felt the branches of it looking at me
#1
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hey hey heyyyy +306



Vesper had never seen the whole of Inferni so busy—although the war against the intruding wolves had been a perfect catalyst to bring the clan together. Her scouts patrolled constantly around the borders, while warriors sparred to keep their skills sharp and others helped with construction and as extra eyes and ears. It was a good sort of busy, however, and for the first time in a long time, her stress was not weighing her down. Instead, she was excited.

The raven flapped in the trees, seeking the beginnings of the archery stands that would be another defense against the intruders. The Optio had even ventured to ask for lessons with bow and arrow, despite her initial dislike of luperci weapons. They had their uses more than clothes did, she supposed, and smirked as she scratched at the pathetic flap of skin that was her left ear. She stopped and let Stark perch on her shoulder.

“Using twigs, branches,” the bird suggested, and she nodded absentmindedly as her eyes sought the others who would aid her in this task. Knowing that her sister was more inexperienced a luperci than she, even, she’d decided that gathering camouflage would be easiest for her, and who knew who else would show up. She frowned thoughtfully until the raven pecked at her hair, growing out but still short, messy, and feral. “Boy not having first clue how start,” he quorked, and she swatted him away from her.

“Go find the dye we left at the mansion,” Vesper instructed. She was least experienced about that, but it’d be best if the chopped wood blended in with the wood it rested on. Gathering foliage would be the easiest task, at least until they had to figure out how to attach it to the stands.

She sighed. Stark, as always, was right.


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#2
[html]

340
yay post before nap. :'D Please PM me if anything is messed up in my post.


Sparrow, despite the fact that she was new to Inferni, was glad to see that there was always a buzz of activity around the clan. She was barely left time for herself to be left to her own devices besides at night, which is spent sleeping to recover from the day of things she did that day. If she was not out poking through the territories by herself, she would run into another clan member, and their meetings would always end up positive. The fawn could see how her sister could have become loyal to this place; she herself was finding fellowship with these other coyotes, as if every member she met she was carrying a piece of them within her, a memory. She didn’t want that memory to be killed by these wolves, and wanted to help out as best as she could.

Her best at the moment, though, seemed to depend on making the camouflage for the stands in the trees. She arrived to where the Optio was right after she dismissed her bird, which she watch fly away before looking back towards her sister. “Greetings, Vesper,” she murmured, giving her a smile that would hopefully provide her some comfort. Sparrow wondered how she handled being one of the leaders for Inferni, and though she had no doubt in her sibling, she knew it must not be an easy task to complete. The mottled female just prayed that she would not make things harder for her, and reminded herself for the hundredth time that she will try her best at this assignment.

“So, what we do first?” she inquired, though she knew the basics of what they would have to do: gather debris. But, it felt right to ask Vesper anyway, in case she wanted to further elaborate on it or say something that Sparrow did not know about previously. This was all new to her, so she was focused on paying attention and did not allow her mind to lose its sight on the task at hand.


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#3
[html]

(373)



Ithiel is by me!

Bairre's smooth trot carried Ithiel swiftly around the borders. He was a faster mount than Lystra, who was, at present, recovering. Ithiel ought to have been recovering, too, but the dusky-furred man refused any time off. He had duties to attend to, and they were all hurting these days. He was Caelum and ought to set an example for the rest of the pack, too. Ithiel was comfortable in his rank, but he sorely wished for command of his own contingent of the clan, too. That would come, sooner or later, but as to its usefulness -- well, that was yet to be determined.

The dark coyote had no doubt in his fellow canines' eagerness to learn -- they all wanted to protect their home, after all -- but their ability was untested. If he guessed correctly as to the identities of these wolves, they faced hardened warriors, seasoned with more battles than most of Inferni could fathom. Such a match was unfair, he knew, but what could they do? Surrendering was not an option, as far as he knew, and surrender would inevitably lead to slaughter, he felt.

