the voices within the forest had always spoken in ways most men failed to understand. every snapped twig, every startled bird, every shift of the wind carried meaning if one possessed the patience to listen. alysanne moved through the undergrowth with practiced ease, scarcely disturbing the ferns beneath her boots, steps light and careful, as she followed the faint trail left by a rabbit weaving between the roots of trees far older than most things on this continent. with bow already drawn, she slowed her breathing until the world seemed to narrow to a single heartbeat. the creature finally emerged into a small clearing, unaware of the huntress hidden amongst the trees. she raised her bow, aiming, fingers loosening against the string.
the sharp whistle of another arrow split the silence.
before her own shaft could fly, the rabbit collapsed where it stood, felled by a clean shot that had come from somewhere beyond the treeline. alysanne lowered her bow with measured restraint, though the subtle tightening of her jaw and narrowing of dark eyes betrayed the irritation flaring within. she crossed the clearing without haste, crouching only long enough to inspect the unfamiliar arrow lodged neatly through the animal before straightening once more. it had not been luck. whoever loosed it knew exactly what they were doing.
"you've a remarkable sense of timing," she called, her voice carrying through the woods with calm authority rather than anger. her gaze swept the trees until it settled upon the stranger concealed among them. "though where i was raised, it's considered poor manners to steal another hunter's quarry." one brow arched ever so slightly, neither hostile nor amused. "unless, of course, you've mistaken these woods for your own." hand was still clutched around her bow, for she was not sure who had joined her in the woods today.
