|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 5:31 pm
Myst's dark eyes rested on his frame as he spoke, her tail flicking idly. She took in everything he said, the meat and the beauty of their surroundings for that matter far from her mind. Her eyes were glued to his. For once she could find them.
When he went quiet, she was sure he was going to turn her down, but something in her mind told her not to give up just yet. A little voice spoke to her saying that he was trying to figure it out...it would change both of their lives forever. Was she willing to go through that?
She couldn't help but smile at his joke. Well her whole life wouldn't be so bad. At least she would have a friend. Flicking her ears, she took in a deep breath. "I'll give you 220%. I swear by the time you're done with me, you're gonna be taking lessons." A small smirk crossed her maw. "I'll make you proud. You won't regret this, Ninja. The only way I leave is if I make a mistake, and a fatal wound brings me down." Myst gave a bow to him before the playful tone came back. "Besides, you just love the thought of being stuck with pretty, ol' me for the rest of your days so the last part won't ever happen." A toothy smirk planted itself on her mouth before she looked up to the sky.
"These are the times when I want to soar up there forever...it's gorgeous...it's like a different painting every dusk and dawn.." Her words were drawled out as she yawned. The activities of the night was catching up to her, and she was getting drowsy. Her ears constantly flicked around her head before they rested against her skull. The boar meat filled her considerably, and she was feeling rather tired and lazy. "I think I'se gonna go to bed...you can join me if you want or continue to pig out on the pig." Myst gave him a wink through her shades before looking around for a stable tree. "Mrr..."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 2:55 pm
Altair only smiled slightly as she talked fast with excitement. He felt that perhaps this would be a good change in his life. After all, company would soon permit competition and he was always eager for some competition. Maybe once she became his prized pupil would he have someone equal to him in ability and skill. But for now, he would take everything a step at a time or slower than that if need be. This could be the perfect opportunity to test his patience but he knew that his new friendship might soon be worth all the wait.
After hearing the part about being 'stuck' for the rest of his days, the male gave a playful scoff. She would definitely fill the atmosphere with energy, that's for sure. His blue orbs followed hers to the sky as he turned to sit at a comfortable position before truly taking in her words and the sight before him. Altair grew somewhat lost once more and barely caught her words about heading in to sleep. He would wait until the beauty before him became nothing but an average sky.
His head nodded in response before he shot a quick glance to see her form nearing the tree line, more than likely to find a good spot to rest. A yawn escaped his maw as he forced his body to get up and follow after her. As she looked for her spot, he felt himself slip into his guarded stage, his ears alert for any sounds so as not to seem vulnerable. He only hoped the female was as alert as him since a predator asleep and/or unguarded left room for other predatory animals to attack them at their weakest. As his blue orbs drifted over a rather thick tree, he quickly climbed the bark of it and allowed himself to lie on the second to lowest thickest branch. He looked down to see if the female had found her spot before laying down. His eyes shut but he listened out for the other until the forest would become still, then and only then would he find peace in sleep.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 4:44 pm
Watched him for a moment before she attempted to climb her own tree. Claws dug into the bark more than necessary as she massacred half the trunk on her way up. It was sturdy at the base, but the branches weren't the same story. With a bit of a huff, she picked a tangled mass to rest her weary body upon, wings close to her frame as to not tear them. There were a few cracks, but it seemed to hold her weight.
Myst looked to the sky, a drowsy daze upon her face. Funny how the new dawn brought a new chapter in her life and the first sentence would be sleep. So she was lazy. With a yawn, she looked over to Ninja and was about to say good night, but thought better of it. He needed his peace, and she needed sleep. Boar meat really put one out on her a**. Flicking her tail idly, Myst slipped her head against her paws and quite easily fell asleep.
It was during the afternoon when the femme awoke to strange noises. Ears immediately pricked up and her eyes slowly opened. Thank the Fates for her shades or else the sun would certainly blind her. Without much thought, she looked over her little perch to see a group of vultures picking at the boar meat. Her nose wrinkled a little at the putrid smell of meat baking under hot sun, their caws and feather ruffles not too pleasing either. She rolled her eyes at the birds before letting her eyes roam over the rest of the area. She didn't feel threatened. Her eyes idly roamed over to Ninja's tree unsure if he would be there or he would be gone. She really didn't feel like playing hide-and-seek again.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 7:15 pm
The male nearly winced as he listened to his pupil climb the tree. If there was still life present, it would surely be gone by now. They would have to find another spot to hunt most likely but it might be well worth it. As the sounds of bark being torn up seemed to halt, he waited patiently for the female be still. It seemed to take a little more than average before there was hardly any noise made by the other. It was then that Altair's vision turned black as he shut his eyes for the last time that morning, his breathing taking on a rhythmic tone.