As he entered the woods, Bairre slowed and picked his way more carefully through the trees. Ithiel's red eyes glanced upward to see the archery stands, currently eyesores and blatantly obvious. A coyote with a bright, pale, or otherwise unfortunately colored pelt would be a sitting duck. He pondered this construction and frowned, slowing his horse to a crawl. Bairre was obedient and only nickered as he and his rider both perceived a pair of canines in the distance, their comfort within the territory immediately announcing them as fellow Infernians.

The dark man saw his Optio and another he did not recognize, and directed his mount toward them. The horse nickered again, more forcefully, and tossed his head in greeting, excited to see other Luperci. Bairre was a friendly sort of horse, and he was eager to greet these new coyotes. Ithiel held him back and dismounted stiffly, still aching from his wounds. The man offered a nod to both women and offered his assistance. I'll help, he said, figuring they were one of the work details set to perfecting their archery stands.

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#4
[html]

pretend we know what we're doing +430



The lead scout continued to gaze at the trees, as if the forest itself would tell her how to best shield the stands. Instead, she found herself daydreaming about how effective the project would be once it was completed; any wolves who set foot within the Dampwoods would be feathered with arrows before they knew what hit them. She knew she’d have to train soon so she’d be able to release the projectiles alongside them.

I’d never imagined…

A scent as familiar yet distant as her mother’s milk reached her, and Vesper turned to glance at her sister. She nodded in acknowledgment of the greeting although her ear remained angled back and her hands suddenly couldn’t find a place on either side of her body. She crossed her arms and leaned against the tree.

She still didn’t know what to think about Sparrow’s presence within the fire clan. While she owed her a debt for abandoning her, her sibling had abandoned her as well, in her own way. Both of them could have done more to stick with the other, but ultimately the more independent sister simply hadn’t been interested. She’d always worked best alone.

But now she had someone tied to her through blood instead of bond, and she didn’t know what to do about it. Sparrow was a stranger, despite the familiar color of her eyes and the little mannerisms that carried over from their days as non-luperci pups.

The Optio opened her mouth to answer her question when muffled hoofbeats caused her ear to twitch. She regarded the stallion with the same distrust she did all horses, although he sounded more eager than menacing, and nodded at Ithiel gratefully. It was ironic that the somewhat distant soldier was easier for her to deal with than her own littermate.

“Sheltering the stands with foliage is the obvious solution,” Vesper said. “We’d have to find some way to keep branches and whatnot tied to the stands so they don’t simply drop in a wind, but it should shelter the archers somewhat. We shouldn’t use all deadfall, though, so there are still some green leaves that aren’t suspicious.” She rubbed the back of her neck as she angled her head to look at the stand above her. “That’s all I have, other than using some dye to make the chopped wood more natural, so I’d love it if you had any suggestions.” Her words were more directed to the experienced de le Poer rather than her sister, but who knew what Sparrow had learned in the seasons they were apart.


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#5
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586
SPAR LEIKS PONIES. btw, please ignore if my suggestion is poo; all sparrow knows how to do is tying stuff, so I'm going with that. [/shot]


Sparrow could read her sister like an open book, or at least her body language provided that. She did not know why, but she knew that she was able to pick up on the little things that could tell a person’s mood; the slightest smirk to show happiness or confidence, how the placement of one’s hands could show inner emotion. She also noticed that the longer she spent with Luperci, the better she read them, and it almost became like a mind game for her, a riddle could have been a better name, though she did not want to slap labels on other canines. She liked riddles, and Vesper was her biggest puzzle yet, so her interest was aroused as she watched her movements.

She crossed her arms when she approached—she crossed her own arms when she felt unsecure or doubtful, the latter seemingly more possible in this situation. Sparrow could understand why she could have been less than sure about things concerning her sibling, knowing that the sides were reversed she would be stunned with confusion. Both of them were so polar, one the fiery, independent soul that consumed everything she touched, the other cold, distant, clinging to everything she came across, that it seemed impossible that they would ever come in contact again willingly and not by fate’s hand. But, here Sparrow was, the pyre and ice meeting again for basically the real, first time. She, too, was doubtful, but measures had to be taken, for her own personal sake.

