There was an uneasy creaking moan as the carved piece of whalebone bent slightly under pressure. It was new enough that Mert didn't fear it would break. Even in this wind his tent should've held up just fine. He spent a lot of time making sure it was well maintained. A few embers were launched into the air as he stirred the coals of his small fire and added some dried peat in preparation for the evening. It had been covered over and smoldering while he was gone for the day.
"We're out of the wind now Deli, time to pick out your dinner," Mert said quietly as he stepped away to start removing his outer layers. At the mention of dinner there was a shift around his neck and what had previously appeared to be a scarf of snow white fur leaped from his neck and revealed itself to be a large ermine. She shook her fur out and chittered happily back at Mert before bounding off towards a leather sack in the corner.
Mert hung up his coat, a mishmash of so many different types of fur that it was almost comical, and set his boots near the fire to start drying out. The air was be enough for the rest of it but damp boots were downright annoying. A few more layers of fur and leather came off and were hung with care on conveniently arranged pegs lashed to the bone supports of the tent.
A chuckle erupted from Mert's unkempt mess of a beard as he turned to see that Deli had pulled the sack over onto herself and her little arms and legs were flailing as she wiggled free. "I've seen you scare off a wolf, but a sack of food defeats you?" Despite the question he has a smile on his face and he stumbles over to free the ermine. "Well now, were you hoping to get the last of the salmon before I could get to it? Little scamp. Tell you what, I will give you most of it and use the rest for my soup."
Mert rummaged around in his sack and produced the smoked fish, breaking off a third for himself and handing the rest to his companion. As she happily nibbled away he filled a small pot with water, a few vegetables, the dried salmon, and a few other hunks of meat from the bag. He planned to be camped there for a few days, so the soup wouldn't be wasted. He decided to wait until after dinner to go hang his bag of food up in the trees.
The soup bubbled and the aroma wafted out of the vent in the roof Mert laid back and thought about the traps and snares he had placed earlier that day. The first few nights in a new area were usually the most successful.
Even a timberwolf's fur wasn't quite enough to keep her warm in this weather. Ghost shivered violently as she trudged doggedly forward through the snow and gale.
Why on earth did I think this was a good idea? she asked herself despairingly. Hunters had been growing into more and more of a nuisance down south, after "The Ghost". So heading north for a while had seemed logical.
But it was so damned cold!
Wait- what was that, up ahead? Asta took a few more shaky steps forward, squinting through the driving snow. A- a tent? Oh thank gods, maybe someone would be able to spare some food, or a blanket, or-
Or it could be another hunter.
She hesitated, whining softly to herself. Take a risk, or flee into the snow? Freeze to death or possibly get shot?
At least an arrow would be quicker. Desperate, she staggered forward and gave a quiet, plaintive howl.
Oh, wait. No. That wouldn't work, not out here. A wild wolf knocking at your door? No no, she'd be shot on sight.
With a huffing sigh, she thought, Very well then, and allowed her form to shift to human.
Ohhhhhhh, bad idea! Bad, bad idea!! It was so so so cold! "H-help!" Her voice was weak and raspy from disuse. Bare feet sinking into the snow, arms wrapped around her little naked self, she tried again. "Help, please!"
Mert had set to lounging with his back propped up by a few of the bags of supplies and was just about as close as one could get to sleeping without losing consciousness. A talent he had honed mostly for lying in wait while hunting, but just as effective while waiting for soup to simmer. His breathing and heartbeat slowed but his eyes and ears remained alert.
So it surprised him when his friend reacted to something he didn't hear. Deli's ears perked up and she stood on her hind legs with her neck craning to hear something outside. "Something up? Can't hear nothing over this wind," he whispered. He checked the soup and guessed that it was safe to leave it while he checked things out. He didn't want to burn it or have a fire start, but he knew better than to ignore his friend's senses.
With a grumble, and a matching protest from his stomach, he pulled on his still damp boots and a layer of furs. "You riding or walking?" he asked Deli. She chittered and climbed to nestle herself around his neck, her alert head poking out over his left shoulder. With a chuckle Mert pulled his heavy outer coat on and hung his long knife and hatchet in his belt.
Mert unhooked the flap of his tent and a rush of frigid air blasted its way inside. He quickly stepped out and hooked the flap closed on the outside. His tent was in a small clearing and he had packed snow into a rough circle around it, leaving just enough space for his gear and for him to be able to walk around the tent. The tops of the snowbanks were tipped with various branches and pieces of bone to ward off predators. There was only one safe entrance to the camp and it was blocked off by his sledge, set into the snow on its end.
Mert shielded his face with a gloved hand and gazed out into the snow, trying to see what had alerted his companion. He thought he heard a small voice not far from his camp but he couldn't be certain. Who would be out here in this? I've heard stories about creatures luring hunters away from camp, but if it is some lost soul I better check it out.
Mert pulled the sledge out of the snow and set it aside, pulling out a spear from the snow after his hands were free. He began trudging through the snow, leaning forward against the wind. "Who's there? You a demon?" he called out in a rough but loud voice.
Asta stumbled toward the voice, too cold now to really think clearly. Why why why had she thought this was a good idea?
She was nearly invisible in the snow, at least until she was barely a few steps from the trapper. She was shivering so violently her whole body seemed to almost flicker with the passing snowflakes.
"N-n-n-not a d-demon," she chattered. Her hair was long enough to provide a certain amount of modesty, but with the way the wind was blowing it really wasn't doing her much good. "Puh-please, it's so c-c-c-cold!"
The large man loomed against the blowing snow, with very little in the way of a gap between where his mess of brown hair ended and the furs of his coat began. Except of course for the pure white fur around his neck. Deli had tucked her head back into the warm pocket of Mert's hood.
Mert squinted to see the very pale woman in the dim light of evening, but as she approached he stabbed his spear into the ground and raised his arms in a sign of peace. His deep voice calling to the woman, "Manaia protect me, what're you doin out here? You'll freeze." Seeing no one else around, he groaned and took off his nice warm coat to hand it to the freezing woman. It was much too large for her but he figured it was better than nothing. Good thing I put on the rest of these furs, but we better get back inside soon.
He walked slowly towards the woman holding the hooded coat out and turned his head to respectfully face away as snow accumulated on his hair and beard, "Take this for a start, don't mind the smell. I could maybe carry you if you want."
Even as Mert looked away from the woman, a small white head peeked out from around his neck and trained her beady eyes on the strange looking woman to carefully watch her every movement.
"Oh, th-thank you, th-th-thank you." Thank gods, her gamble seemed to have paid off. Her bare feet were near to screaming with pain at the biting cold by now as she stumbled forward and took the offered coat, wrapping it around herself securely.
