Answers, and he's going to get a few

He immediately went low into the grass. He wasn't sure where they were, but they were definitely upwind. He crept low and on point, the scent of the watcher strong to his nose. It almost was as if he could "see" the scent, glowing a meandering path to him and past him. For all purposes, it could have been a glowing arrow.

He stepped softly, stopping every few feet, his ears scanning the area for a sound. Who ever it was, wasn't moving. "They must know I'm after them," he thought. "I just vanished after looking at them." But he didn't hear anything than the ambient noise of the woods. The "arrow" had vanished as the scent filled the area. He knew he was close, very close.

Suddenly, from a nearby brush, there was a burst of movement and a flash of brown. "Dammit! I was right on top of them!" he thought, without realizing he was already in pursuit. His target was fast, almost flying across the field and back into the woods. His movements weren't as graceful, and his "Well...for now..prey," he thought, would randomly shift directions, trying to throw him off. He was gaining, but one wrong move...

He grinned as an idea formed. When his prey zigged left, he zagged right, breaking the line of sight, just for a moment. With his ears towards his target, he could hear ragged breath and a faltering of footstep. Putting everything he had into a burst of speed, he leaped onto a thick tree trunk, then sprang to another. The heavy "thock" noise echoed loudly in the quiet forest. He gained just enough altitude to see a....girl? looking about wildly. It would have made him hesitate if he wasn't hurtling directly at her.

With a **** he was sure instinctually designed to take her head off, he managed to twist his body and grab her in a tackle. Together they skidded several feet, his body taking most of the punishment. They came to rest in a pile of leaves and moss, the forest had gone eerily silent. Until she began to scream.

"AaaaaiiieeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE....."

"Look, I'm sorry. I'm not go..."

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE..."

"I'm not..."

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE..."

For fuck's sake, did she even need to breathe? He took his free hand and put it over her muzzle. "I am sorry. I'm not going to hurt you. Can you please stop screaming?" he said, slowly and enunciating each word. Hell, he wasn't even sure she spoke...English? Was that it?

She looked at him with big, brown, tear-filled eyes. She nodded.

"Great. I'm going to let you go. Again, I'm not going to hurt you. I apologize for chasing you. Please don't scream or run. I just want to talk. Do you understand?"

She nodded again, with the same look. He knew this part was where once he let her go, she would scream, run or attack. Maybe all three in various orders. He wasn't sure how he knew. With slow and deliberate movements, he let go.

She got up in a hurry and backed away. He knew she was going to run, and if she did, he wasn't going to chase her. But she didn't, she kept her eyes on him, and smoothed out her long dress. There was a long quiet as she picked leaves from her hair. He was struck by how..delicate and wild she looked. Her longish ears twitched at every sound. And she was well endowed for a...Deer? He was certain that was correct, but the fog in his head couldn't allow him to focus on it for more than a moment.

He didn't move as she finished and looked at him. It was almost cute, when she puffed up before speaking. She was still terrified. "Well, for a Lord wanting to start a conversation, you have a horrible approach."

He laughed and regretted it. She flinched when she saw his ivory fangs. "I don't know about a "Lord." I don't know much at all, even less on the proper way to approach a lady."

She looked at him warily. "I'm afraid I'm no landowner in this commonwealth and less becoming to false flattery."

"I apologize. I meant no insult. I am very lost at the moment. And in the field, I only knew I was being observed. When you ran, my...instinct took over."

She seemed to soften at the same time as her gaze hardened. He wasn't sure how he was "reading" her so well, but it was very obvious. She thought she had some sort of advantage. Which she did, but probably not as much as she thought. "Well, then. I should understand as my instinct also held me fast. When you suddenly stood up in that field, I hid. I was afraid you were a brigand. Then when you came close, running seemed...prudent. And I'm not entirely sure it wasn't the correct course."

He gave a chuckle. "Equally guilty. So we are even ground when it comes to introductions. However, I am still at a disadvantage. Where am I?"

"You are half a day's walk from Ardville, my home. You, it appears, come from the land of No Manners."

