 She rather expected him to come up with some clever, if not corny, line. Just the way his ears perk up and his lips curl, slow and steady. It all prepares her for whatever is about to fall from his mouth - and really she couldn't even be annoyed. She had set herself up for whatever he was about to dish out. Has her brain been addled? Does Ember have some sort of super-power? She realizes how friendly she is with the male; it is difficult to swallow. For so long she has been curt and somewhat caustic. Now she was positively rident. Acting as if they have been buds for a long time. Well maybe not THAT close, but to Aithne all the pleasantries added up as such. It was hard to have such conversations back home where everyone was constantly fighting for food. A hungry belly kept a mean mind. That must be it, she decides. Having plenty of food has addled her wits. Still, she is rather enjoying this moment, this intense waiting for him to spurt some nonsense from his overly attractive face. The moment he finally speaks, his face twisted in a flirtatious smirk adding to the scene, Aithne does something she has not done in a very, very long time. She busts out laughing. It rolls out of her without meaning too. It is a wild feeling, this sense of euphoria and amusement, so foriegn. What else can she do? Even though Ember had a serious tenor to his voice - and she actually was sort of proud of the compliment - the whole phrase just kept setting her off. Her laugh is not nearly as harsh as her voice, usually harsh. It is not that of birds singing or chimes twinkling, it is deeper and earthy and sultry. When she feels the laughter turning into a rumble of snickers, making a weird face where only her front canines flash and her eyes are half closed - who knew she could look so cute and carefree? - Aithne sighs. It releases something that has been swallowed into her being; she does not know what. It will not change her, overall, but it offers a sense of relief. "Well thanks Sunshine. It seems we've skipped decorum... how boring it is. Still, I am Aithne, and what is your real name?" As he rushes over to her, Aithne's ears fall back slightly and her body tenses; it is an instinct that has carried her through many fights. With her strong build she normally came out on top - maybe not the winner but enough to scare the other away. Although she does not think she has misjudged the Ember boy Aithne is always prepared in any case. It wouldn't do to trust some stranger only to find a fang dug deep into her back. It would seriously piss her off; he may have brought out a cute, almost playful side to her, but being on the receiving end of her maw would not be fun. But it appears she has judged correctly for he does no such thing as her body assumes he might. Instead he seems eager by the mention of a hunt and quickly falls into step with her, albeit to the side. The pack she had come from rarely hunted together simply because all the big game had left the lands. Deer were a commodity here but a rarity there. The tender flesh would make for a succulent meal and she intended ot have one this day. As they near the creatures, each light footed and alert, she feels Ember's nose press against her quickly. Her head snaps around and catches the look in his eye, tracing it to the same creature she had been spying. It is not far from the herd, hardly a stones throw, but if she cut around through the brush and he dipped down closer to the river, as the earth tilted at an incline, they might be able to circle on either side of the beast and startle it away from the rest. Better away than with, and with luck she can push it straight towards him. If it went in the river even better for it would slow the creature down and they could easily trap it. She motions towards the incline; the grass and weeds there are high. It would all help conceal his multi-hued body. Hoping he follows her directions and knows what she plans, she cuts back from him and circles around. It is slow going, a predators stalk, but Ember would surely wait for her to appear, she thinks. The moment comes sooner than she thinks. Their deer flicks its tail and eyes a batch of new shoots closer to the river; if it startled back away Ember would have a fair chance of cutting it off. She waits, her muscles twitching, before finally shooting forth with surprise speed. Her hips were built for this power, this rush. Heads lift, ears swivel, and bleats fill the air. Screams of fear, but it is too late. Her doe has jerked and spins around only to find Aithne is too close; it turns again and launches at the weeds in which she hopes Ember is hiding... A I T H N E Fallen for the fear and done some disappearing; bow down to the mighty _______________________ |