Lawn Outside the Dorms, Early Thursday Morning
Arthur
Arthur had always awoken early in the morning, but since Monday, it had been doubly so. With the earliest rays barely flitting in through his window, he'd wrested himself from his bed and paced out into the hallway.
Everything looked different, somehow, worn down with the knowledge that this would become his everyday reality in earnest. He tried to ignore the sense of vertigo swimming in his head and was only moderately succesful. Still, he made it down the stairs, past the first floor and into the courtyard eventually.
And there he just stood for a moment, peering over the rooftops and the trees further down, at the dark blue sea.
Firekeeper
Though spending the night in the preserve proper had obviously been out of the question after last night's encounter, Firekeeper and Blind Seer had elected to remain outside. They were headed back to the dorms now, though, intent on tracking down Arthur or Merlin and passing on what they'd seen.
How fortunate, then, that they should cross Arthur's path just then.
"Arthur," she greeted with a nod. She thought, briefly, of adding a pleasantry such as 'good morning', but it did not seem like he was having much of one. "There is a thing you must know," she said instead.
Arthur
"Firekeeper."
He didn't move much; he chose to keep his recognition of her presence to just that much. "What is it?"
Firekeeper & Blind Seer
"A moonspan ago, we speak of creatures- maimalodalu," she began. "I- not remember the word you use," she added apologetically. "But this past night, we see just such."
Arthur
"Maimalodalu," Arthur repeated, slowly. Magical beasts. Wrought together. Like the gryffin. "What did you see?"
Why are you telling me this?
Firekeeper
"We cannot say for sure," Firekeeper admitted. "But- it may be from your own world," she offered hesitantly. "We thinked this is perhaps a thing you should know." Because they hadn't been able to leave, but if something from their world could arrive, then perhaps...
Arthur
He closed his eyes, rubbing at the bridge of his nose with a thumb. "Firekeeper," he repeated, smothering a treacherous feeling surging up in his stomach. "What did you see?"
Firekeeper
"A large creature," she said. "Snake's head, and body like that of a great cat. I lose an arrow to it!" That last was less description and more general complaint. She didn't like losing arrows, as easy as it was here to procure new ones.
Arthur
His heart stopped.
Well -- that's what the poets would have said it did. Arthur didn't much pay attention to such folly.
"You saw a Questing Beast." It wasn't a question. Was it? "You saw the Questing Beast." That one most certainly wasn't; not going by the widening of his eyes.
Firekeeper
"If that is its name," Firekeeper confirmed with a nod. "Saw, and shot. And then it run away."
Arthur
Arthur was probably looking a bit pale. He didn't care.
The Questing Beast.
"Thank you for informing me," he said, a little stiffly. "It will be dealt with." His fingers curled up into a fist.
Last time, it'd gotten the better of him - he knew now he hadn't been the one to kill it, but Merlin. And last time, the encounter had, eventually, resulted into his banishment here.
He owed it something.
Firekeeper
"You are welcome," Firekeeper replied with a nod of acknowledgment. "Would you-" she hesitated to use the word 'need', growing up with wolves had taught her a lot about pride, "-want help?" she raised an inquiring eyebrow and hefted her bow slightly.
Arthur
"I have something to settle with it," Arthur spoke. His eyes flicked back to her briefly.
He imagined she'd understand.
Firekeeper
She did understand. For all the lessons she'd learned about keeping a pack around her if she were to be strong, she and Blind Seer had gone to face the treacherous Melina Shield without any of them.
"Good hunting, then," she wished him.
[[ nfb, nfi, ooc-okay, bbq, tbs-- anyway. Preplayed with the magnificent kestrelswolf for great justice ]]