Flashback Just another hunt? Or something more?

[Asher Nightrunner]

"Shouldn't you become the best among the Drykas then, learn all you can here before you leave?" her words echoed in his ears. He stopped and looked at her. His eyes cloudy with the storm that went on in his head. "Would that really make a difference? If I stayed now and then left you would say the same thing you are now? Or do you think it would really change your mind that much? Would you suddenly accept it?" he asked. The harsh tone of his voice was only countered by the soft, confusion in his eyes.

She went on about love and the Drykas way. Then she simply said no. She wouldn't want him back. That everything that happened between them would never be able to bridge the gap of him leaving. His gaze turned frosty. The pain inside of him burned like the fires of Syna. She continued to speak, but he didn't listen. He had fallen into himself, ignoring the outside world. An easy way to get yourself killed in the sea of grass.

He followed them up onto a slope. He looked down at the Gazelle who were below them. The innocence of the babies pushing against their mothers, while the adults drank and ate around the watering hole. He watched with his bow in hand. Not making a single move as the babies played around their mothers. Pushing and running into each other, much like him and Jaye had done when they were younger. He sighed and sat down in the grass. His knees underneath him, he leaned forward. Laying his bow down next to him, he closed his eyes and prayed.

He called out to Caiyha and Syna. "Goddess' of the Light and Land, hear my prayer. Guide me, as I have lost my way in your world. I am blinded by the light of my dream and feel no comfort among my home. My mind wanders in the darkness and I fear the worse. I fear that the monsters that haunt my dreams will terrorize my reality. I fear that I will lose that which is most dear to me. Dear Goddess of Light and joy, please shine your rays upon my eye so that I can see the path ahead of me. Goddess of Nature, please show me the way through the twisted planes of my heart. Please let the beast that rage's inside of me be calmed by my passion. Let it work together to push me through the dark times." he paused for a brief moment. "Please Goddess' guide your child back to the true path" he said before sitting back up. He sighed again, feeling some of the anger and confusion leave his body. Though he didn't move, he hadn't the slightest idea what to do next.

[Jaye]

Jayes' brow furrowed when his angry gaze met hers, "Would that really make a difference? If I stayed now and then left you would say the same thing you are now? Or do you think it would really change your mind that much? Would you suddenly accept it?" Her mouth a thin line she responded instantly, "If you stayed until you were the best you would realize with age how ridiculous it was to leave." Her belief was unyielding and firm. The Drykas way was the only way.

As they breached the hill Jaye gazed over the herd searching the edges for sick and straggling creatures. It was the same way predators hunted her herd and she was acutely aware of the switching of roles.

Now I am the hunter...on the prowl...

She grinned inwardly focusing her energy on the creatures before her rather than the creature at her back. The herd moved together easily, none were unhealthy and none were stragglers much to Jaye's dismay. It would be no use chasing after the group, especially creatures with horns like that...She thought dimly gulping as her eyes ran up the shafts on either sides of their head.

However, as her eyes grazed the land she spotted a small rabbit hunched in the grass. In her horse form her eyes saw little colour but were very attuned to movement, making it easy to catch the rabbits bounding leaps though perfectly coloured for the grass.

There!

Scooting up beside the kneeling Asher she butted him gently in the back of the head with her muzzle. Nodding frantically at the rabbit Jaye gestured wildly. Her long black mane was tossed and tangled with grass and her tail flicked along her flanks, agitated.

Get it Asher! Get it!

Word Count294

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[Asher Nightrunner]

He looked down upon the herd. They were all healthy and strong. Even the youngest would be able to out run him, and his shot from horseback was more then likely to miss. He sighed, the guilt he felt bubbled inside of him. Though was it the guilt of leaving his home or his friend? Which would he miss more? This was the beginning of a struggle he would deal with till he left. He sighed, his focus was off. The argument and taken a toll on his mindset. The hunt was no longer what interested him, but the thoughts in his friends minds. Then she pushed into his back, dragging him back into the world that they inhabited. He looked in the direction that she gestured to. Seeing the grass move in unnatural ways.

He turned slowly sitting on one knee, he reached back a drew an arrow from his quiver. He notched it, pulling the string back as he slowly breathed in and out. He followed along the path of the animal in the grass, the arrow pointed in front of it. He took a deep breath and let the arrow fly. It ripped through the air, slicing its way towards its target. The arrow struck with a thud and there was a tiny squeal before everything went silent. The wind blew in the grass as Asher stood from his position. He walked over to where the shaft of the arrow stuck out of the tall grass.

