A slight breeze rustled the branches of the trees in the Taurai woods, causing the shadows they cast to dance wildly. Through the dim shadows passed a man wrapped in a brown cloak, the occasional gust causing his hair to flail around in disarray. He held a crossbow in his right hand, a bolt fitted to it, and his finger was wrapped around the trigger, prepared to fire as soon as he deemed necessary. However, despite his stealth, the man didn't seem to be frightened. No, more so, it appeared that he was searching for something.

Indeed, Lyon Camaris was searching for something. His growling stomach reminded him of that every other minute. He hadn't eaten since this morning, and he had decided that he would try his hand at hunting. How hard could it be? All you did was find an animal, kill it, cut it up, cook it, and eat it. Compared to his work in the past, that would be pathetically easy.

Or so he thought.

He had been walking around in circles for at least an hour, and his feet were beginning to hurt. He had enough common sense to move silently, but it seemed that no matter how quiet he was, how concentrated and focused he was, all game avoided him. Frustration and impatience was beginning to become foremost in his mind, and if he didn't get something soon, he would be forced to call it quits.

Suddenly, a soft thump caused every one of his senses to go on alert. Crossbow raised and ready, he peered around a tree, and the sight that beheld him made him want to laugh in joy. There, totally oblivious to it's stalker, was a brown rabbit. Moving as silently as possible, the mercenary took aim, tightened his grip on the trigger, and pulled...

The next event occurred in a matter of milliseconds. The weapon made a loud click as it was fired, and the rabbit took off, disappearing from sight instantly. Lyon swore loudly, and leaned against a tree, the crossbow that had failed him still held in his hand.

What now...? he thought as his chest screamed it's desire for food. For a few moments, he stood there, pondering his options. Then he heard a snapping sound as a twig was stepped on. Lyon jerked his head up, raising his crossbow and peering into the vegetation.

"Who's there?"

((OOC ~ I got permission from Lyon to totally re-write this, and he agreed to edit as necessary. And again I thank him for that. :yes: Also, his last name is pronounced like "Beowulf" or "Scott Baio"))

Marus stepped out from the thick brush, a small brown rabbit dangling lifelessly by the ears held in his right hand. His blue eyes, peering out from behind his white mask, gleamed in the moonlight. The dragon tatoo slithering up his waist, around his back, over his shoulder, and onto his chest was only just visible in the moonlight, as were his simple bracelets and bright red sash.

From behind the mask came an elegant, smooth voice saying, "The guy who got your rabbit." He paused. Shrugging his shoulders, he continued, "Sorry, I heared the curse and did some figuring." Marus raised the rabbit to eye level, his head turning. A chuckle issued from behind the mask. "The little bugger tripped and broke his leg, but he was so scared that his right leg kept moving." The chuckle grew into a growing laugh. "He spun like a top for damn near a minute." He sighed, shaking his head a slightly. "Ah, you shoulda seen it - funny as Hell." Marus paused, then held out his left hand. "Marus Beo," the mask offered, blue eyes staring almost threateningly from behind the mask.

((OOC ~ And very sorry for the scarily short post. I am just off tonight.))

"The guy who got your rabbit"

From the undergrowth a blond-haired man, a white mask covering his face. The blue eyes that stared from underneath it were dangerous looking and cold. Lyon found himself unconsciously taking several steps backward as he examined this stranger. He certainly appeared threatening, his stance being one of strong confidence. Lyon's hand slowly went to the sword at his belt, and made no move to hide the action. If this man was an enemy, it would be best to make a show of strength.

The man raised the rabbit that he held in his hand (Lyon had just now noticed it) and began to talk, discussing the animal's fate.

"The little bugger tripped and broke his leg, but he was so scared that his right leg kept moving. He spun like a top for damn near a minute. Ah, you shoulda seen it - funny as Hell." The laughter that followed was all the more chilling because of it's cause.

"Hilarious," Lyon said coldly, his eyes narrowing as he watched this seemingly deranged man. "I think we have different ideas on what is funny, though."

The proffered hand was stared at by the mercenary for a good ten seconds before Lyon extended his own to perform a tense handshake. He waited even longer before grunting out his own name.

"Lyon Camaris, mercenary." He stared down at the limp rabbit hanging from the blond-haired man's hand, and he motioned towards it with a twitch of his head.

"You gonna eat that?" Despite the tense situation, his stomach hadn't let him forget that it was horribly empty.

"Hilarious. I think we have different ideas on what is funny, though."

Marus grinned beneath his mask, even though he knew that the short man before him was unable to see it. Had his face been exposed, the moon would have shone eerily off of his teeth. "Oddly enough, I get that a lot."

His grin remained as the man before him shook his hand firmly. Strong handshake, he thought as the man named Lyon introduced himself. That's always a good sign. Marus' grip remained tight on Lyon's hand as his began to pull away. The mercenary grunted, ""You gonna eat that?" and Marus' grin almost widened more. This man was doing quite well under the natural stress he seemed to push down upon people, and he was pleased.

Lyon's hand still in his, Marus replied, "Sure, I'll share." He paused. Then, smile even wider under his mask, he tossed the limp carcass into the air slightly, catching it by the torso on his way down. Flipping open the palm of Lyon's hand, he slapped the furry body into the open palm with a loud smack and a soft crack. Marus reached up with his now free hand and pulled his mask off half of his face. His grin was easily visible now, and the situation was exactly how Marus wanted it.

"You ready Fluffy here. I'll go and get a fire going for me- you're hot enough already."

And he, sliding his mask back on, about-faced and strolled off into the woods to fetch kindle. If his mask was off, one could see his smile wider than ever.

Lyon grimaced as the corpse smacked into his hand, but his stomach forced him to endure. Watching as Marus pulled part of the mask away from his face, revealing a wide grin. The mercenary got an uncomfortable feeling that the man was enjoying this little exchange, and that he himself was the source of amusement. An unwelcome image sprang into his head, one that involved a mouse, a cat, and a wolf. Lyon was the cat, to be betrayed by the wolf as soon as he turned his back to eat the mouse.

Shaking the mental picture out of his paranoid mind, he bent down to get to work. The hare was slapped down onto a tree stump, and the mercenary pulled out his knife. The small blade was inserted just below the animal's ribs, and after making an incision about an inch long, he reached down and, inserting two fingers, tore open the skin. Lyon grimaced again at the action, but knew what had to be done. The man that had taught him the skills of a swordsman had also provided him with some minor knowledge of how to survive in the world. He was certainly not skilled in this kind of thing, but he had the know-how.

What followed was the removing of the entrails and various organs, and by the time he was finished, there was quite a mess. Lyon wrinkled his nose at the smell, but was satisfied with his work, for there before him was a properly skinned and gutted rabbit. Now, if only a fire could be started, he might be able to satisfy his hunger.

"But first, I need to wash my hands," he muttered, staring down at his blood-soaked palms. "As soon as that guy gets back, I'll need to find a river." Looking up, he calmly and patiently waited for Marus's return.