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 Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 3:24 pm
Quite close to the Great Western Open, at the edge of Noctua, there stands a chestnut tree so ancient and hollow that it might as well be fossilized. This sturdy old giant has withstood many a storm and it doesn't look about to give in to this one. It does seem to be inhabited, but luckily there is a hollow in a higher place where a few sentinels could squeeze in without risking to intrude into the unknown sentinel's home (well, except for being on his or her territory, but there's not a lot that can be done about that, at this point).
The hollow is small and not entirely dry, but at least it protects against the wind.
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Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 6:21 pm
Is this what fear felt like - a wracking, prickling sweep of nerves, washing in and out like the rain itself? Was she so scared that she could hardly feel it anymore, was only aware of it because of the way her body tensed like a ball of crushed springs? Stonecast maneuvered through the needle-like rain, twisted past the dislodged sprigs, nothing pervading her mind except safe, safe, safe, safe. This was fear: working on autopilot.
When the hunter spied the outline of a tree looming before her like a great beast in the mists, she felt her heart soar into her throat. Her wings swept upwards and clutched them close, and though her body was slick and heavy with rain, she sped towards an outreached branch and landed with an unsettling crack! Stonecast ignored the shock of her abrupt fall and made a bee-line for the hole where she squeezed in.
The Shadow didn't need to shake out to cast the water from her feathers: a mixture of fear and cold did that for her. Gathering her wits, the young hunter made blind rounds of the shelter before pressing towards the back, where she simply stood. She wanted to sit, her body ached to sit, but her strained nerves made her flighty. Everything and nothing.
Where was First? The Waral was stubborn enough to find shelter for himself, probably something sturdier than this one (though how that was possible...). Various faces passed through her mind's eye, but Stonecast could not dwell on them for long. For a Sentinel that had been more used to solitude than most, she suddenly yearned for companionship. She did not want to be alone, not here, not now.
Bright eyes peered out into the storm and hoped.
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Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 11:37 am
Agro was hating herself at this point. She hated herself for taking the risk of coming out this far, she hated herself for losing what would have been one of the most perfect skulls in her collection, but most of all, she hated herself for putting Mørk in this situation.
She was holding him tightly by the scruff of his neck while he clinged to her so he wouldnt get swept off by the growing winds. He was young and a good flyer, but she was afraid this could be too much for him; then she spotted it.
Not too far in the distance was a large, albeit incredibly old, tree. She flew fast towards it and landed near what would make a good entrance, but as she neared it, she noticed that it was not as abandoned as she had hoped. Not willing to put Mørk in further danger, she left and circled the tree a few good times until she spotted a second entrance. This one seemed to be occupied as well, and unfortunatly it was small. Well, she could handle small, but first to see about this occupant.
She walked up to the hole which reminded her of the one in her tree except it didn't open into a spacious 'shrine' like hers did.
"Looks like we could be here for sometime. I hope the neighbors don't mind." that thought made her worry.
"Mørk, listen to me. If anything happens, I want you to fly as fast as you can and find another shelter. Do you remember the way back home?"
He nodded.
"If any thing happens, find shelter, then once it passes head back home. I will meet you there."
He agreed and pressed closer to her on the verge of slipping into a deep sleep.
She edged near the hole and asked in a commanding voice,
"Who is in there? Show yourself to me!"
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Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 8:54 pm
The force of the newcomer's voice snapped Stonecast from her stupor. Her head swiveled towards the entrance of the shelter, eyes widening in the gloom and her feathers slowly rising as she instantaneously assumed a defensive position. The roar of the Thunderbird above swallowed anything she may have said in that moment, and a finger of lightning tore through the paper-thin sky. For a moment the entire hollow was illuminated, though the arrival was cast in complete shadow. This sent a ripple of doubt through the young hunter.
She edged out cautiously from the dark, the shadows unraveling from around her as she neared. Her position relaxed, but her wings remained outstretched.
"I...am Stonecast, a hunter of Noctua. Have you come to seek refuge from the storm or cause one yourself?" The skies grumbled its discontent. The Shadow was unaccustomed to most formalities and did not drop her guard though her mind quailed for her to do so. The tempest had put her on edge, and the edges were sharp.
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Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 7:05 am
In the darkness of the large dwelling right under the feet of the two sentinels, something stirred slightly and cold, un-sentinel-like eyes stared unblinking at the slightly brighter shape of the entrance. It had been aware of the intruder above for quite a while, but this new one had come so close as to almost enter. Sure, the second intruder had left, but only briefly.
The creature in the darkness felt rather than heard the two heavy birds scuffle about in the higher parts of the tree, as their every movement more or less reverberated through the hollow old tree, and it was getting quite annoyed at their presence. Another blinding flash briefly lit up the large hollow and made the lurking creature flinch and the following rumble somehow seemed to echo through the room, only further agitating the hidden inhabitant.
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Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 7:17 am
Agro eased up some upon hearing that it was more of a friend that a foe that she had encountered. Easing the tension in her wings and body, she moved closer to the entrance sticking her head in.
