Faye
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Aislinn Atwood, 3rd Level Circle of the Land Druid | Merli, 3rd Level Sorcerer
Posts: 68
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Post by Faye on Feb 28, 2019 4:13:49 GMT
"True, it's an experience like nothing else," Aislin said a gentle smile coming onto her face as she thought back on all the times she had in fact simply ran into the night as anything other than the half-elf she really was. Though her attention was quickly dragged out of her thoughts and focused on the situation around her...which she once again started to realize was on the odd side of things. That said it certainly didn't stop her from speaking her mind or opening up to this complete stranger. It was a bit of a shock really, she hadn't been this forthcoming about her nature in months, and it made her wonder why she was doing so now. Arioch's voice dragged her from these thoughts though and drew her attention.
The dark-haired young man's suggestion actually made Aislinn herself pause as she considered it. It certainly wasn't a bad idea, though the more she thought on it the more she started to have her doubts. That said it was certainly an interesting thought while it lasted. Though she did file it away for further thought in the future, it could be potentially useful if she was traveling with someone, or had another's help to get a collar on in the first place.
"It's a decent idea, although perhaps not the most practical. I'd either have to wear the collar all the time or put it on before turning into a wolf. Not to mention it'd have to be the right size which could be difficult to get right without some help," Initially this was the end of her statement but a secondary thought popped into her head after that and she muttered it aloud. "Though, it might be kind of hard to see from a distance so that would definitely be a consideration."
With that though her attention was once again drawn straight to his face as he asked his next question, she was admittedly taken aback by it. It had never even really crossed her mind to do such a thing, albeit she supposed it was a normal assumption. Though normal was a subjective word, Aislinn highly doubted this was normal by many peoples standards. All in all, it caught her by surprise and it showed, shock actually slipped onto her face as her brain processed what exactly she'd been asked.
"Uh," Certainly it wasn't the most eloquent way to start but it was the first thing that came to mind. "No, I haven't ever eaten a sheep or killed one in any form, to be honest, well the killed part at least." With that, she took in a breath and froze for a split second before adding on to that. "And just to be clear, I typically don't go around killing or eating things as an animal. Not to say it hasn't happened, it just isn't a common occurrence," The more she talked the more Aislinn felt she was digging herself a hole, but that didn't stop her from continuing to talk. After all, she was trying not to come off as, well, a person who went around attacking random individuals while turned into another species. That was definitely not the reputation she needed to give herself.
"Which probably doesn't sound all that helpful in the context of helping you hunt," This was said with a sigh as her hands shot up to let her fingers slowly start rubbing her temples. Admittedly she was starting to give herself a bit of a headache, after all explaining something everyone around you already understood, at least for the majority of your life was certainly a new and taxing experience. At least it was for Aislinn, though there could have been other reasons for it she decided to put it down to never having been able to explain things well. "But I promise I can help with the tracking down bit at the very least," It was then a thought struck her seemingly out of the blue, one that even to her seemed almost misplaced but she couldn't help herself.
"This is out of nowhere but where exactly are you from? I've never heard your accent before." She asked this with a small tilt of her head, admittedly confused as to how she hadn't quite noticed it before or even commented on it. Taking into account the extenuating circumstances she supposed it wasn't unexpected but still, she wasn't used to be quite so unobservant. True she'd mused on it before but it just hit her how different it was. "Sorry, you don't have to answer I know that can be a little personal. But, if you don't have any other questions want to get to the hunting?"
This was asked as she sent a glance upwards to a thankfully relatively clear sky, though weather was never as predictable as people wanted to think. After taking note of the position of the sun an attempt to get a reading on whether or not it was late she turned her green gaze back down towards the masked individual before her.
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Arioch
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Level 6 — Barbarian
Posts: 333
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Post by Arioch on Mar 1, 2019 23:52:20 GMT
He could only imagine what being able to turn into an animal at will would be like, the freedom to just run through forest or plains as you pleased knowing you were pretty much the master of everything you saw needing not tools.
"Can you turn into a bird?"
