The Sight of Horns(Featherline)

[Jarhal Treeshadow]

He opened his mouth, but couldn't think of anything to say to that. Clearly, there was something seriously wrong with her head. Snapping his mouth shut, he untied his green leafy cloak from around his shoulders and came closer to offer it out to her. And not only for her own good, it was getting tiresome to avert his eyes from her nakedness. What would his mother think of him if she saw this?

"Here, you can cover yourself up with this." Trying his best to smile winningly, he continued, "Why don't you follow me to Endrykas, Featherline? There's people that can help you there. Nice enough people."

And by people he meant healers, but he thought it might be unwise to say so. The mentally unstable might react to such words. In truth he didn't know if there was any herb concoction or remedy to fix whatever was wrong with her head, but he wasn't about to leave a naked woman stranded in the Sea of Grass. Let it never be said he was callous and not chivalric.

"It's dangerous out here for someone alone, I don't want you to get hurt." He added earnestly.

[Featherline]

"People? Are you sure that's a good idea?", she said and shrugged. She was unsure as to whether she wanted to follow him or not, but she couldn't refuse. The whole point of stalking this man and introducing herself would then be wasted. Besides, he might be more willing to talk about partnership when they got to one of those safe havens humans called cities. It sounded like that was where he wanted to bring her. She didn't like the idea of being trapped in a city without any apparent way of flight, but she didn't like the idea of letting go of this chance either.

She accepted the cloak gladly, not having to feel naked anymore. "I'll go with you, if you will protect me from the flying sticks." She nodded towards the arrows she had been staring at for so long, not letting them out of her sight.

[Jarhal Treeshadow]

"Flying..." He started in confusion, until he found where she was looking at. "Oh, you mean my arrows!"

Suddenly he got a bit of a mischievous twinkle to his eye, and grinned toothily. So the woman was nuts, but maybe he could have some fun with it too. It would be a long couple miles back to the Tent City otherwise.

"Don't you worry about those mean sticks, I command them as their king and they do my bidding gladly. Since you're my honored guest, they'll protect you like they protect me. Simple." He quite liked the idea of being King of Arrows, almost wishing his flying sticks really were sentient. Maybe it would improve his accuracy, if that were the case.

Moving slowly, he went to retrieve his buck and hefted it up. Chural, meanwhile, had already dove back into the grass to make sure the way was clear. Before following after his dog, he looked back encouragingly to the woman.

"It's not far now, just follow me." With that, he again started dragging his catch into the grass toward Endrykas. In truth, he was still rather tired, but he didn't want to look like a wimp in front of a girl. It was as simple a motivation as that.

[Featherline]

Featherline tried to hide her amazement when Jahal spoke of how the arrows bended to his command, but her jaw dropped slightly before closing again. "I feel I must repay you for your kindness, Jarhal. Your arrow slaves have never proved to show friendliness in previous encounters. Are you well known in your city because of your title as King of Arrows?"

While following Jarhal, although always trying to remain one step behind to keep an eye on him, she couldn't help but being bothered with him having to carry that heavy buck all alone. She stepped forward, gesturing that she wanted to help him. No matter how hard he tried, she saw that he was tired. Besides, his rest had hardly lasted long enough to regain any energy. "I don't think it's right to let you carry your prey alone. Let me help."

[Jarhal Treeshadow]

"Sadly, I must keep my position secret lest assassins from the Kingdom of Crossbow Bolts come after me. Those, truly, are a cutthroat lot." He nodded as a sad sage might when speaking of historical woes.

However, her next question conflicted him more than just a bit. His stubborn masculine side wanted to decline the offer, but his knowledgeable prudent side knew that he needed some help if he was to reach the city without falling on his face. As it often did, the latter won the debate.

"That would be wonderful, thank you very much." He said, inclining his head to her in thanks as he stopped to allow her to get a good grip.

Jarhal had not been lying when he said it was not far, for in very short time indeed there stood the tent city of the Drykas. Just on the cleared trail to it's main entrance, Jarhal paused to admire it even as he panted a little. One could not help but admire the place, if for no other reason than for how much it truly mirrored it's people.

"This is the place. No one will give you a big hassle if you stick close to me and wrap the cloak around yourself tight." He said as he turned to her, hoping to Caiyha no one did give them any hassle. He wasn't sure he could explain the situation very well at all. "If you like, I can take you to my tent and maybe get you some decent clothes to change into while I take this to the butchers."

He was almost a little sad that she'd be whisked off to the Healers in such a short time, it was refreshing to have some human company on the journey home. Even a human that thought herself a bird and was afraid of living arrows.

