Untamed [OnexOne]

[Soliloquy]

[[ @ianbabyyy ]]


The endless arms of the horizon were spread wide, welcoming the creeping sun as it gradually awoke the world below, lifting away the blanket of darkness that had covered the content kingdom of Elandris. Along the countryside, dotted farms were bustling with the first hint of light, their dutiful daily chores between crops and livestock. In the quiet city, shop keepers and smiths readied themselves for business and trade from across the land. Gentle waves rocked the hollow boats still docked, awaiting their journey into the rocky sea where the gold mines of fish schools awaited. The scene was serene, as many were in the peaceful empire, subjects at ease with their lives.


Seated atop a small hill in the middle of the city was the crown jewel of the capital and kingdom, the regal castle. The castle was in reality a series of large stone buildings, surrounded by looming walls, protected by the King's Finest, and filled with the most exquisite jewels, treasures and commodities the new world had to offer. The heart of the buildings was the largest, the great hall with it's assortment of meeting rooms, tactical spaces, and social outlets. Directly behind the centerpiece were the living quarters for the royal family which were still quiet.


While the world around them was beginning to start the day, few were awake yet in their chambers. The King himself, earliest to rise, had departed and left the Queen to her normal, domestic duties of running the servant duties. The loudest members of the royal family were also the youngest, still enjoying last moments of sleep being sent to their strict daily routines. The Prince, already being prepared for the future duty of replacing his father, had determined long ago that a lack of sleep would be the downfall of him. The young Princess, ever the opposite of her brother, was difficult to wake but once up, the copper haired child could not be kept still.


"Sire, it's time rise," a firm voice sounded in the prince's chambers, which was answered with a grunt and clearly no intentions to rise. The attendant who had been given the terrifying daily duty of waking his future King was not surprised, exhaling a small amount of defeat. It had become a careful process of trial and error to learn how aggressive he needed to be to successfully awake his liege, while still remaining respectful. "Wilhelm, if you don't awake, Ill have no choice but to fetch the bucket and...." His voice trailed off but the prince's continued where he stopped.


"Henry, I swear that if you get that bucket," he started, sitting up in his bed quite suddenly to shoot a tired but stern look at his assistant,"I will be wringing you dry along with these sheets. I'm awake."


The young man who had grown from playmate to right hand man over the years chuckled at his prince's comment, shaking his head. Crossing to the large window, he moved the thick curtains aside to allow the sun to peek in over the balcony. Another grunt of protest escaped Wilhelm before he caved and began to rise again.


"If the worst thing to come from my duties at your side is to tolerate your morning behavior, I think I will do just fine," Henry bravely said, promptly receiving a pillow that was thrown at his head but lacked the motivation to have an impact. "Very well, sir. I'll let her highness know you'll be at breakfast shortly." He fought a grin, leaving the prince to prepare himself.


Readying himself for the day and it's monotonous but required tasks, Wilhelm dressed quickly in a pair of clean trousers and loose fitting shirt, grateful for a day without 'formal' matters that would require more tiresome effort into attire. Washing his face, he stopped for a few moments to ensure in the mirror that he would meet his mother's approving eyes. Copper strands were ensnared around each other in the smallest of braids at the base of his head, an acceptable style, even if it were deemed modern.


A short walk through the morning led him into the smallest of the dinning halls where he was waited on by his mother and sister. Queen Gwendolyn, ever the punctual and social creature, raised a thin brow at the arrival of her elder child, signalling for him to take his usual seat. The instant he did so, attendants began to serve the three. Not looking forward to a chastising, Wilhelm looked to his sister.


"Aren't your bright eyed today, little foot?" he asked her with a grin, causing the young girl to giggle in response.


"I could be up for hours and you would not know, Wil!" she took the opportunity scold on her mother's behalf, wild locks of red hair already trying to break free of ties that were no doubt wrestled in to begin with.


"If only I was still young and had your energy," he wiggled a finger in her direction, earning another giggle.


"Wilhelmina is only in her sixth year and still arrives to breakfast at time, yet the future king of our land cannot?" The quiet queen posed her first question, watching her son over a glass in her hand.


"You see, that is the problem," Wilhelm said, ever eager to offer a solution. "You see, I am nearly thrice Mina's age, which means clearly I am in need of thrice the amount of sleep to keep up with her." Crystal blue eyes of mother and son locked for a moment before a laugh could no longer be suppressed escaped Gwendolyn.


