There was something strange about the slender girl with the fiery locks walking in the woods. She looked perfectly ordinary, and could have easily been, say, a tanner's daughter. But there was something fishy about the way her movements seemed disconnected,how things moved a second before she grabbed for them, and something extremely unnerving about the way she gazed around intently with stunning, golden-brown eyes. There was something barbaric about the way she bared sharp fangs in greeting to strangers, and peculiarly, she wouldn't allow people within five feet of her. Some reasoned that she was a supernatural creature masquerading as a human(and doing poorly), while others simply thought that the poor girl was wrong in the head. Didn't she know how dangerous it was, in the dark, with all the beasties around?
Those less keen ones would not know her for what she was, a beast and a predator deprived of fresh meat too long, having lived off sausages bought from merchants. They, in her opinion, were delicious, but they had none of the fine warmth and sweetness of fresh-caught, raw meat. It was that that the predator missed, the final gush of blood, the death rattle, and of course, the excitement of the stalking and the bite.
Wandering deeper into the dark forest, she shucked her illusions like a snake does its skin, revealing the catlike umvari underneath. She was a predator, and unique in that she was the only one of her species alive. For that, at least, she could thank Ilrich, that he had made no brothers or sisters to compete with her. And for that, she could curse him, for making her the perpetual loner who shall never find a mate, who shall forever be the spectacle for the wondering townsman. As if I were a show, may My Lady see fit to punish him with poverty and many mouths to feed. Aisling lashed her tails angrily, cursing him with a minor curse of the Great Lady of Eternity. She settled down on all fours, cloaking herself in a skin of shadows under the oak tree. She placed down, respectfully, the cedar sprig that she held in her left hand, dedicating it to the Heart-Eater, the Forbidden One. Standing back up, the umvari backed away three steps slowly, before leaping away, using her nose to guide her to her prey. Her duty this sickle moon was done.
It was now time for more mundane matters, the getting of her prey. She weakened her illusions a bit, partly to be fair to the hamami she was stalking, and partly because she wanted to concentrate all her energy and attention upon her kill.
Closer, closer, she approached her grazing, mishappen prey. He was a young hamami buck, with only three points on his antlers. He would grow no more, if Aisling had her way. Such a beautiful buck he was, that Aisling regretted briefly her task. She closed the distance between them, on all fours.
The hamami male froze. He was a young buck, and harem-less and inexperienced. But he had still sensed the danger to him, with that uncanny and inconvenient ability of the hamami to perceive emotions. Had he caught her feelings of anticipation? Aisling froze, slitting her eyes. She shifted quietly, getting into attack position.
This time, the hamami fully recognized her existance, and with the high yelp that the hamami gave when chased, he fled into the cover of the forest. Aisling didn't bother chasing after him. Cursing fluently in the Goddess's tongue, she tried to catch more scents. But alas, there were no more. It seemed that the umvari would have to go without meals this sickle moon. Or perhaps not. She would wait until the hamami came back. Aisling was patient, and this was a prime feeding site. To pass the time, Aisling used her hands to comb through the fleas on her tail.
