Twilight was settling over the land, and every moment that the light dimmed increased Nimhglas' rapture. This was his favorite time, when the world was halfway between states, and the shadows hid mysteries. The sun had no more hold, and the night wasn't yet waking, and you could almost believe that the cycle might be broken, and twilight might go on forever. But it never did; it was ever fleeting, and that only improved its value.
Raising from his bed of grass where he'd slept out the glaring day, Nimhglas stretched luxuriously, enjoying the slight hints of strain, feeling the tension in his muscles. He basked in the sounds of insect life setting up for their moonlight serenades. It was looking to be a good night, cool and full of intrigue. He slunk out into the shadows, searching for something to pique his interests.
Kelda`Hades stretched herself fittingly. She was a night hawk, sleeping by day, traveling by night, her eye's blinked open, lids, detailed witha beautiful green moved to suit her blinks. She yawn, her jaws producing bright white fangs, capable of chewing through who knows what. She'd rather not talk about that. She wasn't much for gruesome outcomes even if she produced a tidy some. Her green eye's flickered, a deadly sight for some, a pleasure for most, she smirked, comfy where she lay, but knew with the sun goen to bed it was time for her move. She stood, a second stretch commanding her body in strange ways, almost looking to break herself in the shadows as her bright green mane and tail almost glowed.
"Beautiful, beautiful, not a cloud in the sky today!" She cooed to the dark night sky, stars speckled it like shiny stones in a river bed, something taht comforted her, she admired them a moment longer before lowering her head, jaw fixing together. It took only a couple paw steps to slip her into a run, a run to no where in particular, she hummed all teh while, slipping into her own world.
Tasting the air and its many tunes on his tongue, Nimhglas felt invigorated and enthusiastic. With all the world aligned in a graceful harmony, it was only a matter of time before the secrets emerged and spoke to him. He was in for a good night, he could sense it. Mayhaps he would dance with the starlight, or evade a greater predator, or witness some beauty of life or gruesome display of death. All were equal in his eyes.
Crooning disjointedly to himself, picking the notes apart for better off-key qualities, he was startled to hear the sound of quick movement, of something running closer to him. Though his mind was only curious, fear not even making it in the front door, his body reacted according to the millinia of breeding, and he braced and crouched low, growling to warn off whatever it might be, even if secretly he wanted it to come closer so he might inspect it.
Water, there was a watering hole nearby and Kelda was in need of a good heavy drink. She stopped, heels catching to slow her pace then she turned and let her head slink within tongue reach and began lapping. Her ears flicked about, listening closely to her surroundings. She coudl hear so much, her snout shivered a little, it caught a scent, thescent molecule hit her membrane quick, male. She growled softly, she was a female, loved men, but knew not to be too wreckless until she knew their intentions, especially since the male was hiding himself from her.
"Where are you..?" She growled ferociously. Her head was ;level with her body, tail lifted abit, balance perfect, ears twirled lightly, searching, searching. She huffed, wawiting an answer.
Though he'd reacted strongly, he hadn't expected the outright aggression in the female, which he now saw was in fact a female, and a hyena at that. He puzzled over how to respond. On one hand, his green striped coat kept him blended in well, and he might escape detection, or slink away into nothing. It was in his nature to be an observer, not a participant. And with her so angry, it might be for the best.
But once he got a good look at her, all thoughts of running left his mind. He'd met hyenas before in his travels, all types and all colors. But it was jarring to meet a green one, it confused his already distorted view of things. Was she from wetlands, like him? Curiosity overpowering all other senses, he ambled out of the plant covering, not trying to hide his presence. He would see now what she would do, for better or worse.
She spun about, paws placing themselves knowingly, a battle stance, one she was familiar with, then she saw the male, all gears turned, and she smiled sweetly. "Why hello there.." She murmured, eying him up and down, Kelda smirked, her smile to intimate, she batted her lashes quickly then became her danegrous self. "Who are you, and why were you stalking me?" She growled in assumption, her ears moved slowly, prepared to catch any hint of shifting, or something that coudl provide him and advantage. Kelda felt herself want to relax, but coudln't seem to find it in herself.
"Better yet, what is your name, then give me your stalker story. Order is in need." Her smirk glimmered to her ebautiful smile then slipped away again.
Watching her carefully, he noticed the quick shifts in behavior, and mulled over that in his head. He kept himself still so as not to provoke anything, for he could feel that the other was on a hair's edge with tension, and he really didn't want this to devolve into a fracas, not when there were so many things to learn. He looked her over studiously and thoroughly approved of her coloring. Black for the night and green for camoflauge, she was well designed.
