Rising Sun Valley beneath this

@Reiko -- it took me a few hours but here you go!

the trek from the hinterlands to the valley had been difficult. exhaustion, exacerbated by hunger, had long since set in. the shadow longed helplessly for repreive from his apparent condemnation.

still, he carried on. sunset would soon be upon the wilds; any prey that lingered would soon be his for the taking. shadow licked his lips and began his wait.

Emberwood had its own little types of herbs to choose from, but she needed more. That need, that urge to collect as much before the snow soaked them all to rot forced the girl to leave the safety of the borders and bravely (as far as she could feel, this was brave) go out into the wilderness again to gather as many new ones as she could. 

Thankfully she had found some mint, a herbalists' dream as far as she was concerned. The frost-resistant herb was fantastic for many things. She was careful to not draw too much attention to herself, but with the lack of snow and many covers of leave like summer had - she carefully slunk through, holding a few bunches of mint in her jaws. 

From one cover to the next until gasp, the light inhale sucked in as she held her herbs tighter, awkwardly stepping back when her eyes landed on a dark figure just feet away from her. His dark complexion was easier to hide in the drab of winter without snow, she hoped she went unnoticed but a part of her, as she struggled to keep moving back, knew all too well that she was not as slick as she would have liked to be in this moment. Her feet slowly getting tangled in the undergrowth as she lost focus on her footing...

sounds of someone caught in a tangle. shadow's attention shifted quickly to the play-thing hiding in the background. standing still, he scanned the perimeter for where the stranger fell and listened for further cues.

a crash. shadow stood at attention, tail high and hackles raised as he spotted the alabaster femme. a small smile crept onto his maw as he watched her cower. the rush of excitement drew through his body twice over as he waited to see if she would run.

Oh, she would try to run if she could. Especially as he turned with that kind of smile on his mug. She was right to want to turn and leave, but now she was stuck. Trying to flee had only her chin meeting the ground in a soft thud. One leg, in particular, was caught and tangled in some wet undergrowth. Ensnared, she would have to bite at the tangled mess - but she didn't want to take her eyes off of him. 

There was only one thing left to do - in a last-ditch attempt to save her skin, alabaster lips peeled back to reveal the needle trap within of pearly whites. I'm warning you, stay away. her voice soft, but stern. She would not be an easy victim, not again! She would fight!

there was a plea masked by an empty warning. it was clear that the girl meant nothing of it, for if she had, her fear wouldn't have been as palpable. still, sycamore maintained his distance, finding it more entertaining to watch his prey squirm. 

a moment passed. sycamore opened his mouth in a wide yawn as he slowly stepped forward. there had to be a reason for her presence, otherwise he thought that she would have long since fled.

coming closer, he could see where she was caught. simple, he thought as his lanky frame circled around. in that moment, there was no urge to attack because the opportunity to tease proved much more attractive.

The longer she was stuck, the quieter he was, the less he reacted to her warnings - the more she feared. She could feel it, the harsh thumping in her chest, the panic that rose, she frantically tugged at her foot trying to pry it free. With every tug, she grew more frantic, desperate to cut herself free but unable to cut her sight of him, feeling far more comfortable for some reason by keeping an eye on him. She felt as if she lost eyesight of him, he would just disappear and reappear much closer. 

As he circled, she kept trying to keep the distance by shuffling over. Caught in the diameter of her leash while kicking at the vine with both legs. He didn't really approach, it didn't make her feel any better but she certainly noticed that he wasn't in any rush to close the distance either... maybe he was just playing with her with no real intention to do much else. Oh, how she wished that was the case. With every tug she could feel the weed giving just a little more each time... soon she could be able to break free - it was only a matter of time!! the roots and shaft could only withstand so much.

In the meantime, while she bid for her time, Reiko kept that snarl on her face, trying to keep him questioning on his approach just a little longer.

sycamore was to be entertained, it seemed. the snarl was sweet sound to play out behind the exposition of their show. she was caught, truly caught, and that could be used to his advantage. he ran his nose gently over her spine before taking a step back. control yourself, he thought, this isn't your role.

the branches that'd trapped the pale sylph were beginning to give. sycamore challenged her snarl with one of his own, hackles raised and tail whisking furiously as he stepped forward. given the chance, he would love to snap down on her ankle.

I wasn't certain if he actually did snap at her ankle! I played it as he did but if not I can always change my response! Feel free to have her escape or have him grab her! I'm down for either <3

 

Hackles raised at the feeling, his nose running across her spine. An immediate response was given as she twisted herself in the attempt to snap at him to gain more ground. Her attempt was met with nothing but air - she didn't wish to cause harm or draw blood, but certainly to keep him away. Not again. She would not be attacked again and left to die, or to be found by some strange pack and demand some kind of reward for their "kind gesture". 

Not again!

Though his snarled impregnated her soul with fear, all she could do was keep offering that same grimace and continuously tug at her leg. Gingerly, eventually, just on time the roots had snapped while the man lunged forward for her ankle. Kicking free she might have kicked him in the forehead while turning to gain her footing again, she touched something, perhaps ground or skin, it didn't matter, she was free!

Not wanting to remain and take her chances with this guy, she began her attempt to flee, not looking back in fear that he was in pursuit.

listen i'm just along for the ride okay

the power of the bite resonated through sycamore's jaws as they slammed shut. immediately after, the girl landed a kick clean across his snout, nails digging deep enough to draw blood. the pain was momentarily blinding, giving her a window in which to flee without chase.

the intensity of the pain gradually fell. sycamore's eyes darted frantically as he tried to locate her, but it was dark. even with a coat as bright as hers, it would be difficult to pick her out. if she'd made it far enough, the girl might have come across a patch of snow, offering her further camoflauge.

sycamore cursed. he darted haphazardly out into the open, assuming that they would eventually cross paths.

She gets away according to the dice... for now. Totally down to have them meet again after a while lmfao! i can't imagine he'd be pleased to see this lady who kicked him in the face LOL

She ran, as far and as fast as she could. Her lungs burned, and ankle stung - but thanks to the dice who said she won't bump into him again in this thread, she kept running despite it all. Desperate to get away, fueled by the desire to do nothing more than to make the distance between them and dart off into a random direction to try and lose him should he chase her down. 

Only once she reached Emberwood did she stop to finally rest...

sycamore's paws slammed against the ground, each one with more force than the last. the scent trail, it'd dissipated, leaving him lost and without a clear path. he cursed in frustration, a string of words too vulgar for his catholic writer. 

there will be a next time, he thought, eyes narrow and searching. he huffed as his claws beat furiously against the ground, the motion akin to an ornery bull. there will be a next time, and next time,

i won't lose.