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 Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 8:50 pm
Devi hurled a metal baton, grunting with the effort. It's not that it was heavy, not compared to the gargoyle beast streaking after it, but she had to throw it far or Sutien would be back in a moment. The pup was strong and fast and did turn to stone during the day. So, obviously, Devi was a night person now. Ever since that stone egg had hatched for her.
Sutien howled as she ran, joyous at the motion. It was just after her morning and her human was awake and here and throwing the harder stick. Fun. Happy.
Devi looked after Sutien with a smile. It had all be worth it. Hopefully that last job would be it for a while. She couldn't bare to be away from her pup for a long period of time. She thought the pup understood why she had to leave, but if a gargoyle came across her, what then? Of course, there was no doubt what the gargoyles would do to her if they knew. Death would be kind, at that point.
Sutien scooped up the stick, mouth closing over the cool metal. She rose her long nose into the air, scenting for her human again. She was far away, and thinking. Probably. The pup started weaving her way back through the trees over her home. There was a shelter, their shelter, a mile or two away. But it was too closed to be good for the game. Trees were everywhere. The clearing was better. She could see the stars.
Devi sat back against a random boulder in the clearing, waiting for Sutien's return.
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Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 9:09 pm
 The moon was unnaturally full again, Dwenna noted as she gracefully landed on the forest floor. The clearing was small, which is what she wanted: time to simply be alone. Every time she tried, it seemed, someone was already there, or drawing trouble to her. At least the burns from a few nights past had healed as they should, though she could still remember the fierce pain from some of it. That night had not gone well, and she'd sort of shunned herself from the rest of the clan for a couple nights to pull her thoughts together and discover why she'd done what she had. The result had left her feeling alienated and, well...lonely.
Dwenna didn't like lonely. The only thing worse was admitting it, whether it was in her nature or not. So she'd gone and done what would only make it worse - fly off alone and see what the night would bring.
Trees and shrubbery rustled as they gave way to the pearlescent gargoyle. She continued on for a short while, pausing when she heard a commotion up ahead. It sounded as though, once again, she'd picked a bad spot for solitude. Sighing, she considered turning back before she was discovered. Perhaps there would be another place...
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Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 9:26 pm
Devi took the stick from Sutien again, starting to feel the ache in her arm. Yeah, she'd be lucky if she could move it in a couple of hours. It flew through the clearing and out of her sight.
Sutien bounded, spending more time in the air than on the ground as she flew after the stick. She knew her human would have to stop throwing the stick soon, if she wanted to play tomorrow night too. So, best to enjoy it while she could. Maybe they'd eat next, Sutien was hungry.
Devi rolled her shoulder, massaging it. It was still worth it, no matter what pains she had to put up with. Still. She moved after her pup. if Devi could catch her before she got back to the clearing, it would be less of a walk for food. Which is what Sutien would want.
Sutien crashed through the trees, avoiding roots that would trip her up. She jumped over a fallen tree, clearing the brush and ending face to face with a gargoyle. She yelped in surprise.
Devi jerked at the sound of Sutien's cry. Fear, surprise, something. She oriented on where she thought the sound had come from and ran, a small knife in her hand.
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Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 9:55 pm
Dwenna originally thought she was following the sounds because they were growing louder, but she soon realized that whatever was making the awful racket was coming to her. Sucking in a breath through clenched teeth, she tensed, and was utterly caught off guard by a surprised, bestial yelp. Her arms shot out in front of her on instinct as a sudden, deep purple blur shot out of the foliage and bowled her over, both of them landing with a solid thump as Dwenna hit the ground.
"What the--?!" she yelped, somewhat dazed as her vision came into focus on a pair of blank eyes, mere centimeters from her own. Shaking her head, she realized she was looking at a beast and couldn't help the wonder that filled her. Who was out here, she could only guess, because she couldn't recall ever seeing this particular creature before.
"Well, hello there," she said, trying to prop up on her arms, grinning wryly at the beast as her eyes fell on the baton. .....Metal?
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Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 10:17 pm
Sutien blinked, staring at the gargoyle. She glanced back at the tree, still confused at what had happened. So, since the gargoyle was so close and all, Sutien extended her neck and licked the girl in the face.