"Order is in need," he repeated, tasting this interesting phrase. "Yes, there is need for order, and for chaos. All things in balance. What is a stalker story? A story that stalks? Does it hide in hidden places, changing out its faces?" As always, his conversation was blurred through his strange skewed perception of reality. "Do you hunt a stalker story? Is it in the water?" He peered into the pool, but saw nothing.
Kelda gazed at him as his speech drilled into her brain, she growled, dropped her rump to the ground and heaved a dangerous sigh. He was no threat, the words he spoke proved that very easily, she didn't want to think about if he was a fake or not, but meh. "Your story, you were stalking me in those bushes, so a stalker story, you being eth stalker.. me being the stalked and the reason why being the meaty middle to the story." She nodded slowly, gazing at him with an ill hope. She prayed he understood.
Her paws relaxed, fur settling in place and eyes becoming a cold, uninterested stare. She wasn't good company, he was annoying to her at this moment. Though his green shades were promising, good for hiding as well, a potential travel partner? She pondered then shook her head. "So?" She inquired.
Oddly enough, he understood her alot better than he did most people. He was aware that his half-truth nature made him a bit strange, which often confused people. The last time he'd spoke with someone, he'd thought it was a lovely conversation about caves, until close to the end he'd realized they were talking about something else entirely. He still didn't know what. But this female, her explanation made perfect sense.
"This one is Nimhglas, green poison, born in wetlands." He bowed his head in greeting. "Many stories in this one have stalking, but here is not of those. The glowing green night came quickly, without pretense, and this one was in error to growl so. This is the middle with the meat, and it is not meat of ire." He grinned toothily in appeasement. "Whyfor does the glowing night run forth so?"
She assumed herself to be 'glowing night' she smiled appropriately, understanding what he was saying in a half sense, but abel to answer completely. "My name is Kelda`Hades, 'Spring Unseen'." She nodded. "I'm not quite sure where I was boorn." She gazed to the sky with a glittery questioning look in her eye then back to the male. "Besides that, i've just been traveling. I can't seem to find that someplace special to settle down and love." She grumbled almost miserably. Her chest heaved, she broke into a wide smile.
"It's nice to run into someone after all these aggrivating miles."
Glad that she seemed calmer now, he strolled closer to the water and settled down to sit on its edge, though he made sure to keep a distance between them in case she angered again. "Spring unseen," he mused. "The spring as of yet unknown in the midst of winter, or the unseen spring of the hunting beast. Spring too, then, must hunt winter. You are your own stalking story." He nodded, admiring the name. It was a good one.
"This one to travels, but no. It is not he, but the feet. They wander. The wetlands are so far now." In a way he missed his homeland, so rich with life and decay. But he embraced any experience, and with so much to see in the world, his feet had never taken him back. "The hidden spring chases love, then? Is it hidden somewhere?"
"Chases love?" She giggled lightly, her mood switching over completely, she was happy and calm. "No love for this trampled soul." She smiled sweetly Kelda was relaxing now, tail flopped, leg muscles smooth upper body relaxed in a comfy slight hunch. "I have nothing hidden, nothing to hide and nothing to run from, nor to chase. I am just a wanderer." She states smoothly, her voice calm, cool and collected, her eye's glitteres honestly and ears flicked for noises.
"Wandering is for this one as well," he agreed. "The feet, they move themselves, and go many places." Even now his toes were tapping to his internal rhythm "There is no fighting it, or discord within would occur." The constant restlessness in his soul had taken him far from home, through so many terrains. He loved each one enough to settle down there, but before he could, he'd moved onward. He'd accepted this fate for himself, and was unruffled.
"Spring unseen is aimless, then. Does she have no ambitions, no drives or decisions? Or shuns them as heavy?" He leaned down to take a quick drink. He hadn't had this long a conversation in awhile, and it was parching his throat. "This one, the drive is fleeting, and subsumed by the feet."
Kelda`Hades hadn't really given much thought to her travel, this hyena had really opened her eye's in a way. "Well itls not that I have no purpose or reason for moving on. I just don't have a real reason to stop either." She pondered this thoughtfully, not really watching his movementsa, she felt an air of trust envelope the pair, his neck open to harm yet he drank anyway. She smiled warmly. "What is your reason, if you have any?" She asked, her tone sweet as honey.
"No reason for stopping, to remain motionless by remaining in motion." he mused, enjoying the concept thoroughly. But as for him, "The tides, they call to me," he explained. "Whither I will go, is not a thing I know. It is the gift afflicted. Too much chaos overpowers order."
Speaking of which... he sniffed the cooling air. "Twilight fades, the fleeting time is over." He'd intended to get in some hunting while the night was young, and his prowling tactics were accustomed to solitude. "And so this one wanders off again. Spring unseen, I see you and depart. May your feet go good places and settle when you wish."