It didn't take much to wake the male as the sounds of wings rustling and the caws of large birds reached his ears. Giving a slight groan at being woken up earlier than usual, he stands up upon his branch. Bones give way to small cracking noises as he stretches. He was always thankful for his hood to shield his eyes away from the sun as he looked towards the bright clearing. His bright hues scanned the earth around the boar to see the true damage caused by the battle that took place not too long ago. Scuffs of grass and dirt littered the area and if that wasn't a telltale sign of predators around, he didn't know what else to think of it.
Altair's attention shifted to the scavenger birds as he blamed them for waking up his sleep. Now he was thirsty. The clothed b'alam quickly peered off to the female's perch to find she was still sleeping. He shifted in order to face the branch below him and took a small leap of faith, landing squarely on the thickest part before taking the momentum further and landing with a small thud to the ground.
His movements were swift and nearly soundless as he chose the choicest spots, mostly clumps of grass, to place his paws. He guided himself towards the boar, alerting the birds to his presence on purpose but giving off no intentions of hostility. A low growl did emit from his throat as he watched the large birds fly nearby to the trees, waiting for him to finish whatever he had intended.
He placed his powerful jowls around the rotting meat's neck and proceeded to drag the carcass away from their place of rest. It would be better to hide it in the woods away from them regardless since the body wouldn't alert any other prey, despite the obvious facts of predators being present in the area. Dragging the body a great distance, Altair spat the part he had been holding firmly in his mouth. It left a sour taste in his mouth as he turned away to find the small stream he had spotted not too far away. The sounds of the scavengers returning to their meal did not escape his hearing before he padded his way through the forest.
The stream was delightful in the sense that it held a kind of crisp scent when contrasted the mellow scent of the forest. He made his way to the water, keeping his ears pinned out for any external sounds before lowering his head to lap up the cool water.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 7:46 pm
Myst yawned, her maw wide open as a low sigh came from her throat. Shaking her head, she stood slowly on the branch feeling her muscles sore, achy, and stiff. How the hell Ninja slept in trees, she did not know. Blinking all the while, the female took a misstep causing her to fall through her resting spot. The feline caused a ruckus by tumbling through the branches to the ground below landing squarely on her side with a loud thud. She wanted to curse, but her neck was hurting from the wound, and she figured talking would not be the best.
Slowly, she stood and tried to stretch out her body. She'd have a bruise, but her wing wasn't damaged. Shaking her head, she used her nostrils to take in the different smells before finding her teacher's scent. It led her to a small stream that she had yet to notice was there. Maybe it just suddenly appeared. With no further thought, she stepped onto the stream quietly and began to wash off her fur. Her tongue made sure to go over as much of her body as she could reach. For her face, however, she had to settle with lowering her head so the water to rush over it. The cuts would sting and her throat started to burn. The feline quickly shut her eyes from the pain, claws digging into the dirt.
Slowly, she turned to Ninja and gave a smile managing to croak out a "G'morning." Her tail rested in the stream as she looked on with tired eyes. "What's for today?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 8:20 pm
Altair could literally hear the presence of the other as she approached the stream he had found within the wood line. He paid no heed and instead continued drinking the cool water, enjoying the way it washed away the sour taste of boar. Once he felt his thirst was quenched enough, he brought his head up to see that the feline was cleaning herself while attending to the wounds inflicted upon her the night before. It seemed the activities from the night before had caught up to her.
"Morning," he murmured before allowing her simple question to mull over in his head.
There were so many things he had to teach her and yet he had no idea where to start. She showed him her flight techniques and they were indeed fascinating but she could perfect them better. Then again, most of her meals may be hiding under the protection of the trees and her flight patterns couldn't possibly allow her to attack unless the prey were out in the open. He could teach her the ways of hunting on the ground but she would need to know the basics. Basics. That would be the best start.
"How about let's work on how you approach your prey when on the ground. And while I teach you that, you must work on the sounds you emit when walking around. Does that sound like a good start?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 8:34 pm
Myst gave a quick nod careful of her neck. Since she was mute for the time being, this would help her with approach. She flicked her ears idly beginning to wonder how to even start. It was mid-afternoon if she had perceived the sun correctly, and was wondering what was up this time of day. Usually in the plains there were tons of animals to choose from, but she was in the jungle. Totally new territory.
