Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen)

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Tue Jan 17, 2012 8:53 am

The bandits were actually pretty far from their base camp. Bishop, it seemed, had lived far away from any people, and that also meant the kinds that lived far from other people. Still, she'd managed to come across them and steal their valuables over the course of a single night. The two men talked as they walked, about what they would do to her, about how much her animals could sell for and about what exactly was in her pack and how useful it was. Chance had her bow in one hand and was testing the poundage on it. "She's gotta be strong, this is a heavy bow" he said as he tested the string.

Bishop's eyes were closed and she was as limp as a wet rag. Thinking, contemplating, hating.

They camped halfway to their goal, setting up crude shelters and a fire. They talked about going back for Muller's body, and decided they would once Bishop was safely tucked away in their hideout. Bishop was propped up against a tree and examined from over the fire by the two men.

"Ugly little bitch isn't she?" Chance murmured.
"No tits, no hips, no curves. She looks like a boy" Bones agreed.
"If it weren't for her cunny, wouldn'ta known..."
Bones barked a laugh. "Don't be an ass. She's woman enough."

Bishop stared at them hatefully. They'd gagged her for their own safety.

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Tue Jan 17, 2012 9:28 am

Their words were annoying Del’ure more than he would ever have admitted. Not only because they were pertaining to Bishop for the most part but also because he simply hated men who looked at women solely for their ability to spread their legs wide. It was unacceptable. Many people would consider the demon nuts for thoughts like this and he probably would not have made quite such a big deal out of it if he had not known the woman in their hands.

Then again, if it was not for the fact that he was pretty certain Bishop would want to get her revenge on them, he would have done for her what he would have done for any other woman. He would have just gone up to them and killed them to set the female free. In this case however…

The thugs were not really paying attention to whether they would be seen or not and their loud voices clearly showed that they seemed to have no concerns whatsoever. As they set up for the night, Del’ure glided closer and closer to them. Their words washed over him as if he did not hear them as they did not contain any valuable information. One of them at least seemed to have a little more sense when it came to talk about women, especially when they were within hearing range.

“Who would’ve thought,” Del’ure mused, “that I would turn into a saviour of damsels in distress.” Eyeing their belongings closely, the demon’s eyes fixed on Bishop’s bow, quiver beside it. How very thoughtful of them to lay it all handy for Del’ure to pick up when the time was right.

Letting his power flare through him, the demon let the sparks in the fire dance a little before he let them jump out at the men. Nothing harmful, just the fire being a bit of a rebel as far as outside eyes were concerned. For Del’ure it was the distraction he had sought. While the men were busy to poke around in the fire to try and make the flames obey their will – as if fire ever would obey a human – Del’ure slipped out of the shadows and retrieved Bishop’s bow and arrows before heading over to the other side of the camp to where Bishop was propped up against a tree.

“Another little present behind the tree,” he whispered as he gently slid one of his daggers into Bishop’s hands, leaving the other weapon in the shade of the tree trunk. She would easily get out, he knew that, so he didn’t stick around to observe it, rather he slipped away into the shadows again to have a bit of fun with the two thugs.

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Tue Jan 17, 2012 9:50 am

Bishop started when Del'ure came out of the shadows and stole her bow from the two pieces of shit sitting across the fire. The two of them poked at it, throwing sticks into it trying to appease the rebellious flame. Somehow, Bishop knew that the flames were dancing to a different tune and Del'ure had to be conducting it. He was a demon after all. She decided to disregard her overwhelming relief at the sight of him and clenched the knife he'd slid into her hand.

He understood her, and the realization was a little profound.

Any other man would have just rescued her, but Del'ure was giving her the chance to have her revenge.

The demon's knife was wicked sharp and cut through the ropes like they were butter. She moved slowly as Del'ure had his fun with the thugs, careful not to attract their attention. She sliced through the ropes binding her feet and, lastly, cut her gag off. Freed from her constraints, she threw the knife, which buried itself right in Chance's hamstring.