He asked then impusively. That would be glorious, if being able to turn into a wolf at will was awesome being able to turn into a bird at will would be even better. Granted, turning into a bird of prey would be far better than turning into a defenseless pidgeon but considering that she was able to turn herself into a wolf and not a rabbit pointed him into that direction. To experience flight was a thing that normally belonged to the realm of dreams and wild fantasies, being unbound and experiencing that kind of freedom of movement... Come to think of it he would pick being able to fly over being able to turn into a wolf it it came down to it.
He wasn't too disappointed that his plan about the collar was shot down, he was satisfied enough to have contributed to her problem, like if such things had quotas that needed to be met. Admittedly what he thought afterwards was a hat, but he figured the hat would be seen as a curiosity rather than a peace signal. It did drive the point home: Wandering around as a wolf had to be dangerous.
"Vell" He said, and then chuckled a bit when the thought reached his mind "That makes sense. I mean, ve've all eaten meat, that comes from somevhere. I mean I just thought... Eh, nevermind" He brushed the subject off. There was a bit of... he wasn't sure how to catalogue the thought. A mixture between savagery, cannibalism and degeneracy about the thought of eating things as a wolf. Some dark thing. It was odd that it came pretty quickly to his mind, but not that odd considering where he came from.
He was a bit surprised when she asked where was he from, like he hadn't been expecting that kind of question. Took him a second or two to muster a reply.
"I'm from the north. Really, really far to the north. Past the shadow valley."
No one he knew of really did a lot of traveling, the closest things were the merchants but even they did not wander of established trade routes. To be curious was a natural thing, and he had been so absorbed into how exotic and strange things were down these parts that he had forgotten he himself was a rarity too. But in the circus that was Waterdeep, really, how much could he stand out from the rest?
"Oh... Ve can start vhenever you vant, I'll follow your lead miss. Or ve can rest a bit and you can turn into a volf, that vould be good, too. If you vant to."
Lowkey he wanted to see that, but didn't want to press the issue.
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Faye
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Aislinn Atwood, 3rd Level Circle of the Land Druid | Merli, 3rd Level Sorcerer
Posts: 68
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Post by Faye on Mar 2, 2019 18:48:01 GMT
"No, no birds," Aislinn said with a small shake of her head, though a small quirk of a smile did manage to flicker onto her face. "Not yet at least, but with some practice maybe one day. And if I ever get there, I'll be sure to let you know." The half-elf said giving her head a small nod to hammer home her point, she wasn't quite sure why she promised that but it was too late to go back on it now. So it was a good thing she didn't really want to.
While she wondered what he was going to say about her response to the question of killing and eating he stopped himself. It occurred to her to ask him to finish his thought, but she knew better than most that some things simply shouldn't be shared. Or, some things were much better dropped than investigated. There were questions in this world that were better left unanswered, she'd learned that a tad too late in life for her liking. Thankfully her attention managed to be captured by Arioch's answer to her question of his origin. HIs answer elicited a low whistle from Aislinn as she gave a slight disbelieving shake of her head.
"That is definitely north, way north," It was a simple observation, and now that she knew it made a great deal of sense. While Aislinn herself had never managed, or really even attempted to head in a northward direction she had heard about it. Admittedly not much, after all, she didn't typically question travelers on where they were from...perhaps that was an action she should have taken more often in hindsight. But now certainly wasn't the time to dwell on what she should have done, after all, Aislinn did have a promise to keep and currently a bit of a decision to make.
Resting seemed as though it would be a sound decision, while she did have one more go at turning into something Aislinn was unsure if an hour would ba sufficient amount of time to make good on her offer. While her senses were enhanced in her canine form there was no guarantee of anything being nearby and stopping mid-hunt generally never felt like a good idea.
"A rest is probably the safer choice, after all, you never know how long you're going to need to not be you," Aislinn said with a small laugh and a shake of her head. "Besides, I'm not much use for hunting like this," With that, she motioned with her hands to herself. "Sure I might be alright at tracking but that's about it." This was said with a secondary laugh and scratch the back of her head. "In other words, having as many chances at turning into something useful as I can would probably be best."
"With that, we might as well get comfy it's gonna be a while," This was said as Aislinn gave a small stretch and looked around the area. Finding what she had been looking for, a spot to sit, she moved away from Arioch and towards a nearby tree. With that, she turned around to have her back to it before plopping herself onto the ground. She crossed her legs one over the other and leaned back against the trunk of her preferred tree. Green gaze moving up to look towards the sky once again. The sight eliciting a small relaxed sigh from the young woman.
