The silent sky casted golden rays across the canopy of the forest. No creature stirred at the Norwood lake. The water's surface was unbroken, not ripple would are break the beauty of the glass like lake. The wind's gentle hand brushed the treetop's branches, the leaves rustled lightly in response. Below on the forest floor, a creature stirred.

A small fawn, stumbled forward into the clearing. It's thin untrained legs made it wobble as it tried to make itself stable. Once it had it's footing the fawn made it's way towards the water's edge cautiously. It's ears were always twitching, trying to catch the slightest of sounds. Every few feet that it wandered towards the water it stopped. Standing straight outright to listen, smell, and gaze around. It all seemed safe to the creature as it finally reached the water's edge. There it took one last moment to check if all was well before taking a sip from the water.

That was last taste that touched it's tongue, for the next moment there was a sharp thwang and whiz. The body of the fawn went limp, and the body hit the soft ground with an even softer thud. An arrow protruded from it'd abdomen. The wooden shaft was short, and the feathers that were attached to it were black, looking as if they were from a crow.

Off in the distance, from a tree near the water's edge Sekuda smirked under the shade of the tree's leaves. His body was hidden away atop a branch, crouched as if to pounce. His air was matted with dirt and mud, even small twigs had found their way into his messy brown hair. His rough hands clenched the crude short bow in his right hand, while his left hung loosely by his side. His brown eyes gazed around, making sure like the deer he was alone.

After he felt safe enough, he let himself fall from the tree branch, landing on the ground slightly crouched. With a deep breath he stood upright, standing at 5'11. He kept his keen eyes on his surroundings as he quickly ran towards his kill. The body was lifeless, laying there near the water. Blood was already making an appearance as Sekuda go nearer and nearer. The blood was flowing down the bodies side, forming a small pool on the ground. Sekuda knelt down by the deer, looking it over quickly before grabbing it's hind legs. He started to quickly drag it back to the forest's edge, afraid of being seen.

This place was strangely familiar, the path before her was one she recognized… but nothing was the same. Nothing could be, never again. She felt shame, shame that what she knew was something others would kill her for. Not all people though, but no more people would know what she was. Some people knew, both angel and devil in turn knew what she was… but that didn’t mean she really had to fight in this battle, did it? There was so much more she could do instead…

The figure garbed in simple black and green leather dress, no armor or cloak, and two blades at her hip, walked barefoot through the cool forest. She liked the feel of the soil, the silence and the solitude of the forest. She was part of that and, barefooted as she was, her steps made no sound. Her path lead her to a familiar stretch of land between the forest and the lake. It was there she stopped, hidden in the shadows and invisible to all, remembering her last visit to this place. She had just met a half-fiend with huge wings who she was proud to call her friend, especially now. He didn’t care what she was. He had never hurt her and she believed he never would.

Other things, like the giant fish and other beasts that lived in the lake, she didn’t doubt would be willing to kill her without hesitation. Her eyes strayed across the dark and foreboding waters, memories clouding her mind for a moment. Too much time to think and too much to think about. She needed to keep moving, always moving.

Finally looking away from the shifting surface of the lake Aether Draka turned to walk along the shore, stepping out of the shelter of the shadows the trees offered. It wasn’t until that moment that she saw movement that didn’t appear to be a beast of the forest… though, as she got a better look, perhaps a creature of the forest like she considered herself in many cases. He was dragging something, a deer, back into the forest from where it had apparently fallen. A single arrow stuck awkwardly out of the beast’s body.

She didn’t think she had been seen yet and part of her wanted to just move back into the shadows where she could remain unseen, unnoticed, and then go on her way. That, of course, was pure foolishness as far as AD was concerned. Curiosity had taken hold and without further hesitation she simultaneously started walking toward the man and activated her sanctuary tattoo on will. The unseen bubble of protection wrapped around her as she continued forward on silent feet. If he could kill a deer in one shot, she didn’t want to take the chance.

Sekuda's face was blank as he yanked hard on the deer's body. It's leg stuck in a small root from a nearby tree. He continued pulling, trying to get it loose, shaking it violently. Blood flying in directions. His legs strained for a moment, till the body came loose. To his surprise though he lost his footing. He fell back onto the ground, the lifeless body he dragged falling on top of him. He layed there for a moment taking a quick breath. He had to hurry now, he had been out in the open too long, he could not allow himself to be seen.

The wood elf pushed the limp form off of his chest and rolled over. With his arms and knees he pushed himself from the dirt, not bothering to brush the dirt off his clothes. It did not matter he if did. It would not make a difference it just blended in with the other dirt he had on his chest and legs, and other body parts. He looked at himself with a faint smile. Over the past years he had spent in this forest he rarely bothered to clean his clothes, and over these years he had gathered layers of dirt upon himself. He shook his head remembering the task on hand.

