|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 10:40 pm
"Augh..."
The soft choked moan escaped the parted lips of the black-haired figure. A muttered escaped afterwards he tried to open one eye, being blinded by the pain of his head and the blinding moonlight. Deciding to roll over, the human groaned and did so, instantly regretting as his world spun without end. His pupil dilated, but it was impossible to tell as it blended into his the ebony iris. Another whispered of hate towards whatever very solid object hit his poor head, he slowly manage to get on all four. His eye focus slightly until he manage to see his hand, the long sleeves of his green patched up shirt. One of his hands disappeared from his view as he rose it up to his head and touched it. He hissed softly at the pain that shot from the spot and but glad to feel that there was no blood or fracture.
A pathetic chuckle escaped him at that last thought. Fracture. If he had split his head open, he did not think he would be able to think from the pain, let alone be on his knees. He manage to throw himself back so he would be sitting on his rear. Sound began to come back and he could hear his dog barking at something. He muttered her name, but he was sure the medium-size dog would not hear him, let alone do as told and come back. He looked at the sky again and smiled, as his senses began to come out of their daze.
Sullivan sat there, unaware of anything at all but his dog barking somewhere. In his green patch-up shirt, his brown pants. With a bag of herbs still sling across his chest, arrows and a bow. A patch over his right eye and the majority of his right side of his face, covering up the missing eye and the scarred tissue. Sullivan, a very fitting name when he was a child, and somewhat now, as it means little black eyes. He still have one, at least, he supposed.
He was in the middle of the woods, somewhere near where the gargoyles usually were spotted. He was glad that he knew at least some, and was in friendly terms with at least one, even thought he would rather not be....at least not with THAT one.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 11:14 pm
Devi slipped through the forest, as swiftly and silently as she could manage. She'd discarded the normal light green dress that she wore during the day, at the village, with those people who had no idea what she did for a living. Their ignorance was good, for more than one reason. A rope around her neck for stealing was not something she wanted. And the other reason was... Somewhere? Behind her, following her scent. When Devi had thought about trained Sutien to hunt, this wasn't what she'd had in mind. It worked, though, training the gargoyle beast not to jump over logs and land Devi into trouble.
So, Devi stole through the forest in the middle of the night, trying to see how long it would take the pup to catch up. Hopefully not too long. The further she went, the more likely it would be that she'd run into a gargoyle. Something she tried to avoid at all costs. She stopped a minute, pulling down the black scarf she'd wrapped around her mouth to keep Sutien from hearing her breath. It worked by keeping her from breathing. It helped, though. She was already an hour into this exercise. Maybe the pup had given up chase already. Shaking her head, she let the scarf hang around her throat. It was more like Devi was training her to track bandits or something. She was in a pair of deep brown breeches. They snug, a bit too much for her tastes. But she snatched them from a store that morning, to help confuse scents. She hadn't known the were child sized. The shirt wasn't hers either. It might have been a mans, given the size. She'd tied it close to her, though, so it didn't catch on stray branches. The boots were hers though. She wasn't about to run through this forest in someone else's shoes.
There was a dog barking. A really dog. It probably had fur and everything. Devi slowed down, pulling up the scarf again. If there was anyone out there, they wouldn't be able to recognize her in the dark, with half her face covered and her hair pulled back tight to her head. She debated running her back trail, finding Sutien, and getting out of there. But there was no way that she could find the pup in the dark.
Creeping forward, now, she stopped at a break in the trees, looking before she leaped, so to speak. There was a man. Sitting on the ground. Devi stared for a moment. People didn't come out here, especially not at night. Gargoyles and all. What was a human doing there?
Devi took a step closer to him. He looked dazed. And armed. Devi had one little hunting knife. Not much good against an arrow. But he looked like he needed help. Maybe. With one glance back into the protection of the forest, she moved toward him. "Hello?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 2:04 pm
The dog cease her barking, tilting her head to the side as her floppy ears perked up with high interest of this new human. She open her breaded muzzle and panted happily as her stump of a tail wagged, making her rear shake. Roesy got up onto her long legs and bounced about before running back towards Sullivan.
The human's eye flashed dangerously, in a blink of the other's eyes, he already had his bow out and an arrow taunting the string as he made a point to aim it at her. His normally steady hands tremble as they twitch in desperation to understand the signals from his still hurting head. Even slow process, he identified this to be a human, a woman by voice, but by clothes, he would had had a harder time guessing. "Hello." He saluted back, lowering his bow just slightly.
Roesy barked at the woman as she sat by her master, wondering exactly what was going on. Humans were good, right? right? She panted and nuzzled Sullivan's cheek, checking his injuries. Her human was hurt, but still moving. Good, good. Her ears perked up again when her human spoke.
