shamelesshookery | (no subject)

[ lets out another one of those puffing noises, falling silent. ]

[well. she takes it she can stay, so she goes about further camping preparations.]

[ apparently so, as he makes no further comments. ]

[doesn't seem intent on picking the conversation back up, simply starting to remove her armor piece by piece.]

[ he leaves her be, then, half-drowsing himself until it looks like she's going to bed.

(or just setting up night watch. it wouldn't be entirely unreasonable to skip sleeping in the mouth of a dragon's lair...) ]

Good night.

[She genuinely needs rest, badly, so she does go to bed

...and hesitates a little, at his words, before nodding and pulling her blanket over herself even more comfortably.]

Good night.

[ it's quiet again after that.

the night is uneventful, and the weather the next morning bright and cheerful. ]

[she's an early riser, and already packing up before the sun rises terribly high, then starting to strap into her armor once more.]

[ there are some faint rumbles from deeper in the cave, but they sound more like rock shifting than anything else ]

[speaking low but clear once she's ready to depart.]

Thank you for your hospitality.

Fare well, traveler.

[satisfied, she departs, steps much livelier now that she's rested... how far had she traveled without taking the time to sleep?]

[ that isn't particularly his business. but she'll be safe in his lands, and as a very large carnivore with wings "his lands" are correspondingly very large; she'll be able to sleep anywhere in them unmolested. (...not that he bothers to tell her of that fact.)

several days of travel later she's still in them, and even without being told she's probably noticed the complete lack of signs of any other travelers of any kind through the area. ...which probably makes it all the more worrying when that night, a thunderous crash and a chilling scream can be heard nearby. ]

[IT IS INDEED ALARMING and she heads straight for the sound, changing classes quickly, bow drawn as she comes upon him.]

[ what she comes upon is a clearing created by several newly felled trees, and an absolutely enormous black shape perched across them, its back to her. a gust of wind blows the smell of blood and something sulfurous and spicy toward Tree as it flaps broad feathered wings once or twice and then folds them as it bends down toward whatever it's got in its foreclaws. ]

Edited 2016-03-26 12:18 (UTC)

[she ducks back into the trees that remain, quickly skirting the edge of the clearing, trying to get a better look at what exactly is going on.]

[ ...it looks up in her direction, a large chunk of deer dangling from its mouth. that shriek was the sound of it making a kill, it seems; it's got one in each... talon? foreclaw? all that's visible of them are fluff and wickedly curved claws, so it's difficult to say one way or another.

the face pointed her way is a mix of leonine and serpentine, with tiny little eartufts pricked up under the curving horns. it blinks glowing red eyes mildly at her and then bolts back the chunk of flesh with quick efficiency before speaking. ]

My apologies. I didn't realize you had settled quite so close.

[ ...the low, even voice is at least familiar enough, if almost laughably quiet now that it can be compared to his size. ]

[She doesn't seem in the least put off by his meal, lowering her bow with an easy smile.]

It's fine. Pardon me for interrupting your meal. I'm still in your territory, then?

[ flicking both those eartufts and a forked tongue in her direction ]

You are, and will remain so for some time.

That explains the quiet. It's peaceful. Thank you for allowing me to travel here.

[ blinking again, slow, and then dipping his head as he turns his attention back to dinner ]

I don't actually disallow travelers in my lands. Only trespassers closer to home.

All the same, the quiet is nice.

[ swallowing ]

I do enjoy it.

[tips her head up to look at the night sky, considering.]

I should probably eat as well, given the time. Is it all right if I take my meal here with you?

If you haven't lost your appetite, feel free to continue to be my guest.