Gia's head shot up once more at the sound of her name. It was almost inaudible for a human, but to her lupine ears it was clear. It was Mavarion. Gia had marked his voice in her memory of sounds; she recognized it instantly and stood quickly, with a final glance at the grounds spreading from the steps, then she turned and ran to the doors.
Gia would have paused outside the doors, and she would have been wary of what she had heard earlier had she been a bit brighter in her wolf form. However, the wolf knew more instinctual responses, and her instincts were telling her to get in there and help.
She bounded inside, breath catching in her throat as the overwhelming scent of blood filled her nose. Also strongly present in the air was the stench of burned sulfur. The wolf coughed a little, an un-wolf-like sound, and she blinked as the residue penetrated her eyes as well.
She trotted up the aisle, scenting lightly for Mavarion while trying not to inhale too much of the bloodscent and sulfur. She slowed to a walk and brought her head down to the level of her shoulder in a more defensive manner, using her sight more now that the two overpowering scents were so strong.
The wolf squinted through the haze of greys that she saw, and spotted a collapsed figure near the head of the aisle. She sprang into a long leaping run and landed beside the unconcious man. Gia scented lightly. It was Mavarion. The wolf whined, and pawed at the man's shoulder. He didn't stir.
Gia whined again. She looked at the exit of the temple, the doors left open by her passage. She glanced down at Mav again. Even if she did manage to wake him, he wasn't in any condition to walk, it appeared to her. The smaller wolf shifted fluidly to a larger shape, and bent her head to latch her teeth firmly into the scruff of his clothing.
She started to pull him as gently as she could to the exit of the temple. It took her a while, as she was trying not to jostle him and breathe lightly at the same time. It wasn't difficult, persay, to be this close to a human under normal circumstances, but with the bloodscent already in her nose... she could handle it. It was just a little harder to resist.
She managed to half-drag, half-carry the prone man to the outside air, and she took a deep gulp of the night, filling her lungs and exhaling in a great whoosh. Gia bounded off down the temple steps and returned a few minutes later as a young woman, who picked up the man with a slight grunt, mourning the loss of her lupine strength, and carried him down to where the remnants of her fire had been earlier. She rekindled the light and watched him in the flickering light.
He didn't appear physically harmed, but rather mentally drained. She sighed. She'd deal with it when he woke, and until then... she drew out her bowsting and a bit of beeswax, greasing the string until it shown in the firelight.
Hideout
The night passed with Mavarion asleep. Or more accurately, unconscious. It was the sleep of someone who has overexerted themselves dangerously, and the body shuts down to recover.
For Mavarion, it was a dreamless sleep.
The snap of a piece of wood in the fire brought him to full wakefulness in a moment. His eyes focused on the sky above him, and a frown creased his brow. He had been under a roof the last he remembered.
A bird chirping nearby made him turn his head, which caused his vision to blur. He had not yet fully recovered from the expenditure of last night's magical dealings, and he didn't expect to until the next morning. It took much longer now that he was older to recover from extended periods of magic use. He tried to avoid them, when it could be helped.
Once his vision cleared again, he noticed the temple, with the doors open. It only then occurred to him that it was light out, and it was morning. The partly cloudy sky let quite a bit of sunlight through, making Mavarion squint slightly to keep his eyes from hurting too much.
With a strangled grunt, Mavarion pushed himself up on his elbows. He glanced around and, seeing his companion nearby, asked, "Is everything alright?"
While listening for the answer, he pushed himself up further into a sitting position.
For Mavarion, it was a dreamless sleep.
The snap of a piece of wood in the fire brought him to full wakefulness in a moment. His eyes focused on the sky above him, and a frown creased his brow. He had been under a roof the last he remembered.
A bird chirping nearby made him turn his head, which caused his vision to blur. He had not yet fully recovered from the expenditure of last night's magical dealings, and he didn't expect to until the next morning. It took much longer now that he was older to recover from extended periods of magic use. He tried to avoid them, when it could be helped.
Once his vision cleared again, he noticed the temple, with the doors open. It only then occurred to him that it was light out, and it was morning. The partly cloudy sky let quite a bit of sunlight through, making Mavarion squint slightly to keep his eyes from hurting too much.
With a strangled grunt, Mavarion pushed himself up on his elbows. He glanced around and, seeing his companion nearby, asked, "Is everything alright?"
While listening for the answer, he pushed himself up further into a sitting position.
You have no where to hide, nowhere to run, your village will burn like the heart of the sun. With infinite glee, it is going to be me who slaughters your world.
Gia's head whipped around at the sound of her companions' voice. "Everything's fine," Gia said, slightly hesitantly. She didn't know what had happened the previous night, and now that the human was back in control and had the memories of the bloodscent and the sulfur smell and death and what the wolf had seen. Gia's naturally curious self was even supressed for a little while, because she was a little nervous.
And what she had heard. The scream, and what she hadn't been meant to hear and smell. A female scent, though it could have just been her imagination. A low, gravelly voice of a magic being from another plane. And magic. Gia could scent magic, and it also left its traces in the air that she could hear. Maybe she was just sensitive to it because she used a type of magic with the wolf.
She wasn't aware that during her thought process she had been giving the newly awoken man a strange, wary look. "How are you?" She asked slowly. "Feeling, I mean." She didn't ask about what had happened. She knew by now that it was completely futile to ask Mavarion something that he wasn't going to tell her.