"What is a woman doing in this woods?" He rose slowly to his feet, hissing in pain as his world spun for a moment, but his black eye refocus on the woman to keep him from getting dizzy. He wonder exactly what hit him, daring to look about, he saw nothing in particular. Mentally he shook his head and focus back on the other human.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 4:49 pm
Devi stood for a moment, just cursing silently in her head. She just had to get involved. And was going to get herself shot. She could throw the knife and make a dash for the woods but, even one eyed, the man probably was a good shot and, with her aim, she'd hit his dog. She took a deep breath, though, raising her hands a little in the air to show she didn't have anything in them, at least.
She watched him waver, though. "Currently, standing here, wondering why I bothered speaking up in the first place since you seem fine enough to stand and threaten." Devi smiled before remembering about the scarf. Well, she supposed she didn't look too suspicious. All she needed was a blood stained blade or a bag of stolen jewelry to complete the image. "And this isn't really what it looks like. I'm not a bandit or affiliated with them. I have a perfectly good reason for being out here in the middle of the woods in clothing that isn't mine and I tend to ramble when my life is threatened, so would you..." She twitched her hands toward the bow, forcing her mouth shut. Threatened by humans, anyway. She'd gotten over that problem in the presence of a gargoyle.
Speaking off the stone creatures, Devi looked back over her shoulder. Was her pup going to come crashing through that foliage? The man seemed to be jumpy enough to shoot. Time to see how well the pup had learned. Devi whistled once, high, once low. Find me and don't be seen.
Turning back to the man, she silently berated herself again, thinking about how that must have looked.
Sutien paused when she heard her human's whistle. She wasn't far behind then. The pup picked up her pace, still moving quietly through the underbrush. Now, the double whistle meant something. Her human was teaching her all sorts of new and interesting things, playing all sorts of new and interesting games. This was only one of them, the hunt and seek game. Her human had gotten better, hiding her scent and moving quietly. Still, Sutien would catch up eventually. But if it was a speed test, then she'd done poorly.
Shaking her head, she moved up to the edge of the clearing before remembering what the message meant. Find me and don't be seen. Blank eyes looked out on the scene, on her human with a bow trained on her. Sutien stifled a growl. The other human was threatening. Why did her human want her to stay hidden?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 5:20 pm
"I am always fine enough to stand and threaten." Sullivan snark back as he kept close watch on the woman now. His eye narrow ever so slightly as he heard the whistle, wondering what she was calling out. " 'And this isn't really what it looks like'..." He repeated mockingly as answer. Listening closely to the air around them, he didn't truly detected anything. He clicked his tongue twice. His dog's head looked his way, fully attend on him. Three more clicks of his tongue and the breaded dog started to sniff around. Slowly, he lowered his bow, but kept it taunt as his single black eye kept narrow. "Explain yourself, woman. What would cause you to come to this woods in such ridicules outfit? Its an insult to even compare it to a bandits..."
Roesy's nose twitched, ears perked up. Search. Search. What was she searching for? Another human? Her human was teaching her to search for pretty but disgusting tasting plants after he taught her to search for prey like rabbits and fowl. She like chasing rabbits where her human could shoot them. She liked rabbit meat. Ooooh! What's that? Rosey's nose picked up on an accent she never smelled before. She began to bark and wag her rear. Running back to her human, she barked and ran back to the spot where she was getting the scent from. She was told to search, not hunt. Just search. So she didn't dive into the bush, as much as she wanted to.
"Hmmm....Who did you called out, woman? Some friend of yours?" He didn't point that arrow back at her or towards the bush, but it was obvious he wouldn't hesitate to put an arrow through either if they made the wrong move.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 5:52 pm
Devi flushed underneath her scarf. Of course she had to run into someone while wearing this. She wasn't vain, as a general rule, but damn. It wasn't fair. She tugged the scarf off, dropping it down on the ground. That was better. At least she could breathe, now. "First, it's Devi, not woman. And as to the clothes..." She looked down at herself and flushed again. It really looked bad in the bright light of the full moon. "It's a training exercise. For my dog. I'm teaching her to hunt and track and will you get your dog away from the bushes before mine decides she want to play?" Devi half turned to look at the furry. Dogs were something that her pup hadn't encountered before. She wasn't sure what Sutien would do.
Sutien looked through the brush, having no trouble seeing the furry thing that ran back and forth between her and the other human. It barked and wagged it's tail and was something like her. Sutien wagged her tail too. Maybe the furry thing was going to be a new friend.
The pup looked past the furry thing at her human, who was still just standing there, talking at the other human. At least she wasn't being overtly threatened any longer. Maybe she could come out soon and meet the furry thing.