Her wings flexed a moment before returning snugly to her sides. Blinking a moment, she slipped from the stream causing a light splash. She tried to think of silence as her paws shuffled the terrain below her feet. "Maybe walking in leaves would help..." She murmured halfway to herself. She hoped Ninja wouldn't hear her and actually make her do it. She'd fail horribly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 8:54 pm
As Altair thought of ways to help his pupil, he overheard one of her mumbled statements and grinned. That would be the best plan of action. He pondered where he had seen a large accumulation of leaves and thought back of the scenery he had visibly taken in when dragging the rotting carcass away from their previous sleeping spots. It took moments before he realized he had seen the perfect spot.
"Leaves are perfect for training. You sure want to challenge yourself don't you?" grinned the male before he turned in the direction he had seen the good training spot."Follow me, I know exactly where to start."
Without another glance back towards the female, Altair took up a brisk trot. His own pawfalls were quiet as years of discipline aided his movements that came to him so easily. He only hoped that his own ninja-esque abilities could be passed on. As he approached the worthy location, Altair made sure that it had everything to help his pupil.
There was a walkway full of leaves that littered the forest floor. Trees seemed to create a narrow pathway so that there was no room for the feline to spread her wings. She would have to focus solely on her footwork. His grin turned towards the female as he motioned for her to move ahead of him.
"Let's see how you do without my teaching. Therefore, when I have finished teaching you the way of silence, you can visibly see your improvements. But for now, lets start out slow."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 6:35 pm
She glared at him. Hard. With malice and ill-intent. Damn him and his hearing to hell and back. She gave a mock smile as they strode to the "training grounds", her wings shuffling against her back all the while. Her footfalls weren't as quiet as her sensei's. Her paws shuffled along ripping up dirt, roots, and small grasses as she went. Her tail idly scrapped against the terrain every now and then making a smile trail in her wake.
Coming upon the area, she mentally cursed at the dense foliage. The area practically screamed "No cheating! Do the work!" Curse him, curse him, curse him! Rolling her eyes, she shot daggers at him yet again before stepping to the trail. At first, the leaves crunched noisily under her paws and shuffled about her frame. Her paws were buried under a sea of the dead foliage. If she could, she'd flap her wings to clear the space but that would only cause more noise which would alert any prey still about.
Myst took in deep breath closing her eyes letting her other senses take control. Her ears took in everything, her nostrils flaring with the different scents. Slowly, she took one paw in front of the other raising them with purpose. She had made it halfway across the trail soundlessly before placing the sensitive part of her foot pad on a rock. She immediately hissed leaping back on her hind legs. As unbalanced as she was, Myst opened her eyes and gave a bit of a yowl as gravity took hold and made her fall on her back, wings splayed out in instinct. She looked up at the canopy feeling sourly disappointed in herself.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 8:10 pm
The male did his best not to give off any physical clues that he was in awe that the female had been able to traverse through the many leaves nearly soundlessly. Usually on one's first try, it was a given that a loud racket would be made. He was about to praise his pupil before she gave up her position with a howl of pain and the crunching of leaves beneath her fallen frame. Altair merely shook his head before trotting towards her.
Before taking a step forward, he thought of how he should approach the current issue. Taking a small breath before prepping himself for a breach in his own concepts, he trotted towards the feline. He made every effort to make as much noise as possible, his own frame grimacing at the noises he was capable of making. It was a forced effort as he had been used to mindlessly moving stealthily.
"You can hear me a mile away, yes?" Altair questioned as soon as he was within a couple feet of the female's tail. "That is how you usually sound when you're just walking normally. But did you notice the difference when you first started through the leaves? That should be the end result after this training is complete."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 8:06 pm
She expected a proper lecture from her teacher. What she heard, though, was him coming toward her which was odd. Extremely odd for her. At his explanation for the noise, she gave a silent "oh" and nodded slowly as if understanding what he was saying. Her mouth quirked a little before she finally rolled over to look at him.
Shaking her frame, the leaves fell silently to the ground, her wings clutched to her back. "I...understand. I do apologize...I really thought I was trying..." She looked down as if she had failed him more in some way than herself. But the last few statements seemed as though she did improve. Myst couldn't help but agree. "Yes..I noticed...I shall strive for that next time." She looked around her at the leaves before slowly moving barely making any noise this time. Her tail flicked idly as she tried to find ways of moving without hurting herself or making noise.
