Not what is Seems [ben]

The forest was at peace, the sun warm, the wildflowers filled the large clearing with the small cottage. A well was in the back to the side. A few trees were in the clearing giving shade to the place. The cottage it-self was three bedrooms, a main room for cooking, eating, and resting. One bedroom was his, the other held medical supplies and dried herbs, the other lay untouched since his mother passed. It was cozy, humble, but effective. The space was peaceful and even beautiful. In the sun and gentle breeze a line of clothing was drying on the side. A lynx was napping on a cushioned chair sitting outside the ever open door. Smoke gently puffed from the chimney. The smell of slow cooking stew filled a small area around the cottage. However the owner wasn’t in sight as of the moment. Then again that was common with the full moon so far away, it had just ended two nights ago and all.

It was a while and the song birds song filled the place before a figure stepped from the trees and headed across the clearing to the cottage a bundle in his arms and a white cloth spotted with blood. Softly tanned skin was over lean muscles. Aristocratic features were delicate but strong on him. His raven locks were wavy and tied back with a blue ribbon that matched his breeches, his feet were bare. However the most striking feature about the man was his honey gold eyes. Eyes that spoke volumes of kindness and gentleness that most lacked these days. His torso was without a shirt, for that was what he used to secure his burden.

The lynx lifted its head and jumped down and stretched and the man walked past. The feline followed him into the house as he went to his work room and set the bundle down and pulled over a wooden box. Sitting on the stool he carefully uncovered the young osprey with the broken wing. It sat there beak open panting wing at an awkward angle, the other tucked tightly at its side. The man gently pulled the injured wing out and the bird cried out. However softly he spoke to the bird and it was still for him as he swiftly jerked and reset the bone making it scream out. Raven haired male pulled hallow sticks out and carefully splintered the wing and then wrapped it with fresh linen. Once that was done he carefully dosed the bird with pain remedy and set it in a wooden carved bow with old shirts and such for cushions and took it out with him as he sat, lynx following. He paused to grab a few strips of rabbit he had and settled in the seat.

Quietly and patiently he fed the bird murmuring to her the whole time to keep her calm. After the strip of meat was gone she snuggled in and fell asleep. Golden eyes closed a moment before he stood and set the box in the seat and touched the lynx’s head getting a press into his touch for response. However that was when he paused looking in the direction of the scent he caught, a strangers scent. His head tilted ever so slightly to the side and the feline sauntered off leaving him to deal with the stranger alone.

Report, after report. These days, that was all the huntress got. Although a letter of hire caught her attention. A village by the forest rumored to hold creatures not ever seen. Deaths by something in the woods. They were people from the town. All males killed.

The huntress had set out for the village it had taken her a while but when she finally arrived, she was met with some opposition because she was a women, but it left her as she saw what they had yet to see. Leaving her horse at the small inn within the town, she set out and actually entered the woods. The huntress was good, but still new to the hunting world.

She set out in the woods, tracking something unseen, until she smelt smoke. She followed the smell, and then came across a man. She removed the hood of her cloak, long blonde hair, streaming in the wind as she stood their. Her blue eyes the colour of the sky, she cleared her throat, but found she could not speak for the first time in her life. She turned unsure of anything, but knowing that a man living by himself wasn't something very suspcious in it self.

She looked around the area, and then finally turned to look at the male standing there. "Excuse the intrauption. I was wondering if you had information about the animals that lived in these woods?" She asked him in a low smooth tone that easily carried on the wind, along with the natural scent she gave off.

Elijah said nothing when she stepped into his clearing, and stayed silent as she seemed to search for something. He had nothing to say to her, it was for her to make the first move. It depended on her how he reacted, though he would prefer not to act violently. He hated it, and his nature but he had to protect him-self. But he relaxed when she spoke. He fingered the rolled sleeve of the shirt he put on before he had left the house, it wasn’t buttoned up though.

“I know all the animals in this forest, it has been my home for my whole life. Telling me what you want to know, I might be able to help you”, his voice was strong, but gentle, soft. Slowly he walked towards her until there was only about three feet between them. He leaned against the trunk of an apple tree and looked at her golden eyes calm and curious.

What was this stranger doing in these woods. They were dangerous for anyone human. Didn’t she know the stories? Or was she a hunter? If that was so then he would be weary of her. He could not afford having one on his back when the month ended. Perhaps she would leave soon, if he helped her to catch her prey fast. Sometimes they only wanted bear hide or a few rabbits, and he would help them by pointing them out in the right direction. That he could handle. It was the true Hutners he lead astray.