Devi frowned at the dog, wishing she could see her stone beasty. "And I called out for my pup. I have enough pride not to let myself be seen like this by my friends." Or by anyone, but that obviously wasn't up to her. "And I was just trying to help you, before you ask what I was doing in this particular clearing, at this exact second. Oh, in case you are going to ask what I am thinking, too. I was wondering if I could get across the clearing to hurt you before you stuck an arrow in me." She bit down on her tongue, hard. Embarrassment did not sit well with her. Devi folded her arms across her chest, glaring at the man.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 7:00 pm
"What would be wrong with letting a pup play?" He gave a light smirk before knitting his brows together. "....Who the hell trains their dog at night....this deep in the forest? Are you trying to meet a gargoyle?"
He laughed softly. "I hardly doubt it, 'Devi'. I might have only one eye left, but I assure you I can shoot you before you make it even a step closer to me." He gave a good heart smile. "By the time you get to me, you'll have a nice plumage of arrows all over your chest."
Roesy gave playful bow, wagging her rear to the air as she faced the bush, barking and panting. Pup? That was another dog? Really? Yay!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 7:13 pm
"Why do you think I haven't moved?" Devi rolled her eyes. Did he think she was stupid? Well, taking in her clothing choices, he probably did. Devi resisted the urge to tug the shirt down. It came almost to her knees when it wasn't tied and would hide just how tight those pants really were. She settled for glaring across at the reason she was uncomfortable.
Devi twitched at the mention of a gargoyle. A current reaction to worrying about the pup still hidden in the bushes. Where she had to stay. Who knows what this human would do if he saw her. He was already bow-happy. Even with the smiles, she couldn't let him see. "And I could ask you most of the same questions. What are you doing out in gargoyle land with, from what I saw, a knot the size of an egg on the back of your head?"
Sutien looked at her human then at the fuzzy thing. Surely it couldn't hurt. She jumped the last few feet into the clearing, landing next to the fuzzy thing, tongue lolling out in a doggy grin.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 3:12 pm
"I got hit on the head with something, its nothing that won't go down in a day or two." He answer in half mutters. "As for what I am doing here, there is certain herbs that can only be found here and..." He pointed towards the moon with his head. "There is a certain flower I am looking for that only blooms in nights like these."
Roesy gave a light yelp as she leaped back. Brown eyes wide for a moment as she stepped forward and sniffed this creature. It was like her, but at the same time, it wasn't. This was so strange.
Sullivan's eye widen slightly, but he didn't shoot as he stared at his dog and this creature. "...." His black eye moved back on Devi. "....That's certainly a peculiar pup you got there." He could only assume this was the 'puppy' she had been talking about.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 6:15 pm
Devi's face was probably priceless, a mix of fear, anger, disappointment, anxiety. The thief took a deep, deep breath, clearing her expression. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to find her inner peace. Blue eyes opened slowly, giving every appearance of tranquility. Just because she was upset didn't mean she had to show it. "Thank you. She is a peculiar puppy. I've learned a lot." She smiled, then whistled for Sutien.
The gargoyle pup sniffed the fuzzy thing, wagging her tail. It tore through the underbrush behind her, not that she noticed. Then her human whistled, distracting her. She tilted her head, looking toward the humans. Nothing had changed between them, but her human seemed more stressed. Sutien shrugged it off as a human thing and with a affectionate nuzzle to the fuzzy thing, she trotted off to her human. The fur had tickled her nose, making her sneeze.
Devi put her hand on Sutien's head. "So are you a herbalist? A healer? Most people wouldn't go to all that trouble for a flower. At least, not without a little protection."
Sutien, frowning up at her human, turned back to other. Devi was only going to talk, and not even it her! There as no point in sitting there like a statue. She did enough of that during the day. She bounded back to the fuzzy thing. Maybe it'd play?
Devi's finger trailed in the air after Sutien went back to play with the other dog. The other human didn't seem to perturbed over the peculiar pup. Which set up a whole ream of questions. None of which she could really ask. Resisting the urge to sigh, she smiled. Always best to smile. "Do you know what hit you?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 7:29 pm
The man knew that he probably did not seem quiet normal if he was not running around in fear or shooting at the beast pup, but unless Devi ask, he saw no reason to answer any particular question. "I can only image what she has taught you."
Roesy barked and sat down, watching the beast pup go up to her mistress. Her rear still wagged slightly, she looked towards her own master, half expecting to be called, but she wasn't.
"I am a healer." His eyebrow raised. "Indeed, I suppose most wouldn't brave this lands at night without some protection. I wouldn't say whenever I do or not have any."
Roesy got back up to her feet and panted. Yay, the other was coming back! Will she play? The dog was already leaping slightly in excitement.
