The Hunt

[Razor-D-Belphe]

"So, you decide to show some backbone? Alright. I accept your challenge." Grizzly smiled, put away his javelin, and assumed a wrestling stance.

[DragonSong]

Asta slid one foot back, raising her arms defensively in front of herself. Her whole body trembled, but she held her ground.

[Razor-D-Belphe]

Grizzly charged and tried to grab her in his massive hands. They fell towards her like bear paws.

[DragonSong]

With a shimmer and a twist, the young woman was replaced with a pale, ghostly owl. The bird ducked away from the hunter's grasping hands easily and dove for his eyes, talons extended.

[Razor-D-Belphe]

Grizzly closed his eyes and turned his head, spinning into a backfist.

[DragonSong]

Asta banked wide, circling his head, and then she was a wildcat, dropping down on him from above with teeth and claws bared. She raked at his shoulder, twisting as she landed so she could settle herself into a defensive crouch.

[Razor-D-Belphe]

Grizzly grunted and threw himself backward, trying to land on top of the cat.

...

After an hour of battle, Grizzly lay on his back, panting.

"I underestimated you. You may have a claim to this territory after all. Say... why don't we go get a drink?"

[DragonSong]

Crouched once again in the form of a wolf, bruised and sore, Asta just looked at him for a moment, panting. Slowly, she allowed her body to melt into its human shape.

"Get...a drink?"

[Razor-D-Belphe]

"Right. They have my favorite stout ale at the nearest tavern. I'll treat you in respect to your warrior spirit. We aren't that different, you know. We do what we need to to survive. I suppose everything does." Grizzly mused as he stretched out on the soft grass.

[DragonSong]

"Ale," Asta repeated slowly. She just stared at him for a moment longer, still breathing heavily.

Well...why not? It wasn't as though he was going to kill her-- he'd had plenty of opportunity in the last few minutes and hadn't done so.

"Okay." She shrugged, sitting back on her heels and stretching her arms above her head, wincing slightly as her battered body protested.

[Razor-D-Belphe]

"It's settled then." Grizzly said, stretching.

...

They passed through the double doors into a dark tavern dimly lit by lanterns. Grizzly found two seats at the bar and sat his heavy body in one of them, the stool creaking beneath him.

"Make yourself comfortable." he invited.

He caught the surly Gardenier's attention and ordered two mugs of stout ale.

[DragonSong]

Make herself comfortable.

Okay then.

Cautiously, skittish as a wild animal-- which in most respects she was-- Asta crept after Grizzly into the tavern. She shivered as eyes swiveled to watch her enter, ducking her head forward so her hair fell over her face.

It didn't do much to cover the rest of her unclothed form, but she didn't pay much mind to that. Why would she?

Hesitantly, she climbed up onto the stool next to the hunter, shoulders hunched and eyes flicking around warily. She didn't know this place, these people, but she knew what most of them were. Hunters, like her strangely new-found companion. Some of them may have even seen her flitting through the woods near their town, a pale shadow that the locals simply called Ghost.

[Razor-D-Belphe]

The bartender seemed momentarily taken aback, but decided against saying anything. He filled their mugs and placed them on the counter.

Grizzly raised his mug. "Cheers!" he said.

[DragonSong]

She shifter just watched him for a moment, then cautiously lifted her own mug. "...Cheers?" She took a sip.

And immediately spat it back out, gagging.

[Razor-D-Belphe]

Grizzly laughed heartily. "I might have expected that reaction. Bartender, a glass of milk!" he ordered.

He slid the milk to her, taking her ale. "You might find this better suited to your tastes."

[DragonSong]

The Ghost sniffed this glass warily, having drawn her knees up to her chest and glared balefully at the hunter when he laughed at her.

She tilted her head, brow furrowed in confusion. "Um...why do I need this? I am not an infant, I'm perfectly weaned-- I have not needed to drink milk in many years."

[Razor-D-Belphe]

"Oh don't complain, milk builds strong bones! It's good for you!" Grizzly said. "Maybe this would be easier: what do you like to drink?"

[DragonSong]

She blinked at him and answered plainly, "Water."

What else was she supposed to drink? Sometimes her not-mother brought her nectar, but...she had a feeling that was a fae thing. Didn't expect to find it in a place like this.

[Razor-D-Belphe]

"Sheesh, you're no fun." Grizzly said.

He asked for a water all the same.

"Earlier, you said your name was Ghost, but I doubt that's your real name. Tell me, what's the story behind that?"

[DragonSong]

The shifter ducked her eyes, turning the glass of water back and forth in her hands. "It is my name," she replied softly after a moment. "It as as much of one as I need. I am the only one like me in those woods, the animals and trees do not need to call me by a specific name. It is only the humans that do so, and they call me Ghost."

She shrugged, sipping at her water cautiously. "So I am Ghost."