The man went down with a cry and Bones whirled around only to have his arms feathered. He hit the ground screaming and carefully Bishop strode over to them. She walked like a cougar, eyes cold, and calculating. Chance pulled the dagger out of his hamstring, only to get an arrow through the calf, pinning it to the ground. It was safe to say Chance wouldn't be moving until that arrow came out.

She stood over Bones, tsked at him and pumped a few more arrows into him, had him spread eagle and stuck to the floor like some dissection experiment.

She pinned Chance the same way, face-down.

She picked up Del'ure's knife and sat down on Bones's middle. "Okay, this is the game I'll play. Listen up" she said as she trailed the knife down his chest. "You answer my questions correctly and as accurately as you possibly can, and I'll give you a merciful death. Insult me, lie to me or attempt deception, and I will geld you, cook your man-parts, feed them to you and proceed to remove and cook your organs" she said.

Chance would end up the tortured man, Bones the one with the red smile.

"A shame, the smart one was good-looking" she said, but she didn't sound regretful.

Her animals had been caged not too far from there, hidden beneath blankets of leaves. Apparently they were supposed to have sent Muller for two extra men to carry the cages. Too bad he was dead now.

She was cleaning off her arrows, checking them and putting them away when she remembered Del'ure.

"Del?" she asked, standing and turning in aslow circle.

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Tue Jan 17, 2012 10:03 am

The two men were easy to surprise once they were astounded that the flames behaved normally again just as soon as Del’ure decided it was time to attract their attention to him rather than to the fire. They had never seen fire behave that way and did not quite understand what was going on until suddenly Del’ure planted his fist into Chance’s face.

Bones immediately hurled himself at this unknown man while Chance was nourishing his bloodied nose for a few moments. The few moments it took for Bishop to cut herself free.
While Bones was beating at Del’ure, who was merely trying to deflect a few of the blows as he was not very concerned with bruises, the demon waited for his cue to pretend to be badly injured and drop to the ground.

It came swiftly and briefly after Bones had indeed landed quite a punch into Del’ure’s stomach in the form of the demon’s dagger being thrown into Chance’s hamstring. Pretending to be hurt, Del’ure let himself fall to the ground, rolling out of the way and watched the rest of the happenings from the sidelines.

There was nothing worse than the wrath of a woman – a saying Del’ure had heard somewhere in passing at some point and damn, it was close to the truth. All the while, the demon did not move, forgotten in the shadows, watching the play in front of his eyes. And she thought he was the bloodthirsty one, well then. He didn’t mind though, on the contrary. They got what they deserved even if she was rather on the brutal side – for a woman.

Once Bishop remembered him and called out to him, he climbed back onto his feet. “I’m here,” he replied in a soft tone as he stepped into the light of the dying fire. With a light flick of his hand, he forced the sparks to grow in force again a little, at least enough for them both to be able to see each other’s faces.

“Are we done here?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at the corpses. “Do you want me to erase the traces?”

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Tue Jan 17, 2012 10:15 am

She wanted to go to him, throw arms around him and whisper thanks in his ear, but she was not that kind of woman, despite how much she wished she was in that moment. Instead, she looked around at her bloody mess and then at Del'ure. "Done, and yes, please erase their traces. I don't want their friends hunting me down" she said softly and picked up the cloak she'd given Del'ure. It was a particularly fine fur, from a winter lynx she'd killed.

Chance had thought it was particularly nice and made sure to snatch it from her cave along with her things. She wrapped the cloak about her shoulders and crouched, pushing her face into the soft fur.

Bishop was not made out of steel. She'd very nearly become a sex slave again. Her animals were captured, probably dead, or half starved... and a demon had come to her rescue. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but she was sure he could manipulate fire, and the ease with which he'd asked the question about erasing let her know that this hadn't been his first time getting rid of bodies.

She was exhausted, mentally and that much was evident. She held Del'ure's knife in her hand, thumb stroking the hilt.

