Off the Beaten Path

[elven]

Twiggy

"Madame," he chided. "You condradict yourself," he turned some so that he could check the path behind him. After all he had no use for running into trees, it was a messy and painful affair -and one he did not wish to indulge in. "You say I have not enough manners, though you do not want a worldly gentlemen, who have all the manners in the world," he paused.

"Though it does not much matter what time of man you were seeking upon venturing to the forest -though you said it was only for plants, you have found me, and me is what you get - like it....or go to the beast, he seems to have a taste for you," he winked some to the pair of eyes in the bushes near them, though not too near as to make the bird uncomfortable, or Twiggy for that matter.

[Aelis.the.Cat]

Mira
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "The beast might prove to possess better manners. He might say 'please' before attacking and 'thank you' after finishing his meal."

[elven]

Twiggy

Well then, talk about a pompous woman. Without another word he disappeared into the shadows that surrounded them on both sides. He was not so stupid, however, as to remain on the ground when they had a hungry beast on their tracks. If she wanted to keep company with beasts that was her perogative.

He, however, had not been so mistaught as to simply leave her there, though it would seem he had. He simply had pulled himself into a nearby tree to let her keep the company she wanted.

Ziva, who had been on his shoulder, took off when he moved to disappear. She was now sitting in a tree not too far off from Twiggy, but no where as to be considered near, since she did not want to be spotted by, well, anything.

[Aelis.the.Cat]

Mira
Mira shook her head. Men could be such pompous fools at times, believing that they were acting all suave and such when the only one they truely mocked was themselves. "Alright then," she called out into the shadows where he had disappeared, "now only you can make a monkey out of yourself."

Inwardly, Mira cursed herself. She hadn't even known his name yet he had kept the beast away. And said beast was slowly making its way towards her. Supposing that it was an animal that kept to the ground, she reached up and grabbed a tree branch, hoisting herself up to safety. Settling her self as comfortably as possible, she brushed her hair away from her face and leaned against the trunk, making sure that her dangling feet were well out of range for any beast that might jump up to seize them, she prepared to wait the beast out. She had time and her attention span was equal to that of any animal's. Still, she thought, it's a shame that man had such bad manners. And they weren't as bad as I made them out to be. Craning her neck about, she thought she could make out the shadow of his mysterious bird but it could be any bird and not the one who had seemed so determined to dislike her.

[elven]

Twiggy

He would not leave while she was in danger. Why should he? That would be very irresponsible of him, and the fairies wouldn't like to hear about how he had abondaned a damsel in distress. His many mothers were very oldfashioned in that manner. They never said anything about him babying the woman, especially if she was questioning him and his manners. His manners were fine enough; his personality was what demeaned them.

The bird, stared at her, despite having been spotted, if she did not make herself out to be suspious there would be no reason for the girl to come back to see her, or suspect that Twiggy was there in a nearby tree.

When the beast moved her turned his attention to it. The poor girl was apparently under the impression that being a tree would save her. While it might save her from a smaller creature, that one was large enough to reach the branch she was on simply by standing on it's hind-legs. If it came down to it, though, he would not let her find out what exactly that would turn out to be like.

[Aelis.the.Cat]

Miras
I am not a damsel in distress,thought Miras violently as the she heard something in the bushes below her. I am not a damsel in distress. She looked above her but the branches above were too frail or too high. It had really been a stroke of luck that this one had been a feasable possibility.

[elven]

The Beast

There was a low growl; though it was not from the throat of the wolf-tiger. It was from the cavernous stomachthat hung below it. With the smacking sound of his tongue on his jowls he closed the gap between the edge of the trees and the tree she had hid in. It's body weight made the tree tremble as he lunged at it. His claws dug into the bark and ripped it easily.

With a growl that sounded as though it was mixed with a bark he lunged upwards toward the woman in the tree, since his first attempt was undershot.

Twiggy

He did not move just yet, after all if she could indeed take care of herself why would he need to come to aid. He could feel Ziva's discomfort though, at being so close to the beast and the woman. Though, she did not take flight. It was not after her, after all.

[Aelis.the.Cat]

Mira
She yanked the two knifes concealed in her sturdy riding boots and slashed them out at the monster leaping for her. Cutting its muzzle with two, shallow, gashes she attempted to stand up on her branch, stabbing her knives into the trunk of the tree before leaping up for a branch, any branch. She caught one in her grasp but it snapped with her weight and she ended up falling back down to her original perch with only a large stick in her hands.

I am not a damsel in distress, she insisted to herself as she dragged the stick in her hands against the tree trunk while the beast recovered from the minor injury, attempting to create enough friction to make a spark. She'd read somewhere that animals were afraid of fire... no matter where she read it! What mattered was that she was in danger and attempting to hold out on her own.

[elven]

Beast

There was a low growl from a second beast, most likely the other brute's mate. Upon seeing the second the beast renewed it's attempts to retrieve the tender meal that the forest had provided for them.

The second beast decided to help its mate. The other, however, acted much more aggressive; haunches raised and claws out.

[Aelis.the.Cat]

Mira
"Not a damsel in distress," she muttered to herself as she frantically rubbed the branch against another. "Not a- Aha!"

A small fire nibbling away at the tip of her branch, she wove it at the two beasts. Where is that man when you need him? she thought with irritation.