"It's so peaceful out here," She mused, and to her it was. She enjoyed the quiet solitude the forest brought her even if she was currently sharing that with someone else.
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Arioch
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Level 6 — Barbarian
Posts: 333
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Post by Arioch on Mar 2, 2019 21:41:54 GMT
He saw the response about the birds coming, and when he questioned himself as to why that was, he only had to think to his own reaction at the thought. Who, being able to turn himself into a bird, would willingly turn himself into a wolf? Probably someone who really liked wolves or running, or being a predator in the wild, and while he didn't want to asume too much of the woman that was in front of him from what she had said she certainly didn't look or play the part of a dangerous killer too much. So, it was natural to asume that she hadn't turned herself into a bird because she couldn't, no other reason really.
"Oh" He said, trying not to sound too disappointed about it. A wolf was still pretty impressive, regardless of whether it had wings or not either way.
"So I've heard, ve don't really have many maps out there and the ones ve use have our own names to it... Different places have different names for the landmarks so it can get pretty confusing. I traveled by sea mostly, so I didn't have that kind of problem."
And when she finally proposed the rest he nodded, still enthusiasted about the whole deal. In his mind this would involve some kind of ritual, it wouldn't be really some crude lay-on-the-ground kind of rest but rather a... meditation, some kind of offering to the gods or maybe she would ask something from him? It was certainly a possibility.
"Vhere vould you like to rest then? Here? How do you go about it?"
On retrospect it sounded silly asking someone how do they go about resting, but when one took into consideration how much new he was to the whole magic deal, it wouldn't be so shocking. Once she started to walk he approached her at a slower pace paying attention to their surroundings as they finally closed in on the tree. Maybe it was a special tree? Like a spiritual tree? As she crossed her legs, Arioch just stood there, solmely, a few meters away his gaze shifting between the environment around them and the woman herself. Curious, but also avoiding staring intensely at her.
"Hm" He muttered as he looked around "I guess I never thought of the forest as peaceful..." Admitted, thoughtful. "It's a constant struggle for survival, and noise... But noise is good. It's really unsettling vhen there isn't a single sound to be heard around."
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Faye
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Aislinn Atwood, 3rd Level Circle of the Land Druid | Merli, 3rd Level Sorcerer
Posts: 68
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Post by Faye on Mar 6, 2019 5:25:00 GMT
"That does sound confusing, and possibly a tad bit infuriating...particularly if you're trying to get directions," Aislinn stated with a small shake of her head, as she heard Arioch's response. It was a weird thing to think, just how different certain cultures could be, though she supposed it was bound to happen. It also wasn't a bad thing, in fact, it was quite the opposite. Those differences provided different perspectives and interesting conversations which the half-elf was certainly up for. "That said I suppose it's a good thing you didn't have to deal with, although from what I've heard during my time in the dock ward sea travel is anything but easy."
By the point, she'd finished Aislinn had found herself a place to rest and was doing just that. Her gaze still focused upwards, though it was dragged down and she flashed a faint smile towards her companion.
"Honestly, this is perfect. As far as doing anything special there really isn't much, I just rest." The woman gave a shrug of her shoulders as she let her hands come to rest on her knees. "Well, I suppose just resting might be a little too simple, for me that's what it is but to better answer your question I reconnect with the world around me. In other words, it's kind of like meditation but also very different, you aren't so much looking for inner peace as you are tapping into the power of the world around you and taking that power in during the process."
"Though take isn't the right word either," A small sigh slipped past her lips as she spoke, and a finger started to lightly tap on her knee as she thought. "I don't take so much as borrow. It's like a glass, the more power I use the emptier it gets but by tapping into the world around me I can fill that glass back up." It certainly wasn't the best explanation, or even an extremely accurate one but it would work for the time being. If Arioch remained curious she'd make sure to try and find a better way to explain it. But those were thoughts for another time, now she simply gave her head a small shake and leaned it back against the tree she had taken a seat in front of, closing her eyes in the process.
"It's a chaotic place, and there's a beauty to be found in that, and for some, me included, a sort of tranquility," With that though she gave her head a nod. "True, silence is unsetting in any circumstance, but it can also be a good warning sign to keep track of. Typically it means things are about to go south, very, very south." With that, Aislinn opened her eyes once again and looked towards where Arioch stood.