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Tue Jan 17, 2012 10:29 am

Del’ure merely nodded without saying a word and while she was wrapping herself in the fur, he went about his business the way he usually did. He wasn’t one to particularly enjoy getting his hands dirty on someone else’s mess – even if provoked by him – thus he let his powers take charge. By now, he assumed that Bishop had figured out he could control fire, thus there was no more need for him to hide this fact.

Flaring the flames back into life, he burnt the bodies and every trace of them having been there, without it affecting the surrounding forest. It was the advantage of being able to properly control this vicious element, there was no trace left of fire having even existed outside of the man-made fireplace. Everything Del’ure’s fire touched burned to ash and then even the ash disappeared without leaving behind as much as a hint as to what had happened.

It was just as well that the fire was encircling the man and the woman while Del’ure was burning away the evidence of the massacre, as both of them could use the heat of a fire for a bit longer, especially the still somewhat naked woman.
Once he was done, he bent down next to her, stroking the fur a little before pulling it tighter around her shoulders. “Are you alright?”

The question was a ridiculous one, nobody could be completely alright after this, especially not after having been dragged around and left on the forest floor without any clothes for hours on end. If she hadn’t caught a deathly cold, she was lucky. “What about your dog and your bird?”

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Tue Jan 17, 2012 10:38 am

She looked up at him and held up his knife, hilt first. "They're... a couple yards off in crude wooden cages covered up by leaf blankets" she told him numbly. She had to get them, she knew, but right now, all she wanted to do was to curl up and close her eyes, hoping for a glimpse of her old da'. When things used to scare her, she could curl up next to her da' and he'd comfort her simply by the virtue of his presence.

She still missed him. Hadn't gotten over his death in the least.

Those eyes of her grew distant and sad. She had no more of her da's things. People had taken them away from her, had tried to make her into someone her da' had been fighting to train out of her. The old man had the right of things. People were a virus, corrupting and infecting one another and the land. He'd taught her so much, yet there had been so much more to learn.

She hadn't been ready for him to die.

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Tue Jan 17, 2012 10:51 am

“Stay close to the fire,” Del’ure said before patting her on the shoulder once, leaving his hand lying on it for a while before sliding it off as he got back up onto his feet. “The flames will keep you warm and safe while I go fetch your animals.” “Or at least release them,” he added for himself. He was fairly certain the animals would not have taken more to him in the meantime. He was still what he was after all.

Not all too far off in the direction Bishop had pointed out to him, he found a few heaped up leaves which did not quite look natural. Indeed, now he also remembered the men having said something about it during Bishop’s torture. He had not really listened to the questions she had asked nor to the replies they had provided her with.

Removing the leaves, he exposed the cages and quickly broke open the measly locks they had put on them to release first the bird into the skies and then the hound. “Go, feed yourselves before you die of starvation.” With that, he shooed both the animals away from the cages before burning those as well. Then he spread the leaves back onto the forest floor, knowing it would not quite look natural either but it was better than leaving empty cages lying round, suggesting that someone had been here. There was still the body at the cave to dispose of as well… Apparently Bishop had killed one of the gang before they got her.

Retracing his steps back to the small camp, Del’ure sat down in front of the fire, next to Bishop. Apart from a small assurance that her animals were safe, he did not say a word. He merely sat there so she wasn’t alone.

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:00 am

Del was turning out to be the kindest being she'd ever met. It was sad that her own species could not measure up to him. When he returned to her side, wordlessly, she laid down, pillowing her head on his thigh. He was warmer than any man she'd ever been with, and he reminded her acutely of her father. "Thank you" she murmured. She still had his knife, clasped between both hands.

Her dog found his way to the camp after snacking on a couple of small animals. He edged toward Bishop and the strange man and sat down where he could be seen. She was not in danger anymore, his mistress, but he kept an eye on her anyway. She didn't look too great. Not normal for her to have that sad human expression.

Her bird was perched in some branches, dozing. It had managed to knock a late bird out of the sky and had eaten it before finding a place to roost.

After a while, she looked up at Del'ure. "I'm sorry I captured you" she said.

