Hiding from the cold
#1
Dusk. Frustrated from the unsuccessful hunting, Catherine seats under a big pine tree, trying to forget how annoying those damned ravens were. Every time that she got an elk on the target of her bow, those idiots squawked and scared the herd. "So irritating!" - She thought, impatiently. Tonight, she would starve... Again. She only wished to have some help in the hunting. At least, she would be able to ambush a bigger one and eat!
Something falls on the tip of her nose, making her forget the reason of her irritation: a snowflake. It melted slowly to a tiny drop. She looked up slowly, and see others snowflakes falling from the thick clouded sky. She watched calmly to the snow cover the earthy ground of the forest. The snow became thicker and a freezing, noisy wind ripped the heavy silent of the night.
Unwillingly, she stood up and walked through the strong storm and sharp wind, looking for a better place to hide... Nothing. She felt so alone lately, even more now, in the middle of this storm. She had an idea. It was probably the craziest idea to try in this situation. But she had to try. At least try... "All right, then" - she thought. It was enough solitude for her entire life and much more! She wanted a friend, don't matter who!
A sharp howl ripped out of her throat, in an instinctive try to call another canine: if there was a wolf or a Luperci near her, it might hear and answer her. But it would be hard to hear her, with such noisy wind. She howled another time, just in case. She sat in the snowy ground, waiting for an answer...
#2
I'm gonna assume that this is near Arachnea's Revenge, simply because Hanna has been living near there. Can we forward date to more recently? Hanna's only been back within Souls territory inside a week. So maybe... date it Jan 7?

[html]



A sharp howl cried out from the near-dark forest Hanna had just passed through. She was on her way back to the small cabin she'd found to shelter herself and Tobias, who was currently sitting on her gloved arm, his feathers ruffling in the frigid wind. His sharp eyes glared reproachfully at hers, and she crooned in low speech that it would not be long. But when the cry split the air again, lurching out of the snowstorm, she turned to it, calling in reply, making her way towards it. The wind stilled momentarily, and she launched Tobias to scout ahead quickly. A few minutes later, he was perched on her arm again, explaining that there was another like herself just ahead.

The female hurried, and soon enough, a green-eyed, grey-scaled wolf came into sight, sitting in the snow. Dashing up to her, Hanna scanned the other's body for injuries, and finding none, relaxed slightly. My name's Hanna. Come with me; I have shelter just ahead! She gestured in the direction she'd just come from, and took a step, pausing and looking over her shoulder at the female.

[/html]
#3
Dusk. Catherine barely heard the dark wolf talking to her, calling her for a shelter. Getting up awkwardly, she discovered her knees were a little stiff and her belly hurted of hungry. She stood there, waiting for the stranger called Hanna to follow her - or guide her, what comes first - to the shelter. "Anyway, my name is Catherine. Catherine A. Joily." she said, her teeth shattering because of the hazardous cold. She felt her insides freezing and her frozen blood pass slowly through her veins, but she ignored it. She knew it would not be enough to kill her. She was stronger than that.
Curiously, she stared at the bird on Hanna's shoulder, wandering. Was it her pet? She had hatched and raised Seymour, her Peregrine Falcon at a ruin in Halifax, but she never thought she would find someone else that had one too. "Who is this?" she asked in a very curious voice, pointing at the bird, hoping not get a bite from it. Once Seymour had bited her finger. It was not a very good experience.
#4
[html]



Hanna turned and hurried towards her cabin, disregarding Catherine's question about Tobias, who glared at the approaching fingers but did not snap. Once they were out of the chill, she'd explain. She had food at the cabin, as well, and Toby was hungry. The problem with cold and snow, especially when it stormed like this, was that he was less able to find his own food. Hanna was, of course, not inclined to force him to find his own; she was more than willing to let him eat from her kills. Theirs was a symbiotic relationship: He helped her track and hunt prey, and in return, Hanna allowed him to gorge on what she brought down.

Crossing through the door and shutting it behind Catherine, Hanna busied herself starting a fire in the ancient fireplace and preparing a meal for the three. Toby glided to the corner, to his perch she'd erected, ejecting hawk chalk once perched and earning a hearty eye-roll from the black female. Setting the table and serving a lightly-grilled side of deer, Hanna finally answered the girl. This is Tobias. I found him about four months ago. His wing was broken and he couldn't fly. I learned Low Speech from Pilot Haddon so I could communicate with him, and now he helps me hunt. He's quite useful at scaring away the other birds that would otherwise scare the deer.

[/html]
#5
[html]

http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr87 ... rsouls.jpg); background-attach:top center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-color:#eee;">

Catherine felt the warmth of the cabin embrasse her, and she felt much better now. She watched lazily to the dark female prepare the food. The warm, delicious smell of the deer made her hurgry. When it was served, she ate gladly her share and listened to Hanna's apresentation to her hawk, Tobias. "Hmm... Nice to meet you, Tobias. Oh, and thanks for the food. It was great." she said in a polite tone to Hanna, truelly satisfied with the meal, though she had other things in mind.