"You know," She started. "If you want you can relax, this is going to be a while and you might as well get some rest while you can." It was a simple suggestion nothing more and nothing less.
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Arioch
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Level 6 — Barbarian
Posts: 333
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Post by Arioch on Mar 6, 2019 21:43:14 GMT
"Ve don't... really travel much"
Arioch shared, they mostly sticked to their territory and often times did trade with the few and scarce travelers, merchants coming to and fro from hard places and rare resources. Nothing that was of value to them really, strange crystals, weeds, leather, creatures that were not all that uncommon. That sort of stuff was traded.
"It vas frightening, to be honest. Being at the mercy of the seas constantly, feeling the ship creak as if it vas about to give in and break at any moment. The leaks in the ship, making me think too much vater was getting in and that ve vould sink into the dark vaters. The smell and humors of the rest of the passengers and crew... And the constant motion. It's hard to sleep, but harder even to not feel trapped in a doomed box."
He reminisced, summoning back the memories of his journey by boat. Not something he was willing to repeat. It had been fast, yes... But the impotence about not being able to do anything at all about the elements and the weather, about the gigantic creatures beneath the waves. There was a reason mankind's element was not the sea, and nature had a way of reminding him of that. It wasn't safe there, and not for the right reasons.
Her explanation of "rest" satisfied him and mystified him at the same time, he had felt such a connection sometimes but certainly not to the degree that he could do the things Aislinn did. In his case it was more about feeling... certain, or knowing his place in the natural order, simply taking in the beauty around him. Her analogy with glass confused him a bit, mostly because where he was from they didn't use glass for anything really. Too brittle, and too complicated to make to be even worth the effort, but the latter part of her sentence did the trick.
Finally, he nodded in agreement to her words. Absolute silence was worrisome. In a place that should be filled with sound it usually also meant that whatever had silenced every other sound was now probably going to go silence you too, or at least, that was the body's instinctual reaction to it. And maybe there was some wisdom to that feeling, to that reaction.
Arioch chuckled at the suggestion.
"Vhat? And miss the opportunity to vatch a druid?"
He smiled
"No vay"
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Faye
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Aislinn Atwood, 3rd Level Circle of the Land Druid | Merli, 3rd Level Sorcerer
Posts: 68
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Post by Faye on Mar 9, 2019 17:46:39 GMT
"Sounds, unpleasant," Aislinn said with what could only be described as a sympathetic laugh not to mention a small shudder. How he had described his trip by sea had pointed to it not being a happy experience that much she could infer, and from the description, she couldn't blame him. "And it certainly hasn't made me want to travel by boat, but for me solid ground is certainly where I feel safe, or safer at least,"
With that though his response to her own words caused her to let out a sigh and shake her head. But she returned his smile with a gentle one of her own. "Alright, but I'm warning you now it isn't that interesting to watch. Take it from someone who had to do a lot of watching as a kid." While she spoke the half-elf settled down once more leaning against the tree and closing her eyes. "If you need me for anything just ask alright?" That was the last thing she said before focusing on her breathing.
It took a good while for her to steady her breathing, in and out, in and out, some breaths just a hair longer than others but steady none the less. With her breathing in check, Aislinn went on to let her mind wander to the world around her. She reached out to the world, wanting nothing more than to be part of it. Her mind focused on the feel of bark against her back, the wind caressing her cheek, the brush of branches against one another, the songs a handful of birds sung, and simply the life that surrounded her. So it was Aislinn sat and tapped into the world around her. For her, it had always been an oddly relaxing experience and continued to be one, though even with the majority of her attention focused on getting a refill in the magical department she still felt oddly aware of Arioch's presence.
It wasn't unexpected but it did set her on edge, while he hadn't proven to be a threat of any kind all of her defenses were gone at this point. For all intents and purposes, she was helpless. Being in that state around anyone made her heart beat faster and panic slowly start to edge its way in. While these thoughts danced in the back of her mind Aislinn did her best to focus on the task she needed to accomplish at the moment, and that was getting herself back to full capabilities...at least in the shifting department. So, even with her concerns nibbling at her thoughts she went on with her little ritual.
