Under the cover of darkness [open]

[Filtiarn]

     It was a clear night the moon shown brightly and the stars were clear as crystal making the sky seem to dance. The forest seemed to come to life as all kinds of nocturnal animals began prowling through the trees. The sound of crickets and frogs were everywhere and even wolves could be heard howling like they were in an orchestra on a stage. The wind blew gently through the leaves making it an almost perfect night to be in the forest. Unless of course you happened to be a deer or a rabbit. Filtiarn sniffed the air, trying to catch the sent of something worth hunting. It was a perfect night for a hunt and he didn't want to waste a second of it. After only a moment he caught the sent of a young Doe in the distance to the east and immediately darted off in that direction. He raced through the trees until he got closer and the he slowed down so as not to make any noise. He slowly crept towards his unsuspecting prey which was at the river drinking from the fresh water that flowed through the forest. When he was within pouncing distance Filtiarn stiffened his muscles and then in the blink of an eye he jumped on his prey and broke its neck. The deed had been done before the doe even had time to react and so he began to enjoy his feast, trying to finish it before anything else came looking to steal his catch.

[GoblinFae]

Telltale heart-shaped dug deeply into the soft earth, evidence of possible prey. The young huntress ran her long fingers along the inside of the prints judging their age based on the moisture of the earth. A triumphant smile curled her pale lips as she took off in pursuit. There was a feast to collect out of this boon should she fell the deer.

Quiet feet raced across the undergrowth, avoiding leaves that crunched underfoot and gave away her position while keen eyes scoured both ahead and below for the subtle changes in direction the prey had taken in its meanderings.

Arrow was fit to bowstring and pulled taunt as soon as Ariel caught first sight of the beautiful doe. There was no need to rush; she was downwind from the beast and haste would only ensure a poor shot and a pursuit she did not have the energy to undertake. She inhaled and exhaled slowly, poising for the killing shot when out of the brush leaped out blocking her view of the deer in a blur of motion.

One moment the deer was drinking from the pool and the next it was dinner for, Ariel tilted her head and furrowed her brow. 'What is that?' Childish fears set her heart racing. Memories of tales told in a not-so-distant past spoke of hellhounds and other nasty beasts that came in the dark of night to steal away and eat children found out of bed and doors.

Her fingers quivered on the still strung bow. Before she knew it the arrow was loosed straight at the dark creature. Wide-eyed and frozen in fear and shock, Ariel dropped to the ground, hiding behind a shrub that did little to conceal her from view if one were to look. 'Please don't see me. Please don't see me. Please don't see me,' she chanted within her mind, curled in tight and protectively around her middle, the bow dropped uselessly by her side.

[Filtiarn]

     Filtiarn couldn't help but laugh a little inside, the smell of the freshly slain deer was something he hadn't been able to enjoy for quite sometime. Lately he had been having trouble finding anything worth eating but this forest seemed to be full of many different animals that were worth the hunt.

     Just as he bit into the hide of the deer Filtiarn heard the sound of something he knew all to well. It was the sound of a bow string preparing to lose an arrow. As the arrow was released he heard the distinct whistle as it flew towards him and he jumped back to avoid it just in time, the arrow flew by him so close that he could feel it as it passed by him. How foolish of me, he thought to himself, I've become so complacent that I didn't even smell the scent of someone following me. Filtiarn quickly recovered to his battle stance and growled in anger ready for a fight but as he looked around in the direction the arrow came from he was surprised to find that, instead of a warrior after his life, there was a girl shaking in fear behind a shrub.

     As he looked at the girl he noticed that she was quite dirty. So much so that he could barely tell the girl was human. That explains why I didn't smell her, she's covered in so much dirt and mud that she smells just like part of the forest. This was the first human he had come into contact with who didn't bother to keep herself very clean which peaked his curiosity but at this moment he was more worried about losing his meal.

     Filtiarn approached the girl slowly, not sure what to expect from her. When he had gotten as close as he felt comfortable with he used his spell shadow dance and 3 identical copies of himself seemed to come out from the darkness itself to surround the girl. Looking more closely he could see that her bow had been dropped to her feet but he had already let her get the better of him once and he wasn't about to drop his guard and give her a second chance.

[GoblinFae]

One icy eye peeked out from beneath mud-matted fringe before squeezing shut again in fear. "There's more of them," she whimpered, pulling tighter in on herself. Instinct fought against her to freeze, run and hide, anything but fight. A child's fear coursed through her blood, driving out the huntress she claimed to be.