She heard slightly familiar noises, and turned to see a male approached them on a—horse! The fawn made huge eyes at the horse as if she was an owl, taking in all that the beast was. She felt the urge to go up to the creature and to—what, pet it? She didn’t know what she wanted to do, but her attention was focused on the steed before its rider interrupted her buzzing thoughts about the horse. She tore her gaze away from it, giving a shy nod to Ithiel; though she did feel a little timid at this newcomer, some of her mind was distracted by the nickering Bairre.

As much she as she wanted to ponder about the horse, she looked back towards Vesper, and listened carefully to her words. As usual, she was silent as her brain worked, looking down at her bare toes while her mouth slightly moved, as if her conscience was speaking through her though no words came out.. After a few moments, though, she spoke, “I may have an idea… If you like to hear it.” If the two allowed her to speak, she continued, “If we could find any, we could weave small branches, maybe saplings if they are the right size. We could use rope to help, but that’ll take longer to conceal that as well, yet faster instead of weaving… We could then tie leaves onto the branches with ivy or something similar, if there’s something like that around here… As for attaching them to the stands, I think we could use rope for that, covering them with leaves like we would do with the weave.”

Sparrow fell silent again, wondering if what she said could even be politically correct, unsure if it was even possible. She had done things like that all the time—on a smaller scale, though, covering simple traps by the same method. Nonetheless, she kept her eyes on the ground, a hand twirling a strand of hair.


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#6
[html]

(428)



Ithiel is by Raze!

The dusky-furred man knew little enough about either of the Infernians standing before him. Vesper served as Ezekiel's Optio, and was therefore afforded trust and respect, but the other one was as yet unknown to the dark man. As he stood with Bairre just behind him, the horse's head extended over his shoulder to peer curiously at the two women, the dark-furred man listened intently to the exchange between the pair, his carnelian eyes focused at first on Vesper and then on Sparrow. Ithiel did not know of the pair's sisterly blood, nor did their exchange strike him as particularly awkward -- then again, he was often missing such subtle clues. Ithiel was a creature of the obvious, and perhaps this was why he liked scouting so much. Land didn't lie and connive and resort to trickery -- it simply was, expansive and all-around, ready and waiting to be explored. No doubt the dusky coyote would have made a piss-poor spy.

When it seemed both his companions were through speaking, the granite-furred hybrid's head bobbed very slightly, the faintest hint of a nod. He was deep in thought, reminiscing back to Scintilla and the days he'd spent there. The desert and mountains in which their battles were fought were empty and plains-like, for the most part -- here and there a stretch of thick forest dotted the mountainside, but the desert landscape dominated. There were no tall trees there, but he thought both of these women were onto something nonetheless with their plots. The Caelum stroked at his chin a moment and finally lifted his finger, as if to interject.

Can we use plants that are alive? Ithiel was no gardener and had no knowledge or experience with plant-life, but he had visited Halifax and he knew the city there was being overtaken by plants. A vine, maybe? The kind found in Halifax, he offered. Dead plants will do for now, but if we can get a large enough section of vine to wrap around the trunk and to the earth, maybe it will take root and naturally cover the stand. Eventually, he said. The dusky man did not regret having spoken, but he realized afterward his idea was more likely one to be used in the long term -- fast disguise was better, perhaps. He waited, positively without anxiety, for judgement to be passed and direction to be given. Vesper was the highest ranked amongst them, as Ithiel saw, and it therefore fell to her to give command.

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#7
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craaaap +345



Sparrow seemed hesitant to speak her mind, but Vesper did not reach out to comfort her and reassure her that she could say whatever she wanted. She only stared at her, waiting, and nodded slowly as she spoke. It was hard for the Optio to understand everything that she was saying, just because she wasn’t used to thinking about such things, but eventually she offered, “If you can weave, that would be great.” Her eyes fell to the rope that her sister always seemed to carry, and the ghost of an approving smirk crossed her muzzle. “We’ll resort to rope when we have to, but if we can weave enough branches, it should work. We might be able to dye the rope to look more natural, too.” She glanced up at the trees thoughtfully. “We’d have to replace the foliage when it dies, until autumn comes again at least.” She was already wondering if she’d be able to learn how to weave or tie ropes like her sibling, although it was odd to think that her sister would be teaching her something.