And what she had heard. The scream, and what she hadn't been meant to hear and smell. A female scent, though it could have just been her imagination. A low, gravelly voice of a magic being from another plane. And magic. Gia could scent magic, and it also left its traces in the air that she could hear. Maybe she was just sensitive to it because she used a type of magic with the wolf.
She wasn't aware that during her thought process she had been giving the newly awoken man a strange, wary look. "How are you?" She asked slowly. "Feeling, I mean." She didn't ask about what had happened. She knew by now that it was completely futile to ask Mavarion something that he wasn't going to tell her.
Mavarion's stomach growled as he and Gia stared at each other. Gia's wary look was met by a bland look on Mavarion's part, until the young woman spoke again.
Mavarion shrugged at the question, pushing to his feet and ignoring the protests of his aching joints and muscles. Sleeping on the ground did nothing for the stiffness of old age, but he tried not to let it show. He was weak, and needed to look as strong as he could while in the weak state. Weakness preceded death, in Mavarion's thought process.
He glanced around, finding a fallen log near enough that he could sit on, even if his back was hurting him. He hadn't answered Gia's question yet, cause he wasn't sure how he actually was feeling, but instead was trying to find out as he went about a normal routine.
"I'm tired, for sure, and hungry as well. I don't suppose you have anymore of that rabbit...?"
Mavarion lifted a brow in question, even as his stomach rumbled again, asking to be fed.
Mavarion shrugged at the question, pushing to his feet and ignoring the protests of his aching joints and muscles. Sleeping on the ground did nothing for the stiffness of old age, but he tried not to let it show. He was weak, and needed to look as strong as he could while in the weak state. Weakness preceded death, in Mavarion's thought process.
He glanced around, finding a fallen log near enough that he could sit on, even if his back was hurting him. He hadn't answered Gia's question yet, cause he wasn't sure how he actually was feeling, but instead was trying to find out as he went about a normal routine.
"I'm tired, for sure, and hungry as well. I don't suppose you have anymore of that rabbit...?"
Mavarion lifted a brow in question, even as his stomach rumbled again, asking to be fed.
You have no where to hide, nowhere to run, your village will burn like the heart of the sun. With infinite glee, it is going to be me who slaughters your world.
"I could go and get another..." Gia trailed off as she heard a rumbling sound coming from Mavarion's stomach. She stood and tucked her bowstring back into her pack, leaving the bow on the ground, now that she didn't have to pretend to shoot an animal to kill it. "I'll be back soon."
A rabbit wasn't the best prey to shoot for, but they were closer than the deer, which would take her a few hours to scent out, stalk, kill, and drag back. She went back to the large pile of dirt that she had unearthed the day before and slid smoothly into wolf form, the lithe, leanest shape that she had.
She nosed at the base of the dark hole into the earth. The little bunnies had scampered, Gia noted with a low growl. They weren't supposed to be smart! She snarled lightly as she trotted away from the rabbit hole, inadvertently glancing up at the still-open temple door. A whiff of sulfur drifted out of it, causing the brown wolf to sneeze a little, uncomfortable.
All of her uneasiness came back to her then. The human portion of Gia was still in control enough that she remembered what she had heard the night before, and she was nervous because of it. It wasn't qualms with good and evil--those didn't really exist for Gia, because no one had ever explained them to her, but there was a self-preservation instinct ingrained almost as deeply as loyalty in the werewolf.
She paused as she passed the temple door, giving it a wide berth. A slight hint of dried blood also floated out on the wind, a metallic scent and taste in her mouth. She quickened her stride to a lope, passing the temple swiftly and getting into a small patch of scrubland where she was sure to find rabbits.
Gia set her mind on the hunt. She scented and spotted a small dusty brown rabbit eating at the base of a bush and set herself in the crouched, incredibly balanced hunting pose, inching forwards silently and leaping, catching the rabbit between her paws and bringing her teeth to click together at the bottom of its neck.
She was surprised that she had done as well as she did, because her mind wasn't altogether on the hunt--not with the sulfuric hint sill in her nose mingling with the fresh blood and dried blood. It was almost sensory overload from the wolf, with the woman's screaming ringing in her ears also.
She needed answers, Gia thought as she ran back to the temporary campsite with two rabbits in her teeth. She didn't know how she'd get them, but she'd find out somehow what had happened. And soon. If she couldn't link what had happened together in her mind, she would get a little... unstable. It was a fault of hers, but as long as the werewolf knew what was going on and she could put sounds and scents with events, she was okay.
She reappeared in the campsite as a human, skinned the rabbits with a look of concentration that had nothing to do with her task, and stuck them on a spit over the fire.
"Mav?" She asked, looking into his strange eyes in a slight lupine challenge, "Mav, what happened last night? I heard and scented strange things."
A rabbit wasn't the best prey to shoot for, but they were closer than the deer, which would take her a few hours to scent out, stalk, kill, and drag back. She went back to the large pile of dirt that she had unearthed the day before and slid smoothly into wolf form, the lithe, leanest shape that she had.
She nosed at the base of the dark hole into the earth. The little bunnies had scampered, Gia noted with a low growl. They weren't supposed to be smart! She snarled lightly as she trotted away from the rabbit hole, inadvertently glancing up at the still-open temple door. A whiff of sulfur drifted out of it, causing the brown wolf to sneeze a little, uncomfortable.
