[SpringsSong]

The dark form lurked in the trees, carefully following the Sahound that had strayed a little too far from its pack.  The poor thing had started whining and letting out sharp cries to try and find its packmates; and it was the sharp cries that had roused Namida from her slumber in a less-than-desirable mood.  Its cries had started off faint, but the closer they got, the more obnoxious they became.

Just a little ways longer... she thought to herself, clinging to the tree branch carefully.  I doubt that whelp's had anything to eat since it got separated from its pack.  It'll stop to rest in a few moments, and that's when I'll work my magic with the shadows.

Sure enough, the Sahound finally came to a stop, and Namida smiled darkly as she took the shadow of a nearby tree and twisted it around so that the Sahound let out a surprised, but tired, yelp.  It began to run, but Namida was already two steps ahead of the Sahound, manipulating the shadows of other nearby trees and causing the Sahound to run in various directions.  When at last she had it to where it was merely circling, Namida leapt soundlessly into the air, keeping the other shadows moving still.

Then, she began to descend.  Slowly at first, but then, she began to increase her speed.  When the Sahound noticed the shadow that was moving towards the ground, it looked up to see the flash of blues with violet eyes... a split second too late.

"And now you know never to stray from your pack," Namida hissed, pressing her claws against the Sahound's throat.  It whimpered and tried to get away, but Namida kept her grip firm as she allowed her claws to penetrate the Sahound's throat.  "It's a pity that you won't get a chance to learn from your mistake, you know.  But your story will probably be used to scare the pups of your species in the future... slain by Shadow-that-Strikes."

And with that, she allowed her claw to twitch, and the Sahound fell silent.

[Azura Rayume]

Seona was not pleased. The relations with her desert counterpart were getting strained, partially because of the messages the two had exchanged and partially because Anima was having a disagreement with that stupid scarab the desert mage was so fond of. Communication had all but halted, with messages having to be delivered by a much less effective way. Both she and Teiden had taken to sending their apprentices, and neither of them were especially fast. Sam hated the desert- with all the heat and lack of plant life- while that lion girl always got herself lost in the woods. Sometimes, she thought on occasion, it might be worth considering sending them to live with the other, just enough for them to not be entirely incompetent when crossing territories.

Now, her already unpleasant disposition was nearly doubled by the fact that there was an intruder in her forest. She had yet to see the individual for herself, but Anima claimed to have sighted them, and the sprite knew better than to make up such a tale. And this intruder was reported to be a dangerous individual, which led to Seona's current choice of form. Though she hated the reptilian figure, she had to admit that her dragon form was much more capable for a fight, should the need arise. She would certainly attempt to force this person out of her forest by whatever means necessary.

She had taken to traversing the canopy, the most efficient means of transportation through the dense trees, as she searched for the mysterious invader. She paused for a moment, serpentine body winding around the upper branches of a few trees. Why do this the hard way? she though to herself, a smirk creeping over her thin face. No one can move through this forest for long without disturbing something. No one except myself, of course. All she had to do was find that disturbance, and it would lead her straight to her quarry.

She willed herself relaxed against her woody supports, feeling with the trees and, in turn, the entirety of the forest. All she would have to do was wait. The trees knew everything that happened within her domain. Luckily, it didn't take long for the sensation of grass crushing under the weight of a body to reach her. No normal animal moved that way, falling then thrashing then still. Whoever was in her woods had killed something to her south. While her remorse for losing a life within her borders was fleeting, she was thrilled to know the location of the offender.

She twisted her body around and shot off through the treetops in the direction of the trespasser. Whether this person was a danger to her or not, she was determined to get them out. Not to mention have a bit of fun while doing so.

[SpringsSong]

The body of the Sahound remained out in the open, with claw marks in its neck and a pool of blood seeping into the foliage below.  Namida grinned darkly; and, as was her custom, she was content to leave the body there--a warning to those who would go come through that area, that there was something to be watching out for along the way.  Though the wounds on the Sahound were small, she knew exactly where to make the wounds--in her opinion, a much cleaner and far more personal technique than killing someone with a knife.

You realize that you are not alone in this wood, she whispered to herself in her mind, staring up at the skies.  It would make sense that there were other creatures in the wood, but she had a feeling that she was not the only large reptilian creature in the woods.  As silently as she could, Namida took to the nearest tree, stopping about halfway up.  She trained her eyes on the shadows, keeping her eyes open for any disturbances in the shadowy forms on the ground.

I know that there are only a few creatures who can disguise their shadows at will, she thought, growling silently.  So, unless they can feel my movements through the plants, I should see them before they see me.

[Azura Rayume]

Seona's pace slowed as she neared the point of the disturbance. Her frame hugged close to the tree branches, blending as well as she could. Even the flames that tipped her tail dimmed down to a slight smolder, just to be safe. She typically would not have taken such care around a stranger, instead preferring to show herself in her full power in the hopes of intimidating them into running as far away as possible and tripping them up on their way out. She supposed that that wouldn't be the best idea in this case, though, since this particular individual had already killed once within her territory. Better not to risk it.