Ithiel spoke up next, and she nodded again. “After the war, unless there’re vines close by, we should go get the stuff you’re talking about. It would work for the long term, and be more natural.” She itched to go and use the vines now, but she knew it would take a long time for the vegetation to grow, with luperci poking and prodding to get it to conform to the right shapes rather than growing away from the stands.

She sighed, wondering if there was anything else, and glanced at the both of them again for last-minute contributions. “Let’s go gather some branches, and see what we can do,” she suggested. “We’ll see how realistic weaving and tying is once we have something to work with. One stand for now, so we don’t gather excess stuff.” She didn’t really wait for acknowledgment but meandered slowly toward the thick parts of the woods, hoping to strip some bushes and low branches of their twigs.



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#8
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323
OOC here!


Vesper seemed to at least like what she suggested, which made her heart soar with happiness. She didn’t want her sister to think that she was going to be completely useless like she was when they were pups, and hoped that Vesper saw that she was trying to improve her ways; that was the longest she ever spoke since who knew when, and barely trailed off from the point. Sparrow saw blue eyes glance at the only adornment on her body, and saw, very faintly, the corner of her lips curl upwards. It was the slightest formation of some smile. The fawn shifted her gaze to ground for a moment, a small, shy grin flashing quickly over her features.

She listened to Ithiel, and felt pleasantly surprised at his idea. It was brilliant, though she made no motion to show that she approved, only looking upon the Optio for her judgment. But, Vesper liked the idea as well, though pointed out it would take a long time for it to happen, which Sparrow did not think about. Maybe after this tension the clan would be able to do that, she thought, and then the archeries will truly be a deadly force, an invisible doom like a plague.

The Tirones nodded silently at the orders, and carefully approached into the deep, yellow eyes scanning the foliage that would be easy to weave. She began to pick at slim, bendable branches that were somewhat supple, but tough. She broke off about ten, small twigs from the same tree, hoping to be constant with the plantlife to make the camouflage more realistic. She then cautiously gathered some leaves, also trying to keep the same shape and color at least somewhat similar. After a couple of minutes, she carried all she could, one arm holding the branches, the other cradling the leaves, walking a bit slower than usual in attempt to keep the debris from floating away.


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#9
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(330)



Ithiel is by me!

Inferni's tawny-furred Optio spoke and described their plans. She was not an unkindly canine, and Ithiel thought her worthy of her position -- however little that meant. The dusky coyote was bound to follow Inferni's authority whether he believed it legitimate or not. It was just his luck the canines in the Legatus tier were worthy of their position. When Vesper looked toward them, Ithiel only nodded and a small smile appeared on his face, one he bid to arrive himself. The Optio was quick to turn to her work, but Ithiel was not absolutely certain what they were looking for -- small branches and saplings, yes, but there were many different types, and perhaps some were better than others.

As he didn't wish to displease his leadership or fail in his task, the dark-furred coyote stood near Sparrow a moment, red eyes focused on the branches she selected. He understood what was needed of him then, and again smiled, dipping his head to the yellow-eyed woman before turning away, moving off to root through his own section of the underbrush. He knew nothing of Sparrow, but already she struck him as dedicated to her task and skilled -- she did things Ithiel was incapable of, after all. This was enough to place her in good standing with the dust-colored canine.

Once Ithiel had plucked his own share of short saplings and various underbrush, he carried it back to their essential starting point and looked for the nearest tree. The work was moving at a slower pace than he might have liked thanks to his wounds, but it was good to be working, all the same. Tilting his head back, he studied the upper reaches of the trees and frowned faintly, just a flicker of uncertainty passing over his face. The stands were obvious in the trees, and it was up to them to make them invisible as possible. It was their job to change that.