All of her uneasiness came back to her then. The human portion of Gia was still in control enough that she remembered what she had heard the night before, and she was nervous because of it. It wasn't qualms with good and evil--those didn't really exist for Gia, because no one had ever explained them to her, but there was a self-preservation instinct ingrained almost as deeply as loyalty in the werewolf.
She paused as she passed the temple door, giving it a wide berth. A slight hint of dried blood also floated out on the wind, a metallic scent and taste in her mouth. She quickened her stride to a lope, passing the temple swiftly and getting into a small patch of scrubland where she was sure to find rabbits.
Gia set her mind on the hunt. She scented and spotted a small dusty brown rabbit eating at the base of a bush and set herself in the crouched, incredibly balanced hunting pose, inching forwards silently and leaping, catching the rabbit between her paws and bringing her teeth to click together at the bottom of its neck.
She was surprised that she had done as well as she did, because her mind wasn't altogether on the hunt--not with the sulfuric hint sill in her nose mingling with the fresh blood and dried blood. It was almost sensory overload from the wolf, with the woman's screaming ringing in her ears also.
She needed answers, Gia thought as she ran back to the temporary campsite with two rabbits in her teeth. She didn't know how she'd get them, but she'd find out somehow what had happened. And soon. If she couldn't link what had happened together in her mind, she would get a little... unstable. It was a fault of hers, but as long as the werewolf knew what was going on and she could put sounds and scents with events, she was okay.
She reappeared in the campsite as a human, skinned the rabbits with a look of concentration that had nothing to do with her task, and stuck them on a spit over the fire.
"Mav?" She asked, looking into his strange eyes in a slight lupine challenge, "Mav, what happened last night? I heard and scented strange things."
While Gia was away, Mavarion slipped down from the log and instead leaned his back against it. He crossed his feet at the ankles and lay his head back on the log. With his eyes closed and his muscles relaxed, he dropped into a meditation, just short of duplicating the meditation he had used the evening before before drawing on deep magics.
The meditation was for two purposes. The first, and most important, was to allow his body to continue it's repairing rest. Using so much magic always left him drained and sore, as if he had been in battle for a full day and night. Mavarion had fought battles such as that and felt better than he did right now. Of course, he would never let anyone know he was feeling less than one hundred percent. The second was to allow him to again tune his body for the use of magical powers. Contrary to some beliefs, there were arteries of magic, as Mavarion liked to refer to them. There were conduits in the body that allowed magic to travel better than other conduits.
An eye popped open as Gia returned and settled down. It immediately closed after she began carving the rabbit. Mavarion knew that she was tying herself to him bit by bit, and he would do nothing to stop it. Unless she stepped over the boundaries. Then something might have to be done.
When he spoke, his voice was quiet, but dangerous none-the-less. "Until you are bound to me, you cannot know. Until that time, you can still leave my employ... Once you are bound, you can never leave. That is the way it has to be." He paused for a moment, as if considering. The previously spoken words were not threatening, but it was clear that he was not ready to discuss what she had asked him.
Mavarion's tone softened, if not by much, yet still distinguishable from the previous tone. "I am one of the few that accept you for who, and what, you are, Gia. I can tell from the way you act around me that you haven't had that much. When you are bound to me - and we will both know when that is - then I will let you know everything that you need to know."
Pupil-less eyes stared into Gia's own, if she were to meet his. Another white dot drifted lazily across the blackness of his eyes.
The meditation was for two purposes. The first, and most important, was to allow his body to continue it's repairing rest. Using so much magic always left him drained and sore, as if he had been in battle for a full day and night. Mavarion had fought battles such as that and felt better than he did right now. Of course, he would never let anyone know he was feeling less than one hundred percent. The second was to allow him to again tune his body for the use of magical powers. Contrary to some beliefs, there were arteries of magic, as Mavarion liked to refer to them. There were conduits in the body that allowed magic to travel better than other conduits.
An eye popped open as Gia returned and settled down. It immediately closed after she began carving the rabbit. Mavarion knew that she was tying herself to him bit by bit, and he would do nothing to stop it. Unless she stepped over the boundaries. Then something might have to be done.
The eye popped open again, and his head raised slowly. The other eye opened, and one small, white dot floated horizontally across it, from outside towards his nose. As the dot vanished from one eye, it appeared in the other, floating from the nose towards his opposite ear.Gia Rilan wrote:"Mav, what happened last night? I heard and scented strange things."
When he spoke, his voice was quiet, but dangerous none-the-less. "Until you are bound to me, you cannot know. Until that time, you can still leave my employ... Once you are bound, you can never leave. That is the way it has to be." He paused for a moment, as if considering. The previously spoken words were not threatening, but it was clear that he was not ready to discuss what she had asked him.
Mavarion's tone softened, if not by much, yet still distinguishable from the previous tone. "I am one of the few that accept you for who, and what, you are, Gia. I can tell from the way you act around me that you haven't had that much. When you are bound to me - and we will both know when that is - then I will let you know everything that you need to know."
Pupil-less eyes stared into Gia's own, if she were to meet his. Another white dot drifted lazily across the blackness of his eyes.
You have no where to hide, nowhere to run, your village will burn like the heart of the sun. With infinite glee, it is going to be me who slaughters your world.
