Two Eagles

Sharifa decided to head outside to let Altair spread his wings and explore the new territory

her feet didn't take her along the most conventional path, having been used to leaping from high heights and clambering up and down buildings; and so had decided to simply climb out a window and down the trellis to the back gardens.

she was astounded by the flowers she saw and grinned, the gardens reminding her of the Palace Gardens of Masyaf, with all kinds of flowers and plants growing, from the exotic (familiar to her) to the local (strange and new to her).

Altair, her Eagle that was her most loyal friend, flew close by as Sharifa descended and settled back onto her shoulder once she was back down on the ground and wandering the gardens. the Eagles eyes scanned the area, sharper than any other Eagles and with more intelligence than natural.

this place keeps astounding me....the Sultan, if he should know of this place, would send his entire army against this place to clam it and its treasures...

she sighed quietly and grinned, nudging Altair onto a wrist gauntlet

time for you to fly for a while my friend

she grinned broader and threw the eagle into the air, allowing him to get air born as he screeched happily and began flying, his wings spread wide as he began exploring and scoping the area

Sharifa, still grinning, decided to lounge against a tree, and detached her Scimitars from her waist, and took off any other weaponry on her person, laying it all out carefully to the side and neatly, before sliding down to the ground and sitting against the tree, crossing her arms behind her head as she looked up at the cool night and the moon hung high as Altair flew and called out on occasion.

Avira was, as ever, aware of another presence. It was not hard to tell it was there and he was a hunter, he lived on edge at all times. His skin prickled at their feel and he felt himself wanting to retract. Still though, he continued walking.

It was Caterva who broke him from his thoughts, yowling at the top of his lungs and racing into the vampire's arms. The moment he saw the eagle, Avira hissed low and darkly, snarling the back of his throat. Caterva and Ignis had almost been eaten by an eagle once.

Let us say there was not much of that eagle left.

He held his cat close, baring his fangs at the skyborn creature, feeling Ignis' claws digging into his shoulder fearfully.

Sharifa had heard the hisses and eyes, much like Altair's, being sharp and gold, zeroed in on the silver figure not far from her, and she raised her eyebrow as she saw the cats, and the person they were clinging too, hissing at Altair.

she couldn't hold back the chuckle

Altair won't hurt your pretty little felines you know, sharif. he's far more intelligent than your average bird, and won't do anything without my say...she's quite harmless unless you're the common prey of a Golden Eagle. and i can assure you, a cat isn't.

she chuckled again, relaxing back against the tree again, and watched Altair fly, her tone of voice as she spoke calm and confident.

she could sense this vampire was skittish and didn't relax often, so kept her words soft and unimposing, letting her easy smile show on her face

(Sharif = "noble", "highborn".)

Avira prickled at the title, inwardly fuming. Or part of him was; the rest was horrified that maybe someone actually knew about his background. More than likely she was just being polite though.

Regardless, he nodded stiffly, allowing Caterva to continue his soft hissing, though he himself fell silent. Ignis was just sitting on his shoulder, claws digging into his skin, watching, relatively panicked.

Avira said nothing, returning to what he had been doing previously, which was walking, quietly, amongst the flowers.

He was still relatively panicked though. He was almsot certain this vampire was older than him, and if she knew exactly who he was.... No. He couldn't think like that.

noticed that the kid got even more tense and raised an eyebrow

hey, are you okay? i'm sorry if i offended you.

she slowly sat up straight and began rising.

the kid was younger than her, more skittish, and had the countenance of a fighter. but one with the nerves like piano wire

she was startled by how up tight the boy was

hey, take it easy. i'm not gonna attack ya or anything....i'm just a thief, nothing more. i'm from Israel, Jerusalem........um......i don't know if that puts you at ease, but you seem to act like i might know something.....i can assure you i know next to nothing of the western life.

she was telling the honest truth. she'd only been in this land for a grand total of three weeks out of her 798 years, and was still adjusting to the foreignness of everything

There, Avira's mind muttered, she doesn't know who you are. Chill out.