"Pardon?"

She gave an exasperated gasp. "It is proper to introduce oneself while a guest in a foreign land to a stranger. Here. I am Cecilia Swiftwind," she said, giving a shallow curtsey, then putting her hands on her hips expectantly. "And you?"

He chuckled again as he got to his feet. With a quick shake down his body, he flung off most of the twigs and dirt stuck in his fur. "Thank you, Ms. Swiftwind. I am..."

She stared up at him expectantly, when he froze. "Is he addled?" she thought.

After long moments, he sat down again on his haunches. "I...I have no idea who I am."

"Nothing? No name? No home?" her stance began to soften. The brute was huge, but kind, and polite in a barbaric sort of way.

He gripped his head in his hands. "Nothing! I see...flashes of things that I cannot be certain of. But of myself..." His body released, drained of energy. "Myself, it is empty, a void."

"Maybe I can fill that voice with an arrow, what say ye?"

Cecilia let out a squeak and jumped back towards the stranger. Turning around she saw the 3 Opossums walking towards her, each brandishing a weapon.

"Silac!" she said.

"Who?" asked the stranger.

"She said Silac! The most dangerous man in this commonwealth! And don't you forget it!" said the one in the middle, brandishing the crossbow. "Now, be tossing your valuables to the ground, be right quick now."

Cecilia backed in closer to the stranger. "Silac, you and your brothers know I'm from Ardsville, and we don't have a penny for the whole town, until harvest is over."

The stranger chuckled and stood up to his full height. The 3 ruffians eyes grew wide, as he towered above them. "As you can see, I have no pockets on this belt or cloth."

"Crikey you're a bigg'n. But my boys can knock you down to size." he snarled.

The other two looked at each other, not sure of Silac's confidence.

The stranger leaned over and whispered to Cecilia, "What is the proper etiquette in this commonwealth? Should I kill or incapacitate these idiots?"

Her trembling eased as he protectively looped an arm around her, blocking the path of the arrow. "They are a pain in these parts, but dimwitted. Killing is a bit much."

The stranger looked back and shrugged. "Do your worst."

"Skrect, Shlush. Kill him!"

The other two, now named, glanced at each other again. Then club and rusty pitchfork held high, gave a hiss and charged.

Silac blinked for a moment. But in that time, his brothers were flat on their back, out cold. "Wha...what? You didn't move!"

"I didn't have to...much." the stranger said, moving in front of Cecilia and began to approach. "Now Lord Dangerous, how will I defend myself against you?"

Silac began to panic as the stranger loomed forward. His red eyes pierced the dark understory of the forest. "S-s-stay back!" he cried and hit the trigger, releasing the bolt. It flew straight and true, burying itself deep into the forearm of the monster approaching him. The stranger didn't pause or even look at it. His eyes never wavered from Silac's. The terrified Opossum blinked again, then gave a strangled cry as the stranger's visage filed his sights, all demonic eyed and flashing teeth.

"Boo."

Silac could feel his bladder empty, along with his scent sack, right before he passed out.

"Ugh. Now I can see why he's so dangerous." the stranger said, holding his nose and walking back to Cecilia.

She looked at him incredulously. She hadn't seen him move either, in the beginning. Then her gaze shifted. "You're wounded!"

The stranger looked at himself, and managed a grunt of surprise when he found the bolt jutting from his right forearm. "Huh. Didn't even feel it." he said, before ripping it out.

"Ah! You idiot! You lummox! Yah great galoot!" The stranger's ears flattened as she chastised him. "You just did more damage to yourself! Why didn't you let me remove it?"

She kept tisking as she came up and examined his arm. There was a wound, and a slight trickle of blood. But it didn't look serious for being hit by a crossbow bolt. It didn't even need to be stitched.

"Ok stranger. We need to go back to my home. I have a poultice to prevent infection. Too bad I have nothing for your wounded common sense."

"Ardsville?"

She gave a long sigh. "Aye. But first, we need to name you. It's not proper to call you 'stranger' after today."