Better. Better, but she was still cold. "I-I can w-w-walk," she assured the stranger as she staggered forward another few steps.
Gods what she wouldn't give for a think coat of fur right now, her own coat. But she'd played this particular hand as a human, so she'd have to stick with the shape. At least for the moment.
The large fur coat smelled like it hadn't been washed in a long time but it was quite warm and it blocked most of the wind.
Mert returned his gaze to the woman after she covered up. "Eh, be stubborn then. I ain't gonna force ya, but I won't be rubbin' your toes neither," he grumbled. If you want toes blacked by frost, fine. Still not convinced you ain't a devil. Barefoot and nude in this snow.
Mert tromped over to his spear and yanked it free of the ground, using the sharp end to point back towards his camp. "Tent's that way, follow my tracks. I'll follow."
While waiting to see if the woman really was able to keep walking on her own Mert dipped his face down slightly to whisper to Deli, "Your eyes are sharper, keep an eye on this one." Deli chirped back in response and continued watching the woman.
Asta nodded and stumbled toward the tent, ducking quickly inside as soon as she could and throwing herself down in front of the fire. She drew her knees up to her chest and snuggled into the coat, pressing her hands and feet as close to the warmth as she could manage.
"Thank you," she breathed, her eyes sliding closed for a moment.
Mert carefully followed the young woman back through the trail of footprints he had left. He was honestly surprised she made it to the tent without trouble. Then again he had no idea how long she had been walking around like that.
When they reached the humble little wall of packed snow he let her go on ahead while he secured the camp and made sure the wind hadn't knocked over anything important. Deli leaped from his shoulders to follow the guest into the tent, wriggling underneath the tent flap as it was pulled closed behind the woman. Deli climbed on top of the sack of food and sat there watching.
Outside, Mert set the spear aside and slammed the frame of the sledge back in place to block the gap in the wall. A few of the shorter spikes had shifted in the wind and he fixed them while he was out there. He finally placed the spear back where he grabbed it from earlier and stepped inside his tent.
After securely buttoning the flap closed on the tent he once more removed his damp boots and hung his furs up to dry. They weren't meant to be worn as an outer layer but they would be ok. He used his fingers to comb his hair and beard so they were blocking less of his face. Drips of water were flung off his fingertips as he shook them dry.
When he was down to his very plain pants and woolen shirt he leaned over to the fire and checked on the soup, letting the smell of food fill the tent once more. He sat on the other side of the metal container holding the fire and soup pot. It wasn't a very large fire, but it was enough to heat the tent well and cook the food.
Mert sat quietly for a minute as he stirred the pot of soup and then turned to rummage around in one of his bags. He produced two small tin cups and dipped one into the pot to fill it with hot soup, offering it to Asta. "Here, this will warm you up. Careful, it's hot."
"Thanks," she murmured again, taking the offered cup and just holding it for a moment, letting the warmth seep into her hands. She eyed the man over the edge of it as she took a sip.
It was hot, but the scalding stew was exactly what she needed, nearly burning her throat as she swallowed though she didn't care.
Her eyes lit on the white furred creature watching her and she tilted her head at her. "Hello." Unfortunately, in her human form, her communication with animals was limited. She could speak with creatures in a similar shape to the one she wore, so she didn't currently share a language with the...was she a martin?
"Can't have you dyin on me 'fore I even know your name," Mert grunted as he filled his own cup of soup. He held it for a bit to let it cool off some, raising his eyebrow when the woman began swallowing the contents of her cup while it was still too hot.
He took a sip from his cup and then set it down. "Don't know why you were out there, but you're welcome to stay until it calms down a bit." Gesturing around the tent he added, "It's not much but its warm and dry."
The creature tilted her head and chittered at the woman when she addressed it. The creature was more similar in size to a martin than a stoat but with sleeker fur and shorter legs. Her whiskers twitched and she eyed the woman but seemed too wary to approach.
Mert gave a low rumbling laugh, "That there is Deli. Cause trouble and she'll know it. But the little scamp has one weakness." He picked a small piece of meat out of his cup and tossed it to Deli. Deli narrowed her eyes at Mert's laughter but caught it in her little paws and nibbled at the edges while her gaze returned to the guest.
"Hello, Deli." She smiled at the creature and waved slightly. "I'm called Gho- Asta. My name is Asta," she corrected herself mid-sentence, looking back to the trapper.
"What should I call you then?"
Deli took a break from eating, a rare feat indeed. She nodded back at Asta and chittered happily before returning to her food.
Mert raised an eyebrow as the woman corrected herself, but stood and walked closer to offer a warm hand in greeting, "Ah, pardon my rudeness. Been a while since I talked to anyone 'cept Deli here. I'm Mert Shalt."
He noticed her trying her best to warm up and despite his scraggly beard and messy hair his eyes looked distinctly soft and friendly. "Keep the coat for tonight and use my bed," he pointed towards one side of the tent where a few layers of furs were piled up and one larger blanket was laying, somewhat folded. "Can't do much for your privacy, but I'll do what I can."
Wats shook her head quickly. "No please, you've done so much for me already, I wouldn't dream of taking your bed," she said hurriedly, shrinking deeper into the coat as she tried to wave his offer off.
Well I offered. Acts almost like a skittish animal. "Suit yourself then. You're warm, you're fed, and you're safe. Want to be uncomfortable? That's your business," Mert grumbled and sat back down to finish his now cooling meal.
Annoyed that his cup had cooled too much, he frowned and drained the rest with a gulp before filling it a second time with a fresh helping. The wind took the opportunity to interrupt with a strong gust that made the bone supports groan and creak again. Mert seemed unconcerned and grew perhaps a little sleepy as the dinner went on.
Mert waited until Asta had finished her cup before offering her seconds and asking, "So where were you headed?" I'd ask where you came from but...a woman running around naked? Probably something best not relived.
"I, um...I'm not really sure," Asta admitted sheepishly after a moment of consideration. "My home was- it wasn't safe anymore, so I started traveling north."
She shrugged and downed the rest of the offered meal quickly. "I thought perhaps Hyoite...but I've never actually been there, and I'm..." She pursed her lips and flicked her eyes down. "I'm not all that used to- well. Dealing with people."
As Asta spoke, Mert moved the pot of food onto a rock that had been dragged inside the tent to let it cool. He picked up a few small pieces of dried peat and tossed them in to renew the flames a bit more. He did not move to take the cup from Asta.
"Picked a hell of a time to come north then, most of us keep to the villages in winter," he shrugged, "Not that i'm to judge, its quieter out here. Ain't much for being with too many people myself." As if to prove his lack of social skills, he chewed at a fingernail that had grown a little too long.