His dirt covered arms grabbed the legs of the deer again and started once more to drag it into the forest, his home. It was at this moment as he turned his head he spotted a figure moving towards him. Instant fear filled him. He had been spotted. His body unwillingly moved for him for but a few seconds before he sprang into action. His right arm reached back grasping the bow from his left shoulder while his left hand grasped an arrow from his makeshift quiver. His eyes never left the figure, watching it before he fled back into the shadows of the forest, leaving the dead fawn behind.

The man paused in his task when he saw her approaching and then fled the spot, abandoning the small dear when he did so. AD smiled slightly to herself, for some reason pleased with this sort of reaction. She doubted he would leave his kill there to rot, but leaving it there on the ground would undoubtedly cause it to rot and if there was one thing she hated, it was rotting meat.

She walked past where the deer had fallen, a small pool of blood and a trail from dragging it was as clear as day, even if she had not seen it she doubted anyone would be able to miss it. Aether Draka went to stand over the corpse, searching the forest for the owner of this kill. He had moved swiftly enough to disappear in some unknown direction and there was no way of knowing when he was likely to come back. She could wait perhaps?

Kneeling down she examined the killing shot and smiled to herself once more. Grabbing hold of the arrow shaft she gave it a sharp twist and pulled it out. The arrow wasn’t one she could recognize, she didn’t know much about arrows beyond removing them. A soft sound caught her attention then and she stood.

The trees… she looked up and saw a suitable branch above her head. Crouching low she jumped, caught it with both hands and promptly swung herself atop it. Standing on the wide branch she looked around once more for the man. Not seeing him, she shrugged, sighed, and sat down. She didn’t hide in the shadows this time, but let her bare feet hang down off the branch, swinging her feet slightly in rhythm, a tune she didn’t know the words to going through her mind.There she waited, keeping an eye on the deer so no other beast would steal it. She was waiting for some sign that the man was near. Her curiosity was growing, why had he run? Did he have something to hide?

Sekuda had fled from the area, keeping within a close proximity to the area. He did not want to leave his kill far behind. He also did want to be seen though. When he felt he was far enough away the wood elf stopped. His left hand notched the arrow he had stolen from his quiver before, and he spun around. Turning around so that he was facing the direction the animal was. He took a deep breath, before crouching slightly while moving towards his kill.

His arms shook slightly as he gazed around him, his ears listening carefully for any noise while his eyes kept a watch the unheard. As he moved he made little to no noise, stepping over twigs and branches, and even avoiding the leaves of bushes. He licked his lips realizing he was also thirsty as he was tired. After he scared this person off, or killed them he could return to the lake to drink and eat the fawn he had killed.

Soon Sekuda was close to the body, he could see it from the bush he hid behind now. It layed there out in the open untouched, but as he looked closer he noticed the arrow he put into the body was not there anymore. He blinked, looking around for it without avail. He knew though that he could not come out of his hiding place yet, until he made sure that the intruder had left. Just then his eyes caught the feet of the person. They swung back and forth, hanging low from a branch in a nearby tree.

Sekuda's arm straightened out as he pulled up his bow, his left hand pulled back on the arrow he notched before. As his eyes peered down the shaft of his arrow he picked out his target. He aimed for the branch on which the legs hung from. Hopefully he would be able to scare his target first like he always did. In the past he always gave intruders a warning before he killed them. The second part of the task rarely came as his target would always flee the forest screaming something in a language he could not understand. Without a further thought, Sekuda fired the bow, letting the arrow slip from his fingers and fly forth towards the branch.

Aether Draka’s gaze had strayed again, this time following the flitting movements of some type of very small bird. She didn’t know what anyone would call the bird, but she knew it ate mostly seeds and would nest high in the trees. ‘Was the season right for eggs?’ she wondered for a moment before dismissing the idea. She wasn’t in the mood to look in thin branched trees for the intricately woven nests with fragile eggs in them. She saw a movement then, as an arrow flew and hit the branch she sat on.

For a moment she looked at it blankly, then leaned over and followed the angle to see where it had been fired from. The attack wasn’t really an attack, which wouldn’t have hit anyways due to her sanctuary tattoo… but still… she should do something in turn. She couldn’t see the hidden figure but she knew he was back and about where he was. Well, two could play that game.

“Turin, search.” She said in draconic and the tiny fly dragon zipped out of its hiding place in her bag to spiral off in a lightning quick search pattern. Pulling the second arrow loose, she added both arrows to her bag as she created shadow illusions of those arrows. With the sound this one had made combined with the pure black arrows she conjured, she cast the pair toward the hiding place. They would, of course, hit nothing. Such shadows couldn’t harm anyone physically, but the message was the same.

As soon as they were gone from her hand, she moved up a branch and hid perfectly unseen in the shadows there. There wasn’t as many as she liked, but even magic couldn’t detect her in the shadows. AD was a Shadowdancer after all and that was one choice she would not regret.