She was sick of worry abour her falcon, Seymour, remembering of the freezing cold outside. She knew the female would notice her concern, and she remembered that she didn't told her about Seymour. "That's funny... I have a bird too. His name is Seymour and he is a peregrine falcon. I was in Halifax when I found the abandoned nest where he was. He was jsut an egg. I took care of him since." she told Hanna, remembering of the time when Seymour was just a hatchling.

She smiled lightly, but the smile faded as she remembered of the reason she introduced him. "He may be out there, hiding form the cold. I'm worried if he is okay..." she sighed. Seymour was not used to the cold.

[/html]
#6
[html]



Her falconer's glove had been set aside to prepare dinner, but at the mention of Catherine's peregrine, she extended her arm without hesitation to Tobias, who fluttered to her arm. He perched carefully, barely pricking her arm with his talons while she stroked him, head to tail. Murmuring in low speech, she asked him if he thought he could find this Seymour peregrine. With a slightly annoyed look and a sharper poke of his talons, the peregrine soared out the window to look for the other bird to bring him to the cabin.

Wishing him good flying, Hanna turned back to her guest, in order to explain what Toby was doing. It probably seemed weird or even foolish to send her bird out, but he'd actually gone of his own accord, intrigued by the challenge this presented. Toby thought he might be able to find Seymour. He'll be back in a bit. Till then, feel free to make yourself at home.

[/html]
#7
[html]

http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr87 ... rsouls.jpg); background-attach:top center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-color:#eee;">

Catherine felt guilty about Hanna sending her hawk after Seymour in this cold, but it was too late. She hoped that Tobias would find Seymour, but followed Hanna's advice and felt in home, though she never had a "home" for reference. Her last house was a hollow fallen tree trunk, and her actual was just a thick branch of a pine trre, near the boundaries of AniWaya territories, but she could get what the dark female meant.

Sooner than she expected, she heard two sets of wings flapping through the noisy wind outside. As the sound got closer, she reconized Seymour's harsh, sultred by the loud blowing storm. She smiled as he landed on her leather-covered shoulder and cuddled under her jaw, his feathers full of snow.

"Hello for you too, boy." she said, greeting the bird. "Jeez, you trembling!" she whispere to herself, stroking the bird on her arms, trying to warm it up.

It didn't took too long for it stop to shake and fall asleep on Catherine's arms. She kept him on her arms, rubbing his little head with one finger and looked at her hostess. "Thanks." she said, feeling much more in home, now that eymour was with her.

[/html]
#8
[html]
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... /09vly.png); background-position: top center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">

A smile crossed Hanna's face as she watched the peregrine greet his friend. Tobias swept to her arm as Seymour landed on Catherine's shoulder, and she stroked his chilled feathers until they warmed beneath her hand. The other bird soon fell asleep and Tobias would have too, but he had the presence of mind to glide back to his perch so her arm would not fall asleep or suffer possible injuries while he slept.

She pulled a chair out for her new friend, then took a seat herself."There he is. Safe and sound. I'm so glad." She had known that Tobias would be all right; she had feared for the smaller peregrine. These winds were treacherous, and it would have been nothing for one gust to hurt the poor bird. As it was, he looked none the worse for wear. Definitely tired, though. "Catherine, feel free to rest here as long as you need, even if the storm ends."

[/html]
#9
[html]

http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr87 ... rsouls.jpg); background-attach:top center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-color:#eee;">

You finish? - Shoot, this one got really big^^'

Catherine sat down slowly on the chair offered to her, trying not to awake Seymour. She felt so comfortable inside the cottage, but not quite enough to stay there too long. The storm was fading and weakening slowly. When it would be over, she would leave. She liked the black female and her bird. She really did, but she had chores to do, duties to finish. She had to come back to her pack, where she belonged as soon as possible.

"I really apreciate your hospitality, but I prefer to wait to the storm fade and then I'll leave. I don't wanna to bother you, and I have things to do. I hope you can understand."she explained to Hanna. She didn't mean to be rude or anything, just being honest.

Inspite the warm, Catherine wasn't tired or sleepy. She had the gift of beeing able only feel sleepy when bored, though she is very lazy. She couldn't understand that. She kept awake, hearing the wind roaring outside...

A few hours later had passed and Catherine noticed the storm had weakened to a light wind and snowing. She got up slowly, Seymour still sleeping on her arms. She poked his back lightly and stared as he woke up lazily and climbed her arm to her shoulder, streching his wings. "Well, I think it is my time." she said, looking at Hanna. "Thank you so much for everything, but I have to go now. Good Bye!" she said, opening the door. She stopped there and glanced at the female once again. "I hope to see you again sometime" she told her. She really hoped so.

She closed the door behind her and, with a sniff in the air, she located her way home and walked slowly toward it, her feet deepening in the snow.


[/html]
#10
Sure. Hit me up some time for a hunting thread.

[html]
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... /09vly.png); background-position: top center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">

A few hours passed, with Hanna hanging her head out the window occasionally to check conditions. The storm eventually quietened to a dull roar, and then to mere snowflakes falling peacefully to the ground. The other female took her leave then, making excuses to get back to the pack, which Hanna understood completely. Far from rude, it showed loyalty to her pack. After Hanna had waved a goodbye to the woman, who had faded quickly from sight, she went back inside, banked the fire, and settled next to it to sleep for awhile. "Good night, Tobias."

[/html]


Forum Jump: