[ooc: My turn, eh…? *rubs hands together and does the mad-scientist-evil-laugh*]
Aura had been dozing, higher up in the tree, almost in the canopy, where the sinking sun was casting a rich glow across some old somewhat-bare branches. She’d been sunbathing quite happily when she heard the faint sound of a scuffle from below…
She opened one eye a crack – probably just Nar and a pack-mate arguing over a triviality, they’d get over it… rearranged her lean frame along the broad branch and dozed again.
There was a dull thud from below – she opened both eyes, startled, and peered down through the branches…
What in Odd’s name is THAT? She wondered, watching as Nar and the weird sliglike creature circled… It was red, a rich, fresh-blood colour, and spiny… Maybe some kind of primitive cousin, she wondered? It had a predator’s gait, padded almost teasingly around its intended prey – Nar – while apparently sizing him up.
Then she noticed – Nar was bleeding, and quite heavily – an ugly, jagged gash ran along the line of his jaw, and she could hear the soft whup… whup… whup… of his laboured breathing. He bounced the knife from hand to hand, looking for an opening.
The heavy red head swung lazily back on its long neck; it was staring back at the village, as though wondering if this place would be a good food source. Nar took his chance and in a smooth fluid stroke had flung the blade in a neat arc. It slammed solidly into the creature’s arm…
It destroyed the illusion of being a simple, forgivable predator going about the daily business of getting food when it spoke. “That wasn’t nice,” it said, in an almost surprised manner, and with one stroke of a massive paw swatted Nar smartly round the snout, stunning him.
She was already shivering, hugging the tree branch and trying not to make any noise – dammit, trying not to breathe – because, well… If it could speak, it meant it was intelligent, and if it was intelligent it would know she’d go and tell someone it had attacked her friend, so if she kept quiet she’d be safe…
Then it reached out one long paw and lifted Nar clean out of his pants, slammed him roughly onto his back against the beaten sunscorched earth by the treestump. “What shall I do with yer, then, little sliggy…?” it asked, cocking its head and pressing its weight firmly onto its hapless prey’s chest.
Aura watched, morbidly fascinated, as it lowered its massive head and began to carefully rip bits of skin off his face…
Nar gave a breathless whimper and tried to squirm away, prompting a soft snort of amusement from his assailant. He even tried to push the head away, before the creature carefully relieved him of his arms…
She covered her eyes and whimpered, faintly, unable to watch any more.
Finally it straightened up and gave a soft, rumbling laugh, reminding her in a horrible way of one of her ‘uncles’ and sending a chill up her spine. It batted the dismembered head round, idly, for a second or two more, then stretched and laughed; “I feel much better now…”
Aura watched in silent anguish as it flicked the knife into the undergrowth and was gone, away into the shadows. She just stared, for a while, stunned, trying to ignore the stink of blood on the air and the scattered pieces of skin and muscle and tendon and bone discarded round the treestump.
So what should I do NOW…? she wondered, miserably. Go back and get help? That ran the risk of it getting away. And… no! No, she wan’t just going to sit here and let it get away scot-free, she was going to follow it…! With furious tears stinging at her eyes, she set off in pursuit.
The red creature had stopped in a clearing, to clean up. He – she guessed it was a he, anyway – had his head down and was licking away at his lower right arm, cleaning the blood off it, blood which would otherwise become a scent trail as clear as if it had been spray-painted for would-be pursuers.
Feeling foolishly brave she pitched a fat green pinecone at it.
It bounced off his head; he gave a start, straightened up, and demanded, in that dangerously pleasant voice; “someone chucking things?”
“Yeah, I’m chucking things, y’fat red freak…” She howled at him from her branch, and pitched another one, feeling the tears flowing, now.
“Well well…” he’d started homing in on her voice, looking heavy and ungainly. “What have we here, hmm? Another little slig? Bit brave, aren’t you…?”
She just wailed inarticulately at him and pitched more pinecones at first. Then; “What the frackin’ frack’s sake yer want ter frackin’ kill him fer?” she shrieked, between sobs. “What kind of a monster are yer, anyway…?!”
The red creature closed one long paw around a low branch and hauled himself up with the same easy grace as all “natural” sligs had. “I am any monster I choose to be, my dear…” the voice went on, smooth as silk and oozing menace.
Dammit, she hadn’t realised he’d be able to climb… she scrambled a bit higher, realising she’d gone and put her metaphorical snout into the scrab’s cage…
The voice chuckled. “Where you going, Sweetheart…? I only want to talk to you…” and added, with a thin, ugly snarling sound, “Right up close…”
She fled, his laughter ringing in her ears.
“That’s right, little slig, run…!” his voice chased her. “RUN! I haven’t had a decent hunt in a looong time…”
She could hear him pursuing her; could hear the swish of branches as he moved with an easy grace through the forest behind her… Blinded by tears she slipped and nearly fell twice, and each time she slipped he shortened her lead by another couple of metres.
She outwitted him by a stroke of luck. Naturally, she’d been getting higher as she’d scrambled through the forest, and was by now scrambling along in the fine, whippy branches of the upper canopy. They swayed madly under her weight, but, damn…! If they barely supported her weight they sure as frack wouldn’t support him… she scrambled higher.
Her theory was borne out a few minutes later, as the taunting, laughing cries turned into muted snarled annoyance, and suddenly there was a low splintering crack! and a curse…
She stayed up in the topmost canopy of the forest around the village for a long time, that evening, knowing Jan was looking for her, but too damn scared to leave the relative sanctuary of her tree. She could hear him yelling, could hear her name being called, but daren’t move, daren’t, just in case… Just clung to her tree, and wept, stunned and shocked and scared out of her wits.
(ooc: Bleh, sorry, I don’t think I got Mal right. And I seem to end up writing more and more for each post as days go by… ah well. I’m rattling again, who’s got the frying pan?)
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