RP:Two New Runners in the Pack

Summary: Aira meets up with Khitti and Meri at the Ranger's Camp to discuss their recruitment into the Ranger's Guild. The huntress watches Khitti shoot from a distance and upon her approach, asks Meri demonstrate her own skills with a bow. After a tense first shot, Aira bids her try again which proves to be successful. After confessing that Orikahn has gone awol and she alone shoulders the weight of guild decisions, the vixen officially invites Khitti and Meri to join the Ranger's Guild as Prospective Hunters, and thankfully both accept.

Ranger’s Camp

Khitti || “Okay, so go through it one more time for me. What did the wolf look like? And you said there were clothes left behind too?” Thunk went the arrow that’d been nocked into Khitti’s bow as she questioned her sister, doing her best not to let the irritation that was boiling in her mind show. The anger wasn’t for Meri, however. Oh no, this was reserved for this “wolf”. Khitti’d not heard of any wolf attacks lately, so this smelled of something worse. Another arrow was let loose, and then another, allowing Meri to speak what and when she will and if she felt comfortable. The final one for the moment was let go, holy fire sparking on the end of the arrowhead, setting fire briefly to the target Khitti’d been shooting before it was snuffed out by the magic’s owner. You’d almost think she -was- a Catalian with that anger of hers, for it matched Brand’s perfectly. “Do you have the clothes? I think I’m going to need them…” Tracking for Khitti nowadays wasn’t as easy as it had been when she was a vampire, but she did have that Tikifhlee and its nose was just as good. No one, whether it’s an actual wolf or a lycan, attacks her sister and gets away with it.

Meri was feeling a bit off today. Recent developments have left Meri's mind in a little bit of a fog. One moment you are wandering through the forest as a human, the next you're being bitten by a werewolf. It was a lot to take in. The blonde has found herself a more relaxed outfit for today, because she was rushing out of her home last minute to even make it here in time to meet sister. It's a wonder Khitti did not have to go down to Meri's home and drag her out of bed, but here she was. She's got her usual black pants on, but it seems she has stolen one of Cal's button up shirts and thrown it on. In her rush to make it here in time, she had still managed to remember to snag her bow and quiver for this practice session. Except Meri was having a hard time focusing on getting any practice in while Khitti was grilling her about what happened. Honestly Meri didn't want to tell everyone, she didn't want to talk about it yet as she wanted to continue to be in denial that is really happened. But she also did not want to keep it a secret from those close few, they probably needed to know. If only for their own safety. So Meri talks about the thing that she does not want to talk about, but she is going to be all sighy and huffy while doing it. "Looked like a werewolf. Big. White. Drools too much. Really wanted to eat my face off. I do go the clothes....They're back at my home." Meri frowns. "Just. I am not sure whomever did it on purpose. I was just. Not in the right place and the right time."

Aira strolls into the ranger’s camp as casually as if she frequented it regularly. Her attire is not all that different than what she wears in Frostmaw, except less layers. The huntress dons a pair of leggings, a simple cotton tunic, and her usual knee-high leather boots. The longer locks of her platinum hair are secured in a single braid over her shoulder and as always, a quiver of rattling arrows rests against her back while her bow is slung across her body. Her metallic gaze flicks around the camp looking for Khitti and Meri, eventually spying the pair near a target. She halts for a moment as Khitti shoots and crosses her arms over her chest as she watches the red head appraisingly. When she loses her final arrow the corners of her mouth twitch into a half grin before weaving her way towards the women. “Khitti, Meri!” she calls out to them in greeting, nodding her head at one and then the other as she approaches, giving them ample time to wrap up their conversation before she approaches. “You’re a good shot,” she says to Khitti, giving her a rare, genuine smile. “There’s power behind your shots, that’s a good skill.” Aira’s vulpine tail gives a wide swish and curls around her knees. She looks towards Meri and notes that she has a bow as well. “Would I be able to see you shoot?” She is secretly hoping that neither woman will ask where Kahn is seeing as she had agreed to bring him along to this next meeting.

Khitti didn’t ask where Kahn was, thankfully for Aira. Tunnel visioning on killing a big white wolf is taking up most in the space of her brain right at this point in time and it even took a few seconds before she realized Aira was even there, despite the fact that her name had been called. She mustered a smile for Aira at the fox-woman’s greeting, approach, and praise, then offered a dip of her head in response, as well as a “Thanks.” There’s a pause before she adds, “I don’t have that vampiric strength anymore, but whatever magic I find myself with at the time helps a bit.” Olive-green eyes shifted towards Meri when she’s asked to put on a show with her archery skills, crimson brows knitting together in concern. “She’s not feeling as right as rain today, but she might be able to manage it. She’s certainly caught up to my skill level pretty quickly and she’s got her own form of firepower to help her as well.” Other things ran rampant in Khitti’s mind as she spoke, things she’d not voice any time soon: were they going to have to go on the hunt for another cure? Would Meri even want to be cured? What sort of price would they have to pay if they -did- go about that again? A fiery death and a watery rebirth was -not- in the cards for Meri and Khitti would make sure of it.

Meri does have the advantage of a heightened sense of smell, she could make up for the one that Khitti lost...Except Meri was too young of a werewolf. Only a couple days old? She has not managed to fine-tune these abilities enough, Meri was just slowly getting past the stage of all these new scents that she was not used to smelling being entirely overwhelming. It was for this reason that she could not pluck out Aira's scent and thus did not notice her approach until the other woman spoke. Khitti's comment about not having her vampiric strength was raising concern in Meri's mind. Meri was not human anymore, she was a werewolf. She had werewolf strength. What would that mean for Meri's shot? She has not even practiced since becoming a werewolf, which is understandable. Priorities. Thankfully Khitti is quick with thinking on her feet and provides and answer to Aira for Meri. "Sure. I'll do my best. Me and my new friend here," Meri is speaking about the bow that she is retrieving from her back, "Are just getting to know one another though. We're still working on making friends. Hopefully I don't embarrass myself too much." As Meri preps her bow and arrow and begins to line up her shot, her heart is racing abnormally fast as she starts stressing over the details of her new werewolf strength and her bow string. Was she going to pull back too hard on the string and snap it? What if she did not provide enough tension out of fear of this fear, loosing a rather lame arrow that came no where close to the target? In the end this is not a shining moment for Meri. She does not pull back on her bow string so hard that it snaps, but too much tension is applied and the shot is released with more force than needed. It does not hit the target, but lands mere inches above the target. Ah well. We can add this glorious moment to the list of things that Meri is fretting over right now, some of those things are the very same issues that Khitti is dwelling on too.

Aira arches her brow curiously in Meri’s direction when Khitti mentions her not feeling her best and she gives what she hopes is an encouraging smile. However, truth be told it could look more like a grimace (she’s new to this socializing thing since coming into her own). She looks from Khitti to Meri as if trying to decipher the unspoken words between them. “It’s fine, I just want to see what you can do. We all have our off days.” The huntress takes a step back to allow Meri ample room and rests her hands on her hips as she watches. Her unblinking gaze rests on the new werewolf with a blank expression, observing everything from her stance to her posture. Only when she releases the arrow do her eyes flit towards the target. She doesn’t say anything in favor of moving towards the target and retrieving the arrow. Still silent. Aira heads back towards Meri and hands the arrow back to her. “Try again,” she says, and although it’s not a question, there is no heat in her tone. “Your stance is good, your posture is spot on, you know how to shoot. You’ve obviously had a great teacher,” she says with a nod in Khitti’s direction. “Take a couple of deep breaths. Relax.” Again Aira tries her hand at a reassuring smile, and once more she’s unsure how successful it is. The huntress steps back to allow her space to shoot once more.

Khitti smiled and nodded once more to Aira as she’s given praise for being a good teacher. Beyond that though, Khitti didn’t have much to say for the time being, letting Meri take another shot if she wished. She went over a mental checklist, things she’d have to get when she went back to Cenril: silver arrowheads, another pair of silver-steel swords. She’d have to do some investigating around Kelay as well. Had anyone else seen the werewolf? Had anyone else heard those screams that Meri had? Was this the first attack of many to come? That slayer past of Khitti’s was coming into focus again--and paired with her templar abilities, it would be a deadly combination. Fighting a werewolf, whether a fledgling or a much older one, was different from fighting ghouls and ghosts and beings from the Shadow Plane. She’d chew over her thoughts for a time, letting the two go about what they were doing before Khitti finally voiced -something- that she was thinking about, “Aira… have there been any attacks of any sort around Frostmaw, or near there, that you’ve heard of lately?” She wouldn’t divulge further into her thoughts, leaving the question as it was. Khitti would, however, grab another arrow, move to the next target that was only a few feet away, and set to shooting again.

Meri is at first irritated with Aira telling her to try again. Irrationally so. Blame her adjustment period to being a werewolf. Meri manages to gain control of her emotions before she looses a needlessly snappy comment. Aira has done nothing wrong, deep down Meri can recognize this. It probably helps that Aira pays Meri a few compliments, that is one way to sooth the savage beast within that Meri is still entirely too unfamiliar with. Meri tries again, as much as she does not want too, but relaxing and clearing her mind is not a task that she can accomplish. Meri's pride won't allow her to take a bad shot in front of Aira twice, so this time around the telekinetically inclined woman is going to give that arrow a bit of a guiding nudge to her advantage. It's not that Meri was a poor shot all together, she was just a poor shot in this moment. Too much in the head. No one had to be any wiser to this detail though? Not unless either Khitti or Aira were sensitive to the blonde using telekinetic energy to her advantage. The arrow is loosed, the unseen nudge is given, and this time it comes to rest neatly beneath Khitti's original shot. Meri looks back to Aira and Khitti, a smirk forming on her lips, only because she is entirely ignoring the question about if there have been any attacks in Frostmaw. Meri knew full well that if the situation was reversed, Meri would be losing her poo over someone hurting Khitti. She's not going to try and stop the redhead's investigations, even if Meri has heard enough of this subject and wants to be in denial. That's not going to stop Meri from trying to change the subject though, "More importantly, have you and Kahn made a decision about accepting us within the ranks of the Ranger's Guild?"

Aira continues her careful observance of Meri when Khitti’s question pulls her up short. Her pale brows furrow as the latter inquires about attacks near Frostmaw. These two aren’t the only ones with other thoughts battling for attention in their minds. Of course hers were not on werewolf attacks, but rather a missing kitty. One who had left early one morning and had yet to return. If Khitti was asking about attacks, that must mean she was privy to another one or ones that had occurred. Had Orikahn fallen victim to one of these mystery attacks? No, Aira wouldn’t allow herself to think like that. He was a fierce prime hunter and he wouldn’t be taken down by an unknown predator. Aira keeps her face like a mask although she does swallow hard before shaking her head. “No I haven’t heard or seen anything.” She gives Khitti a pointed look as if silently asking her to expand on that, but even she knows it probably won’t come. Meri is lining up her shot and Aira’s focus goes back on her and a wide grin breaks across her face when the werewolf hits her mark. Truthfully, Aira didn’t care whether it was organically shot or telekinetically inclined—a good shot was a good shot. “Excellent,” she praises Meri, intending to continue to shower praise and discuss shooting techniques. However, as the subject is swayed towards Kahn, the huntress grimaces slightly before crossing her arms over her chest. “Yeahhhh about that…” she states with a sigh. The vulpine ears atop her head flatten and her tail gives an agitated flick. “I…don’t exactly know where Kahn is,” she confesses in a mumbled voice.

Khitti seemed not quite happy with Aira’s answer to her question, and then even moreso with the one provided to Meri. That pointed look wasn’t lost on Khitti and she’d shake her head in return, giving a bit of a shrug, “I’d heard something at the Paladin’s Guild hall about rabid dogs or something attacking some kids and elderly folk. I’ve got some hunting to do around here, but I wanted to make sure it was just an isolated incident. There’s enough evil running around here that’s disappeared for the moment--like Kahran--and I wanted to be sure it didn’t have anything to do with him or something else like him.” She offered a smile to go with her quickly thrown together lie, adding it like a bit of icing on a cake, “I’ve got some hunting to do, clearly, so I’m sure it’ll be fine.” She allowed the conversation to finally shift back to the that big feline dude and another shake of her head is given, “I’m sure he’ll be back. I know you two are close, but maybe leaving without word was for the better. Lionel’s been doing that a lot lately too--sometimes it’s just a thing that has to happen. I’m sure he’d want you to carry on with things though and keep the guild going and whatnot. And who knows? Maybe wherever he’s gone he’ll find where Encara’s been keeping herself these days. He’s a good kitty and knows how to take care of himself, you and I both know that.” Another smile appeared, this one attempting to be a bit more reassuring than her last despite the cacophony of thoughts and plans and images of dead wolves going through her mind that was creating that weird sort of static in her mind, like an old television without a signal and black and white snow creeping across its screen. It kept happening to her more and more lately and somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered at its cause. Maybe it was Gabriel. Or Kahran. Or maybe, just maybe, Khitti was finally going nuts (moreso than she already was).

Meri blinks a few times at Aira as she tries to process this. Sensitivity was not always Meri's strength, but she had enough sense to realize that Aira and Orikahn were quite close, that the woman was possibly upset and concerned over this disappearance. "I hope that you find him soon. If there is anything that you think either of us can do to help you locate him, form a search party or something, just let us know." Meri was sincere in these comments, even if she was feeling a touch moody since being bitten. Despite this sincerity, there was also a lot of confusion, and it would be hard for Meri to mask that. So she'd just stare at the Deputy Leader to the Ranger's Guild, waiting for some sort of elaboration as to what this meant for the request that she and Khitti made. Does that mean they will not be able to join?

Aira mulls over Khitti’s expertly delivered lie, falling hook, line, and sinker for the story that she’s being fed. The huntress gnaws on the inside of her cheek as visions of rabid dogs attacking the most vulnerable beings flitter across her mind and she scoffs in disgust. “Well, if you need me to help with the hunt, please. Don’t hesitate to ask. I mean it,” and the tone the vixen uses is that of fierce determination. Khitti’s assurances about Kahn’s wellbeing and Meri’s offer of helping to find him draw a slightly confused expression from the huntress. Aira has spent most of her life fending for herself and taking care of things on her own. Only once she met Kahn did she she slowly begin to chisel down that wall. And here, these two women whom she truthfully didn’t know all that well where offering her, this standoffish, angry vixen, help. Gratitude, that’s what Aira feels, and it shows in her smile, one that completely relaxes her face and perhaps reveals how young she really is. Khitti’s words about the guild draws a knowing smirk and even a playful wink as she pulls a pouch out of her back pocket. “Exactly, which is why I brought this.” The huntress holds up the oily bag that might look familiar to Khitti. “Seeing as he is off doing…whatever men or large feral cats do, the sole responsibility of the guild falls on me. Khitti,” she says turning to face the redhead. “I never considered you -out- of the guild but I would honored to reinstate you.” Turning to Meri then, Aira would incline her head in a slight bow. “And Meri, we would be lucky to have you join our ranks as well.” The vixen unties the leather fastening of the pouch and pulls out a wad of greasy red pigment, which she immediately begins to knead within her fingers. “If you accept, you both would be granted the rank of prospective hunter and would be sponsored by me during the probationary period.” Aira would continue to work that dyed lump in her hand as she looked between the two women, waiting for them to either accept or deny her offer.

Khitti would’ve let out a sigh of relief that her lie worked if it wasn’t for the fact that it’d give her away. She really didn’t -like- lying to people nowadays, she’d tried to put a lot of that past behind her. But… since the not good stuff in Venturil happened and she’d been keeping rather mum on anything else that might be going on there right now, what was another white lie added to the stack? This paled in comparison to some of the things she hadn’t been telling Brand lately and in addition to that, it was to help Meri, so she didn’t mind. The equally moody redhead nodded in response, “Likewise with Kahn. I’ve got plenty of damn good trackers in the Paladin’s guild that can help out too if it’s needed.” After Aira explained guild-related things to Khitti and Meri, there’d be another nod, and a smile, “Of course. I never really meant to fall out of things with the guild, but… other things took more precedence for a time.” She’d look to Meri, hoping that Aira’s answer would be sufficient, then eyed the vixen once more, “How long do the probationary periods usually last or how can we speed it along a bit? I know all guilds run differently, so I figured I’d ask.” If it was hunts Aira wanted, well she’d certainly get that. With Meri’s newfound wolfiness and Khitti’s murdery habits coming back, both of them would be quite the duo to take down beasties and the like. “I don’t think I quite got around to asking Orikahn about that before. Not long after I joined, the war with the frost giants started.” Aira likely knew how chaotic things went with -that- whole shindig.

Meri was pretty darn close to having a sad thanks to Aira. The blonde needed a little bit of good news in her life and was starting to feel like tonight was not going to be the night that she got that news. The blonde has been working especially hard to expand her skill set to more than just stabbing and punching things, but also trying to mix in some shooting and stalking too. Khitti was just one person whose help she sought out, Encara was the other but they never explored nearly as much as Meri would have liked. Needless to say, this is something that Meri wanted. When Meri comes to the realization that Aira is just playing the role of trickster, a smile forms across her lips. Khitti would probably be able to tell better than Aira that this one is actually genuine. It's also probably obvious to Khitti that Meri is ignoring this talk about rabid dogs, not in a mean or angry way. It was just Meri trying to avoid that subject that she was really wanting to avoid tonight. This probably worked out to Khitti's benefit anyway, the longer they spent talking about the lie the easier it was to get caught in it. Let's just move along. With an earnest nod of her head, Meri seems more than willing to accept Aira's offer. "Of course." It's as simple as that for Meri, her sister has already asked all of the important questions that Meri might have had and then some.