Darting eyes slid back and forth between the three dark figures. Ariel's small fingers wrapped around the cool bone handle of her dagger. She brandished it at the creatures with shaking hands even as she pressed backwards into the prickly brambles behind her, feeling the thorns catch and tug on her hair and back.

"St-stay back!" Her arms were locked in front of her both gripping the blade as she pointed them back and forth in front of the three wolves, not knowing which of them was going to attack. "I-I'm n-n-not afraid of-f you! Jus' go 'way!"

[Filtiarn]

     Filtiarn was more confused than ever now, the girl had certainly attacked him before but now she didn't seem like she could harm a fly. He still wanted to be cautious though so while she was distracted by the illusions he grabbed the bow that laid at her side quickly and moved it out of her reach. Then he moved around in front of the girl being careful to stay behind the illusions.

     He stood there for a few moments, still trying to figure out what the girl's goal was. He needed her to open her eyes so that he could talk to her but she seemed so frightened that she couldn't even open her eyes. Filtiarn decided it would be best to dispel the illusions, at least for now, he was far enough away from her that she wouldn't be able to catch him off guard with a dagger.

     It was at this moment he saw her open her eyes and yell at the illusions to stay back. After he had dispelled them he sat down to try and calm the girl down but was still ready to lunge at her if the need for him to defend himself did arise. He looked calmly into her eyes trying to speak into her mind. "You should consider yourself fortunate, I've decided to spare you for now, tell me why you're here and why you shot an arrow at me. Depending on your answer I might let you go." Filtiarn waited patiently for a response still unsure of what to make of this girl.

[GoblinFae]

"Don't eat me!" were the first words out of her mouth before, Ariel realized the other two had disappeared. Feeling less reassured she looked around wildly. "Where did they go? Stay away from me!" she hissed again, pointing her knife at the sitting wolf.

The young woman froze and blinked as she stared in front of her. "Did you just talk?" Her eyes narrowed though in irritation and anger. The fear was fading in place of indignation. This was her home. She would go wherever she pleased without explanation to anyone and she told him as much.

"This is my home. I have every right to be here! You happened to have stolen my dinner. It's your own damn fault you ended up in the way mutt! Now beat it! I'm not afraid to hurt you!" She growled at him, baring her teeth in a display of territorial fearlessness, none of which she actually felt. Whatever this thing was, it terrified her. Ariel just wanted it gone.

[Filtiarn]

     Filtiarn almost wanted to laugh, almost, just a moment ago this girl was shaking in fear of him and now she was shouting demands at him! The more he talked to this women the more intrigued he became. She looked like a human and walked like a human but she acted as though she were an animal.

     Filtiarn growled back at the young woman and snapped at her standing up as soon as she growled at him. "Don't press your luck with me woman. This forest is free land not just yours, I was starting to become quite interested in you but now you're acting like every other human claiming anything you set your eyes upon as your own property. If you think I'm just another wild animal I will be more than happy to show you that I'm not, although it might cost you your life. I made the kill, the deer is mine but I can't finish it all myself. If you promise to behave I'll give you what I don't finish."

     Still curious about the girl he picked up her bow so that she couldn't use it against him and so that she hopefully wouldn't leave without it and then leaped through the shrubbery back to where his meal was still sitting. Filtiarn dropped the girl's bow next to him and started to eat again but this time he made sure he was facing the girl as he finished eating just to be safe.

[GoblinFae]

She flinched back as her growl was returned in stronger and more primal terms. Her eyes remained wide in terror, for she feared closing them and missing whatever this creature would do next. The fact that it could speak to her did nothing to soothe her jarring nerves. Instead it jangled them further, making her wish she had gone home without dinner instead of possibly becoming something else's dinner.

"Rather you weren't interested all the same if you don't mind," she muttered nervously. "I don't know what you are, wild animal or not. But, I find it hard to believe something as big as you couldn't eat it all...and me....in one sitting."

With a great deal of dread she watched as the nightmare took hold of her bow and ran off with it only to drop it beside him and the kill. Ariel too, turned so as to keep her back protected away from him. She did not trust him at all. Already he had left her unable to defend herself unless at close range and something told her that she would be dead before she could lay a hand on her dagger.

Gritting her teeth, the huntress slowly began to inch her way through the undergrowth and towards the beast. Each step was tentatively placed down as if she feared him suddenly leaping after her and swallowing her whole. She wanted her bow back and refused to leave without it. It was the evidence of months worth of hard work and she was not about to let that go to waste.

"Keep the kill but give back my bow! I will not share your scraps like some pup but that doesn't mean I can't be on my way. Just give it back to me and I'll go." What started as a demand full of false bravado soon faded into a whining plea. Ariel was only a child after all, and a scared human one at that.