Mert then leaned back against his makeshift chair of bags to warm his wool-covered feet by the fire. "Hyoite's at least a week's trip from here in good weather. I can't just let you go off and freeze to death." Trouble enough sleeping without worrying about you too, he didn't add.
As Mert paused to think about the situation Deli finished her food, hopped down and slowly approached Asta. Her whiskers twitched as she sniffed curiously at the woman. The furry animal was still wary and the woman didn't smell normal, but Asta didn't seem to be threatening at the moment.
While Deli approached, Mert had come to a decision. "I got trap lines out here that need to be tended to. If you'll wait a few days, the storm'll be gone and I should be ready to head back to Foxtail- it's little under a day's travel from here. You can borrow some spare kit from me til we get there."
The shapeshifter smiled as Deli approached, and held out her hand to be sniffed. "I'm really not all that scary, I promise," she murmured with a small smile for the little animal.
At Mert's offer, she lifted her head and blinked, a little taken aback. "I- that's very kind of you, I'd be incredibly grateful," she murmured, eyes slightly wider than normal. "I don't want to inconvenience you though...is there some way I could repay the kindness?"
Deli was horribly torn between two instincts. On one hand this woman smelled faintly like wolf but on the other she wasn't acting like a predator. Mert wasn't worried though, and she normally left the people things to him. In the end she ignored the wolf smell for the time being and rubbed her soft face against the outstretched hand.
As conflicted as Deli was, there was no such turmoil in Mert's mind. He was however a little unsure how to deal with the woman's emotional response to his offer. "Not kindness, necessity. As I say, I won't see you die on my account. Would never be able to face my mum again," he exclaimed, though his pale blue eyes showed great kindness hidden under the roughness.
He did raise one eyebrow and gave a hearty chuckle, "And you said you weren't used to dealing with people. No, up here nothing gets done for free-everything's a barter. I don't know your skills but there is plenty of work to go around. Traps need to be checked and catches dealt with. The fire and food need to be maintained and prepared and snow needs to be melted to fresh water. Minor repairs are constant and we'll need to make adjustments to my spare clothes for you to wear."
He rose up and walked over to stand by the woman, clapping a hand on her shoulder. "Besides, it'll be nice having someone a little more talkative than Deli." He then stuck his tongue out at the little furball and she returned the favor at the exact same time, as if she understood his words.
Asta resisted the urge to shrink back from his touch, and she managed a small smile. Hoping he wouldn't notice just how skittish she was.
She had been scratching at Deli's ears, and she giggled quietly when the little creature stuck her tongue out. "She's awfully smart," she noted with a quick grin up at Mert. A grin that quickly turned into a yawn, which she tried to hide behind a hand.
"Um, sorry. I think I should be getting to sleep, if that's alright..."
Mert was distracted by making faces at Deli and failed to notice Asta's discomfort. His hand remained there for a moment before his attention returned to the woman and he quickly removed it.
Deli thoroughly enjoyed the scratches and was a bit upset when they stopped. She looked between the two people to see what they were up to. Mert just stopped making faces and grinned, "Aye, she's very smart. You might say she's the brains here... Aha! No need to hide your yawning, Asta. You've been through much I think."
He stepped back away from her to rummage through his bags, "First lesson in dealing with Sionadyaki, be simple and direct." He pulled out a few older blankets and tossed them towards Asta, "If you won't use the bed, then at least take these. It'll get cold once the fire dies down and we can't keep it much above embers while we sleep."
"Oh, thank you." She took the blankets gratefully and quickly bundled herself into them. She wriggled in her little cocoon for a moment, then one arm stretched from the pile of cloth and tossed his coat back in his direction. "The blankets should be enough, I feel...awkward, taking your things," Asta said as she poked her head out of the top of the bundled mess.
Deli squeaked as she was half buried in the blankets as they were given to Asta. She wriggled her way out from underneath and then climbed back up onto her perch closer to Mert's bed.
The way that Asta bundled herself into a cocoon with the blankets brought a big smile to Mert's face. It reminded him of how Deli used to jump into a pile of his clothes and roll around until she was hopelessly entangled. Of course she had always ended up so warm and comfortable that she fell asleep like that.
He caught the heavy coat before it could fall too close to the fire and shrugged, "I offer what I can or want to part with. Up to you whether you accept. You need something, just wake me or Deli."
Mert made a point of hanging the coat on an empty peg fairly close to where Asta was, in case she changed her mind in the night. "Good night Asta," he said softly. He then went back to the fire and poked around a bit, making sure the coals would not be able to flare up and start a fire overnight. Some of the coals were carefully moved into a pile so some would be left to rekindle the fire in the morning.
After he was satisfied with the coals he finally laid down on his bed of furs and pulled his blanket up to his neck. Deli scampered over and curled up into a ball on his chest. It wasn't long before he was snoring away.
With a small smile, Asta curled up into the blankets and closed her eyes, curving slightly toward the fire. "Thank you," she murmured yet again. "Really. I- I'm not sure how much longer I would have lasted without your help."
Her voice trailed off sleepily and she yawned, then burrowed deeper into the covers and tried to sleep.
Mert's reply to Asta's sleepy statement was just a quiet grunt. There was no sense in discussing it. Without any shelter few creatures could survive for long in the brutal cold of the north. Moreover Mert was not used to dealing with people thanking him.
Thankfully Mert was very tired himself and as he felt the blissful pull of sleep tugging him into its soft embrace he had one final thought. Today was a good day. He lay there on his back and snored away. Clearly he wasn't used to the idea that this could bother other people.
Otherwise the tent rustled and the supports creaked in the wind. Together with the sounds of the wind itself they created a sort of pleasant white noise effect. With the fire now reduced to embers the tent began to cool significantly as the night went on. It was not cold enough for the occupants to freeze of course, but it was definitely noticeable.
After a few hours Deli woke up and could be heard shaking herself in preparation for finding a warmer spot to sleep in. She peered through the darkness to check on their guest.
Asta had always been a light sleeper, and sometimes prone to tossing and turning. Which resulted in a rather tangled mess of blankets around her form sometime in the middle of the night.
She's also somehow turned into a fox. Perhaps because she'd been dreaming of chasing rabbits. A fluffy white tail was just about all of her that could be seen in the mound of blankets, twitching lightly as her paws scrabbled while she chased imaginary prey.
Mert was actually a fairly heavy sleeper, though Deli was not. As Mert continued snoring on without a care she was aware of their guest tossing and turning in her pile of blankets. She would have just ignored it but she wanted to make sure Mert wasn't keeping Asta from sleeping.
Instead of climbing under the blanket and tucking herself in with Mert's warmth she carefully climbed down off of him to go investigate Asta. As she crept closer to the wiggling ball of twisted blankets her whiskers twitched as she sniffed the air. A different scent in the area caught her attention. It smelled like a fox, but she no longer smelled the faintly wolf-like scent of Asta. At the sight of the fluffy white tail sticking out of the blankets Deli nearly panicked.
She could have easily let Mert know there was trouble, but instead she decided to investigate herself. She climbed up one the blankets and gave the tail a yank with both her front paws to get the owner's attention. She then hopped back and stood ready to bite or run towards Mert depending on the reaction.
Asta yelped, coming awake with a start, and whirled around to snap blindly at what she perceived to be an attacker.
She really only managed to tangle herself further in the blankets and fell on her side with a sharp yip, wriggling uselessly. As she started to calm down, she realized she was in fact safe- and that she'd shifted forms in her sleep. Again. Great.
Huffing, she glowered balefully at Deli. Was that entirely necessary?
Deli stared back at the fox hopelessly tangled in the blankets. She didn't move to wake Mert or try to attack the fox. Instead she very slowly approached Asta and started pulling on the edges of the blankets, trying to loosen them so the fox could move.
Though she wasn't very large or very strong, she moved with an intelligence rivaling that of a human. She left distance between herself and the fox's jaw but after working on it for a little while some of the blankets started to loosen enough for Asta to free herself.
Across the tent Mert had rolled over onto his side and was no longer snoring. Instead he was facing the others in his sleep and a big goofy smile was spread across his face, with a tiny bit of drool starting to form in the corner of his mouth.
With a soft huff in gratitude, Asta wriggled herself free of the covers. She cocked her head to eye Deli with the senses of a fox, mouth slightly open as she tasted the air curiously.
Cautiously, she dropped onto her belly and wriggled forward to sniff at the other creature, tail twitching slightly and eyes wide and friendly.
Deli was pleased she had been right about the fox's intentions, though a little embarrassed that she had woken her by pulling on her tail. But that had been the only thing sticking out, and she didn't know if Asta was ok.
Deli crouched as if ready to spring, but allowed the fox to sniff at her. The intelligent creature certainly smelled like stoat or a martin. She didn't seem veryy afraid, though her eyes did quickly glance toward Mert's sleeping form occasionally. She waited for a bit and then edged forward to gently bump her nose against the fox's. Her own tail was curled around behind her.
The shapeshifter darted her tongue out to lick Deli's nose quickly, then sank back into a playful crouch, waving her plumed tail back and forth.
Asta wasn't exactly well versed in her own people's culture, but from what she'd been told growing up they were...method. Their core personalities never changed, but they tended to take on the mannerisms of whatever form they happened to be in.
And currently Asta was a fox. A highly intelligent fox with the ability to change her shape at will, but a fox. She bounded forward and batted at Deli's ears, then sprang back again and sank back into her play-crouch, mouth open in a foxy grin.
Deli squeaked at the touch of the tongue to her nose and blinked rapidly. Her own tail began softly lashing back and forth, delighting at the beginnings of a game. When Asta sprang forward to bat at her ears she nipped at the fox's paws and chittered happily.
Deli might have been a faithful companion, and he would call her his partner, but it had been quite a while since she had someone to play with. Mert tried when he had time, but he was too big and too afraid of hurting his little friend. Asta though, seemed to be the perfect opportunity. They just had to be careful not to wake up Mert. He probably wouldn't understand what was going on.
Rather than wait for the fox to pounce again, she leaped forward in an attempt to climb onto the fox's head. As she did so there was a stirring from across the tent as Mert shifted in his sleep. There was a brief moment when it seemed like he might have woken up, but then the was the sound of lip smacking and a mumble and he was clearly still asleep.
The fox tipped happily, and rolled onto her back in an attempt to thwart Deli's go at her head. All four paws paddles through the air, her whole body wriggling as she scorched toward the Martin with that same lolling grin, tail wagging.
Deli was already committed to the jump and sailed onto the fox's belly instead when she rolled onto her back. The little paws scrambled and grabbed for fur and she rode the wriggling fox as she scooted across the floor of the tent. Unfortunately one of the flailing fox paws knocked Deli loose and she rolled off with a squeak.
Rolling back to her feet she chittered happily and renewed her playful attacks at the soft belly of the fox. Her beady little eyes glinted with joy and her tail could not stay still.
Yapping happily, Asta curled in on herself trying to lick and nip at the smaller animal, and the two went tumbling across the floor of the tent in a writhing bundle of white fur.
Her back fetched up against something warm and solid and she yelped, jumping to her feet and spinning to find herself face to face with a sleeping Mert, Deli caught- at least for the moment- between her front paws.
Deli happily rolled along as the larger form of Asta tumbled around. She squirmed and wiggled and tried to lightly bite at Asta when she wasn't dodging the fox's own nibbles. Just before they had collided with Mert the two had been a tangle of happy white fur. Deli winced at the yelp and knew that Mert would wake up. She tried to wiggle out of Asta's grip but she was firmly caught.
With all the noise and the sudden collision with his sleeping body, Mert stirred and opened one of his eyes. Being eye to eye with a fox was enough to jolt him awake and as he rose he saw Deli caught in the paws of the fox.
With a wordless howl he threw off his blanket and reached for a knife.
Panic wrapped around Asta in an icy grip and she reeled back, eyes wide as she desperately tried to come up with some way of diffusing the situation.
In her foxy brain, the best she could come up with was escape. And the quickest way to do that was to fly. So she became a crow, bleached white with the same pale, glassy eyes she held in her human form, beating the air wildly with her wings as she tried to take off with a frantic caw.
Mert had seen red when he thought his companion, his only friend, was about to be torn apart to a fox. How did the thing even get in here and why didn't Deli wake me if she heard it? He fully intended to draw the knife and plunge it into whatever part of the fox was closest but he was thrown off when the fox disappeared.
Deli was dropped safely to the floor as the fox released her and immediately started squeaking and trying to push against Mert. Given her size there was very little she could do to stop him. Mert was utterly confused. He looked over and saw that Asta's blankets were empty and then looked back at the new crow starting to flap around.
Instead of trying to grab for it or stab it with the knife, he paused. "What do you mean? You're not making sense Deli, be clearer." He then placed the knife on the floor and spoke with a lot of barely contained anger towards the crow, "Don't know who or what you are but Deli trusts you. Come at me or her again and i'll end your life but otherwise i'll give you one chance to show me you aren't dangerous."