The half-elf fully opened herself to the world around her, and let memories from times long past dance through her head. Each one different but all connected by where and how they were experienced. She felt herself rocketing through the forest, with grass brushing against grey fur as she ran towards home as a wolf. Then serenity washed over her while she gracefully wound her way through a cluster of trees on the nimble legs of a doe. Followed by an overwhelming sense of vertigo and annoyance as she sidled her way up the wall of her childhood home as an itty bitty spider because her brother had once again gotten one of his toys stuck on the roof. These memories came quickly but faded nearly just as fast only to be replaced with another, but on the outside, she remained still her eyes closed and breathing even.
Time passed and what felt like seconds for Aislinn actually proved to be minutes in the world around her. After a while, the pale-haired woman blinked open her eyes, which looked dazed for a few seconds as she gathered her surroundings. When she once again connected where she was to her brain a small sigh left her followed by the rise of her hands above her head as she stretched. "As much as I like them, trees make poor chairs," This was said with a small groan as she arched her back, which happened to be quite sore from sitting still for so long. "So, bored yet?" Aislinn questioned with a tilt of her head and an admittedly playful smile sent in Arioch's direction.
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Arioch
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Level 6 — Barbarian
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Post by Arioch on Mar 11, 2019 2:36:59 GMT
Arioch focused on everything she did, on every small detail down to the point of counting how many seconds it took her to breathe. How many seconds did she keep the air in. How much did her body move whenever she did so. How her fingers looked. The way her hair was colored down to the points, the small decorations she wore, how was she dressed. It wasn't like him to be this analytic about anything that wasn't a battle or a combat usually, or a hunting strategy. However he had always been a naturally curious person and this druid... Well, so far she hadn't seen her do anything druid-like except appear out of nowhere which could be considered a feat in and of itself, but she certainly had a kind of... air around her.
It also helped that with her eyes closed she wouldn't notice, he took for certain though without even noticing such, the fact that he was basically oogling her all over. Deep down he still wondered if she wasn't a dryad just trying to trick him into thinking she was just a random harmless gorgeous girl out for a walk in the woods. If the whole thing was nothing more than some kind of an extended test, to see his character. He was deep in thought when she opened her eyes again and it surprised him a bit but his reaction was merely on his mind, he didn't blink nor move a single muscle from his face.
He only smiled beneath the mask, his gaze looking directly onto her, not seeming to realize if the contact was making her uncomfortable.
The comment made him let out a small, soft chuckle.
"The soil is vorse, a single branch can destroy you if you're not careful vhen making ground for sleeping"
Arioch conceded, it was a terrible thing specially if you didn't notice it as you were sleeping for you would certainly notice it upon waking up next morning. And the rest of the day too. And then he shook his head slowly side to side, the smile would be even noticeable in his eyes before it could be infered in his voice.
"Not even a bit. Vhen do we begin, Aislinn the druid?"
He could feel the excitement begin to bubble up from within again very slowly.
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Faye
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Aislinn Atwood, 3rd Level Circle of the Land Druid | Merli, 3rd Level Sorcerer
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Post by Faye on Mar 12, 2019 2:20:15 GMT
Aislinn let out her own laugh at his response before flashing him a smile as she pushed herself up onto her feet.
"True, but in my experience, it can be comfy if you get it just right...though branches certainly make it difficult." She responded before letting out a light sigh and giving a nod of her head. "Right, well on to hunting then," As she said it Aislinn realized she should probably clue her soon to be hunting partner into some things, well one thing. Though she did assume he'd be able to come to the conclusion himself she just wanted to be rather transparent about the whole situation. "Just to be clear talking isn't really something I'll be able to do shortly. I'll understand you perfectly fine just no response on my end, with that, on with the hunting,"
With the one important bit noted Aislinn once again closed her eyes, slowed her breathing, and focused on what she wanted to become, at least for the moment. Inwardly it was much the same as what she had been doing only a few seconds prior. Outwardly though it was a whole different ballpark.
Aislinn's figure shifted and shimmered in place, as though two separate entities were fighting for the same space. It didn't last long, only a few seconds at most and near the end, Aislinn seemed to fall forward only to land on grey-furred paws instead of her hands. With a shake of her entire body and a ruffle of the fur that now coated her she glanced towards Arioch, her eyes still the exact same shade of green. The look lasted for a second before she decided it would be best to get to work sooner rather than later.