She stopped meters away from the origin point, multiple eyes scanning the area. Here, she caught sight of the dead Sahound (the poor thing was barely older than a pup), there, a shift in the shadows. Some birds took off with a hurried flutter of feathers, though the reason was uncertain. Surely the killer couldn't have gotten far...

The Pipe's tendrils reached out to the branches of her perch, tapping into the forest. She would find this intruder one way or another. If she couldn't use her sight right off, she would use some help. After a moment's concentration, she detected a tree that seemed most irate about the scrapes someone had left in its bark. Though trees tended to be touchy about their bark, this one seemed to have a legitimate concern. No creature she had ever encountered in these woods could have left such gashes.

Her smile crept back into view as she thought, Got you. She wanted to know a bit more about this foe, so she remained still. Now that she knew the location, she would have no problems stopping this individual should she be spotted. Still, best to remain as hidden as possible. Just in case.

[SpringsSong]

Namida kept as low to the branch as she could, especially when she thought she caught a new scent on the air.  It was only one scent, but it surely would have seen the Sahound's corpse.  Doubtless, there would be one of two reactions: one, either the entire forest would erupt in chaos as word spread, which would eventually lead the pack of Sahounds to this part of the forest, or two, whoever had just spotted the Sahound's corpse would try and find her before alerting anyone.

All part and parcel of my job, I suppose, she thought to herself.  There were only three occasions on which she would kill.  Those three occasions were when she was hunting for food  (for, unlike most Placids, she preferred to eat meat), or when she was irritated at something, or when she had an assignment to kill.

The unfortunate Sahound was a victim to her second occasion.

And so, barely moving, wanting this other being to come searching for her, Namida remained against her branch, unmoving.

[Azura Rayume]

Apparently the intruder either didn't notice her or didn't care to move. Or was too scared to move. She liked to think of it that way, that they knew she was there and didn't want to risk dealing with her. Still, she had no idea what the motives of someone who would kill a pup like that Sahound or how that someone would react to her. She wasn't about to risk it. Not yet, anyway.

Seona went back to communicating with the tree.  She looked past its irritation at such a weight in its branches to the specifics of the one perched there. Namely the location of their limbs. She detected four points of contact that she could identify as feet. Smiling to herself, she pulsed her magic through the roots of her tree and into those of the intruder.

The magic wormed its way up the trunk and into the limbs around Namidia's hind feet. The bark morphed and curled up, weaving to ensnare the other Paragon in a lovely pair of woody shackles. That, at least, would get a reaction. Though the witch wasn't looking for a direct confrontation, she wasn't about to just sit here in a kind of stand-off with someone else in the trees.

[SpringsSong]

Namida felt the bark twist around her hind feet, and she breathed a mental curse.  This was far from the last thing that she wanted, but this also told her a great deal about her opponent: much like her former Sensei, it seemed that this being was capable of using magic--something that the Placid Paragon dreaded unlike any other.

What are the odds that I would encounter a magic user after yet another fight with my old Sensei? she thought to herself, turning as slowly as she could and moving as little as she could.  Looking carefully at the way the bark had twisted up around her feet, she tried to think of the best way to work her way out of this.  Obviously, this person could tap into plant life--how else would they have been able to pinpoint her exact location without actually seeing her?--so doing anything to the bark would confirm to the being her existance.

I'm tired of stalking my prey.  Whether it is truly prey or a predator in disguise, this is when I shall make my move, she thought to herself, clawing at the bark until she could break her hind legs free of it and leaping into the air, as silently as she possibly could (which, realisticly, was still a little noisy at best).

[Azura Rayume]

Ah, there you are! A snicker caught in the Pipe's throat as one of her many eyes caught sight of the Placid. The aggressiveness that the other had attacked the wooden restraints was enough to say that she was easily frustrated, but she surely had picked up on the witch's abilities from that slight display. Couldn't she see that showing herself would only make things worse for her?

Better to toy with the other Paragon for a while, if only to raise that anger further. Having fun with the people who wandered into her domain was the best part of kicking them out.

Shutting out the angered emotions of the tree that has just been so rudely assaulted for the second time in just a few minutes, Seona turned her attention to something a bit broader. The vines of the surrounding area shot towards the Placid like serpents, seeking to ensnare the dragon.

[SpringsSong]

If Namida knew that the other Paragon that was watching her thought that she was easily frustrated, then she was sorely mistaken.  She was not easily frustrated herself; it was more that she became frustrated when magic was used against her--which was clearly what this Paragon was doing (if it was indeed a Paragon that was doing this).  When she saw the vines shooting towards her, she bit back an angered roar.

Oh, bloody hell! Namida thought to herself as she twisted around, hoping to evade a couple of the vines as she continued to fly.  If only it were darker out, then she could manipulate the shadows to disguise herself again, and maybe have a little fun with the other Paragon.

And yet you get annoyed when others use magic against you... but that is because they are usually using it to attack.  You use yours to defend yourself and to confuse, not to attack, she thought to herself.