Solo [Hunt] Crane Thy Neck

Issy continues stalking the ponds and puddles the next day

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Not found on any map, Endrykas is a large migrating tent city wherein the horseclans of Cyphrus gather to trade and exchange information. [Lore]

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[Hunt] Crane Thy Neck

Postby Isedan Autumnrun on November 1st, 2013, 3:12 am

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Timestamp: Fall 83

Dawn crept across the sea like fire, light bouncing off the tops of the blades that were covered in dew. Most of the evening predators had retreated to their warrens and their dens and their caves to rest until the next night. It let the animals of the day come a-creeping from their own safety to observe the world again.

And among them, once more, was the serval. Issy had left her clothing with that infernal horse once more and tied the beast to a bush well away from where she would be stalking. A deeper than average trench had been located that had drawn all number of birds and small mammals to it and the kelvic was determined to find herself a good kill from here. After her encounter and small hunt with Khida and Shahar on the 82nd, she had not managed much of a haul worth turning in. A few sparrows and a hare had been about it and the feline shifter wondered if perhaps she had gotten too out of shape after Lukyc had been killed.

So here she lay, the short tail behind her twitching across the grasses as she watched the little stream weave along the dip towards whatever destination it sought. She could smell fish in the stream and wondered if perhaps there were some mudpuppy's in there somewhere; but then, the kelvic was not particularly interested in getting wet to catch prey. Her ears twitched and swiveled about, trying to listen for threats around her as well as any worthwhile prey ahead of her while grey-gold eyes scanned the shore and grass line.

That was when the whoosh of wings overhead caught her attention and the felines eyes rose to the shape of a grand old bird descending to the water. The animal was tall and elegant with a black beard of feathers along its long neck and over the front of its chest. Its body was a silvery-grey with hints of white amid it and a tail that was fanned in ebony. Bright red eyes were framed by a handsome black head and a long ivory beak ended in a sharp point. Once it landed, Issy noticed a flattened crest of white plumes shaped comely against its head.

What a lovely bird! It would make a fine catch, no doubt, but it is awfully large and that beak looks quite sharp..." Still, the serval was certain she could catch it before its wings could carry it out of range. Those long legs were sure to be its undoing.

The bird had folded its wings against its body now and was standing in the water, bright eyes keen upon the rippling surface and blissfully unaware of what watched it. Issy took the opportunity to slowly sneak forward, moving along the edge of the grass until she could get directly behind it. Her tail flicked in excitement and she flattened herself against the ground, watching and waiting for just the right moment.
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Isedan Autumnrun
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[Hunt] Crane Thy Neck

Postby Isedan Autumnrun on November 1st, 2013, 3:32 am

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Come on birdy...just drop your head...

Her shoulders were tight in anticipation and her ears thrust forwards, head tilting slightly from one side to the other as she concentrated and slowly crept out of the tall grass and into the shorter growth along the edge of the stream. The feline's paws slipped forwards, bending the blades almost silently as she moved, her eyes wide and her ears concentrated.

She could hear the chewing of rodents in the brush around her but her sole focus was on the crane. It was such a pretty animal, if she missed what shame she would have! Lukyc and she had caught things about its size before, but she had never done so alone. Thrusting her whiskers forwards, she tasted the air and stepped to the edge of the water. Her spots let her blend in perfectly, making the kelvic disappear against the yellowing grass, a shadow predator ready for the pounce...one more step and she would be in sure kill range.

Her tail brushed over a clump of leaves, making them crinkle and caused the crane to lift its head quickly to look towards the sound. Of course, it spotted the lean cat almost immediately and opened its wings wide. The body of the bird bent and thrust upwards, wings flapping to lift it into the air. And that was when the cat struck.

The bunched muscles in her body uncoiled like a spring, Issy shooting almost vertical after the bird, her claws extended. She caught the wing on the downflap and there was an awkward moment when they continued rising as the other wing raised and flapped again, then they were dropping, the whoop of the avian as it cried in dismay resonating in the servals ears. She had to release the wing then and landed lightly on her feet, twisting afterwards before launching towards the crane once more.

It was about to take flight again until the serval sunk her claws into its back, drawing a cry of pain from it. Issy pulled her backside up onto the back and swept a deft paw at its neck to hook it and pull it quickly back and into her jaws. While the serval was tall, the crane had a full foot over her in height, and though she could easily leap after it as observed, getting ahold of the neck in one go was nearly impossible.