"A quick tongue, just like your father. Gods have mercy on us."


The day progressed in and out of the castle, prince and princess being ushered between classes of etiquette, studies, and more. My the time the day had waxed and waned, Wilhelm felt himself growing restless, eager to be free of the stone walls and cobblestone floors about him. Finding a spare moment, he coaxed Henry into preparing his mount while retrieving his riding boots from their normal place. Once the small evening meal was coming to a close, he stood, nodding to his father.


"I'll be retiring to my room for the evening to work on my studies," he said with as much confidence as he could muster.


The red haired king looked at his son for a moment before shaking his head. "Studies in riding boots? I'm afraid you aren't fooling anyone, Wilhelm. Enjoy the ride, but please remember that a kingdom needs a king ever present...as does a woman need a man to do the same."


Forcing himself to swallow down shame at the life, he nodded, bowing to both King and Queen before departing to the stables. Wilhelm would not say it to his father, but he firmly felt it was fine that after a day of doing everything asked and needed as a prince, he should be granted a small amount of time to himself. Surely, even the great King needed time apart form his crown.


His thoughts continued to absorb him as he climbed on the awaiting saddle of his white stallion, a horse who had known him since he could barely walk. Leading the beast out of a side gate, the two quickly left the castle and it's contents in the past, galloping down the dirt road and into the approaching evening. The sun still gave light along their way, taking familiar paths that were hardly traveled along the country side. A familiar sign marked the beginnings of the Dark Forest, a wood that children knew to avoid before they could speak. Typically, at this point in his ride, Wilhelm would turn and head north toward a large wheat field with a friendly farmer who had grown accustomed to sightings of the prince and would wave as he passed. However, something suddenly pulled at his attention, growing him curious of that which he was learned to avoid.


Tugging lightly on his reins, he nudged the confused horse toward the wood. The trees were rumored to contain dark magic, deadly creatures, and other nightmares to frighten children. Surely, even if such stories were true (which he did not believe over the years they were) these wouldn't be a task for him, the strong son of the king. Leaves and branches began to block out what remained of the sun as he convinced himself and the poor horse into the forest. The world suddenly became increasingly quiet, birds no longer sounding and the river drowned out by deafening silence.


"See, it's not so bad," he said aloud in an attempt to calm the now skidish horse. As if on queue, a loud crack behind them startled and he tried to turn the horse to put the approaching unknown in sight. Afraid now beyond his control, the stallion instead reared before clearing a shrub before them and taking them in far enough where the fields and road could not be seen. "Now, now, Archimedes, everything is fine-"


Before the beast could be calmed, the treed echoed with a deep, throaty growl that resonated in the darkness, causing a sudden chorus of screeches and cries. Archimedes reared once more, this time coming down without a Prince on his back. Unprepared, Wilhelm had lost his grip and ended on the earthen floor while a large furry blur charged at his stead, chasing the white horse off through the trees. Landing, his head had hit a sharp rock, leaving the young man disoriented and incapable of focusing on what was happening.


Gradually, he managed to stand once more, although a pain in his head made him feel as if the world were spinning. Resting his palm against his forehead, he looked about, realizing that he had not only been left without his stead, but now he was unable to determine what way the had come in by. Taking a step forward, a twig snapped beneath his boot and instantly a second growl sounded from the darkness. Automatically reaching to his side, his heart sank to realize that in his hurry to get away, he had neglected to bring his sword and with it any means of defending himself. His heart pounded in his chest, echoing in his ears and making it impossible to think as he braced himself for death, wishing only to see his family once more and go through their tiresome daily lives rather than the inevitable end before him.

 

[awriternamedian]

The forest felt strange today. Off. Restless. There was no wind. No animals skittering about. No birds singing. A shudder rolled down the girl's spine, and she climbed higher into the tree she was perched in. This stillness meant some of the darker creatures were about. Creatures she would prefer to avoid. Creatures that even she would have no chance against. No, today would be a good day to lay low. To avoid detection. Perhaps she'd climb up to the canopy, get some sun before it disappeared from the sky. Yes, that's what she'd do.


As she clambered up through the branches however, no sun peeked through the leaves. No golden rays touched her face as she broke through the canopy. The sky was grey, overcast. Darker than it should be this time of day. Her full lips turned down, brown furrowing in worry. That couldn't be good, not at all. It had been her hope that a certain creature had chosen to slumber today, but it seemed the flesh eater was out and about. In that case, the safest course of action would be to locate it, and then to put herself as far from the creature as possible.


