Things of the Past(On Hold)

Nice Sense of Humor

I heard the screech before I felt the wind from the wings, and I silently cursed for putting myself in this situation.

My short legs carried me away from the scene of my crime fast, the body I left behind growing cold.

Faster than the wings of the avian humanoid who was hunting me for killing it's meal. Groaning under my breath, I muttered a new-world curse under my breath and rolled my eyes.

It's not like he would've enjoyed that meal anyways! I did him a favor!

The man-bird flew fast and low over my head, grounding before me as I skidded to a halt and tried to reverse.

"Halt!" he screeched, more bird than man.

Grumbling under my breath, I slapped my hands over my ears in annoyance and turned. "Yes?"

"You killed my meal!" he accused, pointing a wing at me, the shiny claw at the end glinting dangerously.

I threw my hands up in a non-threatening way, "Listen, I did it for your own good. He was diseased and you wouldn't have wanted him anyways. But honestly, I forgot it was your race's hunting season. So can we just call it truce and you let me go on my own way?"

He seemed to think it over for a second, one of his beady eyes looking down at me. His sigh came out as a low whistled, and my shoulders sagged in relief as his only answer was to flap his oversized wings and fly away.

I was just lucky he didn't decided to take his anger out on me by going to the bathroom over my head.

Someone was obviously watching over me today.

Giggling to myself, I began walking again, only to quickly realize I had lost my path in the chase.

I groaned and stopped, looking around me. My sensitive ears picked up absolutely nothing around me, and that worried me more than getting lost. This part of the woods I was currently in should've had at least the squeak of an animal, or the pitter patter of feet on the ground.

Frowning, I turned a full 180, sniffing for anything out of the norm.

I smelled it before I heard it.

The pack.

Groaning, I realized I had walked from one hunting ground right into another.

I began my run again, away from the sounds of pounding paws that seemed to beat the ground in time with my beating heart. I realized too late that I wasn't going to able to out run them, so I did what any smart little wood elf would do, and picked the tallest tree I could find.

Skirting up the tree, I found the last thick branch I could find near the top, and crouched on it, near the trunk.

The wolves came out of the trees below me, and I could smell them sniffing around. I couldn't tell if they were a pack that claimed the land I was currently in or not. Maybe I had accidentally trespassed.

Frowning, I watched as the one closest to my tree sat back on his haunches and stared directly at me. He seemed to be a bit younger than his group, but I could've been wrong. It wasn't every day I spent time with a wolf-man, so I would be the one to trust on aging one in their animal form.

Sitting down, I swung my legs and waited for him to notify the others, but he just stared at me, and I began to wonder if this pack was strictly animal or not.

The wolf below me tilted his head to the side and I mimicked his look. A confused look. He yipped quietly, and I braced myself as I saw feet come into view through the leaves.

They belonged to a skinny thing of a woman, who followed the wolf's gaze up to me. When she smiled, I saw she chose to keep her teeth sharp, intimidating.

Playing along, I smiled and waved cheekily. Playing with fire, that is.

The woman called out in a language I wasn't familiar with, and I frowned down at her before shrugging my shoulders and shaking my head.

Her frown was deep, before she spoke the universal language in a heavy accent, "You trespass, little wood elf. During hunting season, not wise to walk property that is not yours. Tribe?"

Her sentence was a little chopped, but I strung it together in my head before replying; "No tribe. Rogue."   

The reaction was one I was used to when I told travelers on my journey of my status. It was almost taboo to be a rogue with no tribe.

Her eyes became sharper and her hands found her hips, she was naked. "You leave now. No harm come. You leave."

My eyes flitted to the wolves behind her, whose lips were pulled back to show ivory teeth. "Do you promise on your god?" I questioned it loudly, for all to hear. Growls and feet shuffling answered me, and the woman's eyes glowed with anger as I caught her in my trap. If she were to say no, there would be no way for her to come to me, and I would be able to hop from tree to tree until I was out of this tribe's territory. If she said yes, the wolves behind her would be out of a meal, and would rebel. If she was not the Alpha, they were liable to murder her over her reply.

"I will give you no answer. Will get Alpha. Will leave guard."

I watched her turn on her heel and morph seamlessly into her wolf. I envied her for a second, before switching my gaze to the wolves she left behind who were licking their chops and circling the tree trunk below me. Rolling my eyes, I waved my hand at them and said, "Shoo, dogs!"

They growled at me and I smiled, before pulling myself into a standing position. Looking to my left and to my right, I surveyed the possibilities of escape. If I went in the direction I had been going, I would no doubt be sealing my fate and going deeper into their territory. But I didn't know if I had already been in their territory or if I had stumbled into it. Maybe the reason bird-man had let me go was because he knew exactly where I had ran.

Making my mind up, I turned and began to run along the branch lightly, and made my leap into the tree across from me at the last second. Landing gracefully on the branch I had aimed for, I thanked the heavens for my ancestry. The wolves below me howled out angrily, and I began my second run for my life of the day, the millionth in my life.

I was prone to trouble.

Very unlucky.

That was me.

Jolene the Unlucky, outcast and rogue. Cursed to die a horrible death alone.

But at least I have a nice sense of humor.