[p] taught i'm a weapon

Vesper · 03-23-2012, 10:03 PM

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Keeping busy was the best way for the Optio to feel useful, as she grew restless easily when she was within Inferni territory, and luckily it was not difficult to keep busy. Patrolling itself took a lot of time if she was thorough, and there were the young scouts to harass, other members to spar with, and plenty of rabbits to hunt.

The coywolf streaked through the tall grass of the Waste after one such creature now, executing a leap characteristic of her mother’s side to bring her down on top of the animal as it attempted a sharp turn. Teeth went to its neck, tearing without any precision as her jaws worked in the canine way to crush organs and bones and end life as soon as possible. Perhaps it was inelegant compared to a cougar suffocating their kill silently, but such a distinction had no place in the female’s mind. She simply wanted to eat.

She might have taken some care to stow the bones away or otherwise quickly abandon the kill site if she were in neutral territory, for some luperci could grow violent when they were after an easy meal, finding fighting easier than hunting. However, this was her land, and after picking the carcass clean to the best of her ability, she abandoned it. Besides, there was a turkey vulture circling overhead to take care of the last tiny scraps of meat clinging stubbornly to the animal’s ribcage.

Vesper paused at that thought, cocked her head. On a whim, she traced the imaginary trail of the avian and had a guess at where its master might be, so long as this was the buzzard she was thinking of.

Even more on a whim did she shift, taking a good amount of time for bones to lengthen and some mass to be gained. While she still preferred running on four good legs, her growing lessons in optime made her use the form more frequently. Her speed wasn’t impeded too much as she jogged through the Waste toward the scent of the Vigiles—and his horse, which gave her pause as she stopped to watch from a distance. Her entire frame tensed when the beast reared, prepared to bolt from the monster, but the liver equine was taken under control again.

She watched the tall, willowy man pick up a rabbit pierced by an arrow. Interest stirred, but it was only an idle fancy that passed moments later; archery was an intriguing skill but not one she could ever hold claim to. She still approached the dusty-brown coyote with a hint of admiration when she saw his catch under the bush.

“Hello, Ithiel,” Vesper greeted. She acknowledged him as one lower than her in rank but otherwise equal; she’d never cared for the trivial exchange of dominance and submission that wolves tended toward. She wouldn’t throw a fit if others bowed their heads to her or not, so long as they gave her respect and didn’t piss themselves trying to appease her. She didn’t think this man was among the latter, however. “Saw your last shot; it was impressive.”

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Made an archery table 'cause I can. x3

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