milliways_bar | (no subject)

Yellow eyes watch him from the forest.

No, not down there. Up. Up.

Among the branches.

There is an eagle watching the lakeshore.

The Knight notices the movement and automatically reaches as if armed. However, he no longer has his sword and isn't carrying his bow and arrows.

Well, at least it's not a raven. But Lohengrin isn't exactly in the mood to see birds of any sort, not even the giant swan patiently awaiting him with the chariot.

So when he spots the eagle, he about-faces and walks the other way.

He'd think Lohengrin was being rude if Rabastan knew what he was thinking.

As it is, he crouches down, then takes off to get a bird's eye view, branch creaking in protest as he flaps off.

This is no one he knows and his curiosity is getting the better of him.

The Knight turns at the sound. Great, it's following him.

"You're not Orpheus again, are you?" he tries, though he can't imagine Orpheus doing anything that would get him turned into an eagle.

He's three hundred yards up, but Lohengrin might as well be next to him, his hearing is good.

Human ears, though, are not always so good.

No, of course not. Don't know anyone by that name.

Even with that answer, Lohengrin knows Orpheus would have a different way to respond.

"I swear these birds are going to be the end of me," he mutters, walking away again.

~~He's right about that.~~

Edited 2013-01-23 04:56 (UTC)

Sorry Lohengrin, but as an eagle keeping up with a human is easy. Wings beat legs any day.

He drops about fifty yards, yet still outside normal hearing range.

What? Me? I'm no bird.

"You wear its guise. You may not be a raven but you're no swan, either."

And this bird that claims it's not a bird is certainly chattier than the other birds he's encountered at home.

The Raven aside.

Well, yes; I do. When I want to, of course. And today I want to.

Rabastan's making assumptions about Lohengrin's knowledge of shapechangers.

It's knowledge that doesn't end up being very flattering.

"Another witch?"

Well this is just great.

Rabastan has gone so far ahead now that he has to circle back. Wings can be too good.

No. I'm a wizard. Only women are witches.

"Of all the rotten luck," the Knight mutters.

I'm sorry? he wonders. Why would it be bad luck?

He scowls and subconsciously brings his hands together, the right rubbing the left.

"You bother to ask why? You who know better about the evils you're capable of than I ever would?"

Most un-eagle-like, he squeezes his eyes closed, and soars up to double the height he was at earlier.

It still stings. Even now. Even from a stranger, who doesn't know how accurate he is.

And lets out a rather pained sound.

I'm not like that. I'm not.

The voice is whispered. Spoken almost to assure someone of the truth.

The Knight's expression doesn't waver. Deceit likes to wear remorse's voice.

Here there is much babbling, but the general thrust of it is his despair over past actions plus an insistence that he's better than what some people take him for. Though it seems like he's talking more to himself than to anyone else, if only to reaffirm his general good nature to himself..

It's quite emotional, causing his flight to become choppy and altitude to be lost, now that he's not paying attention to what birds are supposed to do when flying. Alongside all the unhappy eagle noises.

I'm not that kind of person! I'm not a bad man!

Lohengrin's not about to confirm that.

"I may not know you but I know witches and what they can do. If you're of their ilk..."

Noooooo..., he says, now on level with the tree tops, and thus within audible range if he wanted to be. Never. Not like them. Not like my brother. Oh, he would be. He is a bad man.

"Enough," Lohengrin finally barks. "Why do you waste words trying to convince me? If you're as good as you say you are, why do you follow me and disturb what little peace I can find?"

I only wanted to see who it was. I've never met you before. Pause. Thought I could be friendly. I ... don't have many people to talk to here.

I don't mean to upset you.

"Well I don't exactly like talking to birds," the Knight says with a scowl.

Oh. Well.

He flutters down, landing with a soft puff-crunch sound in the snow.

I can change back. But I do not know if you want to watch. Some people don't like watching others change shape.

"I've seen it before."

There's no immediate reply. Because it's hard to say anything when your mouth is in-between bird and human.

He dusts off the snow. "Better?"

The eyes don't appear to have changed colour.