The wolf looked up at Gia from the depths of her mind. The wolf was confused, and let out a low whine that Gia almost let out through her human mouth. Gia hushed the wolf and looked down, and broke her semi-challenge. She was stronger, but it was claer who was in command. He wasn't going to answer her question, and there wasn't anything she could do about it.
She changed the subject. "When will you know I am bound to you? I have nowhere else to go, I hold loyalty only to you, I would fight for you. I would likely kill if you asked me to."
She stopped and sighed. She played with a stick she picked up on the ground, and then snapped it with a quick twist of her hand. Her eyes darkened as she asked, "What do you want, Mavarion? The wolf needs to have at least a small idea of what is going on, what she's becoming a part of. I do as well. The wolf gets worried when she doens't know whats happening, and that can affect me as well."
She paused again, worried about his reaction. "I'm only a simple werewolf--I don't particularly care what you're doing if it affect humans, or if it doesn't, or whatever. I do have a very large self-preservation instinct though."
The young woman looked off into the sky, wincing slightly as the bright sunlight hurt her eyes. Full moon was coming, and both the wolf and the human were getting restless.
She changed the subject. "When will you know I am bound to you? I have nowhere else to go, I hold loyalty only to you, I would fight for you. I would likely kill if you asked me to."
She stopped and sighed. She played with a stick she picked up on the ground, and then snapped it with a quick twist of her hand. Her eyes darkened as she asked, "What do you want, Mavarion? The wolf needs to have at least a small idea of what is going on, what she's becoming a part of. I do as well. The wolf gets worried when she doens't know whats happening, and that can affect me as well."
She paused again, worried about his reaction. "I'm only a simple werewolf--I don't particularly care what you're doing if it affect humans, or if it doesn't, or whatever. I do have a very large self-preservation instinct though."
The young woman looked off into the sky, wincing slightly as the bright sunlight hurt her eyes. Full moon was coming, and both the wolf and the human were getting restless.
Mavarion looked across the fire at the young werewolf. She was becoming more open, and it was obvious she didn't care about humans. For that matter, Mavarion only cared about them in terms of what they could do for him, and how they could further his goals.
Which was exactly how he saw Gia, as well. It would be nice to have a companion that he could trust ... well, as far as he trusted anyone. But he wasn't ready to reveal certain things yet, and that would just have to do for her.
"As I have said. There are things you are not ready for. I would like nothing better than to have a trusted companion standing by me when I finish what I am about to do, but I have gone this far alone."
He held up a hand to forestall anymore argument. "I understand that you must be young, or unique. Perhaps it is the curse of one who is bitten. I have never heard this duality where another werewolf speaks of the 'wolf' within as a second entity. Perhaps that is simply because no other werewolves speak of it. But for now, both you and the wolf will have to trust that I am guiding you. As for knowing when you are bound to me..." he trailed off, cocking his head slightly as he studied her for a few moments.
"I'm not sure how we will know, but we will know. It's a feeling I get, for some reason. Now, do you mind if I have some of that rabbit?"
Mavarion held out his hand, offering something like a half smile.
Which was exactly how he saw Gia, as well. It would be nice to have a companion that he could trust ... well, as far as he trusted anyone. But he wasn't ready to reveal certain things yet, and that would just have to do for her.
"As I have said. There are things you are not ready for. I would like nothing better than to have a trusted companion standing by me when I finish what I am about to do, but I have gone this far alone."
He held up a hand to forestall anymore argument. "I understand that you must be young, or unique. Perhaps it is the curse of one who is bitten. I have never heard this duality where another werewolf speaks of the 'wolf' within as a second entity. Perhaps that is simply because no other werewolves speak of it. But for now, both you and the wolf will have to trust that I am guiding you. As for knowing when you are bound to me..." he trailed off, cocking his head slightly as he studied her for a few moments.
"I'm not sure how we will know, but we will know. It's a feeling I get, for some reason. Now, do you mind if I have some of that rabbit?"
Mavarion held out his hand, offering something like a half smile.
You have no where to hide, nowhere to run, your village will burn like the heart of the sun. With infinite glee, it is going to be me who slaughters your world.
Gia handed over the rabbit, smiling a little sardonically herself. An answer without a true answer in his statement, that was what it was. She hid the rest of her frustration, though, and thought about her answer to Mavarion's words. "I have no idea whether I'm unique in revealing more of my lupine self than other werewolves. I've never met another werewolf besides the one who bit me, and he didn't exactly stick around to tell me how to be what I am. I just kind of learned along the way, and the wolf distinguished herself in her own manner."
Gia leaned back at she blinked in the bright noon light. She felt weak and drained, but that was probably because she hadn't slept hardly at all the past night. "Where are we headed next, Mavarion? Do we stay here a few days, or push on to somewhere new?"
The wolf whined disapproval of Gia's dropping of the subject. the logical human part of the young female's mind, however, knew that Mav wasn't going to tell her the truth of the entire matter. She hushed the wolf with a sharp mental word, more of a bark to the creature, really, and turned her attention back out to her surroundings.
Gia leaned back at she blinked in the bright noon light. She felt weak and drained, but that was probably because she hadn't slept hardly at all the past night. "Where are we headed next, Mavarion? Do we stay here a few days, or push on to somewhere new?"
The wolf whined disapproval of Gia's dropping of the subject. the logical human part of the young female's mind, however, knew that Mav wasn't going to tell her the truth of the entire matter. She hushed the wolf with a sharp mental word, more of a bark to the creature, really, and turned her attention back out to her surroundings.