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#10
[html]


398



Vesper watched her sister walk off, and while she poked around at some of the low boughs of a small tree, she kept an eye on her—as much observation as protection. She felt inclined to keep her sibling safe out of duty rather than affection as of yet, but if Sparrow continued to prove herself worthy and rose from Tirones upwards, she might earn it. Whoever said you must love your family unconditionally didn’t have my family, she thought, even if she knew she was all the colder for it. She had a reputation among some in the past for her darkness, although few in Inferni saw that callous side of her. They saw her heat, the fire that burned for pride and passion, and the ice was only an idle mask that could be cracked in an instant. Or maybe they just saw what they wanted to.

Musing about her own morals wasn’t getting work done, however, and she pulled a tangle of wood off a tree before realizing it was dead stuff, fallen from an upper branch. With a grimace, she looked it over and back at what Sparrow was collecting, matching the color and species and moving to add it to the pile. “Stiff, but maybe we could just pile it on after we weave everything,” she said by way of apology for the randomly-chosen piece.

There were a few more trips, but eventually she had helped to gather her share of pliable green branches and bundles thick with foliage. Wiping bark-dust on her fur, she stared up at the stands as well. “One more thing,” she said, and grinned lightly. “We need to make sure the archers can actually get up on the stands without knocking everything off. So maybe an open space near the back? Hopefully the enemy won’t get far enough to see the gap.” She played with a piece of wood and glanced at Sparrow.

“Want to start positioning and weaving?” Vesper asked, as if she were confident about the decision. “You had the idea, so show us how to start.” Others might have been afraid of delegating too much, appearing weak and incapable of leading on their own, but she knew that she was clueless about this process. Her sister shone in some things still, and if this was one of them, it’d make this project that much easier.


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#11
[html]

523
Okay, so this is what I kinda imagined for the basic weaving to be,
and this to be the finally product with all the leaves.


Sparrow, thus far, had felt very accomplished yet still on edge. She shyly nodded back to the male, turning her gaze quickly away from him as he went off on his own to gather his load. It was not like she feared Ithiel, for he made no action or spoke words to struck her like so, but it was just pure nerves about being near someone she did not know. She could tell that he probably was not used to this sort of work for the clan, and felt intimidated the whole time he watched her in order to know what he needed to gather despite knowing he meant no harm. When he walked off, she calmed down, and felt a little disappointed in herself for being so relieved that he went his own way. But, she did not dwell long on her feelings, giving all her focus upon the task at hand.

She glanced at Vesper’s first collection with slight smile, amused at what she gathered. “We can work with it,” she said in her airy voice. She wondered for a moment how she became an Optio—no, she did not doubt her sister’s abilities in the slightest, knowing that she was a fit leader. Sparrow was curious as to how she was able to stay in Inferni for so long, to allow being under their guidance until she moved up their ranks. As pups, Vesper did not struck her sister to be the one to comply with other’s rules, being the one-girl army she was, and wondered what happened for that to change. The fawn was silent about her thoughts for now, but her questions may be asked one day, when the borders were peaceful and the idea of threats was in the back of the coyotes’ minds.

The mottled female listened to the Optio’s last suggestion, and nodded, keeping that in mind. When she spoke directly at her, she nodded once more, and hid the slight surprise she felt. Sparrow assumed that she would go head first independently without her help, and given the position to start, well, made her feel appreciated. She knelt by the piled branches, and grabbed a few to start. She wished to speak out how she does the weaving, but she found no words to help her. She hoped that the two could keep up with her actions, so went slow at first. She took a few of the straighter, less bendable branches like the ones Vesper gathered and placed them in rows, spaced more or less evenly. She then took the pliable ones, and began to make a pattern, a branch going over then under the stiff ones. After a minute, she made the base of what would go around the stands.

“It’s a little bare… but if we tie on the leaves, it’ll blend in much better. Like you said,” she made eye contact with Ithiel, not knowing what his name is and hoping he knew that she was referring to him, “vines would be better than dead plants… But it’s the best we can do for now… If they don’t know about the stands, then we shouldn’t be noticeable for now.”


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#12
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Ithiel is by me!

