Birds of Mirth [Open]

The rabbit she had spotted had not yet seen her. Quinn had made sure that her scent was being carried down-wind, but the critters were known to be jumpy and paranoid. For good reason, of course. Its nose twitched as its head tilted back and forth, ears nervously bouncing about as it moved cautiously. Quinn hefted her weapon, taking aim through the thin foliage. She was this close to letting the arrow fly when a loud snap could be heard just as she had turned her head, rabbit fled in panic along with a few dozen birds that had no doubt been getting ready to roost.

But Quinn had her attentions set elsewhere, and already she had whistled for Valor to pause his hunt. He knew, of course. Any sound so loud would be a cause for immediate concern and investigation. It was too loud to be a weapon, but at the same time, what would cause a single tree to fall to the ground? Or more importantly, who? The ranger had edged herself slowly to where the sound had resonated from, and where she had seen the birds fly.

Upon emerging, what greeted her was an odd sight. The half-dragon, Shyvana, who appeared to be walking away from the scene of the crime and the crime being a forlorn looking tree with its trunk snapped - but not at the base, at an average fist height. Quinn glanced at Shyvana suspiciously, "Did you do this?" Valor landed nearby, though his only move was to ruffle his feathers quietly.

Quinn walked to where the top of the tree would have been, its leaves falling all over each other like a scene from a dramatic play. She shifted her fingers through it thoughtfully. Though she was not quite the type to berate people for not treating the wildlife properly, it still seemed a little unnecessary and excessively violent. A good start.

The ranger shrugged. "If you're going to punch something to death, there's the training grounds for that." Valor clicked his beak, and Quinn glanced at him briefly, "Unless your training is to break trees apart, which wouldn't be surprising." She tilted her head as the half-dragon stopped her stride. Shyvana wasn't really the type of personality she would converse with frequently and it seemed like she had a mission in mind.

Quinn tilted her head, "Training grounds, training targets. It doesn't have to breathe to provide a challenge." Upon closer inspection of her current conversational partner, Shyvana didn't appear to sound at all smug. She decided to venture a little further, curious now. "Sometimes its a better idea to replace anger with something other than more rage. That's how I see it, anyway." She wasn't so much as offering heartfelt advice as she was simply giving simple suggestions. She knew that the half-dragon wouldn't take too kindly to any form of beration.

"What are you doing out here then, if not for breaking trees?"

"To each their own," the ranger replied with another simple shrug. She expected such an answer, and though she was not well-versed on the history of dragons, everyone had heard the tales. Though Shyvana remained as much of a mystery as she was when she first came to Demacia. It had been news that quickly spread even through the more urban areas of the grand city, though many of her brethren had not yet seen the half-dragon in the flesh. In a way, she should have felt honored.

At her next words, however, Quinn could not help but arch an eyebrow. "These people?" She tapped her foot, "I suppose for the country side, we grew up hearing stories about how dragons ravaged the lands to scare us. But there were also the kind ones who helped good children."

A quiet breath escaped her, "If you mean the nobles, well... they like to judge everyone. To them, I'll always be a simple commoner, and you will always be a dragon. But that's not something to be insulted by." Valor let out another screech and Quinn nodded. It wasn't in her best interest to act too sentimental, so she shook her head. "I don't know what caused your irritation and it isn't in my place to ask, but smacking things around isn't your only option."

"Sure, but make sure you don't demolish the entire forest. It's sort of important." Quinn watched as the tree went reeling back by some strange reason, falling back rather than forward with a familiar sounding crash - except twice the volume, considering the closer proximity. The eye contact did not go unnoticed, and she matched Shyvana's gaze firmly. As intimidating as the half-dragon may try to act, she was not one to shirk so readily at such blatant displays. "I'm not its keeper, but this place is important to me." Valor clicked his beak as if to confirm her words. It was not a threat or a warning but a simple fact.

Quinn nodded as if she understood, "Except in your anger, you may hurt those who are undeserving of such violence. Even if you don't care for them, you of all people would know what it's like to be judged as the weaker link." It was a sensitive nerve, no doubt, but the ranger gave it no thought. From what she had heard about Shyvana, the half-dragon's youth was a not so happy experience. "I also doubt Prince Jarvan would be happy to hear that you also decimated Demacia's countryside." She pointed out, feeling the ground beneath her feet vibrate as the armor was dropped. Again, she did not bat a single eyelash.

She didn't quite understand why she was entertaining Shyvana in this odd conversation. It would have been better for her to allow the half-dragon to go on her way, but it was both curiosity and mild suspicion that ground her to this place. After all, she held many fond memories in this place, along with the times she and Caleb had marked this or that with sticks and stones. Quinn sighed, rubbing her shoulder, "Why would you help someone who does not appreciate you? In the end, respect only goes so far to those that earn it and they - from what I hear - have done nothing to have yours." Another breath, "I don't believe you are." A ghost of a grin swept across her lips, "Even if you think you are, beasts are known to be more majestic than humans in most aspects. It just goes to show that people who use it as an insult are too shallow to know any different."

[1730, Darkening Clouds]

"Maybe go to a place where there's nothing around you and yell at the sky," Quinn suggested. "Unless you want to destroy things." Which wouldn't surprise her, really. Shyvana's expression more or less betrayed mild confusion, and it mirrored the ranger's exact thoughts. The question was not why she was talking to the dragon. Not anymore. The fact that Shyvana hadn't merely walked away from her meant that she wasn't being entirely rude. Nonetheless, it was strangely entertaining. Though the other had not yet gleaned anything too personal, she had learned so much in such a short time.

"Prince Jarvan helps those in need. You help those who take advantage of you." She shrugged, "I am no expert on Prince Jarvan's inner-mind, but I don't think he would be too happy if he knew how those court nobles treated you." At the unexpected thanks, the ranger found herself looking away as she folded her arms. "You don't need to" Quinn glanced back, "I say what I mean, and I've never needed thanks for them."