The creature was extremely odd. It stank of brine and fish, and Roseate didn't much care for the bulging, beady-eyed stare it had fixed him with as he approached the hotsprings. It was nighttime, far into the early lurkings of the day before dawn and the air was choked with thick steam. It was far warmer than any other spot he had found so far as the realm shrugged off the winter's chill. But this creature was between him and the warm mineral pools and Roseate was irked.

He didn't know it was a pelican. He'd never seen the awkward thing up close enough to bother giving it a name. He knew it was a seabird; why it was so far inland was very unusual to him. It looked scrawny and it's weird loose beak a odd enough texture and size he hadn't tried to scare it off outright. What if it could just... eat him, like he'd seen them do to fish? He suppressed a shudder, uneasily standing the fowl down.

The risk of bringing Rawkshi up here had been high, but she knew in the end that relieving himself form the winter everywhere in the heat of the hot springs would be worth it. And the rosy woman that acted as his steed though so too, of laying in the steam and feeling the warmth of summer once again- enjoying the illusion it may give. The only issue was the sun- it burned her eyes and made her skin feel much too hot. Perhaps there would be a rocky ledge she could hide beneath, to enjoy just the steam itself.

She knew it was likely there would be others here. But she didn't expect to see a male of similar size to her, who was nothing less than pretty. He faced off with a massive seabird- a pelican, she had heard them called before from her time living in the ocean pride beneath her brother, in the lands they once lived in. They were mildly aggressive, and quite weird looking.

Giving space between her and the lion, for his comfort just in case, she rushed at the pelican, snarling and slapping the ground with her paw- and receiving a screeching hiss and raised wings in response, but it didn't snap, nor move. "How annoying." She stated, looking back towards her company with semi-squinted eyes, the sun causing them to be sore.

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Roseate was nearly certain that the bird's wingspan was over half his own body's length. And that was an unsettling thought. They seemed so small, up in the sky. Down on the ground (and at his level?) he was wondering how he had managed to misjudge them so significantly.

Yet he isn't alone in this troubling confrontation; a lioness toned in peach and charcoal steps into the steam. @Arachnae 's scent had been masked by the humid air, but he suspected she had just arrived by her fiery reaction to seeing the pelican.

The bird doesn't flee even at her snarling display, and Roseate finds his pelt bristling instinctively too. But a grin had sprung upon his muzzle and he flits ruby gaze to the newcomer. "Bold fucker, isn't it?" he quips - half baffled and half impressed. "Wonder if it tastes good."

Arachnae chuckled as he mentioned how hardheaded the massive billed bird was. "Ain't that the truth." She agreed. Indeed, it had too much courage for being simply a bird. Maybe it need to be eliminated, so it wouldn't bother anyone else- and then it snapped at Rawkshi. The snake jerked back slowly, and the rose woman stepped back, away from the white demon, with an angry snarl. The back mamba was too cold to react, and the beast took advantage of her being distracted. "That's a good question, I think bird is on the menu." She growled. "Do you want to kill it, or should I? The beak is dull, but it'll bruise you like hell." She'd been bitten by one before, when she was a yearling- and it had made her shoulder sore. But maybe the meal would be worth it.

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Roseate hadn't been paying much attention to the dawn-coated stranger so when the seabird clacks it's beak threateningly at the pair of them and the bard heards a hiss-

He is startled to see a serpent coiled upon the lioness. Did- did she know it was there? Was it a dead trophy? No, it had made a noise. Well, Roseate had questions then. But first; the large-winged irritation blocking the both of them from the springs needed to be dealt with.

"I've never hunted anything like it," he muses. But he wasn't about to admit that made him nervous. "Is there a trick to it or...?" he clears his throat, eyeing Arachnae's reaction. "How about we work together. So neither of us get bit." Yes, that made sense. He would follow her cue.