Avira did just that as well, quietly untensing on the inside, though his outward body had never tensed in the first place.

Caterva seemed to bristle however, but a quick stroke along his back had him relaxing again. He only prickled again however when Avira inclined his head quietly to the new vampire. The black cat had already decided he didn't like her. Why was his master tolerating her?

Ignis seemed to relax though and Caterva sulked.

"I see." Avira said calmly. "I am new here as well."

grinned easily and bowed her head slightly

well! that makes two of us! and judging by the different strengths of the scents on you, you've been here in Europe much longer than i have. is there anything in particular i should know about this place?

she didn't like how the black cat was glaring at her, but shrugged it of easily, and decided to look over the white haired male.

the hair was unusually long for a male, having been used to seeing men with close cropped hair due to the heat of where she lived, and the coloring was unusual, being as pale as the moon. and then there were his eyes, a deep purple color that had seen more than their fair share of blood pain and loss

he was obviously a fighter, was high strung and had many secretes. needless to say, she was intrigued, but not enough to be rude and start prying. eve she wasn't that rude. the cats interested her slightly as well, seeming to hold the same intelligence as Altair

Avira thought about her question, continuing to stroke Caterva to calm the black mass of anger and protectiveness.

"....I am afraid I am the wrong person to question on the matter of social customs." he answered at last.

Ignis twitched, obviously wanting to leap from his shoulders, but far too nervous to do that. She remember the last eagle. It hadn't been very pleasant at all.

Avira instead, graced her by settling on the grass, amongst the flowers. She leapt from his shoulders to curl up an roll around on the grass, Caterva taking a more dignified route and laying in Avira's lap.

Sharifa smiled at the felines and stood up straight, holding an arm out above her head and whistled sharply and loudly.
she never noticed that every time she called the Eagle back to her, her eyes flashed briefly before going back to normal.

just then, Altair swooped in through the trees, easily dodging branches that were disturbed by the tailwind and flapping of his wings, and called out happily as he beat his wings back so he slowed down and settled on Sharifa's wrist, nuzzling her cheek and smelling of fresh and clean air.

with Altair next to her, you could see aspects of the bird in Sharifa, the eyes, the way they held themselves, the quiet confidence and pride.

Sharifa turned to look back at the white entity

so what is your name exactly seeming as you reacted badly to the previous title i gave to you

she kept smiling, now stroking Altair's feathers that had been cooled by the winds, and cleaned his beak a little, noticing a few smears of blood and tidbits of meat at the hook on his beak

the bird looked down at the cats, studying them, and then looked up to Sharifa, who gave him a sharp look saying 'touch the cats, and you're caged up. as punishment and safety'

so Altair conceded and relaxed again, looking away from the cats and shutting his eyes

Caterva's single gold eye glared holes in the eagle when it eyed them. If he was going down as bird feed, he was taking the damn thing's eyes with him.

THe bird looked away and he did as well, huffy.

Avira decided that, at least, he could grace the female vampire with an answer, it really only seemed fair.

"...Avira Revenwyte." he answered. "Pleased to make your acquaintance m'lady."

He was polite, regardless of situation. It was a bad habit he had.

grins at the cat's huffiness and chuckled softly

Altair simply rolled his eyes and chirruped

in all honesty, you don't have to be polite to me in the slightest as i ain't very polite either. and calling me m'lady makes me feel older than i am, or more civilized and greater than i am, and i't uncomfortable laughed heartily and put Altair on her shoulder before holding her hand out to Avira name's Sharifa Ibn'La-Ahad. Noble Son of none. my dad's family name

she smiled and sat down by a tree near, but not too close to Avira, not wanting to scare the shit out of him, which she was scared of doing

Avira eyed the girl warily, then nodded quietly in acceptance.