"This is going to take a long time, isn't it, Ninja?" Dark Myst suddenly asked, looking over her shoulder to him. "I don't mean to waste any of yours..." There she went again, feeling sorry for herself.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 7:58 pm
It was interesting to see that his pupil was actually taking the exercise seriously. He honestly thought the beginning would be more stressful on his part since he would have to drill the seriousness of the situation into her brain. Her look of failure had tipped him off that she was indeed taking this training session and putting her best paw forward. Altair stood where he was, watching as the feline placed effort into her movements the second time around. She was nearly flawless but he could tell she had to put a lot of thought into each step she took. His attention turned to her face as she gave a fact he didn't want to think of at the moment.
"Oh yes, a long time indeed. Years of skill don't automatically come to you in a matter of seconds... As I'm sure you're picking up quite well, yes?" His question fell from his maw as he tilted his head quizzically. "You know I agreed to teach you, right? So don't automatically think you're all of a sudden a burden on my shoulders. I'm also learning here as well so it's a mutualistic relationship. Now stop focusing on any negative thoughts and keep your mind on the task at hand."
He straightened his posture as he finished the last word. That should hopefully flatten out any negative thoughts the female might still possess but he would be able to point it out in her body movements whether he solved the issue or not. It would be a tough day if he had to stop his teachings in order to build up the mental toughness his pupil needed to do each task.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 8:11 pm
Dark Myst's ears flicked as she heard his reply, but her mind was too into her task. Her paws were set with purpose now, her walking slightly more automatic. Myst's muscles were starting to burn at the conscious effort. She had never had to control her body movements so much before. "I already know it'll take a long time. I just don't want you missing out on anything."
At a statement, she became confused. "What exactly are you learning here, Ninja?" She inquired trying to take her mind off the pain. Her foot pad was a little better, but it still hurt slightly whenever she stepped on a twig or certain leaves. Her tail was raised so that it didn't touch the ground, wings tight against her back. "Oh, question, how long have we been out here? I'm starting to get hungry..." The female flashed him a sheepish grin as she managed to walk over to him, stopping just beside Altair. She was actually a lot closer to him than she realized, her eyes peering under his hood as if to locate his own.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 8:41 pm
The stiff movements underneath the female's pelt and clothing articles showed him that her efforts were taking a toll on her muscles. That was a good sign for now. He listened to her excuse for making the comment and gave it a thought. What would he miss out on? Pondering the question, Altair kept his gaze steady as he felt himself zone out slightly. It had more serious intentions than it was given off to be. He was usually alone and would probably be alone to test his skills if he hadn't taken the position as teacher, or sensei if being used with the context of his given nickname. The male shook his head, there were no prior engagements and hell, this would provide him with something to do everyday for a given amount of time.
His attention snapped back to the feline as she asked about his own learning objectives from these exercises. Altair took a moment to recollect himself in order to answer the question as thoroughly as possible. He did take the moment to eye her posture, noticing that it had improved immensely despite the strained effort to make it.
"Patience. All about patience."
His answer was short and to the point since he noticed she had something else on her mind. As seconds elapsed, he waited patiently as she stood unusually close to him. He didn't think anything of it as she peered at him. His own gaze switched to the sky as a great allotment of time had passed. It was odd that he hadn't noticed how much time had gone.
The sky held an assortment of bright pink and purple colors along with a wide variety of blue hues. Sunset. His usual time tellers, the shades of trees, were hidden underneath the abundance of leaves, keeping him oblivious to the amount of time that elapsed.
"I'd say it's evening." Altair looked away from the sky and turned to his pupil. "But if you're hungry, we should leave now and find a new hunting ground. I'm sure the prey in this area have gotten air about us."
His tone accused her of being the reason behind why they had to leave. Altair grinned afterwords to show he was merely jesting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:14 am
Looked at him as he became quiet. Did she somehow struck a nerve with that question? She considered apologizing, but decided against it. He had already stated he was perfectly fine being her teacher, and well if it gave him something to do then that was all right with her. Patience? What was with him? All about rules and regulation? She rolled her eyes. Dark Myst would have to teach him something other than patience.
"Ahh.." She simply nodded looking up at the trees. She swallowed a hiss at the movement. Though her neck was healing, it was sore and certain movements made a sharp pain rock her body. Myst didn't let it slip that he avoided her eyes. He was certainly all about secrets as well. She'd have to crack his exterior shell sooner or later. It still amazed her how much time had went by.
She flashed him a smile easing her neck back down to his level. "Hey, not my fault I can't control my body odor yet." Myst rolled her eyes slipping away, her form taking in the change. She was making considerably less noise than when she started the training. Though her muscles ached, she worked on her stride and paw placement. It was starting to become more automatic, a good sign. "So, where should we go to hunt? More work on the lower grounds, or should I go to the air again? I'm sure I can get something..." She flexed her wings as if to reinforce her statement. Either way, she was getting a work out."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
