Chapter 2
As the others woke only one exited their tent swiftly she walked over to the first. The first woman was tall around 2 meters, her hair a smooth jet black her skin pale but not sickly, her eyes a piercing black similar to the onyx color of the rabbit Val had killed last night. The second woman was around the same age she had long blonde hair. She was just barely shorter than the first at around 1.8 meters tall, her skin a nice healthy tan, her eyes having a nice hazel color to them.
"Good morning love." The second woman said as she walked up to the first wrapping her arms around her, pulling her into a hug.
The clearing was small, only being about 10 meters in diameter, making it so Val was still close enough to hear and see almost everything. 'Wait they speak English here?' Val was taken aback by the fact she could understand her. 'Well that makes gathering info a lot easier.'
"Good morning, we need to get ready to move. I think there is a chosen here. I saw a night stalker bat by the river." The first said after pulling away from the second.
'Wait she saw me? And how do they know about the chosen?' Val thought, worry setting in now that she knew she had been discovered. But the mention of the chosen kept her glued to her spot.
"A Night Stalker? Don't they hunt in packs in the middle ring?" The second said, shocked by what the first had said.
"Yes, that's why I think it's a chosen. It was alone and in the open during the day. I'm sorry Rose but we may need to cut this trip short." The first woman said, holding Rose's hand. Another tent opened and an older woman stepped out. She looked to be in her early 50's. Even so, she was well built, covered in muscle with the physique of a bodybuilder, her skin a dark chocolate color, her eyes a verdant green, reminding Val of the forest around them. Her hands had rings on each finger, small runes covering their surface.
"What are you two yapping about?" The older woman said as she approached the first two..
"Morning Greta. We may need to move. I think I saw a chosen down by the river." The first woman said to whom I now put together is Greta..
"A chosen, what makes you think that Kathrien?" Greta asked, her face not concealing her surprise at hearing of a chosen.
"It's Katy, and I saw a Night Stalker alone by the river in the middle of the day." Katy said pointing towards the river.
"That doesn't mean it's a chosen coulda just gotten lost or separated from the pack." Greta tried to reason as she turned to the forest, her eyes scanning passing over each tree landing for a moment on Val.
"And if it is a chosen we need to leave, they are always unpredictable." Katy said looking at Greta, the older woman turned back and crossed her arms.
"Or, it could be a great familiar for you. That is, after all, the whole reason we came out here in the first place was to get you familiar is it not?" Greta asked, walking up to Katy and Rose. Seeing how the woman towered over the other two, Val could guess she was at least 3 meters tall.
'What do they feed their old people? I can excuse the muscles cause magic but 3 meters tall gah damn.' Val thought, seeing the woman standing next to the other two. Greta is standing a full meter over them both.
"I guess, but if it is a chosen I doubt they would accept that." Katy said, looking up at the giant woman. Before Greta could speak the other two tents opened and the last two people stepped out. One was a smaller woman around 1.6 meters tall, her hair reaching her middle back; fiery red in color, the ends appeared almost singed. And her eyes are as red and glittering as rubies. She was skinny with a small book on her hip, she wore the same leather armor that Katy had. The other woman was 1.5 meters tall. She had short brown hair and her body was toned and well built, but not bulky like Greta, her olive skin just a shade darker than the woman with red hair. She had one eye the blue of a clear sky, while the other was a rose gold color. She wore heavy leather armor with intricate designs and runes covering the surface.
"Why are you bickering so early?" The woman with red hair said looking at Katy.
"I think there is a chosen nearby and I think we should leave, however Greta says we should try and find it to make it my familiar, so i think the choice should be up to you Beth." Katy said looking at the woman with red hair.
"I agree." Greta said, nodding her head. "The leader should always make the final choice. Even if I'm the eldest here."
'Ok so I have two choices if they choose to go after me. One, I stay hidden and just avoid them and stay in this forest, or I go with them and hope a familiar contract isn't something like a slave labor contract.' Val considered while hearing them discuss in the distance what they should do.
"I vote to go for the familiar contract. It's what we came here to do, and a Night Stalker would be perfect. I didn't even consider them because they are pack hunters, but, alone it's not that hard to take down and contract. And if it is chosen then we can get on a god's good side by helping their chosen." The woman with the two colored eyes said.
"I agree with Sylvia. I think we look around for the day and if we don't find it we go back and regroup in town." Beth said, walking over to the table and laying out a map, pointing to different sections of the forest. "I say we hunt around these areas if we can't find the night stalker we leave before it gets dark."
"Alright, let's get ready I guess." Rose said and walked back to the tent she came out of, the others following her lead and going back to their respective tents to get ready for the rest of the day.
'I'll follow them for a bit and scout while I decide whether to stay hidden or become this "Katy's" familiar.' Val sat and thought, still hidden in the tree just outside of camp.