[Featherline]

Featherline, not wanting to draw any attention to herself, pulled the cloak as tight around herself as possible and tried to blend in with the humans. She quickly realized that no-one was much like the other, and there was no apparent system of how to behave and blend in as far as she could see. Nobody seemed in control as far as she could see, and yet there were no-one hunting or hurting others. And she seemed to fit in, at least nearly. Why had she left a harmonious place like this in the past? She recalled living among people for a while in a different place, being a decent woman... There were more parts to her than the vicious eagle surviving day by day all alone. There was a part of her that belonged to humanity. She wondered if a woman like her could find a place to fit in, with all these different peoples around.

"I would very much appreciate it if you would lend me some clothes, indeed. Where is your tent, Jarhal?" She smiled, happy to have taken this chance when she got it.

[Jarhal Treeshadow]

The Emerald clan's portion of Endrykas was the perfect cooperation of man and nature. The green tents, large and small, were placed in erratic fashion so as to better meld with the few trees and scrub bushes that were to be found, using them gratefully as support or simply shade. Unlike much civilization Jarhal saw, this place seemed as crafted by Caiyha as a leaf on a branch.

He led the way to his smaller tent, seeming to gain strength upon arriving in his Clan's area. The place he called home was staked on a tall slant on one side, propped up in the middle so that one could walk inside bent-over. It was purely a one man abode, with bedroll laid out in the middle and only about two arm-lengths wide. At the foot of bedroll was a brown knit blanket covered in dog hair, Chural's bed.

Jarhal left the dead buck outside his humble tent and went to his backpack laying beside the bedroll. Rummaging around, he eventually pulled out a pair of green pants and simple brown shirt. Everything he own, it seemed, came in only two colors.

"It isn't much, but it is truly all I have. I'll only be a minute with this." He said as he went back to his deer. Satisfied that he'd done all he could, since those really were his only extra clothes, he set off himself for the butchers a short distance down the way.

[Featherline]

Featherline didn't like being left alone in Jarhal's tent. What if an assassin from the kingdom of crossbow bolts had found his location and wanted to burn down his home in the hopes of burning him with it? She would burn inside. With that conclusion on her mind, she took with her the clothes she got from Jarhal outside, walked away from his tent, and changed clothes. She tried not to mind the people staring at her. After all, if they all stared at her no assassins could kill her. Or maybe they all were assassins?

Jarhal's clothes hardly fit her, being build for a man and not a woman. They seemed better than just a cloak though, and she didn't feel naked anymore. When she had finished changing, she sat down beside a tent from where she could see Jarhal's tent and waited for his return. She thought for herself that if someone else than Jarhal tried to do something with his tent, she would protect it.

[Jarhal Treeshadow]

It was a short time before Jarhal returned, though without Chural heeling him for once. The butchers all gave him scraps while they worked, and Jarhal just didn't have the heart to deny him that little bit of heaven. Emerald clan knew how to handle animals, so it was not as if he worried for the dog... he just felt strange without something furry tagging along at his side.

When he returned to his tent he found it empty of crazy woman. Immediately he feared for the worst, that he had let a mentally-deranged foreigner loose in the walls of Endrykas. Throwing his bow and quiver onto his bedroll, he looked about frantically with a worried frown. She was his charge after all, what if she had gotten herself into trouble? It was perfectly natural to worry!

He felt quite silly, however, when he saw her not far away. Glancing around embarrassedly, hoping nobody had seen him get flustered, he glided over to her like there was no rush in the world.

"Well, my clothes look good on you." He lied as he walked up. Then, clearing his throat, he began to gently try and get some answers that made sense. "If you need anything else, just let me know. Do you mind if I ask you some questions, now? Like why you were in the Sea of Grass naked? And where you've come from?"

[Featherline]

Featherline smiled as she saw Jarhal approaching. "You think they do? Thanks, it helps a lot. I feel silly in them." She was no good liar, so it was easier to just say things as they were. "But I appreciate you lending me your clothes. I might take some time to get used to not having my feathers on. I've gone so long and so far without using my human visage. Many years." She paused, trying to find a place to begin answering his questions. She didn't remember where she had been at all times, but some time back she could remember memories of a rain forest with prey and hunters everywhere. That was when she had stopped using her human form, it was unpractical and dangerous to use. Not fit for survival there.

"I remember coming from a rain forest across the sea before I got to these lands. It has a name, but I can't remember it. Memories fade quickly when I cling to the animal that I am. Humans have good memory, Harpy eagles do not. Is that well enough answer for you? That I came from a rain forest?" She looked at Jarhal's face, trying to figure out what he was thinking. There had to be a reason behind all these questions.

"About my nudity, it was only natural. Eagles do not wear clothes, so I take them off when I shift. I could hurt my wings. And even if they did fit, they would only slow me in my flight. So I left them at my cottage, along with all my other personal belongings."