Caterva was still relatively irritated with the whole situation, but Ignis was sprawled out on her back contentedly.

Avira, for his part, was unsure what to do or how to react, simply sitting there in silence, awkward as ever. Which was really his own fault, but whatever.

raised an eyebrow and withdrew her hand

ya know? i've never met anyone quiet as high strung as you *strokes Altair* not even the assassins i'd seen among the people of Israel and Syria are as uptight as you...what happened to you for you to become like this? or was it something else?

she was a little concerned for the lad as that amount of stress and tenion was damaging for many vampires mentaly

Avira wondered if this girl was mistaking caution for stress. He was a cautious, animalistic person by nature. One who rarely did anything besides hide in the shadows and await prey.

"I am not high strung." he said calmly. "Merely calculating an cautious."

He stroked a hand through his own hair to smooth it back carefully.

"As to how I became like this, I have always been. It is how I was raised, to be what I am. If you dislike it, I apologize but there is nothing I can do on the matter."

Assassin was a close call though. Bounty hunter was about the same principle.

she stared at him for a moment, simply evaluating, letting instincts wash over her as she took in the mans scent and listened to his heartbeat

the scent showed he was telling the truth, but also, he seemed slightly nervous about something, perhaps about new people. he didn't seem the social butterfly. she also caught a faint memory of blood not his own around him, but discarded that as from feeding, despite the slight uneasy feel it gave her. also, his heartbeat was strong and steady, showing that this creature before her was stronger and more adapt than other vampires.

she had the urge to read his abilities, but restrained herself, getting the feeling that if she did that now, something bad could happen. this creature before her gave her the impression of a lounging predator that always watches for the right moment.

just like her.

all of this took just a moment, and she soon let a grin spread across her face again

ah, of course it doesn't offend me. i was simply curious *chuckles* so, judging form the way you're acting, you're a hunter her grin spread not to seem rude or prying. what kind of hunter, i don't know. neither do i know your reasons and method. however, all three of those, i presume, is going to deep...am i correct?

she tilted her head slightly. still relaxed, but deep inside had tensed up and was ready to dodge an attack as she reached up to her shoulder and stroked the bird

Avira was calculating again, watching the other in front of him. Ignis had turned back onto her stomach and was watching the bird, Caterva's tail was flicking.

It would cause no harm to tell her what he was, it wasn't something he particularly hid. He simply didn't speak about it very much was all. Speak at all, much, anyway.

However he was not a gambler, but more a card shark. He'd know your hand before you even drew it.

"...That depends on what kind of hunter you yourself are." he said coolly.

Caterva let out a rumbling almost purr, his version of a chuckle. Ignis' tail had coiled about her paws, which usually meant she had taken her claws out. Like a viper, always ready to strike.

Sharifa chuckled at the cat, eyes flashing

me? i'm no hunter! only a thief! any kills i've made are either because the humans knew to much, or was my meal *grins* neither very often. my Scimitars and Jimbaya are simply used in defense or incapacitating. i fight, of course, but more often than not, i disappear into shadows with my prize, which is usually something of value. i'm kinda of partial to human food, so i don't kill or hunt humans often for that either. *chuckles* now please stop your cat from threatening me? i mean, i'm not hostile or anything. you have nothing i want and/or need, Beautiful, so there's no need to fret about me. she laughed heartily the closest i get to being a hunter is hunting for my next meal, which is usually some kind of human food, or my next prize, which is usually gold coin or expensive trinkets

she grinned broadly. to emphasize the point, as she spoke, she opened a pouch on her belt, reveling a large amount of gold coins and jewels

from my last 'hunt' she winked and laughed again

Avira was quite fine up until the 'beautiful' part. He'd almost rather be called a noble again.

Of course he had only the luxury of thinking this miserably as his cheeks went the color of peonies, and he turned his gaze from the female. Composure, luckily, was not entirely lost.