The huntress was silent a moment, watching him with calculated eyes. She ran a hand through her silver hair, listening to the sounds around her but also his smooth soft voice. Tracking his movements as he moved closer to her as he spoke. His shirt flaring in the wind, and she turned her face away from him, just to calm her self more then anything else. Her hand was on her side once more, the cloak blowing about.

With a smile she watched a bird settle upon its nest, chirping away in song, as if remembering where she was and who she was standing before she lost her smile and turned to face him once more, ignoring his state of dress. "I was wondering, what animals live along the out skirts of the forest close to the village?" She asked him.

She removed her cloak now, gathering the material in her arms. A necklace chain played along her neck at the movement but what was on the necklace had not been shown for it was beneath her white shirt.

Butterscotch eyes watched her with open curiosity as she watched him approach. However when the breeze tugged his shirt open she looked away seemingly shy about seeing his toned chest. It was a curious reaction. Then again humans were always odd to him. They never seemed to see things the way he did, let alone the animals. Instead he watched her reaction to the little song bird and a slight tilt of his lips could have been the beginnings of a smile. However it was erased the moment she started to turn back to him, her own smile gone.

The werewolf pushed from the tree and walked to the smaller one to her side and raised a flat palm looking up at the bird who cheeped at him and he gave a small smile as it lighted down into his palm and snuggled close to his warmer than normal body as he brought his hand closer and ran a gentle finger of the little sparrows head. It snuggled closer to his thumb happily. “Nothing big, the largest thing you will find close to the village is perhaps a ferret, on a rare occasion a rouge wolf might roam through, run off by the pack to the north near the mountains. But nothing really goes near the village, the animals here know not to bother the villagers”, he said and turned to face her cradling the little chirping bird in his palm a moment longer before he gave his hand a little bounce and it fluttered back to its nest and continue its little song.

“The only large animal I can think of that is relatively close to the village is Demi, but he only roams around there when I’m about”, he added glancing back to the house where the lynx returned and was stretched out in the sun rolling in the grass contently. Golden eyes turned back to her. “Why has anything happened in the village lately”, he asked her tilting his head, a stray lock of his hair brushed his cheek before he tucked it back with tan fingers.

The huntress tilted her head to the side, still just watching with clear but calculating eyes. She watched him as he reacted with the bird. She never saw a man act like that near animals unless, he caught them and well.. her thoughts refused to go along with that thought, instead her eyes were watching the bird, she as much as she tried to hide the smile it still tilted her lips up and her eyes shined with a softness toward the little creature.

She watched the wings of the bird spread wide as it could before it was flying up to it's nest once more after he had spoke. Her brow raised and she held back another smile at the Lynx lazing about along the grass and under the sun, she swallowed and the smile disappeared but it was still fighting to break the surface, her eyes clear like the sky, but there was a slight sparkle from when she looked at the lynx, Demi. She shook her head slightly, more in thought then denying anything. She sighed quietly, "some men were killed along the edge of the village, its looks as though they were attacked by a large animal." She shrugged slightly as if it was actually a bother that she was in the village.

Looked as if she wanted nothing to do with it, but life wasn't fair, and traveling alone ment lots of money was needed. She ran a hand up to grab her hair and tug it over her shoulders. "Have you seen a rogue in the last few days?" She asked him, for some reason, there was a tone in her voice that said please, say that you haven't seen a wolf come by, but it was deeply hidden. She fiddled with the chain around her neck as she waited for the male to answer her.

Raven brows knitted slightly when she said this. He hated this. Now he had to lie, and Elijah didn’t like lying. But he had no choice he didn’t have just his secret to keep. There were other wolves he acted as a guide for. Elijah didn’t roam like the normal wolf. And there was a reason for that. That reason meant he had to protect him-self and this clearing no matter what. And that was something her hated about his position. However there was nothing he could do about it. It was his task left behind my his mother and one he would never fail to uphold.

Elijah sighed and shook his head. “No, there hasn’t been a rouge in twenty three years”, he said with a shrug, forgetting he looked just barely twenty two years. Being alive as long as he had one tended to forget what was a short and long time. “However if you want to find something staying in this area would be your best guest, every animal makes its way here sooner or later. There is a sort of attract to this clearing for them. And it is the heart of the forest. If there is something to find here is where you should start. If you plan on sticking around in the forest to search for your mysterious killer I have room for you to stay. The forest isn’t safe after night anyway even if your used to it or are a talented fighter”, he said offering her a place. He figured if she was staying the best way to know what she was up to was the keep her close, it was safer that way.