"No idea, absolutely none, all I know it was quiet hard, but at least it didn't kill me." He gave somewhat of a goofy smile then. He bind his bow and let the arrow and bow fall to their designated hand, he saw no danger in particular if the beast dog was so impatient that she didn't want to sit still, well..chances were, she didn't know an 'attack' command. Even then, he knew his arrows were probably not capable of much damage to the beast.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2009 3:39 pm
Devi relaxed as the man lowered his bow. He wasn't going to shoot at Sutien, then. She lowered her hands back to her side, nearer to the hilt of her hunting knife, but like he'd said, she wouldn't be able to get across the clearing without being stuck full of his arrows. This whole situation was really making her want to learn how to shoot a bow. Maybe she'd do that during the day but bows were bulky and announced your intention to harm too quickly. Maybe throwing knives.
"A healer with a missing eye." Devi shrugged. "Well, I guess it takes all sorts." She reached up, pulling the tie from her hair. It was giving her a headache. Her hair fell in waves around her face. "And as to your protection, or lack there of, it obviously wasn't enough to keep someone, or something, from sneaking up behind you and knocking you cold." She ran her fingers through her hair, fluffing it out a bit.
"Next time you probably won't be as lucky. You'll be dead on the ground." There were only so many times you could avoid it.
Sutien bounded, a low, playful growl echoing out of her throat. She never got to rough play with her human. She would always slip away cause she couldn't handle getting hit with pounds of rambunctious gargoyle pup. Sutien gave a bark of warning and pounced toward the fuzzy thing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 5:44 pm
Rolling his eye at her jest, he gave a huff. He had heard all of them by now and this was no news to him. "I am not blind, and even a blind man could be a healer if he knows what he is doing. Do not go running off your mouth, I know enough of these woods that I can take care of myself. My blind spot does make me helpless, so watch your mouth, woman." He bit, his temper rising as he dislike to be thought weak. "You were incapable of doing so and I was as dazed as a drunk. So please, do me the favor of shutting up about something you do know nothing of."
Roesy gave another playful bow along with a growl, quiet happy to play. She jumped out of the way of the pounce and bound back to the stone pup for a pounce of her own, but a whistle interrupted her, she stilled herself, floppy ears perked up and eyes came to attention to her human. Yes? What is it? She was playing!
"We did not came here to play, Roesy, lets go." He growled out and began walking away from the clearing.
The dog whined but began to follow.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 6:26 pm
Devi just blinked, mouth falling open. What had she said? Just stating the facts. It hadn't been personal. This is what she got for trying to help. Now she looked like the bad guy. It wasn't her fault he was so sensitive about his eye, or the fact that she had implied that he couldn't take care of himself because of it. But it hadn't been what she'd meant.
"I didn't-- That's not--" Devi took a deep breath. Maybe she should have spent more time around people, learning to not shove her foot in her mouth, then she wouldn't have to apologize. And why should she apologize to the stupid, oversensitive MAN?
"You know, I was just trying to say that you should be more careful, you bloody fool. It had nothing to do with the fact you have one eye because if I had thought that you weren't a threat with that bow due to it, would I have been standing here like an idiot? No one can cheat death forever. That was the whole point, which you missed."
Sutien whined when the fuzzy thing started to leave. She wasn't done playing yet. The pup moved over to her human, nosing her hand and cutting of yet another tirade of words. The human looked down at her. Sutien whined again, looking after the male who was leaving and taking her new friend with him. Her human could stop him. She knew how.
"I'm sorry." Devi was still looking at her pup, but it was directed the man. "I didn't mean to imply that you were weak or handicapped or whatever you bloody thought I was saying." She kept her eyes on the dog, the man half hidden by her hair. If she looked at him, she'd probably pick up one of the rocks and throw it at him. "It wasn't what I meant. I'm sorry."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 6:54 pm
Sullivan did not stop walking. "I never said I could cheat death." He muttered in anger. "And be it as it may, I did not here for doggie play date. I risk my neck here to search for something. So, if you excuse me." He had turned to face her, still looking quiet put off.
Roesy whined softly, not liking the tone her human was taking as she rubbed against his leg.
The human turned about, back to the trail he had choice when he came face to face with bouquet of the moon flowers he had been looking for. Their soft white petals glowing under the moonlight, tinted at the ends with a midnight blue. A crimson red clawed hand wrapped at the stems of the bouquet. Sullivan growled and took the flowers, his eye glaring at the red gargoyle moving out from behind the tree, a wide smile painted on its face. "Desmond..."
"Awww, you remembered my name." The gargoyle let out a chuckle. "Don't you think you are being a bit rude to the female?"
"This does not involve you."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
