Flashback [Flashback] A Friendly Hunting Trip (Lian)

[Derailey]

Season of Fall Day 37 501 A.V. Looking out toward the horizon that had barely begun to peak, Jace Benevelo knew that today would be a excellent day to go hunting. Of course, he had been planning a small trip for a while with one of his old friends, Kendras Windrunner, but he never would have guesses that Zulrav would allow such a perfect fall weather to send them on their way. He inhaled deeply, taking in the lightly chilled air. Jace wished to linger a bit longer on the feel, but there was no time to waste. If he wanted to meet his friend and his sons, and make it out to their camping location in the sea of grass at an appropriate time he would need to wake his own children now and get moving. Luckily, they packed the night before, and maybe a little too much because of an over anxious Derailey, but she was young, and Jace could remember that as a child he was the same way with his father, if not worse. Tilting his head down a bit, Jace lifted the animal skin flap, and entered his family's tent. Looking around he noted how relaxed everyone looked. Their home was comfortable, not roomy per say, but comfortable. They had everything they needed here, and together they made this a home. Walking almost silently, something he had mastered over the years, he maneuvered his way to his children's bedsides. He softly shook his son Drail awake, giving him a few seconds to regain himself, before gesturing for him to grab his bag with his eyes. Trying to be as quiet as possible, so not to wake his mother, Drail did as he was ordered, grabbing his bag and exiting the tent. Jace moved on to Derailey next, who was completely sprawled out on her cot looking a complete mess. He took a moment to watch her, the realization of how alike they were was remarkable. Smiling he reached down and shook Derailey's shoulder softly, "Little one, it is time to go." He spoke in a hushed tone as she opened her sleep filled eyes. Half awake she nodded, and followed her father out of the tent, swaying a bit as she tried to bring her body to its proper state of awareness. As soon as they were outside, they began speaking in more audible tones. Drail had already dressed himself for the upcoming mission, and a short while later Derailey was ready as well, her hair pulled back in a loose bun. The morning chill had almost dissipated by the time they set out toward the Hunter's Allegiance to meet up with Jace's friend. It didn't take long before Derailey was practically skipping beside her father, grinning from ear to ear. She could barely contain herself thinking about how exciting it was going to be to go with her father on another hunting trip. She always enjoyed her hunts with him and her older brother, but this time her father said things would be different, and that she would be more involved. Not only this, but there would be other children there, as well, so it was no longer just her and her brother. The thought of this made the walk to the Hunter's Allegiance shorter than usual, and before she knew it her father had gripped the other man's hand and met eyes with him, "I'm glad you came, Kendras." He waited for the man to reply before releasing his grip, gesturing toward Derailey and Drail to come forward. "These are my children," he spoke placing his hands on both of their heads smiling. "My son, Drail and my daughter, Derailey."

[Lian Windrunner]

Lian was soaring through the Web. The glowing strands were familiar friends, beckoning to them. They welcomed him among them. It felt as though he was a bird, flying above the glowing strands. Each strand sang to him, teasing him with their secrets. Lian wanted to know those secrets. He wanted to know them all, and he was willing to do anything he had to in order to learn them. But he knew that that would only come with hard work and effort. The strands of the Web would whisper their secrets to him when he earned them, and only then. For that to happen, he had to be a Master. Lian knew that he would be a Master Webber one day. But that day was not today. So for now, Lian was content just to fly among the glowing strands, learning where they led, what was normal, and what was not. What was part of the Web, and what was not. "Lian." A voice. That was not part of the Web. Words were not necessary within the Web. Even as a novice in webbing, Lian knew that much. Perhaps he had only imagined it? Lian looked around, but he couldn't see any other Webbers. He was alone among the glowing blue strands. "Lian!" The voice was impatient now, calling him back. Away from the welcoming Web. Lian fell. Lian groaned silently as he fell out of his dream. It had been a wonderful dream of soaring through the Web freely. Sighing, Lian sat up, and looked at his older brother. "It'll be time to go soon. You have to get up now." Lian sighed again. They were going to go hunting today. He knew that hunting was an important job, and that everyone should at least know the basics of how to hunt. More importantly, he knew that it was important to know how to survive out in the Sea of Grass, which is another thing they'd be learning today. But Lian hated to take the time away from his practicing his webbing skills. He wanted to protest, or to say that he wasn't going to come. And yet... Lian looked over at his baby sister, who was sleeping peacefully with their mother. It was his duty as a big brother to be a good example to her. Just as Lukar tried to be for him. What he wanted really didn't matter, not as far as this was concerned at least. So Lian got dressed quickly. He ate a piece of fruit and an oat cake so he wouldn't be hungry on the trip. Then he grabbed the bag he had prepared the night before, and he was ready. Lian made his way towards the Hunter's Allegiance with his father and older brother at a brisk pace. They arrived first, but they didn't have long to wait. Lian watched as his father greeted his friend, and shook hands. He eyed the other kids with mild interest as their father introduced them. Then his father introduced him and his older brother to the other family. Lian tried to look more interested in the trip than he was. It wasn't easy. At best, he was reluctantly willing to admit that the skills they would hopefully learn on the trip were important ones. His brother didn't have to pretend. He really was eager to go out hunting. But Lian would far rather practice his webbing skills. Lukar greeted the other family politely. When Lian didn't do so immediately, Lukar nudged him sharply. Lian glared at him with irritation. Then he turned back to the other family. "It's nice to meet you." he said politely.