Golden eyes turned to the house. “The sun is setting”, he muttered and looked back to her. He waited for her reply, he had stew he needed to see to anyway. Her answer would give him all the information he needed for now about her.

The huntress jumped as she had gotten distracted by the lynx's well taken care of coat and how he was in such good shape. She coughed slightly, and looked upon the male, she narrowed her eyes at his comment about a rogue not being around in 23 years. He didn't even look that old, he looked only on the age of 21. Which if he was 21 she was only a year younger then him, for she had just turned 20 this winter. She looked at the sky though and then back at the darkening woods.

She looked at him for a long moment before she sighed and murmured something to her self. "Sorry Rave, guess your on your own in the stable tonight." She looked at him, and then tugged a pouch off her hip, she looked at the pouch and then tossed it to him. "I know it's not much, but I don't like getting anything for free." She replied, the darkening made her usuall bright eyes gleam like midnight blue.

She bowed her head, "Thank you for the future hospitality. I am Rhaelyn. It is a pleasure to meet you and your friend Demi." With that said she waited once more in silence, it was his home after all, but she had manners.

Elijah caught the pouch swiftly and looked at it in slight confusion before it hit him what this was. Mentally he chuckled. Human coin meant nothing to him. He would keep it until it was time for her to go and slip it back to her. He had no use for such things, he never spent time around mortals. They tended to be overly attentive when he was around, and her hated the attention. He said nothing about what she said. Honestly he knew nothing of value, coin, and such things. They meant nothing to a wolf, they were purely human things. He knew some the wolves that traveled by him knew all about these things and made a point to collect as much coin as possible but whatever.

“It’s a pleasure to have company for the time being, I am Elijah. Please come, I believe the stew is ready”, he said and motioned for her to follow. He lead the way to the cottage and picked the ospreys next box and went inside. The door stayed open as he set the box on a table near the fire place which he poked to life and added more logs too. Demi padded in and sat on the hearthrug watching them with yellow cat eyes. Tufted ears trained on them. Eli went to the small cooking hearth and used thick cloth to lift the pot and set it on the biggest table in the room. The rich aroma of vegetables and roasted rabbit came from the pot. He turned away and went to the shelves and pulled two smooth hand spun bowls, mugs, and gathered spoons . he set the table quickly and set a pitcher of fresh cool spring water on the table before ladling the stew into their bowls and fetched the bread, leaving her to sit on one of the four stools around the table. He cut two hearty sized chucks of the loaf and handed it to her. Then he pulled a low wide saucer and set it on a bench against the wall and ladled some of it in the bowl now that it cooled enough. Demi leapt up and crouched over the bowl.

Once everyone was settled he perched on a stool of his own and pulled his bowl closer and picked his spoon up and settled into his dinner. He was comfortable with the silence. It was something he long lived with. When he was half through he paused and set his bowl down and pulled a chuck of bread and lowered his hand to offer it to the raccoon who had made its way into the room while they were eating. It chattered at him and she scowled. “Now don’t be greedy, there are others who will be coming by and you know it”, he chided the critter and it chattered again before putting its prize in its mouth and sauntering out tail in the air, clearly showing attitude. An amused smile graces his features lightening his golden eyes. He looked at her. “You give them a little and they want everything. Raccoons are about the most greedy little critter I have ever meet”, he said shaking his head.

Rhaelyn was a little hesitant to follow but she followed none the less. Animals had keener senses then humans did, so if the animals did not mind Elijah then he wasn't such a bad guy. But the way he spoke, was normal yet at the same time it was not. She didn't get him but maybe she should stay for the time being and check upon this man.

She smiled at the smell of a home cooked meal and fresh bread. She held back a laugh at how Demi watched them. She rolled up her sleeves as she sat down. She took a taste and just gave her host a smile, since the silence was a good time for her thoughts. She was intrupted by an racoon setting it sites on the food in her hosts palm, and she lifted a hand to hide her laugh, at the little creature when she gave them some attitude. Calming she put her head down before she made an even bigger fool of her self.

She might have been in the position of a hunter but, she rarely killed animals. Most of the time she would injury them enough that they felt defeated enough that they rarely returned, and if an animal had madness that was when she killed it. Or if it was already dying, then she helped it through. She would even take some creautres with her, while keeping them knocked out of course, with some herbs and then leave them in an area far from where they were from orginally.

She hated trappers the most, and she often played tricks on the trappers when she came across them, before an animal could step into the trap. She was a hypocrite she knew, but the care for animals had been passed down to her through her aunt before she passed. She heard a nose and watched a bird, a falcon to be exact sit upon one of the window sils. She barely glanced at her host, watching the feathers flicker in the fire light. She smiled and tore a chunk of some of her rabbit, as much as she wished to stand she set it on the corner of the table, and sat in silence not even looking at the Falcon.