Devi tore through the bushes silently, carefully as she could make herself. Who had Sutien run across? Hunter? Other villagers? kids? Her breath caught in her throat. A gargoyle? Devi ground her teeth together. Like hell she'd let a stone brained beast take her Sutien from her. Devi crept over the fallen tree, silent, in time to see Sutien lick a gargoyle. Her hand clentched on the knife. It wasn't big enough.
Sutien picked herself off the ground, stopping to pick the stick up. The metal clicked in her mouth. Her human would be waiting, but maybe the girl would throw it for her, just once.
"Hey." Devi dropped from the tree. She'd managed to put the knife away. It wasn't going to do her any good against the stone beast with her sutien. She smiled pleasantly. "Do you want to get the hell away from my dog?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 10:42 pm
Groaning at the tongue bath, Dwenna tried to kindly shove the beast off, sitting up the rest of teh way as she did so and unable to suppress a laugh. She watched as the creature went off into the woods, raising a brow as it returned with the metal baton in its mouth.
"You want to play?" Amazing, among other things. "Just who do you belong to?" She tilted her head to the side, wondering if maybe she had seen the beast somewhere before but simply forgotten.
Then a human dropped from a nearby tree - what, were they claiming the skies, now, too? - and just had to fire off her attitude. Dwenna had to wondered if the gods had cursed her, not only stealing away her solitude, but plaguing her with humans...weren't they supposed to avoid thick woodland areas? Obviously, someone hadn't told this impertinent girl.
"Maybe," she growled, eyes filming over with a crimson haze. "Do you planning on shutting the hell up and watching where you aimed the damned stick?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 11:01 pm
Sutien dropped the stick at the gargoyles feet, wagging her tail slightly. Her human was here too. They could all pl-- The pup backed slowly away from the gargoyle as her eyes shined red. Bad bad. And directed at her human. A slow shine started in her eyes, too, started with fear instead of anger.
Devi smiled sweetly at the gargoyle. Great, just great. One sentence exchanged and glowy eyes. So. Devi moved forward, stopping beside her pup a few feet away from the gargoyle. She wasn't afraid. Wouldn't let herself be afraid. Of the creature that could rip her apart while she might be able to scratch it. Yup. Not afraid at all. Still, the moving statue wasn't going to touch her Sutien. Ever. "Hm. I'll just have to say no." Devi put a hand to her mouth in fake concern. "I didn't hit you, did I? I mean, because if I didn't, I could always try again."
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 5:18 pm
Dwenna snarled softly at the girl's impudence, right eyes twitching in a silent testimony for her desire to set the human straight. Really, if she wanted to throw an attitude, the girl should really think about who she was throwing it at.
"Oh, not to worry," she returned with a viciously sweet smile of her own. "It just tells me how off your aim really is." There was no change in her eyes, a sort of half-red haze that proved things could go either way, if Devi was smart enough to realize that. Too bad those who are so alike usually butt heads. But something the human woman said earlier suddenly rang in Dwenna's head, and her steely gaze drifted to the gargoyle beast.
"Your dog, I believe you said? Really now?" Her attention turned back to the woman. "Why don't you tell me just how that came to be, hrm?"
Meanwhile, off in the forest somewhere else, a young woman with thick, pale hair ambled along in the woods, limping slightly on her left leg and cursing her own foolishness. She knew better, really, but at the same time, when nature calls, you can't not answer. Same stupid nature that planted the uplifted tree root and the worst possible spot that had sent her on a one-way faceplant into the ground.
"I reminder to myself," she muttered, "that common sense is a good thing." She thought she heard something up ahead, but she couldn't be sure. Her curiosity dug at her a little more, and though she tried to remind herself of what happens when one wanders alone in the forest at night, she couldn't deny that it wasn't too far out of her way. Huffing at her own foolishness, Donella hobbled towards what she figured was an imagined commotion. Probably just a squirrel or something.