Thankfully they were still downwind, which would certainly make Aislinn's task of tracking easier and for that she was thankful. With her current task in mind, she let her sense extend out from her, making sure to keep her ears open and her eyes peeled as she took in a deep breath. Unsurprisingly she didn't get much, while she had hoped for a bit of luck that didn't seem to be her strong point today. With what could only be described as a sigh Aislinn took a few steps forward all the while taking sniffs of the air around her. While she kept her sense on high alert she slowly walked towards the clearing they had been hanging around.
Before she reached the edge she froze, her ears perked up and she took several quick breaths making sure she hadn't dreamt up the smell with her hope to get this done. It seemed she hadn't, admittedly it was a faint scent but it was certainly better than nothing. Taking a moment she turned her head to Arioch before quickly jerking it forward in as close to a 'follow me' motion she could manage before starting to advance once again doing her best to stay focused on the scent she managed to catch, from what she could tell it was deer, now all she needed to do was find it.
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Arioch
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Level 6 — Barbarian
Posts: 333
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Post by Arioch on Mar 12, 2019 10:15:31 GMT
The hype went on further with her disclaimer, he nodded as he stood and awaited the delivery. He wasn't sure exactly what was going to happen but his heart was already beating faster at the expectation. He watcher close her eyes and slow her breathing, appraised her concentration... Until she began to change, her form shimmering into place. Arioch took half a step back his eyes wide open. She was doing. The absolute mad woman. She was doing it, she was actually a druid. And he was actually afraid, he laughed, giggling in surprise but there was a bit of fear within him. The fear of the unknown and every tale he had ever heard. He had never seen a transformation quite like that and it shocked him. While he could understand logically what had just happening to just accept it was...
"Aislinn...?"
When the now-wolf stared at him he remained very still, very cautious as to what she would do now. Was it really still Aislinn? If animals could by any means smell fear or worry there was no doubt that Arioch was experiencing quite a bit of that at the moment. And when she started to move it took him a few moments to follow, warily, cautiously, as if he was afraid she would turn around and actually try to kill him at any moment. The sensation should subside he told himself, of course he could trust... the stranger... he met moments ago... who could totally turn into a wolf at will.
He forced himself to try and remain stoic not letting his fear show, to try and continue the path even though the outcome was uncertain. Once the chase was on he wielded the spear with two hands and followed after her as speedily as he could move without making any noise, he had absolutely no idea where was she taking him, this was a leap of faith.
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Faye
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Aislinn Atwood, 3rd Level Circle of the Land Druid | Merli, 3rd Level Sorcerer
Posts: 68
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Post by Faye on Mar 13, 2019 1:18:26 GMT
Admittedly Aislinn hadn't paid too much attention to the young man's reaction, after all, she knew she was on a bit of a timer and wanted to hold up the deal she had made. Though the fear-tinged laugh did get her to mentally groan. Not that she had much time to dwell on it, and she kept that thought forefront in her mind as she got to work. Thankfully she'd done tracking before so, once she caught a trail it hopefully wouldn't take too long to get the job done.
Having heard her name she glanced back towards her hunter friend giving a tilt of her head as if to ask 'what' though she didn't wait around for an answer. The now wolf had managed to catch a scent after all and she wasn't about to lose it. So it was she stalked through the forest skirting the clearing itself, and keeping to the trees, more places to hide that way. As she wound her way through the woods she kept herself low out of habit and picked the path of least debris, both to help with her own stealth and Ariochs just to be safe.
Though most of her focus was admittedly on tracking down the source of the scent she had managed to pick up, it was likely the deer was close but there were certainly no guarantees. Aislinn stopped every now and then to make sure she was still on the right track, which often caused her to slightly adjust their direction. After a while, the Druid found what she'd been tracking as she had hoped it was had been comparatively close to where they started from.
The silhouette of the deer through the trees caused her to freeze mid-step as her eyes glued to her current target. The ears atop her head flicked backward as she finished her step and lowered herself even closer to the ground. Instincts hit her hard then, all she wanted was to dart forward towards this lovely deer and take it down, but that wasn't what she promised. All she had done was promise to help him find something, and she'd accomplished that task. That said she wouldn't be opposed to helping further if it came down to that.