She dropped down quickly, stopping once she was close enough to easily see the ground, but far enough that she would be out of the creature's reach. It was an easy task, moving from tree to tree, almost ghostly blue eyes scanning the forest floor, either for piles of bones or for the place where the light seemed to dim on it's own.


A growl rumbled through the forest then, making her head snap in that direction. What fool creature would dare make such a noise with this evil lurking about? Whatever the reason, the flesh eater would certainly have heard the noise as well. Meaning that if she found the dumb creature, she'd find the flesh eater. Decision made, she changed course, slipping quickly through the trees. A second growl had her moving quicker, this one giving her a firm idea as to it's location. It didn't take her long to find it, and she frowned at the sight. Why would a dark wolf be making so much noise during a time like this? Of all the beast type creatures, they were one of the more intelligent species.


Not seeing any sign of the darkness yet, she slipped lower still, brushing her pale, tangled curls from her tanned face. Those ghostly eyes scanned the forest floor for what could have set it off, eyes widening as she found the source. There was a man down there. What was a man doing in her forest? Such foolish creatures humans were, to think they could survive here. If she wasn't waiting for the flesh eater, she would simply leave now. There was little point in saving him, but she didn't enjoy the sight of a dark wolf's kill. It was violent, and often wasteful.


However, she couldn't for the moment. So instead she took the moment to observe the strange creature. He was much different than those she normally saw invading her territory. For one, he wasn't wearing armor. He didn't at all seem to be prepared for a fight. Did he really believe he could survive in such soft clothing?

 

[Soliloquy]

The heavy thudding of his heart drowned out the rest of the world, leaving Wilhelm without one of his senses. Thankfully, time in the dark wood had allowed his eyes to adjust to the dimness, crystal eyes able to just barely make out the outline of a dark wolf. The vile creatures were known to devour unprotected livestock and on the occasion a lost traveler.


Keeping his eyes locked on the creature, he slowly backed up, both hands moving in front of his body and between himself and the creature. He didn't know how long he could hold off the wolf, if at all, and even if were able to, he wasn't foolish enough to think the pack animal was traveling alone. Another growl made his heart skip a best as the creature moved closer.


"Easy there," his deep voice drifted to the wolf, hands still up as a sign of peace. "I don't want to hurt you, and I'm hoping you will do me the same courtesy. I'm sure a nice venison or rabbit would taste better than me."


The wolf was clearly not phase by his proposition, inching forward toward Wilhelm with his belly barely above the ground. It's eyes were locked on him, cold gaze showing that the creature only had one thing on his mind. The delectable morsel of a man before him.

 

[awriternamedian]

Her head tilted to the side curiously as the man seemed to try and reason with the beast. Did that work outside of the forest? She crept slowly closer, careful to make no noise, to not alert the dark wolf to her presence. While not the most dangerous creature in these trees, it was certainly fierce, being three times the size of a regular wolf, and she would rather avoid tangling with it if possible. As she looked closer, she realized that the man didn't even have a weapon. How had he thought to survive here?


Most of his words were foreign to her. She knew some human speech, some from her vague memories of before this forest, and some from listening to the other people who'd ventured into her home. They were a source of some fascination to her, though not enough so that she would ever reveal herself. 'Rabbit' was the only word she recognized, though a couple of the others sounded familiar, she just wasn't certain of their meanings.


This poor man was utterly defenseless. How strange. It tugged at something inside her, and made her scowl. No, she wouldn't get involved. Wouldn't put herself at risk. That would be lunacy. It wasn't her fault that humans seemed to have no regard for their own lives.


Despite how firmly she tried to keep that thought in her head, as the beast charged forward, she couldn't help but act. She pulled a long blade from the sheathe on her back, something she'd pilfered from one of the idiot humans and found useful, and positioned herself just right. When the time came, she dropped silently from the trees to land on it's back, immediately drawing her arm back and jabbing the blade deep into it's neck. It stiffened and howled and tumbled, nearly knocking the girl off it's back. She held tight though, feet dug into it's ribs, one hand curled into it's fur, the other pulling the blade back to jab it in a second and then a third time.


Slowly the beast stopped moving and she removed her blade, wiping blood from her eyes and cleaning her blade on it's fur, uncaring about the blood that had splattered across the rest of her body, staining the makeshift clothes she'd fashioned to protect her delicate bits. Her head tilted back and to the side, eyes closing as she listened carefully. There was another howl from the distance, quickly closing the distance. There wasn't much time, and the second beast wouldn't go down as easily as the first.