((Sorry, I was having writer's block for all characters... and little in the way of time still.))
Mavarion listened intently, not letting his disappointment show when young Gia couldn't elaborate more on the subject of werewolves. With a shrug, he allowed her to change the subject.
"My plan is to remain where we are, perhaps staying in the temple there. We would have shelter there, and I doubt much beyond animals come here. We will need a few supplies, however." Mavarion stared hard at her, as if deciding if he could trust her with the task.
"I'm sure most humans won't notice you for what you are, or you would be driven from every town you tried enter. I need to rest for the day, or I would go myself. I'll give you a list and some Bishan, and you can run into town and grab a few items to make our stay more comfortable." The slightest hint of a question was embedded in the sentence, turning it into a request instead of a command.
Putting action to words, Mavarion pulled a vial of ink and a quill from one pocket and a rolled bit of parchment from another. He quickly wrote down several items, circling one in particular.
The list read: cheese, bread, fruit, blankets, 1 pot, several pieces of parchment, lead shavings. At the bottom of the list was the circled item, aged, powdered sulfur. He handed the list to Gia, then pulled a small purse full of Bishan from a loop on his belt and handed that to her as well.
"Feel free to add a few items to the list for yourself. Don't go overboard, because I know how women enjoy shopping," he said sardonically, offering a small smirk to show it was only a jest.
With that, he stood, leaving it to Gia to put out the fire. He grabbed the remaining meat and wrapped it in a kerchief he pulled from a pocket, slipping it back into the pocket. He pointed towards the temple.
"I'll meet you up there, then you can run into town."
Not once did the thought that she might refuse to run the errand pop into Mavarion's head.
Mavarion listened intently, not letting his disappointment show when young Gia couldn't elaborate more on the subject of werewolves. With a shrug, he allowed her to change the subject.
"My plan is to remain where we are, perhaps staying in the temple there. We would have shelter there, and I doubt much beyond animals come here. We will need a few supplies, however." Mavarion stared hard at her, as if deciding if he could trust her with the task.
"I'm sure most humans won't notice you for what you are, or you would be driven from every town you tried enter. I need to rest for the day, or I would go myself. I'll give you a list and some Bishan, and you can run into town and grab a few items to make our stay more comfortable." The slightest hint of a question was embedded in the sentence, turning it into a request instead of a command.
Putting action to words, Mavarion pulled a vial of ink and a quill from one pocket and a rolled bit of parchment from another. He quickly wrote down several items, circling one in particular.
The list read: cheese, bread, fruit, blankets, 1 pot, several pieces of parchment, lead shavings. At the bottom of the list was the circled item, aged, powdered sulfur. He handed the list to Gia, then pulled a small purse full of Bishan from a loop on his belt and handed that to her as well.
"Feel free to add a few items to the list for yourself. Don't go overboard, because I know how women enjoy shopping," he said sardonically, offering a small smirk to show it was only a jest.
With that, he stood, leaving it to Gia to put out the fire. He grabbed the remaining meat and wrapped it in a kerchief he pulled from a pocket, slipping it back into the pocket. He pointed towards the temple.
"I'll meet you up there, then you can run into town."
Not once did the thought that she might refuse to run the errand pop into Mavarion's head.
You have no where to hide, nowhere to run, your village will burn like the heart of the sun. With infinite glee, it is going to be me who slaughters your world.
Re: Hideout
Gia stifled a rude comment at the shopping thing. The wolf didn't understnad, but the human had a pretty good idea of what he meant. And what did he mean, much beyond animals? Gia thought that humans were just as animalistic as wolves, and sometimes more so. She let that go for further thinking upon later. But sometimes, the young woman felt that the wolves were more civilized than the humans that she had met.
Gia took the list and the Bishan. She hadn't really ever been shopping for food and supplies before. "I'll do it, of course, but..." she hesitated, and then sighed and carried on. "I've never actually been shopping before, so... I don't think I'll run over with too many thing that females typically like to shop for."
Gia stood and glared at the sunlight, which was still in those annoying few hours of noon, when she felt weak and useless. She snarled to herself, trying to boost her enthusiam for her small trip. That was another thing that the sunlight did--drained her of excitement. She ran a hand through her hair and slung her unstrung bow over her shoulder along with her pack. She kicked some dirt over the fire, smothering the remains of the embers and stamping on them with her boot. She trotted up to the temple behind Mavarion, but she hesitated before entering.
The wolf was supposed to only live in the present, but the wolf in Gia had strong memories. Gia had no inclination or want to deal with those things, the remembrances of the night before. She supressed her wolf's hesitation and stepped into the temple, though a small wave of cold swept over her shoulders and down her spine, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to rise and Gia gave a little shiver. She shook it off, and laid her bow down on the ground and tossed her pack down as well. She waited, unsure of what to do, and asked Mav. "Should I go ahead and leave? You'll be fine here, correct?"
Gia took the list and the Bishan. She hadn't really ever been shopping for food and supplies before. "I'll do it, of course, but..." she hesitated, and then sighed and carried on. "I've never actually been shopping before, so... I don't think I'll run over with too many thing that females typically like to shop for."
