PM to join [Bronze Woods] Hunters of a Different Feather

[Noah Amuel]

Noah Amuel The man called in hello in a voice wavering with some uncertainty mixed with caution. Noah blinked at the call, it was too cold to shift now and he would be naked if he did. His human form, without the luxury of clothing, wouldn't be able to stand more than a few moments in the light but bitter wind out here. Instead the Kelvic answered the humans called with a cooing emitted from his breast. A cooing that aimed to a send a message of understanding and neutrality -- he was no threat. Not any more anyway. He stepped forward twice more and bowed his head to the hunter, trying his best to nod as if a human would. Do not harm me he asked of he man mentally, as he stepped forward a third time. And I will not harm you.

[Telrin]

The bird made a cooing sound, something that came from deep within its chest, and took another two steps forward. Then it did something else Telrin had never seen a bird to before: it nodded. They were both very close to the deer now, which presented Telrin with another conundrum; the bird obviously wanted a piece of his kill, no matter how calmly it was insisting, but if it was allowed free rein then it would surely tear into the side or the back and the hide would be completely ruined. The hunter frowned in contemplation. It was a very intelligent bird, and it had responded to his hello… perhaps it wouldn’t hurt if he were to at least try and communicate a more complex message? Taking a deep breath, Telrin pointed at the deer. “That’s mine,” he said, feeling a bit stupid for talking to a bird. “I need the skin. I can’t let you hurt it. I am going to turn that over and cut open its belly. You can eat as much as you want, but only from places I cut open so you won’t damage the skin. That way you’ll have food, and I can still sell the skin later. Er… alright?”

[Noah Amuel]

Noah Amuel The proposition that the hunter presented would work for Noah but the Kelvic couldn't help but wonder why the boy needed the deer's skin, unless he used it. That was when Noah inspected the hunter's clothing and features. The hunter was no more than a boy in all aspects: smooth face and soft features. Yet he seemed more experienced than all the hunters Noah had met in past times. The thoughts came and went as Noah decided his next move. He would comply to the boy's wants, it was a win win situation for the both of them. "Okay," he cooed in his eagle speak, knowing the boy wouldn't understand him. But he made his cry low and gentle, nothing in comparison to the violent cries he emitted moments before. After he cried he opened his wings and pumped them once to land near the deer, more important near the deer's abdomen where the boy had promised to cut. He looked quickly between the boy and the deer then back to the boy expectantly.

[Telrin]

The bird understood him. Gods and monsters, and bird had understood him. There was no way that… sound could mean anything but understanding. It left Telrin effectively floored, and for a few moments all he could do was stand and gawk at the eagle. It hopped closer to the deer, then looked at Telrin with expectation in its eyes. Telrin shook himself out of his awe and hesitantly knelt next to the deer, drawing his knife. It wasn’t a very big deer, but it was still a bit difficult to roll, and even when he got it onto its back all the corpse did was fall back onto its side. The awkwardness of its legs and would-be antlers prevented it from remaining on its back, so eventually Telrin just gave up and left it sideways. He started at the soft spot between its jaw and neck, then carefully cut downwards. The throat was opened, then the chest, then the stomach and then lower until it had been cut completely lengthwise. With that done, Telrin put aside the knife and moved to the stomach, where he pulled and wrenched until the skin peeled away. There was another muscle, one that was unique to deer and immeasurably usefull to any deer hunter. It was a muscle directly attached to the skin, the entire skin, and it came away with the hide cleanly. It also didn’t tear any of the muscle below it, leaving the meat smooth and unbroken for the eagle's pleasure.

[Noah Amuel]

Noah Amuel Noah scooted slightly over to allow the boy access to the deer. He watched with some curiosity as the boy struggled to put the dear on it's back, eventually giving up and allowing the felled herbivore to lay on its side. The human brandished a knife and slowly worked the beast much to Noah's impatiences and hunger. He cut deer from beck to belly in a such a way that the meat inside was untouched and the hide of the deer was too. It was a wonder to Noah how he knew to do such a thing but his stomach didn't allow him to dwell on it. He'd have to ask later. Once the deer's belly was opened Noah eagerly took to it, burying his head in the muscles and organs of the deer and eating his full with voracity. It had been a while since he tasted deer. Usually his family would hunt as a unit taking down bigger prey together, although this prey was bigger than he needed he missed the bonding of the pack that he experienced back home. When Noah emerged from the deer his head was red, stained with the buck's congealing blood. He looked to the boy and cried quietly in thanks before taking steps back and opening his wings. He stretched them being giving them a single pump, propelling himself towards the stream. Once there he looked at his reflection in the cool blue water and watched his form change. From eagle to human he went and instantly he felt the coolness of the winter air against his pale, naked skin. Over the water he cupped his hands, sank them in the water, and brought the cold liquid to his face. It felt good against his hair speckled chin and cheeks. He drank and washed the blood from his face and neck. "Thank you," he said to the boy without facing him.