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Tue Jan 17, 2012 2:23 pm

When Bishop put her head into his lap, Del’ure lightly put a hand on her shoulder, making sure the fur stayed in place, but he still did not say a word. Words were not necessary in this kind of situation. Bishop had to come to terms with what had happened and he had already forgotten most of it, as it was not really anything terribly unusual, or at least nothing he had never experienced before. Being a demon, he was used to gore, one way or another.

The demon acknowledged the dog’s presence with a glance in its direction, without fire sparkling in his eyes, and he was glad the beast did not start growling or barking now. It would disrupt the quiet which had settled over the camp.

At Bishop’s words, Del’ure looked down at her, surprise written all over his features. He had not expected an apology. “Don’t be sorry,” he soothed, not sure whether he should tell her that she would never have managed, had he not wanted to; but he decided it was better to keep this to himself. He had a few sentences flying about in his mind with regards to how it had all been part of a masterplan and so forth, but they were worthless words.

Instead, Del’ure just smiled at her once more, put a finger to his lips and pressed a kiss on it, before laying his finger on her lips. “It’s alright, go to sleep now. We will watch over you,” he said with a brief glance at the resting bird and dog.

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Tue Jan 17, 2012 7:12 pm

Bishop fell asleep, with the growing fear that she was getting attached to the demon, who was going to leave once she was alright and all set up.

She awoke the next morning, in her cave, covered in furs. Sitting up, she saw that her dog was lying beside her, and the man she'd killed was nowhere to be found. Her pack was sitting at the cave entrance, and her bird's perch was set up, the bird resting on top of it. She stood, walked over to her pack and pulled out an extra set of clothes and pulled them on, grateful to have something between her skin and the cool air. When she was dressed, she looked around her cave... realizing that she was looking for Del'ure. She was a bit disappointed that he was not there, and that made her upset.

Caring for people made you miss them when they were gone, and there was little likelihood that she'd see him again. He was going to a city, and she did not go near cities. She didn't think he'd come looking for her again either.

She saw his knife by her bed of furs, and the white fur cloak she'd given him.

Bishop knelt down and picked them up, wrapping herself in the cloak and sitting down. She'd unpack soon. She just... needed to think.

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Wed Jan 18, 2012 7:49 am

Del’ure was sitting on a somewhat larger rock close by the river bank, contemplating his next move. The fish were being unusually annoying for the time being and refused to be caught by normal means, but it was a good distraction, and the demon did not want to roast them before they were out of the water. It sort of ruined the taste.

The previous night, he had carried Bishop and her things back to the cave and laid her to rest while she had been completely out of it. He had even thought about setting up the perch for that damn bird. Maybe he should worry about the fact he was turning into a far too kindhearted man rather than the fact that he was taking care of a couple of animals, who basically hated his guts.

The next fish finally failed to avoid his spiked branch and was helplessly wiggling around for a while before Del’ure took it off and slammed it against the rock he was sitting on. Somehow his luck now seemed to have picked up again and he caught a few more fish, enough to feed every single resident of the cave. Thus, he soon took them all up and headed back to the cave, grabbing a few dry logs on the way.

Burdened like a barmaid almost, the demon stomped back into the cave, hesitating briefly at the entrance when he saw Bishop was awake. No matter how much he had wanted this not to turn awkward, he still felt slightly out of place all of a sudden but he didn’t quite understand why. “I brought breakfast. I hope you’re hungry,” he said in a cheerful voice, dropping everything to the floor, while setting up a small fire in the traditional way rather than using his powers.

Before long, the fish were spiked and sizzling slowly over the fire. All the while, Del’ure tried to concentrate on the task at hand only briefly glancing at Bishop every now and then, wondering what it was she was thinking about.