[Derailey]

Looking over the group Derailey noted their differences of the boys as they were introduced. They both were a few years older than Derailey herself, but she had never been bothered by her young age. Her father treated her the same as everyone else, so it never made a difference. One seemed about the same age as her brother, looking as though he wasn't too fond of being here this morning, unlike his older brother who looked as though he couldn't wait to get out into the wild. Putting her hands behind her back, finding her evaluation of the boys complete for the time being, she then waited for her father to finish his small conversation with his friend before then entire party lifted their belongings and set out toward their destination. Derailey couldn't help but smile as she basked in the warmth the sun brought. The chill of this mornings breeze had settled down to a nice cool flow of air that made their walk much more enjoyable as they walked a few miles out, the grass steadily beginning to rise. It wasn't long before Derailey was able to turn around and Endrykas had disappeared from sight. "Listen now children," her father called over his shoulder in a calm but serious tone. "Drail, I already expect you to know this, but Derailey heed me. Stay alert. Death is too easily met in the wilds of our home land. Even though you have two adults here, you should never assume that you are safe. Understand?" He kept his gaze straight forward, moving a through a tall section of grass. Derailey nodded, quickening her pace to stay close behind him. A few minutes later their travels ended upon a clearing in the grasses. "I believe this is as good a spot as any to make camp." Jace said, turning to his friend with a satisfied expression. Wasting no time he removed his bag from his shoulders and placed it on the ground, unhooking the strings that held it together to view the contents of the inside. As her father began talking with his friend again about how they should set up their camp, Derailey set her bag on the ground as well and turned to her brother, smiling. "I'm excited." She said bluntly. Drail had to fight to hold back his grin, "Oh? I couldn't tell." Derailey nodded, looking toward their father. "When do I get to have my own knife?" She asked, re-positioning herself to glance down at her brother's blade which was securely fastened at his waist, and then to the others, who had their own as well. "I'm the only one." She said, almost pouting. She turned toward the other boys, whom she had yet to say anything to. She waved her arm, attempting to catch their attention before calling them over, "Hey! Over here. Come join us." She spoke a little too loud, which earned her a look from her father. She shrunk a little, but as soon as he looked away, she smiled waiting for them to come over.

[Lian Windrunner]

Lian noticed that the younger girl who had been introduces as Derailey was watching both him and his brother, but he didn't respond. He just wanted the trip to get started. The sooner it started, the sooner it would be over. If he was lucky, he would have time to practice his webbing skills a little before he had to go to bed. Derailey's father spoke to her and her brother, warning them to stay alert. Lian shrugged. It was something he already knew. In his mind, anyone older than five who didn't know that they had to be alert once they left Endrykas was an idiot. Then again, his older brother had been telling him all about his hunting trips for as long as he could remember. So he had known about staying alert long before he had actually left the city himself. Of course...knowing that you had to stay alert, and actually staying alert were two very different things. Lukar rolled his eyes, and looked annoyed at the warning, even though it wasn't directed at him. Lian knew that at twelve, Lukar no longer thought of himself as a child...and was very sensitive about even the slightest suggestion that he was still a child. As they walked, Lian looked around carefully, studying their surroundings. He wished that he was skilled enough at webbing to be able to enter the Web, and search for potential threats. But he just didn't have the ability to enter the Web while he was walking. Nor could he do it if he was less than perfectly relaxed. So attempting to do so while he was tense, and alert to his surroundings was impossible. Instead, he studied his surrounding with all of his senses. There were no signs of danger as far as the eye could see in every direction. Birds were chirping, calling to each other in the tall grass. That told Lian that nothing had frightened them recently. If it had, they either would have fled, or fallen into silence. They reached the place where they were going to set up camp. Lian watched while his father unpacked their tent. Lian heard Derailey say she was excited. Her older brother seemed to be as well, though he was controling himself better. And he knew that Lukar was enjoying himself. Lian wished that he could share their excitement. When Derailey called them over, Lian flinched inwardly. Didn't she know that she had to speak quietly out here? After a moment, Lian shrugged, and exchanged glances with his brother. Then he and Lukar walked over to see what she wanted.

