Closed A Student's Student (Leith)

[Kaska Villahotes]

Kaska listened closely. He began watching where his feet fell, and noticed he seemed like a rhinocerous in comparison to the near-silent way she flitted about. He frowned, picking his way around branches, slowly settling his feet where he could. It was hard; the entire ground seemed made to make hideous noise no matter what he did. He picked his way carefully around her trail, thinking it would be much easier if he was unshod. His boots, cracked and old as they were, were perfect for crushing branches and making noise. He was a bit relieved she mentioned an area undeneath the trees to sleep. It was getting dark and the sun was setting. "How the hell do you move so silently?" he asked her in frustration when a twig loudly snapped under his heel. He tried to take her advice and pretend he was on thin ice; it wasn't like he was very weighty anyway. In fact, she probably weighed more than he did. He paid close attention to the traps. The deer were easy to identify as the sharp little hooves were distinctive against the earth. Squirrel was much harder, they were light and quick, barely leaving a trace of where they were. Racoons looked like children had suddenly sprouted four hands and learned to walk on them. "I won't leave anything behind but bones. Your goddess can take care of her own self, I need it more than she does." he grumbled. He didn't believe in gods, he used them and their names in oaths but they seemed so far away from him. Like children's stories and myths. He absorbed what she told him, filing away information he deemed useable. What plants to eat and what not to eat, the track information, where the stream was. All useful things that would come in handy when the snows fell again. Men were inside with their families then, and not likely to invite his sort of company around. He was hyperaware of his footsteps, and as they walked he got quieter and quieter. He knew how to sneak on cobblestones, but cobblestones very rarely betrayed him like the sharp snap of a twig or the rustling of leaves would.

[Leith]

She stopped and looked at him her expression serious “Most gods don’t interfere too often, but Caiyha and Eywaat do, often enough. Big Brother doesn’t usually get angry unless you hurt his children, but Mother has a more easily stirred temper and she kills instead of making one miserable like Big Brother. You may not trust me, but heed my advice on this, you are in Her land and one must be respectful.”

She stared at him long and hard trying to make it clear to him just how important it was for him to do as she told him. They were the two gods most connected to her, she could care less about the rest, she didn’t want her fledgling making a rather stupid mistake. As night fell she showed him the stream then led him to the tree. Most of the flock was back home, the sun was still just light enough and when he was spotted they started making noise. She shed her clothing and changed fluttering to his shoulder and crying back, showing them clearly he was hers and she would protect him. They eventually settled down and she fluttered to her clothing changing back to then dress. “They won’t bother you much now, the young ones might make mischief, but just hiss at them hunching over, they’ll back off. I’ll sleep on the ground tonight and no, I’m not taking pity on you, but you won’t sleep well and I know the sounds that mean nothing is getting too close.”

She moved aside a couple branches and underneath it was already pure dark. She explained with voice as she took some of the wood she had saved how to set up the fire and once lit it was quite bright underneath. He was too tall to simply walk under the branches she could, but there was still plenty of room, from the gloom if he looked up he’d see pairs of birds eyes glinting in the light. They made soft cries, but as true dark fell they went to sleep. He’d see her unstrung bow and two quivers leaning against the tree, she climbed up almost noiselessly up to where her nest was and carefully took out her pack. She then climbed down landing with a soft thump grinning at him “If you wanna sleep around here in the winter you’ll be warm here too. The thick branches and the needles are so thick that the ground only gets lightly dusted. You’d have to make a hole, but you could come and go easily enough, just make sure to buy other foods that won’t spoil and bury it carefully to store it.”

She sighed “Can I take off my clothes again now? Its getting warm and I hate picking leaves out of uncomfy places when they stick me.”

She gave him a pleading look, pine needles found the most awkward places in clothes to stick ones self and she hated it.
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[Kaska Villahotes]

