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@DragonSong ]
The trap was set. All he had to do now was wait, breath held, tightening in his throat as if the slightest sound would wake the birds. Well, it wouldn't be the first time. Rook knew best not to linger in the area, sighing inwardly, the best way to catch prey was to leave and return at a later time. It was just as well, he wouldn't catch a damn thing, but game always seemed to sense when someone was nearby.
With that he bound the strip of rope in his hand, knotting it at its base and slipping it into his belt. He took a moment to check on the hunting knife at his side. His hand twitched. Best to stay on his guard, he decided, and turned round, listening intently and walking quietly away. The birds continued to chirp all on their own, nothing disturbed them.
And nothing would, even as another would scamper behind the trail Rook had left hours later. What a curious being, he decided. He was a black crow, rather large for its size, and with blue streaks marking along his black breast feathers. He observed the bent twig, and the twine used to hold it in place. Perhaps it was best not to disturb it.
Hindsight was always 20/20.
It didn't matter if Veles didn't touch the string, because as he turned, his body moved a carefully placed rock. And when the rock moved, the twig twisted, loosened the twine, and up from beneath him a net embraced all around him. He yelped as the net pulled him up high into a tree, and moving only twisted it further around him.
Veles panicked, fear pushing through him in a cold stab that penetrated deep into his lungs. He did not scream, but struggling in that entwined net soon exhausted him. He was dazed, his head spinning and aching all around. Beneath him the world turned as he did on his head. Night was falling now, and the fear struck deeper.
He wouldn't scream. He didn't know how that would help his situation. If the hunter that had set this trap would return soon, he had every intention of eating whatever he found in the net. Veles morphed his form, body altering and shifting the net as his legs extended and wings turned to arms, and feathers turned to flesh.
He did the only thing that came to mind then, and howled loudly as a wolf would, a loud and mournful cry.