Gia stood and glared at the sunlight, which was still in those annoying few hours of noon, when she felt weak and useless. She snarled to herself, trying to boost her enthusiam for her small trip. That was another thing that the sunlight did--drained her of excitement. She ran a hand through her hair and slung her unstrung bow over her shoulder along with her pack. She kicked some dirt over the fire, smothering the remains of the embers and stamping on them with her boot. She trotted up to the temple behind Mavarion, but she hesitated before entering.
The wolf was supposed to only live in the present, but the wolf in Gia had strong memories. Gia had no inclination or want to deal with those things, the remembrances of the night before. She supressed her wolf's hesitation and stepped into the temple, though a small wave of cold swept over her shoulders and down her spine, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to rise and Gia gave a little shiver. She shook it off, and laid her bow down on the ground and tossed her pack down as well. She waited, unsure of what to do, and asked Mav. "Should I go ahead and leave? You'll be fine here, correct?"
rent-a-werewolf
Re: Hideout
As Mavarion stepped through the threshold of the temple, the residues of last evening's magics washed over him. It was almost as if the large stone blocks of the temple had retained the feel of the magic, and now resonated with it.
Mavarion closed his eyes and breathed deeply several times, simply reveling in the glory of his triumph of the night before. He had finally, finally made the first steps towards his final goal, the goal he had yet to reveal to anyone but himself. He was even unsure if the goddess he had chosen knew herself what his plans were.
He heard Gia approaching from behind him, although she made hardly a sound. He was therefore not startled when the young werewolf spoke behind him, simply turning towards her and opening his eyes.
"We will be sleeping here for tonight, and for as long as we need to." He smiled slightly, the barest lift of the corners of his mouth. "We shall call it home until it has served its purpose. Feel free to leave your things here with me, if you are comfortable doing so. You can trust me, as I have no need of taking your possessions."
Mavarion turned away, a clear dismissal, but paused.
"I would like to thank you for helping me last night."
With those last words, Mavarion began walking towards the altar. He would stop and turn if she intended to address him for more than saying goodbye.
Mavarion closed his eyes and breathed deeply several times, simply reveling in the glory of his triumph of the night before. He had finally, finally made the first steps towards his final goal, the goal he had yet to reveal to anyone but himself. He was even unsure if the goddess he had chosen knew herself what his plans were.
He heard Gia approaching from behind him, although she made hardly a sound. He was therefore not startled when the young werewolf spoke behind him, simply turning towards her and opening his eyes.
"We will be sleeping here for tonight, and for as long as we need to." He smiled slightly, the barest lift of the corners of his mouth. "We shall call it home until it has served its purpose. Feel free to leave your things here with me, if you are comfortable doing so. You can trust me, as I have no need of taking your possessions."
Mavarion turned away, a clear dismissal, but paused.
"I would like to thank you for helping me last night."
With those last words, Mavarion began walking towards the altar. He would stop and turn if she intended to address him for more than saying goodbye.
You have no where to hide, nowhere to run, your village will burn like the heart of the sun. With infinite glee, it is going to be me who slaughters your world.
Re: Hideout
Gia nodded and turned, walking quickly to get out of the temple. She had left her bag and her bow, taking only in her hand the list that he had given her and the money. She stepped lightly down the temple stairs and took a deep breath of clean air, trying to rid the sulfur stench from her lungs, and the unique scent of magic. Also the very potent smell of blood, always the strongest scent in the nose of a werewolf. Or at least, this werewolf.
Gia walked down into the city. it was strange for her, and she kept looking around at everything. And sniffing the air, which must have looked strange to anyone bothering to watch. She managed the purchasing of the items on the list well, and no one started screaming 'Werewolf!' and chasing her, so Gia considered her shopping expidition a sucess.
She returned to the temple carrying the supplies, glad that it was growing darker again. The moon was also gaining in strength, so she was feeling more in control of the wolf, which actually meant that she was getting more lupine characteristics. She had hoped that no one in the city had noticed, or it could get a little bad for her.
Gia stood on the steps of the temple as the sky gradually began to darken. A pleasent shiver cascaded down her spine, and she turned with a smile and re entered the temple. She tried to block her nose from the smells, but only part - way succeded. She set down the supplies and turned to Mavarion.
"Here's everything," she said with a sigh. "The lead and powdered sulfur were rahter hard to find, so I did my best. The wolf isn't happy with the scent, by the way."
Gia walked down into the city. it was strange for her, and she kept looking around at everything. And sniffing the air, which must have looked strange to anyone bothering to watch. She managed the purchasing of the items on the list well, and no one started screaming 'Werewolf!' and chasing her, so Gia considered her shopping expidition a sucess.
She returned to the temple carrying the supplies, glad that it was growing darker again. The moon was also gaining in strength, so she was feeling more in control of the wolf, which actually meant that she was getting more lupine characteristics. She had hoped that no one in the city had noticed, or it could get a little bad for her.
Gia stood on the steps of the temple as the sky gradually began to darken. A pleasent shiver cascaded down her spine, and she turned with a smile and re entered the temple. She tried to block her nose from the smells, but only part - way succeded. She set down the supplies and turned to Mavarion.
"Here's everything," she said with a sigh. "The lead and powdered sulfur were rahter hard to find, so I did my best. The wolf isn't happy with the scent, by the way."
rent-a-werewolf
Re: Hideout
Mavarion continued to walk down the center aisle as Gia left, her absence not even a thought in his mind. He looked at the blood stained altar and the pulpit next to it. It would have to be cleaned, but at present, he didn't have the strength to do so.