While there was much work to do, Ithiel thought they would be able to finish it -- there were not an incredible amount of stands, and the only certainty was that of their cover. The dusky-furred coyote didn't know how that would work, but he was confident in the ability of his companions to figure that part out. Vesper was first to speak, and she raised a point about access, one Ithiel had not considered. He found himself nodding agreement, however, for surely -- they'd need to be able to climb up and into the trees. They couldn't make it too easy, otherwise they were opening their archers up to attack, but it was easier to defend looking down than attack coming up. The archers' biggest threat was likely to be other archers and projectile weapons able to easily find the reaches of the tree branches.

The dusky-furred coyote watched his companion with the yellow eyes work, his interest piqued by the way things were coming together. Strange that these dead pieces of wood could form something almost alive, capable of providing protection. He nodded when she was finished, and began his own work, dragging both the stiffer sorts of branches as well as the flexible green wood apart and setting them up as Sparrow had done initially. He struggled to wrap a green piece of wood around one of the thicker, stiffer branches, grunting with the effort, and finally completed the frame. It looked decent to his eyes, but he wasn't certain -- so he lifted it up, tentatively. While one part of it shifted, the rest of it held together, and Ithiel needed only resecure the loose piece and he was done with the frame.

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#13
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The others acknowledged the need for access, and Vesper let that point die so long as they took it into account when they put the camouflage up. She watched her sister expectantly in the meanwhile, hoping that her expression was not unkind; she wasn’t used to ordering others around, although her tone had been more of a firm suggestion than a harsh command. Her tail twitched behind her as her blue eyes followed the movement of the other’s hands, the positioning of the stiff wood and the careful weaving of the greener twigs.

The Optio began to work as well, although she didn’t have the strength to bend certain branches or the skill to bypass that need. She snapped one twig in half accidentally and flattened her ears, but she went on working. Her own frame looked strong if bare, and she started to add more of the green stuff. She supposed that rope and more pliable branches could actually fasten the different sections of weaving together, forming a sort of cage for the archers.

Eventually, she finished hers and glanced to see the others’ progress, knowing that she’d likely be behind. “You two can start tying the leaves in, then,” she said, “and I’ll go grab the rope.” She had brought several yards of the stuff but had left it at the edges of the woods, and she could use the time to check with Stark and see about the dyes, although she didn’t know how he could carry more than a jar at a time, if that. She nodded at the pair and went to see.


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#14
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Word Count → 280 :: OOC here.


She started on her second section while the other two worked on their first, one eye watching them curiously while her hands worked easily. When she saw them somewhat struggle with the weaving—she watched her sister break a stick, the bloody-eyed male having difficultly at one point—she wondered if they have ever done this before. Probably not, she thought to herself; Vesper was definitively an able hunter, since she fed her and her mother by herself, and Ithiel was most likely not an exception and they would have no use for such camouflage that was needed for primitive traps that caught prey for the inexperienced Sparrow.

She finished with her second frame before the other’s, since she did not have to move slowly for their eyes to follow, and sat on her knees quietly to see what she had to do next. The wait was not long, though, and soon both were completed with their weaves. “That looks great,” she said encouragingly to the dusky coyote, and added, “Both of you guys did good in fact... A good foundation is the most important part.”

Sparrow murmured an “okay” as she went to fetch the ropes, and crawled forward for a moment to gather some of the leaves, rounding them in a neat pile near her two frames. She began to knot a few, tying about three every thirty seconds. A minute passed, and suddenly remembered the presence of the male, and glanced back to him, hoping that he did not caught that. “Do you know how to tie stems without breaking them?” she asked, her tone a bit shy, but nonetheless she tried to socialize, to some degree.

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#15
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(397)



Ithiel is by Raze!

Though the sound of a snap drew Ithiel's eyes, it passed just as quickly out of his notice and he returned to his work, shifting and tying and looping here and there. The dusky-furred coyote thought while he worked, his hands capable of moving without real direction and instruction from his mind. Though the work was new, the worker was not, and if nothing else, Ithiel was obedient and more than capable of following instruction. In his head, however, a thought occurred to him: this was not so different than one Scintillan technique. He could not remember, at first, the name of the suits worn by those outland scouts, permanent to the desert landscape. Before the name occurred to him, he was drawn out of his thoughts by Sparrow's voice.