Her blade was stowed as those ghostly eyes swung towards the man. "Come, climb," she snapped, the words some of the few she understood well. Without waiting to see if he followed, she turned and started to ascend a tree near them, making sure it was one he would be able to climb easily.

 

[Soliloquy]

The young prince felt weak and ashamed at the position he had placed himself in. As many times as he had ridden past the forest, nothing had ever made him foolish enough to try and enter. Something had pulled him in, a witch, no doubt, and now it was cackling somewhere at his demise. The thought of being tricked made his blood boil, although the anger was quickly over-lapsed by fear once more.


Dripping jowls vibrated with hate as the creature leaped toward him, razor sharp teeth snapping as they closed the gap. Wilhelm could even feel the heated breath as the space between them became nearly nothing. Just as he was just that this was the end, that he would never live to be crowned, to rule the kingdom, to see Mina grow into a woman and so much more, the fear of death was shoved aside with the appearance of a blur of a woman.


His eyes didn't even register the being as a woman at first, afraid instead that it was a second creature coming to assist the first. The tanned flesh was quick to subdue the beast and as the wolf fell the ground, Wilhelm was able to get a solid look at the newcomer. A woman, clearly, although unlike any he had seen before. Her eyes shone bright and her speech was rough, although the message was clear.


Looking around the forest, he wasn't able to see an immediate threat. However, the woman before him was clearly not satisfied with the current situation, putting away her weapon but only to move toward a tree. He hadn't climbed a tree in years, something he would be shamed for previously, especially if it ruined good trousers, but an innate feeling in his groin stated the speared wolf was not the only danger to his life. Glancing up at the bark above him, he swallowed and began to clumsily climb after her.


"Thank you, miss," he said, swearing under his breath as he lost his footing and scraped his arm on the bark as a result. "I appreciate the assistance, but if you could just point me toward the road..."

 

[awriternamedian]

The girl climbed until she had determined they were high enough to be safe from the approaching beast, before peering down at the struggling man. What type of being couldn't climb a tree? She'd even picked an easy one, with plenty of branches to grip and use as footholds, that wouldn't bend under their weight.


His words were strange to her, but she was pretty sure she got the gist of his request. "No," she said firmly. "Dangerous. More." As she spoke, she pointed down at the slain wolf. The sounds of the second were getting closer, the great beast thundering through the trees, and she believed she could now hear a third. "Hurry." A bit of anxiety threaded her voice this time. While it was within her skill to take on one wolf and succeed, even if it was with difficulty, two at once would be nigh impossible. And she was certain all of the noise would attract the flesh eater. Hopefully they could either make it higher, or the creature would be satisfied by the three wolves, because they hadn't yet made it to a safe place from that.


Just as the man reached a safe point, the other two wolves burst through the bushes, coming to a stop by their slain brethren. They howled their grief, before turning their gaze up to the two humans. A snarl echoed through the trees, the fur on the beasts standing on end, and they slowly paced around the tree, eyes fixed on their prey. The woman sighed. This was going to be a long night.

 

[Soliloquy]

Her broken English was still enough for him to understand what she was saying. He would not be walking anywhere, not with multiple large wolves on the ground beneath them. Saving his breath and sparing a response, he instead focused on the tedious task of following the strange woman up the trunk. In his opinion, they had climbed high enough to be safe of wolves, she did not seem convinced and continued higher and higher.


The fall earlier and rough contact with the rock was beginning to have adverse effects on Wilhelm's train of thought and processing. The blow had been a hard one, and every few moments of struggling with climbing he was forced to pause while his head spun once again, making his stomach churn in response. His fingers would wrap tightly around the branch they were holding, the bark digging into his skin while he fought to focus again. This seemed impossible, like a terrible dream he was sure to wake up from soon, but when he opened his eyes, he was still following a scantily clad woman up a tree from a pack of wolves.


When his peculiar savior and guide seemed to be satisfied with the height they had reached, he propped himself against the trunk, wincing at another surge of pain He had done his best not to look down since they had began climbing, heights a challenge he had worked hard to avoid. Now, instead of looking down, his eyes shifted toward her once more, easily able to tell she was not at ease yet.