Aira smiles a bit wider when both women accept the offer of joining the guild and she takes a few steps to close the distance between them before extending her red tinted fingers towards Khitti first (as she had already gone through this) and silently asking permission to touch her. Assuming she is fine with it, Aira proceeds to smudge some oily pigment on her forehead and cheeks before turning to do the same to Meri. “By joining the ranks of the Ranger’s Guild you are granted protection and assistance in anything that you may need, guild related or not. We aren’t just a guild, we are a pack.” Once both woman are properly painted, Aira takes a step back to admire her new guild mates. “In exchange, you will assist the guild in it’s needs. Whether it be hunting, tracking, scouting, reconnaissance—all are necessary and important tasks to the function of the guild. But all have the potential to be dangerous and life threatening. It is…the nature of the beast if you will.” Aira returns the wad of grease to the pouch and reties it with stained fingers before offering it to Meri. “As for your questions, the probationary period is as long or as short as you make it. You should go on hunts, do some tracking and scouting, and report back to me as your sponsor. Once I feel enough preparation has been made, you will be given a more cumbersome and specific task. Upon completion, it will be deferred to the Primal Circle to vote on whether or not to promote you to Professed Hunters. Right now, Kahn and I are the only members of the Circle so if he has yet to return by the end of your task, again it falls just on me.” Aira smiles proudly at Meri and Khitti, elated to have added strong members to her pack. “But if I had to wager a guess, I would say it won’t be long before you are Professed.”

Khitti allowed Aira to do as she needed, knowing full well what was about to happen with the paint. The fox-woman went on to explain, mainly to Meri, that the guild was a family and that they worked together on things. While this was all fine and great and welcomes, the word ‘pack’ made the hairs on the back of Khitti’s neck stand up a bit. The fact that she was the only human in the guild hit her like a freight train and that freight train soon careened off the side of a cliff. Was this a bad thing? She didn’t think so, but the oddness of it couldn’t be shaken off. Khitti’d never been the racist sort of person (except for that grudge she had against a dragon, but it was just -one- dragon!) and she wasn’t about to start, but she couldn’t help but feel like the odd human out. Oi. Khitti would push -those- thoughts aside and put her mind’s focus back on other things, “Finding things to hunt won’t be too difficult, not with the way things are lately.” You know. Wolves-who-were-not-wolves. Witch-hunters. “One of us will certainly be sure to let you know what’s up, whether it’s in person or by letter.”

Meri was accepting of Aira's want to apply the pigment to forehead and cheeks, appreciating that the woman still checked to see if either minded even though it was part of the welcoming rituals to the guild. The answers that Aira gives about the guild are met with an understanding nod to show that she was listening and paying attention even if Khitti was the one who voiced the questions. It seemed pretty straight forward to Meri. The object that Aira offers Meri is taken and given a slow inspection before it is tucked away out of sight, presuming it is now hers to keep. Meri was fairly oblivious to Khitti's concerns about being the odd human out, if only because she has not been a werewolf long enough for her to really feel like....she was not a human. It just had not all fully clicked yet. So Meri in all her obliviousness hitches a thumb toward Khitti to signal her agreement with what her sister has to say. "Yeah. All that. It's getting late though, and I should be heading home. But what she said, and thanks for accepting us into the guild. Or. Well. Mostly me, since in your view you've never considered Khitti out of the guild." Meri smirks. She'd give Khitti a hug before taking a couple steps away from her sister. Aira would be given a wave to signal her goodbyes.

Aira :: “I have not doubt of your skills, either one of you. I’m sure you will breeze through your probationary period in no time. You know where I live, and of course you both are always welcome at the Lodge if you need a place to stay or to restock your stores. If a letter is easier, that works as well since I sometimes wander. But we’ll touch base.” Aira is also oblivious to Khitti’s concerns because she still assumes Meri is a human as well. Who knew the Ranger’s Guild would be a menagerie? When the psion mentions the time Aira nods in agreement, she wanted to try and get back up the mountain to Frostmaw instead of remaining her. “Thanks for meeting with me and sorry about Kahn being a no-show. I know once he returns, he’ll be pleased to see we’ve grown.” Taking a step back she offers a smile and a wave to the two women before turning on her heel and walking out of the camp, but not before looking over her shoulder to call out one more thing. “Let me know if you need help with the rabid dogs.” With a final nod, the vixen is gone.