Thank you for teaching me, the hybrid said to Sparrow, accepting the compliment without neitherfanfare nor bashful hesitance. Vesper proposed to fetch the ropes, and Ithiel nodded to this, turning to root through the pile of branches for one he thought he might be able to tie. They were not as strong as leather or rope, but the dusky-furred hybrid knew ropes, and thought he might be able to manage this. He leaned over his frame with a few branches in hand and began the work of adding them to the frame. When Sparrow spoke, he was surprised, but not unpleasantly so. The dust-colored hybrid paused in his work and leaned back a moment to look at her, nodding.

Like rope, he answered. But not as strong. They break more easily. He gestured to the two or three he'd broken in attempting to attach them to the frame. Do you know -- I was trying to remember before, the dusty hybrid said, one hand moving to scratch behind his ear as his red eyes surveyed their frames, thinking it might jog his memory. Where I am from, some Luperci wore suits, he said, pausing to consider his phrasing. They were like this, kind of -- strong fabric, stiff and scratchy stuff. The scouts wove and sewed plants and other forest debris over the suits and wore them. It provided more cover than the natural pelt. Some of us are blessed to blend in, others -- not so much, the dark man said, shrugging. Do you know what they were called? Would they be useful?

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#16
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It did not take her very long to reach the gates of the mansion, where the raven sat perched on a coil of darkened rope. Her brows lifted, and Stark cawed in amusement. “Grigorii hearing about,” he explained. “Grig dyeing when Stark asking. Hands all dark, very smelly, not coming out for weeks, Stark thinking.” He flapped onto her shoulder, bobbing his head, and she laughed as she grabbed the coils. She’d have to thank the Inferni newcomer later for helping out; this really sped things up. Stroking the bird’s feathery throat with a gentle finger, she grabbed the lengths of rope and headed back to the woods.

The tawny woman was surprised but glad to see that Sparrow had tied several lengths of twig and leaves to the foundation already, while Ithiel was voicing a question. She caught the back end of it but chose to ignore it, knowing she was clueless about these sort of things. Instead, she twirled some of the rope in her hand, waiting for the question to be sorted out before speaking.

“Got the rope. We could try to attach it now; I can climb all right, and Stark can help reach places we can’t.” Vesper shrugged her shoulder and sent the bird flapping up to the stand, where he watched them with intelligent beady eyes. “Maybe Ithiel can keep tying the leaves, since he’s getting the hang of it—I’ll need Sparrow to help me tie everything.” She gave her sister a kind, if not particularly warm, look.



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#17
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Word Count → 341 :: OOC here.


She nodded in agreement when he commented about their fragile state. She remembered having difficultly for the first time when she was tying them herself for the first time, and the only reason she broken none at that time was from months of practice. It was a hard way to live, but she had managed. “It’ll get easier,” she offered in reassurance, though it was not needed; it was just nice to add, she guessed.

As the male continued to talk, she listened carefully, already thinking about what he was telling her. What he spoke of reminded her strongly of what a group of humanized canines used for their advantage; in fact, they were the ones that inspired her trapping abilities and taught her a few knots that later blossomed into something she was good at. The only reason why she did not practice such herself was namely for her naturally built camouflage, and the fact that she neither had the time nor materials for such things.

When he completed his question, she glanced at Vesper for a moment, noticing her return a moment ago, but nonetheless answered it quietly, “I knew a few strangers who used such things… They called it ghillie suits, said that the humans used to use it because of their pale fur. Your people may call it something else though… But, it’s not a bad idea. In fact… it may make it even better, confuse the enemy better.” She glanced at the Optio, wondering if she, too, agreed, or at least managed to catch enough words for her to understand.

Sparrow glanced at first at the rope, then at the bird named Stark that fluttered off her shoulders, her eyes following after the creature. She only tore her gaze away from him when her sibling mentioned her name, and blinked humbly at her kind expression. The fawn gave a tiny nod and rose to her feet, looking back to Ithiel for a moment, and picked her way to Vesper, a completed frame clutched in her hands.