As the arrow hit his target he felt pleased with himself. Years of using his weapon he had perfected his aim. Shooting at logs and leaves to start of with, then at larger animals that moved throughout the forest. It had been a very long time since he had ever missed his target and if so, he barely missed. With the satisfying sound of the thud of the arrow hitting the wood, Sekuda backed away trying to hid from view in the bushes. As he hid there, he listened carefully. Waiting for the sound of fleeing footsteps.

It never came though, there was only silence. Something was wrong, this person was not fleeing like they usually did. With a small fit of rage he notched another one of his crude arrows onto his bow. He stood up to his full height, and pulled back slowly on the arrow, tightening the bow. As he was doing this though, he saw two arrows plunge into the ground beside him. He knew at once then that this being would not leave without a fight. With a deep breath he emerged from behind the tree, his arm lifting the bow high, his eyes looking down the shaft of the arrow.

As he aimed for the spot where the person once was, he quickly noticed there was nothing there. The dangling feet were no longer there. Something else quickly caught his attention though, a small flying creature flew around him. Sekuda forgot about his target and quickly aimed his bow at the dragon firing. The arrow whizzed past the dragon as it easily dodged the missile.

The arrows didn't hit a living thing, which would have caused them to vanish. Instead she had to dissolve the illusions herself. The arrows seemed to melt away into nothingness, returning to the shadows. She could see the man clearly now and she wondered if perhaps, perhaps she could fool him into thinking she had left.

'Found him!' the tiny dragon announced to her telepathically as it dodged the arrow. She almost laughed at that, but still didn’t move from where she hid. Instead she looked to make another illusion, this time something more elaborate then simple arrows. This would take much more of her concentration, especially as it got further away.

From the shadows at the base of the tree she hid it she shaped the shadows into something that replicated her. The figure was darker then her, but she dressed darkly to begin with. This figure stepped out of the shadows and ran along the shore, in the direction she would be heading when she finished here. The figure didn’t pause and the sound of muffled footsteps accompanied it as it fled. Just before it would be too much of a strain to maintain, the figure would simply disappear into the woods. As always, the Turin flew straight up, toward the sun if possible so he couldn’t be seen, when he saw her working a more elaborate shadow illusion. He would stay out of sight until she called on him again.

Now she would find out his true intensions. If he really wished her dead he would no doubt follow the fleeing figure; if not literally, at least with another arrow. Then she would have a better idea of how to deal with him and she would get the first blow…

If he didn’t wish her dead then; no harm, no foul. Her curiosity wouldn’t allow her to just abandon this little venture. It was obvious she wasn’t welcome, but AD had other ways of satisfying her abundant curiosity and people watching, even if it was only one person, was always a way to do it.

Sekuda kept his gaze on the small dragon, reaching back for another one of his arrows. It was too late though for it flew off before Sekuda could do anything. Something else caught his attention then, the sound the retreating footsteps could be heard clearly in his ears. His view quickly spun towards the sound, allowing him to see just in the figure he had been trying to scare off running. Sekuda quickly strung the arrow he had in his hand and shot it off, without care for aim in the direction the figure fled.

The arrow landed harmlessly just in front of the edge of the tree line. With a nod Sekuda knew his job was done. His shoulders relaxed slowly as his placed his bow back on his right shoulder. He scanned the area slowly looking for anything that was out of place, but nothing caught his attention. With that he was satisfied with what took place. Sekuda walked over to the cold fawn he had killed moments earlier, with a small huff he pulled the creature up and over his left shoulder.

Before he left the area, he took a quick scan with his eyes. Trying to find any traces of the intruder. There was nothing there, and he turned around facing the forest once again, ready to head back into the depth of it's heart.

(Sorry for the short post, Writer's block >_<)

Aether Draka frowned at the man when he shot the arrow after her illusion self. There was something odd about this man, an almost ferial and skittish reaction that lead to a quick turn and attack if not left alone. The only reason she realized it was because she occasionally fell into a similar behavior pattern when she forgot how long it had been since she had eaten. Those memories, if she ever bothered to sort them out, were always very much like some wild being to her, like she was turned into one of the beasts that she normally hunted. So, she hesitated while he looked around, debating what she should do and if this venture was worth pursuing.

Deciding that it wasn’t, she let him go. Time passes unnoticed by her. She was just waiting for him to be gone. She felt a bit rested by the time she dropped out of the tree. Her bare feet landed softly on the cool and soft forest floor. Looking across the lake to where her shadow illusion had disappeared to she wondered exactly how far it would be back to Taras. The trip from that city had been abrupt, and by wing. She wasn’t even that sure of the direction. Once more a longing for flight rose in her chest. Without wings she would just have to walk, like always. She started off after her shadow illusion, making footsteps where the illusion hadn’t left them. She wasn’t quite sure why she was going back beyond the library, and magic. Perhaps if she learned more about magic she would be able to do more about her situation.