[Derailey]

Her father's quiet voice was a distant blur as Derailey zoned into her surroundings. Taking a breath she took in the scent of the grasses all around her, the smell of dirt and moisture laden heavy with the breeze. It wasn't pleasant, but it was familiar, something Derailey had grown accustomed to these past few years. Without it, she couldn't imagine feeling at home. It had become a part of her, in such little time, and was something of a comfort. She listened the world around her carefully, waiting for the boys to walk over. If there was danger, her father would have alerted them by now, and though he said to stay alert, Derailey couldn't help but let down her guard a little while he was around. If anyone in the world made Derailey feel completely secure, it was her father. Derailey could feel the disdain for being here emanating off of the younger boy, Lian. She couldn't understand why anyone would dislike a hunting trip or being in the wild open fields of the Sea of Grass. It brought Derailey such a thrill, but of course, she was young, still naive to the world. Everyone has there own interests, and it just so happened the his wasn't sparked by this adventure, though it seemed his brother was. This pained at her heart a bit. Maybe with a little encouragement, he would come around? Drail had already begun a conversation with the older boy, something about birds and arrows Derailey didn't quite catch as she found her new goal, to focus her time and effort on finding out how to make this enjoyable for Lian. She cast him a smile before beginning to talk to him, "How long have you been coming out here with your father?" It was an easy question Derailey hoped would break the ice between them. She then lowered herself to a squat on the ground, picking at the short grass before pulling it out one by one and casting it to the side. She vaguely wondered when her father would finish talking to they could get things started, but of course, seeing as it was her father, and that he was not a man of few words, there was really no telling when it would end, but as if on cue, the two men ceased their conversation and walked over to the younger four. Derailey's father told Drail to get his things ready, before kneeling down before her, and pulling out a small hunting knife, which he held out with a knowing smile watching her face light up. Taking it in her small hands, it was a little big, but nothing she couldn't get used to. It was still sheathed, and felt smooth against her skin as she rolled it around in her hands, trying to get a feel for it. After seeing her settle with it, he straightened back up to a stand, looking out over the grasses. "We will begin as soon as everyone is ready. Bring anything you think is necessary. We'll be back at the camp before sundown."

[Lian Windrunner]

Lian blinked at the question. Why would the younger girl care how long he'd been going hunting? Then again...maybe she was so excited about it that she thought everyone else should be as well. So he shrugged, and answered. "Since I was five." he said simply. "Dad says that it's important that I learn how to hunt. He thinks everyone should." Lian studied the girl carefully before continuing. "I know he's right, but...I don't like it much, though. Not the way you seem to, anyway." Lian looked around to see if anyone else was listening. His brother was still talking to Derailey's older brother, and his father was talking to his friend. Neither seemed to be paying any attention to him. "I'd rather be practicing webbing. That's what I want to do when I grow up." Lian's eyes lit up with an intense joy as he continued. "Webbing is amazing. It's like...think of a spider web. A giant, glowing spiderweb that stretches out as far as the eye can see. One that has drops of dew clinging to it. Everything is connected. Everything belongs. Everything has a purpose that enhances the existence of the Web. Now imagine that you are as small as a song bird, and that you're soaring above the Web, seeing everything. The strands are glowing paths, leading you anywhere you might want to go within the Sea of Grass. The beads of dew are...life. People, striders, animals, plants...everything that lives within the Sea of Grass is seen as a bead of dew in the Web. If you know how, and you have the skill, you can tell what kind of living thing each bead of dew is. You can even tell one person from another, and where they are. That's how Webbers find missing people." Lian's eyes widened as he realized something. "If you're good enough, you can even use webbing to help you hunt!" he said excitedly. "You'd be able to look for...deer, for example. If you knew how to tell what each bead of dew in the Web was, you'd know which ones were deer. Then you'd be able to pinpoint their location in the real world by knowing what part of the Web reflects which part of the Sea of Grass. Or if you weren't quite that skilled at webbing, you'd at least be able to know what direction you'd need to go to get to the deer, and roughly how far away they were by seeing how far they were from you in the Web. You'd know where you were in the Sea of Grass, so you'd be able to use that to figure out where the deer were. You could do the same thing to see if there were any dangerous predators near by like wolves, glassbeaks, or night lions." Suddenly hunting didn't seem so boring. If you could use webbing to make hunting easier, safer, and more interesting...maybe it wasn't so bad. Lian knew that he couldn't tell what kind of living creatures each bead of dew in the Web was yet. He didn't have the skill for that. But he would someday. Lian was determined to learn how. Lian would have said more. He would never get tired of talking about webbing, and the Web. But Derailey's father approached them, and gave her a hunting knife. Seeing the excitement in her eyes, Lian knew that she wouldn't hear him. Or care if she did. He knew that he probably looked the same way when he talked about the Web, or got the chance to practice his webbing skills. Then Derailey's father told them to get ready to go. Lian grabbed his short bow, a gift from his father when he first started learning how to hunt. He also grabbed a quiver full of arrows, and a hunting knife. The knife was stashed in a sheath tied to his belt as he looked around, trying to think of anything else he might need. He couldn't think of anything, so he moved towards the others. "I'm ready." he said simply.

