Picnic Crashers(Samael, Hyacinth Please)

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden gave a nod as Fortunado ate and he began taking a comb across the Nightwalker’s fur. “Yeah, I know about strength in numbers. I’ve been on the receiving end of it more than once.” Jaeden replied as he gave Fortunado a couple of firm pats along his back, smiling a little. “He is just so awesome. You know when I first saw him, he was flirting with a female horse. I think I knew right there.”

Jaeden then looked around the clearing for a moment, giving an exhale before rubbing his stomach a little. “Well, we’ll make camp first. Break out all the equipment, set up our tents.” Jaeden paused then, looking to Samael. “You get yourself a tent yet?”

“After, there’s a stream about six hundred paces to the east.” Jaeden said, pointing in the direction. “We’ll water the horses first. Then it’s hunting as usual. We’ll find some fresh tracks, follow them, and try to bag us a big Elk. We’ll skip trapping this time around. If we get an Elk early, I want to save the daylight and possibly get a second one if we can.”

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"So there are lots of little Fortunados trotting around, huh?" he asked, laughing. The slut jokes were old between them already, but they continued in muted form, mostly because Sam was jealous of Jaeden's way with the ladies. He nodded along with Jaeden's proposal, figuring it was good enough for him. Sam had mostly ranged farther out, wanting distance between him and civilization, so these closer hunting grounds were more Jaeden's area of expertise. "I approve, I approve," he said, pulling his tent out of the saddlebags. "I've always had a tent," he added. "One of the first things I got myself. Hate to sleep in the rain, you know?" With that, he began setting up his tent while Horse cropped the grass nearby. The canvas was carefully spread out, spikes laid out near the corners to stretch it, and rope produced. OOCHyacinth wants us to hurry up and get the elk so she can send things at us...

[Jaeden Kincade]

About a full bell passed before the two of them finally got all the tasks of setting up camp done. Jaeden stood at the center, finishing with getting the fire started as he took a quick look around. “Okay then.” Jaeden said before he moved over to his tent, picking up his Composite Longbow. “Let’s get to hunting.”

Jaeden then moved towards the north, his eyes traveling over the ground. “Remember, we’re looking for bull elk,” Jaeden reminded. “The cows are giving birth this time of year, so to make sure we’re not driving populations down too much, we won’t be shooting any of them.”

Jaeden then crouched down, quickly looking over a set of tracks found not far outside of camp. “Meh,” he muttered under his breath. “Just deer.”

Jaeden then slowly looked back to Sam. “Are you able to tell the difference between the two yet?” Jaeden then asked out of curiosity.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Though Jaeden was the superior tracker, Sam kept his eyes peeled for tufts of fur on bushes, broken branches, tracks, and piles of suspicious scat. As soon as Jaeden mentioned deer, he caught sight of some cloven-foot tracks that were certainly too small to be an elk's. "General size, but also width in comparison to length. Depth because they're heavier." He nodded, turning his composite shortbow over in his hands now that they had a little space to do so. "And I have to say, it's strange using a shortbow again, but I think I like it... even if we're not shooting from horseback today." He glanced back at the tracks, trying to discern some other information from their spacing and all. "I wouldn't mind deer if we can't find elk," he added. "Meat is meat, after all."

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden slowly nodded as he talked about the tracks, his fingers lightly running over the tip of his chin, scratching lightly. “As well, the front points of a Elk track will be less pointed and spread further apart from each other as opposed to a deer track.” Jaeden added, giving him another tip before looking down to the short bow. “That’s good. One should always use what they feel most comfortable using. You’ll improve faster with such that way.”

Jaeden slowly stood up, giving a nod to Sam. “Well look to see if we can’t find some Elk tracks first. Spend about a bell on such. If not, then we‘ll go for the deer.” Jaeden then conceded, moving further along. “Meat is meat, but a bull elk will give us three times the meet a buck deer would, which means more meat, and more profit in the long run of things.”

Jaeden smirked, looking over his shoulder at Sam. “Gotta think long term when coin is involved sometimes, otherwise a hunt could end up costing you more than just time once and a while.” Jaeden said as he looked back to the ground, continuing to head in a northern direction. “Keep your eyes out for them, and we should find some soon enough though. They’re more common in this area. Less bears, both normal and Bark. Most of the predators here consist of puma and wolves.”

About a half a chime would pass before Samael found the first signs of the tracks. Both of them checked over it for a short moment as Jaeden checked to see how fresh the tracks were, as well as their size. “Yeah, definitely the size of a bull elk.“ A slow gaze around and eventually Jaeden spotted droppings left behind by the creature. His hand hovered over the small pile for a moment, nearly coming into contact with the excrement itself as he sniffed the air a couple of times. “It’s still a little warm and the smell is still strong. Along with the tracks, I imagine it passed by here not more than a quarter of a bell ago. Nice find Sam.”

Jaeden slowly stood up strait once again, resting his hand along a nearby tree as he took a moment to take in a few breaths, his other hand falling to his stomach. “Go ahead and begin following them.” Jaeden then said, looking back to Samael. “I’ll let you track this one down, and then both of us can put an arrow into it.”