The catamite rolled his eyes behind their lids. Gods, what a silly thing to believe it, let alone be insistent upon. "Fine." he muttered as they approached the stream, taking a long drink and washing his face. It felt good to do it, dirt from the day scrubbed away. His skin was like faded ivory, and he had to admit it looked much better after he'd bathed. Now that he knew a good spot to do so, he wouldn't have to rely so much on the kindness of traders who didn't want lice crawling about in bed with them. He let her lead him to the tree and looked up uncomfortably at the crows. "If they peck me, I'll eat them." he told her. It was nothing personal, he disliked birds as it was. Kaska settled down by the fire. He pulled the mace from his back and settled it against his body, the spikes driving into the earth. He would feel it if she tried to pick it up. His pack he put securely under his head, he was sensitive there that if she moved it, the pack would bump against him and he would be in a prime spot to grab her arm and give her what for. He cuddled up in his coat, his skinny body curling up under it. "Stay clothed." he muttered, taking a moment to make sure none of his hair was splayed out on the ground. He wanted to keep it clean for as long as possible; the bugs and ticks would return...but that didn't mean he didn't want to extend the cleanliness. He sighed and closed his eyes, letting himself drift off to sleep. _________________________ In the morning he awoke in panick. He could feel hard earth under him instead of harder cobblestones, fresh air with only the barest hint of smoke from the city hit his nostrils, and the lack of sound was astounding. He sat up, wild eyed with his hands going to the haft of the mace. Slowly, he remembered where he was and what had happened, and he let go of the weapon. He rubbed the heel of his hand into his eyes to shake some of the sleep from them, yawning loudly. He still had a lot to learn about the wilderness.

[Leith]

She watched him sleep for the longest time making note of the things he did, she wondered if he’d trust her eventually, unlike humans she was honest and fair. He’d see that in time. She eyed the mace with distaste disliking how it snarled at her, she stuck her tongue at it childishly. When she was sure he was soundly asleep she shed her clothing, changed and fluttered up to a branch promptly tucking her head under a wing going to sleep.

The first rays of the sun touched the sky and she, like her cousins, instinctively woke up and stirred. Unlike them she didn’t wait, she hopped down changing, folding her clothes and quietly left to go find them breakfast. Before she had left yesterday morning she had set some fish traps, she was almost certain she’d have at least one fish. If so she’d let him have it and simply wait till later to catch something better. She took a cold bath first the water raising bumps on her skin, but it felt good the last of the sleep fading. She wrung out her hair checking the traps grinning, she got really lucky as this time instead of just one there was four. She decided leaving them a full day was much more time than she usually left them for. She stabbed some good sticks through them, she’d see them cooked guts and all instead of sharing them this time.

She took her time setting up new traps, Kaska would need all the sleep he could get as she suspected he didn’t get good rest either. She heard the sound of wings and saw a few of her cousins leave the tree, he must have woken up and startled the few lazy ones awake and away. She carried their breakfast back making noise to be polite before peeling back a branch and coming in. She used some of the wood again to stir the glowing embers to greedy awake-ness stabbing the sticked fish near-ish to the heat to cook. She didn’t say anything while she worked, she hoped he was paying attention. She started wringing the last of the water from her hair watching him from the corner of her eye. “Remember what I said, you’ll only make a mistake once and it’ll be your last.”

She remembered how he had treated it like a joke and wanted to one last time stress that she wasn’t kidding. It wasn’t a belief, it was a certainty, like knowing the sun would rise and set. “It is like the sun rising and setting, not wishful thinking, most things in life are not certain, that is. I know better than most humans because I am a bird first, human second. You humans are not as connected to things as me and my cousins are. I won’t mention it again and pester you about it, but remember.”

She laid back in the dried needle covered floor, once again clothing forgotten. She watched the firelight shift the shadows under the tree her eyes half closed as she drowsed a bit. She carefully reached with her feet to turn the fish, too lazy to actually sit up. She would show him the traps eventually, show him how to make them then when the sun was almost high she’d take him hunting for a deer. She licked her lips with anticipation, venison was the best and tasted really good. She twitched a bit when she felt a beetle crawling up her side, she watched it as it started to move along her belly and then idly flicked it in to the fire. She sat up yawning taking one of the fish and nibbling at it, she handed him two and held one between her toes by the stick as she ate the other crunching on the head. Bones and all she ate it, though taking care to chew and not bolting it. That was the best part about fish bones, if one chewed carefully even they could fill ones belly.
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[Kaska Villahotes]

