Stupid Luck (Open)

[*~Swiftwind~*]

Had it really been so long ago that she'd first set out on her own? When she had killed those vermin who'd murdered her father? It didn't really seem like that long ago... only a few months. However, she knew it had been longer, at least two years ago. The pain was still raw though... She missed her father dearly and she missed her mother too, although she hadn't been around very long in her life so it wasn't as hard to.

The noon sun shone through the clouds. However, since it was still winter the cold was prevailing over the heat. It cut a slight chill that made a pale colored squirrel pull her cloak tighter around her. The deep red cloak was brushing the ground until she did so. Now, even though her feet were barely visible, it wasn't brushing the ground.

The squirrel's cloak made her look even smaller than she really was. She seemed almost swallowed up by it. Which is the reason why she found a hollow in a tree and left it there. She fluffed out her fur and climbed up the tree. The reason she had taken off her cloak was so she wouldn't have the thing billowing out while she tried to tree hop. It was a very nice past time and it would be nice to get her breath going so she could generate some heat. It would keep her from feeling the chill in the air.

So, she rubbed her forepaws together and leaped to the branch of the nearest tree. From that one she leapt to another and so on and so forth. Pretty soon she was flying through the trees quite quickly, easily living up to the name "Swiftwind". Soon, her breath was starting to come out in quick pants. The squirrel was getting tired.

She slowed herself to a stop on a branch and leaned against the top trunk of the tree. She looked around as she tried regaining her breath. Her small chest rapidly rising and falling in time with her breathing.

That had been quite fun... but now, she had to go back and get her cloak. She started to head back at a slower speed but realized... where had she put her cloak? She knew it was in the hollow trunk of a tree but there were thousands of trees here. Which one would it be? She climbed to the topmost branch of the tree she was in and tried to get a bearing on things. Unfortunately, that didn't work. She had been going too fast for anything to look familiar, not that she had been paying attention anyway...

Damn it! Curse her stupid luck. Her own father's cloak! She had lost it! She climbed down the tree and jumped to the ground. She started to walk in a random direction, hoping that she would happen upon it. Who knew maybe she would get lucky and find it. Or find a beast who knew where the tree was... or even better, had seen her cloak.

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[lorki]

Sleet found herself being thankful for the day, currently. Her night had been awful, after running into an old 'friend' she'd spent hours attempting to avoid the inevitable and had... well, offed the unfortunate rabbit with a well-placed knife somewhere around dawn. To be fair she had killed his brother a year or so earlier... but at least that one she got paid for. Since then she'd managed to get a good few miles away from the body and slept for perhaps an hour. While she was rarely content to sit around lazily, today she felt awfully inclined to. She felt quite awake, but without any real motivation to move.

So that exactly what the small ferret did. Leaning against a tall tree in a small sun-lit clearing off the path she'd traveled earlier, Sleetfang let the sun hit her face and slowly warm her fur while she toyed with her weapons. Her paws turned the newly sharpened knife over in her paws while dark eyes watched it distantly, clearly other thoughts on her mind besides the blade itself. A sharp cool breeze blew past her, chasing off the short-lived warmth that had accompanied the uninterrupted sunlight.

Blinking away her wandering thoughts, Sleet raised her head- the wind had carried with it a small and normally unassuming noise. But, an assassin did not survive while allowing 'small unassuming noises' to sneak past their senses. She could tell the different between the ruffling of bushes or shuffling of a beast moving though them, or the difference between a snapped twig and a snapped twig under pressure. One, obviously, much more of a concern than the others. She sat very still, neck held upwards and head slightly tilted her ears perked forward and she waited for a sound to affirm what her gut was telling her- somebeast was moving towards her.

And sure enough it came, the padding of footpaws, someone walking was not so much a worry as one running, marching, sneaking or jumping around the forest. Still, an assessment was safe. Flicking her gray ears back, Sleet tucked her knife away and rose from her position on the ground to stand. The petite ferret took her normal form of transportation, mostly off the ground, stepping only on larger areas- low branches, clear spots of ground, large rocks- to avoid making a racket through the underbrush. She moved quietly as she approached the walking creature.

[*~Swiftwind~*]

While walking the squirrel looked around. Gazing at any tree that even slightly resembled the one that housed her cloak. She had no luck however... All these trees weren't the right one. She stopped walking and decided that the direction she was going wasn't the right way. So, she headed another direction one that was westward. It couldn't be any worse than where she was headed now.