The crow cawed again, quietly, then slowly fluttered down onto the pile of blankets. The moment her clawed feet touched the fabric, she was human again, staring up at Mert with wide eyes as she wrapped her arms around her upper body.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly, shrinking back. "I changed in my sleep, and I didn't realize, and she pulled my tail, and we were playing and- and..." She swallowed. "Sorry..."
Mert carefully watched as the strange white crow flapped its way back towards the blankets strewn across the floor. He hadn't believed Deli when she had sent the thought 'Fox is woman, is friend,' but then the fox had become a crow and now it had turned back into a woman.
Mert sat back down on his bed with a sigh and rubbed his temples with his fingers. He stared in Asta's direction but it seemed like he was more in thought than actually looking at her. "What you are, it's more than my head can make sense of right now. As I said Deli thinks you are safe and you don't seem to be threatening at the moment." He slid the knife back in the sheath and moved it back to where it had been stored before.
"I guess this explains why you were out there in the snow..." Mert was suddenly interrupted by chittering form Deli and he turned to look towards her. They weren't making sounds but it looked very much like they were having some form of conversation. After a few silent minutes passed, Mert looked back towards Asta. "I'm not going to throw you out in the cold. I'm tired and i'm going back to sleep. You should do the same. If you happen to uh change as you called it, do me a favor and be quiet about it?"
Asta's cheeks went very red and she nodded quickly. "I'm, uh, sorry about that. It's kinda...hard to think straight, or at least human-ish, I mean-"
She cut herself off and ducked her head, blushing deeper. "I'll just...go to sleep," she mumbled, crawling back under the pile of blankets. "Thanks for...not stabbing me an all."
Mert's expression softened significantly, "Just, just should have told me beforehand. I don't want to hurt you but that was not a good way to wake up." He then laid back down in bed, pulling his blankets back up.
Before going to sleep however, he turned back to Asta, "Would you feel more comfortable if Deli spent the night over there with you? That way if you change again she can keep you from causing any problems." He then glanced down at Deli, "And don't think I don't know you were part of the mischief, little scamp."
Deli squeaked and hid her face in her paws, then turned to wait for Asta's response. Mert rolled back over before she could make her decision.
"Um, oh. Well... If she wants to." Asta smiled at the little creature and lifted up a corner of the blanket nest in brief invitation.
"Thank you, Mert," she murmured, glancing up at his back with another little smile. "Good night."
Deli squeaked and dove for the corner of the blanket nest, quickly curling up to enjoy the warmth once she was under the blankets. Her head just barely poked out so she could breathe. After a few wiggles to get herself even further tucked in she was ready to go back to sleep.
Mert thought he heard Asta say something after he rolled over, but it wasn't quite loud enough to make out. He figured if it was really important for him to hear she'd have repeated it or Deli might have let him know to roll back over. Instead he drifted back off to sleep. His dreams were filled with an ever-changing assortment of white animals. Some friendly while others were less so. Now that he was sleeping on his side, there was no more snoring from Mert.
Asta passed the rest of the night relatively peacefully, curling her body around Deli's smaller form to conserve their warmth. Soon enough she'd buried herself in the blankets again, so tightly curled into the little nest that it was nearly impossible to tell if she was even there under all the fabric.
Deli was in heaven. She was curled up safe and secure and she was very warm. She nestled in against Asta and allowed herself to become buried in the twisted nest of blankets right along with Asta.
If Mert was honest he would have admitted he missed having Deli curl up against him. That small warm bundle was something you might never miss until you experienced it once for yourself. He had been traveling with Deli for a long time.
Whether it was because of Deli's absence or the startling wake up in the middle of the night, Mert's wild dreams made him quietly toss and turn in his sleep. Eventually morning came and he grumbled his way out to take a leak outside. It was still snowing lightly but the wind had died down greatly.
When he came back into the tent, he set to work rekindling the fire so it would be warmer by the time Asta and Deli woke. He also pulled a strip of dried meat out of his bag to chew on.
The crackling of the fire woke her. Blessedly still human, Asta sat up in her tangled nest and yawned, stretching her arms over her head. She smiled when she realized Deli had stayed with her through the night and stroked her little head with two careful fingers.
"Morning," she murmured in Mert's direction, offering a small smile.
Unbeknownst to Mert, when he had stirred and gone outside Deli had woken and heard him. She knew he wasn't really going to need her for that little task and it had been so nice and warm in the cocoon with Asta that she decided to just stay put and bask in the comfort.
Deli finally, and reluctantly, had poked her head out when Asta sat up and she gave out a tiny yawn of her own. Of course she curled right back up to Asta when she started petting her head. Breakfast could maybe wait just a bit longer.
"Mornin'. Glad the rest of your sleep was a little more quiet," he said in a gruff but friendly voice, "You drink coffee? There's some dried meat too, help yourself." he gestured to one of the bags that held the food supplies. Mert had left a pot of snow sitting over part of the fire to let it melt into water. As an afterthought he added, "Right, you'll need clothes. I'll step outside, just let Deli know when to tell me to come back in," he grumbled and moved a bundle of spare clothing closer to Asta before heading to step out of the tent into the cold.
"Ah-- thank you," Asta murmured, for what felt like the umpteenth time. She waited just long enough for him to turn his back before quickly scrambling into the offered clothes.
They were too big and smelled very much like Human Hunter, but at least they were a covering. She smiled at Deli and nodded. "I think he can come in now."
While waiting Mert closed his eyes and raised his face up towards the sky, letting the light snow gather on his face and beard. What have I gotten myself into? He sighed and looked back down. There was still work to be done and Asta being... whatever she was... wasn't going to change that. The furs he hoped to bring back to town were even more important now that Asta was with them. Another mouth to feed and another person to cloth.
Deli had watched Mert go outside with a little bit of confusion. She wasn't sure why he was going back out into the cold for no reason, but she just chalked it up to one of his weird human things. She got to stay inside where it was warm. Deli might have tried to sneak over and steal some food while Mert was out but she had been given a task: 'Say when to come, watch for trouble'.
When Asta nodded and gave the ok Deli let Mert know he could come back. It was silent and looked like she just glanced towards the tent flap but his hands could be seen undoing the clasp shortly after. Mert stepped inside with his face dusted in snow and went back to the fire.
While waiting for the rest of the snow to melt Mert pulled out an old, battered coffeepot and set about arranging the coffee grounds in it. Coffee was a luxury that he couldn't afford to have every morning but he felt he both needed and deserved it that morning.