She smiled though keeping her gaze on her meal even as wings brushed against her arm, a secret smile on her lips as she looked upon the stew, wordlessly placing a small peice of bread on the table before that was snatched as well. She lifted her head, to watch the falcon tilt it's head to look at her from the perch on a stool beside her. Lifting a hand she held it steady near the bird and waited, she wasn't shaking as if she was worried it would bite her. But when it's head rolled into her palm, she stroked it's smooth clean feathers before letting it leave. She was silent, the smile smaller but it was still there as she went back to eating.

The werewolf simply observed her. She seemed to take things in stride, and enjoyed this oddity of wild creatures being close. Most were unnerved by the ease the animals had around him. Though it wasn’t an easily made pact, the animals always had to be reminded he was no throat, but a friend to them. A brother of the earth. They were pretty accepting really. Something he loved about the animals. They didn’t judge him because of what he was nor were they pointlessly terrified. Well lately humans had a reason to be scared but it was difficult he was losing control, it seemed the drive to find a mate was too strong this season, it was overpowering his willpower.

But that didn’t matter now. Now he simply finished his meal and got up to clean up the mess and set the rest of the stew in a place where it could safely stay for tomorrows lunch for a few the critters he cared for. Quietly he pulled a few things out and put a kettle over the fire and turned to her. “The last room to the right is free for you to use, just close the shutters and the door if you don’t want any guests tonight. I’m sure they will understand”, he mused with a half smile and turned to the kettle when it sounded just hot enough to be drinkable but warm and he poured it into a mug with herbs in it. He turned to her. “If you need anything just call my name, I’ll be there”, he said and left quietly with Demi on his heels outside the cottage and into the night. To do what they always do at this time of the night. A walk while he drank his tea and checked the perimeter of the area for anything dangerous or in need of help before he would go to bed. He was an early riser after all, he had things to do all day.

She had long since finished her meal but had stayed silent, there were creatures that stuck around humans, but these animals usually didn't flock to a humans side. She eyed him for a minute, before she let the thoughts go, it was getting late and she had traveled two days without much more then an hour of sleep.

Rhaelyn looked up when he started moving about, he had a grace like an animal but since he lived around animals, she figured at least at the moment that it came from hanging around them for so long. And it didn't look like he lived with anyone, she smiled though at him before she cleaned off her own dish.

She stretched before giving a final thank you before he left her alone.Moving to the room he said that she could use she shut the door. She slipped off her shirt to the under shirt and then removed one layer of her breaches. Her boots neat in a corner, as her pants laid over a chair along with her cloak. Under her pants was actually a pair of short ones that hugged her legs and only went down to her knees. She undid her hair and left the shutters open as she looked out before going to the bed, surprised at the softness of it, before she got under the blankets. Her necklace still around her neck. Telling her brain to be quiet for the night she feel asleep.

She was awoken way before dawn by a tiny little animal that had snuggled up to her. Not that she minded the animal but it was the fact her sleep was disturbed. She sighed though and let the animal sleep, walking silently to the window. She shifted and slipped through the window, her bare feet touching the cool grass. She smiled softly and drew in the air around her, she moved to sit below the apple tree, to watch the sun's colours drift over the trees as morning came. She was in her thoughts, thinking of all information that she had gotten so far.

It was an hour before sunrise that he woke and left the house. He left with a few things to wash with and change into before he would settle into his daily routine. After nearly an hour getting ready and the sun was rising he returned to the clearing. His damp raven locks free and wavy as ever, a few strand clung to his neck. The tips just brushing his shoulders. He wore an undyed cotton shirt done up for the most part, sleeves rolled up, and tan breeches, once again bare footed. A young buck was with him, small horns just jutting from its forehead and its spots gone.

Elijah headed for the house and set things on the chair before going around to where he had a large garden. The buck followed him about for a bit while he crouched among the plants and pulled weeds and pinched bad leaves off before pulling a few ready ones and putting them in a basket. The young animal wandered off a while after though. Once Eli had what he wanted he went inside where the osprey was wide awake and watching him. He cut a few strips of rabbit from a drying bit he had set aside and rested them for the bird. He knew the huntress was around somewhere but he simply settled for working on getting bread done and backing then washing and cutting vegetables up before he put them in a bowl and covered it setting it aside. Then he slipped a knife in his pantline and grabbed a smaller basket and headed out, Demi showing up as usual to help him look for a few herbs near by while the bread baked.