Reaching down he warped his hand around the shaft, pulling his bow up onto his shoulder, he reached with his other hand and grabbed the rabbit. He picked it up by the hind legs and held it there for a moment. The warm blood dripping from its wound. The arrow stuck between its front leg and chest. He pulled the arrow out and turned towards Jaye with a smile. He held it up proudly. The only thing on his mind was his success and he said "Got him".


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[Jaye]

Asher moved awkwardly about his bow, notching a shaking arrow. Bowing down on one knee Strider on one side, Jayes black muzzle on the other he struck. Like a true Drykas he was booked by horses on either flank and as he darted from his spot to scoop up the dead catch. Warm wet blood painted the wavering green and tan strands of grass as he waves it about, like a child who had caught a ball in mid-air.

Bumping sides with her friends Strider Jaye shifted into a human. Nude dun body, hand on their horses side, she strode toward him an overjoyed grin plastering itself on her face. Though she loathed his decision she desperately wanted to move past it. To forget about him leaving long enough to enjoy their fading summer days together.

"Congratulations!" She exclaimed throwing her arms over the boys shoulders. Releasing him from her grasp Jaye moved away from the limp creature. Blood spilled out from the point of contact drenching its lush fur, ruining it. "Shouldn't you fix that?" Jaye queried struggling not to giggle.

In Endrykas everything from an animal was used. It's fur, teeth, bones and meat were all valuable commodities. Though Jaye ate meat the most valuable commodity in her mind was the creatures teeth. Strung together into long necklaces and hair pieces they were the most inexpensive jewelry to be found in the huddled tents of camp. Though Jaye loved the glitter and sparkle of gem, jewel or glass pieces her meager income could not support such luxury.

"I call the teeth!" She announced though it hardly needed to be said, she always called the teeth. The gazelle at the watering hole had vanished in the midst of their joviality. "We should get back so Dad can butcher it...before it gets gross like the last time." Last time they had been hunting they had caught several rabbits and returned proudly to camp only to be admonished. The heat of the day had spoiled the meat and both their time and the lives of the animals wasted.

Jaye and shamefully had to march out several miles and discard the bodies where they would not attract hunters to the campsite. Wary of committing so blatant a crime again Jaye nodded for Asher to mount up again. "Can't believe how quick you were..." She beamed at him proudly, "Last time it took you twice as long to just get your arrow notched." The teasing was a natural play between them though Jaye was very aware that at any moment was she was free to remember her anger and rebuff the stallion again. Tottering off toward his Strider Jaye patted his soft muzzle gently.

Her own Strider had been born only two days after her, sired by the stallion before her. Since her death Jaye had latched herself onto the stallion and his bond mate relentlessly. Grasping his mane with as much force as she pushed the memories from her mind Jaye shifted into a horse. Her long black face an impenetrable mask. Lipping at Ashers hair Jaye nodded her head quickly and nickered under her breath prancing in place.

Time for home, soup and teeth.

Word Count535

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[Asher Nightrunner]

He let out a long drawn out breath as she had changed. Her naked body gracing his eyes before him, he swallowed slightly. He peeled his eyes off of her to look at the rabbit in his hand. Only to be drawn back by the sudden warmth as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. His eyes wide for a second as her bare skin touched that on his arms.

He shifted slightly to hide the sudden growth between his thighs. He put his hand over the spot that his arrow had struck, covering it to hold back the blood. He held it flat in his hand now, hand smeared in its blood, he reached down to grab his bow that had fallen to the side when he went to stop the bleeding.

His eyes turned back to her, a warm smile across his face, as he said. "Of course you do. You always do." He walked towards Karne placing the rabbit on top of one of the baskets her, he plucked two long strands of grass out of the ground. Licking them both he pressed them against the killing blow on the rabbit. Wrapping it around it, very poorly, he turned his head towards her again. "That should hold.... Maybe? I'm not exactly sure. But who knows maybe it will keep the blood from pouring everywhere long enough for us to get back" he smiled.

He wiped the sweat from his brow, leaving behind a trail of rabbits blood on it. "I've been practicing" he mumbled as she mentioned the last time they went hunting. "I'm a grown man, I should be able to notch an arrow at the speed of lightning" he said proudly, standing tall after he had slipped the rabbit into one of the baskets.

She turned back into her other form, much to Asher's eyes displeasure, with a audible grumble he mounted back up. His eyes looking over the field again. "So are we not going to talk about it?" he asked with a pause, "About me leaving...Why you don't want me to go, the real reason. Not because of the herd, or my family. But the real reason it upsets you?" he finished, looking at her horse form.