ooc: set before she wanders up to Boreas

Ah yes, the rainy season in Auster. The growing season, and therefore the season that most animals down here gave birth, so it was a good time to hunt here. The lower temperatures and slightly drearier aspect than during the dry season were certainly bearable compared to winters in Boreas. But rainy season here also meant that it was spring in Boreas, which made the northern continent... almost bearable. She'd found her steps meandering that direction for some time now since the season had changed, and here she was now on the cusp of the junction between the two continents. She hadn't admitted to herself that was where she was heading, and as long as she didn't set foot on the rainbow sands of the landbridge she could continue to stubbornly deny that she was being drawn that way.

She did know that she didn't plan to stay long in this place, pretty as it was with all the little berry blossoms getting ready to burst into bloom, because she didn't bother to set up any snares or traps. That was the way she operated, entirely on instinct and whimsy, and right now she wasn't getting the urge to settle in even long enough for that. No, she was definitely in nomad-mode.

Flopped out in the sun to take advantage of a lapse in the rainy weather and soak up some warmth, the celestial-furred hunter was drowsing the day away and digesting the remains of an unfortunate jungle fowl. Hey, just because she preferred to do her hunting the smart and easy way didn't mean that she wasn't capable of actually hunting... it was just not as ideal. And the proof was in the scattered feathers and bones and other bits she'd buried under a berry bush a distance away to keep from attracting flies and annoying scavengers while she was resting.

Everybody Wants To Rule The World

Walking through the grove Ashiel admired what was, to him, wonderfully warm weather. After working his way through winter in Boreas he was grateful to get back to the more temperate temperatures of the southern continent. Of course by the time he'd worked his way down here he was certain spring was now making its way through Boreas. He'd thought about turning back but decided he'd had enough travel for one seen.

The groves were alight with buds and hints of dew. The rainy season was settling into Auster and bringing with it budding life and abundant prey. Thankfully, he'd had his fill of clams up on the Bifröst so he wasn't inclined to hunt but rather wander through the grove, serenading by birds and anointed with the dew that would shake from the trees when one would take off.

As he maneuvered his way around a particularly thick raspberry patch he noticed a startling figure stretched out in the sun. Naturally, he assumed she was a spirit. She was cloaked in numerous colors colliding over a jet black pelt. He had no idea what sort of spirit she was and after his encounters with Iskra he didn't dare guess. He wanted to say something but perhaps it was better to let sleeping spirits rest… He was about to move on when his paw stepped on something with a sickening crunch. He wrinkled his nose as he examined the remains of someone's lunch.

"Talk"

Leto wasn't so deep into her drowsing that she wasn't awoken by the sound of small bones crunching beneath a clumsy paw. Flipping her head lazily in that general direction she slid one eye open to regard the guilty-looking party who'd managed to step on what had been left of her earlier hunt. He was a young, strong looking wolf, a yearling from the unfinished smell of him. She yawned broadly towards him, an internalized smirk of mischief growing as she recalled the last yearling who'd awoken her from a nap. This boy was both taller and bulkier than that self-proclaimed king, though, and she a mite lazier than she'd been that day. Still...

"It's a chicken," she observed aloud quite casually before she stretched all four legs out to the side stiffly and yawned again, leaving it ambiguous as to whether she was referring to the remains of the bird or to the boy who'd stepped on them.

Everybody Wants To Rule The World

Dipping his head Ashiel sniffed at the remains, determining that the kill was some sort of bird though one he wasn't terribly familiar with. Honestly, Ashiel hadn't eaten many birds. He assumed the feathers and the smaller size of the creatures wouldn't make them with the effort but this was a reasonably sized bird.

He was drawn from his study by a drowsy voice and turned to see the spirit yawning at him. A chicken, hm? "Ah, I'm not familiar with those." He turned and took a few steps toward her, deciding since they were both awake he may as well see who and what he was dealing with. "My name is Ashiel Abraxas… I'm curious, what sort of spirit are you? I ran into Iskra the spirit of fun awhile back. Perhaps you two have met?" It was probably a crap shoot but he figured he may as well see if there was a connection. He assumed spirits that looked like their pelts were studded with stars were celestial and astronomic in nature. Until he met Iskra.

"Talk"

At first Leto continued to drowse as she watched the yearling kicking at the bones she had left and chattering, but his questions startled an explosive snort of laughter out of her that had her rolling onto her belly to stare at him mockingly. "You're kidding right? I'm not a fucking spirit. There's no such thing as spirits." She wrinkled her nose, partly in disgust and partly in amusement. Leave it to Iskra to think it was funny to pretend to be a spirit and confuse things even more than they already were. "Iskra is my sister, actually, and she's no more the spirit of fun, let alone the spirit of anything, than I am a... a moose." She laced her ears back and snorted again, shaking her head and muttering a few choice cusses under her breath. "My name is Leto Aeris," she added as an afterthought. "And if you can't tell, I'm not a moose either."

Everybody Wants To Rule The World

Ashiel was about to protest the woman's statement of there being no such thing as spirits, because obviously there were, when he was struck dumb by the realization that he was being foolish. Why on earth was he assuming that every creature with an odd coat was a spirit? His sister was pelted in extravagant fashion and though their father was a spirit she wasn't… as far as he knew. It wasn't uncommon for some mortals to be blessed by spirits though…. if this woman didn't believe in spirits that didn't explain her coat. He stared at her in surprise. "Wait, what, you were just… born like that? Sorry, you know I shouldn't have assumed. I mean my sister has a pretty spectacular pelt and she's not a spirit but our father was one."

Hold on, she knew Iskra? He made a face. Dangit, someone was lying here and he had a feeling he'd just been had. "You're kidding…" It was a question but an utterance of irritation. That darn Iskra! "She told me she was a spirit but if your sisters I guess she's not. Has she always been such trouble?"

The woman introduced herself as Leto Aeris and Ashiel grinned at her moose comment. "Oh, I don't know. If we get some nice antlers and some mud." He laughed. "So did you catch that chicken here in this territory?"

"Talk"