Iron and Downy Feathers
The huntress had always been the cautious sort, never taking any unnecessary risks and always getting the full extent of the situation before acting. Plans were always executed to the letter and jobs were always paid, IN FULL, once they reached completion. She cared nothing for fame or for notoriety, though the latter seemed to bloom, seemingly, out of nowhere in the span of a day for the (un)fortunate huntress. She was the daughter of a well-renowned hunter, a little fact the man had failed to mention, for...whatever reason. Regardless, danger had always been a constant companion in the huntress's life.
"Rah!"
She lets out a fierce breath as she leaps over a fallen tree trunk, not sparing it a second glance even as she hears it erupt into splinters behind her. Her booted feet hit the ground in her run, shattering the once tranquil silence of the forest in favor of surviving another day. She was thankful for the full and bright moon overhead. Despite the canopies of the trees, streams of moonlight poured through their leaves, bathing the trunks and brush in its faint but potent glow. It wasn't the comforting blaze of a torchlight, but at this point she would take anything and everything that would aide her perception.
Quick and heavy footfalls began to catch up behind her. Worst still, she could feel the heat of animal breath licking at her back as if she were being chased by fire itself. She was a skilled huntress, whose prowess matched that of her fathers'. Still, humans were reckless and flawed creatures and error was still part of life, and the huntress had...grossly miscalculated her quarry. Behind her was the towering frame of an enraged chimera surging towards her, its maw opened wide to show fangs and a watering mouth as it continued to nip at her heels. Apparently, the beasts don't appreciate an arrow sticking out from their eye, a dented shield wedged in its jaws, nor a sword stuck in its gut.
She ducks beneath a weathered stone bridge as she runs across a small brook, knowing without turning around that the bridge was now a heap of wet rubble beneath the creatures' feet in its pursuit. Her lungs were beginning to burn from her run. Unfortunately the chimera gave the huntress no quarter and continued to give chase. Nostrils flaring, the beast lunged at the huntress. Its claws caught her armor and she was thrown off her feet, causing her to collide with a massive old oak. Massive claws pinned her in place, piercing through the flesh of her shoulder and upper arm as bark bit into the back of her tunic. Her expression, despite her situation, was eerily calm, even as the chimera leaned all three of its heads close to roar in her face, seemingly flaunting its victory.
As it reared back and opened its fang-filled maw, the beast became still. The huntress struggled against the paw that held her in place and felt no resistance. She opened her eyes, not recalling when she had closed them, and stared up at the towering chimera. Its maw was still open and then its silhouette, shrouded by the night shade produced by the forest trees, began to slowly and subtly deflate. The winding of a cable cord resounded and she could see the beasts' head tilt to the left. A familiar moist sound caught her ear and sure enough, one of the chimera's heads fell from its shoulders to fall at her feet in a grisly heap. The other head was snapped at the neck with the pull of another unseen cord, while the tail's head was crushed by the boot of another. The huntress took this moment to slip out from beneath the massive paw, with mere moments to spare as the beasts' body fell, finally succumbing to its death. The warm aroma of fur and iron permeated the air, making it feel warm and heavy as it died, nothing she wasn't familiar with. It was when the shadows began to stir that the huntress took on another defensive stance.
"Halt!"
The shadows, and the unseen force within it, seemed to stop instantly at someone's command. The huntress tensed at this. From beyond the body of the deceased chimera, out stepped a young woman clad in a crimson mantle with white hair and lavender eyes. She was significantly smaller than the huntress herself but her body language and demeanor was that of one who was in command. She stepped out into the moonlight and addressed the huntress.
"Hail, huntress. I' am the lady Edelgard of Von Hreslvelg. I've come seeking to employ your expertise."
Though this Edelgard spoke calmly, the huntress could not avert her eyes from the shifting darkness staining the area. Sure it was night time in the middle of the forest, but this darkness seemed....alive. Almost sentient, at least that was what the huntress was feeling. Edelgard gave a brief smile.
"I see you're as perceptive as the tales foretold. You are as impressive as your father, sir Jeralt, is. Not many are aware of my vassal, almost none can even perceive him, even on the sunniest of days. Come, Hubert."
The shadows seemed to amass and cultivate itself into a physical being, one that was almost as towering as the chimera itself. Beside Edelgard stood a huge bird-like being, with pale skin, sharp and narrow eyes, donning long dark robes. It was hard to discern if it was a man with wild decorations or if he was a creature with human-like appendages. His features were sharp and he looked to be well groomed, but everything about the man looked....genuine. What stood out for the huntress was the long finger-like feathers protruding from the sleeves of his robes and the downy feather collar. He never blinked, his glowing yellow eyes never budging even as he narrowed them as he took in the woman in front of them. She had shoulder length forest green hair with a near stony look that amused the vassal greatly. "Lady Edelgard wishes to use your talents for her goals. While she may be charmed with your strength and tactical prowess, I' am not so easily won over. Tell me, what is your name, huntress?"
This man, this...Hubert, had all the predatory mirth of a vulture teasing and tormenting its prey with taunts of its mortality. Were it not for her wound, she would find it difficult to hold her composure, even with her stagnant expression. It gave her a foothold to concentrate and focus on her new...allies, and the term is used very loosely.
"I'm the Huntress, Byleth Eisner."
- For @sleeping-platinum :)