Her progress is halted by the sudden appearance of three rodents bursting from the treeline. Cursing quietly under her breath, she startles back into a crouch, teeth bared against the insult of their interruption - particularly as one has the gall to stop in her bath and squeak "Come!" They're not the large, meaty creatures she'd been looking for, but instinct has her moving.
Thal throws a dagger to pin one in place and darts forward to reach for a second. Her hand snags at the fluffy tail, something that sounds like it was meant to be "Follow!" turning into a shriek that's silenced by the crisp slice of a blade. Blood splatters against damp stones, the Symphony streaked in red when she rises from her crouch, but the third squirrel is already gone, having vanished into the trees while she was busy.
But the success isn't without its cost. The bruises along her face have long healed, but the scabs beneath her black sleeves crack, the exertion pulling at the wounds winding up to her back. She hisses out a breath, looking down at the new scratches the squirrel had managed to score along the back of her hand.
Narrowing her eyes at the new addition, she sucks in a long breath to calm the burning of reopened wounds, licking her tongue along the shallow lines of blood before rising. Still holding her kill by the tail, she retrieves the second body from the bankside. Her boots scuff softly when she moves. Intentional stealth might be abandoned, but the natural quietness remains, the whisper of leather through water.
She sheaths one dagger and pulls the other from the head of the rodent, blood oozing from the gaping hole when it dangles from her fingers. Warm satisfaction calms the restless urge to delve into the squirrels while Thal scans the forest around her. The fading adrenaline widens her vision to assess for other risks, taking in the silence that's fallen - not that she cares. Her eyes are searching for a place to enjoy her meal while pointedly ignoring the lingering ache along her arm and back, mouth beginning to water with anticipation.
Thal throws a dagger to pin one in place and darts forward to reach for a second. Her hand snags at the fluffy tail, something that sounds like it was meant to be "Follow!" turning into a shriek that's silenced by the crisp slice of a blade. Blood splatters against damp stones, the Symphony streaked in red when she rises from her crouch, but the third squirrel is already gone, having vanished into the trees while she was busy.
But the success isn't without its cost. The bruises along her face have long healed, but the scabs beneath her black sleeves crack, the exertion pulling at the wounds winding up to her back. She hisses out a breath, looking down at the new scratches the squirrel had managed to score along the back of her hand.
Narrowing her eyes at the new addition, she sucks in a long breath to calm the burning of reopened wounds, licking her tongue along the shallow lines of blood before rising. Still holding her kill by the tail, she retrieves the second body from the bankside. Her boots scuff softly when she moves. Intentional stealth might be abandoned, but the natural quietness remains, the whisper of leather through water.
She sheaths one dagger and pulls the other from the head of the rodent, blood oozing from the gaping hole when it dangles from her fingers. Warm satisfaction calms the restless urge to delve into the squirrels while Thal scans the forest around her. The fading adrenaline widens her vision to assess for other risks, taking in the silence that's fallen - not that she cares. Her eyes are searching for a place to enjoy her meal while pointedly ignoring the lingering ache along her arm and back, mouth beginning to water with anticipation.
we care so much until we don't
Thalassa