[Telrin]

The eagle wasted no time laying into the corpse, ripping and shredding its way in with primal voracity. Telrin sat on his heels and simply watched, fascinated; it was a very big bird, probably the biggest bird he’d ever seen. It moved quickly, efficiently, ripping away strands of flesh that vanished into its beak just as quickly. It no longer had eyes for Telrin, only its meal, though it did seem to take a great deal of care to avoid damaging the skin. In time, the bird was done. With a sound tinged with gratitude, the bird stretched its wings wide before claiming air and forsaking the ground. Stray frost stirred from its place in a swirling veil and Telrin leaned back instinctively, but the eagle didn’t fly away. Instead, it glided calmly over the ground to the stream that the buck had taken from, landing gracefully and looking into the water. A moment passed, and then… wait, what was that? Mist appeared from seemingly nowhere, wrapping the eagle like a cloak and completely shielding it from view. Then there was a flash, and the mist evaporated, and then… Telrin gaped. The man that was now standing next to the stream didn’t turn, but simply dipped his hands into the water and drew the frigid liquid to his face. He washed the blood away, then drank, then spoke. Telrin, too stunned to manage a proper reply, simply stated the obvious. “You’re a kelvic.”

[Noah Amuel]

Noah Amuel The boy's words came to Noah's amusement, he couldn't keep the small smirk off his face. It had always been amusing to hear and see human's wonder and curiosity. "Yes, I am," he answered, peering over his shoulder to look at the boy. "And you're a human, aren't you?" he kept his smile. The wind felt gentle on his skin, cold still but gentle. He could stand this form a little longer in this environment. "Thank you for not shooting your bow," he continued, nodding his head towards the warped wood weapon. "Any other hunter would've shot if I contested their kill. I am grateful, I would not have the heart to hurt you... if I survived your first shot. You're a good aim with that, the deer knows." Noah joked with a smile. "I can't help but wonder, however, why you, a boy, is out here in this dangerous wilderness." He turned now, squatting on the balls of his feet, towards the boy.

[Telrin]

The man who was also an eagle smirked, looking over his shoulder. “I-I… yes, I’m human,” Telrin stammered. “Er… thank you.” He thought the comment on his aim was a compliment, but it could also have been to remind him that he did, in fact, try to shoot the man. Bird. Kelvic. His next question, however, did manage to shake Telrin from his wonder. It was a familiar question, and the lie came forth with ease. It was still as bitter as it had always been, but it was a bitterness he was getting used to the more he repeated it. “I’m, um, I’m a hunter. With my father. We’re out here for a few days, then we’ll go back to the city. Then we’ll come back out again and hunt more. We sell skins and meat. For money.”

[Noah Amuel]

Noah Amuel Noah nodded when the boy stopped talking. He took his word for it, not questioning it. The Kelvic looked around to the trees bordering the perimeter of the clearing, searching for the boy's father if he were visible and near by. He saw nothing. "Your father let's you wander off on your own?" he asked, staring down at the snow in front of him. He moved a hand over the cold blanket and took a chunk of it in his hands before crumbling it into powder and looking back at the boy. "Is that wise?" He looked over his shoulder, making sure all was still behind him. "I mean no offense, only curious," he said calmly.

[Telrin]

The kelvic didn’t question the legitimacy of Telrin’s claim, which brought him some measure of relief. Even when the kelvic questioned his safety, he didn’t question the claim itself; only its wisdom. “He’s not here,” Telrin said when he noticed the man who was also a bird looking beyond, into the trees. “He’s somewhere else. I can handle being alone. And hunting can be hard, and it’s just us. If we split up and hunt we catch more things and can make more money.” He wasn’t quite sure what the kelvic thought of hunters, seeing as he was technically a hunter himself, but he seemed nice enough. Once the shock of the simply fact of race wore off, actually talking to someone who was an eagle held a great deal of novelty, and Telrin couldn’t help but post a question of his own. “What about you? Do you, um, do you live out here? In the mountains?"