After a few moments she started to feel uneasy... Like something was wrong. She stopped walking and looked around in the trees and bushes behind her... Nothing seemed out of the ordinary... yet...

The pale squirrel twitched her tail and started walking again, only to stop. Something definitely wasn't right. She couldn't put her paw on it but she felt as if she were being watched. By who she wasn't sure. But she was starting to question her sanity since nobody could be seen or heard following her. Was it a figment of her imagination? Hopefully so. Maybe the slight instinct she had of a warrior was kicking and she was just feeling uneasy. The weasels of her past must be trying to come back and haunt her...

She chuckled at the thought and continued walking again. Barely realizing her paw was straying to her whip. It was pure instinct now, whenever she was feeling threatened her paw would go to the whip for easy access. She caught herself and realized... she must feel threatened right now. And what should a threatened squirrel do? Why, head to the trees of course.

With that, she leaped to the trunk of a nearby tree and quickly climbed up to a branch where she could get good access to the ground. She didn't know what was following her. Or indeed, if anyone was following but it couldn't hurt to be cautious. Cautiousness could be the difference between life or death nowadays.

She was rewarded for she thought that something was visible... she wasn't sure though. It could have been some sort of beast but then again, it could also have been a trick of the light or something... She moved to a nearby tree that had a better view of the ground but if you were on the ground you'd also have a good view of the tree. However, that was unknown to the squirrel as she gazed at the spot she'd last seen the movement... It had looked a lot like a... ferret or weasel... some sort of beast like that, maybe...

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[lorki]

Sleet caught site of the squirrel mere moments before the beast stopped and twitched paw towards its hip. Immediate assuming the squirrel carried a weapon, and not only that but also had appeared to sense her presence in some form or another, Sleets own paw fell to rest on one of the neatly rowed knives along her waist. Only a somewhat decently trained beast would have the the instinct or smarts to notice a stealthy assassin in the woods- no simple woodlander would have the same reaction.

The ferret stilled as she watched the squirrel at a distance while it sprung into the trees. Perhaps not so much a trained beast and more or a... nervous one. Sleet smirked at the thought while she drew a knife, not completely comfortable with the squirrel now on higher ground... or... branch.

She waited a few dragging moments as the squirrel finally stopped and peered around the forest in Sleet's direction. Not particularly worried about this particular beast, the gray ferret waited, curious weather or not the squirrel would find her. Once it had appeared to do so, staring more or less at her and her shadow, she cleared her throat and took a step forward, away from where she'd stood partially hidden. "Whattcha looking for, Squirrel?" Her voice was calm and cold, no hint of malice... but also void of friendliness.

[Treble Tiderunner]

Alex considered himself fairly canny in the woods. After all, he’d grown up in a secret mountain community, successfully hidden away all his life. And so, when he nearly stepped on the ferret, imagine his surprise. And she held a blade in her paw.

And his day had been going so well.

He growled, the tip of his javelin coming up. Nearly stepping on a little gray ferretess with a knife was not on his list of ‘scenarios guaranteed to go well.’ In fact, most critters took exception to his presence in those situations. He took a step back, giving himself room. He made no overt threatening moves just yet, the growling dying down into silence.

"Whattcha looking for, Squirrel?"

Alex swore, short and sweet and inventively, looking into the trees. Sure enough, there was a strangely colored squirrel staring straight at them. This was not his day. It was going downhill. He just knew it.

[*~Swiftwind~*]

Hmm, she had made a nice guess apparently. It was a ferret following her. A very crafty ferret to have gone unnoticed for so long… but whatever. Why had the beast been following her? A lone squirrel shouldn’t arouse the suspicion of anyone. Not like squirrels were considered vermin and were meant to be avoided. Now the person in front of her on the other paw… you could never be sure about them, especially when they were holding weapons. Then again, she had a weapon as well. A very nice whip that could be used even at a little bit of distance. She wasn’t scared at all, let this weasel try to attack. She’d show her that she wasn’t a squirrel to mess with.

Her ears twitched as she asked the question. She was tempted to say “none of your buisiness” but figured that wouldn’t be very smart. She actually was looking for something. Maybe this beast would actually help, who knew? However, she wasn’t about to give up her branch for the ground, especially while the creature was armed. No, that would idiotic on her part. So, she just shifted positions so that she could lean casually against the trunk of the tree as if she didn’t have a care in the world. She was about to speak until another beast showed up, an otter. He didn’t seem too happy about running into the ferret though with the lifting of his javelin and his growling. Should have been more careful, though he seemed to be calming down.