"Agrowind, also a hunter of Noctua." She looked down at mørk.
"Yes, we are looking for shelter. We should hope to stay here. That is, if you have no objections.
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Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 8:55 am
The tension was let out with a heaving sigh, replaced instead with hurry. Stonecast retreated once more, giving Agrowind room to enter the hollow. She stared down at the almost indiscernible figure of the other's companion and felt another sweep of concern reach out for her own petulant Waral somewhere out there braving the squall; her brow dimpled.
"Of course not," she said shortly. "I apologize. The storm - it" - a fleeting smile swallowed her words, a crash of thunder ate her voice; she flinched - "is disconcerting."
And terrifying, absolutely terrifying.
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Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 5:11 pm
Agro thanked her and nudged the Chirop through the hole before she herself followed.
"There is nothing to apologize for. I don't blame you for defending your territory." she said assuming that she had come upon the Sentinels home.
Mørk moved back up against her and proceeded to dry himself off. She followed his example and began preening her feathers.
"Some weather." she said forcing herself into small talk.
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Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 11:28 pm
"It's not mine."
Her response was instantaneous, automatic, and she couldn't help but feel absolutely silly for even saying anything. Hadn't she been hoping for company? Now that she had it, Stonecast was feeling decidedly awkward, unable to figure out what she was supposed to do with the newly acquired companionship. Her talon clicked against the hollow in a nervous shuffle, so to keep from making a fool of herself she settled in a damp heap and preened - with jerky movements - at her feathers. You could liken her way to plucking another bald.
"Indeed," she intoned. She nibbled at her feathers and listened to the quiet that settled like the heavy, hanging sky outside. Stonecast rose again and began to pace the cozy shelter, oblivious to the goings-on beneath their feet.
"Is he all right?" she finally said in order to break the silence. She motioned to the Chirop and beat away any notions she had of him being a delicious snack.
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Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:23 am
Shuffle shuffle, mumble mumble, shuffle shuffle... and the neverending roar and tremble of the storm all around. The creature hidden within the large hollow decided that enough was enough, already, and began to move. Its Master was away, caught somewhere out there in this terrible, noisy storm, and the nest needed to be kept safe until he could return. Because he would return.
But he was not here now, and consequently there was nothing to prevent the lurker from driving these bothersome intruders away - by whatever means neccessary.
An impossibly long, completely featherless body slipped out into the rain through a hole on the lee side of the tree - which was far too small to allow any sentinel but the youngest of fledglings through - and begun to slowly ascend the ancient trunk. The only noise it made was a soft, insistent scraping sound that was almost, but not quite, lost in the howling wind.
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Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 9:18 pm
"He'll be fine." Agro informed her nodding to Mørk, who confirmed this with a shy nod of his own.
She Lied down and preened more as Mørk flitted to the ceiling (which wasn't much of a flight) and settled down.
"I sure hope the weather breaks soon. I have so much that needs to be done. So much with just so little time."
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Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 9:54 am
Stonecast nodded, mute as always. The rain did nothing for her as a hunter except make her cache damp, and she wondered if any of it would be good after the storm had abated. Perhaps that was where First was hiding out, keeping a greedy eye on their scarce mound of dead; or eating it, possibly. The Shadow groaned. That's just what she needed: Waral-nibbled foodstuffs.
"I'm sure it will," she smiled. It was an odd feat, as though she was not used to doing it much. The hope in her voice was muffled, fledgling-like - all questions that waited reassurance. She said nothing more on the subject, contenting herself instead with the sound of the storm.
Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch...
Stonecast scraped her beak against her feathers.
Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch, scrtch...
She paused and looked up. Her shelter-mate's companion wasn't moving.
The young Shadow strained against the cacophony of the storm. She could hear something, something that did not sound like rain or wind or thunder, not even Sentinel like. Sentinels didn't...it was faint, barely there...drag themselves?
Her head slowly lifted, "Do you hear that?"
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Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 7:49 pm
Agro nodded silently, and without a word stood.
Facing the entrance, she quietly inched her way back to the far wall. If something was indeed coming, and if it did indeed pose a threat, she would want to be in as best a position that she could to either fight or defend.
She looked over to Stonecast.
"Stonecast." she whispered under the storm.
"Be ready for anything."
As was her nature, despite the fact that she was younger than Stone, she immediately took to trying to dominate the situation.
Mørk was growing increasingly nervous. He pulled himself up and pressed flat against the ceiling making sure to remain silent.
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Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 11:26 am
Stonecast lifted herself in silence, mind and body again working on autopilot, but this time it was not because of fear. A hunter's talons sank into the base of the shelter, steadying her footing for what may come. Ducking forward, her eyes bore through the quasi-dark in hopes of catching this thing against the gloom. She could only wonder now, anticipate its arrival onto the threshold of their hollow. The storm was forgotten in lieu of this temporary excitement.
Her wings curled open loosely at her sides.
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