"Then we'll make camp," Fallow said with a smile. "You focus on getting a fire going while I go catch some dinner, okay?" He gave a slight bow before departing into the woods, leaving Lijuan with some time to not only redress herself, but to also to collect her thoughts.
He allowed himself to slip into the form of a deer again--it was easy to maneuver silently through the brush this way--and began to sniff around for water. The stream he'd found earlier was small; no decent fish would be found there, and he'd have to catch more than necessary to feed the two of them. And so he followed the scent of water until it grew stronger, and until his ears were firmly fixed on the sound. Before too long he stepped through the underbrush and onto a riverbank, his cloven hoof sinking slightly in the soft earth. Again he shifted forms, this time shrinking until his body was long and sleek-furred. With webbed feet, rounded ears, and a long skinny tail, Fallow had taken the form of an otter.
Slipping into the small river, he dove beneath the surface and began searching through the murky waters until he found the fish. Hunting them was easy in this form; his slender body moved swiftly through the currents, picking off the fish one by one until he had a decent assortment of bass along the bank. Climbing out and shaking himself dry, the kelahati once again shifted, this time to his original form, and strung the bass through the gills. With his fish in hand, he set about finding some greens for the pair to eat. Dandelion greens, some wild carrots, and a few mushrooms would make for a lovely accompaniment. With the veggies gathered in his sashes, Fallow walked back to their makeshift camp with a bright smile on his face.
"Li, I've got quite the spread for us!" he chimed, holding aloft his string of four bass. "How's the fire going?"
He allowed himself to slip into the form of a deer again--it was easy to maneuver silently through the brush this way--and began to sniff around for water. The stream he'd found earlier was small; no decent fish would be found there, and he'd have to catch more than necessary to feed the two of them. And so he followed the scent of water until it grew stronger, and until his ears were firmly fixed on the sound. Before too long he stepped through the underbrush and onto a riverbank, his cloven hoof sinking slightly in the soft earth. Again he shifted forms, this time shrinking until his body was long and sleek-furred. With webbed feet, rounded ears, and a long skinny tail, Fallow had taken the form of an otter.
Slipping into the small river, he dove beneath the surface and began searching through the murky waters until he found the fish. Hunting them was easy in this form; his slender body moved swiftly through the currents, picking off the fish one by one until he had a decent assortment of bass along the bank. Climbing out and shaking himself dry, the kelahati once again shifted, this time to his original form, and strung the bass through the gills. With his fish in hand, he set about finding some greens for the pair to eat. Dandelion greens, some wild carrots, and a few mushrooms would make for a lovely accompaniment. With the veggies gathered in his sashes, Fallow walked back to their makeshift camp with a bright smile on his face.
"Li, I've got quite the spread for us!" he chimed, holding aloft his string of four bass. "How's the fire going?"
