The sun light dripped softly through the tangled branches, leaves, and pine needles, as water might flow through a bed of sand. As the sun's precious rays dribbled down from its place in the sky, a web of shadow formed across the ground of the alien forest, so like the web of a spider, Pol would have sworn it was on if he hadn't known the truth. A light breeze caused the great pines and oaks to sway in an almost dance like motion, showering the world below their branches with their leaves and needles. The rain of the forest was nothing new to the Ranger, in fact it was a strangely comforting to know that there was something familiar in a world where he knew no one. No one besides Kythe.
The half wolf's memory was still fuzzy, he remembered the fall as clearly as he remembered waking up a moment ago. But beyond that, the only clear thing was Kythe. They'd known each other for years, over a century in fact, and had grown very close in that time. Other then that, he did not know much about his life before. He could feel the wolf inside him and that brought him knowledge of his mother and father, and the fact that he was a half wolf. Memories of two daughters and a wife. Their faces, and memories of them, were just out of reach, and every time he tried to reach out it was like grasping at a wisp of smoke. Single words ran through his mind, each carrying a meaning that was beyond the knowledge of the half wolf. Guardian, DaeLuin, Harion, Shira...
As he walked slowly forward, leaning heavily on his improvised walking staff, the stiff muscles that lay just below his skin loosened with each stride. Pol was not an overly powerful individual but centuries of swordplay and archery honed his muscles into toned powerful work horses. His breathing progressively became easier, and all his senses seemed to sharpen. It was then that his ears picked up the sound of himself walking, something he would never have allowed back Before. Immediately the Ranger forced himself to walk silently, so not a single step broke a twig or crunched a leaf.
He froze, for just a second, as the scent wafted past his nose. It was familiar, and it sparked something akin to anger in the wolf, just as it would have in any other canine. The smell of a feline filled the air as the wolf walked slowly through the forest. He knew that smell, he'd smelt it before, the smell of a panther. Why did he want to call it Kaja? No, not time for that, panthers are deadly, he must be on his guard. A soft rustling of leaves drew his eyes above and ahead of him. The black form in the tree above him dropped to the ground as the panther stared at him, its eyes boring into his own.
There was an intelligence in those eyes, and the faint smell of something besides panther, possibly human, in its scent. Pol shifted his grip on his walking staff so he might use it as a weapon if he needed to. His golden eyes locked onto the panthers.
Now listen, Kaja, I have no time for you, my head is pounding, I'm not in the mood to fight.