She waited until his growling died down a little more before she spoke. ”What am I lookin’ for? Just a lil’ something’ I lost in a hollowed tree.” She said coolly. Her tone showing neither friendliness nor hostility. Didn’t want these creatures to think she was nervous, now did she? ”What’re you two lookin’ for?” Since you seem so keen in followin’ me around. She added in her head. No need to provoke hostility by saying her little comment out loud.

[lorki]

Sleet had been focused on the squirrel, her ears and eyes pointed purposefully at the beast, her attention unfaltering. She'd been under the impression the beast was alone, so she let go of canvasing the general area. Apparently she ought o have been more careful.

Moments before Alex appeared she heard a step, a soft movement. Immediately she turned, eyes wide and ears swiveling to meet the sounds, only as second later the otter just about got too close with his javelin. The raised weapon and deep growl was met with Sleets immediate shift to a fighting position, one leg back and her arm co cked to throw the knife directly in line with his chest. Her face immediately pulled back into a snarl- Sleet did not take well to being surprised.

However, as the growl died down, and the otter too looked up the catch the squirrels position, Sleet calmed. She still held her knife at the ready, but took a few swift steps backwards, away from the otter. The snarl fell from her face, replaced with an angry gaze while she mumbled, "Damn streamdogs, all of 'em lack some basic damn sense."

By then, The squirrel had answered her question... in a bit of a roundabout way and then repeated it back to Sleet. However, the ferret was reluctant to take her eyes off the otter, who appeared much more a threat than the treed squirrel. "I'm not looking for anything...." She answered honestly, though her words were forced through her fangs while she kept full gaze on Alex.

[Treble Tiderunner]

“What am I lookin’ for? Just a lil’ something’ I lost in a hollowed tree.” “What’re you two lookin’ for?

“None o’ yore business, bushtail.” Alex said rudely, folding his arms over his chest and staring up at her. Ostensibly his whole attention was on the squirrelmaid, but a goodly amount of it was still on the ferret. After all, she was down here, and the bushtail was up there. No contest who was more potentially dangerous.

"I'm not looking for anything...."

“Well yore obviously not lookin’ where yore goin’.” Alex growled under his breath. “Damn short ferret standin’ right inna middle o’ the forest, in oder creatures way…” He turned to the right, took a few steps, then turned forwards again, moving on his way. “Not an otter, either one, useless for wot Ah’m lookin’ for…”

[*~Swiftwind~*]

Swift first eyed the ferret. Not looking for anything, eh? So she must have just been out to aggravate other creatures like the otter here. He seemed a lot annoyed and downright rude when he answered her question. If you could call it answering.

“None o’ yore business, bushtail.” Swiftwind narrowed her eyes at his rudeness. She didn't take to kindly to being called "bushtail" even if it was true. "Ok, plank-bottom, no need to get all snippy. I was just askin' an inacent question." She rudely turned her nose up at him and looked at the ferret who seemed to be the nicer of the two, even if she had been following her. So much for getting advice to where the stupid tree could be from him.

She watched the two creatures bellow her with a little interest. The otter seemed to be getting worked up over nothing. It was his fault after all that he'd even run into the small ferret. She'd gotten here and first and he'd basically run into her. So, in her eyes it was all his doing. But hey, why get into other beast's business? She was almost a little happy when she saw him walking along on his on merry way. Rudeness and snappiness weren't ways to get on this squirrel's good side... Her brown gaze fell upon the ferret again. "I s'pose that the riverdog ain't your friend."

[lorki]

“Damn short ferret standin’ right inna middle o’ the forest, in oder creatures way…”

"Right in the middle of the forest? Really?" Sleets voice dripped in condescending smugness, "The forest too small for you to cast a glance around, watch where you step maybe? Or is your ego too big to take some damn responsibility? You just need to blame it all on someone else, huh riverdog?" She shook her head, the otter wasn't a threat, just a walking self-righteous idiot who thought he might as well own the whole world. Typical woodlander with a warrior complex. Disgusting.

She let the knife fall just slightly, still quite ready to flick her wrist and end it just that fast- but feeling less like such a move would be necessary. As she relaxed a bit, the squirrel, who Sleet had all but forgotten about, addressed her again.

"I s'pose that the riverdog ain't your friend."

At that, the ferret smirked, gave her head a little shake and said, "Squirrel, you'd be hard pressed to find a beast in this forest that would be a friend of mine."