"Got traps to check after we eat. Up to you whether you help with that or make yourself useful in here." Enough of the snow had turned to water for him to fill the coffeepot and start it brewing over the rest of the fire. He rummaged around in one of the food bags and pulled out some dried meat for Asta and Deli. "Little tough to chew but it'll fill you."
"thank you." Asta took the offered food gratefully and tucked in like she hadn't eaten in days-- which wasn't strictly true, but near enough. She glanced up and tilted her head at Mert as she chewed.
"What do you hunt?" she asked curiously.
Asta was eating like she hadn't been fed in a long time. Mert would definitely need to get more food supplies in town unless they were very successful with the traps. She looked pretty amusing in the oversized clothing, but Mert wasn't going to say anything.
As he sat back to wait for the coffee to finish brewing, filling the tent with its aroma, he chuckled, "Pretty much anything that is out in this snow. Hares are most common but some wolves or foxes too if they are about. Usually bring a bow for the dangerous ones or the occasional wild reindeer. Can't be too picky this time of year. The winter coats are usually good and thick though."
He realized that Asta might be bothered a little by him talking about killing animals, she had been a fox last night after all, but he was a straightforward man. Deli ate her food in relative silence and just watched the two of them talking.
Asta nodded slowly, considering. If she was offended, she didn't show it.
Finishing off the offered meat, she drew her legs up toward her chest and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees. "Okay. What can I do to help?" She tilted her head, pale eyes watching his face. "I can empty traps and such easy enough, but I'm really only a decent hunter as a wolf or a bear or something."
When Asta didn't seem bothered too much by the talk of killing animals Mert was glad. It wouldn't have changed his actions- he still needed to live and make a living- but he might have had to word things carefully. Not something he was particularly good at.
He smiled at Asta when she finished the food. Something about her gave off the impression that she was excitable as an animal, and perhaps as unpredictable. This wasn't a bad thing, just different than he was used to dealing with in a person. Deli was... well Deli had been a part of Mert's life for a long time and he might have gotten used to her antics.
Mert returned Asta's gaze with a mostly plain expression. However behind his scruffy beard and hair his mouth had a faint smile and his eyes seemed relatively soft and friendly still.
"Up to you Asta. I'd not tell a hunter," he chuckled, "I mean huntress how to hunt. I need the furs undamaged. That's why I use the traps and not my fearsome partner there." He laughed and nodded at Deli. She bared her teeth and claws in a decent attempt at being scary but she hardly lost her usual cute charm. "Though maybe you would enjoy learning how we trap things so you can avoid them?"
"That could be useful," Asta agreed softly, tilting her head as she considered it. She shrugged. "Well, I'm in your debt for the food and shelter. However you want me to work, I'm glad to."
There was no use going in circles with her. Things needed to be done and daylight was limited this time of year. "Right, then you keep me company and help check the traps. If you want to be an animal let me know so I can keep the clothes from getting left to get lost in the snow."
With the plan settled he poured two cups of coffee and placed one by Asta. Without even waiting to see if she drank it he began laying out his gear. He only had the one heavy coat but there were enough layers that neither of them would freeze. Especially if they kept active. The plan was to go down the trap line and be back to camp long before the sun set. Mert strapped his knife to his belt and lay a bow with arrows and several other tools and bags by the tent flap.
He had a spare pair of boots and gloves and things for Asta though they were a little worn and probably too big to fit comfortably. Much like everything else he had offered her. He rinsed the coffee pot out an set it to air dry before setting the fire down to just embers and making sure it was mostly covered. "Let's go Asta, Deli."
Mert stepped out of the tent and loaded up his bags and tools onto his shoulders. Deli scrambled up onto his neck and curled around it like a scarf with legs. The sledge was moved to open the way out of camp and Mert grabbed his trusty spear. It wasn't so much that Mert was in any real hurry, he just was a lot better at doing things than talking to people.
Asta nodded quickly and got to her feet to follow him. "Yes, sir," she said, chipper, with a small smile.
Well at least she seems ready to work. A pair of extra hands will be nice for a change. Well, a pair of extra human hands. Sorry Deli.
Mert gestured for Asta to go past him out of the camp and then he put the sledge back down to block the entrance behind them. It would be unfortunate if some wandering animal snuck in and took advantage of the tent and supplies while they were gone.
The wind had died down and the snowfall was very light. Over all it was a beautiful day for that time of year and Mert was happy to be out and doing something rather than just talking. He seemed to have a very specific path he was following though there were few markers left after the snow and wind of the day before. After the camp was out of sight he slowed down so they would be quieter. "No need to spook anything we might find on the way," he said just above a whisper, "Pretty much anything with fur is fair game but let me handle it if you think you might damage the pelt too much."
The first several snare traps they came across had been buried in the shifting snow and had not caught anything at all. Mert didn't seem to be all that bothered by it. That was the nature of checking trap lines, most of them would be empty but with the large number set and his expertise in knowing where to place them he was bound to catch enough animals.
Asta opted for the shape of a white elk as they ventured out into the snow, sure that it would keep her warm, and the prey instincts would keep her alert to any potential dangers.
Not to mention it allowed her to cut a path through the snow to make walking easier for Mert, if she moved as he directed.
Mert made sure Asta hadn't accidentally left any of his belongings out in the snow and then let her plow a path in the directions he indicated. He didn't really need her to make the path but it was easier to walk in her wake and it was kind of nice.
Good thing I know that's her or i'd think I was seeing things. An animal like that, in that color is pretty rare.
The next trap the came to had actually done its job. A large white hare was caught in the snare and though it was tired out it wasn't yet dead. Mert set aside his weapons and slowly walked up to the animal. With no hesitation he snapped its neck and put it to rest. Mert took out a rope and some string to hang the body on while he cleaned it. The meat he would keep for food but the blood and the innards he couldn't use needed to be removed before they ruined it all. Packing the catch with snow afterwards would keep it good while they traveled. "Looks like we're having fresh meat for dinner you two," he called to Asta and Deli, who was still around his neck but peering down at what he was doing.
The elk lowered her head in acknowledgement, though her eyes and ears were constantly flicking around in search of danger. A prey animal's instinct.
She picked her way in a careful circle around Mert as he emptied his traps, as though he was a calf she was intent on defending from outside threats.
Mert finished cleaning the hare and then added it to the rest of the gear he was carrying before they headed off to continue along the trap line. It was amusing to Mert the way that Asta was circling him. He was pretty certain anything hostile that might approach would be swiftly taken care of, possibly even before he had the chance to ready his weapon.
It was a peculiar feeling to have someone else protecting him for a change and it actually felt pretty nice if he was being honest. It was taking up most of the day but by the time they started heading back to camp Mert was carrying about a dozen catches of various animals. It was a very good haul considering the storms and the snow.