"Thank you," he said again, remembering she seemed to have difficulty with speaking, but wanting to communicate somehow. Pointing to his chest, eyes still on her he attempted to introduce himself, seeing as it was only proper thing to do. "Wilhelm."

 

[awriternamedian]

Finally he was up and still. She'd been worried for a bit there that he was going to slip. If the fall didn't kill him, the wolves waiting certainly would, and quite happily. They probably wouldn't even eat him, instead tearing him to shreds in retribution for their fallen pack mate. It was a nasty fate, and one she wouldn't lift a finger to stop. Even if she wanted to, there was no way to actually save him from such a thing.


She sighed, crouching easily on the thick branch, eyes watching the prowling wolves. They'd become bored eventually. Or be eaten. It wouldn't matter to her, honestly.


As he spoke, she peered back over at him. The first two words she couldn't understand, though this was the second time he'd said them. His next word, combined with the gesture, she did understand. Wilhelm. It was an odd name. Then again, she thought most human names were odd. Her brow furrowed as she thought. She had a name, didn't she? It had been a long time since it had been spoken, as there wasn't much use for names in the forest.


After a long period, she finally said, "Ali." It wasn't quite right. She was sure her name was longer than that, but it kept slipping her mind. Ali was part of it though, she was pretty sure. Either way, it worked well enough. Casting her eyes back to the ground, she mouthed his name, trying to wrap her lips around it. A very odd name.


The growling stopped suddenly, though the wolves still paced. Her eyes frantically searched the brush as the light grew dim, too quickly to be natural. It was here.

 

[Soliloquy]

Despite the gravity of being lost and nearly turned into food for the wild wolves, the price found himself pleased to have established some form of communication with the feral creature before him. She had, after all, saved his life without a doubt moments prior, and he also hoped to make it clear he would need to be led back toward civilization.


When she responded back, some time later, he was caught off guard and didn't initially process what she was saying. His attention had been diverted to daring to glance far beneath their feet at the forest ground below, pondering how he was to safely land below once they were no longer being hounded by predators. Once again he swore at himself for not thinking to bring a sword or a dagger, even a dagger would have offered some protection. But no, he had been reckless and left in a hurry, like a pup with no patience, to be out-prepared by a woman who could hardly speak. Realizing that what she had said was her name, he nodded quickly.


"Ali," he repeated pointing at her before back to himself, "Wilhelm. Thank you, Ali. Now, can we go dow-"


His words cut abruptly when even the less observant prince realized that approaching darkness was not from a lack of sun. Fine copper hairs on the back of his next rose in fear, and Wilhelm could feel himself left unsettled. Something was nearing them, and it did not seem to be anything that Ali was eager to meet. He could see her body stiffen just as his did, and he had to assume she knew what was down there.


"Is it a beast?" he asked, his deep voice surprisingly soft, a change in tone that was subconscious in attempts to keep them both safe.

 

[awriternamedian]

At his question, her eyes shot back up to him. Her thoughts raced for a moment, trying to decide what to do. If it had been just her, she'd have quickly made her way higher into the branches, well out of the creature's reach. There was no way he was getting up any higher though. No way. At least not fast enough for it to matter. From the way he'd been moving, she guessed he'd injured himself while dealing with the dark wolf. So what to do. They were still within the creature's reach. Three dark wolves were a pretty big feast though. Maybe, if they hid and stayed quiet enough, it would move on without searching the area too much.


As the first inky tendril became visible on the forest floor, she made her decision. She scrambled towards him, putting a hand across his mouth as she pressed in close. "No sound. No move," she whispered firmly, eyes meeting his for a moment, as if to make sure he understood, before peering back down. Her body pressed closer to his as more of the tendrils became visible, trying to make the two of them as small as possible, her hand never moving from his mouth.


The two wolves had stopped pacing finally, both of them turned towards the creature creeping into sight, a cloud of inky darkness pulled along by little tendrils of black that searched each area of the ground ahead of it. Their tails were between their legs, and they were sunk low to the ground. All beasts in the forest knew what the flesh eater was. They both whined clinging to each other, before finally turning and taking off. As if the sudden movement had 'activated' the creature, two of it's tendrils shot out, one wrapping around each of the wolves and dragging them back. The wolves howled as more tendrils appeared, slicing into their flesh, flaying them alive. Each slice of flesh, each drop of blood was absorbed into the inky cloud. Their howls and whimpers went on for a while before they finally died of their injuries. The creature continued flaying them until there was nothing left but dry bones, which crumbled to the ground in a pile.


