brought it back to camp. Fresh meat complimented any meal. Taking his bowl he sat down next to her so that their shoulders were touching on one side.

Scooping up the stew he lifted it to his mouth. Somehow it felt as though his lips were going to suck into his mouth and pop out the back of his head. With a mighty effort he forced his face into a bright smile and he kissed her cheek. "It tastes nice." He had learned not to overstate his compliments to her cooking, from a healthy fear of repeat performances.

[Cypress]

She sucked her upper lip into her mouth after the first bite, working up the courage to take another. "I'm so glad." She grinned, forced to finish it now. After his happy reply there was no way she could admit that she thought it tasted like drek. "There is plenty more." With that statement, her stomach did a sad little flip.

"I took a walk while you were out and found a whole patch of herbs, the flowers were lovely, so I thought I would try it." She lifted a spoonful to her mouth and tried to fight back a sickly wince. In the end, she shoved it quickly into her mouth and swallowed it in a lump. After the second bite, she honestly felt the need to scrape her tongue with the flat of her blade. "Does your mouth feel funny?"

[Nustril]

Finding himself forced to agree with her private assessment after his third bite, he sighed and scratched at his chin. This particularly experiment was even less edible than usual. It was likely time for him to go hunting and bring them back some meat to cook. As he looked over at her and responded he flashed a grin at her. "Yes. It feels like nasty."

"Shall I hunt?" He asked hopefully. If there was any good in the world she would agree, and he would not have to finish his stew.

[Cypress]

The look on her face was that of a man who' d been offered a reprieve from the hangman's noose.

"Please!"

Not allowing a second to pass, she snatched the bowl from his hands and dumped the remains of both back into the pot. Turning to him, she couldn't stop her tongue from dragging over her teeth. "I am sorry. I try so hard, but ..." She offered up a crooked smile. "Lucky for me, you prefer the taste of my braid."