In the distance there was a howl and then a little closer two more replied. Mert gripped his spear and stopped to look around. Deli's ears perked up and she also stood ready. They weren't close enough to camp to make a run for it's safety. Mert figured he didn't need to warn Asta of the threat, she probably already knew before he did.
Asta paused, ears standing straight up. She huffed, breath fogging in the cold, and glanced at Mert.
She had a few options. One was risky, but could potentially prove the most beneficial. She huffed again, the nodded to herself and allowed the elk form to melt away.
One small caveat to her powers was that she usually had to take human form— even just for a few seconds— between shifts, typically bigger ones. Elk to wolf was one such shift, prey to predator.
Ghostly pale and completely without the protection of clothing, she shivered in the snow a moment before falling forward onto four paws, raising her head to sniff the air. She had to resist the urge to howl back, to let the wolf overtake her: This was the risk. If she could fight the instinct to alert the pack to her presence, she might be able to make a bid for territory against them.
The scent of the kills must have drawn the attention of wolves.
Damn! One wolf I could probably scare off or fight well enough but a pack will be very dangerous. Might have to drop the catches and run for it.
Mert might have drawn his bow but the chances of him seeing a wolf in the snow before it got too close was low. The spear would help better in a closer fight. He was about to call out to Asta to make some sort of plan when she suddenly shifted back into her human form for a moment. Mert was very concerned that she might freeze but was relieved when she changed once more into a wolf.
A chill ran down his spine as a terrible thought passed through Mert's head. This could have been an elaborate trap set by Asta and other wolves to get him out of his camp. He shook his head, there was no reason to be so paranoid. Even if it was true there was only one thing to do. He crouched slightly and held his spear ready to react to whatever threats approached.
Mert didn't have any idea what Asta was planning. She had said she had trouble thinking like a human in her animal forms and that was a little worrying in this scenario.
The howling grew louder as the wolves approached in the cover of the snow. Too many for Mert to safely fight and now they seemed to be surrounding the little hunting party.
Asta slunk into a low crouch and began circling Mert slowly, head and down down, held stiff. She whuffed low in her chest at the sleek shapes that were starting to pace around them, wary but curious.
She barked quietly. They weren't in the pack's territory, they had every right to be here. This was just a hunting party, wandering a little further afield than normal.
The wolves eyed her, not quite sure what to make of her, but it didn't look like they were going to attack.
Asta's circling at first had renewed Mert's suspicions that she might have been working with the wolves but then he had noticed that she was focused outward from her little circle. As the other wolves loomed out of the snow drifts it became clearer that she was effectively in a standoff with them.
Neither side seemed to be preparing to attack for the moment, but Mert still gripped his spear and held himself ready to spring into action. Instincts were instincts, even for a human. At least now he knew exactly where each of the pacing wolves was.
As for the wolves, they seemed a bit confused by the sudden appearance of another wolf. They had caught the scent of the killed animals and a human but they had been traveling with what smelled like an elk, not a wolf. The unexpected change in scents bothered them and made them hesitate. Several of them paced around to keep their prey from fleeing while one older wolf padded forward.
This wolf had seen plenty of fighting before and had several very prominent scars on his face. Still, he was healthy and capable and the others were deferring to his decision on whether they should attack. The scarred wolf came closer to Asta and sniffed the air before letting loose with a loud and rumbling growl. It was a challenge. An request for her to convince them why they should forgo their bounty.
Asta lowered her head and ears submissively, an instinctive response. She tilted her head and whined, tail held low but wagging in large, slow sweeps.
It would be too much trouble to hunt the human. Wolves were ferocious in a pack, but deep down they were all pragmatic cowards. If there was a chance of more than one or two of them being hurt, they would usually back down.
She was relying on that instinct, rolling onto her back submissively in front of the scarred wolf and whoofing quietly. Though she was playing nice, it was clear that both she and the human were more than they appeared. Hopefully, they seemed nonthreatening, but also too much trouble to hunt. It was a careful line to tread.
The scarred wolf had kept unflinching eye contact with Asta until she lowered her head. She was being submissive and not challenging him to a fight. That pleased him. She had no pack or wasn't with them so they were in undisputed power. Still he could tell there was something... different about her. She smelled of wolf and acted like a wolf but there was the unmistakable instinctual feeling that she was more dangerous than that. He approached Asta as she lay on her back and sniffed a little closer.
Mert watched the wolf approaching Asta with dread and a chill ran down his spine at the growl. He was almost sure the wolf was going to attack Asta while she was on her back or the other wolves were going to leap in to attack him while they were distracted. Neither of those things happened though. Instead the uneasy standoff continued and he slowly shifted on his feet so his joints wouldn't lock up.
The wolf glanced over to examine the human. A man with sharp weapons and he didn't seem weak or ill. Together his pack could easily take down the female wolf or the human but to fight them both would mean splitting up. They would surely take injuries and they would be more difficult to heal up from while hunting in the snow.
He gave a frustrated 'whuff' and turned back to leave the strange group to their catches. His pack was not starving yet and it would be safer to hunt something less dangerous. He would have them followed though to see where they holed up. While leaving he stopped once to turn back and let out a long howl that was repeated by his pack mates. A reminder that they were there and that the human and wolf should leave the area.
Ghost waited, breath caught in her throat, until the pack began to move away. She knew the wolves would be keeping an eye on them, but that at least she could handle. She counted her lucky stars that they hadn't been drawn into a fight.
With a soft huff of relief, she rolled to her feet and took human form, crouched in the snow. "We sh-should finish up here q-quick and leave their t-t-territory," she chattered, hugging herself against the cold. Gods, she wanted to be a wolf again, or an elk, but she knew she should probably talk with Mert about the potentia danger.
Mert let out a huge breath as he allowed himself to relax from the tension he had been holding his body in for the entire encounter. The wolves had apparently decided this was too much trouble for them to deal with and were leaving. That was good, but they still needed to make it back safely to his camp. There they would be safer than out in the open in case the wolves changed their minds.
He had already started moving to check on Asta before she rolled over onto her feet. When she changed into her human form he winced as he realized how much she must have been freezing like that. "Here, either take my coat or let me carry you or just change back into a warmer form. Don't want you getting frostbite out here. I know we need to leave- was planning to just end for the day and head back to camp. I'm not messing with that pack of wolves."
Asta nodded quickly, relieved he didn't seem all that invested in chatting about the encounter. She quickly shifted back into the form of an elk, shaking her whole body with a quick tremor of relief as warmth settled back into her body.
Lowering her head toward Mert, she whuffed out a soft breath and nodded at him, indicating he should lead the way.