"Quit pestering me about it then." Kaska muttered, pulling his coat close around him and reaching for his fish. She was a resourceful little thing, and his hungry belly was being filled more often than it usually was. He nibbled appreciatively at the fish, now able to enjoy it instead of tearing into it like he had the rabbit. His stomach was filled and happy, and he could just enjoy the steamed white flesh. He sighed softly in happiness, one of his rare good moods. His stomach was full, he was cleaner than he had been in weeks and didn't have any bruises to show for his trouble. It was an uncommon week and he appreciated it. He curled his tongue delicately around the bones, cleaning them then crushing them to powder between his teeth. "Is it too much to ask you keep your hide clothed? Good gods." Kaska muttered at her as he finished off the fish and chomped down on the head. He wasted nothing, picking at the spine until all semblance of flesh was gone. He even bit off the fins, unappetizing as they were, chewing them to ribbons between his teeth. "How did you catch these?" he asked, sucking on the bones he couldn't crack open. Like her, he wasted nothing. Frankly he was surprised at the prowess she showed in taking care of herself. He knew the tracks now, but had little idea of what to do when he found something. Perhaps fishing would be a good start, as fish were in Sunberth's area most times of the year. He flung the bones into the woods for the birds, settling back and picking his teeth. "When we get back into the city I'll show you how to pickpocket some of the nicer foods, so you don't have to cook them yourself." he told her, stretching his long lean frame.

[Leith]

She looked over at him and laughed “Get used to it, there ain’t no other humans around and I’m gunna be shifting fairly often and if we need me to change fast you’re gunna appreciate my bare skin. You humans are funny about bare flesh you know that? Take a good look if you want, I don’t really care, to me one is about the same as the other. Modesty sorta flies off in to irrelevance when you spend most of your time as a bird. You going naked might be good for you too, at least go barefoot to better train your feet, though I liked your progress.”

She neatly gobbled down her other fish standing to then stretch “I set traps, yes I’ll show you how. Sun’s not high enough to make sure what I’ll show you how to hunt is lazy enough. In a bit I’ll scout ahead from the air, then come back, but for now…laze around. Come on, the best place to laze in the sun is along the stream. I’ll show you some of the traps, if you decide you wanna swim first I’ll join you. Hunt when hungry, rest when full, in a city you can scrabble like a rat, but in my home I show you nothing except a path to a full belly.”

She was kind to at least put on the tunic, it fell just above her knees, it was enough for now. It would get warmer and too much clothing would be more annoying than not. She wouldn’t tell him that, he’d see soon enough and bugs loved the taste of misery. He was free out here well away from humans, he’d learn that, in the forest life was much less complicated and plenty more fun. “Oh, leave the monster. I know you’ll wanna protect yourself from shadows, but if I hear the warnings of humans we’ll be running not fighting. Its not gunna get stolen, bury it if you want, but we need to be able to run swiftly and to better teach you I need you to be on the edge. Fear, it’s a good thing as it’ll make you more inclined to be open to the sounds around you and that is as important as reading tracks. I’m gunna have to rely fully on you in your city, living with you and such too, I’m gunna put my life in your hands. Fair is fair Kaska, I expect out of you what I’m willing to do.”

He had a lot of pride, she wasn’t going to make him think she was pitying him. She was going to make it rather hard and when she felt he was ready she’d leave him alone, lost, with only her bow. He would need to prove to himself he was ready, it was how her parents had taught her. He would probably be very very pissed off at her, but she wanted him to feel safe in her home. Only then would he lose his fear of the forest and learn to respect it and the few rules to living in it.
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[Kaska Villahotes]

"I'm only naked when I'm working or bathing, and I'm doing neither." Kaska told her, rising up to stretch in the morning sun. The forest life was definitely a tempting one, but Kaska would feel a lot more settled when he was back in the city with his own territory. He worried that other whores would quickly reabsorb his territory, and he would need to be there with the mace to fend off any squabbles. His informants would quite gladly sell him out for a deal under the table, just as he'd seen then undercut another whore to give him valuable information about clients. He liked the idea of swimming, having fun and enjoying himself. There were precious few times when he could do that, and the idea made his heart leap. He picked up the mace pointedly when she said to leave it behind, and strapped it to his back. "The day I leave this mace in an area like this is the day I bleed to death next to it." he told her. It was his insurance policy, his security blanket even though he used it like a kid who had found his father's sword. He knew it frightened her, and he was just distrustful enough to hope that would keep her from trying anything. "I run more often than I fight, and I'm used to this thing. It won't slow me down any. But I will not leave it out of my sight. This is a part of me you're just going to have to get used to, little bird." he added, rolling his shoulder to redistribute the heavy steel head on his shoulderblade. "And I'm already on edge. I don't know anything about this place." he said a bit peevishly. "I keep thinking we're going to get eaten alive by wolves."

