Turn into petals || Owlbark

[hyacinthrain hyacinthrain]

Hyacinthrain clung onto the chipmunk in their jaws they had just caught- bi-coloured eyes glancing nervously to Owlbark as thick fog settled on the crispy leaves as they stepped alongside each other. Rain had gotten harder- their eyes squinting against the downpour. Moments- and the dark sky above swirled and began the hungry storm. Sure, they planned on rain- but not this.

Lightning cracked against the sky, Hyacinths fur bristling as a loud crack sounded, and a branch fell in their paths. Their limbs trembled- jumping backwards. "Owlbark?!" They shouted for the deputy in fear- unable to even hear their own thoughts as thunder roared and threatened to drown their voice. "The roots!" They shouted, nudging his shoulder with their own, before diving in the space underneath the tree. He can go if he wanted... But something said it wasn't safe- with the branch falling in their path, what if that happened again?

Despite their name- storms made them nervous, and their pelt trembled with a hard swallow. Normal rain.... It pelted their fur and was soft- but this... This was dangerous.
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[OWLBARK]

Owlbark preferred to hunt alone. He enjoyed his solitude and felt more productive with his jaws if they weren't used for idle gossip. He never stopped his warriors from pairing off to hunt, as long as they brought back prey. He was not afraid to step into their interpersonal lives if it meant food for the hungry.

When Hyacinthrain offered to join him on his hunt, the deputy almost refused. Again, he liked to hunt alone. He had no hatred or love to the warrior, and had never heard a negative report about their skills. What harm could a competent warrior at his side do? If anything, he could judge their skills with his own eyes and judge them for possible mentorships.

A squirrel - fat with late leaf-fall nuts - sat at his feet as a rumble of rain sounded through the tree trunks. He sighed and swiveled his head to look at his compatriot He was ready to signal their departure when lightning cracked into a nearby tree and sent a branch crashing into the ground. Owlbark hissed at the scare he felt. Not much scared him these days.

Owlbark grunted in response to Hyacinthrain and followed them into the protective roots of the tree. "Good call. We'll stay here while the worst blows over," he grunted. The deputy shifted in their tiny nook, trying his awkward best to not touch pelts with the warrior.

His ears flattened to his head against the thunder and his eyes watched the gusts shake the trees around them. Leaves that were already threatening to leave their branches were whipped away and carried on the gales. "It's bad," he noted. He looked to Hyacinthrain for a reply, and was interested in the fear he saw in them. "Are you alright?" He had seen bad storms before, but had never had a reaction to them like the warrior next to him had.

 

[hyacinthrain hyacinthrain]

They didn't even know what brought them to ask Owlbark... Except to learn more about him- yeah, that seemed valid if they were asked. But Owlbark didn't, and much of their time hunting was silent. He was skilled, strong- but it didn't make it any easier for them to get past his stoicism, his unreadable features.

The space was tight, but enough they did not need to touch. It was better that way, Hyacinthrain thought, gave them space to try to hide in the darkness that they were trembling like a leaf stuck out in the wind. The last they expected was for Owlbark to say 'good call', nor did they expect the deputy to hide out too. Especially not talk- when they spent the entire time this far not talking.

"It is-" Hya replied, ears pressing against their skull, another shudder escaping them as thunder ripped through again. "They just freak me out- I mean, we almost got smashed by the branch! I'm not... A fan of loud catastrophic things," hyacinthrain explained, voice quiet. "Hopefully it doesn't last too long so others don't worry..." A bit louder, bi-coloured eyes sweeping the scene.

"That was a good catch for the squirrel...." Hyacinth mentioned awkwardly- scotching the chipmunk to the side instead of underneath her so that she could press herself into the ground to try to allow for more space. It was even harder to conversate with never talking to him before. Or perhaps that was just their awkwardness.
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