Ignis was relaxed as ever, and a simple stroke along Caterva's back calmed him, allowing Avira to continue pretending like no he was not blushing and no damnit he didn't have a problem with being called beautiful. Maybe. Okay that was an utter lie but no one had to know that.

"I see." he said evenly, trying to mask his embarrassment with his usual cool demeanor.

Sharifa blinked at the splash of color across the white one's face, and almost laughed but held it in.

so, beautiful, you gonna tell me what kind o hunter you are? i was kinda under that impression

oooh, i'm gonna have fun teasing this one. he seemed unused to compliments

Altair felt sorry for the boy.....he was her new object of intrigue

so, my love, you easily embarrassed as well? you seem new on compliments

she chuckled quietly and relaxed even more against the tree, stroking Alatir who was giving him a look that said he was sorry for Sharifa's actions....

Avira internally argued over the pros and cons of slamming his head repetitively into the nearest hard object. The pros outweighed the cons, actually, but there happened to be no hard objects around. Naturally.

So instead, he held his breath while the woman was speaking, mentally ripping up the words 'beautiful' and 'my love'.

Why did everyone here seem intent on teasing him? He didn't get it.

At last, he collected himself, banished his blush, and returned his gaze to the woman watching him. He internally bristled. He did not enjoy being mocked, thank you very much, and the amusement in her eyes made him glad that he was mostly an outward shell. Lest he be snarling.

"A bounty hunter." he said shortly in answer.

Sharifa noted the change in his eyes, showing major irritation, and decided to reign in the teasing...she's a wanted criminal in Israel and Syria....and she'd just found out he's a bounty hunter

she swallowed once, and became cautious. she liked her head and hands where they were.

she was highly familiar with the punishment for thievery

so......has any mention of a thief called 'Eagle of Jerusalem' come up...? out of curiosity. they were kind of notorious back in my home land

she kept her tone easy and relaxed, no notable change in how she acted or spoke, but there were a very slight tension in her shoulders and legs, eyes shining a little brighter as plans unfolded in her head

Avira was almost tempted to be snarky, but he was much too gentlemanly for that. Besides, it didn't take him much more than a second to connect her with the thief in question.

He brushed a hand through Ignis' fur and the cat, at last, fully relaxed. Apparently her master had gotten the answer he was looking for and she had no reason to be on edge.

"I am not in the way of chasing thieves." he said calmly. "You hold no interest to me."

He meant that in the kindest 'I have no intention of cutting your head off and sending it to Israel with my bank number' way he possibly could.

she relaxed again, any tension melting away again, and laughed nervously

well, you'd be the first then. i'm not your typical thief stealing from stores. i steal from very powerful people, and have done so repeatedly *grins shakily* I've had a great deal of bounty hunters coming to try and catch me...there's also a reason bounty hunters are so thin on the ground around that area as well.

she ran a hand through her hair, the movement emphasizing the scars that ran along her skin, the scars being a few shades lighter than the rest of her skin, some older than others, and some looking raw and fresh.

Avira gave in to his own urges to scoff and did so.

"I repeat that I hold no interest in thieves. I have much more interesting and important targets to waste my time on, though perhaps not as quick witted or crafty."

Well, not entirely true. He did go after thieves. But thieves that murdered and raped and generally made a great deal more trouble than simple thievery was worth. She didn't seem to be that kind of person.

That being said, his interest in her was limited at best. In a hunting sense, at least.

she laughed heartily and grinned, sighing in relief

glad to hear it! i'd much rather keep my hands connected to my arms

she smiled wider

and thank you for the compliment my love. much appreciated i'm thought of as quick witted and crafty

though she knew he wasn't targeting her, she wasn't about to flaunt herself and make herself a target, so decided to play her cards a little better around him

however, she sensed that this person was rather stoney, and wanted to get emotional responses out of him. that's much better than a bit of coin.

she grinned more at the thought of the challenge

Altair would have sighed if he could