He would have to get Gia to bring a bucket of water from the river and sluice the blood from the altar. There was a grated hole behind the altar where wet blood and water could drain through, though it needed a little bit of work to get it clean. Blood had congealed around the bits of leaves and debris covering the grate. Another thing on the list of things to do.
Mavarion nodded thoughtfully. He would clean this himself, as he wasn't so sure of the control Gia had over the wolf within. Better not to tempt her.
After several moments of consideration and contemplation of the future, Mavarion made his way slowly to one of the benches and sat stiffly, bringing his legs up into a crossed position beneath him. Joints and muscles complained wearily, but the elderly mage ignored them. Pain was something he ignored, and he had, at some points over his lifetime, actually enjoyed the pain. He leaned back against the bench backing and closed his eyes, placing his hands palm up on his knees in a meditative pose. Within moments, he was drifting, barely still aware of the outside world. He was aware enough that it would be difficult for anyone to sneak up on him, but deep enough in meditation to receive some rest from it. It was similar to how many elves gained rests on long journeys, though not nearly as restful as elves would find it.
He was aware of Gia when she came back and placed the items next to him. He listened as she spoke, not deigning to open his eyes as she told him of her trip. When she was done, his eyes did open, and he pulled himself from his meditative rest, feeling much better than he had, though still weak.
"If you go to the river and get a bucket of water, I will do something about the blood on the altar. There's a grate that needs cleaning, and once it is clean, anything further will be much easier to clean." He new what that last sentence implied, but didn't much care what the young woman would think. He pointed off to a rusted metal bucket in what had once been a closet hidden behind a piece of fabric. The fabric was long gone, and the mop that was in the closet was rotted to the point of uselessness, but the bucket itself looked serviceable.
"I'll clean the area of burned sulfur as well, but I can't guarantee the smell will dissipate. While I do that, how do you feel about cooking something for dinner?"
He would have to get Gia to bring a bucket of water from the river and sluice the blood from the altar. There was a grated hole behind the altar where wet blood and water could drain through, though it needed a little bit of work to get it clean. Blood had congealed around the bits of leaves and debris covering the grate. Another thing on the list of things to do.
Mavarion nodded thoughtfully. He would clean this himself, as he wasn't so sure of the control Gia had over the wolf within. Better not to tempt her.
After several moments of consideration and contemplation of the future, Mavarion made his way slowly to one of the benches and sat stiffly, bringing his legs up into a crossed position beneath him. Joints and muscles complained wearily, but the elderly mage ignored them. Pain was something he ignored, and he had, at some points over his lifetime, actually enjoyed the pain. He leaned back against the bench backing and closed his eyes, placing his hands palm up on his knees in a meditative pose. Within moments, he was drifting, barely still aware of the outside world. He was aware enough that it would be difficult for anyone to sneak up on him, but deep enough in meditation to receive some rest from it. It was similar to how many elves gained rests on long journeys, though not nearly as restful as elves would find it.
He was aware of Gia when she came back and placed the items next to him. He listened as she spoke, not deigning to open his eyes as she told him of her trip. When she was done, his eyes did open, and he pulled himself from his meditative rest, feeling much better than he had, though still weak.
"If you go to the river and get a bucket of water, I will do something about the blood on the altar. There's a grate that needs cleaning, and once it is clean, anything further will be much easier to clean." He new what that last sentence implied, but didn't much care what the young woman would think. He pointed off to a rusted metal bucket in what had once been a closet hidden behind a piece of fabric. The fabric was long gone, and the mop that was in the closet was rotted to the point of uselessness, but the bucket itself looked serviceable.
"I'll clean the area of burned sulfur as well, but I can't guarantee the smell will dissipate. While I do that, how do you feel about cooking something for dinner?"
You have no where to hide, nowhere to run, your village will burn like the heart of the sun. With infinite glee, it is going to be me who slaughters your world.
Re: Hideout
Gia nodded and took the bucket, exiting the temple quickly. With the onset of dusk the wolf was much stronger, and so her senses were acting strange, which meant that her nose was much more powerful than normal, and the nearly full moon wasn't helping either. She breathed in gratefully the clean and fresh air of the outside and smiled softly in the growing dusk.
She had left all her belongings with Mavarion, as he knew that she didn't need a bow to hunt. She slipped into a nearby stand of trees and removed her clothing to prevent it from ripping as she changed shape to a wolf. One of the downsides of being a werewolf was that she always lost her clothing. Males had it easier, she mused as she took the bucket by the handle in her strong jaw and started trotting down to the river, sensitive nose twitching in the light breeze. All male shifters or werewolves had to deal with was a pair of pants and just pretend that they ahd been out on a brisk run, whereas females had a bit more clothing to deal with.
She stopped at the river and sniffed, wondering about the food situation for the night. Cheese and bread were all very well, though she'd prefer to skip on the fruit, as she was only an herbivore when there was nothing else to eat. She scented the air lightly after setting down the bucket. There was still a bit of rabbit that Mavarion had taken from the fire that she had caught before, but Gia was sick of rabbit. She wanted a larger bit of prey, but she knew that bringing down anything near the river was a bad idea now, in the dark and cold.