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Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 11:38 pm
Sutien looked past the gargoyle for a moment. Something else was coming too. She backed against her humans legs, forcing her nose under Devi's hand. This just wasn't right. Her human was upset, tense. The gargoyle was angry and looking toward the pup. Like it was her fault, which it wasn't. Sutien growled at the look the gargoyle was directed toward her, toward her human. Let the winged one try something. Just let her.
Devi stroked the top of Sutien's head absently, mind twisting around a retort for the stone's first comment. She had opened her mouth to snap back when the blood froze in her veins. Not literally, but every muscle in her body seized. The gargoyle had asked the one question that Devi would rather die that to answer.
The human closed her mouth slowly, whatever she'd been about to say going clear out of her head. The images of painful deaths filled her head. Yup. She needed a much bigger weapon. Or the sun and a mace.
After a long pause, a very long pause, Devi forced a laugh out of her frozen lips. It was amazing, it actually sounded real. "But you're being so mean to me." She pouted. "Why should I tell you anything?"
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Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 2:13 pm
Without the haughty attitude constantly thrown her way, Dwenna was able to let herself calm down enough that her physical appearance returned to normal. She certainly wasn't amused by the slight jaw drop from the human girl as she tried to wrestle a decent come-back, not at all. Nope, not her. Though the glowing eyes of the beast caught her attention. Interesting, how this creature saw to protect the girl. Very interesting...
What was wrong with this girl? First she was all fired up, and now she looked as though she'd been handed her death warrant, despite the depreciating laugh and attempt to get her cocky strength back. Dwenna suddenly felt as though she'd stumbled on something rather important, though maybe if this girl had treated it like anything else, the warning flags might not have gone up so violently. As it was, she kept that knowing smile, deftly shrugging one shoulder as she eyed the human, then the beast, and back again.
"You act as though you have something to hide. I only asked a simple question," she purred. "After all, it's not everyday you see such a creature wandering around and dedicated to a human such as yourself."
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Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 6:23 pm
"Don't we all have something to hide?" Devi let herself smile, though she was cursing on the inside. She'd paused for to long. But of course she had. What else was she going to do, say. The stupid stone just had to pry. But she seemed calmer, possibly less antagonistic. Of course, there were snakes at their most docile before a strike.
The purring question, the simple shrug. Devi smiled, the full grin true and fun. She'd been told she was scary when she did that, though the gargoyle would be hard pressed to find her so. All it meant was that she was, probably, going to start having fun. Which, of course, meant she was probably going to get herself killed.
Sutien looked up at her human, the light in her eyes dying. Devi wasn't upset any more, nothing about her seemed worried or afraid. The pup looked between her and the gargoyle, confused. It didn't make sense, but then, her human was always doing things that probably weren't good for her. Sutien nudged her humans hand again, when it stopped stroking her head.
Devi wanted to look down at Sutien, to reassure her pet that she wasn't going to do something insanely stupid. But that could come later. She didn't take her eyes off the stone. "I have a proposition for ya. If you answer my simple question I will answer your simple question. The whole truth."
"Where is your daytime resting place?"
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Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 6:50 pm
Dwenna gave the slightest tilt of her head at the cryptic question, though the irony wasn't lost on her. Didn't they all have something to hide, indeed. Quite noticeably, the girl hadn't answered her question, and Dwenna felt her grin widen ever so slightly. It seemed this human wanted to play games. The full grin threw her off, though: just what was this girl planning? She had proved herself at least somewhat competent, but the way her kind worked, there was always a plot running through the back of their minds. What was hers: to fight? Flee? Would she intend to kill Dwenna in her sleep?
Merely raising her brow at the concept of a proposition, the gargoyle listened, perfectly still, as Devi spoke, then gave a rather derogatory snort of laughter. Really now, she wasn't stupid.
"I'll bite," she said after a momentary pause. Really, she hadn't thought the woman was serious when she'd asked about resting places, but the expression on her face proved she was. Foolish being.
"I rest where I will. There is no specific place." Not of late, anyway.
Sighing, Donella rose from the boulder she'd been sitting on, stretching her back until her back popped several times and grunting with the effort. Only three months, and already she was starting to notice a difference in her abilities. This was not going to be pleasant, especially alone.