[Leith]

She decided then that she was going to lead him through hell, plenty of sun too, that metal demon on his back was going to get awfully toasty. The look she gave him, smiling mischievously, would be all her response before she then shucked off the shirt “Fine, you keep your demon, I wear clothes as little as possible, fair is fair ground hugger. Eventually you’ll stop sucking off a teat, we’ll see if you think you need it out here by the time I’m done training you.”

She stalked off angry, her back turned to him, of all the stupid stubborn foolish things. He was thinking he’d be moving like he would in a city, she would show him that he was in another world. She headed for the stream at a ground eating lope through bush, over fallen trees, around rocks and all of this in the sun. During it all she made no more sound than one might expect from a deer, graceful even in human form. She hardly noticed if leaves brushed her skin, if branches stung her bare flesh. He wanted to learn to survive, she’d show him and eventually she’d lead him out of the forest a totally different predator. She stopped eventually having led him a much different way to the water than she had the night before. If he paid attention he’d probably pick up that she led him in such a way as if trying to lose something. It was how she had tried to lose him in the city, though this time she was only just ahead enough that he could follow. She was paused near a trap waiting for him, barely stirring, patient.

Eventually she did speak looking over at him "Wolves are just meaner, more numerous, smart mutts and they can't climb trees. Don't make good meals either, unless hungry. Not really worth all the effort if you're that desperate either."
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[Kaska Villahotes]

Kaska soon figured out that running through the woods with the mace on his back was a bad idea. While he was able to follow her through the city with no effort whatsoever, running over fallen logs and leaping through bushes wasn't his strong suit. Brambles caught his clothes and tore them as he scrambled to keep up with her. He wasn't silent at all; he'd completely forgotten her words in an effort to keep up and not be lost in the midst of a strange forest. Fear of being left alone here drove him to keep up with her. He growled as he broke through the trees to the stream, blinking. He seemed confused for a moment. "The same stream?" he muttered, reaching behind his shoulder. The demon head had rather comically seized branches in its gaping maw and around the twin horns on its head. He yanked them off, pulling burs from his sleeves and pants. "Good gods." he growled. "Why did you lead us this way instead of the path? Because I pissed you off not wanting to leave the mace behind? It's my only form of defense, you really think I'd just bury it and leave it behind?" He snorted. "Petty." he took off the mace and set it down on the ground. "There, mace is down." he sneered, looking at the trap next to her. He came over to her and gently lifted it out of the water to see how it was constructed. He peered at it closely.

[Leith]

That tore it, her temper snapped totally and she rounded on him getting close, the fury in her mismatched eyes blazing. “Petty? You should have had the sense to listen to me. There are several dozen ways that you can die out here and none of them you can fight against. Against a bear that would only piss it off and be merely a painful thump. Wolves would wear you down then tear you apart. Animals may not understand human things, but at least all they’ll do is kill you cuz they are very hungry or kill you because you are in their territory. When I start to learn from you there are more than a hundred horrible things that can hurt me and I won’t die. Humans are cruel, sadistic, mean and horrible creatures and I’m gunna be relying on you to keep me alive so I can learn from you. So, here I am trying my best to teach you some things you badly need to learn and you mock gods that could make you miserable, you don’t heed my advice and you act like that heavy metal thing is going to help you against things that are not human. So, I showed you instead of snapping at you.”

She got close enough that he could have struck her, still very very angry “I could have left you. I could have led you out and then left you with you failing and no one but yourself to blame, but instead I taught you a lesson even you cannot argue against. So, are you done dragging your feet and ready to learn or are you going to keep being stupid? I have a bunch of other ways I can stuff sense between your ears and all of them very creative little fledgling. Just try me…”

She walked to the water not turning her back to him as she took a long drink, she had made herself thirsty and her anger burned out making her simply very tired. There were a lot of flexible sturdy grasses and reeds in the parts of the stream that didn’t run too fast. She started plucking them choosing carefully before sitting down, she worked quietly the movement soothing, much like preening. She made another trap, disassembled it carefully, made it again, took it apart and repeated the process till eventually she set the pieces aside. She could have explained, but she was talked out, she didn’t look at him either though she kept an eye on him.
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