Shifters and Scouts

The smell of the creature was still a bit fresh it had returned at some point and very recently. The ground was damp but no footprints so it wasn’t anytime today. Pacing the tree line he keep a watchful eye on the house. He could smell the scent of the humans within the home, a young man and an even younger women. The family of the deceased women he assumed. He tried his best to stay well into the shadows of the trees, so not to draw notice to himself. He slowly scanned the length of the house and saw the figured of the man standing there staring out, perhaps he should move he thought, the creatures wasn’t here and it was still day time it was possible for someone to see him and if he stood here any longer the young man in the window would certainly see him. He scanned the tree line to be sure no one was around and turned back into the woods. He got only a good five feet before he heard the door of the house open and slam shut and the smell of the young man was much clearer. “He saw me and came outside?”

He quickly picked up speed, running further into the woods, he could hear the pounding of the man’s footsteps behind him into the wet ground. He quickly decided that changing forms could be the only way to alloud his persuer, shifting from his bear form to man, and going for the first tree he saw as not to cause a sudden change in footprints in the dirt that would be questioned. He climbed for as high and as quick as he thought was suitable before stopping. As he looked down from his perched position he saw the young man run beneath him, slightly out of breath and seeming confused. He watched as the young man stopped in his tracks and looked around, finally looking up which made him pull back a bit and press his back to the trunk of the tree trying his best not to be seen. The young man stood there for a moment but didn’t seem to notice him in the tree and after a moment he gave up and he watched as the young man walked back towards the direction they came. He sat upon the branch he was standing on, “what a brave young man he was, or stupid.” He couldn’t really fully decided. I mean who chases a bear into the woods? He stayed in the tree until he gathered it was safe to come down and move on. He knew his sisters would perhaps be on their way back as well. He made his way down swiftly from branch to branch, and then jumped from the last branch from the bottom hitting the ground with a thump and jogging his way back to the camp sight, only returning to bear form for expediates.

He could smells the crackling wood of the fire as he got close but as the camp site came into view he realize he did not see anyone, not in anaimal or human form, he quickly shifted from bear back to his normal form and quietly looked around, not daring to go out into the open just yet. Then siddenly,

“Where have you been?” came a soft but gentle voice from behind him, he turned around to face his sister Gaia, who looked picturequse, tall and slendered with dark skinkissed skin, and a face that made her look in her late twenties, her long black hair drapped over one shoulder and her pale blue eyes, kind but mischevious, which had a look of more concern then anger with him. “forgive me.” He said nodding his head to his sister, “ there were slight complications and I had to delay my return.”

“what kind of complications, brother?” came another voice, this one younger and sarcastic and coming from slightly behind and above, he only turned his head to look over his right shoulder to see his other sister Vera’s tiny feet dangling from a tree limb.

“ One that was handled without any trouble.” This time his tone was not as gentle but more autorizive.

Vera came gently out of her perch and onto the ground with no effort or sound and glided by her brother only barely grazing his shoulder as she went by. She was much shorter then her sister, with shoulder length black hair with flecks of gray and bright yellow eyes like those of a bird of prey, she had the same beautiful dark sunkissed colored skin but with the appearance of a twenty year old. “no reason to sound angry with me brother, we –“ Gaia cut her off suddenly, “ we were concerned when we beat you back here is all Ivan, you were much closer to our camp site then we were is all.”

“My apologies truly, for my delay again. But I am here now, but lets not talk here outside the safety of our camp.” He nodded to both sisters and turned his back to them and wlked towards the fire, his sisters followed behind him, the air changed and became warmer as they past over the threshold of rosemary, birch, red dirt, rock salt and lavender that encircled their camp site. Gaia ever so slightly touched her brother’s shoulder and he stopped in front of the fire. “so, what did you find out?”

Ivan paused for a moment and then turned back towards his sister, “The creature had been there and I am confindent that it is what killed that old women. Her land reaks of the same scent as where she was found.”

Gaia looked from her sister Vera and back again. “ it is the same at the immortal’s home, so the creature has also been there, but it would seem they are unaware of it. Vera over heard the human grounds keeper talking about a broken dock off the back of the house, but nothing else was said. How could they be unaware if we can sense it.”

“and smell it.” Vera interrupted.

“yes, sister.” Giving her a scolding but still ever so gentle look before returning her gaze to Ivan who had taken a seat next to the fire. “ then why have they not?”

Ivan took a moment before answering, gazing into the flames, “I do not think that is the case, I have no doubt that they know or atleast Micheal does but perhaps is keeping it to himself for the time being.”

Vera sighed with slight disgust and walked around the fire and laid upon her bedroll. Gais took a seat between them, kneeling instead of sitting and began roasting bread and vegathable on the fire. They remained quiet for a moment but finally Gaia again spoke up. “a women has died perhaps you should go to Micheal instead of sending us to stand outside his home in our other forms and watching.”

Ivan looked to his sister abrutely, “No, not yet.”

“but, why he is your friend, wouldn’t it be better to go to him and tell him why we are here instead of lurking around his territory unannounced.”

“I will go to him when I feel it is time, for now we will watch both houses, the human’s and Michael and see if we can catch sight of the creature.”

“I understand you wish-“

Ivan quickly raised his hand in a form of silence to his sister who smiled in agreement and went back to her cooking. “ I do wish, because as you said this is Michael’s home and he is our friend and Michael and his family live a normal life here and I do not wish to disturb that if it can be avoided.”

Vera laughed under her breath and sat up, “ its not like they don’t have enough problems from what we saw from the across the road.”

“what do you mean?” Ivan asked with some concern.

“there was screaming and a window was broken, we couldn’t see anything inside but we could hear the screams and that old groundskeeper of theirs could barely keep up outside, walking around picking up broken glass and random items that came flying out the window.”

Gaia cut in on Vera again as she handed her brother some food, “ I think it was Margaret, from the sounds of it, you know how she can be when she is unwell.”

“ All the more reason to leave them out of it if we can help it.” He responded in kind as he gratefully took the food from his sister’s hands. he knew she was right, he should perhaps go to michael and make him aware of the situation and allow him to help. They could certainly work faster together, but he knew how hard Michael worked to keep their existence unknown and though three Aleut Indians coming to his home should not draw that type of supesion upon them, it would draw some attention and he was not prepared to do that to their old friend. Especially when he hoped that perhaps they could find and deal with the creature theirselves and Michael never ever have to know. That last part was a far fetched possiblity Ivan knew, as he also knew he would eventually have to go to Micheal.