Instead, she took a handful of silent steps backward before glancing over her shoulder towards Arioch who she hoped had actually been following her. When she saw him she quickly turned her head back towards the dear and did a bob upwards of her head to indicate where exactly it was. Certainly far from the most elegant form of communication it was all she could manage and the time and quickly refocused herself on the doe strolling through the woods, currently unaware of its stalkers.
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Arioch
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Level 6 — Barbarian
Posts: 333
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Post by Arioch on Mar 14, 2019 9:58:27 GMT
It was a little bit relieving that he hadn't been attacked yet, and that at least Aislinn had seemed to respond while being a wolf. It was almost as if, for a moment, he couldn't quite believe what had just happened. The time spent following the druid now wolf, was done mostly with caution and fear but it was a thing that had been receding very slowly the more time went on. There was a first time for everything and this was his first experience with shapeshifting magic, or druids for that matter, or magic of any sort. Whenever he reviewed what had just happened on his mind, he would have the same kind of inner reaction: It was crazy.
Arioch's own hunting was mostly done by a mixture of traps and actual hunting with the javelins, specially for larger game, but as with any hunting... It was a numbers game. Traps while also doing his own leg work usually yielded better results than utterly depending on one method alone. Hunting on his own could be very rewarding and thrilling, but two days of failed hunts would leave him probably too weak to actually fight against the strongest predators if he had to. Similarly, traps did not always work.
The moment Aislinn stoped in her tracks so did Arioch and he focused back on the present. While he couldn't sense things the way Aislinn was doing it, it was clear by her body language that she had found something. He readied the javelin. He had actually been expecting for her to go forward and try to bite the prey in a leg, and was surprised when the wolf actually bobbed his head towards the silouetthe. Arioch cocked his head slightly to the side.
"I von't mind if you vant to... you know"
He pointed out with a shrug, whispering to her. And then approached silently to where he could have a clear shot of the deer. Aimed as silently as he could. And took the shot, sending the javeling flying straight to the air, aimed at the mark.
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Faye
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Aislinn Atwood, 3rd Level Circle of the Land Druid | Merli, 3rd Level Sorcerer
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Post by Faye on Mar 19, 2019 17:49:57 GMT
If she could have Aislinn would have rolled her eyes at his comment, yes she was a wolf but the instincts they had were easy enough to push away. After all, she was simply boring the shape of a wolf not truly one, at least technically. Though it did seem like a good idea to prepare for the worst, considering she'd only seen Arioch throw a javelin into a tree she wasn't too sure about his aim. With that in mind, she silently padded backward a few steps before circling around Arioch and towards the hindquarters of the doe. When she found herself a good spot she fell into a what could only be described as a crouch, tensing her muscles and preparing to launch herself forward if the need arose.
The silence seemed to last for an eternity before the forest erupted in a cacophony of noise. Chaos ensued as Arioch's javelin flew towards its target and in tandem, with the throw, Aislinn rocketed herself forward towards the doe herself. The doe, on the other hand, startled at all the noise starting to flee. It was too late for the dear though as teeth clamped down on its right hind leg and pulled just in time with the sound of a javelin piercing its hide. With a final shaky exhale the doe collapsed on its side and Aislinn released her grip on its leg. Admittedly happy her help had apparently been unneeded in the first place. With a final shake of her fur, Aislinn took the opportunity to turn back into her usual self, back towards Arioch for the time being.
"Well," Aislinn stated bringing a sleeved arm up and wiping it across her mouth to get rid of any lingering deer blood if there had been any in the first place before continuing. "That went better than anticipated," She said with a small affirmative nod of her head and then proceeding to turn back to look at Arioch ad flashing a small smile. "Nice throw, good to know you can hit things other than trees," Her tone was lighthearted and playful as she spoke, quite obviously not meaning to cause any offense with her jest. "Though I do wonder how you're planning on carting this back to wherever it is you're staying. Not that I doubt you can but she doesn't look exceptionally light," Aislinn mused turning her attention back to the deceased deer.