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#18
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Ithiel is by Raze!

Ghillie suits -- perhaps that was the name. The dusty hybrid did not recognize the word, but he nodded anyway. It seemed they were on the same page regarding these suits, in any case. Yes -- we coyotes are lucky. We come in shades of brown, tawny, earthen colors -- sometimes gold and fire colors, but our pelts blend well. Pale wolves and pale coyotes -- their advantage comes in winter, the dusty hybrid said. We can try to make them afterward, you and I, he offered to Sparrow. He would be interested in such a thing, and if they worked on it together, it would be shared glory for both of them.

Ithiel was prepared to do whatever it was that was needed, whether that was climbing to the upper reaches of the trees or remaining glued to the ground. He much preferred the latter, but the dust-colored hybrid was not so fearful of heights he would refuse such duties. He simply wouldn't be particularly happy doing them. It was to his relief, however inapparent, that Vesper returned and spoke of herself and Sparrow doing the climbing and tying. The dusty hybrid nodded, his glance flickering back toward Sparrow as she moved to work with Vesper. If you want me to climb, I will climb, he offered, thinking he ought to have offered earlier.

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#19
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I kind of BS'd this post so I'm not sure how much sense it makes.



Vesper looked at the completed frame one more time, the rope slack in her hand, and lifted her head when the dusty-colored soldier spoke. She shook her head at his offer. “We’re smaller,” she explained with a small grin, looking him over. He was very large for a coyote, and it probably wouldn’t be as easy for him to navigate the branches; she didn’t want all this work completed just for it to come crashing down with the tall male. In comparison, she and Sparrow were tiny, though Ves was more malnourished and wiry while her softer sibling was petite and girlish. Regardless of their builds, they might be able to get the job done a lot safer and squirm into the stand easier.

Rope in hand, she made a jump at the tree and managed to pull herself onto the wooden platform of the archery stand. Her muscles quivered, but balance came to her as easy as breath, even if she didn’t make a habit of climbing. She reached down to grab the camouflaged partition and heave it up at level with the wood.

“Okay, how do I make knots?” the coyote asked, the side of her lips quirking. She managed to loop the rope around the twigs and pull as tightly as she could, but she was clueless at how to tie it securely.


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#20
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Word Count → 379 :: ooc here


“Sure,” she agreed quietly as she nodded. Anything to aid Inferni she would offer a hand in, and working with Ithiel turned out to be pleasurable and would not mind to aid with the suits. He was a man of few words, but Sparrow appreciated his silence, and when he did speak, it was not rambling thoughts, much unlike her. She began to wonder how exactly that would work out—perhaps light leather clothing with leaf-like things and moss hanging off of them, like that group had—but did not think about it much before she turned her attention to Vesper and the frames that would need to be tied up.

She blinked her thanks at the man’s offer, and added, “I climbed a few times before, for eggs. It can be a bit tricky.” That was a short time before she was able to trap, making use of her hands and feet. More often than not, those climbs turned out to be futile, whether it was the mothers or the tree itself that kept her from the eggs, but she gained experience and was able to survive. Like Vesper, she scrambled up the trunk after the frame made its way up. She thought of herself heavier, but as she pulled herself up, it was easier than she expected, which made her frown a bit for a moment. But, her concern was cleared when her sister spoke, and walked up to her as she made the loop. “It’s not too hard,” she started off, taking hold of the rope if the Optio allowed her to, “but it’s hard to explain. Since we may have to bring down the frames again to renew the camouflage, we should make simple knots that anyone can untie, but secure enough to hold everything together.”

She was slow with her movements as she tied the rope, one end curling and curving while the other sat at the base, but it was easy enough for the eyes to follow. “A couple of these should keep the frames up. In case you mess up…” The end that was close to the base was pulled, and the complex turns unraveled themselves. “You try.” She handed the rope to Vesper, watching the tawny woman with her yellow gaze.

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