And there were voices to be heard now, though quiet enough that she couldn't make out the words. Maybe there would be someone who had a few herbs or bandages she could use for her ankle until she could get home. Maybe they were ruffians or bandits. The thought made Donella smile. There was only one way to find out, and if it were the latter, perhaps it would be the same ones she'd run into a week or so ago. In that case, they'd need another reminder of just who they were dealing with.
A soft rumbling of her stomach reminded her of the late hour and, shaking her head in mild amusement, she started walking towards the voices.
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Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 7:27 pm
"Ah ah ah." Devi shook her head slowly, side to side. Her eyes never left the gargoyle, though. "That wasn't a bite. It was a nibble." She rolled her eyes up, like she was thinking. She hadn't really expected an answer, not a real one anyway. But it still meant that Devi didn't really have to answer. Still. Where was the fun in that?
Devi took few steps forward and one to the side, putting Sutien directly behind her. Not even the gargoyle could see her now.
Sutien watched her human before sitting down, confused. Devi was acting weird. Far more so than the pup had ever seen her. She was having fun, though, which was the odd thing. Her human never seemed to have any fun, always tired or thinking, like something was going on. Something she didn't want the pup to worry about. Maybe Sutien could do something to make her have more fun. But, apparently, that thing had something to do with gargoyles?
"Okay, let me tell you a little story." Devi pulled her hunting knife out, balancing it, point up, in her hand. "Once upon a time, there was a little girl." She flipped the knife into the air. "Who'd been told what monsters the gargoyles were." Devi caught it by the point. "Who'd been told what their weaknesses were." She balanced it point down in her palm. "Of course, she was curious." The human dropped her hand, but caught the knife before it fell. "And that ends my tale. At least, that's the end for a nibble."
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Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 8:18 pm
The human was testing her, Dwenna noted with a slight twitch of the mouth. How amusing...she bit off her contempt long enough to listen, never once taking her eyes off the girl. Unless she was stupid, that knife would do her no good, and the gargoyle was willing to be that this human knew, it, too. A flash of steel in the night, one that could harm if done right.
"A little old to be believing in bedtime stories, aren't we?" she asked mildly. A nibble for a nibble, eh? Dwenna's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Very well. If I tell you where I chose to rest, what's to stop you from slaughtering me and mine in our sleep? After all, we're just such monsters," her words turned bitter for a moment, "that you seem threatened, and everyone knows what happens when humans find something different, something they fear. They attempt to destroy it." Emphasis on attempt. Dwenna was tempted to laugh in her face.
"There is much to be said about curiosity."
It wasn't as far as she'd thought, thank the gods. Donella leaned against a tree, biting her lip as she listened to what words she could hear. Something about nibbles and monsters. Was she walking in on a gathering of Oberon's Children?
"Hello?" she called faintly.
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Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 7:46 pm
Devi threw her head back and laughed. This stone head was amusing, to say the least. Attempt to destroy what they were afraid of? Well, while that as true, the emphasis was all wrong. Humans had a way of destroying everything, whether they feared it or not. The gargoyle should well know that if Devi found her asleep during the day, the human could make rubble of her.
Devi staggered back, arms wrapped around her stomach as she laughed.
Sutien danced away from her human so she wouldn't get stepped on. Or sat on, as Devi fell to her butt in the dirt. The pup looked at her human, completely at a lost to do. Devi was obviously happy, or something, but she wasn't something was still wrong. And under the laughter, there was another voice. Sutien turned her head, looking out into the woods again. Someone was there.
Devi forced herself to stop laughing. It was an effort. As she returned her breathing to normal, she grinned up at the gargoyle. Now that she established that she might be a little unhinged, time to return to the conversation.
"And what's to stop you from killing me in my sleep, monster?" Devi reached out and put a hand on Sutien's back to reassure her that the human wasn't talking about the beast. "Or right now, actually?"
Sutien scooted closer to her human, licking the side of her face, but she kept those white eyes on the forest at large, waiting for whomever had spoken to show up. She couldn't leave her human, not right now, or she'd go find out on her own.
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