Mert was honestly a little relieved when Asta chose to revert back into an animal form. He had been willing to give up his coat or carry her if he had to but both would have probably made things a little uncomfortable for him.
When she was settled in her elk form and nodding at him he started to trudge through the snow back towards his campsite. The travel was significantly slower without the elk cutting a path for them but it wasn't like it was Mert's first time making this journey through the snow. Still it was fairly quiet with just the sounds of exertion as they walked and in the distance a little bit of howling.
The howls got further and further away but a few of the wolves continued stealthily trailing the human and elk as they walked. They would find out where the little group was bedding down.
It took most of the rest of the daylight to get back to camp and Mert was looking pretty tired. He had decided not to rest very much on the trek back. Extra time spent out in the open was time that they were left open to an unexpected attack. Wearily he led Asta back through the hole in his makeshift wall of compacted and iced-over snow and then placed the sledge back to block the entrance.
Mert was all too happy to quickly store the pelts and divide the meat up into what he was going to cook and what he was going to freeze to bring with them and then went inside the tent where it was warm and dry.
Asta wasted only the time it took to change back into her human form before bursting back into the tent, teeth chattering as she dove for the nearest cluster of warm furs and curled herself up in them.
"Wolves are st-still out there," she shuddered out. "K-k-keeping an eye on us."
Mert went to the fire and began stoking it back to life almost as soon as he got back inside the tent. It had been knocked down to coals so it wouldn't accidentally burn down the tent while they were gone. Now though, they were all back and all shivering from the icy conditions. Mert was fairly tired as well from trekking so long in the snow without the usual breaks.
As the new tendrils of flame began to spring forth from the dried peat chunks he sat down and held his hands near the warmth. Deli had burrowed into the neck area of his coat and all that could be seen were two gleaming beady black eyes and a little nose twitching as her head poked out through part of his beard.
"Aye, I figured our catch would be too much temptation to just leave alone. Let 'em circle for a bit. Won't be easy for them to get over the walls and they got spikes."
Mert was truthfully more worried about the situation than he was letting on. They were far out from the nearest town and if the wolves attacked it would be just them three fighting them off. Even a moderate injury could spell death for them.
"Let's get ready for the night and figure out what to do about the wolves in the morning? I know you must be hungry."
"S-sounds good." Asta smiled and nodded, shuffling a little closer in her cocoon of furs. Feeling suddenly a little guilty, she flushed a bit and added, "You should take all these tonight." She indicated the blankets she'd wrapped herself in with a brisk shrug. "I can sleep as a wolf or something."
Mert began heating up some more food over the fire. They were all definitely hungry and a good solid meal would do a lot to make them comfortable regardless of what was going on outside the camp. Over the faint crackle of the fire Mert smiled kindly at the cocoon of furs that was Asta.
"You choose how ya want to sleep but I don't need all the furs. Most o' them are spares in case it gets colder or something needs fixin'." He made a bit of an embarrassed face however, which was surprisingly noticeable though the beard, as he thought of something. "I would like Deli to sleep with me though. I... didn't sleep so well without her last night."
It was such a small thing and shouldn't have impacted such a strong man as much as it had but truthfully he had been unable to sleep well without Deli curled up by him ever since he first found her. She was like that one blanket every child had that they insisted was the only thing that let them sleep. Except he was a grown man and such things were ridiculous.
Asta blinked, then smiled and nodded. "Of course." She blushed a bit and added, "Again, I'm, uh...I'm sorry we woke you." Her smile turned sheepish as she snuggled a little deeper into the furs.
Mert smiled back at Asta and prepared two bowls for when the food was ready. "It ain't all your fault since a little someone was right there playin' with ye," he chuckled and tried to turn his neck to glare at Deli but she just squeaked and playfully circled around to the other side where he couldn't see her as well. Despite the glare his tone was still soft and it was pretty clear he wasn't really mad.
"Besides, if i'd have known you were able to be all those animals I'd have likely said it was cute and not as frightening. We do need some good sleep t'night though. Can't get too worn down out here or things will catch up to you in the worst way." His gaze drifted off towards the wall of the tent, not actually looking at anything in particular. Really he was just a little lost in the memory of some of his earlier trips out into the wilderness. He had survived but a few of them had seemed like they might have gone either way at the time.
His reverie was broken as Deli perked up and gently bit him on the earlobe. She knew what he was thinking of and that he was likely to burn the dinner if he stayed distracted. Mert jerked back to reality and started putting the food into bowls for Asta and himself.
"Mm." Asta agreed quietly as she accepted her bowl, murmuring her thanks. Hot food was a luxury she could rarely afford, and she had to restrain herself from scarfing it down like a wild animal.
"I can keep watch for a while, if you like," she offered after a few mouthfuls. "I don't really need to sleep much."
Though Mert was more used to getting hot food regularly it was still always something wonderful at the end of a long day. He enjoyed his food, though he had no problem pacing himself. He watched as Asta seemed to really enjoy her food and smiled when Deli snuck down to steal some of the food in his bowl. It was like a little family-style dinner.
Mert thought about Asta's offer to keep watch. He didn't want her to miss out on sleeping but if she didn't need to sleep all night it would probably be a good idea to have her keeping an ear out for trouble. Deli was pretty good at sensing danger approaching but Asta's help could make it that much safer. "As long as you get enough sleep. I'll try to remember there's another friendly animal in here if I wake up in the night," he said with a grin. It had been terrifying the night before but after spending the day with Asta in various animal forms he didn't think it would happen like that again.
"Promise." A smile flickered across her face and she nodded. "I could keep this shape, if that makes things easier?" she offered after a moment of thought.
It wasn't as though she disliked being human. She just wasn't really used to keep the form for such long stretches at a time.
Mert shook his head as he finished the last few mouthfuls of his dinner. "I ain't gonna tell you what shape to stay in. That's up to you. Like I said, now I know you might be an animal it shouldn't be a problem."
While Mert had indeed eaten most of his food, he had apparently set aside several tasty morsels of food and held his bowl up for Deli to happily munch away on as he started cleaning things up. As he glanced over at Asta trying to stay buried in the furs he decided to throw a little more fuel on the fire to warm the tent up a little more than he usually would.
"Thanks for your help today. Might not have gone well for me 'n' Deli if we came across them wolves by ourselves." There would have definitely been bloodshed, and almost assuredly Mert would have been wounded or killed.
Asta shook her head. "Don't thank me. Honestly, it was as much for my benefit as for yours. Packs don't usually take too kindly to lone wolves wandering about in their territory. If I hadn't been with you two, they probably would have just attacked me."