Fantasy Changelings

[Silverwings]

"We aren't shooting any more deer. That would be a waste," He said as he lifted the deer over his shoulder, "This big boy is enough for a few days. And our supply isn't too bad at camp. We're gonna practice on fish. If you can hit a fish, you can hit anything."

 

[Dawn is a Changeling]

"Fi-what? Fish? Doesn't water distort things?" She was never going to catch a fish. Wait, no, how did ospreys catch fish? They closed their third eyelid and dove. That wasn't helpful. What about eagles? They also had fancier eyes. Unfortunatly, she couldn't give herself eagle eyes and while she could probably make her eyelids transparent, she couldn't dive underwater. Back to square one. She was never going to catch a fish.

 

[Silverwings]

"Yea. Exactly. If you can hit one, then you can hit anything," He said as he shifted the deer's weight, "I'm gonna teach you how to do it."

 

[Dawn is a Changeling]

"Ok?" She would trust him, then, even though she didn't trust herself. Hopefully she wouldn't hit anything she wasn't supposed to.

 

[Silverwings]

"Do me a favor and check that front pocket of your bag. Should be some rope in it," He looked round for a spot to hang the carcass. The last thing they wanted was for some animal to steal their dinner, "Think you can climb one of these trees and send that rope down over a branch?"

 

[Dawn is a Changeling]

She timidly approached the bag with her hand and it squirmed. He was still mad. "I'm sorry, buddy. It's for your own good." No good, he was still huffy. She pulled out the rope and tried to climb the tree. She quickly realized she wasn't strong enough and hid her hands with her body, adding barbs to her palms to help climb the bark. With the shapeshifting, she managed, and threw down one end of the rope.

 

[Silverwings]

Sveni nodded, "Toss the other end over the other side." He lay the deer beneath where it would hang and began tying the legs up. He'd use the other end to hoist it into air. That would keep animals off it.

 

[Dawn is a Changeling]

She tossed it over and jumped down, landing a bit harder than expected. She noticed the bag squirming harder. "Can I let him out? I'm sure he'll stay close, even if he won't forgive me until I feed him."

 

[Silverwings]

"Yea he should be safe now," Sveni grunted as he began hoisting the heavy carcass into the air. Once he deemed it a safe height, he tied the other end around the trunk and returned to the girl, "Alright. River's down that'a way." He took the lead, putting the bow back around his shoulders as they would begin their hike.

 

[Dawn is a Changeling]

She opened the bag and he tumbled out, fur sticking out at odd angles and eyes wild. He sat and tried to look dignified, licking his fur down and glaring at her. "I'm sorry, baby, but it was for your own good. We're going to learn to fish! Do you want a fish?" She tried to smooth his fur, but he stood up with his tail in the air and walked away haughtaly, following Sveni. Too afraid to be away from human, even angry. She sighed and shrugged. Fair, given his knowledge. If only he spoke English... He did know a little gaelic, but she could hardly speak gaelic in front of someone outside the family.

 

[Silverwings]

After only a short hike, they would find themselves at a narrow river. Sveni looked around, locating some larger boulders that they could stand on, "Here we go." He stepped across them until they were as deep as the boulders got, helping Kennedy as they went to make sure she had good footing. He fished some string from his pocket and tied it to an arrow before passing the bow and arrow off to the girl, "Ok, this is bow fishing. Not necessarily easy but with practice you can master it pretty quick. The key is to aim ahead of the fish. Find a spot where you think it's going to go, and wait for it to get close. Then shoot your arrow. It might not hit right away but that's ok. I'm going to act as your bait."

Sveni reached into his breast pocket, pulling out a piece of broken mirror. He crouched low, gesturing the girl do the same before flickering the light into the water. Before long a few fish were swimming in the water beneath them, "Ok, see this one swimming kind of in circles? Aim for a spot it keeps going into. Wait for the fish to get just to your fist, then loose your arrow."

 

[Dawn is a Changeling]

She held the bow with trembling hands, not because she was scared, just because it took a lot of strength to hold it open. She tried to aim for the fish, but seemed to be holding the bow wrong, and it hit a random stone several feet from where she had been aiming. A few of the fish swam away, but most stayed, fortunately.

 

[Silverwings]

Sveni chuckled, guiding her to hold the bow better, "Ok, try again, try that big one there. He should be easy to hit." The man helped the girl to draw the bow, letting her adjust before he let go, "Whenever you're ready."

 

[Dawn is a Changeling]

She let go as quickly as possible, so it could get turned off course, and grazed the fin of the fish. "I nearly hit it!"

 

[Silverwings]

"So close, try again, you're doing great," Sveni said as he reeled the arrow in, "Be patient. Sometimes it's better to let the fish get used to its spot. "

 

[Dawn is a Changeling]

"Ok." She aimed for the same fish, not thinking it was fair to leave it wounded and thinking it would make an easier target. It was trying to swim away but having a hard time. She gave it longer, then shot. She didn't spear it through the body like Sveni had done, but she did hit its head and killed it. "Woohoo!! Brenni! Tuna!" Tuna was his favorite food. She hoped he wouldn't mind that this wasn't actually tuna. He would probably forgive her, though, when offered fish.

 

[Silverwings]

"Amazing shot!" Sveni cheered as he pulled the fish in, "You're a natural. Want to get another? I thing we're gonna have a snow storm soon, it's getting cooler. Might be good food for him."

 

[Dawn is a Changeling]

She nodded and grinned, glad to be doing well and glad to be aiding her cat. She took the first fish off the arrow and offered it to Brennigan, who accepted it with a purr. "I'm fogiven!" He eyed her skeptically, then rolled his eyes. Yes, she was forgiven if she would provide fish. He wandered away (though still within sight) to eat his fish. Then she picked nack up the bow and looked to Sveni for further instruction.
(I figure since Brennigan is part cat-sith he can understand some gaelic and has a longer memory than normal cats. And is probably more intelligent.)

 

[Silverwings]

(I would've just assumed he was a magic cat that could understand lol)

"Ok, let's find another few bigins," Sveni said, looking into the water. One large fishe swam slowly just a few feet in front of them, "Oh look at that beast out there! See it'll you can get it, that'll be a few days of food for your little cat."

 

[Dawn is a Changeling]

Motivated by his promise of treats for Brennigan, she hit its side and pulled it in. "Look, Brenni!" She hopped across the rocks and whispered, "tá sé seo go léir duitse, agus is féidir leat é a ithe mar bhéile seachas mar bhialann!" making sure Sveni couldn't hear her. He purred in response. Forgiven!

 

[Silverwings]

Sveni chuckled, following slowly to the shore, "That monster will do him great. Store the fish in your bag. You cat should be ok to walk home."

 

[Dawn is a Changeling]

She nodded and put the fish in the bag. Brennigan glared at the bag the entire time it was in her hands, but had enough object permanence not to think she had fed the fish to the bag, and moved on when she slung it over her shoulder.

 

[Silverwings]

"Well, we can keep fishin' or head back and get started on fixing the shelter up," Sveni put his hands on his hip, letting her decide what they did. With extra hands, the shelter wouldn't take as long.

 

[Dawn is a Changeling]

She looked in the bag at the fish. Fishing was fun, but they had plenty and she didn't want to kill more fish than she had too (mostly because imaginary Niall was giving her the silent treatment). "We should head back." She tried to sound authoritative, but was uncertain of herself out here.

 

[Silverwings]

"Alright, can you find the way?" He asked. He would teach her how to navigate the forest, but this was his chance to see just how good her internal compass was.