But Gia didn't want to go back to the temple, not just yet. There was little Mavarion could do about the smell, and the sulfur was only a part of the problem. he could wash the alter all he wanted, but there was the distinctive scent of magic, and he couldn't clean the air of the smell of the blood. She sighed, and sat down, sniffing again. There was a trace of badger in the air, but the lupine nose wrinkled at the thought of being enbedded in the musky pelt of a badger. The wolf shook her head and stood, blinking. Ferrets were hard to catch, but she suddenly caught a whiff of a different animal.
Gia leaped lightly down to a rough path beside the river and padded softly along, ears and nose twitching as she hunted. She paused by a hole in the bank and poked her nose in, yelping as it was swatted at by a sharp set of claws, but thrusting her body into the hole and biting sharply down on a mass of fur and dragging it out, careful to keep her balance.
With a struggling creature in her mouth she bounded up back to ground that didn't feel as if it was going to crumble beneath her paws. She shook the ball of fur back and forth quickly, dropping it and biting it again and repeating this process over and over. When the thing finally stopped struggling she stopped, panting, but with a satisfied lupine smile on her face, ivory teeth showing through her bloodied muzzle in the moonlight. She resisted howling, and bent her head to try and find out what it was she had killed. She thought that it was something like a beaver or an otter, but it smelled better than rabbit, even through the blood. She picked it up and carried it back to the bucket and dropped it, exchanging it for the bucket and padding back down to the river.
She dipped the bucket into the river and returned to her kill, and tried to manage both at the same time without getting the mass of fur in the water. She eventually succedded and trotted smoothly back to the temple, trying not to slosh the water. She walked slowly up the stairs and set down her burdens, and then returned to the stand of trees and shifted, putting her clothing back on. She walked in to the temple carrying her finds.
"I killed something for food, Mav." She greeted him as she set down the bucket of water by the alter, carefully not breathing in the scent of human blood. Animal was bad enough, but human was just sheer temptation. She returned and sat down with her back to the alter. "I don't know what it is, but I think that it's edible. I hope so. Do you think it's okay to light a fire in here?"
The young werewolf pulled her pack over and pulled out flint and some scraps of cedar wood to light, and then set then down and realized that she'd need wood first. She waited for him to speak before trying anything, though.
She had left all her belongings with Mavarion, as he knew that she didn't need a bow to hunt. She slipped into a nearby stand of trees and removed her clothing to prevent it from ripping as she changed shape to a wolf. One of the downsides of being a werewolf was that she always lost her clothing. Males had it easier, she mused as she took the bucket by the handle in her strong jaw and started trotting down to the river, sensitive nose twitching in the light breeze. All male shifters or werewolves had to deal with was a pair of pants and just pretend that they ahd been out on a brisk run, whereas females had a bit more clothing to deal with.
She stopped at the river and sniffed, wondering about the food situation for the night. Cheese and bread were all very well, though she'd prefer to skip on the fruit, as she was only an herbivore when there was nothing else to eat. She scented the air lightly after setting down the bucket. There was still a bit of rabbit that Mavarion had taken from the fire that she had caught before, but Gia was sick of rabbit. She wanted a larger bit of prey, but she knew that bringing down anything near the river was a bad idea now, in the dark and cold.
But Gia didn't want to go back to the temple, not just yet. There was little Mavarion could do about the smell, and the sulfur was only a part of the problem. he could wash the alter all he wanted, but there was the distinctive scent of magic, and he couldn't clean the air of the smell of the blood. She sighed, and sat down, sniffing again. There was a trace of badger in the air, but the lupine nose wrinkled at the thought of being enbedded in the musky pelt of a badger. The wolf shook her head and stood, blinking. Ferrets were hard to catch, but she suddenly caught a whiff of a different animal.
Gia leaped lightly down to a rough path beside the river and padded softly along, ears and nose twitching as she hunted. She paused by a hole in the bank and poked her nose in, yelping as it was swatted at by a sharp set of claws, but thrusting her body into the hole and biting sharply down on a mass of fur and dragging it out, careful to keep her balance.
With a struggling creature in her mouth she bounded up back to ground that didn't feel as if it was going to crumble beneath her paws. She shook the ball of fur back and forth quickly, dropping it and biting it again and repeating this process over and over. When the thing finally stopped struggling she stopped, panting, but with a satisfied lupine smile on her face, ivory teeth showing through her bloodied muzzle in the moonlight. She resisted howling, and bent her head to try and find out what it was she had killed. She thought that it was something like a beaver or an otter, but it smelled better than rabbit, even through the blood. She picked it up and carried it back to the bucket and dropped it, exchanging it for the bucket and padding back down to the river.
She dipped the bucket into the river and returned to her kill, and tried to manage both at the same time without getting the mass of fur in the water. She eventually succedded and trotted smoothly back to the temple, trying not to slosh the water. She walked slowly up the stairs and set down her burdens, and then returned to the stand of trees and shifted, putting her clothing back on. She walked in to the temple carrying her finds.
"I killed something for food, Mav." She greeted him as she set down the bucket of water by the alter, carefully not breathing in the scent of human blood. Animal was bad enough, but human was just sheer temptation. She returned and sat down with her back to the alter. "I don't know what it is, but I think that it's edible. I hope so. Do you think it's okay to light a fire in here?"
The young werewolf pulled her pack over and pulled out flint and some scraps of cedar wood to light, and then set then down and realized that she'd need wood first. She waited for him to speak before trying anything, though.
rent-a-werewolf