Still, the effort had been made and made successful as her teeth sunk into the throat, cutting off its wind. However, the feline had to cling to it for dear life as it beat its wings and tried to get into the air once more. Her claws sunk in deeper, biting through feathers and into sinew until finally, the bird began to slow in its fight, head sagging against her shoulder and body slowly sinking to the ground. Within another chime, it at last lay still and Issy was confident enough to release its throat.

Once she had, it simply flopped, dead, to one side and she hopped lightly off of its body to land in the mud nearby. Goodness, what a fight that was... She thought, her rump lowering to the ground and one front paw raised to be licked and groomed of its mud before returning to the ground. Taking a breath, Issy let herself return to her human form in a flare of color and light.

Back in her human form, Issy knelt and gathered up the avian in her arms, humming quietly under her breath something she'd heard one of the Drykas singing. It had been catchy, but she hadn't cared enough to learn the Pavi for it. From the stream, it was time to return to the horse and stash it. She would resume hunting afterwards, but frankly, the crane was a satisfying conclusion. The whole experience had solely been so she could get away from Cotice and...feel free again and not weighted by Lukyc's death and the knowledge of who had killed him.
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[Hunt] Crane Thy Neck

Postby Praetorian on November 1st, 2013, 4:54 am

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Ever since the start of the Hunt, Nikot Swiftweed had been busier than he had thought possible. Standing tall at the ripe age of 17 Winters, it was his first year managing the family's pavilion while his brothers and father went hunting. He had chosen an easier life, one where the only thing you had to worry about was slicing your finger with a blood-slicked knife. It's not that he was a slacker or lazy or anything of that sort, simply that he enjoyed carefully skinning and butchering a beast compared to hunting it and taking its life. Everyone had a job, he knew, and not all could be great hunters.

And so, with their green-marked pavilion situated on the edge of Endrykas, the Swiftweeds had all manner of hunter come through, requesting some service or another with their prizes in hand. But, today had been relatively slow. Most were out hounding the lakes that had formed with the recent rains, using their dogs to retrieve birds brought down by an arrow or their cats to flush pheasants from the tall grasses.

By sunset, though, the place would be buzzing with activity, he knew. And so, he set to sopping some of the blood off of his cutting area, a large plank of wood perched upon two barrels. Deer were messy petching creatures. It was a good thing that he had learned uses for nearly all of an animal's parts, or the Drykas would be faced with scavengers worse than they normally were.

Finally, he saw a figure approaching, that of a young woman. In her hand was a large, elegant looking bird with which he was not entirely familiar. But, a bird was a bird and they all had meat to eat and feathers to insulate. So, when she started to pass, he called to her, beckoning her into the tent. Almost immediately, he recognized that she was not a born Dryaks, but a brought one. His language shifted accordingly. "Nice kill, you bring. Want I clean for you?" Well... It was clear enough, he hoped, running a momentarily grime-free hand through his ebony locks, fingering a braid that started near his temple.
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[Hunt] Crane Thy Neck

Postby Isedan Autumnrun on November 1st, 2013, 11:47 am

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When Issy brought the kill back to the city, she had no thought to head to any cleaning-tent in particular, she simply wanted to be done with it all and return to the pavilion to relax for a little while. The hunt had been fun and rejuvenating, honestly, and Issy was happy for it.

Before coming, she had dressed and rinsed her hands then took the infalliable horses lead and headed in. The low clop of hooves behind her provided a curious cadence that she found enjoyable but the pleasure was relinquished when a voice of Common (broken that it was) called to her from an Emerald tent on the outskirts of the city. Her eyes raised towards it and she spotted a boy in the shadows. He offered to clean the bird for her, something Issy could've cared less about. She could've eaten it in the field, but that would've looked tacky and insensitive (of course, her spite for these people was still running high and she had yet to develop any kind of favortism to them.

"Thank you." She replied in Common, dropping the lead without much care for the unfriendly black horse, and shouldering the crane so that she could pull the cache of three spring-eared jack rabbits and two long-tailed pheasant, their heads brightly colored in black and yellow and a bald drum upon their chests. "The ponds were plentiful these last few days. Even caught a turkey yesterday, but it was just a female. I'd hoped a male might come a-drinking." She shrugged and laid the kills upon the table for him.
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