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Wed Jan 18, 2012 8:22 am

She hated that she had been relieved to hear Del'ure come in. Bishop was fairly certain that becoming attached to him was a mistake. She was certain that something would go wrong, whether she wanted it to or not. The universe was just set up in a way where people like her always received the worse that life had to offer. She watched him set up the fire, spit the fish and tend to them as they cooked. Before long, the smells drew the attention of her dog, who sat a little ways away from the fire. Her bird flapped its wings and called out in its harsh tongue.

Bishop stood, then, and walked over to him, draping the cloak around his shoulders and pressing his knife back into his hands.

"These things are yours" she told him, as she settled down next to him. "Wouldn't want you to forget them" she said, omitting the 'when you leave' part.

Truth be told, she was enjoying his company now, and she wanted him to stay despite her feelings against the company of others.

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Wed Jan 18, 2012 8:59 am

Del’ure looked up when Bishop finally shuffled over, finally dressed and still wrapped in furs. He didn’t particularly like it, even though it might be more of a comfort measure than anything else, but if she was cold, she might have really caught something the previous day.

He was surprised however when she draped the fur back over his shoulders and when he suddenly felt his own knife back in his hands. “Thank you,” he nodded to her. “That is very kind.” As he was weighing the knife in his hands, he stared at the design of the handle. He had a second one just like it.

“Do you still have all your weapons?” he asked, knowing that the bow for one was there, but she had had at least one dagger and he was not sure he had spotted any of them. “Otherwise I’ll leave this one to you,” he offered as he put it down beside the fire to take the fish off the flames.

“Dinner is served,” he murmured as he threw one fish to the dog and threw another one for the bird before handing one of the makeshift spits to Bishop and keeping the second one for himself. Just before he bit into his fish, his stomach grumbled, letting him know just how hungry he really was and he briefly wondered when the last time had been that he had eaten.

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Wed Jan 18, 2012 9:07 am

She ate quickly, cussing softly as she was burned here and there. It was obvious that Bishop was not used to security whilst food was being devoured. Her dog used to steal her meals, and before that, her bird and before that, the people she'd lived with. After she finished, she tossed the spit and the fishbone into the fire, and recovered the dagger conspicuously. She held it in both hands, rubbing her thumbs down the hilt before she sheathed it in her boot. She wanted to ask him why he was still around, but she was afraid that he would take it as her desiring his departure.

Which, she felt, she didn't anymore. A disturbing realization to be sure.

"You didn't need to catch breakfast" she said. "Thank you though".

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Wed Jan 18, 2012 9:20 am

“I know I didn’t,” Del’ure chuckled, “but I was hungry.” He gave Bishop a wink at this, hoping she would take it in the mocking way it was meant. If he was going to feed himself, he might just as well get her some food at the same time. Plus, the fishing really had been a nice little distraction after getting rid of yet another useless body.

He didn’t comment on her taking the dagger, he merely acknowledged it with a small smile before returning his attention back to his fish. Contrary to Bishop, he took more time while eating, seeing that he was used to nobody taking things from him and if they tried, they’d easily burn a muzzle or more. Rarely any humans had tried to take anything from him, petty thieves quickly realising that he was not to be stolen from and word travelled quickly in bigger cities.

Once he was done, he too threw the leftovers into the fire and sat back on the ground to relax for a bit, supporting his weight with his two arms. The ground was not soft enough to remain in this position for a long time but it would do for a few minutes, just so the food could settle.

“Well then,” Del’ure said, but nothing more. He felt like yesterday morning all over again. And then yesterday afternoon. It was weird.

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Thu Jan 19, 2012 6:54 am

She looked to him and wanted to plant kisses on his cheeks and lips, run her hands down his chest and tell him how good she could be. However, she'd ruined any chances at being some kind of wild princess during their first encounter. Not only that, but she thought the whole idea rather absurd. She was in no way attracted to him beyond the physical. His deeds did not affect her.

They didn't.

She laid down next to him, pillowed her head on her arms.

"I don't know why you're sticking around. I'm not the best company" she pointed out.

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Thu Jan 19, 2012 9:17 am

Del’ure laughed softly, the sound more a rumble deep down in his throat rather than a full-out laugh. “You might not be the best company for some people,” he admitted with a grin, “but being around you is definitely entertaining, at least for me.”