[Derailey]

There were a few brief warnings before they all went on their way. Derailey's heart began to beat faster as they began their hunt. Everything hit her all at once, and her senses were on overdrive. Every rustle in the grass drew her attention, as though it was prey rather than the gentle wind. Every scratch in the ground made her feel as though an animal were near by, though they were more than likely days away. She was excited like any other child faced with something that thrilled them. Derailey kept a close proximity to her father, as he crept silently, making his way through the grasses, almost like he was following an invisible trail. They kept at a steady pace for a good while, and Derailey began to wonder if they would ever find any game, but before she could bring herself to ask him, he stopped his movements halting the expedition with his hand. "Here is good." He turned around after a brief meeting of his friend's eyes and a nod, and faced the children. "I'm sure you three already know how to set up rodent traps," he directed his words toward Drail and the brothers. "Allow me time to show my daughter this task." With that, reached in the sack he had thrown over his shoulder when they set out, pulling out a metal contraption that Derailey had a vague memory of seeing before. "I do not use these often child, they are useful, lest you forget where you have hidden them...then they become dangerous. Derailey watched him open the odd metal trap, visibly using strength to open it, while behind him his friend went to the three boys and handed them each a trap of their own as well. As Derailey's father worked, he called quietly over his shoulder, "Don't forget where you place these, children. I don't want to have to bring you to your mothers hobbling." Derailey watched closely as he finished preparing the trap, and uses a thin layer of dirt and grasses to hide it. Derailey was shocked at how well it actually stayed camouflaged against the land. "I will have you do some tomorrow, but for now, remember what you have seen. I will review you over this." Derailey nodded, and together they waited for the others to finish setting up their traps as well. He left her as the others came back to join them. Derailey met eyes with Lian, and offered him a kind smile.

[Lian Windrunner]

As soon as they started, Lian's senses were on full alert. Every breeze rustling the grass was either the movement of prey, or a potential threat. A glassbeak or night lion ready to spring. Birdsong reassured him, though. He knew that the presence of a preadator would frighten the birds into silence. Lian tried to walk quietly. He knew that moving silently was one of the key factors when it came to sneaking up on one's prey. His father and older brother had told him so many times. He remembered them telling him how to move silently, but at the time, he didn't want to listen. It didn't involve webbing, so to him, it wasn't important. As a result, his memory of the lessons were fragmented at best. He did, however, remember that dead grass would make a crunching sound under his feet no matter how lightly he tried to walk. So Lian tried to step only on living grass. When he took a step, he was careful to put the heel of his foot down first. Then he slowly rolled his foot towards his toes onto the ground. As he walked, he rotated his hips slightly because doing so made it easier to walk in this fashion. He also remembered his father telling him that he should walk on the outer edge of his shoes if he wanted to move silently, so he tried to do that as well. When they stopped, Lian watched closely as Derailey's father demonstrated how to use the rodent trap. The man's warning about not forgetting where he put the trap gave him an idea. I know that Webbers can tie items into the Web just like they tie people into it. That's how they are able to help people find lost things. If I could learn how to do it too, then I'd never have to worry about accidently stepping on a trap that I set. I wouldn't have to remember exactly where I put it if I could simply use the Web to find it again when I need to. he thought. Then it was time to set a rodent trap of his own. Lian did not possess an adult's strength, so he struggled a bit with the familiar metal trap. But this wasn't the first rodent trap he had set, and he had seen Lukar and his father set countless traps of various types. So he was familiar enough with what he was supposed to do to manage. Lukar had finished with his own trap far sooner than Lian had with his, but that was only to be expected since he was older. When Lian was done, he looked around for a good place to hide his trap. He didn't want to hide it too close to the others. If an animal got caught in one of the other traps first, he didn't want to lose all hope of catching anything because other animals avoided the area the trap was in. Finally, he found what he thought was the perfect location. The grass was taller in that area, providing shelter and cover for small animals. If the rodents felt safer, they would let down their guard. And if they did that, they would be more likely to get caught. Lian carefully buried his trap the way he'd seen Derailey's father do. Then he rejoined the others. Lukar was already done. Derailey smiled at him, and Lian caught a bit of her excitement. He couldn't help but grin back. Lian loved to learn, and even if hunting wasn't his area of interest, he was learning all the same. Even better, by learning these things, he was being a good example for his younger sister. As his excitement started to mount, he couldn't wait to see what they would learn next.