The rose woman was still concerned about the venomous companion wrapped around her body, but knowing he hadn't been bitten she returned her attention to the still unnamed male planning murder at her side. Arachnae tried to calm her rapidly beating heart, the anger slowly subsiding. A level head was required for slaughter. "Ah.... I'm not sure either. Me and a friend once messed with geese but.... We didn't kill any of them. Maybe.... One of us distracts it from the front and the other sneaks around the back and tries to.... I don't know.... Break it's neck?" She suggested. "Sorry I'm not more help, I normally hunt at night so things so ever notice me anyways." Her dark saddle and mask helped her blend in the shadows, unlike her peach pelt sticking out sorely during the day.

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Although he eyed the serpent warily, he had seen the protective reaction of the lioness and figured it would be a topic best approached gingerly. And not right now. "Well, it's similar enough to a goose." he agrees at a murmur, not liking the beady-eyed stare the bird locked him with. He nods though at her suggestion, a snort lifting from his throat. If she was feeling out of her depth, then he had news for her.

"I don't hunt if I can help it. Scavenging is easier." He tells her with a huff of laughter. Which probably didn't put the rose woman at ease. But here, he wouldn't slack. This was interesting and she had agreed to his help.

Well then, he'd better stop stalling. With nervous, smooth movements he began to approach the pelican. "Heyy, look at- look at me!" he growled at it. He was excellent at being a distraction, in his opinion. Time to put those theatrics to use.

A half-hearted bat of his paw puts him dangerously in reach of that beak. "C'mon, bet you aren't as scary as you look, featherbrain!"

Arachnae chuckled in amusement as he stated he preferred to scavenge. It made sense. Males, she noticed, didn't seem to be great at hunting in general- but of course there were exceptions. Ara herself was a very poor hunter until she figured out hunting at night worked much better in her favor- where she could also see.

Soon enough, the peach male began to do his work, distracting the demon bird so the rosy woman could try and get behind it. Making a wide circle, she came from behind, crouched low, getting closer to the steaming pools she could feel the warmth on her hind legs as she stalked towards the bird- and lunged, her jaws closing around it's neck. It was difficult to grip, it's waterproof feathers slick, and it's wings distracting as it beat them desperately at the air.

Her jaws closed harshly, and a snapping sound was followed by the pelican going limp. She couldn't help but be surprised they actually did it without serious injury. The damn thing was MEAN. With an exasperated look of triumph, and dropped it, grinning her long toothed grin at the unnamed lion. "Ha! Well how about that? Yeah baby, were having pelican for dinner!" She stated, sharp ears straight up. "No wonder these things are sea birds, the ocean is the only thing as salty as them."

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The pelican opened it's beak defensively and glared at Ros. Good, exactly what he wanted. With a sly grin he feinted a smack at it again, claws only snagging empty air. It writhed it's wings at him, tousling his striped mohawk with gusts of air.

As he taunted it, he could see the pink-and-ash lioness creep around behind the bird, placing her paws carefully. It wasn't a very intelligent creature, for as soon as she stopped being a frontward threat to the feathery fiend, it seemed to have forgotten about her. That mistake would be it's demise.

The woman struck decisively and Roseate heard the crack of it's long neck. Those large wings went suddenly limp against the damp stone and he grinned.

"Well done!" he rumbled, padding closer, "We make a good team, eh?" Was he about to scab a meal? Yes. Yes he was. Mooching was a key tool in his arsenal of survival.

He dips his head briefly to sniff the dead thing. Yeah, salty alright. He straightens up to offer an introduction, fixing red gaze on Arachnae. "I'm Roseate, by the way."

The rose grinned at his praise and statement, happy to agree, "This has got to be the biggest thing I've caught in a long time." She said. It was true, hunting was hard on your own- maybe she should hunt on the beach more. "I'm Arachnae, and my companion is Rawkshi. He won't bite though, I promise." The witch happily lifted a paw to place beneath the Mamba's head. "Wanna take this closer to the hot spring's pools, so we can enjoy the heat?" She asked. She was more than happy to share, but after bringing the serpent up through the cold, she felt it was best to get him warmed up.

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