As he looked down upon her, he wondered why she was almost trying to delay his departure, even though she had been so keen on getting rid of him just a day earlier and wasn’t really intent on having others around her; her way of life seemed to state that clearly enough. Even the dog didn’t seem to mind him all that much anymore – it probably got over the fact that he smelt different.

“You know, Bishop,” the demon sighed. “It’s not just all about company for the sake of company. It’s about feeling comfortable in your own skin with the beings you’re surrounding yourself with. For some that means blending in and being like everyone else, for others it merely means to do their own thing, even if it means being an outcast, sort of.”

He was speaking far more from the heart here than he had ever admitted so far. He himself was one of those blending in a lot of the time, even though he had self-esteem and confidence enough to still be true to himself, and did whatever pleased him, whether the rest of the population liked it or not. Yet, the fact remained that he was hiding amongst humans rather than being amongst demons.

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Fri Jan 20, 2012 12:51 am

She refrained from snorting. She'd gathered that he didn't like what he said being mocked so openly. Still, she could not take his words in any kind of faith, even if he meant them. "You're a demon, Del, but you are still so naive" she said and rolled on her side, propping her head in a hand, the other resting against her hip. "People will hate you or love you, and it all has to do with what you can do for them or what you have done to them. They will hate you because you are different, they will hate you because they do not understand you. They will love you if you bleed yourself away and become what they want you to be, they will love you if you never think about yourself or your needs. People are selfish, stupid, hateful and pack animals. Pack animals are never to be trusted, they always follow the mightiest, and not often are the mightiest the best" she said and patted his knee.

"So I think I'll stay out here and you're welcome to keep me company if you think I am so amusing".

That was as much an invitation he was going to get.

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Fri Jan 20, 2012 8:29 am

Del’ure frowned a little, wondering in which place he had stated that people would not hate you for doing what you pleased, but he decided to let it go. He was in no mood to argue opinions and words since it was clear that Bishop was quite unwilling to waver from her made-up mind. She was fixed in her ways and he couldn’t blame her, what with all she had been through and kept being put through time after time.

“Thanks for the offer,” Del’ure said honestly, as he caught Bishop’s hand on his knee and held it for a few heartbeats, “but it’s time for me to get going. I have things to do and people to see and I’m already late for an overdue appointment.” It was with regret that he realised he really did have to go because otherwise he would be running out of time. Delays were not uncommon for Del’ure but even he could get into trouble for overdoing it. It was not that he cared for what the human might think of wanting to do to him, but rather what he would have to do in order to stop the human from doing such.

“It was a pleasure,” Del’ure smiled. “And I mean that,” he added, just to make sure that Bishop wouldn’t wave his words off again. Leaning down to the woman briefly to plant a kiss on her cheek, the demon then got up off his butt relatively quickly and with a wave good-bye he made his way out of the cave. “Until next time,” he called out as he made his way to the path and down and away. For now. But not for always.

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Fri Jan 20, 2012 4:20 pm

She was hurt, briefly. Then angry. Then hurt again.

The good ones always leave.

Because the good ones had places to be away from her.

She curled up into a ball and felt like her father had died all over again, but only for a few moments. Her face was hot and there was a lump in her throat when she got up to don her hunting gear. She had lived without the demon, she could survive after him. He was not her whole world and come tomorrow, he would mean nothing to her. No one helped Bishop, not for long anyway.

She got to the cave mouth and looked back. Her dog took the hint and trotted forward, pushed his snout into her hand and she pet him.

"Let us hunt, Dog... we've run out of deer".

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Fri Jan 20, 2012 7:16 pm

Dashing around yet another corner, Del’ure cursed the fact that he had been outsmarted by a petty little thief, who really should have known better, and the cunning little bastard seemed to know very well that he should stay out of sight of Del’ure as much as possible if he wanted to survive this. It was his own luck that the city was a labyrinth of winding little streets, houses and corners, the only reason basically why he was still alive.