[Derailey]

Derailey could never have imagined how hard it could be to walk silently. She had always thought she had been good at sneaking around at home while playing with her older brother, but in all reality, now that she was out here in the Sea of Grass where she had to be silent...her whole perspective on silence had been severely changed. Her talent that had been delusional, and realization wasn't so sweet when she found herself making more noise than anyone else in their party as they moved along swiftly. At this rate, she would scare off any hopes of coming across prey. She did her best to keep up with her brother, since her father moved too quickly for her, keeping up with Drail was her only hope. She couldn't hold back the envious glare as she watched him mimic her father's movements with ease as she struggled with every step. She was being too hard on herself, but she wanted to be perfect, to show her father how great she was. She did her best to not agonize over her loud movements, and did what she could stifle them. She tried to focus on everything around her. The air hung still. The breeze had stopped a little while ago. Making the songs from the birds cut through the air in a happy but ominous tone that had Derailey's darting every which way. Then there was the rapid beating of wings, and a loud crunch in the grass. Their was the simultaneous stilling of their bodies, and turn of their heads in the given direction. The birds seemed to scatter through the air, flying away. Derailey spared a glance to her father, and though the look on his visage was not one of surprise or worry, Derailey couldn't stop the sinking feel in the pit of her stomach. The adults were the first to move forward, gesturing back toward the children to follow, but keep their distance. Jace stepped forward, stealthily moving and removing his bow from his back. His stance was lower to the ground. He pulled an arrow out of the quiver on his back as he crept along. He eyed the ground for a moment, and Derailey knew he recognized what had made the noise. There were imprints in the ground; shallow and light, but with what little knowledge Derailey had of tracking, she of course could not tell what kind of creature they were dealing with.

[Lian Windrunner]

Lian tried not to glance back at Derailey as she walked. She was making so much noise that he just knew that anything around them could hear her coming for miles. But for all that, a part of him was glad. Remembering bits and pieces of half remembered lessons on stealth was one thing. Following them...was another thing entirely. If it weren't for Derailey, Lian was painfully aware that he would be the one making the most noise. I've got to do better if I want to be a good example for my little sister. he thought ruefully. When the loud crunching sound filled the air, Lian flinched. It took him a moment to realize that he hadn't been the one to make the fatal noise. When he did, he felt both relieved that it wasn't him, and annoyed that it had happened at all. As the birds exploded into the air around them, Lian figured that they had pretty much lost any chance of catching something today. But he quickly changed his mind when he saw Derailey's father lower his stance, and draw his bow. His own father, and Lukar were doing the same. Lian mimicked their movements as best he could. Lowering his stance was possible, but it felt strange when he tried to walk that way. Lian removed his own bow from his back as well, and pulled an arrow out of his quiver. But he was having difficulty remembering how to do the next step. Or even what the next step was. Was he supposed to put the arrow to the bow string, and then aim it, or aim it and then put the arrow to the string? Seeing the shallow tracks on the ground distracted him from his dilemma. Lian studied the prints carefully, but he couldn't even begin to guess what had made them. He glanced at his own foot for a moment. The tracks weren't human...probably. But beyond that, Lian had no idea. He thought he might have a better chance at identifying them if they were deeper, and clearer like they would be after a long rain. Lukar knows what kind of tracks they are. Father does, too. Lian braced himself as best he could for whatever was about to happen. He tried to prepare himself for anything, but it was hard when he didn't know what to expect. His entire body was as tense as a taut bow string as he waited in silence.