No Claws for Caw-ncern (Archie/Levante)

[Levante]

Sometimes, trees were a proper pain to someone with wings. Despite having grown up in them and around them, sheltered from the harsh weather by their lofty boughs... Sometimes they just got in the road.

Of course, being many times larger than your standard bird, it was a problem that more taguel seemed to run into than anything else.

And of course, trees being... somewhat flammable, this meant that Levante's usual modus operandi of fancy pyrotechnics was less suited for entertainment and lighting his path than starting a natural disaster.

Thankfully, bird taguel tended to have rather good eyesight in any form. Eyesight that was more than suited to locating the closest sparkly bauble in range.

Wings lazily flapping, Levante made his way unhurriedly through the forest, slight movements made to deftly avoid contact with the unceasing branches that kept rudely placing themselves in his flight path. The life of a wandering storyteller meant that travel and the obstacles that arose were minor problems. It would not do to get mired in one place forever. That was hardly an efficient way to expand his large, but ever growing collection of tales.

Whilst pondering over his next performance (one must always think about how their next meal is obtained after all), a rustling in the undergrowth ahead of him caught his keen gaze and piqued his curiosity.

Alighting on a branch that was near enough to gain a good vantage, but high enough from the ground to prevent easy attack, Levante uttered but one word.

"Nevermore!"

The classics never went out of style, of course.

[Archie]

(OOC: Apologies for the wait, finals and the holidays hit like a truck. x.x)

Just a few dozen yards ahead of the Bird Taguel sprinted a young boy no older than ten, panting and struggling to keep up the pace with what he was chasing. A slippery adversary, the deft escapist that he was pursuing has successfully avoided being caught for a good while. Even as the gray-coated wolf the boy couldn't hope to catch up to the agile creature it had been inclined to capture. Holding onto the leather straps of his small bag with a clenched fist, the youth eventually slowed to a stop to catch his breath. Alas, his "prize" would escape to flee another day. "Hah... Geez, that thing's fast. Fine, I didn't want to play with you anyways, squirrel!" he moped, drooping his ears with a dejected sigh.

The boy had decided it was time for a rest. Luckily, his family had packed some supplies before he ventured out on his mission to explore the world, and part of said supplies included a rudimentary canteen. Tossing his bag to the floor and taking a seat next to it, the boy leaned up against a nearby bush. His tail swished eagerly as he opened the bag and pulled out the container: a small wooden disc-shaped instrument with his name, Archie, carved into the side. The boy's setup could easily be comparable to a child's playset, but to him it meant much more, as each component was given to him with love from his pack. The bottle, the worn whetstone, the spare set of fingerless gloves for his tiny claws to poke through, and even the bag itself were gifts given with high hopes for his safety... Which was interesting granted that so far his journey had been chasing smaller animals and avoiding most- if not all- encounters with what could have been dangerous. The words and lessons of his older brothers rang loud and clear: if something looks not safe nor dangerous, it's the best way.

However, the brief moment of respite was cut short as the shout of "Nevermore!" from somewhere up above had startled the boy. He gagged, almost coughing on the water he had spit out in shock, before standing up and looking around with a somewhat uneasy frown. His tail had stopped wagging: this didn't sound good. "Uh... Never what now? H-Hello? Who are you?" Archie called out as he looked around, oblivious to the man on the branch nearby as he slowly looked around with caution.

[Levante]

Well. That was not quite the response he had expected, but then so much in this world was unexpected. Shaking his head while chuckling wryly to himself, Levante watched as in mild amusement as the mysterious rustling-turned-wolf boy cast his gaze in every direction but the most important one. Upwards.

"Well, it would hardly be fair to keep them guessing." pondered the bird man, as he rubbed his chin with one hand in a pensive fashion.

Well, far be it for he to turn down a chance encounter, especially with someone who appeared to have the start of a collection of trinkets going.

After all, barring the very rare odd bird, collections were something all bird taguel could appreciate.

Well, it was time to make an entrance. It wouldn't do to keep a prospective ear waiting. Despite his confidence in his martial skills, the forest was possessed of dangers that could take an unwary bird while they roosted. And if nothing else, there was the potential to trade information.

Flexing his wings, ebony feathers rustling together in a hushed whisper, Levante hopped lightly from the branch into the air, pinions flapping gracefully as he eased his way to ground level a short distance away from the young traveller.

"Hail, young wanderer. What brings you under these leafy boughs this day?"