The demon was pissed and he was not one to play with when he was pissed. The fire in his eyes was burning and he could feel the itch in both his hands but the thief was just too good, soon running off with every single bit of his purchases. Until a couple of days later, the demon found the hole he was usually hiding in...

As the memory slipped back into his mind while Del’ure was walking the way back to the waterfall where he had left a rather interesting woman behind a couple of weeks ago – it definitely had not been this cold yet – the demon hissed in annoyance. It had cost him quite a few days to find the little thief again, but he had paid dearly for his theft and would not be doing it again. Ever.

Once the demon stepped out of the tree line, like so many weeks before, and took in the beautiful sight of the waterfall behind which there was a hidden cave, he sighed. It almost felt good to be back, it was indeed a very nice place. Only, he wasn’t quite sure how well he would be received, even if he did bring a few provisions so Bishop wouldn’t have to steal so many.

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Fri Jan 20, 2012 7:26 pm

Normally Bishop didn't linger in one place for very long. It was against her policy to remain in one hidey-hole, but she hadn't gone raiding as much as before. She'd gone hunting more, and traded for salt at nearby villages. It could have been her fondness for this cave. In it, she truly felt home, with her own little curtain. Of course, it was getting cold now, and she had to leave. The waterfall was not warming her cave, rather stealing the warmth from it. Sure it was a good place to store meat, but not a good place to reside any more.

Hopefully she'd come back to it some day, rotating her places of residence.

She was all packed up and edging down the trail.

Her dog ranged out ahead of her and her bird took off in flight. She turned back and looked at her waterfall, and sighed.

What was wrong with her. Dens were just dens. She turned and made her way into the brush, deciding to find something with a door, maybe an ancient barrow or something. The snows were coming.

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Fri Jan 20, 2012 7:52 pm

When Del’ure entered the cave, he noticed that it had been cleared out and he dropped the provisions he was carrying in a larger sack over the back in frustration. All this for nothing. Grunting in disappointment and a bit in annoyance, the demon sat down to rest for a while before he would see if he could find any tracks and then make a decision on what to do next.

He almost dozed off while sitting in the cave and waiting for inspiration to come to him. He didn’t quite know why but the motivation to come back here had been driving him for quite a while and then finding the cave empty had taken all the oomph out of him all of a sudden. Well maybe he did know why but didn’t want to admit it to himself.

Either way, the struggle in deciding what he was thinking and not really wanting to figure it out was enough to get the demon back onto his feet and swiftly moving out of the cave again. The path had been used quite a lot and it told the demon that Bishop hadn’t moved away too long ago from the tracks on the path. Maybe he could somehow catch up with her? If he managed to figure out which direction she had gone into.

However, there were tracks in quite many directions but he seemed to have found the most recent one, so he decided to just follow it on hit and miss. Maybe it was the right one, if not... well, he could always come back and try a different route.

Subject: Re: Height of the Hunt (Eldar & Nen) Fri Jan 20, 2012 7:57 pm

The trouble with snow was the tracks, and her dog had made long wandering ones, but hers were fairly easy to follow. She figured that next morning's snow would cover them up, and hadn't expected to be followed. No one came around her waterfall, especially not in the winter. She was setting up her new home, a barrow with a low ceiling and a functional door when she felt like she was being watched. She stopped what she was doing, going stock still and listened.

The dog had found Del'ure and bumped against his legs. A sort of 'hey I remember you!' kind of thing more than a 'we're friends'.

Her dog wasn't barking, or attacking, so...

No.

It wasn't.

"Dog!" she called, even as she nocked an arrow to her bow. She'd feather the asshole that tried to get the drop on her, that was sure.

» Hunt at the Lake (For Intan and Eithne)
» }-Aero {Head Hunt} Echo-{
» *~Demon Hunt~* (Ghost X Eldarwen)
» The Altar of Stars (Alex X Eldar)
» A Hunt Begins-Destination looming-Fate sealed-