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Since Sam was still relearning these skills, he lingered over the elk tracks a bit longer than Jaeden, observing first hand how the shape and spread of the points differed from what he recalled of deer tracks. He didn't bother reaching out toward the feces, but he observed them and took a rueful sniff, trying to equate that particular smell with elk. Finally, he nodded and stood up. He would keep quiet unless he had to whisper, not wanting to warn away potential prey. But he walked along carefully, following the tracks but also being as aware of their surroundings as he could. There were still those pumas and wolves to worry about, after all. Jaeden was correct, too, about the elk's head start. They found him in a bit less than a quarter of a bell; the big beast hadn't been on the run, but merely moving. His hand shot up to warn his hunting companion, stopping them both short. Then he pointed to the elk, the movement slow and purposeful so as not to catch their prey's eye. He glanced sidelong at Jaeden, unslinging his composite shortbow and nocking an arrow from his quiver. He waited, keeping Jaeden in his peripheral vision so they could aim, draw, and release together. If one of them shot first, the second would have to act quickly or else risk losing the shot if the elk bolted. With any luck, they would both score mortal shots and end the creature's suffering quickly. His breathing came under control before he even raised the bow, and when he drew the arrow back, he could feel the added tension that the bone added to the wood. The entire apparatus seemed to hum with potential energy as he sighted along the arrow to the elk, aiming for its shoulder as an easy target and one likely to slow it down. Jaeden, who as more skilled, could find the more lethal, more difficult shot. Sam waited until Jaeden was ready and then released his arrow with a twang of sinew and a whiz of flying feathers.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden moved slowly behind Samael as he tracked, his own eyes keeping to the tracks as well to follow the trail in case Samael lost it suddenly. He also checked for tracks that might have come from predators and other hunters, which would have put their own hunt to sudden halt, with either of the case having beat them to the Elk. Fortune smiled on them however as Samael came to a halt, raising his hand and signaling Jaeden to stop.

He moved silently behind Samael, crouching down as he gazed to the area Samael had spied, seeing the massive animal standing close to thirty yards away. The light brown fur coating it’s back, sides and legs, his head, chest and belly a darker brown in color. Most distinctive were the size of the animal antlers, as they grew and stretched out from the top of the Elk’s head by close to three feet. A bit of excitement cross Jaeden’s body language as he saw how large the bull was, standing a close to five feet, three inches tall from the ground to it’s shoulders and was nearly six and a half feet in length. “Must weight close to nine hundred pounds.” Jaeden thought to himself rested his hand along Samael’s shoulder for a second, giving a small grin.

Jaeden then slowly reached to his quiver, pulling an arrow from it as he nocked it into the string. His eyes slowly narrowed as he stared across the forest ground separating them and the elk. An animal this size wouldn’t be difficult to hit. Jaeden gave a slow silent exhale as he began drawing the string to his own bow back, focusing his gaze as he lined the tip of the arrow up with the elk, aiming for it’s heart. He would have to time the shots well. Too late behind Samael’s shot, and the arrow would miss the heart. A final exhale was then given, saving the tail end of it to whisper to Samael, “Now.”

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sam exhaled as he released his arrow, trying to track the flight of it through the green air. It winged its way toward the elk with Sam's prayer to Caiyha ringing in his mind, oscillating with the twang of the two bowstrings. It was generally his way to request her blessing when making a kill, though it might as well have gone to Kihala or Dira, if he wanted to delve more deeply into his innocent supplication. Kihala and Dira were two sides of the same coin in his eyes, and Caiyha resonated similarly. Death allowed life to continue. Death led back into life. Life fed on life. It was all one. Just as he had striven to be one with bow, arrow, and prey. Thankfully, he didn't feel the arrow piercing the elk, but he knew they were all connected, just as he knew that he was still part of the Drykas web even this far away from Cyphrus. Out of habit, he pulled another arrow out of his quiver and nocked it, drawing and tracking the elk before he could even ascertain the relative success of their shots.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Both arrows flew true, cutting through the air, before finally reaching their target. Samael’s arrow hit first, striking the Elk in it’s shoulder causing it to jerk in pained reflection. Jaeden’s arrow pierced through it’s ribs a split second later, piercing through one of it’s lungs before the tip of the arrow pierced the Elk’s heart. The Elk’s cry echoed through the forest as it took a quick couple of bounds forward, stumbling to the ground as weight rested along it’s front hoof, injured by Samael’s arrow.

The elk rested along the ground, it’s rear legs twitching slightly. Slow rises and falls of it’s chest could be seen from the distance as it began to take it’s last breaths, subtle grunts escaping it’s mouth as blood began to trickle from it’s nose. A short time would be spent taking it’s skin and fur, but with luck they’d get such done in time to track another before days end.

Jaeden yanked another arrow himself, nocking it into the string of his bow as he moved forward. “Good shooting,” Jaeden said as patted Samael’s shoulder. “Hopefully it’ll stop kicking within a couple of chimes and we can claim our meat.”

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sam loosed that second arrow, aiming for the vitals. Caiyha had granted them their kill; it were best it were done quickly. The elk needn't suffer more than necessary. His Nan had always said that quick, clean kills were the best for hunter and hunted. The hunter ate the flesh of the hunted, taking in the pain and fear of death. He wasn't sure he believed that, but he was still merciful when he could be. Nodding to Jaeden, he slung his bow over his shoulder and pulled out his hunting knife. If he was given an opening, he would go for the neck and finish it. Hopefully the elk would be peacefully dead by the time they got that close, though. As they approached, he confirmed their plans. "So we'll take all this back to camp and then go for another, you think?"