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Arioch
Approved
Level 6 — Barbarian
Posts: 333
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Post by Arioch on Apr 8, 2019 19:59:03 GMT
The first few moments after the proyectile is tossed, he found, are the ones that carry the most anxiety to them. Even if he wasn't the one to have taken the shot it was like he couldn't help but be really attentive to the results, a moment of empathy perhaps. Right then he was hoping for two things. The first one was that the shot would be true and strike his target fiercely. The second one was that it was precise enough to kill the deer in a single shot, while he had no qualms about the temporary suffering of a soon to be animal -as soon as it took him to walk that distance- he took no pleasure in the suffering itself. Only on the prowess itself of a shot well done, and the satisfying thought of knowing he would have food to eat. And good meat at that. There was a small addendum to that and it was about the flavor of the meat, if the deer died while struggling it just wouldn't taste the same as if it didn't.
He had not been expecting for Aislinn to also run at the deer with the speed at which she did, or that she would actually bite it. It was for him part savagery part beauty, mixed up somewhere with knowing that that wolf was in fact a rather attractive young girl. He guessed that was that the spirits of the forest must be like. Just about then, when he was cautiously approaching her again, the woman transformed herself again into a human. It was just as impressive as the first time he had seen it and he stopped in his tracks for a second, a small smile shining through his lips. He could watch her do that all day. Probably would, given the chance.
Watching her run her sleeve against her mouth to wipe remaining blood convinced him she actually dangerous herself, and not helpeless at all in any way, shape, or form. However, Arioch did chuckle when she said commented on the throw.
"I usually do far better, it's just beautiful druids that throw me off"
Shot back at her with a smirk, before glancing at the body of the deer on the ground. She did have a point, it would be hard to carry it back... Though not impossible for someone like him. Only time consuming.
"I vas thinking about using some rope, and simply bring it back the old fashioned vay"
He confessed then, his brutish methods not going beyond what was simple and evident.
"Unless... You can turn into a gigantic beast to help me carry that. I vouldn't say no to that, I could give you some as payment, I don't have much in the vay of coin"
Added by the end looking at her with a bit of a hopeful glee in his gaze, if it meant that he'd be able to watch her transform again.
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Faye
Approved
Aislinn Atwood, 3rd Level Circle of the Land Druid | Merli, 3rd Level Sorcerer
Posts: 68
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Post by Faye on Apr 10, 2019 16:29:39 GMT
With the hunt having come to a quick and successful end, as such Aislinn had managed to uphold her end of the deal much to her relief. For all the druid had known they wouldn't have found anything. With the retort shot in her direction, Aislinn let out a genuine laugh, something she hadn't done for a considerable amount of time.
"What can I say," The woman started with an accompanying shrug of her shoulders. "I just tend to have that effect on people," A small quirk of her lips was added to the statement for effect before she to sent her gaze back to the remains of the deer. "Rope, what isn't it good for and if it works all the better," Aislinn stated giving a nod of her head to his response before began she put some thought into his query. Biting her bottom lip in thought as she tilted her head to the side she let out a small hum of thought.
"Turning into a gigantic beast is out, as thankfully, in some people's minds I haven't been around a bunch. Even if I had I doubt they'd be something I could handle," Aislinn stated as her hands came to rest on her hips while she continued to stare down at the deer. "I can certainly do something a little less exciting, but still be able to help get this where you need it to be." With that, she turned to look at Arioch before adding onto her statement once again. Taking in the glee on his face and in his eyes, it was strange to her, having someone so eager to see something she found to be so mundane. Then again, she did suppose it wasn't quite as normal to others as it was to her.
"And don't worry about payment, I wouldn't have much I could do with it. Comes with the territory of living in cities I suppose," She added with a friendly smile in place. "That said, I do appreciate the offer. But, onto the matter of actually getting this," She motioned with her hand to the deer. "Back to, well, wherever it is you need it to go. While I have complete faith you'd be able to get it there with no trouble on your own I did say I would help you out with hunting. Which, if you think about it includes getting this to the place it needs to be,"
"So," Aislinn said clapping her hands together as she did so. "First matter of business, do you think we can get to your camp, at least I'm assuming, wherever it is we need to go within an hour?" It was a simple yet vital question, and unless Arioch had decided to set up shop on the other side of Waterdeep she was quite certain it wouldn't be much of an issue but, you truly never knew with these things. The druid simply hoped she wouldn't have to deal with turning back into her admittedly weak self with a deer on her back she could only imagine how that would go.
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