[Windmount Stables] A Drykas by any other name (Open)

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"Well, we have all year to save up for winter," he said, slowing down and going on the offensive. "But I'll help you with your hunting in exchange for food if you like."

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden gave a shrug as he moved his sword around, blocking and swatting aside incoming strikes Sam delivered. "That sounds fine, you should likely pick up some snares and fishing gear for yourself as well," Jaeden suggested as he swung his sword around, pushing aside and incoming lunge of Sam's before his hand came to rest along Sam's shoulder for a moment, giving a little nudge but nothing with any real force. "Remember that someone can often be off balance when lunging, a simple shove during that time can send then stumbling to the ground." Jaeden then slowly stepped back, holding his sword up to mid guard once again. "Throwing people to the ground during such time will help you if faced with more than one opponent and can't escape them," Jaeden then added.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"Especially if you can throw them into someone else," he said, grinning at the thought of causing mass chaos as a one-man army.

He stepped back and mirrored Jaeden's guard, then tried to adapt it so it felt more natural with the curve and heft of his scimitar. One always had to take one's lessons and make them work for them.

"What's next?"

[Jaeden Kincade]

The tip of Jaeden's sword slowly tilted down until it eventually found it's tip embedded in on of the several tracks that the two of them had made during their movements in practice. "Tracking," Jaeden then simply mention. "Anyone with simple knowledge can set a snare anywhere in the forest, but looking for the right place to set a snare is what makes a trapper successful. That is where finding and recognizing tracks comes in." Jaeden then slowly sheathed his sword, motioning for Sam to examine the various tracks they had made, including the ones made from the horse and their own walking as they approached. "The tracks we lay will not remain indefinitely. Time and elements alter them, changing their shape and erasing them all together. For instance, here in the clearing, notice how the impressions we made along the grass most recently are obvious. They are deep and have form," Jaeden explained, running his fingers over the impressions in the grass and earth. "Yet if you look to the tracks up near the gate, you will find that the grass has slowly began to straiten itself, grabbing on to the breeze that moves along. Such things can tell you how much time has passed since the track itself was made."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"Right, right." He slid his scimitar back into its sheath and bent down to look more carefully at the tracks, trying to remember old lessons while he did so.

Horse ignored them for the most part, trimming the grass and dropping a load of offal onto the dirt. Sam barely noticed that sort of thing; Horse knew what he was doing with the grazing and elimination. Better here than near where he had taken to pitching his tent, anyway.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden slowly crouched down to the ground beside Sam as his forearms rested along his knees. "Tracks come in all shapes and sizes as you likely know," Jaeden continued to explain, "and they tell us all sorts of things about the quarry aside from just what they are. Depth gives you an idea of weight, spacing the size and whether they are running or walking. How they step can tell you whether they have an injury or other problems. Size of a humanoid track can give you an idea of how tall the owner is or whether or not their dominate arm is left or right since such will also transfer to how they step." Jaeden's hand slowly reached out, pushing into one of their tracks. "Along surfaces without thick grass like this, you'll actually have to touch the track, see how loose the soil is to get an idea of time frame," Jaeden then continued before his hand hovered over the track, "and some beasts and prey have such high temperatures that their tracks are actually a bit warmer than the soil surrounding it."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

He continued to listen, nodding from time to time so Jaeden was aware that he was actually paying attention. It was review so far, but of things learned so long ago that he was in dire need of re-learning them, unless he decided to become a city slicker, which would probably irritate Horse to no end.

"This," he said seriously, "was definitely not a glassbeak." He managed to keep a straight face for a moment or two before his face distorted with glee.

Jaeden had already seen his windmark; it wasn't any sort of dangerous hint about his heritage. It wasn't like the evil armies of Ravok were after him. Anymore.

"Sorry, no. I know. But how long do you expect the temperature to stay higher...? I mean, if the prey is running a fever or whatever."

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden gave a slow shrug as his arms draped loosely over his knees. "Depends on the creature itself," Jaeden then responded. "If it's a normal barefooted creature, expect the temperature difference in the warm seasons to be no longer than a tenth of a time for a bell to chime, less if in the colder seasons. Other creatures are likely to radiate an unnatural heat, which will extend those times. Though if you're tracking something unnatural like that, it'd best be with a group of others at your side." "Glassbeak," Jaeden said looking up slowly to the clouds as he pondered such. "I've heard of them, but have yet to encounter one." Jaeden then slowly shook his head. "Anyways, I digress," Jaeden said before looking to the tracks once again. "Recognizing how long ago a track has been left by an animal will help you to better determine whether it's worth your time. You don't want to go tracking prey that passed by over two chimes of the bell prior, as it'll lead you to far away from your camp site if you set it up before hand. As well, following the tracks of small prey will lead you into choke point spots they frequent, showing the prime areas for setting up your snares."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sam smiled in understanding, glad to let thoughts of glassbeaks fall back beneath the surface of his thoughts and memory. Standing up, he started twirling his sheathed sword around in his hands like a kid.

"But wouldn't following older tracks lead you to dens and holes and whatnot? I mean, if you were getting to know an area that you'd be hunting and trapping in for a while?"

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden nodded slightly as he stood himself back up strait. "Sometimes," Jaeden then answered, "it all depends on how you're conducting your hunt at that time. If your camp is already set, you don't want to spend your whole day just following one set of tracks. Besides, animals at their dens will normally be where they're most dangerous, as they'll likely have young there to defend depending on the season." Jaeden then slowly stood up as his hands fell to his waist. "Also take into account the time you have to take to skin and clean what you've caught," Jaeden added. "If you're hunting just for a simple meal, tracking one set of tracks for a good portion of the day is fine, but if you're doing it to earn yourself a living, well following older tracks is just waisting time."