It paused for a moment, making Ali tense, before tendrils shot out once more, this time to snag the wolf that she'd killed. It went through the same process, until it's bones were left in a pile with the others. The creature seemed to tremble, compressing in on itself, before continuing it's slow trek across the forest floor. It wasn't until light started to reappear that she finally took a deep breath, releasing her grip on the man's mouth.

 

[Soliloquy]

The uncomfortable sense that something more deadly than himself approached was foreboding and presented an innate sense of fear the young prince was not accustomed to.  While learning to hunt, he had come face to face with a monstrous black bear, that standing on  it's hind legs was nearly a foot taller than him. The terrible creature had released a bone-shaking growl that had left him terrified, nearly rooted with fear before he had realized that failure to move would be his end. He forced himself to react, and with the aid of his hunting party had toppled the beast, now a grand rug in the great hall. As frightened as he thought he was in those moments, that was nothing compared to the unnatural sensation he was currently experiencing. This time, he did not feel the urge to raise up a sword and chase after a pelt, but rather was concerned he would be the one turned into a decorative piece.


Curiosity was the death of man and feline, however, and Wilhelm found himself straining his eyes to try and see through leaves and branches to the forest floor. He had just barely seen...well he wasn't entire sure what it was, but it reminded him of a squid...when suddenly Ali had thrust herself upon him. Her hand was clasped tightly to his mouth, and while naturally he might have had the desire to cry out in opposition, her hushed words made him change his mind. Quiet and still, her two demands that translated through her eyes as necessities. Rather than call out, the prince simply nodded his head in the slightest of manners. She had already saved his life once, he didn't need to be told twice.


As much as his position and her body against his allowed, Wilhelm continued to peer down, but it was all for naught. They were against the thinning trunk of the tree and the beast below, whatever it may be, left vision all but removed. His hearing, however, remained fully in tact, and the sounds that ensued were nearly as sufficient as seeing the carnage actually happening. The howling protests of the wolves who had minutes prior been plotting his demise almost raised a sense of pity in the young man. They were being destroyed, ripped apart piece by piece, and even if he couldn't understand the sounds of an animal, he recognized the universal plea for death. A shudder ran through his body, but he remained silent. 

When at least Ali released her hold, their vision gradually returning to what could only be expected in a dimly lit forest, Wilhelm also exhaled, eyes dilated from fear as he looked in the direction the darkness was traveling. The concept alone was unnatural and screamed dark magic, which aligned with every fear and bedside tale of the Dark Forest. Glancing down at the wild, unexpected female, still pressed to him, he couldn't help but wonder what possessed anyone to voluntarily stay within the confines of this wooded hell pit and the monstrosities that wandered within. 

"What was that?" he finally managed to ask, although a dozen other questions soared through his mind.

 

[awriternamedian]

Ali took deep, shuddering breaths, eyes closed as she calmed her racing heart. She'd seen the flesh eater kill before, but it never truly got easier to watch. And while there were many, even more dangerous creatures in this forest, the flesh eater certainly had the most gruesome kills. She knew where it was now though, and which direction. Luckily for her, it was headed in the exact opposite direction of her home. Which, as she peered around to get her bearings, she realized wasn't too far away. Her lips turned down into a slight frown. Well, not far for her. Normally she'd just take a quick path through the trees, but there was no way this man would be able to follow along the branches. They'd have to go along the ground. That frown deepened as she tried to figure out where along the line she'd decided to save him from the forest, not just the dark wolves.


At his question, her brow knotted in confusion, eyes narrow as they darted up to his. It took her a moment, but she thought she understood the gist of it. She wasn't entirely sure how to answer him though. She had no names for the creatures in this forest only descriptions, and she didn't have the words to express that. Finally pulling back, she returned to her careful crouch on the branch, tugging on a strand of hair as she thought, racking her brain for all of the words she'd gathered from intruders over the years.


"Monster," she finally said. It was vague, and as far as she was concerned, applied to every non-beast type creature in this forest, but it would work for now. Having settled that question, her eyes turned down, scanning the forest floor for any sign of activity. There was generally very little when the flesh eater was on the prowl, which is why the appearance of the dark wolves had surprised her. She supposed they'd been drawn out by the odd smell of the man. All humans from out of the forest smelled... strange.


Satisfied that they were safe, at least for the time being, she turned back to the man, pointed at the ground, and said, "Down."